The news that Crown Prince Xie Pei had arrived at the Ministry of Rites spread to the kitchen almost instantly.
Many people are curious about him.
"What are you doing here, Third Prince?"
"It's not the Third Prince, it's the Crown Prince."
"Yes, but he was unknown in the palace two years ago. In just one year, he has become so powerful."
"Yes, this time I came here, it must be about the enthronement ceremony."
"Who would have thought that he would be the crown prince?"
"In fact, what those people said made me want to meet the late emperor. But for Prince Xie to be recognized by those people, he must be very impressive."
"Of course, we have seen everything that His Royal Highness has done."
No matter where Su Wan went, she heard almost all these words, yet she had to restrain her expression.
However, she walked towards crowded places, making it impossible for Xie Pei and his guards to approach her. They could only watch her slippery like a loach.
Obviously unwilling to communicate for the time being.
To guard.
It’s right that Miss Su Wan doesn’t want to communicate. After all, it’s such a good thing that makes people so worried.
But the guard also felt a little strange.
He was naturally able to see clearly when he was beside His Highness that His Highness treated Miss Su Wan differently, but that was not the case when he looked at Miss Su Wan.
More importantly, is it about caring for the friends around you?
Su Wan treated many people like this, including her friends in the West Kitchen, her friends in the South Kitchen, the eunuchs and guards in the Imperial Household Department, and the guards in Lingtai Gate.
She is actually kind to many people.
If that person was weaker and more pitiful, she would be more kind.
etc.
The guard's eyes widened.
He seemed to know something he shouldn't know.
Your Highness???
Are you pretending to be pitiful???
No way???
And in this case, it seems that pretending to be pitiful will lead to failure.
In the eyes of the guards, His Highness was clearly trying to tease the child, but failed.
But if you think about it carefully, it's completely the opposite.
No wonder Miss Su Wan was so angry. His Highness was even panicked for a moment.
The guard who had completely understood how the two of them got along always felt that it was better for him to be a little confused.
Su Wan thought that it was okay to hide. Anyway, the things had been returned and it had nothing to do with her anymore. After listening to the latest news, she knew that everything was going well with Xie Pei.
Instead, the saint was lying on his sickbed again for reasons that were hard to explain.
Ever since the incident at Tianbei Palace, the Saint's health has hardly recovered and has been suffering from bouts of illness.
Everyone was even a little puzzled, otherwise why would Concubine Jiang and Concubine Chu be so anxious.
But these two people are no longer anxious, but they can't sleep well. Every time they wake up from a nightmare, they always think about the fight for the throne that day.
But now there is no point in fighting for the rear position.
The purpose of becoming a queen is to make her child a legitimate son and a crown prince.
Now that he has been preempted and with the late emperor's will, Xie Pei is now firmly on the throne of the crown prince. Unless he is killed or unless he dies, there is no other possibility.
Concubine Chu may not be clear about this, but Concubine Jiang knows it very well. If Xie Pei could really be killed, he would have died hundreds of times already.
Even the saint’s men couldn’t kill him, let alone his own men.
Now think about it, if Xie Pei becomes emperor in the future, what will they do?
What they had done to Xie Pei was enough to get them killed hundreds of times, and which emperor would allow a prince who had competed with him for the throne to stay?
The saint's brothers all died for various reasons, some died of illness, some committed suicide, and some died in accidents.
Among them, death from illness is considered a good end.
What about Xie Pei?
When Concubine Jiang thought of Xie Pei's cold eyes, she was afraid that the eldest prince would be killed by him. This was absolutely possible.
When Concubine Jiang and Concubine Chu were in shock, Xie Pei finally saw Su Wan.
It has been six days since the night the prince was appointed. It is the sixth day of November, which is also Xie Pei's birthday. He finally finds a chance to be alone with Su Wan.
Su Wan didn't expect that she was found at such an opportunity when she just came to the kitchen to get hot water. She subconsciously wanted to roll her eyes, but she tried her best to hold it back.
Never mind, it’s his birthday, let’s hear what he has to say.
Xie Pei first took the hot water from Su Wan's hand, then asked, "Are you busy recently?"
"Not as busy as you?" As soon as Su Wan said this, she knew that the anger had dissipated.
After all, what was put into her hands was real money, so Xie Pei had invested a lot of money.
Xie Pei chuckled: "I didn't know it would go so smoothly."
Establishing the crown prince was smooth, but playing the victim was not so smooth.
Su Wan thought about the scene at that time and simply shut up, then listened to Xie Pei: "In fact, if you hadn't reminded me to treat the victims well and build more orphanages, this matter wouldn't have gone so smoothly."
According to the eunuch Sang Cai who was holding the secret letter, he originally wanted to observe for two more years.
After all, Xie Pei is not very old, so there is no need to rush to appoint a crown prince.
But who could blame the Saint and the imperial concubines for being so anxious? In addition, when Xie Pei dealt with the fake monk, he did not just comfort the victims, but also did a good job in the follow-up matters.
He even proposed to convert temples across the country into government welfare departments such as orphanages.
Then there is the tomato banquet, and it is recommended to cook corn and sweet potatoes.
Each and every one of these things touched the eunuch Sang Cai's heart.
Since he could serve the late emperor, he must be loyal and intelligent, which is why he was able to preserve these secret letters so well.
I'm afraid no one can match his love for the late emperor.
Almost everything Xie Pei did was as if the late emperor were still alive.
Xie Pei said at this time: "It is because of you that I act this way."
No one can resist such sweet words, right?
Su Wan shook her head: "It has nothing to do with me."
"If it weren't for you, I might have taken power forcefully. Anyway, the result is the same." Xie Pei was a little cold for a moment, and then smiled again, "But think about it carefully. If you are here, everything becomes simple."
Xie Pei didn't mean to praise him, but he really thought so.
While he was tough in his methods, Su Wan was gentle but decisive.
He couldn't quite figure out how many cooperations he had unintentionally made.
If you can't figure it out, don't think about it. The two of them still have a long time to live.
"I promise, I won't scare you again." Xie Pei said seriously, "Please forgive me this time, okay?"
If it were a year or two ago, Xie Pei felt that he would never say such soft words even if he was beaten to death.
But now he spoke so skillfully, and could even continue: "I was also scared at the time. It was my first time experiencing something like this. If it didn't work, I would definitely be doomed."
"Even though I feel somewhat confident, I am still nervous."
"At the time, I thought that there were few people in this world who really cared about me, so before entering the palace, I only came to you."
"When I think about it, among all the people in Tianxiang Country, you are the only one who is worried about me."
The true words spoken by young people are always particularly touching.
Xie Pei's face was pale, his head slightly lowered, looking at Su Wan seriously. At this time, the wind and snow came, making him look very pitiful.
What he said was three-tenths true, five-tenths false, and the remaining two-tenths was acting. However, at this moment under the cover of night, he actually seemed as if he was afraid of being abandoned.
Su Wan's heart softened for a moment, thinking that although he was just acting, he had never done anything to hurt her. Instead, he was as sincere as a friend. She pulled Xie Pei to the corridor to avoid the wind and snow: "Okay, there really can't be a next time."
"Yes, absolutely not." Xie Pei's pale face finally showed some warmth, "It will be fine in the future."
This sentence was the final word. Anyway, Xie Pei took the small cake given by Su Wan back with a smile on his face.
He didn't like celebrating his birthday before, but now he found that birthdays seemed to have some use.
Ever since she heard these words that night, Su Wan felt that the Ministry of Rites had become much calmer. They were probably used to the recent busyness, and Xie Pei was not a picky person.
The people in the Ministry of Rites gradually discovered that when working under the Crown Prince, as long as things were done well, there wouldn't be so much mess.
There is no need for flattery, and even if you ask a few more questions in official documents, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will comment that you are talkative.
For a moment, everyone felt a little uncomfortable.
But who doesn’t like a working environment where things can be done very efficiently?
Everyone has less mess to deal with, and as long as the job is done properly, then everything is fine.
But in this case, there is an obvious situation.
That is, many officials who pursue efficiency will submit official documents to the prince. If they want to be roundabout, they will go to the saint.
In less than ten days, officials in the court had figured out the pattern.
Anyway, the Ministry of Rites likes this speed of doing things, and the busier the department, the more it likes it.
Su Wan had a deep feeling about the Ministry of Rites. After all, the officials who were so busy that they had no time to rest had long complained about the efficiency of the emperor.
In fact, it’s not just the Ministry of Rites, there’s also the Imperial Household Department that’s helping to move things.
Now that he has become the crown prince, although his residence is still in Chonghua Palace, it must be renovated and a small cabinet must be set up.
As mentioned before, the prince can interact with ministers and even form a small court. This is not forming a clique for personal gain, but a serious simulation of a court.
Moreover, the officials in these small courts are basically officials in the big courts who hold multiple positions, although the position on the prince's side is very nominal and the salary is just a good name.
But he did contact the prince in advance, and when the prince ascends the throne, all honorary positions will become real positions.
The Crown Prince of Tianxiang Kingdom had had such a team before, but in order to appear loving and filial, and also to avoid making his father the emperor wary, he basically just fooled around with it, to show that he had no intention of starting a new team.
But Xie Pei actually became the crown prince, so he would have long since torn relations with the current saint. Naturally, he would not just set up a small court meeting for nothing, but really build up his own manpower.
As a result, the rooms in Chonghua Palace must be renovated and put back in place, and from now on, whether it is a small meeting or reviewing official documents, they must follow the formal regulations.
These things are certainly not easy, but for Xie Pei, as long as you follow the rules, basically no one will make things difficult for you.
The imperial supervisor Wei Jun also lamented that there was no such job in the palace where one could do the job properly without having to worry about the feelings of others, so although the renovation of Chonghua Palace was tedious, everyone just did the work and was tired physically but not mentally, so it was actually not that bad.
This made many old officials feel emotional. If the current saint could be half as good as this, they would not be so disappointed.
It was originally thought that the prosperity of Tianxiang Kingdom during the reign of the late emperor was only a flash in the pan, but unexpectedly there was a turnaround. Could it be that they could see the situation change during their lifetime?
Can we see Tianxiang Kingdom prosper again?
It is now November 20th, and there are still two days before we set off for the winter festival.
Last year’s winter festival was on November 30th, so we set off on the 27th.
This year is different. We have to set off on the 23rd, and the 25th is the winter solstice.
The time of the winter solstice is different every year. It is deduced by the Sitianjian, and it is not deduced without any basis. According to astronomical knowledge, the day of the winter solstice is speculated.
After the winter solstice, the time gradually changes from short days and long nights to long days and short nights.
The days gradually increase and the nights gradually decrease.
It also means that winter is slowly coming to an end, which was really good news in the ancient winter.
This large-scale celebration is held to celebrate the fact that the days will be longer and the nights shorter in the future.
This year is obviously a little different, that is, Tianxiang Kingdom will have a crown prince.
Not to mention that during this period of time, he discovered that the prince was better than he had imagined, so he acted faster than before.
And Su Wan just felt that the trouble was about to begin again!
This year's activities are like pressing the accelerator key!
She will definitely follow Dong Ri again this year, getting up early and following the motorcade, first to the Outer Palace, then to the Taimiao, and so on, before leaving the city.
This time, going to the Winter Festival with them can be considered as returning to the Shangshi team.
After the winter festival, she and Li Rongrong and others would be transferred back to the Imperial Food Department. The original chefs from the Ministry of Rites would come back one after another. Except for the serious apprentices who had to wait until after the New Year, the others would slowly come back to work.
Su Wan and others came here to help, and now that things are no longer busy, they naturally go back.
However, several officials from the Ministry of Rites kept wailing, but did not dare to speak too loudly. What did the saying go? Anyway, the right thing to do was not to offend the cook.
The Ministry of Rites and others had no intention of forcing Su Wan to stay.
If she is left in the Ministry of Rites kitchen, she will always be a cook. If she returns to the Imperial Food Bureau, her position will probably be changed.
Everyone thought that Su Wan could be promoted with her abilities, but she was only fourteen after the Chinese New Year, which did not meet the requirements, so they could only wait.
Before leaving, Su Wan specially made some high-fat and high-sugar snacks and left them for everyone to eat on the road.
It's freezing cold on this road. In addition to the necessary porridge, making some snacks that can be eaten at any time can also replenish your energy.
Su Wan had already put on a thick cotton coat with a small layer of leather underneath.
This was specially made for her by her aunt. It looks ordinary on the outside, but actually there is a warmer leather wallet inside. This way, it is inconspicuous and keeps people warm.
The clothes were sufficient and the shoes were specially made.
As the weather is very cold, it is important to have these snacks to replenish calories at any time.
Su Wan chose Portuguese egg tarts and black sesame almond cookies.
Both of these are easy to carry and taste good when cold, so you can make more.
Su Wan was making dim sum, while Li Rongrong was making steamed dishes.
Steamed dishes are also convenient to eat on the road. Just steam them in advance and put them away. You can just heat them up when you are on the road and they will be delicious meals.
Steamed dishes were very popular last year, so it’s natural that Li Rongrong will make them again this year.
It’s just that last year it had a stronger religious connotation and most people didn’t pay attention to such details.
At that time, their Shangshisi was still being bullied by Tianbei Palace. In the blink of an eye, a year had passed.
This year, you don’t have to worry about all that miscellaneous stuff, and everyone will have time to focus on preparing food for the trip.
For a moment, this winter festival really had a festive atmosphere.
I heard that the elephants in the elephant house have been parading on the streets of Kyoto early in the morning to send blessings to everyone. They are wearing less religious clothes and more colorful flowers made of silk, which makes them look particularly festive and very popular with children.
Su Wan was still making snacks in the Ministry of Rites, and was called over to watch the fun. She also had to take some copper coins from her waist and give them over.
A group of children followed the elephant and recited a jingle, and suddenly it really felt like Chinese New Year.
Anyway, it’s much better than last year.
After watching the excitement, everyone in the Ministry of Rites began to get busy. Su Wan also started making the egg tarts. This time she had to make more, so there were people helping her.
Portuguese egg tarts are less sweet than other egg tarts because they use less sugar.
In addition to reducing sugar, you should also pay attention to the heat. It is more important whether the crust can be crispy.
First, take high-gluten flour and low-gluten flour, add butter, salt, sugar, and then add water and knead it. After it becomes dough, cover it and put it in the cold outside to rise for a quarter of an hour.
A quarter of an hour later, butter is needed. Butter is solid. Cut it into small pieces and put it on the rolled dough. The dough should not be too thick, and neither should the butter. After putting it on, use a rolling pin to roll the two together. Make sure that the air in the dough and butter is exhausted. Roll it once and fold it up. Continue rolling the dough to keep the air in the dough clean. This will make the puff pastry easier.
After repeating this process several times, fold the dough and place it outside, this time for half an hour or two.
After half an hour, the dough will become loose. If you use such dough to make the egg tart crust, the outer crust will definitely be delicious.
Then comes the egg tart liquid. Mix white sugar, milk, eggs, and low-gluten flour until it becomes golden yellow egg tart liquid. You don’t need to put too much sugar, just enough to highlight the milky flavor.
Pour the egg tart liquid into the egg tart crust and put it in the oven. Bake it for a quarter of an hour to fifteen minutes and the first batch of egg tarts will come out.
The egg tarts made in this way have a rich milky flavor, are not too sweet and suit the taste of the locals.
The freshly baked egg tarts were still hot, and almost everyone passing by the kitchen wanted to come in to try one. As people tried them, they actually lined up?
There were even officials from the Hanlin Academy who came to help and they insisted on trying it.
She baked more than 30 pieces in one plate, and they were all sold out in an instant!
We agreed to eat it on the way!
Is it gone just like that?
Fortunately, this thing can be made quickly, and a lot of dough and egg tart liquid were made just now. However, Su Wan found that even if it was baked faster, it could not catch up with the long queue here.
The person in charge of the Hanlin Academy and the Minister of Rites also found it strange.
There were so many people working just now, how come they are all gone now?
They have to set out for the winter festival in the early morning. They are so busy, so are the officials below slacking off?
After asking, I found out that they were all waiting at the kitchen door to eat egg tarts, and they almost fought over egg tarts?
The people in the Hanlin Academy were confused, but the Minister of Rites immediately said, "Quick, if the egg tarts are ready, bring them over for us to taste."
Actually, I wanted to give him a taste, but there were other people here, so I had to say this.
When the Minister of Rites spoke, the people waiting for egg tarts at the door began to wail. How could they cut in line?
They haven’t eaten it yet!
Su Wan was helpless. It would be fine to eat one as she passed by, but why did she have to queue up to eat it? The quantity was immediately limited. Each person could only eat one, and forget about the rest.
They have to make hundreds of them and eat them on the way to the winter festival.
Everyone became even more discouraged after hearing this, so Wang Yibin, who was more familiar with Su Wan, said, "If you give them a few more in private, then keep a few!"
People around: ???
We are not deaf!
However, the snacks here are really delicious, with a strong milky flavor, sweet but not greasy, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
We have never eaten such snacks.
The only downside to this dessert is that there is too little of it!
There is not enough to eat!
People from the Ministry of Rites: It’s all your fault, people from the Hanlin Academy. Why are you coming to our Ministry of Rites to eat?
Hanlin Academy people: Now is not the time to ask us for help! We are all officials in the same court, why should we differentiate between ourselves?
But Su Wan was firm: "Tomorrow is the winter festival, there are still many things to do. Besides, our Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Food will not run away. Go back and talk to our superiors, and we will definitely allocate some money for you."
Anyway, the meaning is, if you have any problems, find our boss!
There is nothing we can do!
Although I know this is an excuse, but thinking about tomorrow's winter festival, it is indeed a big deal.
Okay, that's all we can do.
As the fragrance spread, everyone felt that their lunch had been wasted.
After they dispersed, the Minister of Rites and his men just tasted the freshly baked egg tarts. The aroma was overflowing and the color was lovely golden. When you take a bite, you will find that they are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a full milky flavor on the inside.
Now the head of the Hanlin Academy finally understood why everyone was not doing their job and was instead going out to eat.
Each of them ate three or four pieces and still felt unsatisfied. If they weren't embarrassed, they would really like to eat some more.
The Minister of Rites sighed as he ate, "What a pity! These little palace maids will have to go back to the Imperial Food Department soon, and won't be able to eat such delicious snacks."
Even the Shangshu felt sorry for it, not to mention others.
While they were still marveling at the egg tarts, Su Wan had already started making almond cookies.
Almond cookies are made relatively small, one bite at a time, and are easy to eat. They are also tasteless, so you can do your errands right after eating them without leaving your hands too greasy, making them ideal for replenishing your energy at any time.
The almond cakes made by Su Wan are made with almonds as the main ingredient and mung bean flour as the cake.
Mung bean powder is refreshing and relieves greasiness. After mixing it with powdered sugar, add oil and almond grains. After stirring the batter, you can put it into the mold and press it down. The almond cakes will be very fragrant when baked.
If Su Wan's method was followed, it would definitely be better to use only mung bean flour, but the production of mung bean flour was low in those days, so corn flour had to be added. However, the baked almond cakes would have a different flavor and would be more fluffy.
The baking temperature for almond cookies should be lower than that for egg tarts, and the baking time should be longer. They must be baked until crispy inside and out.
Su Wan ordered people to deliver some almond cakes to various places so that they would not block the kitchen door, otherwise it would be difficult for them to enter and exit.
Almond cookies were also very popular. Everyone took a bite of an almond cookie while handling their work. Time passed very quickly.
It was just a pity when Su Wan put out the fire.
Such a good stove should be used to bake buns.
When I started the stove last year, I also baked naan pit meat, but it was a pity that I didn’t bake buns to eat.
Wait till the winter festival comes back!
Come back and do it immediately!
Moreover, winter is the best time to eat mutton. Baked buns stuffed with mutton must be so delicious!
Hundreds of egg tarts and thousands of almond cookies were packed, and Li Rongrong had almost finished steaming the dishes.
Even though the two of them were busy all afternoon and did a lot, the palace's Shangshi Department had to do just as much, after all, they had to take care of the food for so many people.
Not only are they for use on the road, but once you get to the Daxiang Palace, these snacks will also be useful.
Su Wan didn’t quite understand it before, but now she has experienced it once. Everyone gets up early in the morning, and many palace people like to use something as a cushion.
In fact, before the late emperor, the treatment of the palace servants was not that good, but the late emperor was sympathetic and said that if the palace servants worked while hungry, they would definitely feel resentful, and if they felt resentful, they would not be able to do their work well.
So the two meals a day became three meals a day, in any case the palace people could not go hungry.
But there is one thing: this is a good idea, and Su Wan agrees, but the National Treasury does not.
When the late emperor was alive, the total number of people in the inner and outer palaces was less than 5,000. The national treasury could still afford this at that time.
But now there are more than 10,000 people in the outer palace alone, and palace maids will have to be selected next year, plus the 4,000 to 5,000 people in the inner palace. The food and welfare of so many people have long become a heavy yoke and burden.
In Su Wan's opinion, just like a chronic disease, if it is not treated properly, it will collapse sooner or later.
This does not mean to cut expenses, but to reduce the number of people drawing salaries without doing anything.
Su Wan was just thinking about it. What did this have to do with her as a little palace maid? She should just focus on her job.
The sky is falling, and there is someone tall to hold it up.
Then there is also Xie Pei.
However, the current situation is not caused by the current emperor alone. It is also because the previous emperor's planning was not long-term enough.
Just like a company, it doesn't consider operating costs, revenue and profits, and just focuses on distributing benefits. It's actually quite scary because you don't know when the company will collapse.
But you can't be like Grandet and be too stingy, because that won't keep people.
Few people can understand the balance between the two.
Thinking about the late emperor, perhaps he felt that he still had a lot of time left, so he could start with exploration and then slowly plan.
Unfortunately, time waits for no one, and neither does illness.
If the newcomer is a capable person, he can still steer the course of this big ship. Unfortunately, the current one is busy with internal fighting and has consumed a lot of energy. He first fights internal fighting, and then eliminates dissidents and consolidates his power.
As time went by, Tianxiang Kingdom's "illness" gradually expanded from small problems.
This matter is neither right nor wrong, and it is difficult to comment.
After all, everyone pursues different things.
After everything was ready, everyone in the palace went to bed early, waiting for a series of sacrificial activities to begin in the early morning of the next day.
Su Wan has experienced this before, so just do what you are asked to do.
I only heard that the saint in the inner palace was getting up despite his illness, and some people also said that the saint was in poor health and the prince could offer sacrifices on his behalf.
In theory, it is completely possible. The prince is the future king, so it would be best for him to be the one to offer sacrifices.
As you can imagine, the sage was furious.
But it was still delayed by two quarters of an hour from the original schedule.
Yes, it was a winter morning and he was still sick. The saint was nearly fifty years old this year and he lived a life of luxury, so he was indeed not in good health.
Fortunately, the following process went fine.
Last year, Xie Pei had to find a way to enter the Taimiao and Sheji Altar on his own, but this year was different. He wore a robe, which was the ceremonial dress the prince had to wear when offering sacrifices. It was a blue silk outer garment and a crimson silk inner garment with gold and silver ornaments on it.
The crown on her head was also different from usual ones, with nine white beads on the front and back and colored glass beads on the edges.
The patterns embroidered on it are of mountains and dragons running side by side, which is majestic and magnificent.
This is the formal dress worn when entering the Taimiao. When going to the Temple of Heaven for the winter sacrifice, one has to change into the Yuanyou crown and Zhuming robe, which are used when the crown prince is enthroned.
As for the other princes, they had to watch outside the various sacrificial altars.
Without mentioning anything else, one can tell the difference between the prince and others just from his clothes.
Su Wan also took a look from a distance, but had no other thoughts in her mind.
After knowing that Xie Pei was a prince, and discovering that he was such a scheming prince, Su Wan knew that the friendship between the two in their youth would become less and less.
As time goes by, they will inevitably drift further and further apart in the memories of both of them.
Perhaps when you look back in old age, you will remember the existence of such a person, but it will only be a beautified memory of your youth.
I just hope Xie Pei can write a poem to commemorate his friend. Not to mention the one dedicated to Wang Lun, maybe it can be passed down for his reputation as a future emperor?
Then my life will not be in vain.
Wait until the ceremonies at the Taimiao and Sheji Altar in the outer palace are finished.
Su Wan and others would also follow behind and officially leave the palace, walk along the Imperial Street, and go to the Temple of Heaven and the Temple of Mountains and Rivers in the southern suburbs.
The snow fell early this year, but the City Defense Department cleared the roads in advance, so it was still relatively easy to walk on.
It was still dark and I didn't know how they were cleaning the field. It was really hard work. Fortunately, the snow has stopped now, so the weather is good.
Hearing the Chengtian Gate of the imperial palace, which was rarely opened, open, the journey to the winter festival officially began.
But just as the convoy left, a guard with his head lowered was seen coming over to the Shangshi team before daybreak.
He held the sign all the way, so he had no obstruction and then he arrived next to Su Wan.
"Miss Su Wan, did you bring the egg tarts and almond cookies? His Highness said that everyone else ate them, but he didn't. So he came to ask you for them."
Su Wan knew this guard. He was one of the twelve guards at Yuhua Palace in the Mountain Resort this year. However, he rarely appeared in public, so not many people knew him.
Su Wan whispered, "What kind of food do you have?"
He is the prince now!
Although he has not been officially enthroned yet, all ceremonies are in accordance with the standards for a crown prince, so how could he not have food?
The endless flow of food at the Shangshi Temple, is that fake?
It’s just that what she made at the Ministry of Rites was not sent over.
Unexpectedly, the guard seemed to know what Su Wan was going to say, and continued, "Your Highness said that he was very pitiful for not being able to eat the egg tarts and almond cookies first."
Pitiful? ? ?
Who is this person wearing a gorgeous crown, just below the saint?
Su Wan almost didn’t recognize the word “pitiful” anymore!
Not to mention that she didn't know him, the guards also felt helpless.
But since His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said so, he could only repeat it.
It’s so difficult to do an errand!
Seeing that some people around were about to look over, Su Wan had no choice but to put some egg tarts and almond cookies in a small box without any mark on it and pass them over.
These small boxes are everywhere in the palace, and it is impossible to tell where they were given to you.
After the guards left, someone asked a few questions.
Su Wan had no choice but to say, "I am quite familiar with the guards transferred from Lingtaimen."
People from Lingtai Gate were indeed mobilized this time, so Su Wan was not lying.
However, we haven't had any contact for a long time, but if we let them take a small blame now, no one will probably notice.
With this interruption, Su Wan's thoughts of drifting away from Xie Pei were dispelled again.
If you think about it carefully, it is weird, but I can't tell exactly why.
Su Wan didn't have time to think about it, as she still had to deliver snacks to various places on the way.
It was mainly the Ministry of Rites, but no one could object to the Hanlin scholars coming over to eat and drink for free.
For a moment, the winter festival team looked like a winter tour.
The saint doesn't have the energy to take care of it now, and no one lets them know, so the delicious snacks from the Ministry of Rites are delivered to a few university secretaries.
As the grand secretaries grew older, they naturally rode in carriages. They originally had poor appetites, but these snacks were sweet but not greasy, so they were still edible.
If it weren't for the wrong timing, they could have discussed it for a few more sentences.
By noon, we stopped at Guandi Temple again. There was no need to be as cautious as last time. It was time to take a rest and there was no need to rush on.
Su Wan also drank the soup that was prepared in advance by the Shangshisi. Xie Pei also asked the guards to secretly bring over the stir-fried quail with bamboo shoots and three fresh delicacies made by his chef. The quail had been fried in advance and was served with bamboo shoots, so it was very refreshing and went well with rice.
Even the most tired person can have two.
Su Wan felt it was delicious. It was indeed the ingredients from the prince.
But after eating, she was served a bowl of honey-floating flower tea. After eating it, she really felt like she was on a winter trip.
Su Wan didn't breathe a sigh of relief until they arrived at the Daxiang Hall in the evening, as she was afraid that something else would be sent on the way.
The road was also very crowded with many people coming and going, so no one noticed at all.
Except for the Chief of the Imperial Food Department.
In fact, Su Wan would meet with her superior every few days, one to ask about her situation, and the other to check on her academic performance.
But there is basically no need to worry about either. Su Wan has a clear idea of the front one, and the old man in the library gives advice on academic matters, so there is basically no problem.
It can be seen from these two things that the superior cares very much about Su Wan.
So when the guards came over, they naturally took it seriously.
The chief of the Imperial Food Department frowned slightly upon seeing this, but it was not that he did not allow Su Wan to interact with the prince.
The better her relationship with the prince, the more benefits the Imperial Food Bureau will gain in the future.
What concerned her was that, despite the prince's cold temper, he kept sending things over, but he only sent them to Su Wan. What did he want to do?
You can't possibly want to take Su Wan as your concubine?
Thinking of this, the officer's brain started pounding.
It is indeed possible. The prince is already over fifteen, and Su Wan is about to be fourteen. Not to mention waiting for another two years, at this age, many households in Tianxiang Kingdom have already married women.
The officer couldn't help but close his eyes. Jiang Hongye had been so eager to be a maid in the inner palace before. When she was asked to choose between being a maid in the inner palace or being a female official in the outer palace, Jiang Hongye chose to be a maid in the inner palace.
If Su Wan were asked to choose to be the prince's concubine, where she might become his favorite concubine in the future, or to choose to be a miserable female official in the outer palace, what would she choose?
The commander's head is starting to hurt.
If she hadn't noticed it for a few moments, the young palace maid successor she had chosen would be kidnapped?
The people from the Shangshi Department were settled in the Daxiang Hall, but Su Wan was still busy at the Ministry of Rites.
The officer thought for a moment and said to Aunt Yonglan, the head chef of the Imperial Kitchen, "Go and call Su Wan over and tell her that the Imperial Kitchen is busy here, and ask her to come back and do her work instead of staying at the Ministry of Rites."
"Also, I'll arrange for you to live with me, and keep an eye on her more often."
But this statement always feels wrong.
After all, it was Xie Pei who turned the situation around with his own strength.
When the chief chef agreed, the officer sighed and said, "Forget it. Everyone has his own destiny."
Maybe it would be nice for Su Wan to be a favorite concubine? It's just a pity that she has so few abilities.
Su Wan herself didn't know that her superior had thought so far.
In her mind, what does being fourteen or fifteen or sixteen years old have to do with getting married?
She is still a child!
Well, that’s not the case. I just don’t have this concept in my mind at all.
What she was thinking at this moment was that she had already finished her egg tarts and almond cookies! On the way, they were all eaten up by the people from the Ministry of Rites!
There was no almond cookie crumbs left.
Even now, there are still people coming to ask for egg tarts!
What do you want?
No more!
She was originally planning to eat enough for two or three days, but she was surprised to see that they ate everything on the way.
If I open an egg tart shop in Kyoto, the business will definitely be good, right? Su Wan didn't have any other ideas at all. At this moment, she only thought that egg tarts would definitely make money!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
