Chapter 41 (Catching Bugs) Growing like wild weeds...

The egg tarts that Jiang Yanyi made in a small bowl were so big that she burped after eating two. There was

still half of the egg tart liquid left, and she was afraid that it would go bad, so she poured it all into the egg tart skin and put it in the oven to bake.

With the experience of the first time, Jiang Yanyi was able to control the heat better this time, and none of the egg tarts were burnt.

The thousand layers of folds on the egg tart skin were distinct, and the egg tart liquid in the middle swelled slightly after condensing due to the heat. The golden egg tarts matched the white porcelain pear-shaped small bowl underneath, and the appearance was so exquisite.

Jiang Yanyi thought that she could consider including egg tarts in the dessert menu of the hot pot restaurant.

She took out the egg custard and let it cool. She used a fire tong to pick up the unburned large piece of charcoal in the fire pit under the barbecue and put it into the earthenware pot beside her. The earthenware pot was pressed down with a wooden board. The charcoal fire would soon go out in an oxygen-free environment.

This is a common way for ordinary people to collect charcoal. When cooking, they would pick out the charcoal from the stove and store it in the pot. In this way, they could save some charcoal in the winter and save a few dollars on buying charcoal.

There was a knock on the door of the shop in front. After the experience of Hu Baiwan's trouble in the morning, both of them were more cautious.

Jiang Yanyi went to the front shop in person, and saw through the crack of the door that it was the housekeeper of the Feng Mansion next door, so he opened the door.

Fu Xi brought two servants and smiled and clasped his fists at Jiang Yanyi: "I'm sorry to bother the neighbor."

Jiang Yanyi said hurriedly: "No, you are being polite. This morning, there was a thief in the shop, and the soldiers of your mansion had to chase him away."

Fu Xi asked with concern: "Has the neighbor been injured by the thief's men?"

"No." Jiang Yanyi stepped aside and said: "Please come into the shop and sit down. I'll pour you a cup of tea."

Fu Xi waved his hand: "If the thief comes to make trouble again in the future, the neighbor can just send someone to the mansion to inform us. There are many soldiers in the mansion, but one thief is no problem."

"Today I am not here to ask for tea. The Empress Dowager has a poor appetite these days. She often puts down her bowl and chopsticks after eating a few bites. The people below can only try to make some snacks that suit her taste. I heard that my neighbor is a good cook, so I came to ask for help."

Jiang Yanyi smiled and said, "I am still a novice in making snacks, and I dare not show off my skills in front of the chef of your mansion. But it is also a coincidence that I made some snacks today. You can take a look. If you think it is okay, it will be an honor for our shop to present it to the Empress Dowager."

As he said, Jiang Yanyi signaled Qiu Kui to get the egg tarts from the kitchen.

Soon, Qiu Kui came out with six egg tarts on a tray, and the air was instantly filled with a sweet and greasy milk fragrance.

Fu Xi had seen many snacks made by the kitchen when he was working in the palace. When he saw this snack, he couldn't help but say that it was really exquisitely made.

Jiang Yanyi picked up one and handed it to him: "Try it."

Fu Xi took a bite and looked quite surprised. He praised: "Is this Luohan cake used as the base? It's so crispy! The top is as tender as milk tofu. The neighbor is really skillful!"

Luohan cake is named because the inside of the cake is stacked up, like stacked Luohan. When making egg puff pastry, several layers are also folded. The two are somewhat similar.

"You are flattering." Jiang Yanyi said with a smile.

Fu Xi hesitated for a moment and then said, "I have an unwelcome request. Would you like to teach the chef of the palace to make this snack? This one hundred taels is to buy the recipe of your neighbor's snack. Don't worry, the chef of the palace will never tell anyone about the recipe of this snack. It will only be made in the palace for the Grand Empress Dowager."

He took out a silver note of one hundred taels from his sleeve.

One hundred taels for a recipe of egg pie is definitely a sure-fire deal. I

have already spent a lot of money to set up the store myself, and I still have to buy ingredients and so on. The money on hand is really stretched. The people from the Feng Mansion came to the door at this time, just like someone handed me a pillow just when I was about to take a nap.

Jiang Yanyi was somewhat tempted, but she was concerned that the other party was from the Feng Mansion. She had already received many favors from Feng Shuo and did not want to take advantage of him, so she said, "I will have to rely on your blessing to open a shop here in the future. I just gave you a snack recipe, so why should I charge you any money?"

She knew that the Grand Empress Dowager was of noble status. If she bought food from outside, if there was any problem with the food, it would involve many people and she would not be able to explain it. Giving the recipe to the Wang Mansion and letting the chefs there make it themselves was the safest way.

Fu Xi smiled and said, "Since the neighbors are open for business, how can we let them suffer losses? The Wang Mansion collects menus and gives this price. Neighbors should not refuse."

After he said this, Jiang Yanyi felt relieved. It was not enough that he was so generous to her alone.

It is said that if you are good at dealing with money, you will not feel guilty.

Ever since Feng Shuo's behavior that day, Jiang Yanyi has been reflecting on himself day and night, fearing that he has taken advantage of others.

How can I describe this feeling? It's like when a male classmate said he liked you in school, and you thought there was no possibility for you two, and you told him clearly, but he bought you breakfast or something, and you still accepted it.

This is nonsense.

After confirming the transaction, it is better to do it today than to wait for a day. Jiang Yanyi asked Qiu Kui to look after the house, and he followed Fuxi to teach next door.

The Protectorate was a seven-story courtyard. After entering the mansion, Jiang Yanyi once suspected that she was walking on a university campus. The reason was simple: it was too big...

She now understood why Fu Xi had said that the west wing of the mansion was idle. The courtyard was so large, Feng Shuo was alone, and the only mistress in the mansion was the Grand Empress Dowager. Naturally, some small courtyards would be vacant.

Jiang Yanyi had no idea that Fu Xi had deliberately taken her on a long detour just to pass by the greenhouse.

Along the way, Fuxi occasionally introduced some courtyards. When passing by the greenhouse, he said with regret: "The two masters of the mansion don't like to take care of flowers and plants. It's a pity that such a large greenhouse has been empty. I have wanted to rent it out several times, but I can't find a tenant..."

Jiang Yan thought of the pot of peppers in her backyard, and an idea surged in her mind. She tentatively asked: "I see that the greenhouse of your mansion is built so well. Even if it is rented, the rent is also It's not cheap, is it?"

Fu Xi knew that the little girl was trying to find out what he was thinking. He said, "The palace didn't expect to earn that little rent from renting the greenhouse. It's just that our family saw that the greenhouse has been empty and felt that it was a waste of the place."

Jiang Yanyi hesitated for a while, and finally spoke up, "Housekeeper, can you rent your greenhouse by the square foot instead of the whole place?"

Fu Xi said, "Of course. If the neighbors want to use the greenhouse, they can just use it directly. Why would they charge rent..."

"Rent must be paid." Jiang Yanyi quickly interrupted Fu Xi's words. Thinking that the pepper seedlings had been settled, she smiled and said, "Since we are neighbors, how can we always take advantage of your mansion?"

Fuxi nodded secretly. Seeing that she was not greedy for the slightest advantage, he felt that there was nothing wrong with the character of the girl in front of him.

In the end, Jiang Yanyi rented a small plot of land in the flower house of the Protectorate at the market price.

After she taught the cook of the palace how to make egg tarts, she went home and focused on growing pepper seedlings.

Beijing, the imperial palace.

A begonia was in full bloom outside the Cangjiao Palace. The bouquet of flowers stretched out half of the palace wall, making the withered yellow fallen trees on the side even more bleak.

The autumn wind was howling, and a group of palace maids and eunuchs knelt on the ground outside the palace. The cold penetrated their clothes and seeped into their knees, but no one dared to breathe.

A begonia was blown down by the wind and floated to the upper of the new emperor's shoes embroidered with golden dragons and cloud patterns. The new emperor stood with his hands behind his back, his face cold, his pair of auspicious phoenix eyes filled with haze, and said to the people in the hall: "If you refuse to eat for a day, I will make them kneel outside here for a day!"

Autumn comes late in the capital. It is not bad during the day, but it is very cold at night. Many palace people were frightened when they heard the new emperor say this, and kowtowed and cried to the inner hall: "Empress Xi, please have a meal!"

Jiang Yanxi walked out of the hall slowly. She had been fasting for two days. She was already thin, and her chin was now pitifully pointy. Her skin was pale, and there was not much blood on her lips, and even a layer of skin was cracked.

She said weakly, "This is the only way you can do it, right?"

The new emperor's face suddenly turned ugly.

The chief eunuch beside the new emperor hurriedly said, "Empress Xi, I asked the kitchen to stew your favorite snow frog soup. Would you like to drink some?"

At his signal, the palace maid came forward with a tray, but Jiang Yanxi only took a look at the soup in the white jade bowl and raised her hand to knock it to the ground.

Seeing the new emperor's increasingly ugly face, she felt a rare sense of revenge in her heart.

She looked at the new emperor. Even though her weak body made her voice not loud when she spoke, every word was like a needle piercing her. "You are the emperor. I cannot resist you. You will punish my entire clan and sentence them to death... Ha..."

She even laughed until tears came out: "I am not even afraid of death. Do you think I will be afraid of you? What does the life and death of others have to do with me?"

The palace servants who were kneeling on the ground were panicked when they heard her say this. They kowtowed like crazy: "Empress Xi, please have mercy! I don't want to die..."

Jiang Yanxi only glanced at the group of crying palace servants, and then turned around with her tired body.

However, before she took a few steps, the new emperor suddenly grabbed her waist and carried her horizontally to the inner hall.

She was too thin. Under the gorgeous robe, there was only a skeleton left. When the new emperor picked her up, he felt that her whole body was light and floating, which made his heart inexplicably suffocate.

Jiang Yanxi struggled desperately, punching and kicking, even scratching his dragon robe and scratching his face, but it was all in vain.

When she was pressed to the bed by the new emperor, she almost resigned herself to her fate and closed her eyes.

He always used force on her.

However, the new emperor did not forcibly strip off her clothes as usual, but only ordered in a deep voice: "Bring the soup."

A bowl of eight-treasure soup was handed to him. He tilted his head back and took a sip, then leaned over to feed Jiang Yanxi.

Jiang Yanxi closed her lips tightly and refused to drink. He pressed her jaw with his hand, and somehow he made Jiang Yanxi open her mouth. He

took a mouthful of soup, but most of it flowed out. Jiang Yanxi was choked and coughed.

The new emperor wiped the corners of her mouth with a bright yellow handkerchief and asked in a cold voice: "Do you want to drink it yourself, or do you want me to feed you like this?"

Tears rolled down Jiang Yanxi's eyes and sank into her temples: "If I die, it will be in line with everyone's wishes, and I can also relieve myself." The

veins on the new emperor's hands bulged, and he pinched her chin hard, saying viciously: "Without my permission, you don't even have the right to die!"

"Just watch, I want to punish Jiang Jing'an, can't I find a reason!"

When Jiang Shangshu was mentioned, Jiang Yanxi finally panicked. She was sad and hateful: "You are shameless! My father bowed and devoted his whole life, you tyrant!"

The chief eunuch waiting outside heard Jiang Yanxi's scolding and was so angry that he dared not utter a word.

If someone else dared to scold the new emperor like this, he would have lost his head long ago, but since it was Jiang Yanxi who scolded him, the new emperor just sneered: "Keep scolding."

Jiang Yanxi closed his eyes and didn't look at him. His voice was full of self-mockery: "I am just a laughing stock in the palace. Your Majesty, even if you raise a canary, it will be much more interesting than wasting time with me. The Queen Mother can't tolerate me, the Empress can't tolerate me, and the Grand Princess can't tolerate me. Everyone says that I used all my seductive tricks to seduce Your

Majesty..." "Who dares to make such a presumptuous statement? I order someone to pull out his tongue!" The new emperor said with anger.

Fan Shengnian flirted with her, and he killed Fan Shengnian. The court was unstable. The Queen Mother and the Grand Princess knew that everything was caused by her, so they naturally didn't look good to her.

He still had to use the Fan family. In order to stabilize the Fan family, he could only first appoint the daughter of the Fan family as the Imperial Concubine.

Fan Shengnian was taken there by the Queen with a trick. The Queen was now pregnant and was protected by the Queen Mother and the Grand Princess. He could not touch the Queen, but the Fan family knew the inside story and was now fighting with the Queen's relatives.

The power of the Fan family was granted by him, and he could take it back at any time. If the Fan family could take the opportunity to defeat the Queen's relatives, he would no longer be controlled by the relatives in the court in the future.

The new emperor softened his tone: "I have already killed Fan Shengnian..."

Jiang Yanxi interrupted him with a sneer: "Your Majesty, do you really not know who harmed me?"

The hall fell into a brief silence. After a long time, the new emperor said: "When the empress gives birth to a dragon heir, I will depose her."

When Jiang Yanxi heard the word "dragon heir", her pupils shrank, and her hands unconsciously grabbed the quilt under her. Her whole body was filled with a chill, but she still smiled and said to the new emperor: "It turns out that the empress is pregnant. Your Majesty should be congratulated."

The new emperor looked a little embarrassed, and his hand fell on Jiang Yanxi's abdomen: "I have always wanted to have a child with you..."

Jiang Yanxi dodged his hand, arched her back like a little beast, and refused his touch.

"Your Majesty, the Duke of England is still waiting for you in the study." The chief eunuch who was waiting outside saw that the time was almost up, and after much hesitation, he spoke up. The

new emperor closed his eyes and said to Jiang Yanxi, "I will go to handle government affairs first, and come to see you later. You should have a good meal. If you want to see your father, just ask someone to tell him."

After the new emperor walked out of the hall, he ruthlessly ordered the commander of the imperial guards, "Send more people to Xizhou, and they must bring back the head of the Jiang family's daughter!"

When the King of Liaoning no longer has this trump card in his hand, he has plenty of ways to deal with the King of Liaoning!

Xizhou.

Fuxi brought a plate of egg tarts into Feng Shuo's study: "This is made when we invited the girl from next door Jiang family to come to our house to teach the cook."

Feng Shuo stared at the official document in his hand: "Put it down."

Fuxi placed the egg tarts in a small white jade bowl next to Feng Shuo's desk, bowed and left, and said: "I heard from the servants in Mingtan Courtyard that the Empress Dowager used half an extra piece of this snack. I think she liked it very much."

Feng Shuo's eyes lit up: "Ask the kitchen staff to make more for my mother these days."

Fuxi agreed.

Feng Shuo took a look at the exquisitely crafted pastry, but did not move. He asked Xing Yao, "I asked you to arrange for someone to secretly protect the daughter of the Jiang family. How is it going?"

Xing Yao said, "I have sent people to closely monitor the streets of the Protectorate. Any disturbance will be discovered."

Feng Shuo pondered for a moment and ordered, "It is safer to send someone to protect her closely. She may hire a chef when she opens a shop. You go down and arrange it."

After Xing Yao took the order and left, Feng Shuo thought about Jiang Yanyi and the capital. He noticed the egg tarts on the side of the table. He took a bite and tasted it. It was sweeter than he had imagined. The milky aroma was mixed with the egg aroma. The inside was soft and tender, and the outer shell was crispy. It was a bit like Thousand Layer Puff Pastry, with a rich taste.

Feng Shuo finished the remaining three egg tarts without hesitation. He

suddenly couldn't bear to read the official document in his hand.

He left the study and went to the west wing.

When he arrived at the pavilion in the west wing, Feng Shuo stood with his arms folded and leaning against the pavilion pillar as usual, his cold eyes half-closed, his jawline delicate and cold.

The breeze gently swayed the hem of his dark red robe embroidered with red gold, and the black iron wristband on his hand reflected shimmering light under the sun.

The gauze soaked in blood dried and spread out a circle of light yellow, still lingering in his palm, and when the wind blew, it brought a tingling sensation, as if she accidentally touched the tender fingertips on his palm when she bandaged his wound that day.

Feng Shuo subconsciously clasped his five fingers together to grab something. When the wound on his palm was squeezed and caused some pain, his confused eyes suddenly became clear.

Feng Shuo turned his head slightly to look at the pomegranate tree in the corner of the yard, his eyes scattered far away. He liked to stay here.

Separated by a wall, any sound in the opposite yard can be clearly transmitted to his ears.

He didn't remember when he started to care about someone. At first, he thought she was being meticulous, and it seemed natural to care about her every move.

Later, he found that she was his taste. When he was upset, he always wanted to get close to her. It seemed nothing to be able to feel the five tastes.

But some things are seeds that have been planted in the heart for a long time. With a little rain and dew, they will sprout and grow like weeds.

The sun was setting in the west. He leaned against the pillar of the pavilion, his delicate face half in the sunlight and half in the shadows. The corners of his narrow eyes were raised. He uttered a few words softly: "Jiang Yanyi."

The parrot that had called "My Fair Lady" several times at inappropriate times in the morning was being confined in a bird cage nearby to reflect on its mistakes.

It tilted its head several times and stared at Feng Shuo cautiously with its black bean-like eyes, but because the eyes were covered with a circle of white eyeshadow, it looked particularly stupid.

The parrot pecked at the empty feeding trough twice with its sharp red beak, and then stared at Feng Shuo for several times, and found that the other party did not notice that its feeding trough had been empty for the whole afternoon.

Suddenly, it heard Feng Shuo talking. For a bite of food, it put aside its dignity and tried its best to imitate the parrot's speech to please its master: "Jiang Yanyi!"

Almost instantly, Feng Shuo's hand pinched the parrot's neck.

The parrot's eyes widened and it fell silent instantly.