Wan Anran felt relieved.
She carefully instructed the imperial chefs to figure out how to add texture to the mushy food.
The imperial kitchen staff naturally dared not be careless.
In the past, they were unclear about the reason why the Empress Dowager's appetite had decreased, but now that they knew the reason, they naturally put in their best efforts, and for a period of time, the Empress Dowager's meals were incredibly varied.
As the Empress Dowager's appetite improved, Wan Anran's days gradually became more leisurely. At the same time, she began to pay attention to the Emperor's daily life and meals, since she was the only concubine at the hot spring resort, which was also part of the concubine's job.
If you don't pay attention, that's fine.
After paying attention, Wan Anran was once again amazed by the Emperor's workload.
Although they were at the hot spring resort, the emperor was still very busy. Stacks of memorials from the capital were being delivered to the resort, and every time Wan Anran entered her study, she would see mountains of memorials piled up... just looking at them gave her a headache.
Not to mention the endless stream of imperial relatives and court officials who came to report. Seeing them rushing to the hot spring estate before dawn to guard it, taking turns reporting their tasks, receiving new mission reports, and then hurrying back to the capital to report for duty, they all looked much thinner after half a month. Wan Anran could only shake his head in pity.
That's not all; I've heard that officials still in the capital are carrying out a grand plan. Wan Anran, hearing this for the first time, was curious: "What is this grand plan?"
Both the peach and the perilla shook their heads.
Yinzhen, who was copying large characters, put down his pen, looked up and explained seriously: "The grand plan is to conduct annual reviews of officials. Officials who are rated as outstanding can be promoted, while those who are unqualified, corrupt or incompetent will be dismissed or demoted."
"I see. Mother thought it was an exam."
"An exam?" Yinzhen looked puzzled.
Wan Anran nodded.
She spoke with great interest about the hurdles she faced in her past life when taking the civil service and public institution exams, etc... According to this logic, it was essentially the imperial examination system... right? Then what about the middle school entrance exam and the college entrance exam?
Wan Anran spoke as she thought.
Yinzhen was also somewhat confused: "Administrative professional skills? What is that?"
"Hmm... verbal comprehension and expression skills, such as the ability to understand, think about, and communicate about imperial edicts issued by the court. Or mathematical applications, computational reasoning, analytical skills regarding real-world events, and problem-solving abilities..."
In her previous life, Wan Anran was just a small-time food vlogger, and she only knew bits and pieces from casual conversations with friends. Seeing that Yinzhen looked curious and that she couldn't say much more, she changed the subject and brought out her ultimate weapon.
In other words, the exams that I remember vividly.
Wan Anran rattled off a long list of monthly exams, quarterly exams, midterms, and finals, only to see Yinzhen frown and shake his head: "Mother, isn't this too lax about studying?"
"...?" Say it again?
"Even if I haven't started school yet, I know that once I start school, I will only have five days off a year, which are the first day of the Lunar New Year, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival, Father's birthday, and my own birthday." Yinzhen shook his head with a stern face. He really couldn't imagine studying for five days and resting for two, or even having holidays during the hottest and coldest times of the year. He couldn't imagine how those students would become successful.
Yinzhen sighed heavily.
The look in his eyes as he gazed at his mother was incredibly serious.
Wan Anran: …………
Looking at her son's slightly reproachful gaze, she felt her temples throbbing.
Hmm... thank goodness.
Thankfully, I didn't transmigrate into a prince or anything, otherwise I'm afraid I would have been driven to my death by the daily grind.
Thinking of this, Wan Anran affectionately patted her son's head and lovingly instructed, "It doesn't matter if Yinzhen is a little lazy, as long as he is happy and joyful."
Yinzhen: …………
He stared at his mother and sighed slightly. Luckily, he had been reborn with his memories intact; otherwise, with his mother's pampering and indulgence, he might have become a spoiled brat.
Wan Anran: ...?
Unwittingly blamed for being a "bear mom," she sneezed. Thinking it best to avoid the particularly unpleasant topic of exams, she turned and asked with great interest, "What kind of lamb spine does Yinzhen like to eat?"
"Lamb spine? Anything is fine?"
"Sigh... it's hard to choose when there are options." Wan Anran grumbled.
"Then you'll have the plain broth?"
"Ee... Mother wants to eat spicy food?" Wan Anran rested her cheek on her hand, while the veins on Yinzhen's forehead were already throbbing everywhere.
"Then let's have the spicy kind."
"..." Wan Anran pondered, realizing she was the one suffering from decision-making difficulties.
Looking at his mother's expression, Yinzhen's lips twitched. He sighed, rubbing his forehead, "Mother, why don't you bring up whatever you want to eat?" He decided against it.
Wan Anran's eyes lit up: "That's right!"
That very evening, she hosted a lamb spine hot pot feast, which is considered one of the most comforting foods in winter.
A pot of lamb spine hot pot... wrong!
There were many different kinds of lamb spine hot pot: white broth lamb spine, red broth lamb spine, dry pot lamb spine, spicy lamb spine, braised lamb spine, roasted lamb spine... all kinds of lamb spine hot pot that you could name were laid out on the table.
Not to mention that Yinzhen and Yinqi were stunned, even the four princesses were shocked – there were just too many!
But the lamb spine hot pot tastes really good.
The white broth lamb spine is rich and flavorful, the red broth lamb spine is spicy and delicious, and the dry pot lamb spine is savory, tender and juicy... Each type of lamb spine has a unique flavor, and once you taste it, you can't help but have your eyes light up and start eating with gusto.
While enjoying her delicious lamb spine hot pot, Wan Anran didn't forget the Emperor and the two Empress Dowagers. A serving of four lamb potstickers, crispy on the bottom and chewy on the outside, contained lamb meat without any gamey taste, juicy and slightly spicy—very appetizing and refreshing.
Next was a basket of xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) with cured pork and fresh bamboo shoots.
The savory aroma of cured pork and the fresh sweetness of winter bamboo shoots blended perfectly, leaving one wanting more even after finishing six in one go. Besides these, there were also Sichuan peppercorn chicken xiaolongbao, crab roe tofu xiaolongbao, and fried spring rolls with winter bamboo shoots and yellow croaker… Finally, a large bowl of seafood rice porridge was served, featuring not only delicacies like winter bamboo shoots, wood ear mushrooms, cabbage, clams, sea cucumber, and abalone, but also crunchy rice for added texture, leaving one wanting more.
The Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager ate with great pleasure.
Emperor Kangxi was the same; he ate one small steamed bun after another, followed by a big mouthful of seafood rice porridge, thoroughly enjoying himself.
The ones suffering are the ministers who are busy working below.
The enticing aroma was so enticing that it made them ravenous. After several days of this, they either had poor appetites or simply had no time to eat. Now, the sounds of the Emperor eating were making their stomachs rumble and gurgle.
A hint of a smile flashed in Liang Jiugong's eyes.
He said respectfully, "Your Majesty, Consort Qi has also prepared food for all the officials."
"...Bring it up." Kangxi said somewhat reluctantly.
He was only satisfied when he saw that what was presented to the minister was not steamed buns and congee. Gao Shiqi, who was sitting in the audience, happened to catch this scene out of the corner of his eye. His lips twitched, and then his gaze fell on the pie in his hand.
The pie was wrapped in parchment paper.
The oil paper glistened with a faint sheen and was still warm. When you bite into it, the outer layer is crispy and the inside is firm. The meat juices are infused into the dough, making it soft, chewy, and delicious without being greasy.
Besides the mutton pie, there were also two other types: one with pickled cowpeas and the other with shredded radish. They were convenient to hold and tasted great. Gao Shiqi took a bite of a pie and also drank a sip of the clear soup that was served to him.
It felt warm and cozy, and I finally had some strength again.
The ministers quickly finished all the food and then focused their attention back on their work.
The Kangxi era was still in a state of disarray, with everything needing to be rebuilt.
The continuous wars and frequent disasters nearly drained the Qing Dynasty's wealth. People were displaced, vast tracts of land were abandoned, grain production showed no increase, and bandits roamed freely—all problems that the court had to solve one by one.
Ultimately, it all comes down to not having money.
This was also part of Emperor Kangxi's long-term plan, which was to promote outstanding officials, such as Yu Chenglong and Liao Xiang, who were known for their integrity. He also severely punished several major corruption cases, aiming to improve the lives of the people from the root.
Wan Anran, who was in the harem, was unaware of the situation.
Taking advantage of his young age, he managed to become a familiar face among the court officials and took the opportunity to listen to the thoughtful expressions of his father, the Grand Empress Dowager, and the Empress Dowager.
According to Yinzhen, the Kangxi reign officially began to get on track in the twenty-third year of his reign, and from then on, the Qing Dynasty became more and more prosperous. However, many of the methods used by the emperor were no longer known to him after he grew up.
This time, it seems that fate has given him this opportunity.
Emperor Kangxi was quite fond of Yinzhen, who was mature beyond his years and had a strong sense of curiosity. At that time, he was not yet the old man who would be exhausted by the infighting among his sons decades later. He answered Yinzhen's questions with a smile, his loving expression evident in his words.
He then turned around and praised Consort Qi.
Emperor Kangxi praised him, saying, "In my opinion, Yinzhen is intelligent and has the potential to become a wise prince."
"Oh." Wan Anran's response was indifferent.
"A doting mother spoils her son." Kangxi instantly recalled Consort Qi's "idle prince" theory, and snorted coldly, quite dissatisfied. After all, Yinzhen would be entering school in another year, and he would definitely have to discipline him properly then, lest he be misled by Consort Qi again.
Emperor Kangxi gazed deeply at Consort Qi and made up his mind.
At that moment, his gaze fell on what Qi Fei was holding, and he was slightly taken aback: "What is this?"
"The black lead strips that His Majesty gave me last time."
"...I don't remember it looking like this?"
"The black lead pencils get my hands dirty too easily, so I had the Imperial Household Department remake them and give them a new name: pencil," Wan Anran replied with a smile, waving the pencil in her hand.
Emperor Kangxi was quite surprised.
He took the pencil and examined it closely. After a short look, he realized that the process itself was actually very simple. It was just a matter of making a suitable groove in a piece of board, placing the black lead strip inside, and then covering it with another layer to easily create the shape of a pencil.
Compared to using tissues, handkerchiefs, or clips to hold it, this is indeed much easier and more convenient.
Emperor Kangxi glanced at Consort Qi and clicked his tongue in amazement.
Aside from being a little lazy, Qi Fei's ingenious ideas are sometimes truly surprising.
Take this pencil, for example...
Emperor Kangxi had already discovered that black lead strips were very durable, but the problem was that they were easy to break and shatter. In addition, after using them for a while, his hands would become black with soot. Therefore, he abandoned them after using them a few times.
Now, by adding wood, it's possible to avoid getting your hands dirty. If it's inexpensive and easy to make, could it be used...?
Emperor Kangxi was in a state of unease.
Wan Anran hadn't expected that her pencil would provoke so much thought from the Emperor. She simply held her cheeks and sighed, "If only there were an eraser... if only there were something that could wipe away marks, then the paper could be reused repeatedly."
Kangxi raised his eyebrows.
He gave Consort Qi a strange look. This Consort Qi was incredibly stingy when she wanted to be. Kangxi shook his head: "How could such a divine object exist?"
Wan Anran puffed out her cheeks in protest.
She scoffed, "Speaking of which, these were presented by foreigners, weren't they? What if they have a way to wipe them off?"
Kangxi snorted.
He rested his chin on his hand and said, "I will send someone back to inquire. If there is such a thing—I will take you on a southern tour."
Wan Anran was slightly taken aback.
She then excitedly jumped up: "Is it a deal?"
Kangxi glanced at her: "When have I ever lied? If it weren't for you, you would have to admit defeat and stay in the palace. Don't come here to make trouble again."
Wan Anran should be right.
A slight smile played on her lips as she secretly chuckled to herself.
Although erasers may not exist yet, there are other things that can erase things.
For example, dried bread.
Hehe, here comes my southern tour!
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