Chapter 21: Closeness
Chapter 21: Closeness
"Please sit down, don't be so reserved." Xuanyuan Xingyao had been practicing his body movements all afternoon and was covered in sweat, so the first thing he did after returning to the bedroom was to change his clothes. Of course, before changing his clothes, he did not forget to ask the palace servants to take good care of Nangong Jing and Feng Xuanzhou.
What Xuanyuan Xingyao didn't expect was that when he came out, Feng Xuanzhou and Nangong Jing were still standing there and didn't sit down. Nangong Jing looked relatively natural, but Feng Xuanzhou was so stiff that Xuanyuan Xingyao was a little unhappy.
Nangong Jing naturally found a seat after hearing Xuanyuan Xingyao's invitation. He could tell that Xuanyuan Xingyao didn't like them being overly polite. But considering that they were Xuanyuan Xingyao's study partners and would be together for at least ten years, it would be a bit uncomfortable if they were always too formal and polite.
Feng Xuanzhou was a little embarrassed at first, but when he saw Nangong Jing sitting down, it would be a bit conspicuous if he continued standing alone, so he found a seat and sat down.
Because everyone was still young, Xuanyuan Xingyao did not ask anyone to serve tea but instead asked the palace servants to bring a pot of fruit tea and pour a cup for each person.
"This tea tastes really good, sour and sweet." Nangong Jing picked up the teacup and took a sip, then said with his eyes lighting up.
In his previous life, Nangong Jing had always liked to eat sweet and sour food. Nangong Dao and the others often teased him for being a child who only liked to eat the same food as the girls. Although Nangong Jing was annoyed by their comments, he didn't try to force himself to change his tastes. Life was already hard enough, and if he couldn't even decide what to eat, what was the point of living?
Nangong Jing had no intention of changing his taste in this life, so Xuanyuan Xingyao's pot of fruit tea could be said to be just what he wanted.
"Do you like sweet and sour food too?" Xuanyuan Xingyao saw that Nangong Jing's eyes were shining. It was obvious that he was not saying this to flatter him but because he really liked this flavor of fruit tea. It was rare for Xuanyuan Xingyao to meet someone who had the same taste as him, so his tone of voice softened a little.
"Your Highness likes it too?" Nangong Jing was truly surprised. He didn't seem to have heard anyone mention that Xuanyuan Xingyao liked sweet and sour food in his previous life. Could it be that his tastes changed as he grew up, or was it that Xuanyuan Xingyao felt that if others knew about his sweet and sour taste, they would laugh at him, so he deliberately hid it?
"Well, I have liked eating sour or sweet food since I was a child. I like both sour and sweet food. But my father and mother prefer salty or spicy food, so I usually eat according to my own preferences when I am alone in the bedroom." Xuanyuan Xingyao said in a deep voice.
"I like salty and spicy food, but I still like sweet and sour food the most. For example, sweet and sour spare ribs, sweet and sour pork, and sweet and sour pork ribs are all delicious." Nangong Jing couldn't help but light up his eyes when he talked about food. He was obviously a foodie.
"What is sweet and sour pork?!" Xuanyuan Xingyao knew about and had eaten sweet and sour spare ribs and sweet and sour pork, but he had never heard of sweet and sour pork, let alone eaten it. Therefore, Xuanyuan Xingyao was a little curious about how Nangong Jing knew these dishes. Could it be that the chefs in the Duke's Mansion were better than those in the Imperial Palace?
Nangong Jing only realized, upon hearing Xuanyuan Xingyao's question, that sweet and sour pork was a northern dish, not found in the imperial capital. In his previous life, he'd only tasted it in the north when he'd grown up and gone out for training. He'd remembered it after trying it once.
But how should he answer now? What if he arouses Xuanyuan Xingyao's suspicion? Fortunately, Nangong Jing had some quick wits and suddenly remembered that the chef in the Duke's Mansion was from the north, so he smiled and said, "This pot-wrapped pork is a northern dish. We have a chef who is from the north. I once heard him say that this pot-wrapped pork has a sweet and sour taste and is very delicious. It's just that I didn't have money to order dishes before, so I ate at home in the kitchen. Later, after we moved to my father's courtyard, my father didn't like sweet and sour food, so I have only heard of it but never tried it."
Xuanyuan Xingyao was intrigued by this and wanted to try the sweet and sour pork. So he called a guard and asked him to go to the Duke's Mansion to find the northern chef to ask for the recipe. After that, he would send it to the imperial kitchen and have him prepare a portion for him that evening. After giving the order, Xuanyuan Xingyao turned around and saw Nangong Jing looking at him with shining eyes. Remembering that he also liked sweet and sour flavors, he ordered another portion to be made for Nangong Jing.
Upon hearing this, Nangong Jing immediately bowed and thanked Xuanyuan Xingyao.
Perhaps because of their similar tastes, or perhaps because Nangong Jing wasn't afraid of him, Xuanyuan Xingyao became much closer to Nangong Jing. The two chatted away, and of course, Nangong Jing was mostly right, and Xuanyuan Xingyao responded.
Feng Xuanzhou watched Nangong Jing and Xuanyuan Xingyao chatting happily, feeling a little envious but not jealous. Firstly, he really couldn't get along with Xuanyuan Xingyao as naturally as Nangong Jing did, and secondly, he himself was not a jealous person. Nangong Jing's ability to chat well with Xuanyuan Xingyao was his own ability.
If Xuanyuan Xingyao wanted something, not to mention a simple recipe, Nangong Tao would not refuse even if he wanted a rare treasure.
When the dinner for Xuanyuan Xingyao and the other two was served, the sweet and sour pork that Nangong Jing had been craving for was included.
Although Xuanyuan Xingyao invited Nangong Jing and Feng Xuanzhou to have dinner together, they did not eat together. Instead, each of them had a meal and ate at their own table.
Xuanyuan Xingyao’s dishes are naturally the best since they are for the princes, but Nangong Jing and Feng Xuanzhou’s are not bad either, with five or six dishes as well.
Nangong Jing looked at the dishes before him and thought to himself that the conditions in the palace were indeed good. If he were in the Duke's mansion, he would at most have four dishes and a soup. Picking up a piece of sweet and sour pork and chewing it, Nangong Jing's eyes flickered with satisfaction. This was the taste. And it was indeed made by the imperial chef. This cooking was even better than anything he had tasted in his previous life.
"This sweet and sour pork tastes really good." Although Xuanyuan Xingyao did not look as satisfied as Nangong Jing, it could be seen from the fact that he ate several pieces in a row that he quite liked this dish.
"It's delicious, right? I heard from the chef that there are many sweet and sour dishes in the north that we don't have here. When I grow up and can travel abroad, I want to go to the north and have a good meal." Nangong Jing said with a smile, shaking his little head.
Xuanyuan Xingyao looked at Nangong Jing's cute appearance with a hint of smile in his eyes, but he also became interested in Nangong Jing's words. He smiled and said, "Let's go together if there's a chance."
"Okay." Nangong Jing knew how powerful Xuanyuan Xingyao would be in the future. Nangong Jing was so happy that Xuanyuan Xingyao was willing to travel with him that he didn't have time to refuse.
Everyone was tired in the afternoon, so after dinner, Nangong Jing and Feng Xuanzhou took their leave and went back to Zhaoyang Palace to rest.
On the way back, Feng Xuanzhou said to Nangong Jing with some envy, "You are really amazing. You dare to chat so happily with the Seventh Prince. I can't stand it. I get a little scared when I see the Seventh Prince."
"The Seventh Prince looks cold and arrogant, but he is actually a warm-hearted person. He will remember anyone he approves of and will be very tolerant of them. You don't have to be so scared." Nangong Jing didn't quite understand why Feng Xuanzhou was afraid of Xuanyuan Xingyao, since he was such a good person.
Feng Xuanzhou looked at Nangong Jing in shock as if he had heard something horrible. Xuanyuan Xingyao's temper was known to everyone in and outside the palace. Nangong Jing actually said that Xuanyuan Xingyao was a person who was cold on the outside but warm on the inside. If this word were to spread, it would definitely shock everyone.
Nangong Jing and Feng Xuanzhou were unaware that their conversation had reached Xuanyuan Xingyao's ears. He wasn't surprised by Feng Xuanzhou's fear of him, as many in the palace were afraid of him. But he was genuinely surprised by Nangong Jing's evaluation of him. He hadn't expected Nangong Jing to say that. Xuanyuan Xingyao himself didn't consider himself a cold-hearted person, though he was certainly kind to those he approved of.
Xuanyuan Xingyao perhaps didn't even realize that when he heard Nangong Jing's evaluation of him, a hint of warmth flashed across his eyes. When he saw Nangong Jing the next day, his attitude became a little more kind and closer.
The morning class was the same as usual, but with a new teacher. This tutor was quite old, so his lectures were extremely dull. Even Nangong Jing, who was disguised as an adult, was drowsy, let alone the others. Even Xuanyuan Xingyao had to rely on his strong willpower to persevere. After the class ended, almost everyone complained that the tutor's lectures were too dull and boring.
"Your Highness, could you please advise the Emperor not to allow Lord Liu to come? I almost fell asleep just now." Perhaps it was because Liu Shidu was too powerful, Feng Xuanzhou forgot his fear of Xuanyuan Xingyao, and complained to Xuanyuan Xingyao with a gloomy face.
Nangong Jing covered his mouth and couldn't help yawning. He said, "This Lord Liu really talks too much nonsense, and his words are too profound. Does he treat us as adults? I basically didn't understand anything this morning."
Xuanyuan Xingyao actually wanted to yawn, but he felt that it was not nice for him to yawn in front of so many people since he was already a grown-up boy, so he held it in. Looking at Nangong Jing's eyes, which had turned red due to sleepiness, the image of a rabbit suddenly appeared in Xuanyuan Xingyao's mind. Nangong Jing now looked like a cute little white rabbit.
"Go back and have a good sleep at noon, otherwise you will definitely not have the energy to practice in the afternoon. As for Lord Liu... my father will go to my mother's palace for dinner in the evening, and I will give you some advice then." Xuanyuan Xingyao could not bear the intensity of Liu Shidu's lecture. Today was the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and according to convention, the emperor was to stay overnight in the queen's Fengyi Palace.
The emperor dotes on the queen. On the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month, in addition to staying overnight, he would go to the queen early to have dinner with her. He would even invite the prince and Xuanyuan Xingyao to come with him, so that the four of them could have a reunion dinner together.
Many concubines, princes, and princesses in the palace were extremely envious, as they might not even see the emperor once a month. The empress and her two children, on the other hand, only saw him two days a month, not to mention the fact that the emperor would summon the crown prince and Xuanyuan Xingyao every now and then. How could they not envy and be jealous?
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