The snow started falling yesterday and continued today.
Before she could even feel it in the study, when Wan Anran lifted the curtain and stepped out, her face covered in the wind and snow, she couldn't help but tighten her cloak and sneeze.
Even though Wan Anran was wrapped in a thick cloak, she could still feel her ears and fingertips getting cold as she walked just a few steps to the entrance of Xianfu Palace.
We still have to walk to Kunning Palace...
Two palanquins were parked at the entrance of Xianfu Palace, one for Consort Xuan and the other for the Ninth Prince, Wan Fu. Noble Lady Nara helped Wan Fu into the palanquin, and Wan Fu grumbled, "Mother, sit with me! We always used to sit together..."
Before Wan Fu could finish speaking, Consort Nara directly shoved him into the sedan chair, then turned around and smiled gently, reaching out to take Wan Changzai's hand: "Sister Wan, let's go."
The warmth at my fingertips slowly welled up in my heart.
Wan Anran shook her head: "Sister Nara, you should ride in the sedan chair with the Ninth Prince."
"No need, no need, I'll go with Sister Wan."
"Sister Nara, please don't make excuses..."
Nara Guiren and Wan Anran, you are so humble towards me, and I will be so humble towards you.
Consort Xuan, who was in the sedan chair in front, lifted the curtain and said gently, "Then pull up Noble Lady Wan Fu's sedan chair, and as for Consort Wan, come to my palace."
The palanquin stopped outside Kunning Palace.
Wan Anran stepped down from the sedan chair, lifting her skirt, which startled Zhou Mama, who had come to greet her.
Consort Xuan has always been a person who values rules and regulations, so what?
A sudden thought flashed through Granny Zhou's mind. She suddenly remembered that Consort Wan had been sick for two months and had only just recovered!
How could Wan Changzai's health recover so quickly?
She braved the wind and rain to serve the Empress her meal at Kunning Palace. If Consort Wan caught a cold, wouldn't that tarnish her mistress's reputation? Granny Zhou felt both annoyed and guilty, and quickly escorted the group inside.
The Empress was still busy.
Granny Zhou led the group to a side hall to wait, while a palace maid who was prepared greeted them with a smile: "Consort Xuan, Ninth Prince, and the two young ladies, this is brown sugar ginger soup that Her Majesty ordered to be prepared."
Consort Xuan and Noble Lady Nara accepted them with smiles.
Wan Anran touched the ginger soup with both hands, but her face couldn't help but scrunch up. Wan Fu had the exact same reaction.
Ginger soup...
This is what Wan Anran finds most unacceptable.
Noble Lady Nara took a sip, glancing at Consort Wan and her son: "The brown sugar ginger soup is delicious!"
"Mother is lying!"
"...Then I'll give it a try."
This is the Empress's heartfelt gift.
Wan Anran leaned closer to smell it, then carefully took a sip. The initial taste was a light, refreshing sweetness, followed by a hint of ginger spiciness—not pungent or unpleasant.
She swallowed, and a warm feeling spread through her body, a blush visibly rising on Wan Anran's cheeks. She finished the drink in one gulp and placed the white porcelain bowl back on the tray: "Delicious."
Wan Fu looked suspicious: "You're lying!"
He resisted and moved the ginger soup further away: "Just from the name, I know it must taste bad! Wan Changzai, you can't help your mother lie, okay? Anyone who lies, Father, is a bad person."
He's small but incredibly clever!
Wan Anran snorted: "I never lie, this is really delicious! It has a light, refreshing sweetness, not cloying or harsh on the throat at all, and you can't smell the ginger itself at all. There's only a slight spiciness in the aftertaste, and it makes you feel warm all over after drinking it!"
"...I don't believe it."
"I'm really not kidding you!"
"What if you lie to me?"
“…Hmm, how about I drink a spoonful of vinegar?” Wan Anran said with a grin.
"..." Wan Fu looked at him with some doubt. After all, Wan Chang had given him a good sense of trust these past two days, so Wan Fu thought for a moment and then picked up his teacup and licked it slightly.
It really did stick out its little tongue and lick it.
Wan Fu's eyes widened slightly, and she murmured in surprise, "It really... is sweet?"
Once he confirmed that the brown sugar ginger soup was sweet, he wasn't afraid anymore.
Wan Fu picked up his teacup and drank it all in one gulp, with little flowers blooming behind him. He cupped his face in his hands and replied excitedly to Wan Anran, "Wan Changzai, it's really delicious!"
"Right!"
"Mmm, especially the spicy flavor at the end, um... it's probably what adults taste like, right? Wan Changzai."
A three-year-old child already knows what adults taste like.
The group was amused by Wan Fu's innocent words, warmed up, and were ready to be summoned by the Empress.
But no matter how long they waited, they didn't hear any news.
Wan Anran was almost wondering if the Empress had forgotten about the group when Zhou Mama turned around again: "Consort Xuan, Ninth Prince and the two young ladies, please come with me."
Wan Anran witnessed the Empress's busy side.
The New Year's banquet was just three days away, and Empress Niohuru was checking the arrangements for the next few days with the palace servants. After the Emperor left court, the Empress would lead the concubines into the hall to pay their respects, followed by the Crown Prince, the princes and princesses, and then the imperial guards, the heads of the various palaces, the eunuchs and palace maids. Although they wouldn't meet in person, they would still have to prepare red envelopes and gifts to bestow upon them. After the New Year's greetings at the Qianqing Palace, the Emperor would then go to the Cining Palace to pay his respects to the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager.
It took quite a bit of effort to finalize the process sequence alone.
After the New Year's greetings ceremony comes the family banquet, followed by the Emperor's banquet for all the civil and military officials, the banquet in the harem for the wives and noblewomen, then the entertaining of the Mongolian princes who have come from afar, and various tea parties... Once all of these are over, it's almost time to start preparing for the Lantern Festival.
In any case, Wan Anran and the others saw palace servants coming and going in the main hall without stopping. They said they were there to dine with the Empress, but they didn't even have a chance to interrupt.
Wan Anran observed for a moment and then secretly clicked her tongue in amazement.
Being an empress is no easy task, and despite Empress Niohuru's young age of only seventeen or eighteen, she handled matters with exceptional skill. For instance, she could instantly respond to the tongue-twisting list of names of Manchu nobles and officials' families, even pointing out their errors...
Wan Anran was filled with awe.
Luckily, she transmigrated into the body of Consort Wan. If she had transmigrated into the body of the Empress, she probably would have been exposed on the very first day.
Crowds come and go.
Finally, Granny Zhou seized an opportunity and stepped forward, saying, "Master, it's time for your meal."
The Empress picked up her teacup and took a sip.
The tea had been sitting for a while and was completely cold, but it was just enough to calm the heat in her heart. She forced herself to composed herself and looked at Consort Xuan with a hint of apology: "I've kept you waiting for so long, Granny Zhou, please serve the meal!"
Granny Zhou was immediately delighted.
The group walked into the flower hall, and as soon as they sat down, a steaming array of dishes was laid out on the round table in front of them. The main dishes were stir-fried chicken with soy sauce, steamed sea bass, and stewed old duck with daylily, bamboo shoots, and wood ear mushrooms. There were also dishes that were rare to see this season, such as green peas and shrimp, stir-fried kale, and stir-fried bok choy with mushrooms. In addition, there were several cold dishes and assorted pickles.
Each dish is meticulously prepared. Although the taste is still unknown, the color and aroma... Wan Anran would give it a perfect score!
After taking her seat, Wan Anran eagerly began to eat.
The stir-fried chicken with soy sauce has a perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors, with a unique aroma of fermented soybean paste. The chicken is tender and the bones are so fine and crunchy that you can bite right off the bone. It's the perfect dish to eat with rice.
The duck meat in the braised duck soup is stewed until tender, and all the flavors are concentrated in the broth. The daylily buds, bamboo shoots, and black fungus absorb all the essence of the broth, making it so delicious you can't stop eating it.
besides……
Wan Anran tasted every dish and was once again impressed by the chefs' superb skills. Just as she was immersed in the delicious food, her arm was bumped.
Wan Anran shrank her arms and continued to eat with her head down.
This time, she had an extra hand on her waist. With a pinch and a twist, Wan Anran's eyes widened, and she looked to the side with a pitiful expression.
Consort Xuan glared at her angrily, then gestured with her chin for Consort Wan to look at Empress Niohuru.
Unlike yesterday, even though Wan Anran ate with great relish today, the Empress remained unmoved. She barely managed two mouthfuls of rice—about a quarter of it at most—before stopping: "I remembered I have things to do. You may continue eating."
Wan Anran: …………
She still remembered her work for the day, and even more importantly, she remembered one thing: if Her Majesty the Empress didn't eat properly, she didn't know when she would be able to eat such delicious food again!
Wan Anran's expression turned serious. What did this meal matter when it concerned the future of countless meals? Wan Anran put down her chopsticks and stood up with a worried look on her face: "Granny Zhou, could you take me to the kitchen to take a look?"
Granny Zhou was still worried about the Empress, so she was taken aback when she heard Consort Wan's words. Especially when she saw Consort Wan's solemn expression and worried face, and how she had only eaten half a bowl of rice this time after eating two bowls last time, Granny Zhou was genuinely moved. She did not refuse, but bowed and said, "Yes, please follow me, Your Highness."
When they saw Granny Zhou leading Consort Wan in, the cooks and palace servants in the kitchen were all a little surprised, and then they all knelt down in a rush.
Wan Anran called out, and under the steward's guidance, looked at the dishes being heated on each stove. In addition to the meals served on the round table, there were many other dishes in the small kitchen, including chicken, duck, fish and meat, as well as porridge, pastries and various kinds of sweet cakes. Of course, there were also several large plates of the Manchus' favorite dumplings with various fillings.
The chefs were filled with anticipation.
Yesterday, Chef Zhao's reward made many people envious. Today, the chefs in charge of the meals are doing their best, hoping to win a word of praise and a reward from their master.
Although they were surprised by Wan Changzai's appearance, they quickly turned their expectant gazes to Zhou Mama who was following behind, and one or two of them stepped forward with smiles: "Zhou Mama, has the master said what he wants to eat today?"
Only Chef Zhao looked at Consort Wan with a cheerful smile: "Young Master Wan, would you like something to eat? Or something to cook?"
Wan Anran thought for a moment: "Do you have chili peppers?"
Chef Zhao raised his eyebrows: "Of course!"
He also sighed as he answered.
Chili peppers are a foreign import, having only entered the Central Plains about a century ago. Firstly, not many people know about them, and secondly, their pungent and spicy flavor can cause sores and pimples in women if they eat too much. Adding to this their distinctive smell, even young ladies from ordinary households, let alone imperial concubines, would avoid them. It was truly unexpected for Chef Zhao that Consort Wan, despite being a minor official selected for the palace and having a father who was a high-ranking official in the Imperial Household Department, would dare to eat chili peppers.
Wan Anran's eyes lit up.
There really is one? As expected, the imperial kitchen serving the Emperor and Empress is different. I didn't find any chili peppers in the ingredients sent from Xianfu Palace and the Imperial Kitchen yesterday, and I was a little disappointed!
If you have chili peppers, it's easy!
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