The tea kitchen has more than thirty kinds of tea, with several to dozens of bottles of each type available according to the preferences of the palace masters. People either get their tea from the tea storehouse or, for convenience, from the tea kitchen. If they occasionally exceed their allotted amount, it is common for them to pay a small amount to take some from the tea kitchen.
Therefore, not long after Ju Bai left, the young eunuchs noticed something unusual. They huddled together and whispered for a while but couldn't figure it out. They exchanged glances and finally sent out the youngest eunuch to ask a question.
The young eunuch approached with a pained expression, glancing back every few steps. His face was plastered with a fawning smile: "Grandpa Sun, why not give that palace servant a little something? I thought Consort Wan was quite generous."
There must be two or three taels of loose silver in that little purse.
Unlike palace maids, who were selected from among the bondservant families and some of whom came from wealthy families and received a minimum monthly salary of three taels of silver, eunuchs without official rank received only one tael of silver per month, most of which had to be handed over to their superiors.
The pie that fell from the sky was thrown away before it even reached their mouths, and the little eunuchs were extremely reluctant to let it go.
The head eunuch glared at them: "Incompetent fools! You're all a bunch of idiots. If we just give them the money once they come, wouldn't that be a fixed amount? If we send them back, they'll get even more money next time! If you ask me, we'll have to delay paying them for at least two days, understand?"
don't know.
The young eunuch nodded and bowed in agreement, but secretly he was grumbling to himself.
That's what the head eunuch said.
But when other masters come, the head eunuch gives them the money all at once, right? Some concubines don't even get as much as the current Consort Wan!
The young eunuchs harbored their own questions.
But after the head eunuch finished speaking, he crossed his legs and began to smoke his hookah with a satisfied air, clearly not intending to respond to anything further.
The young eunuchs exchanged glances.
They shrugged helplessly, thinking that perhaps Wan Chang was just unlucky and had run into the head eunuch when he was in a bad mood. The junior eunuchs felt sorry for Wan Chang for a moment, and then scattered at the shouts of the other senior eunuchs, some sweeping the courtyard and others cleaning the donkey cart.
Suddenly, everyone's ears twitched.
The sound of a whip lashing the ground reached their ears, and the eunuchs froze. One of them muttered, "It sounds... like the sound of a whip being banned?"
"...Banning firecrackers?"
"Why would His Majesty come to the tea room? Haha."
But the sound of banning firecrackers gradually drew closer.
As the group watched the procession approaching from afar, the sight of the apricot-yellow boots made everyone's hearts pound. What was even more alarming was the familiar face in the procession—it was none other than the palace maid who had just come and been driven away! The palace servants in the tea and food room rushed out, quickly kneeling down and watching as two pairs of apricot-yellow boots, one large and one small, walked past.
Everyone had only one thought in their minds.
Oops! The head eunuch has really messed up this time!
The orange-white skin couldn't hide the joy in her eyes.
Coming to the young master's side was just an accident. She felt that she was already very lucky to have met such a good master. Now she even had a feeling that she might have great fortune by following the master!
She forcefully suppressed her inner joy.
Ju Bai bowed his head and raised his hands, following the Emperor and the Crown Prince step by step into the tea and food room.
The head eunuch's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
He never imagined that casually dismissing a mere palace maid would attract the attention of the Emperor and the Crown Prince, two powerful figures. The head eunuch, sweating profusely, forced himself to remain calm and stepped forward to pay his respects: "This servant—this servant greets Your Majesty!!"
Emperor Kangxi did not blame him.
Rules are rules, but I'm afraid even the head eunuch didn't know that Consort Wan could actually invite the Crown Prince to her place. Kangxi, who had brought the Crown Prince to the tea room on the way, was calm and casually ordered, "Bring Lapsang Souchong black tea."
Even though the Emperor's tone was calm, it sounded like a thunderclap to everyone. Not only were the eunuchs outside secretly astonished and wondering who Consort Wan really was, but the head eunuch was also trembling with fear.
That's not the problem.
The head eunuch broke out in a cold sweat, his body stiffening on the spot. Although he had a premonition, he still couldn't hide his fear when the situation actually unfolded before him, and his face showed some hesitation.
Kangxi narrowed his eyes.
He sensed something was wrong, and Kangxi's eyes darkened slightly as he gestured for Liang Jiugong behind him to lead his men inside to retrieve the items.
It's just a few ounces of tea leaves...
Liang Jiugong led the young eunuch into the tea room—to the left and right of the tea room were rows of tall wooden cabinets, filled with tribute teas from various regions and some rare teas, mostly green teas. People in the palace rarely drank black tea, and the tea kitchen only kept two or three kinds, among which the Zhengshan Xiaozhong black tea mentioned by the emperor was the most favored.
Liang Jiugong walked all the way to the Lapsang Souchong tea plantation.
Without him having to lift a finger, the attending eunuch opened the box, revealing a tea bottle placed on a soft cushion. The bottle's opening was sealed, indicating that the tea had not been touched.
The young eunuch took out the tea bottle with both hands.
He froze, unable to suppress a surprised exclamation.
Liang Jiugong: "What's wrong?"
The young eunuch hesitated, "This servant feels the weight is a bit off?"
He reached out and shook his hand.
There was a noticeable rustling sound inside... The problem is that the seal on the tea bottle is still intact; if the jar were full, these sounds shouldn't be audible at all.
Liang Jiugong immediately realized what was happening.
His gaze was like a knife, coldly slicing towards the head eunuch. The head eunuch was already deathly pale, trembling all over, and no one present believed that there was nothing wrong with it.
Kangxi's face darkened: "Open it."
Liang Jiugong respectfully agreed. He tore open the seal and poured out the tea leaves. Although the jar was full of tea leaves with the seal still on, only about one-fifth of the amount was poured out.
The palace servants in the tea and food room were in an uproar.
The eunuchs who had questioned him earlier suddenly realized why the steward was unwilling to hand over the tea earlier. What if other nobles wanted it after giving it to Consort Wan? He probably thought he could just gloss over it for now and make up for it in the next few days.
They wanted it, and so did Kangxi.
Thinking that he had just praised the steward for his responsible and conscientious work in front of the Crown Prince, he felt as if his face had been slapped!
Kangxi's face gradually darkened.
He turned and instructed a palace servant to fetch a cup of black tea from the tea storehouse and deliver it to Xianfu Palace. Then he patted Crown Prince Bao Cheng on the shoulder and said, "Go to Xianfu Palace and play with your younger brother. I will come to pick you up later."
Her voice remained as gentle and warm as ever.
The chill emanating from within made Crown Prince Bao Cheng tense up. He obediently agreed and hurriedly left under Hai Tao's guidance.
After watching the Crown Prince depart, Kangxi turned back, his eyes flashing with a fierce light. He ordered in a deep voice, "Summon the head of the Imperial Kitchen, the head of the Imperial Household Department... all of them to come here immediately!"
---
Wan Anran waited and waited, but Ju Bai never returned.
She was filled with doubt and worry, and was about to tell Haitao to go and check on things in the tea and kitchen when a commotion broke out in the courtyard, and Haitao's voice could be heard among it.
Wan Anran breathed a sigh of relief.
She stood up and walked towards the door, grumbling as she lifted the curtain, "Ju Bai? I've been waiting for you for ages! Why are you only just getting back—ugh?"
Wan Anran's voice abruptly stopped.
She stared blankly at the person in front of her—the boy in front of her was wearing a bright yellow robe, and his face showed surprise. He was obviously also startled by her appearance.
Aside from the Emperor, who else in the palace is allowed to wear bright yellow clothing? Without hesitation, Wan Anran curtsied and said, "This humble servant greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."
Prince Bao Cheng took a step to the side.
His attitude was gentle and his movements were composed: "No need for such formalities, Master Wan."
Compared to the awkwardness of the Crown Prince and Consort Wan, Wan Fu was much more excited. He leaped forward and hugged Crown Prince Bao Cheng's arm affectionately, crying, "Crown Prince Brother! Crown Prince Brother!"
A soft, babyish voice.
Tsk! Last time when I made him call me that, Wan Fu was disgusted! Now he probably only has two words in his mind: It's so good!
Wan Anran secretly rolled her eyes.
Then she looked up at Ju Bai behind her and condemned her with her eyes—it was you, it was you, how could you bring the Japanese into the village?
Ju Bai was someone who had nowhere to seek justice.
She was also reluctant to bring the Crown Prince back directly, but what could she, a mere palace maid, do with the Emperor's decree? She could only obediently bring His Highness the Crown Prince back. Originally, she wanted to stop His Highness the Crown Prince and remind the young mistress first, but the young mistress lifted the curtain and came out on her own.
Such a coincidence was something even Ju Bai couldn't have imagined.
Following behind Wan Anran, Hai Tao's nose was sweating. Noticing the suspicious looks from the unfamiliar palace servants, she quickly tugged at her mistress: "Mistress...shouldn't you change your clothes and makeup? You should at least look more formal, right?"
Even Prince Bao Cheng was somewhat taken aback.
He followed his father, the Khan, and occasionally saw the concubines who came to serve him at the Qianqing Palace. Each of them was exquisitely made up from head to toe, and they were all magnificent and elegant. Occasionally, when he attended a grand banquet in the palace, he would see that all the concubines he saw had their own captivating beauty, some were charming and lively, and some were elegant and noble... In any case, the Crown Prince had never seen anyone like Consort Wan in front of him before.
Prince Bao Cheng couldn't resist his curiosity.
He turned and grabbed Wan Fu's arm: "Wan Changzai... is this it?"
Wan Fu was already used to it.
He whispered in the prince's ear, "Wan Changzai is a big lazybones."
Prince Bao Cheng was still somewhat skeptical.
He shook his head: "Perhaps it's because I wasn't there yet. I'll definitely go back to change my clothes now...right? Look, even the palace servants are starting to persuade Consort Wan."
The words had barely left his mouth.
Bao Cheng and Wan Fu then heard Wan Changzai's clear and loud voice: "Alright, alright, we've already seen it, why pretend anymore? Just leave it as it is! It's comfortable to wear."
Wan Fu looked at Bao Cheng.
He said earnestly, "Brother Crown Prince, you and your younger brother are both lazybones when you recite the name of Wan Changzai."
Bao Cheng let out a long, complicated sigh.
He nodded: "Wan Fu is right. I underestimated Consort Wan."
The world is full of wonders.
Therefore, it is normal for a concubine like Wan Changzai to emerge in the harem.
Don't portray others as monsters!
If Wan Anran knew what Crown Prince Bao Cheng was thinking, she would definitely have made this comment, right? It's just a pity that she didn't know the Crown Prince's inner thoughts. Wan Anran stepped forward with a smile: "Your Highness, please sit down. This concubine is just about to prepare some food. Please try it and give your comments."
Prince Bao Cheng opened his mouth.
Wan Fu tugged at his arm: "Crown Prince, let's wait and see. We should support Wan Changzai's ability to take action."
Wan Fu was quite satisfied with the last two meals!
Bao Cheng thought for a moment and obediently nodded. After all, he was new here, so it wouldn't be good to ask questions directly, would it? What if it was really as Wan Fu said? Thinking of this, Bao Cheng and Wan Fu sat side by side, the chubby little hands on his knees, watching Wan Anran's every move intently.
Wan Anran first instructed Haitao to bring a small stove.
This was a gift from Consort Xuan, specifically for preparing medicine to keep Wan Anran warm. It hasn't been used for several days since Wan Anran stopped taking the medicine.
Then Wan Anran ordered the palace to bring a small pot. It was not easy to find a pot of the right size. In the end, it was found in the kitchen. Normally, the kitchen manager would definitely have nagged a bit, but today there was an ancestor sitting in the east wing.
All the palace servants in Xianfu Palace wanted to make a good impression on His Highness the Crown Prince, and Consort Xu was no exception. She gazed at the window of the east wing, and when she noticed the corner of a bright yellow robe flashing past inside, Consort Xu's once handsome face was now completely twisted and grotesque.
Her hand swept across the table.
Xu Changzai swept everything off the table, but that didn't quell her anger. She cursed Noble Lady Nara angrily: "What an idiot! A useless thing! She can't even keep an eye on her own son! Instead of taking the Crown Prince to her own room, she took him to the east wing! Bah!"
If only the Ninth Prince were hers!
I will definitely use the Ninth Prince to win over the Crown Prince, and then use the Crown Prince to make the Emperor's attention focus entirely on me.
The thought of such a future filled her with excitement.
The only pity was that she had tried several times but failed to win over the Ninth Prince. Indeed, this child… only her own would do. Consort Xu stroked her belly, a glint of shrewdness in her eyes. She lowered her head and pondered for a moment, then asked the palace servants, “Do you think that prescription… will it really work?”
The palace maids shook their heads.
Their voices were soft: "This servant is foolish and truly, truly does not know."
Xu Changzai rolled his eyes.
What utterly useless people! How come she's surrounded by such lowly individuals? Thinking back to what she overheard yesterday—that Consort Tong was using the fertility tonic that Consort Wuya was drinking—Xu Changzai was incredibly excited. If she could conceive, she was certain she could rise to the top of the tree and become a favored concubine in the harem.
At that time, let alone a mere Wan Changzai.
Even Consort Nala and Consort Xuan had to obediently follow her orders.
While Xu Chang was lost in his fantasies, Wan Anran was incredibly busy.
With the stove and pot ready, she instructed Haitao to find the old pestle and mortar. What was the point of using a pestle and mortar with milk and sugar? Not only were Baocheng and Wanfu puzzled, but Zisu and the others were also confused: "What are you doing, Young Master?"
"Make milk tea."
"...That's not how milk tea is made!" Wan Fu immediately objected. As a knowledgeable young prince, he naturally knew how Mongolian milk tea was made. Wan Fu counted on his fingers, "It uses green brick tea instead of black tea, it uses ghee instead of honey, and it has to have salt instead of sugar..."
He really knows a lot about food at such a young age.
Wan Anran glanced sideways, then reached out and pressed Wan Fu's head down: "Don't worry, I guarantee that His Highness the Crown Prince and the Ninth Prince will be satisfied!"
No one can resist the allure of milk tea!
After instructing Zisu to use long tongs to stir the charcoal fire until it burned brighter, Wan Anran poured the sugar into a small pot. The sugar gradually turned golden brown in the pot, and once it melted into a smooth amber syrup, she poured in the milk along the edge of the pot, then added tea leaves and simmered it.
The remaining step is crucial.
Wan Anran vigorously crushed the tea leaves with a pestle, the steam rising from the small pot turning her cheeks red. She continued crushing until the milk soup remained unchanged in color and boiled vigorously before stopping.
She wiped the sweat from her forehead: "All done!"
A sweet aroma filled the hall. If Wan Fu had been somewhat skeptical before, he was now completely convinced. He eagerly moved closer, only to be pulled away by Wan Anran: "Be careful not to burn yourself!"
An empty bowl of orange peel was brought out.
Skim off the foam, then filter out the tea leaves, leaving behind delicious milk tea. Zisu carefully pours the sweet milk tea into a white porcelain bowl, which Haitao then presents to the table with both hands.
Wan Anran picked up a bowl and blew on it.
Milk has a higher boiling point than water, and the bowl was scalding hot. Ignoring Wan Fu's urging, she waited until it was warm to the touch before presenting it to His Highness the Crown Prince.
Of course, the second bowl was soon served to Wan Fu.
Wan Anran cautioned, "Be careful, it'll burn you."
Wan Fu nodded absentmindedly.
He couldn't wait to take a sip. The sweetness of the milk and the fragrance of the tea combined perfectly. It was a completely different flavor from salty milk tea, yet just as delicious. Wan Fu's eyes lit up: "Delicious! So delicious!"
He gulped down the whole bowl, then turned his drooling gaze to the jar, looking like a greedy cat who wished he could drink it all in one go!
The crown prince on the other side appeared much more refined.
No… he hadn’t even drunk any. The little eunuch beside him stared intently at the milk tea bowl in front of him. He picked up a spoon, scooped up a spoonful of milk tea, and cautiously put it into his mouth.
Wan Anran found it strange.
So there really are eunuchs who test poison? After a moment, the eunuch nodded: "Your Highness, this can be used."
...If it couldn't be used, the Ninth Prince would have already died.
Wan Anran, having nothing better to do, simply lowered his head and looked at Bao Cheng: "Your Highness, why don't you try it?"
Bao Cheng nodded.
This was something he had never tried before. Bao Xiang sniffed the aroma of milk tea like a wary little puppy. The familiar milk and tea leaves blended together, but it turned into an unfamiliar taste.
He then picked up a spoon and took a small sip. Unlike the salty and rich Mongolian milk tea, which was slightly cloying after drinking too much, the perfect sweetness and fragrant tea flavor spread throughout his mouth. Bao Cheng licked his lips and took another sip, then another.
After a long pause, he finally uttered a two-word comment: "Delicious."
This is such a huge bucket of milk tea!
Wan Anran enthusiastically recommended, "Keep drinking, there's plenty more!"
She then turned to Wan Fu: "Are you satisfied now? Can you tell me what happened?"
Wan Fu coughed once.
His gaze darted left and right. If his brother, the Crown Prince, weren't around, he could still talk. But how could he talk when his brother was here? Wan Fu's face was flushed, but little did he know that the more he acted this way, the happier Wan Anran became.
This was the first time Bao Cheng had ever seen it.
The harmonious atmosphere made him feel a little envious—Wan Fu not only had his biological mother to take care of him, but also the gentle Consort Xuan and the playful Consort Wan, making him much luckier than himself.
Wan Anran noticed the disappointment in the Crown Prince's eyes.
She let the stammering Wan Fu off the hook for the time being, and smiled gently at the Crown Prince: "Speaking of which, has Your Highness ever tried fried chicken?"
What can relieve worries? Milk tea and fried chicken, of course.
Before Bao Cheng could even react, Wan Fu cheered, "Great! Fried chicken! Prince, you have to try it, it's super delicious!"
As Wan Anran instructed the palace servants to do it, she proudly put her hands on her hips and said, "And compared to last time, I have a new magic weapon this time!"
That's cheese!
Wan Fu's eyes sparkled as she chattered on and on about how delicious fried chicken was to the bewildered Crown Prince, repeatedly saying, "Once you've tasted it, Crown Prince, you'll never forget how delicious it is."
That's quite an exaggeration, isn't it?
Prince Bao Cheng, who believed he had eaten all the best things in the palace, hesitated to speak, but after looking at the soft milk tea in his hand, he still revealed a hint of anticipation.
Perhaps there really are some delicious foods that I've never tried before?
Wan Anran instructed the kitchen to start preparing the ingredients for fried chicken, while she also planned to make the cheese herself.
The ingredients for making cheese are very simple.
All you need are two things: milk and white vinegar. It's so simple it's almost unbelievable, even more so than the milk tea we just had. Hearing that our young mistress only used these two things to make it, Hai Tao and the other two were all a little shocked.
Fortunately, Wan Anran has not failed yet.
Even though they were feeling uneasy, Hai Tao and the others prepared the materials as quickly as possible.
Wan Anran washed her hands first.
She meticulously washed her hands with scented soap, paying special attention to cleaning every inch under her fingernails before officially beginning her cheese-making project. Seeing the Crown Prince and Wan Fu's puzzled looks, Wan Anran also took the opportunity to promote good hygiene habits: "Doing things with dirty fingers is terrible; it would be bad if you swallowed all that dirt. Imagine if I hadn't washed my hands, and the dust and sweat on my hands got into your stomachs… what if I had just picked my nose—"
Before Wan Anran could finish speaking...
Bao Cheng and Wan Fu both showed expressions of disgust.
Those who were raised with such pampering felt a chill run down their spines just thinking about it, especially the Crown Prince. He even started to think about having the palace servants around him do things properly before they did anything, in case something like that really got mixed in. Bao Cheng felt that he would have to vomit up all the food he ate the night before.
After intimidating the two young princes, Wan Anran turned her attention to the pot.
It's the same small pot used for brewing milk tea.
Pour the milk into the pot again and heat it slowly. However, unlike last time when it needed to be heated continuously, this time I only felt it was slightly warm before lifting the pot and sticking my finger in to test it.
Slightly warm but not hot is the right temperature. Wan Anran poured in the white vinegar while stirring the milk carefully.
Bao Cheng and Wan Fu huddled together to observe.
Before long, they saw the milk curdle into large clumps, while what remained was a pale milky liquid. The separated cheese then had to be thoroughly cleaned of whey by hand, and in the end, only a fist-sized piece of cheese remained from a large pot of milk.
Next comes kneading...
Wan Anran wiped the sweat from her brow. Haitao and Zisu stepped forward, both wanting to take over the remaining work. Surprisingly, Wan Changzai ignored them and turned her gaze to Baocheng and Wan Fu: "Your Highness, Ninth Prince, would you like to give it a try?"
Bao Cheng and Wan Fu were both taken aback.
They pointed to themselves: "Should we let the young master come?"
This is the first time ever.
Before Bao Cheng and Wan Fu could speak again, the palace servants behind the Crown Prince became anxious. The plump-looking wet nurse, Madam Tu, was the first to darken her face and sternly rebuke, "How dare you! How could you, Consort Wan, allow His Highness the Crown Prince to make a move?"
No sooner had she finished speaking than Crown Prince Bao Cheng eagerly stepped forward. He rolled up his sleeves, ready to try: "Good! Tell me quickly, Wan Chang, what should I do?!"
"Your Highness, you've cheated!"
"It's clearly Wan Fu who's been too busy!"
Wan Anran then acted as the referee, stopping the two.
She tore the cheese apart and rolled it into two small balls, placing them in two basins of warm water: "Alright, alright—you two stop arguing, you'll each get some!"
The three of them burst into laughter and playful banter.
The more fun they had, the more distorted the expressions of the palace servants around them became. Especially Granny Tu, who, watching the little prince whom she cherished so dearly, actually start kneading cheese according to Consort Wan's instructions, clutched her chest and looked like she was about to faint on the spot.
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