Chapter 19
Hotpot?
Skewers?
The Fifth Prince looked bewildered. In the palace, meals were always planned in advance, and such things had never appeared before.
What is this?
He could understand the names, but he had never tasted them before.
"Thank you, Wei Zheng, for relaying the message."
The Fifth Prince thought to himself and followed closely behind Wei Zheng with a serious expression on his young face.
Throughout the journey, he worried.
His sister had said that the Tianqi Dynasty would decline in less than three years under the new ruler.
Lately, even in the study room, his tutor had been talking about flooding and the loss of farmland. The tutor had also mentioned the issue of refugees.
Money was needed everywhere now.
The Tianqi Dynasty already had hidden risks of collapse.
How could the Emperor still have the leisure to fuss over food, indulging in luxury and waste?
The Fifth Prince's face showed some displeasure, but as soon as he entered the Chonghua Palace, he heard his sister's babbling voice and involuntarily stopped in his tracks.
[Wow, fried mushrooms are delicious! Draw cross-shaped cuts on the back of the thick mushroom, deep-fry it in oil, and when you take a bite, it's soft, juicy, and locks in the flavor. Add cumin powder, salt...]
[Deep-fried cabbage is also excellent. The high temperature completely removes the original earthy smell of the vegetable, leaving only sweetness...]
[Fried chicken fillet is even more amazing. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, with the oil encapsulated within. It's tender and not dry, fresh and not salty. After eating that, have another skewer of fried rice cakes, with sweet sauce coating...]
All of the Fifth Prince's complaints vanished in an instant.
So, it was his sister who came up with the idea of skewers.
It turned out they were all inexpensive things like mushrooms, cabbage, and rice cakes that ordinary families could afford.
As he stepped into the Chonghua Palace, a warm smile appeared on his face.
"Your Majesty, the Fifth Prince has arrived," Wei Zheng relayed with a smile.
In a side hall of the Chonghua Palace, Emperor Xiao Yunzhou, at this moment, lifted up the sleeves of his dragon-patterned robe. In his left hand, he held a skewer, and in his right hand, a bottle of cumin, which he sprinkled onto the skewer.
Upon hearing the news, he looked towards the entrance.
At first glance, Xiao Yunzhou was also taken aback.
Though he was not particularly close to his children, he did pay attention to his own offspring.
The Fifth Prince, Cheng Qian, had always worn a stern expression since childhood, as if others owed him money.
As the revered ruler, Xiao Yunzhou naturally disliked seeing people in such a mood.
So, he rarely invited his fifth son to have a meal, to avoid indigestion.
But unexpectedly, today Cheng Qian walked in with such a conspicuous smile, which made Xiao Yunzhou pleasantly surprised!
"Cheng Qian, come here quickly! Father personally seasoned the skewers. Have a taste."
At this moment, Xiao Yunzhou was like a lapdog.
There was no other choice. His youngest son suddenly showed a pleasant demeanor, and the contrast before and after made Xiao Yunzhou find it somewhat rare!
Moreover, this filial son had saved him, the Emperor, last night in the Qianqing Palace when the ground dragon flipped.
Compared to the third prince, who would become a wasteful new ruler in the future, Cheng Qian was much better.
Xiao Yunzhou had Wei Zheng serve his son, ensuring his hands were clean, and then urged him to sit down while handing him a skewer of grilled squid tentacles.
"This one has a chewy texture. Your mother doesn't like it, but Father finds it quite good. Have a taste."
Concubine Liu, who was beside them, was currently enjoying the fried chicken wings wrapped in salted egg yolk powder.
It was savory, crispy, and tender. When you took a bite, it burst with juice.
Xiao Yunzhou handed over a plate of well-prepared fried chicken wings to her and said, "You've just finished your confinement period, so don't eat anything too heavy in flavor."
The Fifth Prince, Cheng Qian, was greatly shocked by what he saw.
It had only been a day since he last saw his mother sitting beside the emperor, eating the fried skewers he had served?
"Wow, the emperor father is so considerate to the empress mother. I'm so envious!"
"Even though he loves eating chicken wings himself, he still gives them to the empress mother!"
Xiao Yunzhou's face showed a hint of delight.
Previously, people had flattered him, but it was always insincere.
Where else could he receive such immediate praise? Whatever he did, there was instant feedback in the form of compliments.
He didn't realize that he now resembled a mischievous child.
One compliment and he would go crazy with excitement.
The more he was praised, the more motivated he became.
However, there was nothing he could do about it. He had been proclaimed the crown prince at the age of three, and the late emperor had been strict with him. Three grand tutors were appointed to educate him.
The Four Books and Five Classics, equestrian archery, and governing the country—the grand tutors demanded strictness and rarely praised him.
The late emperor and the empress dowager both hoped that he would stand on his own. If he played around even slightly, he would be reprimanded at the time.
After he ascended the throne at the age of fifteen, he was scolded by the empress dowager for indulging in pleasure during a winter hunt. He was forced to write a self-critical edict.
When he took over the government, he allowed the empress dowager to enjoy her retirement, but the ministers and imperial censors became zealous, always criticizing him for everything he did wrong.
Even when he didn't want to choose concubines or enter the harem, they would bring up the ancestors to lecture him!
The imperial censors had never sent a single memorial praising him as a good emperor. It was always about what he did wrong!
Xiao Yunzhou had truly never heard such timely "praise" in many years.
"Wow, Emperor Father is amazing! The cumin is evenly sprinkled, and his gestures are elegant. I'm drooling!"
"Help, I want to eat too~~~"
Xiao Yunzhou immediately grinned, placed the fried skewers in his son's and Concubine Liu's bowls, and then wiped his hands clean to pick up his darling daughter.
"Chu Chu, when you grow up, Father will also make fried skewers for you to eat."
"You can eat as much as you want, and Father will prepare them for you."
Little Xiao Chu Chu immediately opened her toothless mouth, and drool flowed out.
Fifth Prince Cheng Qian glanced at his mother and quickly put a fragrant fried squid into his mouth.
Father really heard his little sister's thoughts!
Could their whole family hear each other?
*
In Kunning Palace,
The Empress was checking the Crown Prince's homework. "Your father has been supervised by the late emperor since he was young, excelling in both literature and martial arts."
"That's why you should also listen to the guidance of the teachers in the study. When the teacher tells you to read an article once, you should read it three times."
"Your father would be pleased to know, you know?"
The Crown Prince nodded.
His father had grown up like this, so naturally, he would also demand strictness from his son.
But while they were talking, a palace maid came in and whispered into the Empress's ear.
After a while, the Empress was both surprised and delighted.
"Consort Gui has been punished for her religious cultivation? Senior Minister Fucha has also been reprimanded?"
She couldn't hide her joy.
Consort Gui and her mother's family were the biggest obstacles to the Crown Prince's ascension.
Consort Gui and the Fucha clan, this was great news!
But the palace maid quickly leaned in and whispered something in her ear, causing the Empress to be shocked and angry.
"Liu has been promoted to Concubine Liu?"
Promoted two ranks at once?
"The Fifth Prince and Concubine Liu are dining with the emperor?"
She had visited the emperor last night when he was injured, but he didn't see her because he was recuperating!
"Does the Emperor know about the incident where Concubine Liu was harmed by the nanny?"
The Empress's face paled.
She had not informed the Emperor about the incident of Concubine Liu almost falling ill.
The Emperor had been extremely busy lately, and she enjoyed seeing the women in the harem with children suffer.
It didn't matter afterwards, so she naturally didn't mention it to the Emperor.
Now, the Empress was anxious.
The next words from the palace maid made her expression even worse.
"The Emperor just issued an edict, stating that Consort Liu and Concubine Liu are to accompany the Winter Festival in Qiu Mountain."
*
Liu Mansion in the Capital City.
Madam Liu and Lord Liu received the news that their daughter and granddaughter were to accompany the Winter Festival out of the palace.
This news was delivered to Liu Mansion when Pang Rusong left the palace.
"Why did the Fifth Prince befriend the imperial guards? What if the Emperor becomes suspicious? This is too careless," Lord Liu said cautiously.
Lord Liu was more cautious.
But Madam Liu's heart was pounding.
She grabbed her husband's arm and said, "Husband, take me with you to Qiu Mountain. The families of officials can rest at the foot of Qiu Mountain. Even the Lady of the neighboring Jingzhao Mansion has gone before."
"Madam, we are different. Our grandchild is an imperial prince, and our Liu family is a close relative. It's better to be cautious," Lord Liu disagreed.
But Madam Liu insisted. She wanted to see her granddaughter again.
Her granddaughter was more adorable than ordinary babies and carried the sign of a fairy's rebirth.
Since that night of the nanny incident, Madam Liu had been dreaming of the tragic fate of the Liu family as described by her granddaughter.
Her daughter was going to be buried!
Neither her granddaughter nor grandson survived!
The entire Liu family was going to be destroyed.
She didn't care about being a close relative or the Emperor's suspicions.
Ah, the current Emperor would be buried in three years!
"Husband, this time I must go. Our granddaughter and daughter have finally left the palace. Let me have a distant look," Madam Liu pleaded.
Lord Liu couldn't resist his wife's persistence and could only agree.
On the day of the Winter Festival, the officials gathered in front of the Chongyang Gate for the morning court.
Then they each boarded their carriages and horses to accompany the Emperor to Qiu Mountain Temple.
From a distance, when Lord Liu was about to board a rented carriage at the intersection of Chongyang Gate, he heard a childish voice as if it sounded in front of him.
["Huh? Is that my grandfather?"]
Lord Liu shivered.
He turned his head suddenly and looked ahead.
["Oh my, Grandfather is also handsome. His figure is well-preserved and hasn't changed.
It's a pity that during the reign of the Emperor's father, Grandfather experienced three demotions and was considered foolish and useless by the Emperor's father. As a result, when the new Emperor ascended the throne, the Liu family was accused of seven crimes and exiled three thousand miles away for military service. There were hardly any ministers who spoke up for the Liu family."]
The usually cautious Lord Liu: "?"