"Oh, who do we have here? Isn't this Miss Xinyi!"
The one who said this was a lowly maidservant serving a concubine in the manor, not even a head maid. Because her mistress was not favored, she was ridiculed every time she came to collect her allowance.
Every time she came to collect her allowance, she inevitably had to meet with other head maids, such as Xinyi.
Although Xinyi entered the Fourth Prince's residence as a maidservant following Geng Youran, she actually came from the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Putting aside the daily rewards she receives, her attire and demeanor are completely different from those of the princesses in the mansion.
In addition, since Geng Youran became the emperor's favorite, he has been showered with gifts, received many favors, and had a good relationship with the emperor's wife. Most people in the mansion are trying to curry favor with him.
It's understandable that I felt jealous, which is why I couldn't help but say something sarcastic.
Who is Xinyi? These low-class, sour remarks are beneath her notice.
After receiving his princess's allowance from the fawning man across the street, he turned and walked back without looking back.
Unexpectedly, the maidservant, unable to contain her anger, kicked her. Xinyi, caught off guard, tripped and fell, dropping what she was holding.
Most importantly, Geng Youran's new clothes got a tear.
Having spent so long in the palace, Xin Yi's impulsive personality has become much more restrained after being constantly nagged by Geng Youran in the Fourth Prince's residence.
She picked up the scattered items and handed them to the steward who was standing to the side, head bowed, pretending not to see them.
"My lord, please inform the lady that the clothes are torn and she would like them repaired. As for these other things, please also replace them; they are too 'dirty'."
The manager dared not offend Geng Youran's people, so he quickly took the tray from Xinyi's hands and said that he would definitely handle the matter well and would personally deliver the items.
After bowing to express her gratitude, Xinyi turned and walked to the maid.
The maid stepped back, and Xinyi walked forward.
"What...what do you want to do?"
Xinyi smiled, and then suddenly slapped her across the face.
The little girl couldn't believe that Xinyi dared to hit her. She covered her face and stared wide-eyed as Xinyi left.
Xin Yi, who returned to the courtyard empty-handed, was still angry, so she told Geng Youran about it.
"You did the right thing."
Unexpectedly, Geng Youran did not criticize her for being impulsive as before, but instead praised her for doing the right thing.
She didn't hide anything and directly asked Geng Youran why she didn't mention herself this time.
Geng Youran handed over the teacup with the tea already poured and explained:
"Not doing anything doesn't mean we have to keep swallowing our anger. We need to show them when the time is right that we're not to be trifled with. Otherwise, if anyone dares to bully us, we won't look good either, will we?"
Xinyi nodded, agreeing with what Geng Youran said.
Before this, they had been very careful, afraid that others would find fault with them.
Geng Youran has been here for a while now, and the Fourth Prince likes her quite a bit; she's also well-liked.
However, Geng Youran was still very careful.
"However, this matter cannot be kept secret by us. The tea snacks that the Princess Consort asked me to try making a few days ago are ready today. I'll take this opportunity to explain the whole story clearly, so as to avoid giving others cause for gossip."
For Geng Youran, whether others believe it or not is their business, but whether she does it or not is her own problem.
She was bold and responsible, no matter the era she lived in.
Speaking of tea and snacks, they weren't actually for Ulanara to eat, but rather for the young prince Honghui.
Although Honghui was only six years old, he had started his education early and was doing well in his studies, but he also had times when he was not energetic. Ulanara was worried that her son would harm his health by drinking cold tea, so she asked Geng Youran if it was possible to make snacks with tea leaves.
When it comes to tea, the first thing that comes to Geng Youran's mind is 'tea cake'.
The Song Dynasty was the golden age of 'tea cake', which not only became a tribute to the imperial court but also became popular among the common people.
Its main ingredients include tea leaves, rice flour, and sesame seeds. It is made through a series of complicated processes, such as brewing tea, washing rice flour, roasting sesame seeds, mixing the ingredients, steaming, pressing, and drying. Tea cakes are not only delicate in texture but also have a rich tea aroma, making them very popular.
Geng Youran remembered that she seemed to have seen a record of it in a book called "Old Tales of the Martial World".
The tea leaves that the young prince liked were specially selected for making it.
However, due to the complicated production method and the lack of molds, Geng Youran also put in a lot of effort.
For this reason, he even sought out Yinzhen (the future emperor of the Han Dynasty) once.
One day, Yinzhen had dinner in Geng Youran's courtyard, and Geng Youran cautiously asked:
"Master, I have drawn some molds and I would like to use them to make some pastries. Would you be willing to have the steward find a craftsman for me?"
It was just a little food, and Yinzhen was still willing to provide it.
The next day, the manager arrived with the craftsmen. After carefully explaining his design, Geng Youran finally received the mold three days later.
Since the time happened to be during the year, thinking that the Fujin must have had a very hard time during this period, he simply did some other things.
First, I made 'Poria cocos cakes' for the Fujin (wife of the emperor).
Poria cocos cake, also known as Poria cocos sandwich cake, is a traditional nourishing snack from Beijing.
It is said that Emperor Kangxi contracted smallpox in his childhood and was weak after recovering from the illness, especially with a weak spleen and stomach. The imperial physicians and the imperial chefs made a pastry called "Fuling Cake".
This snack has a unique and refreshing flavor, and it remains popular even today.
When Geng Youran was in modern times, she had eaten there several times during her trip to Beijing and really liked it.
To make 'Poria cocos cakes', you first need to grind the best Poria cocos into powder.
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