Chapter 121 Dongpo Pork

March passed like a flash of time, and on the eighth day of April, the three-day provincial examination came to an end. After meeting with the students who had just come out of the examination room, the husband and wife, who were the principal and teacher of the Qun Ying Academy, ended their duties at the academy and went home together in a low-key manner.

On the carriage back to the palace, Jiang Hengyun felt a little tired, resting his head on Si Li's lap and breathing heavily. He took off his jade crown, and his long hair flowed down, which felt good. Qinghe lifted the curtain and met the eyes of his master, and tacitly accepted the order and left.

Jiang Hengyun was always defenseless in front of Si Li. When he woke up, the carriage showed no signs of shaking, but the surroundings were still dark. He was stunned for a moment, and felt someone kissing his fingertips, "Let's go home, my prince."

In the dim carriage, Jiang Hengyun smiled, still feeling tired after just waking up. He turned over and sat up, holding Si Li in his arms. His fingers used moderate force to press the leg muscles that had been in the same position for a long time. "You should have woken me up earlier. It hurts, right?"

"Okay, get out of the car." Si Li pushed him, estimating the time, and the preparations outside should have been completed.

Jiang Hengyun jumped off the carriage first. The gate of the East Palace was open, and there was no one there. Even the guard commander and Si Li's maid who were supposed to be guarding the carriage were nowhere to be seen. The smile just now faded from his face, and he held down the carriage curtain that was already half lifted with his backhand, "Wait."

"What's wrong?" Si Li held his hand in confusion. Jiang Hengyun scanned the surroundings quickly and found no signs of a fight. He frowned even more tightly. "Hulu and Qinghe are becoming more and more confused. They are absent from duty and should be punished."

"Ah, you fell asleep earlier, so I asked them to go back first." Si Li said briskly, pushed his hand away, and jumped off the carriage with Jiang Hengyun's help. Jiang Hengyun was on guard against any accidents around him, and put one hand around her waist, looking calm, and continued, "You are just too gentle."

The East Palace, which used to be cold but well-organized, was now extremely quiet. Only the main hall was still lit, but there was no sound of people. Jiang Hengyun half-hugged Si Li, his body covering most of her figure, and walked inside with her in his arms. Si Li suppressed a smile and pretended to be coquettish, "Why don't you act like Liu Xiahui today?"

Normally, Jiang Hengyun would at most hold her hand and hug her when he was outside. Such a hug as a declaration of sovereignty would never happen. Jiang Hengyun looked down at her. The spring palace dress she gradually changed into made her look petite and lovely. The flower-like girl's eyes reflected the lights, with stars shattered in them. She looked at him as if she was looking at her whole world, placing all her trust in him. But she was strong. She had already written on her palm while holding his hand, "What happened?"

This is the girl he kept despite his promise, and she has always been by his side.

Jiang Hengyun's throat rolled, and he hugged her tighter. He lowered his head and brushed his lips against the tip of the girl's ear, and whispered, "I won't let anything happen to you."

The two of them were very close to each other, and seemed to have no wariness at all about the unusual palace. They chatted and laughed as they approached the main hall, the only place with lights on. The door was ajar, and the gap that was slowly opened revealed the empty room. Jiang Hengyun walked half a body in first, with his right hand on his waist for precaution. Just as he was about to say something, his eyes went dark.

The lights went out and a whooshing sound broke through the air.

Jiang Hengyun protected Si Li with his left hand, and drew out the soft sword in his right hand to chop at the air. The expected sound of metal collision did not sound. The object chopped by the sword was light and thin, and debris fell down. Jiang Hengyun's face froze, and he covered Si Li's mouth and nose with his sleeves. When he wanted to listen to the sound to determine the location, he heard a chuckle in his arms.

"Happy Birthday!" This sentence was heard loudly, and many people in the hall expressed their blessings in unison.

The lights were turned on again. Jiang Rufei held a lighter to light the candles on the table and smiled brightly in the dim firelight. "Why did you come just now?" The fragrance in the air was light and sweet, a familiar smell deep in her memory.

Jiang Hengyun raised his hand and wiped it. What fell on his face was not powder, but scraps of colored paper. He glanced at the side by the candlelight. The people from the disappeared East Palace were standing by with smiles on their faces. He raised his eyebrows, a little unhappy, "Hmm?"

The Crown Prince's cold face was still a little scary. Some of the laughing people almost knelt down. Fortunately, Si Li, who was lying in Jiang Hengyun's arms, had been trying to hold back her laughter for a long time. She pushed his hand away and got out, then made a half circle and pushed Jiang Hengyun to sit on the main seat.

"Happy birthday to you~" The soft singing voice and the little hand pushing him from behind had nothing to do with conspiracy. The cakes on the table were not exquisite. After so many years since his mother passed away, someone finally celebrated his birthday for him again. Jiang Hengyun's throat was choked for a moment.

With Si Li taking the lead, several people in the main hall sang the birthday song one after another. Jiang Rufei had already given up the main seat. With the help of the light, she could see Jiang Hengyun's red eyes and shouted exaggeratedly, "Brother, don't cry!"

Jiang Lang was startled and subconsciously looked at his elder brother. Jiang Hengyun glared at him and made him shrink his neck. Si Li pressed Jiang Hengyun's shoulder, "If I hadn't been thinking about you, would you have been so focused on the exam that you even forgot your birthday? Come on, blow out the candles and make a wish."

When the Queen was raising the children, she taught them the custom of blowing candles and making wishes. Si Li confirmed this with Jiang Rufei and was not worried that they did not understand this. Si Li has been making moves since entering the Qunying Academy. This year is the first year of the women's imperial examination. Many people want to take action before the provincial examination. Jiang Hengyun has been busy suppressing and transferring away the aristocratic families in the capital and the gatekeepers from all over the country. He has been sitting in the academy for more than a day. As a bedmate, Si Li understands his hard work best. Seeing Jiang Hengyun looking back at her in a daze, she just smiled and said, "Blowing the candles will make you 20 years old. You are really an adult."

Zhong Liuru standing by secretly clicked his tongue, thinking that only this master could treat His Highness like a child.

Jiang Hengyun glanced at everyone in the hall one by one, and suddenly remembered the ceremony of crowning when he entered the Eastern Palace six years ago. He had been crowned the crown prince since birth, and had always lived with his parents in the Qianqing Palace. After his mother passed away, he rushed back thousands of miles, but was hastily crowned and driven out of the inner palace, and was assigned this palace to live in.

Although it was a hasty coronation, many people from the capital came as his mother had passed away not long ago, and all the etiquette that a crown prince should have was in place. However, a cold fire was burning in his heart, and he wished that all of them would be buried with his mother.

He did it, with the head of the Dilo people and the imprisonment of the two culprits, but the fire never went out, roiling and torturing him in every sleepless night until today when the warmth that belonged only to home arrived.

Jiang Hengyun tilted his head to meet Si Li's eyes as she peeked out from behind him, and smiled softly. He closed his eyes and silently made a promise.

I will always love her.

The candles went out, and the people holding tinders lit the lights in the hall one by one. Si Li saw the tears in the corners of Jiang Hengyun's eyes, leaned over and kissed him, and amid the noisy cheers, she saw Jiang Hengyun blushing a little.

"Your face is so red, what wish did you make? Ah, don't tell it, it won't work if you tell it." Si Li made a joke to cover up Jiang Hengyun's tears, put the cake knife in his hand, and smiled and urged Jiang Hengyun to cut the cake quickly, "If the division is unfair, I won't agree."

Jiang Hengyun hooked his fingers around hers, his heart softening. Whether it worked or not, he didn't believe in birthday wishes. Even if he said it out loud, he knew his heart would not waver.

The birthday party naturally didn't just include the cake. Si Li had found someone Jiang Hengyun knew to help before the Tianfu trial began a few days ago, and had kept it a secret from him, which led to today's "surprise". Jiang Hengyun cut the cake with a knife. He had a sharp eye and his hands were extremely accurate due to years of martial arts training. Almost every piece he cut was exactly the same, but he cut out a piece of cake that was at least twice as big as the others.

Si Li held her big cake and looked around, feeling a little guilty, "Didn't I say that we should be fair?"

"It's fair." Jiang Hengyun pulled her to sit next to him and said seriously, "Madam, can you give me a bite of your food?"

Si Li was almost choked by the word "Madam". Her face turned red. She inexplicably tasted a little bit of pocket money and pushed the cake plate to the middle. "You can eat it."

Jiang Hengyun smiled gently, and his thin lips opened slightly, his intention was very obvious. The urgently prepared cake was actually just a layer of egg cake batter and cream base. Without a piping bag or other utensils, Si Li was already wasting a lot of effort to make the cream batter smooth. She scooped a piece with a spoon and quickly stuffed it into Jiang Hengyun's mouth, "Eat it yourself!"

The cake was very sweet. Jiang Hengyun pinched Si Li's chin, turned her head, lowered his head and kissed her. The sweet milky aroma filled their mouths.

"Ugh!" Si Liren was almost dumbfounded, and pushed him away in panic, retreating back. When he came to his senses, he wiped his mouth and looked around, and the people who were there just now were gone without even a trace. The instigator calmly cut the cake with the tip of the knife and ate it, obviously expecting their actions.

"The people are gone, and you haven't received your gift yet!" Si Li patted his arm, and Jiang Hengyun held his arm and pulled him into his arms. The young man's eyes were deep, and he held Si Li on his lap and looked up at the girl, "Where is my gift?"

His voice was aggrieved and hoarse, like an unsatisfied adult asking for candy. But the fire in his eyes was fierce, like a hunting beast leaping to try.

The tingling sensation spread from his palm along his spine to all parts of his body. Si Li took a breath and said, "It's over. My meat is still in the pot!"

The girl jumped up from Jiang Hengyun's lap like a rabbit and disappeared in a flash. Jiang Hengyun changed his sitting position, supported his forehead with his hand and smiled softly.

When Si Li came back with the meat and the people serving the rice and dishes, the extremely aggressive Jiang Hengyun disappeared and returned to the familiar look that Si Li was familiar with. She breathed a sigh of relief.

If this person decides not to be Liu Xiahui anymore, she won't be able to bear the look in his eyes and will fall in love with him at any moment.

"Here, Dongpo Pork." Si Li took a spoon and scooped a piece of trembling meat from the pot into Jiang Hengyun's bowl. The dark brown soup was poured onto the rice and turned into a bright amber color. The aroma of broth and stewed meat blended together. The meat on the rice showed obvious four-color layers. The color of the fat was extremely tempting. Hulu, who was about to leave after serving the dish, couldn't help swallowing.

Zhong Liuru, who was following behind him, stepped on his toes. Hulu suddenly came back to his senses and took his reluctant eyes away from the meat in the pot. Si Li looked at his somewhat sad back and couldn't help laughing, "The portion prepared for you is still in the pot, remember to share it with everyone."

"Okay, thank you for your reward, Your Highness!" Hulu jumped three feet high, and while Jiang Hengyun didn't say anything to stop him, he ran away immediately.

"Just get used to them." Jiang Hengyun glanced at the palace door and said nothing.

"If they weren't with you, I'd be afraid I wouldn't be able to see you." Si Li muttered softly, lifting the wine bottle and filling it for the other two people at the table.

There was not much Dongpo pork stewed, and the one pound of pork cut into large cubes was divided into four pieces, one piece for each of the four people at the table. Jiang Lang toasted his brother and sister-in-law with wine, and without saying much, he ate silently. As soon as he started to eat the Dongpo pork, he couldn't help but widen his eyes.

The reddish brown skin is different from braised pork in other dishes. It is not soft and elastic, but breaks easily. The tip of the chopsticks sinks into the trembling skin, and the crispy, soft and smooth taste is surprising. After the skin is broken, the transparent fat drips along the chopsticks onto the rice. The unique aroma of fat makes your stomach growl. You can vaguely see the tendons behind the skin. No wonder you have to use a spoon to scoop it up. The texture is like jelly, and you may not be able to pick it up with chopsticks.

Unlike the skin, the light white fat behind the tendons is dripping with juice, but it is not soft and sticky, but a little bit bouncy. When the teeth break through the skin, the fat overflows, and the meat is fresh in the greasy taste. Normally, the lean meat at the bottom of the stewed meat will always taste woody, but this piece of meat is not like that. It is tightly locked with salty fragrance and is not without fat.

After finishing a piece of Dongpo pork, Jiang Lang's complaints about his sister-in-law turned into tears. "Wuwuwu, I should have come back earlier."

Jiang Hengyun put down his chopsticks with a snap and smiled gently, "Alang, your uncle is still waiting for you at home for dinner, right? I won't stay any longer."

"Huh? No, brother? Brother?!"

Huluer, who was eating with his mouth full of oil, heard Bafang come in and drag Jiang Lang away. Si Li couldn't help laughing and said, "Isn't he doing it for you?"

Jiang Hengyun said goodbye to the hair that had fallen from her temples without saying anything. The affection between them flowed in silence. Before Si Li could be intoxicated by those deep eyes, she was awakened by a light cough. She turned around and was startled, "A Fei?" Somehow, Si Li always felt that they were the only two left in the room, and she was about to do something bold.

Jiang Rufei ate her meal in a very elegant manner, and said meaningfully, "I'm still here."

--------------------

The author has something to say:

The worst tool man Jiang Lang: He didn’t get to eat, didn’t get to see the people, and even if he did eat, he was chased away.

Donggong people (eating dog food): burp~

---

When I first went to Hangzhou, I ate Dongpo pork from a roadside shop. I was amazed by its deliciousness. It melted in my mouth. Unfortunately, I never had Wuwu with a similar taste again...

There will be another update in the afternoon.

I spent most of the day researching what to buy during the 618 pre-sale, but ended up buying nothing...