roccoschili Chapter 15 Osmanthus Duck Soup
Chapter 15 Osmanthus Duck Soup
Chapter 15 Osmanthus Duck Soup
From the Qiandi to the palace, Xin Changzai has always maintained a middle position, neither relying on Hua Fei nor being respectful to the Queen.
Why can't the queen tolerate herself and her children?
"Liuxiang, change a cup of Jasmine Longjing tea for Xin Changzai. Drinking it can soothe the mind." When Concubine Hua saw Xin Changzai's reaction, she knew that she believed her.
"No need to bother with the fragrance." Xin Changzai stood up from the chair and knelt in front of Hua Fei. "Your Highness Hua Fei, what you did today is to save Linglong. Linglong is my life. I am willing to repay you with my life."
Hua Fei stepped down from the main seat and Fu Xin Changzai stood up.
"I also discovered this by chance when I met Linglong. This is also Linglong's blessing."
"I have done many wrong things in the past relying on my mother's family. I have bullied my sister in the past, but she has never blamed me. This is my way of making up for it."
"What are you saying, Your Majesty? In the past, I followed Concubine Qi, but Your Majesty never treated me harshly. A few days ago, Your Majesty even asked the Emperor to visit me. I remember all this in my heart."
Coincidentally, Songzhi also came back from Suiyuxuan, holding a bamboo rabbit and a colorful windmill.
When Concubine Hua saw this, she thought Songzhi had returned at a very timely moment, and ordered Songzhi to go to the small kitchen to prepare some osmanthus chestnut cake and egg custard soufflé, put them in a food box, and hand it to the palace maid behind Xin Changzai.
"This is the windmill and rabbit that I promised to make for Linglong. Please give them to Linglong."
When Xin Changzai saw the prepared things, she realized that Concubine Hua had put a lot of effort into it and she thanked her repeatedly.
"You can take this sachet back. If you don't believe me and Jiang Cheng, you can ask a trusted imperial physician for clarification." Hua Fei stuffed the sachet to Xin Changzai, "There is one more thing. I heard that you had a miscarriage. The road to Changchun Palace is well paved. How could you fall down just like that?"
Concubine Hua was going to let Concubine Xin investigate the matter herself. Concubine Hua was afraid that Concubine Xin only believed 70% of what she said. As for the remaining 30%, Concubine Hua was going to make Xin confirm it.
"Your Highness, what are you saying? Your Highness saved Linglong, so I believe in you. But if I take this sachet back, I believe it will help me find the hidden ghost in Changchun Palace."
Xin Chang was already somewhat suspicious, but after hearing Hua Fei speak so frankly, she believed it a little more.
After seeing off Concubine Xin, Concubine Hua was very happy.
A matter that had been on his mind for many days was accidentally resolved today, and now he had won over Concubine Xin. There was one less rival and one more friend in the palace.
Very beautiful.
When Concubine Hua was happy, she ordered Songzhi to use the osmanthus flowers picked today to make some osmanthus cake and osmanthus roasted lamb.
Songzhi felt that the heat in autumn was high and the queen should eat some warming food, so she coaxed Concubine Hua to replace the roast lamb with osmanthus duck soup.
Concubine Hua agreed, and Songzhi ordered the small kitchen to prepare it.
In the past, Concubine Hua cared about winning favor and beauty, and Songzhi devoted herself to studying which flower juice would be the most beautiful to wash hands with, and which rouge color would best suit Concubine Hua's skin tone.
Nowadays, although Concubine Hua cares about her own beauty, she doesn’t care much about the emperor.
Instead, he resumed his old hobbies of eating, drinking and reading storybooks in the Nian Mansion.
Then Songzhi went to eat.
Songzhi asked Zhou Ninghai to collect various medicinal food books, recipes, and dietary therapy from outside the palace. When Songzhi was not on duty at night, she would study each book carefully in her room.
At lunch, Concubine Hua drank three bowls of old duck soup in a row. When she was about to get the fourth bowl, she remembered the rule of the Forbidden City, "no more than three chopsticks of food". She put down the bowl dejectedly, feeling it was so boring.
Songzhi picked up the small bowl and served Hua Fei another bowl of soup. She whispered to Hua Fei, "My lady, this bowl is small. Two bowls are equal to one large bowl. My lady hasn't even finished three bowls yet."
Concubine Hua felt that Songzhi understood her, so she took the bowl and tasted it carefully, then pulled Songzhi to sit down and eat with her.
It tastes better if eaten together.
After Hua Fei finished her meal, she asked Liuxiang to bring two plates of osmanthus cake and a casserole of osmanthus duck soup to Sui Yuxuan as a reward for Xiao Yunzi making toys for Linglong in the morning.
Inside Broken Jade Pavilion.
Because of her recent illness, Zhen Huan was out of favor and was neglected by the Imperial Household Department and the Imperial Kitchen.
The things sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs were either missing something or something, and the meals sent by the Imperial Kitchen were even more sloppy.
Zhen Huan was thinking that her position was not high enough and she could not open a small kitchen on her own and use her own money to subsidize the palace servants.
Concubine Hua sent a lot of silver charcoal and cloth today, which is enough for the palace servants to make winter clothes.
Now the Ministry of Internal Affairs has neglected Sui Yuxuan, perhaps because it is winter and silver charcoal is even harder to find.
Concubine Hua is making preparations for Zhen Huan.
Originally, Zhen Huan thought that this was an unexpected reward for Xiao Yunzi's dexterity.
But now, the food box held by Liuxiang exuded the fragrance of osmanthus. Zhen Huan looked at the food box and understood that Concubine Hua was trying to make friends with her.
It is fresh and interesting to use food instead of money.
"Thank you for your help, Liuzhu, reward."
"I dare not accept the young lady's reward. Before I left, the madam instructed that the young lady is now being neglected and has a hard time. I cannot accept the young lady's reward. When I go back, the madam Hua will reward me."
Zhen Huan felt warm at heart when she heard Liu Xiang's words. Concubine Hua really put her heart into it.
Liuzhu still gave a few taels of silver to Liuxiang.
"It's just a few taels of silver. I can still get by now. Please thank Empress Hua for me. When I recover, I will go to Yikun Palace to express my gratitude in person."
Liuxiang did not refuse, she accepted the silver and bowed: "Thank you for the reward, young lady. My queen said that although she does not have the power to assist in managing the six palaces now, as a concubine, it is her duty to take care of the young ladies in the palaces. I just hope that the young lady will get better soon."
Zhen Huan ordered Liuzhu to send Liuxiang out.
Jinxi took out osmanthus cake and old duck soup from the food box.
"This sweet-scented osmanthus duck soup is still warm. Can I serve you a bowl?"
Zhen Huan also leaned in to smell it. The scent of osmanthus mixed with the aroma of duck meat suppressed the peculiar fishy smell of the duck itself. Zhen Huan couldn't help but feel hungry.
"The cooking skills of the small kitchen in Yikun Palace are indeed excellent."
Zhen Huan took the small bowl and tasted it. It was indeed delicious. After drinking a bowl of old duck soup and eating a few pieces of osmanthus cake, Jin Xi helped Zhen Huan take a nap.
The remaining food was shared among Liuzhu, Huanbi and Xiaoyunzi.
Kang Luhai and his two apprentices went somewhere unknown, and when they came back, only the soup base of the old duck soup was left, and there were only four pieces of osmanthus cakes.
Kang Luhai was very angry. He was the eunuch in charge of Suiyuxuan. The good things rewarded by his master should have been kept for himself first. He did not expect that they were all divided up and only the crumbs were left for him to eat.
Kang Luhai also found out that Concubine Hua had only sent someone to deliver a few pieces of cloth for the servants and a few baskets of silver charcoal today. It was obvious that these were rewards for Xiao Yunzi.
Kang Luhai originally thought that Concubine Hua valued Concubine Wan, but now it seems that she was purely rewarding Xiao Yunzi. Looking at the cold old duck soup, his mind became more active.
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A lot of osmanthus flowers were picked from the Yikun Palace.
In addition to making osmanthus cakes, Concubine Hua also instructed Songzhi to brew several jars of osmanthus wine and bury them under the trees in Yiku Palace, waiting to be opened and tasted next year.
Xin Changzai returned to the palace and studied the sachet carefully. The sachet was indeed the one that Linglong wore every day. After Hua Fei took it away, she returned it to her without touching it and did not do anything else.
She also recalled in detail the places she went and the people she met on the day she had her miscarriage.
Finally, Chang Xin's gaze fell on the bonsai pots placed outside her palace.
Xin Changzai walked out of the hall and took a closer look. She found that the pebbles on the dwarf pine bonsai were newly laid recently, and there was only a thin layer of moss.