It's unclear what the Fourth Prince and his wife discussed, but in any case, the wife resumed the custom of paying respects to the prince a few days later, and Consort Li also came this time.
Judging from her complexion, it seems that it is Consort Li who is unwell.
From that day on, the rumors in the mansion suddenly disappeared without a trace. Wanru and I both felt that the Fourth Prince had personally taken action this time.
Another year is coming to an end, and this is Wanru's first time spending the New Year in the mansion. Everything is new and exciting to her.
"Sister, the New Year is almost here, why don't you seem excited at all?"
Geng Youran was peeling roasted ginkgo nuts in her hands, her mouth babbling as she worked.
"Last year, because the concubine was about to give birth at the end of the year, the principal wife asked me to help with some things. This year is different. The principal wife has taken back most of the management power in the courtyard, and the concubine wife has very little power left. How could she be willing to let me have a share of the pie again?"
Actually, the Fourth Prince had mentioned this matter before, but she was too lazy and didn't want to offend anyone. Since Consort Li wanted to prove herself, he let her do it and he was at ease.
When Wanru saw Geng Youran skillfully peeling ginkgo nuts, she wanted to try too, but Geng Youran stopped her.
"The outer skin of this ginkgo is hard, so you'd better not touch it, or you'll hurt your fingernails."
Wanru smiled shyly.
“Every time we come, the older sister is always the one doing all the cooking while the younger sister just waits to eat. It’s kind of embarrassing.”
Geng Youran laughed heartily. Although she was not the most favored in the mansion, she was still enjoying considerable favor.
He's not in a hurry to have children. Every day, besides paying his respects, he stays in his own yard researching food. Now that he has a friend like Wanru, he's probably the most carefree person in the backyard.
"Sister, you don't need to be so polite. This is the only hobby I have now. If you really feel bad about it, then embroider a handkerchief for me as compensation."
Wanru covered her mouth and laughed. Before she got married, she knew that she would not marry an ordinary person because of her family background. When she learned that she was going to marry the Fourth Prince and become a princess, she thought that she might spend the rest of her life in the power struggles of the family.
Now that I've met such a special friend as Geng Youran, all my efforts have finally paid off.
"Okay, all peeled."
Geng Youran divided the peeled ginkgo nuts into three portions. One portion was left for Wanru to eat as a snack, one portion was taken by Xinyi to make soup, and the rest were planned to be made into desserts for Wanru to take back later.
Wanru doesn't have her own small kitchen, so she usually eats whatever is delivered to her. She can only get something fresh to eat when she comes to Geng Youran's place.
"Sister, why did you think of using ginkgo nuts to make something to eat?"
"I heard about it while chatting with the palace maids when I was in the palace. I heard that in some places in the north, people would throw the ginkgo fruits they picked into the stove to roast them. In winter, they would brew a pot of hot tea, have a handful of ginkgo fruits with them, and chat while eating the fruits. It was very pleasant."
Having spent quite some time with Geng Youran, Wanru could discern some of his thoughts.
Every time Geng Youran talks about folk life, his eyes light up.
Unfortunately, their identities destined them to be detached from the common people.
"Look at me, saying such absurd things on a festive occasion."
Geng Youran stood up and handed the ginkgo nuts in her hand to Xinyi. Then, she pretended that she had gotten wind in her eyes and wiped away the tears that had seeped from the corners of her eyes.
Given her current state, it's best for her to avoid thinking about unrealistic things.
As for Xinyi, ever since Geng Youran developed her soup-making skills in the palace, she has a small kitchen here and is often asked to make soup.
Sometimes Xinyi feels like she's becoming a chef.
Who told her to dote on her own princess? Let her do it.
First, she prepared the ingredients. Yesterday, she asked the manager for a fine old duck, which was cleaned and prepared when it arrived this morning.
She placed the duck pieces she had just chopped into a pot of cold water, added a few slices of ginger, brought it to a boil over high heat, skimmed off the foam, and continued to boil for a few more minutes to thoroughly remove the blood and fishy smell. Then she took out the duck pieces, rinsed them with clean water, and set them aside.
Take a clay pot or stewing pot, add enough water, and put in the blanched duck pieces and ginkgo nuts.
Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and skim off any foam and oil to keep the broth clear. Simmer for one hour, or until the duck meat is tender and the broth is thick and white.
Once the duck meat is tender and the soup has turned a rich white color, add an appropriate amount of salt to taste.
While Xinyi was busy stewing soup, Geng Youran and Niu Hulu Wanru were talking about Consort Li.
“In the past few months, I have increasingly felt that Consort Li has changed. Take the end of the year for example. In the past, because of Prince Honghui, the Prince Consort deliberately gave her some of the power to manage the household. Now, the Prince Consort wants to take the power back, but Consort Li is unwilling.”
“Sister, people change. Now, only Consort Li has two sons in the manor, so naturally she wants more.”
"I don't know what the Prince and the Princess said, but it worked better than medicine."
Wanru felt that at this time of year, it was better to avoid trouble. Although Hongyun and Hongshi were both Yinzhen's children, adoption was absolutely out of the question.
Although Emperor Kangxi called for unity between the Manchus and Han Chinese, those in power would not allow Han sons to inherit their positions unless absolutely necessary.
An hour passed quickly as the two chatted idly. Xinyi then brought in the soup she had just cooked.
"Princess, drink it while it's hot, but you should eat less of the ginkgo nuts."
Wanru asked in confusion:
Why is that?
Xinyi replied:
"That stuff is still poisonous even when cooked, so it's best to eat it sparingly."
Wanru took a small sip of the soup and found it delicious. She then drank the whole bowl.
"Gege Geng really knows how to do things. Our princess always eats very little, and she only eats more when she's with Gege Geng."
Geng Youran was puzzled.
"Oh, why is that?"
Wanru answered shyly:
“My mother said that nowadays, the princes all marry women from prominent families for show, but they mostly prefer the gentle women from the Jiangnan region, so she always tells me to eat less.”
Geng Youran shook her head.
"Everyone knows the saying 'medicine is three parts poison,' and the same goes for diet. Excessive control will only make people lose their appetite and have no energy. Besides, our Fourth Prince is not the kind of person who is fond of women."
But even Geng Youran wasn't entirely sure about what she was saying.
Currently, the favored women in the household are indeed all Han Chinese women, including her. Although she belongs to the Manchu bannermen, she is, at her core, Han Chinese. And in the household, the only true Manchu women are the Fujin and Wanru.
Although Wanru was favored by the emperor, she could never compare to Consort Li.
Especially recently, she noticed that Song Gege seemed to be planning to make a comeback.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
