At that moment, he was incredibly grateful that he had acted decisively and risked entering the death row to obtain intelligence.
The presence of Dongcheng Garden is sufficient proof of His Majesty's attitude; the sooner this intelligence is presented, the higher its value will be.
"quick!"
Qin Wenyuan suddenly stood up, but staggered and almost lost his balance.
The old butler rushed forward to help him up, but was interrupted by the man's wave.
"Never mind me. Go back to your residence immediately, take the memorials from your desk, and hurry to Fengge Terrace to meet me."
"yes!"
...
In the main hall of Qinghui Hall, a large rosewood table inlaid with mother-of-pearl was placed by the window.
The hall was filled with the elegant fragrance of styrax, and the carved windows were half-open, letting in the cool early autumn air, which carried the sweet scent of osmanthus blossoms from the courtyard.
At this moment, the table was filled with a dazzling array of imperial dishes.
The crystal-clear crab meat dumplings are served in a jade lotus leaf cup.
The golden, crispy roasted duck slices are as thin as cicada wings.
A steaming bowl of ham, bamboo shoot, and old duck soup, with its milky white broth, has an irresistible aroma.
The seasonal okra is stir-fried until it is bright green and tender, and the steamed sea bass has snow-white flesh.
There were also several delicate side dishes: goose breast with rouge, pickled duck tongue, candied lotus root slices, and honey-glazed ham, arranged in a staggered manner.
The main dishes were fluffy glutinous rice and a small basket of crab roe soup dumplings.
The dessert was a creamy pastry made from freshly picked osmanthus flowers, topped with a few bright red goji berries.
Every dish was a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate, and the presentation was elegant and refined, showcasing the chef's ingenuity.
Qin Zhaoyue sat at the table, showing off her skills in front of the plate of crab roe soup dumplings and roast duck.
Although their eating manners weren't exactly rude, they certainly enjoyed their meal immensely, radiating a sense of satisfaction from head to toe.
In contrast, the younger seventh prince, eighth prince, and ninth princess seemed less interested.
The seventh prince listlessly stirred the cheese in his bowl with a silver spoon, the eighth prince poked at the okra on his plate, and the ninth princess ate lotus root slices in small bites. Clearly, they were not very interested in these common imperial dishes.
In addition, there are the third princess Qin Zhaowan and the fourth princess Qin Zhaoshu.
A faint worry was etched between Qin Zhaowan's brows, while Qin Zhaoshu lowered his eyes, seemingly focused on sipping his soup, but the tips of his fingers holding the spoon were slightly white, revealing his inner turmoil.
She hid her emotions even more deeply than her third sister; they were almost imperceptible unless one looked closely.
But what they had in common was that their gazes would always seem to drift towards Qin Zhaoyue...
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