As they sat down at the table, the aroma of the dishes grew even stronger. Yunxiao and Yun Qingbi swallowed hard, picked up their chopsticks, and began to eat.
Both father and son were attracted by the bright red and oily color of the boiled pork slices, and each picked up a slice and put it in their mouths.
The sliced meat is tender and juicy, with a tempting spicy flavor that leaves a lingering fragrance in your mouth – it tastes absolutely delicious!
"Wow!" Yunxiao and Yun Qingbi's eyes lit up immediately, and then they lowered their heads and started showing off wildly.
The milky white crucian carp and tofu soup was incredibly delicious, the vibrant green stir-fried bok choy was refreshing and fragrant, and the pale yellow lily bulb and egg custard was smooth and delicate.
After a whirlwind meal, all four dishes were devoured, leaving not a single crumb! Watching her father and brothers eat and drink their fill, Yun Qingran felt a surge of happiness.
"Ranran, when did you learn to cook?" Yunxiao wiped his mouth clean and looked at Yun Qingran curiously.
His daughter, who had never lifted a finger since childhood and was lazy and didn't even know the difference between salt and sugar, was able to cook such delicious dishes today. It was as if the sun had risen in the west.
"I figured it out myself," Yun Qingran said, touching her nose.
"My Ranran is so smart," Yunxiao praised proudly.
Yun Qingbi, standing to the side, was speechless. Was her father really not being insincere in praising his sister like that?
"From now on, I'll cook delicious food for Daddy and Big Brother every day," Yun Qingran promised, patting her chest in encouragement.
"Good, Ranran is such a good girl." Yunxiao couldn't stop smiling.
"By the way, Father and Brother, there's something I want to tell you." Yun Qingran took the opportunity to express her request.
"Ranran, what do you want to say?" Yunxiao was in a great mood, and her tone became more cheerful.
"At the New Year's Eve palace banquet, all the ladies of the harem will be performing. You can choose to have your daughters participate. I would like to participate as well," Yun Qingran said, looking at her father and brothers.
Yunxiao and Yun Qingbi's expressions changed drastically; their daughter/sister actually wanted to participate in the palace banquet performance!
"Father, elder brother, I really want to participate. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing and I won't let you down," Yun Qingran said earnestly to her father and brother.
Yunxiao and Yun Qingbi exchanged a glance, and Yunxiao said, "Ranran, your father and your elder brother are not worried about you losing face, but this palace banquet is not as simple as you think."
"Huh?" Yun Qingran was completely confused, not quite understanding the meaning of those words. Wasn't a palace banquet just a gathering for the emperor and his officials? Was there some hidden reason behind it?
"The imperial court and the harem are inextricably linked. This time, the empresses can choose noble ladies to participate in the palace banquet performance, and the noble ladies can nominate themselves to the empresses. On the surface, it is an entertaining palace banquet performance, but in reality, it is a division of factions. Our family has never joined any faction before, and we do not want to have anything to do with the harem in the future." Yunxiao's tone became more serious.
"Father, are there any empresses who have no power in the previous dynasty?" Yun Qingran definitely had to participate in the performance, but she also had to consider the situation at home.
“Consort Ning,” Yunxiao said from the side.
"Consort Ning?" Isn't this the concubine that Yun Xiyue recommended to her?
“Consort Ning’s father was a sixth-rank military officer who served on the frontier. Consort Ning herself has a straightforward temperament and disdains associating with others; she has always been alone in both the court and the harem,” Yunxiao continued. “However, you cannot recommend yourself to Consort Ning.”
"Why?" Yun Qingran asked curiously.
"Consort Ning gave birth to a prince three months ago after a difficult labor. Both she and the prince are in poor health, and it is said that the prince is dying..."
Yunxiao didn't finish speaking, but Yun Qingran understood that the young prince was in very bad shape and might die soon. Ning Pin must be in a bad mood right now, and if she were to recommend herself to her, she would only be inviting trouble.
Yun Xiyue, that wicked thing, really dug herself a huge hole.
However, she did not expect that while she might not be able to handle other things as a newcomer, she was perfectly suited to dealing with medical issues.
"Father, elder brother, don't worry, I have a plan." Yun Qingran nodded, already having a plan in mind.
"Good girl." Yunxiao looked at her with a kind smile in his eyes.
"Father, do you often have neck and shoulder pain?" Yun Qingran asked, looking at Yun Xiao's neck and shoulder area.
Yunxiao often hunches her shoulders and neck, and unconsciously pounds her shoulders, which definitely indicates that she has neck and shoulder problems.
"Yes, when I was young, I fought on the frontier, carrying things every day in the dead of winter. In recent years, I've often been hunched over a desk reading official documents. My shoulders and neck hurt terribly, especially these past few days, the weather has been so cold that I can't sleep at night." Yunxiao said, rubbing his shoulders and neck.
"Father, you go back to your room first. I'll massage you and apply some ointment in a bit." Yun Qingran bought medicine not only for herself but also for Yunxiao today.
"Father's illness is an old one, I'm afraid it's no use." Yunxiao didn't hold out much hope.
"Father, just give it a try!" Yun Qingran said coquettishly, hugging and shaking Yun Xiao's arm.
"Okay, okay." Yunxiao immediately agreed with a smile.
Yun Qingran first pounded the Panax notoginseng, safflower, Arisaema heterophyllum, Clematis chinensis, Angelica pubescens, Aconitum carmichaelii, and other herbs she bought today according to the specified proportions, and then put them in a pot to cook into a paste.
After decocting the medicine, Yun Qingran scooped it out and put it in a large ceramic bowl, then carried the ointment to Yunxiao's room.
"Ranran, did you make this?" Yunxiao looked at the dark ointment with great curiosity.
"Yes. I'll apply it to your shoulders and neck after I massage them. It works very well. If you apply it like this for a month, I guarantee your shoulders and neck will never hurt again." Yun Qingran was very confident in her medical skills.
"Father believes in you." A little sunshine from his daughter makes the sky shine.
"Is this ointment poisonous?" Yun Qingbi looked at the dark, medicinal-smelling ointment with a hint of disgust.
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