Chapter 88 The Emperor's Overheard Truth
Meng Yanzhi frowned, then looked at Ming Chu and smiled, saying, "It seems you've grown up a lot after this incident!"
"Miss, I was just worried about you."
"With the Emperor's attitude, without any official title or status, if the concubines in the harem find out, wouldn't they tear you apart alive?"
Mingchu was in no mood to laugh, as he was constantly worried about Meng Yanzhi's future.
Seeing Mingchu like this, Meng Yanzhi pinched her cheek and said softly, "We chose this path ourselves, and I won't regret it. Don't worry, I will take good care of myself."
Now that you've entered the palace, there's no turning back.
Meng Yanzhi was never a coward. She smiled and looked at Ming Chu: "I'm really tired. Let's rest."
After a whole afternoon of running around, how could I not be tired?
Mingchu glanced outside and then said, "Miss, it seems you should be preparing dinner now."
What?
Upon hearing this, Meng Yanzhi's expression immediately changed. She then gritted her teeth and went into the small kitchen to prepare dinner.
During this time, Meng Yanzhi also made jujube paste cake and osmanthus cake to serve tea and snacks to Xiao Xingyuan.
Seeing how sensible Meng Yanzhi was, Wang Huanhai nodded in satisfaction, then carried the jujube cake and tea to the Imperial Study.
Xiao Xingyuan had been busy all afternoon, but now he was quite refreshed. He was even quicker in reviewing the memorials. Even when he saw that there was flooding in the south, he didn't get angry, but just sighed.
He then picked up a piece of jujube cake, the sweet aroma spreading through the air. Xiao Xingyuan nodded in satisfaction and then ate all the tea and snacks.
This surprised Wang Huanhai greatly, since tea and snacks were usually served the same way they were served, and people rarely touched them.
Wang Huanhai returned to the small kitchen with the empty plate, looking at Meng Yanzhi with great curiosity.
At this moment, Meng Yanzhi was preparing dinner, washing and chopping vegetables with great speed and skill, and then starting to stir-fry the dishes with practiced ease.
It must be said that every move she made was very skillful, and her expression showed a seriousness and gentleness that other imperial chefs did not have.
Just looking at it made Wang Huanhai look forward to the delicious food; no wonder the emperor liked her cooking so much.
As Meng Yanzhi looked up, she accidentally met Wang Huanhai's gaze. She hurriedly ladled the food out of the pot and asked, "Eunuch Wang, is His Majesty hungry?"
"No, I came to tell you that your tea and snacks are quite good." Wang Huanhai smiled and looked at Meng Yanzhi: "You do have some skill."
After saying this, Wang Huanhai turned and left.
Watching Wang Huanhai's retreating figure, Meng Yanzhi felt somewhat confused, but she still nodded and continued cooking.
In the evening, Xiao Xingyuan ate alone. Four dishes were enough for him, so Meng Yanzhi didn't cook that many.
After she had served all the food, she quietly squatted by the stove, waiting for her roasted sweet potatoes.
Back when she was at the Meng family's house, it was incredibly difficult for Meng Yanzhi to eat roasted sweet potatoes. Now, with her own little kitchen, she can finally enjoy roasted sweet potatoes to her heart's content.
Mingchu waited for a long time but Meng Yanzhi didn't return. He hurriedly came over and saw Meng Yanzhi squatting by the stove. He immediately ran over excitedly: "Are there roasted sweet potatoes?"
"Yes, I baked four. We'll eat them together later!" Meng Yanzhi smiled at Mingchu, then leaned on her shoulder. "Do you remember when I first came to the Meng family, we were starving for a day. I stole two sweet potatoes from the kitchen and baked them for you like this."
Upon hearing this, Mingchu could no longer laugh. He lowered his head and said sullenly, "Just as the sweet potatoes were ready, they came knocking on our door. The Second Miss gave us a severe beating with her long whip!"
“Yes, they beat us up badly, but they had no idea we only took two sweet potatoes. Do you remember when we were covered in whip marks, squatting by the fire pit, eating those roasted sweet potatoes bit by bit with tears in our eyes?” Meng Yanzhi’s eyes reddened slightly as she spoke. “At that time, I couldn’t even tell whether the taste in my mouth was tears or sweet potato.”
Mingchu nodded, her head bowed, tears streaming down her face. She whispered, "Miss, you've really been wronged. It's all my fault. I didn't protect you properly!"
"Silly girl." Meng Yanzhi took a deep breath, swallowing back all her grievances and tears, and said with a smile, "It's okay, it's all in the past, and there will never be such days again."
Looking into Meng Yanzhi's bright eyes, Ming Chu, with tears in her eyes, nodded vigorously: "Yes!"
Soon, the aroma of roasted sweet potatoes wafted over.
After finishing his meal, Xiao Xingyuan went for a walk and happened to smell this familiar aroma.
He quietly walked towards the small kitchen. Through the door, he saw Meng Yanzhi peel out the roasted sweet potato and eat it in big bites. Perhaps because it was too hot, she kept hissing and laughing, like an anxious little kitten, which was incredibly cute!
"This is so delicious! The palace is so nice, even the sweet potatoes are extra sweet!" Meng Yanzhi smiled, sitting on a small stool, looking at Ming Chu with satisfaction.
Mingchu took a handkerchief and gently wiped the black ash from the corner of her mouth, smiling as she said, "Miss, it's very hot, please eat slowly."
"Roasted sweet potatoes are meant to be eaten piping hot!"
"Eat it quickly, it'll get cold and won't be sweet anymore!"
Meng Yanzhi stared longingly at Mingchu, then continued eating her sweet potato.
Even though he had just finished eating, Xiao Xingyuan felt hungry again for some reason.
She even wanted to taste the roasted sweet potato in Meng Yanzhi's hand to see if it was as delicious as last time.
There were four roasted sweet potatoes in total, and Meng Yanzhi ate three of them herself, until her belly was round and full. She clutched her stomach, indicating that she was very satisfied. When she turned around, she met Xiao Xingyuan's smiling eyes and was startled. She almost threw up the roasted sweet potatoes.
She looked at Xiao Xingyuan in disbelief, hesitated for a moment, and immediately knelt down to pay her respects: "Greetings, Your Majesty!"
"Sneaking a snack?" Xiao Xingyuan's smile faded as he stared at Meng Yanzhi. "Sneaking what?"
How can you call that stealing food?
Meng Yanzhi knelt on the ground, somewhat embarrassed, and wiped the corner of her mouth before whispering, "Your Majesty, I only ate a few sweet potatoes."
"Is there anything else?" Xiao Xingyuan stepped forward, looking at Meng Yanzhi with some anticipation.
Looking at the empty stove, Meng Yanzhi shook her head: "There's nothing left. Did Your Majesty not eat enough for dinner? Or should I roast a few more sweet potatoes?"
"Hmm." Xiao Xingyuan casually found a place to sit down and responded with a faint sound.
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