Just as Shen Yunxi turned her gaze away from Lu Wanqing, she inadvertently saw Jun Xuan, who happened to be looking her over as well.
Their eyes met, and Shen Yunxi calmly looked away, her expression unchanged.
“A chess game can be broken at any time, but Miss Shen’s pastries are hard to come by. It seems I am fortunate to be here today, as I will be able to taste Miss Shen’s homemade pastries again,” Jun Xuan suddenly said.
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager smiled even more broadly, "If Your Majesty likes to eat it, that's good."
Lu Wanqing's smile became stiff, then she forced a smile, "So Miss Shen's skills are so good, she can even make pastries. Are all these exquisite pastries on the table made by Miss Shen? Miss Shen is really amazing. I can't do it at all, I can't even make pastries, I've never even been to the kitchen. It seems that the Marquis's mansion is really good, Miss Shen can be so free, these are things I never dared to dream of."
No one present was a fool; everyone could tell that Lu Wanqing's words were ostensibly a belittling of himself, but in reality, he was implying that Shen Yunxi, the daughter of a noble family, was shamelessly waiting for the cook at the kitchen table.
In the past, Shen Yunxi would lower her head, feeling embarrassed and ashamed, at least because what Lu Wanqing said wasn't entirely unreasonable.
It's hardly a good thing for a daughter of a wealthy family to cook.
Shen Yunxi looked at Lu Wanqing with a forced smile and said, "Then you are really useless, you really can't do it, you can't even make desserts."
Upon hearing this, everyone present was shocked. They never expected Shen Yunxi to say something so blunt.
Are these really words that a young woman in her boudoir can casually say in front of outsiders?
Aren't you afraid that speaking out will damage your reputation?
Even Lu Wanqing was taken aback. She didn't expect Shen Yunxi to say that. After all, she would never embarrass Junxuan in front of him in the past. She had to consider Junxuan's face.
Thinking of that secret, Lu Wanqing's face grew increasingly grim, worried that Shen Yunxi might blurt it out.
“Why do you say that, Miss Shen? It’s true that Wanqing doesn’t know how to make pastries, but there are servants in the mansion, so how could it be Wanqing’s turn to make them?” Lu Wanqing replied.
Shen Yunxi remained calm and composed. "Having lived for over a decade, it's like you don't have hands. If you were all alone, wouldn't you starve to death? Our ancestor emperor was of commoner origin, and so was our ancestor empress. They did everything from working in the kitchen to doing farm work. How could we be more noble than these two?"
Well, that's a bit direct, but it's not entirely without merit!
By including the ancestral emperor and ancestral empress in this way, it seems that trivial matters like going into the kitchen don't need to be mentioned, and indeed, they are not a big deal.
Jun-hyun pursed his lips, suppressing the slight upturn of his mouth.
"Alright, everyone, sit down. What kind of talk is this, arguing in front of the Empress Dowager?" Jun Xuan stopped Shen Yunxi from continuing, lest he burst out laughing later.
Strangely enough, in the past, if Lu Wanqing was wronged, he would definitely say a few words.
But now it's Shen Yunxi who's being wronged, and he doesn't think that way at all. In fact, he thinks Shen Yunxi is right, and he can't even refute her words.
Shen Yunxi didn't say much, and sat down as Jun Xuan had instructed, her expression calm.
Lu Wanqing looked resentful, not expecting that the Emperor was not on her side at all, and that Shen Yunxi's words just now were so excessive.
Could it be that the Emperor already knows that the person he met as a child was not her?
No, definitely not. If he knew, he wouldn't be nice to her; he would probably have made her leave long ago.
Judging from this, the Emperor probably doesn't know yet. As for why Shen Yunxi doesn't say anything, she probably has other plans. This matter has become a sword hanging over her head, and no one knows when it will fall.
Thinking about it, it would be best to find a suitable way to deal with Shen Yunxi, preferably to kill her, because only the dead can better keep secrets.
Even though Shen Yunxi didn't know what Lu Wanqing was thinking, she knew it wasn't anything good. Shen Yunxi noticed the fleeting murderous intent in Lu Wanqing's eyes.
The Empress Dowager also sensed the awkward atmosphere. She smiled and said, "Please have some snacks. Yunxi has made a lot today, so there should be enough for everyone. Miss Lu can also try some and see if the Lu family's chefs or Yunxi's are better."
After saying that, the Empress Dowager took a piece of pastry and tasted it.
Lu Wanqing felt embarrassed. The Empress Dowager's words were clearly meant to defend Shen Yunxi, which made her somewhat displeased.
In such a situation, Lu Wanqing certainly couldn't say that the Lu family's chefs were good, especially since Shen Yunxi was in front of them and the Empress Dowager was also there; she couldn't possibly refuse to give them face.
But if she were to praise Shen Yunxi, Lu Wanqing would be a hundred times unwilling; she would love for Shen Yunxi to be overshadowed by her.
As everyone knows, Shen Yunxi and she are the most competitive, and both want to become Junxuan's first concubine.
Junxuan had no women when he was the crown prince. He didn't care much about women, so he didn't have any women by his side after he became emperor. This is also why he and Shen Yunxi became rivals.
One was favored by the Emperor, and the other had the late Emperor's bestowal of a marriage decree. The two, who were originally on equal footing, had their relationship disrupted by Shen Yunxi's words to Lu Wanqing that day.
Therefore, Lu Wanqing also became anxious, and she was eager to become Junxuan's concubine as soon as possible.
Having thought of this, Lu Wanqing had no choice but to reach out and take a snack to try.
“Miss Shen’s cooking skills are truly excellent, far superior to those of the Lu family’s chefs,” Lu Wanqing replied with a smile.
In fact, she couldn't even taste what the dessert tasted like; it was like chewing wax. She was definitely not willing to praise Shen Yunxi.
Junxuan also silently took a piece of pastry to try. This time, Shen Yunxi did not make the same three kinds as last time, but made five more.
If he hadn't suddenly felt the urge to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager for several days and hadn't made a special trip after finishing his official duties, he probably would have missed it.
It must be said that the pastry was sweet and delicate, with a soft yet slightly chewy texture. It was truly delicious, and even Jun-hyun, who doesn't like pastries, thought it was tasty.
Watching Junxuan take out pastries one after another, Lu Wanqing was furious and felt a little regretful. It seemed that she would have to learn from the chef how to make pastries when she got back.
She couldn't just stand by and watch Shen Yunxi show affection to Jun Xuan; she could only watch longingly from the sidelines.
Shen Yunxi didn't eat a single bite. She had just recovered from her illness and her appetite hadn't returned yet. She couldn't eat any more after having some porridge.
Seeing that the five plates of snacks had been used up, Shen Yunxi glanced at Lu Wanqing and then slowly stood up.
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