"This servant Liu Quan greets Miss Yan Ning." Liu Quan knelt on the ground.
"Get up!" Yan Ning saw Liu Quan leading two people carrying a large food box. "I have only met Lord He once. What is Lord He's intention in doing this?"
"Replying to your question, young lady, my master said that I offended you a few days ago. Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, so he specially ordered me to come and apologize to you." Liu Quan waved his hand, and the two men carrying the food box opened it.
"This Suzhou Cherry Pork is named for its small size, cherry-like appearance, and crystal-clear color, which melts in your mouth. It was made by a famous chef from Suzhou at my master's request. This Bird's Nest Assorted Shredded Pork is made by a retired imperial chef. My master said that today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and we should celebrate the roundness of the character for good fortune. This dish is braised grouper. My daughter is frail, and this dish is excellent for nourishing her stomach and spleen. This vegetarian dish is not only beautiful in color but also smooth and tender, making it a top-quality vegetarian dish. This Osmanthus Egg is also called the 'Three No-Stick' dish because it doesn't stick to chopsticks, plates, or teeth."
"Stop!" Yan Ning stopped Liu Quan, who was about to open the second floor. "Take these back. I'm not familiar with your master."
"Young lady, if you don't accept it, the master will definitely not forgive this servant when we get back." Liu Quan knelt down again.
Yan Ning noticed that Liu Quan was a few years older than Zhao Xingnian. If it weren't for the arrogance he had developed from following Heshen, his handsome and refined appearance would have been quite pleasing. Considering that she was worried about not having a reason to go to Heshen, she said, "Just leave it here, but don't be so arrogant in the future."
Seeing that Yan Ning was willing to accept the gift, Liu Quan bowed and scraped, "Thank you for your understanding, Miss. Then this servant will take his leave."
Just as Liu Quan left, Zhao Xing came in carrying a food box. "Miss, this is what Madam asked me to bring back from the manor. Oh, what's this?" Zhao Xing's words were interrupted by the large food box in front of him.
"This is a food box sent from Lord He's residence," Zhu Xiang replied.
"Young lady, how could you accept his things?" Zhao Xing asked in surprise.
"What's wrong?" Yan Ning withdrew her hand from the food box.
“Once, when Consort Lian accepted the jewelry he gave her, the general made her kneel under the scorching sun for half a day. Miss, I will return it to him now.” Zhao Xing put down the food box in his hand and prepared to return the gift Heshen had given him.
"Wait," Yan Ning thought to herself. Fukang'an came from a prominent family and was favored by the emperor. He was also upright and honest, so he naturally did not want to associate with corrupt officials like Heshen who rose through the ranks by flattery. However, she still needed him to get back, so how could she refuse him?
“The fragrance of bamboo and plum blossoms,” Yan Ning opened the second layer of the food box that He Shen had sent, and then looked at the food box that Zhao Xing had brought. “Go and arrange these main dishes, and put out six chairs. Let’s have dinner first. Then, put these pastries and fruits in the courtyard of Liuxiang Garden, and let’s enjoy the moon together.”
“Miss,” Zhao Xing looked at Yan Ning with difficulty.
"Alright, I'll take care of whatever happens to the general. Go on your way!"
Yan Ning looked at the carved rosewood tables and chairs. They were deep in color, dense in texture, and fine in grain, with a surface that had a luster like purple satin and a smooth, jade-like feel. Although all the furnishings in Fukang'an's bedroom were made of rosewood, the fact that even these tableware were made of rosewood made Yan Ning sigh inwardly.
"Why aren't you all sitting down?" Yan asked, looking at Zhu Xiang, Mei Xiang, Lan Xiang, Ju Xiang, and Zhao Xing who were standing.
"This servant will serve Miss Yan Ning!" the five people answered in unison.
"I can't finish this all by myself, you all should sit down!" Yan Ning advised.
“This servant will serve Miss Yan Ning!” Yan Ning received the same answer.
"Alright, if you're not going to sit down, then I won't eat either. We'll all wait for the general to return on our empty stomachs, how about that?" Yan Ning knew that only Fukang'an could frighten them.
Sure enough, upon hearing the word "General," the five obediently sat down. At first, they were a little reserved, but after a cup of wine, they all relaxed and became more relaxed. Yan Ning looked at them and remembered that she and they were all just under twenty years old.
"Girl, this mooncake is so beautiful," Meixiang exclaimed as she took the mooncake that Heshen had sent out of the food box.
"These are pastries from Gaofuzhai in Hangzhou, of course they're beautiful. You're so ignorant." Zhao Xing said to Mei Xiang with a sneer.
Meixiang wanted to ask Gao Fuzhai what place it was, but she was afraid that Zhao Xing would laugh at her again, so she lowered her head and remained silent.
Yan Ning looked at the round mooncake, which was decorated with colorful petals and various nuts to depict the scene of Chang'e flying to the moon. It was so lifelike that even the jade rabbit in Chang'e's arms had its features. She couldn't help but ask, "What kind of place is Gao Fu Zhai?"
When Meixiang saw Yan Ning ask the question, she followed suit and asked, "Tell me quickly, what place is this?"
"This Gao Fu Zhai," Zhao Xing said, glancing at the five people sitting and waiting to hear his story, becoming increasingly smug. "Legend has it that during one of Emperor Kangxi's southern tours, on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, he dreamt of a stunningly beautiful woman descending from the sky, holding a jade rabbit. Upon waking, he searched according to the direction in his dream and indeed found the beautiful woman in a pastry shop. Emperor Kangxi considered this an auspicious omen and brought the woman into the palace. The pastry shop was also named Gao Fu Zhai by Emperor Kangxi, 'Gao' being a homophone for 'pao' (cake), and 'Fu' referring to the auspicious omen of the beautiful woman descending from the sky. From then on, Gao Fu Zhai's pastries became famous, and even local officials had to take a number and wait in line."
"What happened to that stunningly beautiful woman later?" Zhu Xiang asked, captivated by the story.
"Some say that after the woman was brought into the palace, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang discovered that she was not a good omen, but a witch, so the woman was secretly executed; others say that the woman did not die, but disappeared in full view of everyone; in any case, Emperor Kangxi was saddened by her for a long time and neglected state affairs. In order to prevent Emperor Kangxi from being saddened by seeing her, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang destroyed all the objects in the palace related to the woman, and even the records kept by the historians were destroyed."
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