Chapter 42 Winter Food: Apples Yinreng stayed at her place that night, until the…
Yinreng stayed at her place that night, and the next morning at breakfast, he ordered someone to fetch the imperial physician, saying that he was worried that her restlessness these past few days might have harmed her health.
The imperial physician arrived shortly after, glanced at Cheng Qianyue's complexion, and then bent down to take her pulse. He also inquired about her recent diet and daily life. Finally, he said, "Judging from your pulse, Princess, you have liver qi stagnation and blood and qi imbalance, which is why you are having trouble eating and sleeping."
Cheng Qianyue couldn't help but nod and ask him, "Is it serious? Can I take medicine?" She actually didn't like taking medicine; who would want to drink bitter juice for no reason? But she still valued her life, and if it was really serious, she was willing to take even the most bitter medicine.
The imperial physician replied, "Your Highness is pregnant and medication is not advisable. In my humble opinion, you should soothe your mind through dietary therapy. Furthermore, Your Highness should try to relax and keep your mind at ease, as a relaxed mind will allow your blood and energy to flow smoothly." In short, dietary therapy is only an aid; the most important thing is for her to have a positive outlook.
Yinreng waved his hand, signaling the imperial physician to go out and write a prescription for dietary supplements. Then he looked at Cheng Qianyue, sighed, and patted her shoulder.
Cheng Qianyue understood his words of comfort; he also regretted losing his temper that day. Just thinking about it made Cheng Qianyue very happy, because Yinreng was willing to back down for her sake. She said, "Don't blame yourself. How can people never have any friction in their relationships? Even brothers fight. But as long as you think of me and I think of you, it's enough that we can make up in the end."
Seeing her little mouth agape, Yinreng realized that she had calmed down after crying all night. He thought to himself how easy she was to coax, and how considerate she was. In the end, he felt that she was very good to be this way; her open-mindedness was truly unmatched by others.
He said, "Keep these words in mind. No matter how angry I get in the future, it's never directed at you. Don't take it to heart, and don't let it make you resentful."
But if he's unhappy, how can anyone else be happy? Cheng Qianyue said, "Emotions are contagious. How can I be happy if you're unhappy?"
Yinreng smiled with relief and reached out to touch the stray hairs on her forehead. "You said it yourself, moods are contagious. If you're happy, I might feel happy too."
"Oh, I see. She just wants to make him happy. But isn't that what she always does?" Cheng Qianyue tilted her head.
But this matter is finally over. After Yinreng left, Cheng Qianyue touched her belly and thought, "My dear child, aren't you happy? You have a father again."
For Cheng Qianyue, the matter was indeed settled, but for those who served her, it was far from over. Because of the imperial physician's diagnosis, almost everyone in the West Courtyard felt that Cheng Qianyue's health was not good and required extra care. Therefore, they treated Cheng Qianyue like a queen, paying meticulous attention to her diet and daily life.
Of course, the main focus was on her diet. Since the imperial physician hadn't mentioned the need for dietary supplements, several dishes were added to Cheng Qianyue's table, all prepared according to the physician's prescriptions. The physician also sent rose tea, instructing her to drink a cup each morning and evening. In addition, the physician told her to eat more apples.
Other things are fine, like eating and drinking tea, those are easy to handle, but eating more apples...
Emmm, I really can't do that.
Cheng Qianyue genuinely dislikes apples. In her eyes, apples are like plain water, utterly devoid of any sexual appeal in the fruit world. She can remember eating pears, persimmons, and oranges, but she just can't think of eating apples.
But the imperial physician said that pears are cold in nature, and since it's winter, eating them could easily upset her spleen and stomach. Oranges were okay to eat, but not too many, otherwise they could cause internal heat and sores. Apples, compared to the others, were much milder, and she should eat one or two a day.
Haha, what's wrong? Even the imperial physician knows the proverb, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."
Cheng Qianyue felt that it was fine for her to eat medicinal food, and that apples were out of the question.
But Ruoyun and the others clearly took the imperial physician's words as gospel. Every day half an hour after lunch, Ruoyun would eagerly follow the imperial physician's instructions, personally bringing over a fruit platter and gently inviting her to eat apples.
Cheng Qianyue took a piece of fruit with a fruit fork, put it in her mouth, chewed it like she was taking medicine, and then said she wouldn't eat any more.
Ruoyun blinked her big eyes and gently persuaded her, "Gege, please have another bite. We've only cut one apple; you should at least eat a few more pieces."
Cheng Qianyue saw that her eyebrows were furrowed together, as if she had drawn a straight eyebrow, and couldn't help but chuckle. Then she said, "The imperial physician said that as long as I'm at ease, it's fine. I've been very happy lately, and I've been eating well, so it's okay if I don't eat apples."
Ruoyun had no choice but to take the fruit platter outside again. Lin Quan'an, also looking troubled, sighed as he stared at the fruit platter with a missing piece, "Princess, you still won't eat apples?"
Ruoyun said, "Yes, the princess doesn't like to eat this. I'm so grateful that she ate even this little bit." She really wished she could pray to the gods and Buddhas that the princess would change her mind overnight and suddenly like the taste of apples.
Lin Quan'an said, "In my opinion, even if we cut the apple into a flower shape, it won't work. Well, I'm afraid we're out of ideas."
Ruoyun knew that he wanted to report the matter to Yuqing Palace. Indeed, the Crown Prince was all-powerful and would definitely have a better solution than the rest of them.
Then that evening, a dish of candied apples appeared on Cheng Qianyue's dinner table. Cheng Qianyue didn't eat any, but she found it fascinating. The apple chunks were covered in a bright yellow syrup, with a cluster of silvery threads on top, glistening like crystal, and looked absolutely beautiful.
Ruoyun watched them giggling as they looked at the candied apples, thinking: "Don't just look, take a piece and eat some!" But the candied apples were served the same way they were presented.
The next day, Cheng Qianyue saw a steamed apple on the table again. The apple was about the size of a fist, and after the core was removed, it was filled with red dates and scutellaria baicalensis, and placed in a clean, round white bowl. To be honest, she was quite curious about what steamed apples tasted like, so she took a spoon and scooped out a piece and put it in her mouth.
Hmm, to be honest, it's not very tasty. It's sandy and soft, like apple-flavored Chinese herbal medicine puree.
It looks nice, but it tastes so strange. She frowned and put down the spoon.
Another day passed, and before it was time for mealtime, Yinreng came over and said, "Why did I hear you didn't eat properly?"
"No," Cheng Qianyue replied confidently. "I ate my food properly."
"Then why don't you eat apples?" Yinreng said, then ordered someone to cut fruit to show that he wanted to feed her himself.
Cheng Qianyue: ......
A moment later, Ruoyun quickly brought in a plate. Yinreng picked up a small piece of apple and said, "Open your mouth, ah~"
Cheng Qianyue had no choice but to open her mouth and eat the apple, but she looked at the fruit plate on the table with resentment as she ate. After eating two or three pieces, she really didn't want to eat anymore, so she angrily bit the fruit fork and refused to let go.
Yinreng was amused by her. Why was eating an apple like this? He asked her, puzzled, "Apples are so delicious, why don't you like them?"
Cheng Qianyue pouted and said, "I just don't like eating them." She described the taste of apples: "They're not very sweet or very sour, and they don't taste like fruit at all. If they're crunchy, they're too crunchy, like eating ice crystals. If they're powdery, they're not soft enough and you have to chew them."
Yinreng was a little doubtful of his ears when he heard her say that, so he simply picked up a piece and ate it himself. It was crisp, sweet and fragrant, not at all like what Cheng Qianyue had described.
"That's enough," Yinreng put down the fruit fork in his hand and said to Chen He, "Tell the kitchen staff to think of another way to make the apples sweet, sour and fruity."
When Cheng Qianyue heard him say "that's enough," she thought he wasn't going to force her to eat the apple anymore. But when she heard the second half of his sentence, she realized she was overthinking it. He was still as stubborn as before. She couldn't help but whisper, "The kitchen has sent them several times already, but I just can't eat them."
Yinreng then said, "That's why I asked them to find a way. If the cooks try their best but still can't get you to eat more, then it just means you're not meant to be with apples, and I won't force you."
"Alright then," Cheng Qianyue thought to herself, "maybe I'm just not meant to be with apples."
However, that evening, the kitchen staff specially brought her a dish of candied apples, and this dessert proved Cheng Qianyue wrong. It was still an apple, but it tasted much better than the ones that had been brought before. It was sweet and sour, and very appetizing. After eating several pieces and drinking some of the juice with a spoon, she curiously asked how the apples were made.
The young eunuch in the kitchen thought he was being used as a scapegoat, but he didn't expect that the fruit platter would actually catch the eye of the noble lady. He immediately knelt down and replied, "Your Highness, the fruit platter was made by juicing tangerines and lemons, adding honey for flavor, and then washing, peeling, and chopping apples and marinating them for a quarter of an hour before sending it to you."
Cheng Qianyue thought to herself, "After all these fancy tricks, is this still just eating an apple?"
However, Yinreng was quite pleased. Honestly, his subordinates were incredibly stupid; they just kept cooking without even asking questions, so he had to personally intervene. "It seems you and apples are destined for each other," he said with a smile to Cheng Qianyue, picking up a piece and placing it in her bowl. "Since you like it, have a few more."
After dinner, it's time for dessert and then bedtime. Yinreng hugged her and sighed with relief, saying, "The New Year is coming soon, and I'll be very busy. I might not be able to take care of you much. Take good care of yourself in Xiefang Palace, okay?"
Cheng Qianyue was a little confused. "Shouldn't there be a holiday for the New Year?" She had heard that the Emperor would put down his pen around the 20th of the twelfth lunar month and only start writing again after the New Year.
Yinreng explained to her, "But we have to celebrate the festival. We prepare New Year's gifts, bestow auspicious characters, hold banquets to worship our ancestors, and pay New Year's greetings. We can be busy from the Little New Year until the fifteenth of the first lunar month."
So busy! Cheng Qianyue felt that this holiday was worse than no holiday at all; it sounded even more tiring than usual. Oh dear, it's a good thing she's not qualified to attend these kinds of events!
She nodded emphatically and replied, "Yes, don't worry, I'll be fine." Then she added, "You too, don't overwork yourself." She paused, smiled, and said, "If you do get tired, it's okay. When you come back, I'll give you a good massage."
"Don't worry, we've always done it this way, it's not tiring." Yinreng felt a warmth in his heart, but he couldn't help but flick her nose. "Massage? You're pregnant, do you think I'd ask you to massage me? Okay, let's not talk about this anymore, go to sleep."
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