The little eunuch took me to the royal study where the Emperor was sitting inside drinking tea. He looked content. I respectfully greeted him.
“Slave Song Qiran greets the Emperor!”
After the Emperor said to rise, I stood quietly and waited for him to speak.
“Song did live up to my expectations. The matter was done perfectly. I am pleased. From now on, I will appoint you as the minister of management of the kitchen and reward you one hundred liangs of silver. Song, I admire you very much, so I will hand over the matters of the kitchen to you. There is no room for any mistakes. Are you clear?”
While the Emperor was talking, the cheerful expression on his face suddenly disappeared, and he changed it back to his usual solemn and stern demeanor. He also gave me an elusive and thoughtful look.
“Thanks to the Emperor’s reward, I will certainly live up to his highness’s expectations and will do my best to manage the kitchen.”
I don’t know what the Emperor is up to, but his words must not be taken lightly. Is it because he knows my identity? Master said that Prince Dayan has changed a bit recently. Does he suspect me…
I don’t dare conjecture but respectfully received the decree.
After that, the Emperor said something to me. When I walked out of the royal study, it was already dark and a bright moon was hanging on the horizon.
Looking at the full moon, I suddenly remembered the words that had been sent to the princess before I left, so I rushed back to the Yihua hall quickly.
“Having just been called by the Emperor for such a long time, the princess must be too impatient to wait for me. Will she have fallen asleep?”
I was restless. My feet seemed to step on the wind and returned to the palace. However, I did not see the shadow of the princess. Even Yuan was not there. I went to the bedroom and found that she was not there either.
“So late, where is the princess? Won’t she go out in a fit of pique because she waited too long for me???”
Where can she go? Thinking about all the places she could’ve gone, I began to search all over the Yihua Hall.
Until I walked to the garden behind the palace, I found the princess lying on the stone table, sleeping soundly, with the moon cakes and some tea I had made placed on the table.
Yuan was standing by and saw me coming. When she was about to wake up the princess, I made a gesture of hiss to let her know not disturb the princess.
Yuan is the princess’s most trusted maid. The princess and I interacted intentionally or unintentionally these days. She saw with her eyes and knew in her heart, so she stepped down knowingly.
I walked quietly to the princess, took off my robe, gently covered her body, and then gently said to her:
“It’s cold, why don’t you go back to your bedroom if you want to sleep, how come Yuan didn’t give you something to cover? Sleeping like this will make you sick.”
The princess heard someone talking to her and covered her with a blanket. So she thought it was Yuan, but slowly opened her eyes and found it was Song Qiran.
“Qiran, when did you come back… am I dreaming?”
She rubbed her eyes and looked at me sleepily.
“I’m sorry, Zhen’er. The Emperor ordered me to go to the royal study, so I delayed some time and kept you waiting. Are you feeling sleepy?”
I sat down next to her, gently stroked her face with my hand, and smoothed a few strands of hair on her forehead.
“Qiran, why did he ask you to go?” readonyuritranslations
“The Emperor summoned to say his opinion of the state banquet. He is very satisfied with me and has appointed me the minister of management of the kitchen. He wants me to take charge of the kitchen!”
I have to say that I am overjoyed in my heart. I feel that my talent has been affirmed by the Emperor and I finally have a place to use it.
But after I said it, she showed a worried look, as if she had something on her mind, lost in thought.
“Zhen, Zhen ~” I shook her lightly before she reacted.
“Aren’t you happy for me?” I asked her to pout my little face.
“Your dream has finally come true. How can I not be happy for you? It’s just, Qiran … … This palace is too complicated. Now you have to be more cautious.”
Since I entered the palace, she has always told me to be careful of the people and things in the palace. Although I don’t understand why, I know she won’t harm me.
“My dearest princess, I know you are the best and most concerned about me, and I will listen to you obediently ~”
“Qiran, actually I…” She seemed to have something to say to me, but she hesitated.
I cocked my head and looked at her doubtfully. What was she thinking in this tangled way?
“What’s wrong with you?”
“I… I’m hungry, let’s eat quickly, you have kept me waiting for so long, Yuan, bring up the hot pot, hurry up.”
She did not answer my question but intentionally changed the subject. I vaguely felt that she was hiding something, but she didn’t want to say it, so I couldn’t ask any more. Since it is something she wants to say, she will naturally say it when the right time comes.
“Princess, the moon is full and bright tonight. It would be nice to see the moon like this every year.”
I took a bite of the moon cake while I was talking, and my own cake was really the best to eat ~
She listened to me finish this sentence, stunned for a moment, then looked into my eyes and asked:
“Qiran, do you trust me?”
I nodded with great certainty. She smiled at me, took a small bite of the moon cake, and then leaned gently against my arms.
I looked at the full moon in the sky, very beautiful and bright, but I always felt as if there was something missing. It was the sky lantern!
I said to the girl in my arms:
“Princess, it seems that we haven’t let off the sky lantern together. The common people all want to put sky lanterns on the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The lights of every family are bright, and the sky lanterns that repose their good wishes fly to the sky together, just like the stars all over the sky. The scene can be very spectacular. What’s more, I heard that the higher and farther the sky lantern is, the more likely it is to realize their wish.”
“Really? Then let’s put one together.”
After saying this, she called Yuan and ordered her to get a sky lantern.
We lit the sky lantern together and made a wish while the sky lantern was released. So tacitly, we don’t let each other say what the wishes are, because we all know that these wishes are always good.
On such a quiet night, we leaned together and looked at the slowly flying sky lantern. On a quiet day, we can be with who we love. What can we ask for?
Zhen, there are so many waves in the world, how dare I guess what you think? Answer: The relationship between you and me, only one word 「Trust」.
Three days later, according to the appointed time, I delivered the steak just prepared from the kitchen to the Purple Smoke Palace.
But as soon as I entered the Purple Smoke Palace, the maid-in-waiting told me that Imperial concubine Lifei was enjoying the autumn scenery in the Imperial Garden at this time, and asked me to go to her.
I walked to the Imperial Garden with my basket and saw her swinging under the parasol tree.
It was autumn, and the leaves of the parasol tree were golden, accompanied by pieces of fallen leaves like butterflies. She was dressed in blue and purple light gauze and swayed gently on the swing like an enchanting and moving blue demon Ji. Against the backdrop of the golden phoenix tree leaves, she was even more dazzling, gorgeous and moving.
“Are you here?” She knew it was me without turning back.
“How does the Imperial concubine know it’s me?” I wonder how she knew.
“Because… I smell the delicious beef ~”
Then she turned to show an enchanting beautiful smile, came down from the swing, and walked slowly towards my direction.
At this time, I only dared to bury my head low and did not dare to look at her, for fear that I would lose my form in front of her.
When she came over, she lightly took the basket in my hand and waved one hand in front of me. readonyuritranslations
“Lord Song, why are you so nervous? I won’t eat you.” Then she laughed, like a string of bells, then went to the pavilion over there.
I quickly followed her.
When she arrived at the pavilion, she couldn’t wait to open the food box. There was not a bit of her usual appearance as an Imperial concubine.
“It smells good, eh, is this?”
She pointed to a white glazed pot and goblet in the food box, then asked me.
“Answering the Imperial concubine, this is the best wine that I presented together to thank the Imperial concubine. The cup beside it is called Bordeaux Glass. Some people also call it goblet because of its form. It is very important to drink wine.”
“Oh ~ goblet? Interesting name, how to drink this wine?”
Looking at her curiosity, I took out a goblet and poured some wine on the edge. The wine is as crystal clear as purple gems in the sun, and its taste is mellow and rich with fruit aroma.
Then I began to slowly say: “Wine needs to be tasted. To taste wine, there are five steps: sobering up, observing color, shaking, smelling, and finally tasting.”
“It turns out that this wine is not so easy to drink, so how do you sober up, observe, shake, smell, and taste?” She held her chin in her hand and looked at me attentively.
“The sobering up means that the wine should have a static sobering-up time of 15 minutes to 3 hours after opening the bottle. During this period, the aroma and taste of the wine will change differently. After sobering up, pour 1/3 or half cup into the glass. Then look at the color again. When tasting red wine, you should first watch its color change. The ruby-like crystal is the best. If you appreciate the color change through the light, neither too deep nor too dark is top grade. In particular, it is not allowed to penetrate any impurities.
About shaking, also known as “accelerating sobering up”, aims to accelerate oxygen into the wine and release the fragrance of the sleeping red wine. Smelling fragrance means that after the air enters the red wine and combines with alcohol, the fragrance can be smelled, and the fragrance will also change with time.
The last is tasting. After drinking wine, you should use your taste buds to feel the taste at the first bite and let the taste fill all around your mouth and swallow it slowly. At this time, you will feel four wonderful tastes: sweet, sour, astringent, and aftertaste. A good wine will last for a long time~ “
This large section I said was completely learned and sold now. I just learned it from the foreign envoys who paid tribute to wine. I didn’t think it was still useful to strike while the iron was hot.
“I didn’t expect you to know about wine tasting. You are truly the minister in charge of the kitchen.”
She chuckled, then picked up the goblet I had just poured, practiced the wine tasting method I taught her, and slowly delivered some wine to mouth.
“Indeed, good wine. After drinking, I still feel lips and teeth have lingering fragrance, mouth still overflowing with some faint fruit aroma. Song is so knowledgeable and good at cooking. In the future, the woman you marry will be lucky ~”
Then, she slowly clipped a piece of steak into her mouth, chewing.
“The Imperial concubine is joking. I am only a mere chef in charge of the kitchen. Who can match the Imperial concubine in terms of blessings? The Emperor dotes on the Imperial concubine in all ways.”
When she heard me say this, there was a little sadness in her eyes
“Is it really all in one? Since he is the Emperor, his heart is only his kingdom. I can’t get his heart, even if I can get him?”
I heard her say these words, and must have some displeasure towards the Emperor. So I tried to comfort her:
“Imperial concubine also don’t have to worry. The Emperor rules the kingdom. Naturally, the kingdom has many important matters to deal with. In normal days, the Emperor dotes on the Imperial concubine and his feelings for the Imperial concubine can all be seen by the ministers.”
“Lord Song, do you believe in promises and life?”
I don’t know why she suddenly asked about this, but I replied firmly:
“I believe it.”
She picked up a falling leaf, stared at the leaf, and said slowly:
“I believe it too. I only hope he will not abandon me.”
Then she stood up slowly from her position, as if ready to leave.
“Lord song, please go back quickly. Don’t let the princess wait any longer. Today’s conversation with Song is very pleasant. I will go back first.” Then she gave me a charming smile and left.
How can this person be so strange, the last second is a dejected look, the next second showed such a smile.
Why did she ask me these strange questions?
However, it’s late now. It’s time to return to Yihua Hall. I don’t know if the princess will be angry again because she couldn’t find me.
While thinking about the conversation with Li just now, I walked slowly towards the direction of Yihua Hall.
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