Tong Wanyan's arms and legs looked weak and limp, but she was actually quite strong. No matter how much Yinreng pulled at the blanket, he couldn't loosen it even a little.
Everything in Yuqing Palace was of the highest quality, even the brocade quilts.
Yinreng didn't have the ability to tear the quilt open; instead, he ended up sweating profusely from the struggle.
Suddenly, an idea came to him.
Under Tong Wanyan's wary gaze, he quickly turned around and moved to the foot of the bed, reaching out to tickle the soles of Tong Wanyan's unbound feet.
Tong Wanyan was ticklish, and before she could even catch her breath, she burst into tears of laughter.
"Master, please stop tickling me, please stop tickling me. I won't wrap myself in the blanket anymore," Tong Wanyan pleaded.
Yinreng chuckled, full of self-satisfaction: "I can't handle you. Come obediently into my arms."
Tong Wanyan's face was flushed, and Yinreng couldn't help but swallow hard as he looked at her.
"Master, the eldest prince is here." Just then, Deshun knocked loudly on the door from outside.
At this moment, Yinreng lost all interest in anything else.
Perhaps he's just incompatible with doing this during the day; he hasn't succeeded even once in all this time.
Thinking of Yinti who had ruined his plans, Yinreng said irritably, "What could my elder brother possibly want with me so early in the morning!"
De Shun remained as quiet as a quail, not daring to respond even after hearing the commotion.
Fortunately, Yinreng did not expect to hear his reply. He said in a bad mood, "Even if there is something, you have to wait. Do you think I am someone who can be summoned at any time!"
After Yinreng vented his anger, Deshun stood outside, meekly enduring it.
Having served Yinreng for so long, he knew he had to let Yinreng vent his anger.
Tong Wanyan called out the time, and Deshun's eyebrows lit up with joy as he replied in a high-pitched voice.
Having made up her mind, Tong Wanyan leaned into Yinreng's arms, hugging his waist, gentle and obedient.
"Master drank too much last night and slept soundly. He doesn't even know what time it is. The palace gates have been open for more than half an hour. The eldest prince is probably here because of yesterday's matter." Tong Wanyan was clever enough to guess right away.
Yinreng chuckled, then lowered his head and rubbed his chin against Tong Wanyan's head, tightening his grip on her arm.
"Xiao Yan is so clever. Big Brother must have come because of what happened yesterday. He must be feeling really frustrated. I'm going to see Father Emperor have some fun. I'll come back and tell you about it later. By the way, eat less for breakfast. Who knows, I might be able to snatch Big Brother's cook and bring him to our palace. Just thinking about how Big Brother tried to steal a chicken but lost the rice instead makes me feel pretty good."
Humming a little tune, Yinreng, in a bright mood, led the timid Deshun out to see Yinti.
Behind Yinti followed a cook with a round, fair face and delicate skin that made him look nothing like a man in his forties.
A flicker of surprise crossed Yinreng's eyes. He looked up at Yinti with a beaming smile and said, "Big brother, you're up early?"
Yinti looked at Yinreng with a forced smile, his anger simmering so intensely it seemed about to burst forth from his ears, nose, and eyes.
The angrier Yinti got, the happier Yinreng became: "Brother, your eyes are dark and swollen. Did you not sleep well last night?"
"Your Highness misunderstands. I slept very well last night." Yinti said coldly to Yinreng, then turned to the cook he had brought and said, "Wang Yan, this is the Crown Prince of the Qing Dynasty. You were able to go from an ordinary cook to an imperial chef thanks to our Crown Prince speaking well of you to the Emperor."
Yinti was sarcastic and Yinreng was all smiles and hidden daggers. Wang Yan, the seventh-generation descendant of a family of imperial chefs from the previous dynasty, was caught in the middle and trembled with fear.
When gods fight, mortals suffer.
If someone as insignificant as him were to be caught in a crossfire, he would be utterly destroyed.
"This humble subject pays respects to Your Highness." Wang Yan nervously uttered each word, his heart pounding with fear.
Yinreng didn't hold a grudge against Wang Yan; in fact, he was looking forward to trying his cooking sometime in the future. For someone to be invited to Yinti's residence and have specially prepared a meal for the First Princess, he must have some skill.
"Alright, get up. If you enter the palace at this time, Father Emperor will definitely know. Let's go there as soon as possible." Yinreng stopped arguing with Yinti.
Yinti walked ahead alone, his hands behind his back. Yinreng smiled gently, seemingly unconcerned that Yinti was giving him a hard time.
When Wang Yan arrived at the Qianqing Palace, he was immediately taken away by the eunuchs waiting at the palace gate.
Several eunuchs served Wang Yan as he bathed and changed clothes. Wang Yan's hands and nails were washed again and again until they were completely clean before he was sent to the small kitchen next door.
Wang Yan was in a daze from beginning to end, and even when the others stood in front of the chopping board, he was still in a daze.
"Please, do what you do best," the young eunuch who brought him said with a smile.
Wang Yan took a deep breath, closed his eyes to calm himself for a while, and then opened them again.
At that moment, his eyes were full of light. He took out the knife prepared by the imperial kitchen and began to wield it with a flash of swords.
After exchanging a few words with Yinreng and Yinti, Kangxi suddenly smelled a delicious aroma. His Adam's apple bobbed; he was hungry.
Yinti and Yinreng exchanged a glance: "Father, your son hasn't eaten either."
Wang Yan carried a tray, followed by two eunuchs, who also carried trays.
On the three trays, there was a bowl of vegetarian noodle soup.
Wang Yan, ever since he learned that he was to enter the palace, kept this in mind.
"Father, let's try this noodle and see what eldest brother's taste is like." Yinreng swallowed slightly.
"Your Highness, rest assured, the chef I found for Father Emperor is definitely top-notch." Yinti took the bowl of noodles, and after Kangxi took a bite, he quickly slurped it down.
This is the last time I'll taste my own chef's cooking, so I'll cherish it.
Wang Yan waited obediently in the corner, waiting for the imperial family to evaluate his skills.
"This noodle reminds me of the misty rain of Jiangnan more than ten years ago." Kangxi ate three and a half bites and then stopped eating.
Wang Yan bowed his head and knelt down, quietly waiting for Kangxi to continue.
Kangxi savored the lingering taste of the soup in his mouth: "Baocheng, your taste is similar to mine. Take him to your place later."
The emperor had a rule about meals: he could not eat more than three times.
He had just broken the rules, and it was inappropriate for him to keep Wang Yan in the imperial kitchen as his cook. He would also regret it if this buryed the talent of a man of extraordinary culinary skills.
Therefore, Kangxi decided to give the man to his beloved son.
Unlike Kangxi, Yinreng and Yinti honestly finished the small bowl of noodles, leaving not even a drop of broth.
"Your son kowtows to thank Your Majesty!" Yinreng said without hesitation.
Yinqi looked at Kangxi with a mournful expression, wanting to say that he could take Wang Yan back.
Kangxi calmly turned his head slightly to avoid Yinti's gaze.
"Baoqing, I have seen your filial piety," Kangxi said.
At this point, Yinqi had nothing to say.
He received a reward from Emperor Kangxi last night because of this. If he were to return the imperial decree, wouldn't he have to return the reward?
How embarrassing! He couldn't do that!
Yinti was suffering inwardly, but he had to swallow his bitterness and keep a cheerful facade, acting as a good brother to Yinreng, with brotherly affection and respect.
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