Tao Wanniang thanked him without thinking much and moved away. Xiao Yi quickly averted his gaze and took a step back appropriately. Apart from Hongzhu, who seemed to be deep in thought, no one else noticed anything unusual.
"Sister Hongzhu, Sister Hongzhu?" Yun Pingting called out when she saw Hongzhu's brows furrowed and her absent-minded state.
"Hmm?" Hongzhu came back to her senses and looked at Xiao Yi again. This time she didn't see anything unusual. Could it be that she was blinded by the wind?
"Sister Hongzhu, this dagger is so exquisite! And these agate beads are so beautiful." Yun Pingting held a short dagger in her hand and asked Hongzhu for her opinion with great interest.
"Buy it if you like it," Hongzhu said absentmindedly.
Tao Wanniang returned with a full load, and Chen Lian and Xiao Qiao'er also picked out some unusual trinkets.
After returning to the palace, Tao Wanniang actually borrowed the kitchen.
There are many types of hot pot. Last night's broth was clear. Tao Wan's mother first simmered a pork bone to make the broth, then added some radish for flavor. Most importantly, there's the sauce. Tao Wan's mother mixed several sauces using whatever she had on hand.
Well, it's best for the family to eat what we made ourselves first. Tao Wan's mother had the food brought to the courtyard where she lived, and then she called everyone over. That's how they ate dinner.
"Mom, what is this? You've never made this before," Xiao Qiao'er asked curiously.
“Oh, this is the same antique hot pot I had with the prince and the others yesterday. I made my own broth. What do you think?” Tao Wanniang asked everyone.
"The bone broth is rich and the ingredients are fresh. You can eat it after just a quick dip in the broth, which retains both the original flavor of the food and the taste of the soup base. Plus, it's convenient," Chen Lian said. "Sister Tao, are you planning to launch this at Zhaixinglou?"
“That’s great, I’ve given this a new name, hot pot,” Tao Wan’s mother said. “This is a pork bone broth, and I’ll also be introducing a mushroom broth and a spicy one in the future. Just imagine, in the dead of winter, what could be more heartwarming and lively than a family sitting together, enjoying a steaming hot pot!”
Yun Pingting was also there, and she didn't want to disturb Ren Hongzhu and Xiao Yi's time together. While eating hotpot, she kept nodding.
“That’s right, Sister Tao. It’s so cold in Sifang City in winter, we need hot pot like this.”
The fragrance from this secluded courtyard wafted far and wide, and even the guards in the Youzhou Prince's mansion were salivating at the smell.
After having dinner with the Prince, the Princess of Youzhou strolled around the mansion and, following the scent, arrived at Tao Wanniang's courtyard.
"Why does it smell so good? Could it be that Manager Tao has made something delicious again?" The princess swallowed hard; she had already eaten dinner.
"Manager Tao has been tinkering in the kitchen for a long time, it seems she's been making bone broth," the nanny replied. "The people in the kitchen said that judging from the dishes she prepared, she should also be making a bone broth hot pot."
“It didn’t smell as good yesterday!” As she spoke, the princess stepped into the courtyard where Tao Wanniang and the others lived.
The guards outside the door immediately bowed and then called out loudly.
Upon hearing that the princess had arrived, Tao Wanniang put down her chopsticks, told the others to continue eating, and went to greet her.
"Manager Tao, what delicious food are you eating? I can smell it from far away," the princess said before Tao Wanniang could speak.
"After having that antique hot pot yesterday, I mentioned wanting to make my own seasoning, so here it is, I've prepared it for everyone to try first," Tao Wanniang said. "Would Your Highness like to try it?"
The princess swallowed hard, but managed to hold it in.
"Everyone's here, so I won't bother them. But Manager Tao, if you've got the flavor right, you should let the Prince and Yi'er try it."
“Of course,” Tao Wanniang said with a smile. “I’ll make some snacks for the princess to try later.”
Although she was indeed quite tempted, the Princess of Youzhou exchanged a few pleasantries and then politely left, as she felt bad about disturbing their meal.
Tao Wanniang watched the princess leave and immediately ran back to her house.
"Where's my tripe? Don't you dare eat all of my tripe!"
"And the baiye (a type of medicinal herb), you don't want any of these? These are all good stuff!"
While Tao Wanniang's group enjoyed their meal, Xiao Yi's courtyard felt rather desolate.
Xiao Yi and Hongzhu ate together in the small kitchen in their courtyard. After that, Xiao Yi went to the study, while Hongzhu went back to her room.
"Princess Consort, why don't we send the Prince a bowl of sweet soup?" suggested the maid Xinrui.
"Why send me sweet soup? I don't know how to make it." Hongzhu was annoyed. She and Xiao Yi had always been in name only. Although they slept in the same room every day, they had never crossed the line.
Xiao Yi once said that he liked someone like Sister Tao. What if this wasn't just a cover-up?
Hongzhu was in a state of confusion. She didn't know if it was just her imagination when she saw that look in his eyes, but Xiao Yi had never seemed to care about her that much before!
“Princess Consort, it’s getting colder and colder. The Prince is alone in his study…” Xinrui wanted to persuade him, but Hongzhu interrupted her directly.
"If you want to deliver it, go by yourself!" Hongzhu said irritably. "You go out first, I need some peace and quiet."
Suspicion crept into her mind. Scenes flashed before her eyes; Xiao Yi seemed genuinely concerned about Tao Wanniang. Although he rarely spoke of her, she could sense his joy whenever he saw her. Even so… she was happy too.
The investigation into who harmed Xiao Yi was unknown to the Prince and Princess, but Tao Wanniang did. Was it because she was Xiao Yi's savior?
After this suspicion arose, Hongzhu felt increasingly uneasy, but she kept doubting herself.
“Sister Tao is so much older than Xiao Yi, and she’s Ling Yunzhou’s first wife. She has sons and grandsons. It’s impossible, absolutely impossible.” Hongzhu paced back and forth in the room, looking somewhat anxious.
Xiao Yi was reading in his study when his maid, Xinrui, knocked on the door with a bowl of sweet soup.
"This servant greets Your Highness. This was sent by Your Highness's Consort." Xinrui placed the sweet soup on the table.
"Just leave it there!" Xiao Yi said without even looking up.
"Your Highness..." Xinrui was somewhat expectant. She felt that the Crown Prince's wife and the Crown Prince were not as loving as they appeared in public. If the Crown Prince needed her, she could do it too.
Xiao Yi looked up, somewhat puzzled, at Xinrui. "Is there anything else?"
“Your Highness, it’s cold, you must drink the sweet soup,” Xinrui said, mustering her courage.
"I understand, you may leave!" Xiao Yi glanced at him but showed no intention of moving. Hongzhu wouldn't give him any sweet soup; this must have been brought by the maid herself.
Xinrui was about to say something when Xiao Yi raised an eyebrow, glanced at the sweet soup, and felt that this maid was a bit strange. Could there be something in it?
"You really want me to drink it?" Xiao Yi asked in a low voice.
"This...this was made by the Crown Princess herself for the Crown Prince. It's a token of her affection." Xinrui panicked and immediately knelt down to say.
"Oh, is that so? Then I'll reward you!" Xiao Yi chuckled. Hongzhu had tried to make it for him before, but she had never succeeded.
"Your Highness!" Xinrui exclaimed in surprise.
"Cheng Feng, feed her the drink!" Xiao Yi said coldly. This mansion has no place for anyone who tries to play tricks!
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