Chapter 230: Mung Bean Cake
Chapter 230: Mung Bean Cake
Due to the rain, the afternoon classes were shortened.
The young masters were dismissed from their lessons shortly after the hour of the Monkey.
Master Shen slowly gathered his teaching materials, contemplating whether to stay at the mansion if the roads were muddy from the rain or return home and buy a delicious roast chicken along the way.
There was a new shop in the capital that had recently opened. It wasn't large and didn't have a prominent reputation, but Master Shen had tasted their roast chicken before and found it quite delectable.
If he could return home today, he planned to buy one... or perhaps two, considering the large number of children in the household, all of whom had a penchant for tasty treats.
However, chicken was warm in nature, and roast chicken could easily cause excessive internal heat in the body, so his wife wouldn't approve of the children indulging in it too often. Thus, he had to exercise some restraint in his purchases.
Being a grandfather wasn't an easy task!
Humming a leisurely tune, Master Shen took his time packing up.
Meanwhile, the young masters of the Wang Manor couldn't contain their excitement and rushed their attendants to gather their belongings so they could dash towards the main courtyard.
Among them, Feng Xuanrui was the fastest.
To avoid the rain, he had to navigate through the winding corridors of the mansion, which were not only lengthy but also slippery due to the wet weather, making it easy to lose one's footing.
Therefore, he controlled his speed but not his volume as he shouted, "Sister, I'm here!"
Feng Xuanbin, with his short legs, tried to keep up but soon realized he couldn't match his brother's pace and gave up.
However, his small stature didn't hinder the volume of his voice as he shouted, "Sister, Seventh Brother is here too!"
...
With these two young masters' enthusiastic announcements, almost everyone in the Wang Manor became aware that the young masters had finished their lessons for the day.
In one of the chambers, Princess Qi was listening to Sui'an as she shared about the letters she wanted to send to her older sisters and brothers. She sought her mother's help in reviewing the content to ensure it was appropriate.
Although Sui'an was thoughtful for her age, there were times when her young mind might not consider all aspects thoroughly. Thus, she wanted her mother's guidance to ensure her letters were well-phrased.
While Sui'an dictated the content, Shen Huatong wrote the letters. However, despite Shen Huatong's best efforts to keep the language simple and pure, she would occasionally embellish certain words unconsciously.
As a result...
Sui'an listened as Huatong read the letter aloud, but there were some words that she didn't understand, leaving her with a perplexed expression.
Princess Qi couldn't resist the adorable bewilderment on her daughter's face and scooped her up, giving her a loving squeeze before settling her in her lap.
Shen Huatong also realized that her slight embellishments had altered the initial pure and simple meaning of some phrases, making her feel a bit embarrassed.
However, Princess Qi didn't mind. After all, these were just letters between siblings, and there was no need for formality or excessive scrutiny. As long as the children understood each other, that was what mattered.
Sun Ronglin and Lian Ruoyi, being children of officials' families, had received early education and initiation into literature. Therefore, while Sui'an might not comprehend Shen Huatong's embellishments, Sun Ronglin and Lian Ruoyi surely would.
With that assurance, Princess Qi didn't need to worry.
Seeing Sui'an snuggled in her lap, hesitant to emerge, Princess Qi gently patted her, a fond smile on her face.
She had only patted her daughter a couple of times when Feng Xuanrui's voice rang out in the courtyard, "Sister, I'm here!"
The loud proclamation startled Princess Qi, and she couldn't help but find it amusing as a group of damp-haired young masters rushed into the chamber. Feng Xuanrui was the quickest to react. He deftly grabbed a nearby cloth to wipe himself down, ensuring he didn't bring too much moisture into the room. He paused at the doorway for a moment to let the excess water vapor dissipate before stepping inside.
The others followed his example.
Princess Qi's heart warmed at the sight of their eagerness to see their sister.
The Qi King soaked in a medicinal bath before going to bed.
After all, with his delicate health, he needed to take good care of himself, and he might even be a little reclusive.
The Queen of Qi was in no hurry to disturb him.
Why bother him? Was she going to compete with him for their precious child?
The young masters had attended an hour-long class, and they were all tired and hungry.
Although they hadn't exerted themselves physically, mental exertion was still tiring.
Feng Xuanrui touched Suisui's hair affectionately and gave his sister a quick hug before crying out, "Mother, I'm hungry! I'm starving!"
As soon as he started complaining, Feng Xuanbin joined in.
The others were a bit older and felt too embarrassed to complain about their hunger.
However, a few years ago, they would have been just as vocal as the younger boys.
Thinking about this made them feel a little embarrassed.
Today's dessert was a bean cake, made by steaming green beans and red beans together and adding some spices.
The resulting cake had a subtle flavor but an incredibly soft and fluffy texture.
In addition, there were also sugared plums and cherry dried fruits.
The tea was made with a base of warming black tea, but it was brewed very lightly to retain only a hint of the tea's aroma. Honey, jujubes, osmanthus flowers, and crushed peach pits and peanuts were added to the tea, creating a delightful mix of flavors and textures.
Suisui loved drinking this concoction.
With all the snacks, one cup was usually enough for her.
Of course, if she was feeling particularly greedy, she could always eat a couple of dried cherries or plums.
However, the cherries were fresh, and she especially loved those.
Watching Suisui eat until her cheeks were round and puffy, the Queen of Qi couldn't help but smile softly.
She wondered if the rain today would bring about a significant number of ripe cherries in the cherry grove tomorrow.
However, after what had happened last time, she dared not mention anything about eating cherries again.
She was truly afraid that they might all ripen overnight again!
Once or twice could be considered a good omen, but if it happened too often, she really wouldn't be able to explain it!
In the depths of the palace, the Empress Dowager was also pondering this matter.
If the Queen of Qi could notice it, how could the Empress Dowager, with all the investigative resources of the Emperor, not figure out what was going on?
Moreover, the Queen of Qi had recently made a trip to Lanruo Temple, claiming that she was fulfilling a vow she had made during a previous visit to pray for blessings.
However, the Empress Dowager could guess that this trip was at least partly related to Suisui.
This child...
She was blessed with good fortune.
The heavens had bestowed riches and honor, but the Chen family and the Jinyang Marquis House had failed to grasp this opportunity. They simply didn't have the luck to hold on to it.
The fact that even the heavens seemed to despise them showed just how much they were disliked!
The Queen of Qi kept this secret to herself, and the Empress Dowager could understand her worries.
After all, even though the Qi King's household was wealthy, they still had to answer to the Emperor.
Thinking of this, the Empress Dowager shook her head helplessly and tightened her grip on her Buddhist prayer beads.
Her two sons...
One was too cunning, and the other was too simple.
This often made her wonder...
Had she not allocated their blessings properly when they were born?
But they weren't twins, and there was a significant age gap between them.
How could she have gotten it so wrong?
The Empress Dowager couldn't understand it and finally concluded: "The Emperor takes after me, and the Qi King takes after his father, the late Emperor."
The Emperor, who was being thought about by his mother, was currently listening to the Marquess of Huguo report on the progress of the charcoal briquettes.
The data on the briquettes had been compiled, and the Ministry of Works had already produced new samples.
They were now waiting to present them to the Emperor so that he could assess their effectiveness and make further decisions.
The Marquess of Huguo, who had previously agreed to the Qi King's request, was now in the palace and had to speak highly of the briquettes' importance and, of course...
The importance of the coal mines.
The second update will be at 7 pm.
(End of Chapter)
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