As the journey drew near, Qingyan prepared a variety of snacks, which the women could only enjoy inside the carriage. These included dried grilled fish, cold side dishes, and fruit salad, so that if Kangxi got hungry on the road, he could at least fill his stomach.
Yin sat cross-legged on the cushion, holding a memorial in his left hand and a pen in his right, and began to read through his memorials. She cut up some fruit and ate it one by one with a small silver fork. In her left hand, she also held a storybook that Yin had collected for her.
As the story unfolded, her little mouth twitched up and down. Yin watched the little girl eating happily and couldn't help but smile.
“Little Darling…” He slightly opened his mouth in her direction. Qingyan was stunned. Seeing Sisi’s expression, she directly stuck a strawberry into his mouth.
Fortunately, she had a secret place; otherwise, even getting a piece of fruit on the road would be a hassle.
"Is it delicious?" These strawberries were made from seeds that Qingyan bought from the system, so they are different from the ones outside.
"It tastes good. When the time comes, can we get some seeds and plant them in your yard?" Yin Dao liked to grow things. There were quite a few seeds in Xiao Guai's space. He hoped to try them out in the mansion's vegetable garden.
ah?!
Qingyan was puzzled. Was Yin preparing to become a farmer before the crucial moment of the struggle for the throne among the nine princes had even arrived?
"It's not bad to be able to live a leisurely life amidst the busyness." Yin planned to relax a bit. With the time for the succession battle drawing ever closer, he felt that becoming a farmer sooner would put Kangxi at ease.
Everything changed considerably after Consort Tong did not die young.
Uya no longer had control over his backyard, which gave him support in the inner palace, and he was no longer the pitiful little man who could be framed by his own mother at any time.
"We'll send some of what we grow to Mother," Yin said with emotion.
There are very few farmers growing strawberries around the capital. If they want Consort Tong to be able to eat strawberries as soon as possible, they have to do it themselves to ensure they have enough to eat.
"Okay, I understand!" Qingyan nodded secretly.
When the imperial edict for Emperor Kangxi's departure was issued, all the servants in the camp sprang into action. The servants in the imperial kitchen were probably the busiest, as they had to prepare all the pastries before the emperor's arrival, making sure they were as exquisite as they would be on the road.
The items presented to His Majesty must be of poor quality; otherwise, he might lose his head because of their unappealing appearance.
As time went by, Kangxi's thoughts became increasingly difficult to fathom. Those who had served in the imperial kitchen for decades all hoped to have a peaceful end.
"Master Steward, we're about to set off, and our dough hasn't risen yet!" The pastry chef in the Imperial Kitchen was almost in tears.
News came from inside the imperial tent that the Fourth Princess Consort's pastries were quite novel. Although the ingredients were not as exquisite as those from the imperial kitchen, their value lay in their novel shapes. They rarely used flower shapes to make pastries, as some concubines valued the meaning of flowers more. If they were not careful, they would offend the concubines and they would definitely be punished.
Therefore, the pastries prepared for the banquet were only prepared according to Consort Tong's preferences.
How could they possibly care only about Consort Tong? Jin harbored some resentment towards Qingyan for stepping forward.
"His Majesty's intention is to prepare breakfast according to the Fourth Princess Consort's wishes," said the head chef of the Imperial Kitchen.
These men had served His Majesty for decades, and this was the first time they had encountered such a thorny problem. If they could not satisfy His Majesty this time, their official positions would be in jeopardy.
"The Fourth Princess Consort prepared some delicious cold dishes for His Majesty. The food is what ordinary people eat. Can we go up there?" The people in the Imperial Kitchen were also helpless. Every time they tried to get something in, they had to try several times.
This time, His Majesty directly specified what he wanted, which reduced the difficulty for them.
Otherwise, they would never have guessed these things even if they racked their brains. The steward could only wave his hand and tell the servants to start preparing the dried vegetables, hoping to make the refreshing cold dishes that the Fourth Prince's wife wanted.
"This...no, the vegetables used by the Fourth Prince Consort are all fresh. There's a difference between dried and fresh vegetables." The imperial chefs immediately rejected the idea. They knew that Qingyan made its purchases in a nearby county town, and those were specifically for Emperor Kangxi.
Now, they have no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it. With Fourth Master, this big Buddha, around, who would dare to wander around in front of Qingyan?
"His Majesty's intention is to follow the Fourth Prince's wishes. The Imperial Kitchen probably won't send anything from us, but we can make do with the other concubines." The head steward of the Imperial Kitchen understood Li Dequan's implication and felt a sense of relief, finally managing to avoid being in a crisis.
The dishes they presented were bestowed upon the ministers' tables, with the three members of the Feiyangu family receiving as many as nine dishes.
"Really?!" The imperial chef's eyes lit up. Once they returned to the palace, they would need more seasonal vegetables, and they could prepare a few more for His Majesty.
In this desolate wilderness, they were powerless to help, even if they wanted to. The price of vegetables was exceptionally high, so they had to cover the expenses of childbirth and hoped to receive assistance from the Fourth Prince's wife.
"Let's also have someone inquire about the Fourth Prince's wife. If we can get more materials, that would be good. After we return to the palace, we'll give the Fourth Prince and his wife the same amount of ingredients." The head of the Imperial Kitchen had his eye on the tribute from foreign vassal states.
They don't use those ingredients, causing many things to expire and be thrown away. Rumors have it that Qingyan seems to prefer using these things for cooking, and they use readily available items to exchange for them.
"Alright, Steward, go and report to Fourth Master?" None of them dared to tell Yin about this matter.
In their view, the Fourth Prince was just too rule-abiding. If they dared to say such things, the Fourth Prince would definitely report it to His Majesty. Those things belonged to the royal family, and they had no right to dispose of these tributes.
"We definitely need to report back. Before that, we must first go and report to His Majesty." The head chef of the Imperial Kitchen rubbed his temples. That person was too persistent. If they were dealing with the Crown Prince, they wouldn't have such a headache.
"Didn't Eunuch Li imply that we could handle it ourselves?" the imperial chef, who was receiving the imperial decree with the head steward, said in a low voice.
In fact, the head of the imperial kitchen also wanted to resolve the issue as soon as possible, even if it meant some losses for them.
"Let's go to the Imperial Kitchen!" The head chef of the Imperial Kitchen didn't want to take responsibility; only by reporting everything to Kangxi could he make arrangements.
As soon as he arrived at the imperial tent, he was stopped by Li Dequan at the tent entrance.
"How did you get here?" Li Dequan asked the head of the imperial kitchen, puzzled.
Just now, didn't he go to the imperial kitchen and tell these people to solve the problem themselves?
“Eunuch Li, we want to use the tribute from the outer vassal states, but without His Majesty’s decree, I’m worried they won’t agree,” the head steward said helplessly.
Li Dequan smiled, realizing that the Fourth Master's image of being disciplined had deeply resonated with the people, and all the lackeys had become well-behaved. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
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