roccoschili Chapter 707 The Childhood Sweetheart Used as a Shield (17)
Chapter 707 The Childhood Sweetheart Used as a Shield (17)
In the small kitchen, Liu Xu watched as Princess Rongxiang busily made pastries.
She quickly understood what the county princess wanted to do, hesitated for a moment, and still couldn't help but say tactfully:
"Princess, aren't these two desserts a little too... a little too ordinary?"
After all, it was meant to be a gift for the Emperor, so it was intended as a token of gratitude.
Mu Zhou knew that this "thank you gift" was somewhat inappropriate.
She smiled shyly:
"But I don't know how to make many dishes; these two are my best."
Finally, she consoled herself:
"The Emperor is the Son of Heaven, so naturally he lacks nothing; his heart is the most important thing."
She made two desserts.
One dish was a fairly common sesame paste from the capital, but she added extra yam and mung beans.
Another dish was plum blossom cake, which was also a common pastry in the palace.
After finishing, she carried the food box and took the willow catkins to the Emperor's study.
Since the emperor is not currently in power, the Qinjian Hall, which is usually used to summon ministers, has never been put into use.
The emperor usually either leaves the palace or stays in his study.
Upon seeing Mu Zhou, Huang Qing immediately went to greet him.
He had already received word that the county princess had personally prepared pastries for the emperor.
Upon seeing someone, one naturally smiles respectfully and obsequiously.
"Princess, please come in."
"Thank you, Steward Huang."
"Oh, I don't deserve it. This is what a servant should do."
Huang Qing smiled and closed the door.
A faint fragrance of incense wafted through the study, like bamboo in spring, soothing and refreshing.
Mu Zhou explained his purpose and expressed his gratitude for the Emperor's grace.
Su Youbai glanced at the two utterly ordinary desserts on the table, his voice calm:
"Is this all you're going to do to me?"
Despite the tone not being questioning or reprimanding, Mu Zhou inexplicably felt a strong sense of oppression.
Her voice immediately softened, and she could only admit her mistake:
"Your Majesty, my skills are not good."
Su Youbai saw her cautious and trembling appearance and pursed his lips into a thin line.
Are you that afraid of him?
After being sick, I became more timid.
Remembering that the imperial physician had said she was restless and depressed, he didn't try to frighten her further.
"I will ask for your gift of gratitude another day."
Mu Zhou hadn't expected him to be so insistent on the gift, so he had no choice but to agree:
"Your subject will do her utmost."
Su Youbai raised his eyes and stared intently at her, his voice clear and cold:
Just remember that.
His narrow, phoenix-shaped eyes were cold and aloof, yet inappropriately tinged with a strong sense of aggression.
Mu Zhou only caught a glimpse of it for a moment, and in a panic, she quickly lowered her eyes:
"This humble woman must return to recite scriptures and dare not disturb Your Majesty. This humble woman takes her leave."
She bowed and hurriedly left.
As soon as she left, Su Youbai lowered his eyes and looked at the two plates of pastries.
He didn't usually like sweet things, but today he just happened to be a little hungry.
He picked up the bowl of black sesame paste with a nonchalant expression, scooped a spoonful, and put it to his mouth.
Instantly, the sweet and rich aroma of sesame spreads in your mouth.
He frowned uncomfortably.
After swallowing, I used a second spoonful.
Huang Qing was stunned when she saw it as soon as she entered.
Didn't the Emperor dislike these foods? How could he have eaten them all, bite after bite?
But if he doesn't love, he's the emperor, so who can force him?
Huang Qing quietly retreated a little further away, feeling even more respect for this young lady of the Mu family.
*
The chanting of scriptures that Mu Zhou mentioned was not the same as the suffering he had endured in the small Buddhist hall before.
During the few days she was ill, the small Buddhist hall caught fire due to the negligence of the palace servants and has now been reduced to ashes.
Mu Zhou only needs to recite scriptures and pray for blessings at his residence.
In addition, the Empress Dowager has finally recovered and has too many things to do to think about her, so she has been having a much better time lately.
As the year draws to a close, the constant border wars, coupled with Qin Yansi's sudden betrayal, have plunged the palace and the entire capital into a deathly atmosphere.
There was no festive atmosphere at all during the Chinese New Year.
On this day, as usual, Mu Zhou went to clean the palace after praying and chanting sutras.
As I came out of Yanchu Palace, I suddenly saw a tall guard standing in front of the gate, staring blankly at the three characters "Yanchu Palace" above the gate.
Mu Zhou stopped in his tracks, about to dodge, but stopped after seeing the other person's face clearly.
The man was tall and imposing, but had delicate and fair features, and his captivating peach blossom eyes were alluring even when he wasn't smiling.
It instantly overlapped with someone from my memory.
Mu Zhou exclaimed joyfully:
"Feng Huaiwang?"
When Feng Huaiwang saw someone come out, he immediately turned to the side, bowed his head, and bowed. Upon hearing the familiar voice, he suddenly looked up, his eyes instantly lighting up:
"Mu Zhou?"
Mu Zhou's maternal grandfather was from Hezhou and was a neighbor of Feng Huaiwang's family. When she was a child, she often played with Feng Huaiwang's family because they were the same age.
At that time, Feng Huaiwang took her to explore almost the entire city of Hezhou.
However, after his maternal grandfather passed away, Mu Zhou rarely went to Hezhou, and they never saw each other again.
Unexpectedly, we met again in the palace.
Feng Huaiwang had also heard about Mu Zhou's plight.
He only knew that her fiancé, Qin Yansi, had betrayed the country, so he figured she wasn't doing too well.
Seeing her with only a wooden hairpin in her hair made me even more heartbroken.
He pulled a small cloth bag from his pocket, which contained gold ingots:
"I don't have much on me, so please take these and don't mind them."
Mu Zhou naturally didn't want it, but he couldn't persuade him otherwise.
He was naturally strong; once he gripped Mu Zhou's wrist, she couldn't move at all, and in the end, she had no choice but to accept it.
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it. The friendship we had when we were kids will always remain. If you want to live well in this palace, there are many places where you need money."
At this point, his face darkened, as if he were recalling something painful.
Mu Zhou recalled the way he had looked lost in thought when he was looking at the "Yan Chu Palace" and asked out of curiosity.
Only then did they learn that Feng Huaiwang's aunt had entered the palace through the imperial concubine selection and became a concubine of the late emperor, but was later abandoned in this Yanchu Palace due to falling out of favor.
The life of a concubine who was not favored was difficult, but fortunately she had brought a lot of money with her when she entered the palace, so she managed to get through it for a while.
However, the Feng family was not in the capital, so their influence was limited. In the end, all their wealth was gone, and they died of illness in the winter.
After Feng Huaiwang finished speaking, he noticed the heavy atmosphere and said:
"Let's not talk about this anymore. When I get back, I'll have a familiar eunuch send you some valuables to keep you safe."
Before Mu Zhou could refuse, he said:
"Don't refuse. Just think of it as me making up for the regret that I couldn't do anything for my aunt back then."
Seeing his reaction, Mu Zhou could only nod and look at him gratefully.
"Feng Huaiwang, thank you."
The two walked side by side down the long street, and Feng Huaiwang said:
"Oh, right, I'm going to the border."
He never intended to stay in the emperor's presence forever, and now that he had the opportunity, he naturally wanted to go into battle and fight.
Mu Zhou was naturally aware of these things.
Her eyes flickered slightly, and her tone became much sadder:
“Even now, I still find it hard to believe that Brother Qin would betray his country when so many of his family members died at the hands of those people on the border, who were all his enemies.”
Feng Huaiwang also sighed and offered her a few words of comfort.
Mu Zhou seemed lost in memories, recounting their past in fits and starts.