Two plates of red crabapple-shaped dried sugar cakes were placed in front of Yun Yishu. His eyes shone as he stared intently at the two plates of pastries.
This pastry looks absolutely delicious.
[These dried crabapple blossoms should be dried in the midday sun during the summer when the sun is at its strongest. At this time, the sunlight is at its hottest and the light is most evenly distributed, resulting in the best texture – neither too hard nor too soft.]
[This sweet cake requires the use of fresh flower nectar, which is simmered in boiling water over low heat to make a syrup. This syrup is then evenly mixed with flour. Only in this way can the dessert taste delicious.]
This pastry has to be made and eaten on the same day; the taste changes if it's left overnight.
"You can only eat if you can memorize today's poem."
Consort De watched as her son stared intently at the red crabapple-shaped dried sugar cakes on the plate. She then tapped Yun Yishu on the head with the blue-covered book in her hand.
"All you do all day is eat! Why don't you eat all these books and notebooks instead!" Consort De said with a look of exasperation.
“We’ve been letting you eat whatever you want all the time, and you’ve really been eating more and more. Even Consort Chen came to the palace to laugh at you, but you don’t seem to care at all!” Consort De sighed.
You've completely disgraced me!
Seeing Consort De's angry expression, Yun Duoduo thought that it was wrong to speak ill of others and mock them. It was Consort Chen's fault. Why did she have to insult her second brother and make a personal attack?
[This is a crucial time for growth, so naturally, they'll be eating more.]
[But while it's true that he eats a lot, the Third Prince really needs to control himself; he's already out of breath even when he walks.]
Oh, right, they said they were going to take the Third Prince's pulse. Now that he's staying at Changqiu Palace, he'll have the chance.
"Mother, your son is not smart to begin with, and you keep hitting my head. Doesn't that make him even dumber?!" Yun Yishu stomped his foot angrily.
"Whether you become smarter or dumber, it doesn't matter if you do or not."
"Mother, let me test you on a few lines of poetry. My dear son, if you can recite them correctly, I'll have Chunhua go to Qinxiang Pavilion to buy you some snacks!" Consort De coaxed Yun Yishu, patting his head.
Yun Yishu then sat up straight and became serious. "Mother, please ask."
Looking at her second brother's expression, Yun Duoduo sensed that he was somewhat nervous.
What is the next line after "Endless falling leaves rustle down"?
"No one knows it's lychees that have arrived," Yun Yishu recited a line of poetry, shaking his head.
Nobody knew it was lychees that had arrived?!
Yun Duoduo grinned, trying to keep herself from making a sound. If Yang Guifei knew, she'd probably crawl out of her coffin.
A rider gallops through the dust, bringing smiles to the imperial concubine's face; none know it's lychees arriving, Third Prince!
Consort De: ...
Consort De held her forehead, not wanting to speak.
"Your Highness, perhaps the Third Prince wanted to eat lychees, which is why he brought them up. However, it's also a line from a poem, so it's not a bad match." Chunhua awkwardly comforted Consort De, fearing that her mistress might have a moment of despair and hang herself, leaving the entire palace destitute and helpless.
"Alright, alright, I'll test you one more time." Consort De opened her book and continued to ask.
"A moment of spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold."
"To truly understand something, one must put it into practice." Yun Yishu said with a serious and earnest expression.
Wow, my third brother is truly a hero among men!
Yun Duoduo opened her mouth, somewhat stunned. However, one had to experience it firsthand to truly understand. Although it wasn't quite the right way to put it, it made sense.
Yes, that makes sense.
"Your Highness, it's normal that the Third Prince doesn't know this. After all, it's not something someone his age should know," Chunhua said, carefully trying to comfort her mistress as her expression grew increasingly grim.
"But if only the Flying General of Longcheng were here,"
"The beauties of the six palaces pale in comparison."
[Colorless...]
Ah, this...
[Third brother, all the beauties in the harem pale in comparison! Who is this general? He is truly an absolute stunner!]
[Well, at least the third prince didn't respond properly, saying, "From now on, the emperor will no longer hold morning court."]
This reminded her of an exam in school where the question was to write the second half of the phrase "three thousand beauties in the imperial harem." Her deskmate wrote "even an iron pestle can be ground into a needle," and later, her deskmate's parents were called in...
[My third brother's literary talent is truly beyond words, but as for matters of the heart, I suppose he spends all his time with my eldest brother, reading countless erotic novels, and must be quite adept at understanding the complexities of love between men and women...]
Ah, that doesn't seem quite right to say it that way...
"Your Highness, perhaps the Third Prince thinks that all the generals in our Nanyang are handsome and dignified, which makes the concubines in the harem look dull and insignificant..." Chunhua racked her brains but couldn't think of any serious words to defend her young master.
[Third Prince, I've done my best!]
Yun Duoduo giggled, "[Third Brother, how come the poem was altered? Did someone misread it while reading?]"
Each line is a beautiful poem on its own, but when put together, they lose their charm!
"You brat, I'll beat you!" Consort De chased after Yun Yishu with a book in her hand.
Yun Yishu held the dried crabapple cake in her hand, stuffing it into her mouth while dodging Consort De's pursuit.
...
The clouds lying in their cradle watching the spectacle are no better off.
She had just finished laughing at Yun Yishu in her heart when it was her turn.
"Your Highness, the discipline nanny has arrived," Chunhua said, seizing the opportunity to stop Consort De from hitting Yun Yishu.
"Disciplinary matron?"
"Oh, right, look at my memory, I've forgotten."
"Quickly let the housekeeper in. There are many things to pay attention to at the first birthday banquet. We need the housekeeper to give us some pointers."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"A royal princess cannot afford to make a mistake. If her etiquette is not up to par, she will be ridiculed."
Chunhua invited the discipline nanny in, and the discipline nanny explained the procedures for Yun Duoduo's first birthday banquet to her. Yun Duoduo kept dozing off while listening.
[As expected, a wealthy family, oh no, she should be considered a noble family.]
[As expected, a grand family's first birthday party is something else; the process is incredibly elaborate.]
...
In the main hall, Yun Beiye was attending the morning court session, listening to the memorials and remonstrances of his ministers.
"Do any of you ministers have matters to report?"
"If there's nothing else, the court is adjourned." Yun Beiye glanced at the crowd below. The weather had been hot lately, and with so many people standing in the court, it was even hotter. Moreover, wearing three or four layers of court robes made it even hotter.
The ministers in the court wiped the sweat from their foreheads with their sleeves, and large beads of sweat also seeped from Yun Beiye's head.
The recent locust plague in the south has also been a major headache for him.
He seemed very unwell and completely out of sorts.
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