Chapter 282 Being Participated
Fan Jingrui seemed to have anticipated Chu Ci's choice, a knowing smile plastered across his face, a smile filled with understanding and fondness for Chu Ci. His gaze was gentle as water, as if he could see through Chu Ci's every thought.
"It's just right. Aunt Zhang has carefully made Eight Treasure Duck according to the recipe you gave me. I'm sure my wife will like it." Fan Jingrui said with a smile, his voice full of anticipation.
When Chu Ci heard this, her eyes lit up with surprise, and that light was like a bright star. She quickly responded: "Really? Then I want to taste it."
Her tone was anxious, and she couldn't wait to enjoy the feast.
Soon, the Eight Treasure Duck arrived. Chu Ci couldn't wait to grab a piece and chew it carefully. His face was filled with ecstasy as he praised it, "This Eight Treasure Duck has crispy skin and tender meat, and is incredibly fresh and fragrant. The flavors of all the ingredients blend perfectly, absolutely wonderful!"
Perhaps because the ingredients are all natural, the taste is even more delicious than that made by the royal chefs of previous lives.
The duck skin is just the right amount of crispy and crunchy when you bite it. The duck meat inside is tender and juicy, and every texture is full of rich aroma.
The glutinous rice is soft, sweet and absorbs the essence of duck meat and other ingredients, melting in your mouth.
The red dates are plump and sweet, adding a touch of sweetness; the lotus seeds are fragrant and soft, with a delicate taste, which complements the other ingredients, enriching the taste layer, making it irresistible and endlessly memorable.
Chu Ci nodded repeatedly and said, "This tastes amazing! The duck meat is tender, the glutinous rice is sweet, and the red dates and lotus seeds enrich the taste and make it very memorable."
Fan Jingrui looked at Chu Ci's satisfied expression and asked with a smile, "How is it? Is it to your taste?" His eyes were full of concern and expectation.
Chu Ci said excitedly, "It's so delicious! This Eight Treasure Duck is truly a delicacy. I've never tasted anything so delicious."
Her voice was clear and melodious, full of joy.
Fan Jingrui chuckled: "As long as my wife likes it, I'll ask Aunt Zhang to do it more often in the future."
Unexpectedly, Chu Ci refused. She shook her head slightly and sighed, "No matter how good something is, if you eat it too much, you won't appreciate its beauty. Like this Eight Treasure Duck, you only appreciate its value if you savor it occasionally. If you enjoy it every day, the surprise and anticipation will disappear."
"My dear husband, you must not seduce me." Chu Ci glanced at Fan Jingrui coquettishly and continued, "Madame Zhang is an excellent cook. I plan to send her to the 'Royal Women's College' to teach cooking and cultivate more talents like her."
Chu Ci's eyes were firm and full of hope. "This way, her skills can be passed on and more people can benefit from them. It's much more meaningful than having her serve only me."
Her expression was serious, as if she had already seen a beautiful vision of the future.
Fan Jingrui was relieved to see Chu Ci regain her usual vigor. He didn't refute her idea, but took the opportunity to cleverly bring the topic back to Hu Zhu: "When do you plan to go to Hu Zhu?"
His tone was calm and his eyes showed a hint of concern.
Chu Ci paused after hearing this, his eyes penetrating with thought as he slowly said, "After breakfast tomorrow. It's getting late now, and going there now...would be abrupt and might make her more alert. It's better to wait until tomorrow morning."
But sometimes plans really can't keep up with changes.
The plan was originally well-planned, but the next morning, Chu Ci had just opened his eyes, his mind was still in a state of confusion, and he had not yet fully woken up when he was told that the workers who were building the "Royal Women's College" were injured and were ruthlessly abandoned on the street without any compensation.
It happened that this matter was known by an imperial censor, and this morning at the morning court, she was impeached for the crime of lax discipline.
Chu Ci heard this and was so angry that his eyebrows raised. He said indignantly, "It seems that the construction of the 'Imperial Girls' School' is under the supervision of officials from the Ministry of Works? Is the censor right to impeach me?"
As Fan Jingrui helped Chu Ci put on his clothes, he said, "But you are the vice president appointed by the emperor, and the censor believes that you have the responsibility to supervise."
His movements were gentle, and there was a hint of helplessness in his tone.
However, Chu Ci did not have as good an upbringing as Fan Jingrui.
She clenched her fists, trembling slightly with anger, and shouted, "Bullshit! This is just nonsense. They're forcing me to take the blame for this inexplicable crime!"
Her body trembled slightly with anger, like a volcano about to erupt.
"Why didn't they mention the Queen or the Dean? This 'Imperial Women's College' clearly has a clear division of labor and responsible individuals for many matters. I'm only responsible for the teachers and teaching. Now that something like this has happened, they don't hold the Ministry of Works officials responsible, but instead put all the blame on me. It's completely unreasonable!"
Fan Jingrui knew this very well. He frowned, his expression serious, and said slowly, "I'm afraid someone doesn't want the Women's College to take root in the capital."
"The forces behind this are complex and intertwined."
"Those conservative and powerful people are bent on maintaining the status quo. They are rigid, narrow-minded and selfish. They are afraid that women's knowledge will threaten their status and thus disrupt the existing balance of power."
"There are also some forces that are jealous of the benefits the academy brings. For their own selfish interests, they are secretly trying to hinder the academy's development by any means necessary."
Fan Jingrui carefully analyzed the current situation for Chu Ci, his tone full of heaviness.
At this point, Fan Jingrui glanced at Chu Ci, hesitant to speak, his expression showing a hint of hesitation and worry: "I'm afraid the emperor..."
Before Fan Jingrui could finish his words, Nanny Zhang came hurriedly. "Princess, the Emperor has ordered you to enter the palace."
When Chu Ci heard this, he felt so angry that he wanted to curse.
Unexpectedly, Fan Jingrui's guess was right, and the emperor actually asked him to face those court officials with ulterior motives.
But since he dared to push her to the front, I hope the emperor will not regret it.
Chu Ci gritted his teeth secretly, a look of determination flashed in his eyes: "Humph, if that's the case, then we'll see."
In the court, everyone had different thoughts. Except for the few who knew the emperor's thoughts, everyone was angry with Chu Ci.
As soon as Chu Ci entered the court, a minister immediately mocked her, saying, "You are indeed from the countryside. A mere woman, ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth, dares to try to make a move in this court. You are simply clueless!"
Could Chu Ci spoil him? Her eyes were sharp as she asked directly, "What is your name, sir, and what is your official position?"
This man thought Chu Ci was afraid of him, and his eyebrows immediately lit up. He said proudly, "I am Zhang Yingjiu, the Minister of Rites. I advise the princess to admit her mistake immediately, so as not to make a fool of herself in this court and lose face!"
Chu Ci looked at him as if he were a fool. He sneered, his eyes sharp as a torch, and said loudly: "Zhang Yingjiu? What a powerful official!"
"This princess has always been upright and honest, what could be wrong with that?"
"As the Minister of Rites, you make false statements without investigating the truth. Is this how you conduct yourself as an official?"
"Do you think that I am easy to bully because I am a woman? I think you are sitting in the position of Minister without any reason!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com