That day, it was snowing heavily outside. Mingxiu, wrapped in a thick blanket, sat on the sofa inside the glass room, helplessly watching a group of children outside, their voices wailing. "Tell me, what are you doing coming to the palace in this heavy snow today, and bringing several children with you?" Mingxiu said, looking at Chenghuan, who was sitting in front of her drinking tea.
"Hehe, I just miss Mother Consort. Besides, the children also miss their Imperial Matron. Doesn't Mother Consort miss us?" Cheng Huan said coquettishly. Although she was already over thirty years old, she was still like a child in front of Ming Xiu.
"Of course I thought about it, how could I not? It's on my mind. But that's no excuse for bringing several children into the palace today. Listen to the noise outside." Mingxiu reluctantly agreed with Chenghuan's voice. The noise outside was really too loud. Chenghuan's children had entered the palace, along with Baocheng's children and Yinzhi's children who knew their friends had entered the palace. There were a total of seven or eight children making a racket in the courtyard. Mingxiu felt like her ears were about to ring.
Cheng Huan looked at the children outside, all bundled up in thick clothes, building snowmen, and said helplessly, "The Prince Consort went out on business today. I was bored in the manor by myself, so I came to see Mother Consort. I didn't originally plan to bring them along, but somehow they insisted on coming. So, I had no choice but to bring them."
"Alright, alright, it's just that my place is big enough. Yulan, go and get the earmuffs I prepared earlier. They won't get their ears frozen playing like this." Mingxiu called to Yulan while watching the children building snowmen outside.
"Yes." Yu Lan went in, took out the ear-shaped hats, and gave one to each of the children who were playing happily outside. The ear-shaped hats were designed by Ming Xiu with cartoon patterns, and they were super cute. She originally planned to give them to them, but she didn't expect them to arrive a little earlier.
"Oh, this is so cute! Mother, where did you get this?" Cheng Huan looked happily at the panda-patterned earmuff in front of her. The panda on it was embroidered round and plump with big eyes, and it looked super cute.
“It was just made, isn’t it beautiful? This is yours, you can wear it when you leave the palace, or when you go out to play,” Mingxiu said, looking at the ear cap in Chenghuan’s hand.
"Mmm, yes, it looks really good." Cheng Huan said happily, holding the earmuff in her hand.
Chenghuan lingered with Mingxiu for half a day. At noon, Mingxiu looked after the children and finally decided to have hot pot. It would be a shame not to have hot pot in this weather, and with so many people, it would be just right.
Mingxiu asked the kitchen staff to prepare three soup bases: beef, tomato, and mushroom.
They were divided into two tables. Mingxiu, Kangxi, Chenghuan, and Baocheng and his wife sat at one table, while the children sat at another table, where Hongxi could help look after them.
Around noon, the Empress arrived first, followed shortly by Emperor Kangxi and Yinreng. The father and son had been acting mysteriously lately, and Mingxiu had no interest in knowing.
"You're back. It's time to eat. Come on over and wash your hands." Mingxiu said to Kangxi and his wife as they entered.
"Wow, it smells so good! I smelled it as soon as I came in. Looks like I'll be having a delicious lunch today," Yinreng said with a grin.
"Of course! This is a hot pot with beef tallow, isn't it delicious? I prepared a lot of dishes today, but most importantly, do you see that plate over there?" Mingxiu said mysteriously, pointing to the plate in front of her.
"I was just about to ask, Mother, what kind of dish is this? I feel like I've never seen it before," Cheng Huan said curiously from the side.
"Hehe, this dish is called 'Forget-Me-Not Grass,' it can relieve all your worries," Mingxiu said with a smile.
"Forget-me-not? Is there such a thing as a herb?" the Empress asked curiously. Was this herb really that magical?
"What forget-me-not? It's just daylily," Yinreng said, listening to the system's reply.
"Haha, oh my, not bad, young man, you even know that." Mingxiu said with a smile.
"What is daylily? Why is it called the 'forget-sorrow herb'?" Chenghuan asked curiously.
"Well, that's a story. You guys wash your hands first, and we can talk while we eat," Mingxiu said, gesturing for everyone to sit down.
As for the children, they had already sat down to eat. They had been playing all day and were starving, so they didn't want to think about anything else.
"Daylily is known as the 'forget-sorrow herb,' a name derived from an ancient story. Legend has it that in ancient times, a woman's husband was away on a distant expedition. To alleviate her worries, she planted daylilies in the north hall of her home. By planting and admiring the daylilies, she was able to relieve her sorrow and forget her worries, hence the daylily became known as the 'forget-sorrow herb.'" Mingxiu said, sitting in a chair and adding daylilies to the pot.
"Ah, I didn't expect there to be such an ancient story," Cheng Huan said knowingly.
“Yes, you should all try some later, it’s delicious. Daylilies have a very short flowering period and are not easy to store, so they are relatively rare in the capital, which is why you may not have seen them before.” As Mingxiu spoke, the daylilies were already cooked. She quickly scooped a chopstickful into Kangxi’s bowl and then continued.
Kangxi smiled slightly as he looked at the daylily in the bowl, eating it with elegant movements, occasionally tugging at Mingxiu's sleeve to prevent it from getting oily.
Cheng Huan, Yinreng, and the Empress, who were standing nearby, couldn't help but grimace at the interaction between the two.
Cheng Huan said in a sarcastic tone, "Then why does Mother have it here? Shouldn't it be gone at this time of year?"
"You don't need to worry about that. It's good enough that you have something to eat. Alright, these are cooked. Hurry up and try them. If you like them, your mother will pack some more for you to take with you when you leave," Mingxiu coaxed Chenghuan.
Of course she had them. She had planted a lot of them in her space. Actually, she didn't know what daylilies were before, but she had accidentally eaten one once and fell in love with its taste. When she learned that the flowering period of daylilies was very short, she specially transplanted a lot of daylilies into her space. Moreover, because the soil in her space was fertile and the water quality was very good, each of these daylilies had plump buds, a golden color, and a fragrant aroma, which was much better than the varieties she had eaten before.
Moreover, because it is grown in space, she can eat fresh food directly and doesn't need to eat dried food.
"Hmm, the taste is indeed quite good. It's sweet with a slight sourness and a natural, refreshing fragrance. However, this fragrance doesn't seem to be a typical floral scent, nor is it a single mushroom scent. Instead, it's a unique and delightful aroma that blends floral and mushroom notes. It's delicious," Yinreng commented after taking a bite.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
