Chapter 262 Fire at Kangshou Palace
Only Daiyu or Yuan Hongqu could come up to the Star Gazing Pavilion; at other times, no one was allowed to enter at will.
Lan Su shouted that she wanted to see the seven stars align, and Daiyu was thinking that more people could discuss it together, since the old woman seemed to be used to such things and did not show much excitement.
Lan Su didn't take the stairs; instead, she did a somersault and jumped through the window.
Those waiting to see the stars below the attic, instead of seeing the stars, were greeted by Lan Su's dazzling display of skill, and couldn't help but applaud and cheer in unison.
Lan Su was not modest at all. She smiled and clasped her hands in a fist, then did a backflip before moving closer to Daiyu to watch the scene in the star-gazing mirror.
“I’ve heard that you used to have a star-gazing mirror that could see the toad on the moon. I’d like to see it for myself this time.” Lan Su said as she looked around. She saw that the stars on the screen were larger and brighter than what she could see with the naked eye.
Lan Su couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. "Mr. Yuan, I heard that the young lady's previous star-gazing telescope was borrowed by the Imperial Observatory. Is that the one that can see toads? Why hasn't it been returned yet?"
“That one is the same as this one,” Yuan Hongqu said. “It might not even be as clear as this one.”
Lan Su pursed her lips, feeling that Yuan Hongqu wasn't telling the truth. "Mr. Yuan, is it that the Imperial Observatory borrowed it and refuses to return it? Should I go to the Imperial Observatory and get it back for you?" Lan Su was eager to try. As long as Yuan Hongqu agreed, it would only take half an hour, and she was sure she could get it back.
“Sister Susu, thank you for your kindness, but that one has already been given to Second Uncle. I can’t bring myself to ask for something back after it’s been given away. Besides, Granny made me this one, which is even better than the other one,” Daiyu said hurriedly. She knew that Lansu was capable of getting the observatory back from the Imperial Observatory, but it was better not to do such a thing.
"Alright then, young lady, there's a really bright star over there, what star is it?" Lan Su adjusted her stargazing binoculars and suddenly saw a particularly bright star that seemed to be getting bigger and bigger. "That star looks like it's on fire, could it be the sun?"
"You can actually see the sun? I've never dared to look at it before. I've come to take a look."
Daiyu leaned closer to take a look. "You must be mistaken. That's not a star. That position is..."
"Granny, that's Kangshou Palace! Kangshou Palace is on fire!" Daiyu exclaimed.
Yuan Hongqu came over and readjusted the star-gazing mirror. Now she could see it more clearly. The direction of the raging fire was Kangshou Palace, which was near the palace. The retired emperor had lived there after moving out of the palace.
After confirming the location, Yuan Hongqu adjusted the observatory to view the alignment of the seven stars. At that moment, the seven stars were almost in a straight line, a truly spectacular sight.
"You two come over here to see the alignment of the seven stars; they're about to form a straight line."
"Granny, the place where the fire started..." Daiyu was a little worried. A fire in the palace, coupled with the conjunction of the seven stars, would probably drive the public in the capital crazy again tomorrow.
I'm afraid the Emperor will be forced to issue another edict of self-reproach.
If the emperor is unhappy, the officials will not be happy either; if the officials are unhappy, the common people will not have a good life.
“In autumn, the weather is dry, and fires are quite common.” Yuan Hongqu’s voice was as usual. “It has nothing to do with us. I’ll give you leave tomorrow. You should go to the academy. Get some rest after watching the Seven Stars Alignment.”
Daiyu nodded. Since her father returned, she had taken a long leave of absence and had not gone to the academy.
The nanny stayed with her the whole time. Mr. Mi from the academy came to invite her several times, and the nanny told them to just bring the things they needed to handle themselves over there, and she would take care of them at home.
Daiyu was speechless with astonishment, secretly marveling to herself: "The old nanny is truly not a good headmistress!"
Inside the palace, due to the fire at Kangshou Palace, the retired emperor had to move back inside.
After dealing with the fire, the Emperor, exhausted, went to the Empress's Chang Le Palace.
Empress Zhao Huajing helped him change into casual clothes, and the emperor then lay down on the soft couch without any regard for his image, letting out a long sigh.
"Fifth Brother, I have some freshly wrapped wontons here. Would you like a bowl?" Zhao Huajing asked softly. Her husband was the Emperor, but the Emperor was also a human being with emotions and desires, and he would also get hungry.
Mr. Yuan once taught her a saying: "The warmth of everyday life is what truly comforts the human heart."
At this moment, the emperor was nothing more than a mortal who had been toyed with by his father, exhausted in body and mind, and covered in wounds.
"Jingjing, eat with me." The Emperor held Zhao Huajing's hand, his voice tinged with a hint of capriciousness.
Zhao Huajing found it amusing, but dared not actually laugh out loud. She was already forty years old; why was she still acting like a child?
"Okay, I'll eat with Fifth Brother."
"Jingjing, I've heard them say more than once that the food at the academy is delicious. Why have you never thought of inviting me to try it?" The Emperor's mind was blank, and he didn't want to recall what had happened before, so he just said whatever came to mind.
Zhao Huajing had gotten used to the Emperor's habit of saying whatever came to mind when he came to her. Sometimes his words were incoherent, but Zhao Huajing could still quickly understand the meaning behind them.
Although they haven't been married for many years, they have an unusually good understanding.
“Let’s sneak off to try it sometime, I’d love to try it too!” Zhao Huajing said with a soft laugh. “Mr. Yuan hasn’t changed much in the past few years, but his cooking skills have gotten better and better.”
"Should we invite her to the palace to instruct the imperial chefs? They make the same dishes every day. It looks like a lot, but it doesn't taste as good as a bowl of wontons here," the Emperor complained.
"If you don't like it, have the Imperial Household Department replace them all." Zhao Huajing naturally knew the character of the Imperial Cuisine.
Seeking no merit but avoiding mistakes—a golden rule passed down through generations of imperial chefs.
"Such a small matter, those officials shouldn't have any complaints, right?" The Emperor was still shaken.
Zhao Huajing had no way to answer this question. After all, the duty of those officials was to advise the emperor. If the emperor did not listen to their advice and forced them to their deaths, they would still leave a mark in the history books, which they would be more than happy to do.
I don't even know what they're thinking!
"Jingjing, does Mr. Yuan have a good idea?" The Emperor suddenly had another idea.
“Mr. Yuan teaches women to understand principles and know when to advance and retreat. She can’t teach those censors.” Zhao Huajing thought of the recent news from the academy that Mr. Yuan only cared about Lin Daiyu, his only student, and didn’t even visit the academy often.
She didn't want to cause Mr. Yuan any more trouble!
When the crepe-shaped wontons were served, the emperor and empress sat facing each other, just like an ordinary couple in the common people.
The wonton wrappers are thin, like crepe, wrapped around savory meat filling, steaming hot, and served in a bowl of clear soup with nothing but a few scallions as garnish.
"What's in the soup? It doesn't taste right." The emperor took one sip after another.
"This is the recipe for boiled cabbage in clear broth that I learned... I filtered it several times to make the broth so clear."
"Boiled cabbage in clear broth?" The Emperor was speechless again.
Zhao Huajing then remembered that boiled cabbage in clear broth was on the academy's menu, but the imperial kitchen did not have this dish.
She couldn't help but feel some sympathy for the emperor.
However, the emperor did not ask any further questions and began to eat the wontons.
"Jingjing, I can only get a hot meal here with you." The Emperor said with deep emotion.
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