Wan Anran thought about it.
She pondered for a moment: "I do have some ideas."
Emperor Kangxi looked on with curiosity.
Wan Anran quickly gave her answer: "First of all... I intend to have the Sixth Prince dine with the Empress Dowager."
Let...Yinqi? Kangxi's lips twitched.
Yinqi was causing trouble, and Yintang, who was still a young boy, was causing even more trouble than expected, to the point that Kangxi had recently started to avoid Yikun Palace.
Look at the other sons, they are all steady and proper, but the troublesome Yinqi and Yintang... it's all because of Consort Yi.
Let the unruly Yinqi accompany the Empress Dowager?
Emperor Kangxi was deeply worried and tried to push his steady Fifth Prince to manage Yinqi: "Rather than letting Yinqi go, I think it's better to let Yinzhen go..."
Wan Anran said disdainfully, "Yinzhen is no good."
Seeing the Emperor's puzzled look, she added, "Yinzhen is very disciplined with his vegetarian meals; getting him to cause trouble is harder than climbing to heaven."
That's the skill we're looking for – the ability to cause trouble.
Kangxi thought for a moment: "You plan to let Yinqi cause trouble...?"
Wan Anran shook her head: "The main purpose is to let the Sixth Prince demonstrate what it means to truly enjoy a meal."
After a moment's thought, Kangxi understood Wan Anran's plan: "You intend to make Grandmother happy in order to increase her appetite?"
Wan Anran nodded with a smile.
Emperor Kangxi also had a question: "But can Yinzhi truly demonstrate this?"
Wan Anran sighed: "That's why I'm a little hesitant... Your Highness, the First Prince and the Third Prince aren't exactly easygoing people either..."
Seeing that Consort Qi's voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, and that her face gradually became wrinkled, Kangxi couldn't help but laugh and say, "That's easy."
"Huh?" Wan Anran blinked.
"Since they can't perform it, I'll make them work up a good workout, and they'll naturally be able to show how much they're enjoying their meal."
Wan Anran: …………
She chuckled and said, "Then I'll leave everything to Your Majesty."
There are many ways to make the princes tired in winter.
The following evening, Kangxi sent someone to inform Consort Qi that everything was ready.
The next morning, Wan Anran followed the Emperor out... Wait a minute? Wan Anran looked bewildered and glared at Kangxi: "Your Majesty, why must I go too?"
"That's more authentic."
"..." What a load of rubbish.
Wan Anran rolled her eyes at Kangxi, clearly annoyed.
But what could she do now that she was already out the door? She leaned against the side of the carriage, feeling the swaying vehicle drive out of Xiaotangshan and quickly disappear into the distance.
Don't be fooled by the fact that Xiaotangshan is a paradise with springtime warmth and blooming flowers thanks to geothermal activity. Just half an hour away, there is still a thick layer of snow.
Especially in Nankou Mountain.
As soon as Wan Anran got off the carriage, she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. All she could see was a vast expanse of white, with snow-capped mountains stretching to the horizon... It was so cold! Even wrapped in a thick cloak, wearing a thick hat, gloves, and knee pads, Wan Anran was still shivering from the cold. She huddled close to Kangxi like a ball of fluff, trying to get some warmth from him.
I must say, she looks really cute.
Emperor Kangxi showed no disgust at Consort Qi, who was rubbing against him, and led her by the hand toward the mountainside: "If you are tired, you can sit on the ice bed."
Ice beds are now a luxury exclusively for royalty and the elite.
Especially the one that Kangxi pointed to: its base resembled a dragon boat, with gold and colorful decorations on both sides, and a gilded wooden canopy with a precious dome on top, surrounded by curtains, which allowed people to enjoy the scenery and also protect them from the cold wind.
Wan Anran thought for a moment, then decided to slowly walk up by herself. She pulled Kangxi's hand and said, "Your Majesty, if you slack off, the fat will come back."
Emperor Kangxi with eight-pack abs is much more appealing than one-pack abs.
Having experienced both, Wan Anran increasingly hoped that the latter would not reappear.
Her gaze lingered on Kangxi's abdomen for a moment.
The sharp look in her eyes made Kangxi both amused and exasperated. Remembering how his physical strength had declined after he gained weight, Kangxi abandoned his desire to enjoy himself. While leading Consort Qi slowly upstairs, he had to explain, "I'm just worried about you, not because I want to be lazy."
Wan Anran didn't believe it at all.
The Emperor walked with a steady gait, not to mention the princes and princesses. Crown Prince Yinreng walked with a steady gait, occasionally exchanging a few words with Yinzuo, while Yinzhi and Yinzhen were busy complaining about Yinqi. Only the eldest prince Yinzhi was alone, looking particularly desolate.
This is perhaps Wan Anran's own feeling.
After all, he was shivering from the cold, while the eldest prince, Yinzhi, was not even wearing a cloak. He was striding forward with great energy and even had the mind to chat with the guards from time to time.
As for the princesses, they got along very well.
They walked hand in hand, carefully making their way up the road, and the atmosphere seemed much better than that of the young men ahead of them.
Emperor Kangxi also noticed Consort Qi's gaze.
He glanced up at her, then dismissively looked away, patting Consort Qi's hand. Seeing Consort Qi look up at him, Kangxi mouthed, "Leave it to me."
The group walked to the middle of the mountain.
Wan Anran stared at the snow sculptures in the distance, then suddenly paused, stunned. She had built a snow slide like this in the palace before; it was exquisite and cute, but not thrilling enough.
And this slide in front of us...
Wan Anran covered her mouth and exclaimed "Wow!" The long, winding slide caused a stir not only among the princes and princesses, but even Wan Anran couldn't help but run forward a couple of steps.
The fourth princess was leading the charge.
She climbed the escalator to the top and then slid down the slide. Screams and laughter echoed in the air, making the previously reserved princes and princesses unable to contain themselves any longer.
Yinzhen sighed.
He shook his head with an air of maturity, about to offer his comment, when he realized his feet were dangling in the air. Yinzhen turned around in astonishment, only to find his mother standing behind him!
Wan Anran lifted Yinzhen high up by supporting him under his armpits.
Yinzhen immediately struggled to get up, shouting, "Mother? Mother! Please put me down!"
Wan Anran showed no sign of guilt.
She shouted, "Your mother is afraid you'll be slow to react and miss your turn if you're late!"
"...What nonsense are you talking about?"
Yinzhen's face flushed red: "It was clearly you, Mother, who wanted to play this game!"
He shouted and struggled.
However, Yinzhen forgot a very serious problem: they were on the snow. Wan Anran was already unsteady on her feet, and Yinzhen's struggle caused her to lose her balance and fall to the ground with a thud.
That's fine.
Unfortunately, they fell on a slope, and the mother and son spun around several times before finally stopping.
When I got up, I was covered in snow.
The sudden situation caused everyone around to freeze in place. Then, the palace servants' expressions changed, and they rushed forward, fearing that Consort Qi and the Fifth Prince might get hurt.
Wan Anran and Yinzhen lay on the ground.
After a while, the two sat up, their heads bowed and shoulders shaking. Even Kangxi couldn't help but feel worried and strode forward to check on the situation, but before he got there, he heard Consort Qi and Yinzhen laughing softly.
The laughter grew louder and louder.
Wan Anran stood up, patted the snowflakes off her skirt, and excitedly raised her hand: "How about—one more time!"
They quickly made two small, flat sleds and then swooped down from a height! Wan Anran and Yinzhen's delighted appearance aroused the curiosity of the princes and princesses, who also started making sleds and playing with them.
Those who fall off the sleds go from sliding to tumbling.
Screams and laughter echoed across the snow-covered ground. Kangxi stood to the side, sighing and rubbing his forehead, "We agreed to let them expend some energy, but it seems you're already exhausted before it's even over..."
Halfway through his sentence, Kangxi was hit hard in the face by a snowball. He wiped the snow off his face, stared at Consort Qi with a half-smile, and under the tense gazes of those around him, he made a snowball and threw it at Wan Anran.
And so the snowball fight began instantly.
Everyone had forgotten the purpose of coming here in the first place... Oh, when Kangxi was so tired that he sat down on the ground and looked around at his children who were slumped over, he suddenly realized that his original purpose seemed to have been achieved?
Forget about his children, even he himself was sitting on the snow, unwilling to move. To make matters worse, his stomach was growling with hunger.
Emperor Kangxi touched his belly, looking embarrassed.
He quickly overcame his embarrassment, as everyone's stomachs began to rumble. Ironically, Kangxi had initially intended to come here to train the group, but as for food... there was nothing but tea.
The group dragged their heavy legs back.
Wan Anran felt dizzy from hunger, and even on the swaying carriage, she ignored the ride and focused on thinking about food.
I want something that's quick, easy to make, and delicious.
Then what else is there to say... It really is a pot! Seeing Consort Qi counting on her fingers, pondering carefully and looking troubled by her inability to record it, Kangxi had an idea. After rummaging through the drawer for a while, he pushed something in front of Consort Qi: "Consort Qi, try this? Although it is not as good as a writing brush, it can still be used to some extent."
Wan Anran looked up.
A hint of surprise flashed across her face: "This is..."
Emperor Kangxi smiled and said, "These are black lead strips, which are used by foreigners for drawing. I asked the missionaries for some out of curiosity, but I have never used them."
Black lead strips?
Wan Anran pinched it, smelled it, and finally put it on the paper. Her expression became strange.
This... isn't it just a pencil?
The strange look flashed by in an instant, and Wan Anran slowly began to write with the black lead stick in her hand.
There are many kinds of pots and pans.
Such as the sauerkraut and pork hot pot that was often eaten in the palace, the tomato hot pot that has become increasingly popular in the last two years, as well as congee hot pot, fresh fish hot pot, golden soup hot pot, soy milk hot pot, mushroom hot pot, chicken hot pot, mutton soup hot pot... wait a minute?
As for mutton soup hot pot...
Why not try lamb spine? Wan Anran thought it was a good idea, but lamb spine wasn't suitable for the Empress Dowager... The best solution was...
Who cares about anything else, let's have a hot pot feast today!
Enjoying a lively and bustling experience with various hot pot dishes, while listening to the princes and princesses recount the exciting scenes of their day's activities, I'm sure the Empress Dowager would love it.
With the hot pot as the main dish, Wan Anran started thinking about the side dishes. Besides various fresh vegetables, she planned to add boneless, tender fish fillets, high-quality slices of meat, blood tofu, tripe and beef aorta, pig brain, duck blood and duck intestines, fresh shrimp, sea cucumber, quail eggs…
There were also some snacks at the end.
Crispy and soft fried potato balls, sweet and savory candied sweet potatoes, thin-skinned and meaty Zhengzhou-style vegetable dumplings, soft and sweet steamed cakes of various kinds, and soy milk cakes, etc.
Wan Anran slammed the black lead strip and paper onto the small table, puffed out her cheeks, and leaned on the table. Kangxi raised an eyebrow: "Why are you suddenly angry?"
After everyone had finished their bath, exhausted, they found the table laden with delicious food. The unusual arrangement of the long table, where people could freely get up and take what they wanted, piqued the Empress Dowager's curiosity.
Just as Wan Anran had thought.
Even the Empress Dowager, who usually had a poor appetite, found her appetite greatly whetted by the novelty of the food and the teasing of her grandchildren. The only thing that surprised Wan Anran was that the most popular item was surprisingly the crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside fried potato balls…
Hmm... softer things are definitely more suitable.
But does the Empress Dowager still want a crispy texture? Wan Anran was happy but also a little troubled. Elderly people can't eat too much fried food. She wanted a crispy texture, but also wanted it to be healthy. Hmm, how about adding some lotus root pieces to the meatballs to improve the texture?
Wan Anran was still lost in thought when she suddenly heard a sound beside her ear. She instinctively opened her mouth, biting into a meatball, and blinked blankly, "Hmm?"
"Don't let your mind wander while you're eating."
The person feeding the meatballs was Emperor Kangxi, his eyes filled with a gentle smile: "Just leave the food matters to the Imperial Kitchen."
Wan Anran chewed vigorously.
Her cheeks were puffed out, and she responded with a muffled "yes".
Yinzhen raised his eyes and glanced at it.
Seeing how affectionate Mother and Father were, I couldn't help but smile.
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