12dz Article 181 Family Members Request an Audience
Article 181 Family Members Request an Audience
The weather in May is getting hotter and hotter, as if it is the time when everything in the world is growing and flourishing. The sun is scorching, the trees are shady, and the insects and birds are chirping.
The garden of the Marquis of Pingxi's mansion is large and full of plants, making it a good place to enjoy flowers and scenery all year round. However, it is also a worry in the summer. There are many insects and birds. Cicadas chirp day and night on the branches, and mosquitoes buzz around everywhere.
On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the entire mansion was fumigated with mugwort and sprinkled with realgar powder to ward off insects and snakes.
As for the insects and birds in the trees, there was really nothing that could be done. The only option was to have a servant guard the garden and use a long pole to scare them away when they chirped, which brought a moment of peace.
Moreover, the garden is one thing, but if insects and birds land on the trees in the yard, it's even more of a nuisance.
Lü Qiao brought a basin of warm water into the dormitory to wipe Qin Yizhen's sweat, and then secretly brought over a bowl of chilled white fungus and lotus seed soup.
"Princess, this was made by Yinniang this morning. It's all chilled. I secretly brought it back. Please drink it quickly before Granny Gui finds out."
The Yinniang mentioned by Lü Qiao is named Chen Yinniang. She is a cook in her early twenties. Her master chef works in the kitchen of the Marquis of Pingxi's mansion and is the head chef. When she learned that Cheng Yan and Qin Yizhen wanted to select a cook to come to the inner courtyard, she was recommended to come.
As a woman, it was easier for her to enter and leave the inner quarters than for a man.
Chen Yinniang's cooking skills were not as good as her master's, but she was also very skilled at making dim sum and soups. Her dim sum was delicate, beautiful and delicious, and her soups were also excellent.
This white fungus and lotus seed soup is especially good; it's refreshingly sweet without being greasy. After chilling it for a while and drizzling it with her specially prepared osmanthus honey, the taste is simply divine.
Not only Qin Yizhen loved to eat it, but the maids in the courtyard also loved it and could often get half a bowl.
However, after Qin Yizhen ate it for two days in a row, Granny Gui had something to say. She felt that Qin Yizhen's body had not yet recovered and that she should not eat cold food every day, so she forbade her to eat it anymore.
Having lived a second life, Qin Yizhen felt somewhat guilty towards those around her, and thus became even more indulgent towards them. Now, they all seem to want to ascend to heaven.
Anshun's obedient Lüqiao became much more talkative, and Granny Gui also grew bolder, daring to interfere with her.
It's truly a sweet kind of trouble.
At this moment, Qin Yi was sitting on the couch by the window, enjoying the cool air. She was fanning herself with a round fan made of embroidered spring mountain, thinking about the things in her dream. As she thought, her brows furrowed slightly, and she fanned herself with the fan intermittently.
Upon hearing Lü Qiao's words, her eyes lit up, and a hint of joy appeared in them: "Quickly, bring it here."
Green Qiao quickly handed her a small celadon bowl and said with a smile, "Princess, please don't let Granny Gui find out. Otherwise, if she doesn't dare to give you a hard time, she'll definitely beat me up."
"I won't say anything, heaven, earth, you, and I will know, is that alright?" Qin Yizhen sipped her chilled white fungus and lotus seed soup, her eyes narrowed.
If you ask what makes people happiest in the summer, it's eating something cool and refreshing. A bowl of white fungus soup or a bowl of chilled yogurt can instantly lift one's spirits and dispel all worries and anxieties.
Sure enough, after eating two spoonfuls, Qin Yizhen felt much of the pent-up frustration in her heart dissipate.
"The osmanthus flowers are in bloom this autumn, so we need to ask Yinniang to make more osmanthus jam. We've almost finished the ones she made before."
It must be said that Chen Yinniang's osmanthus jam and rose jam are really delicious. Osmanthus jam and rose jam go well with desserts, and osmanthus jam is even better with white fungus soup, lotus seed soup, and bird's nest.
"Make it, make it, make it! If the princess likes it, then we should definitely make more. Yinniang also said to make some wine, like osmanthus wine, plum wine, lotus wine, and rose wine. She wants to make some of all of them."
"She still has some plum wine. When we eat crabs in a few days, the princess can have some."
"Mmm-hmm-hmm." Qin Yi was full of anticipation. Before, she didn't care much about food, after all, she was a princess and could eat whatever she wanted. But ever since Chen Yinniang came, in just a few days, she wanted to eat this and that.
This cook was absolutely the right choice.
Qin Yi was afraid that Granny Gui would find out, so she quickly finished the small bowl of lotus seed soup. Before Granny Gui came in, she took a sip of warm tea to rinse her mouth, pretending that nothing had happened.
A little while later, Granny Jin came in: "Princess, Aunt Cheng and Second Madam Cheng have arrived. Would you like to see them?"
After saying that, Granny Jin, fearing that Qin Yizhen might not know who they were, explained again: "Third Aunt Cheng is the wife of the Marquis's third uncle, and Second Aunt Cheng is also the Marquis's aunt."
Qin Yizhen frowned: "What are they here for? To act as intermediaries?"
Qin Yizhen had absolutely no good feelings towards the Cheng family. In all the years she had been married to Cheng Yan, she had never met any of them.
Granny Jin said, "They said that the anniversary of Lady Ming's death is approaching, and they asked how our household should hold the memorial service. The two of them also want to go and see."
Cheng Yan's birthday is in June, specifically on the eighth day of the sixth lunar month. This day is also the anniversary of the death of Lady Ming, the wife of the Ming Kingdom. In previous years, Cheng Yan would only celebrate his birthday with the Empress Dowager and his family by paying respects.
Granny Jin had served Empress Dowager Cheng for a long time and knew a bit about the Cheng family: "In the early years, when the Empress Dowager and Lady Ming were still in the village, they treated her quite well, and Second Sister Cheng and Lady Ming had a very good relationship."
Qin Yizhen understood. If it were any other member of the Cheng family, she wouldn't need to see them, and Granny Jin wouldn't need to report to her; she could simply send them away. But these two were indeed different.
"Have they always been in Qin Capital?"
"No, they should be in the county where the Cheng family is originally from. I just met them, and they seemed a bit reserved and fearful, not like people who are used to a life of luxury."
Qin Yizhen thought for a moment and said, "Then let them go back first. Tell them that I am tired today and am resting. Let them come again tomorrow. When the Marquis comes back later, I will ask him for his opinion."
Granny Jin smiled and said, "That's very good. Let the Marquis make the decision about the Cheng family. All the princess needs to do is stand by his side no matter what decision he makes."
Regarding the Cheng family's affairs, Lady Ming, Empress Dowager Cheng, and Cheng Yan are the victims. Therefore, whatever decisions they make—whether it's never seeing each other again or retaliating—it's all justified.
"I think so too." Qin Yizhen frowned slightly. "Actually, I don't like these people appearing either. He's been in a good mood these days, but their appearance reminds him of what the Cheng family did."
"By the way, how is Marquis Chengen? Is he dying yet?"
The root of all the misfortunes of Lady Mingguo and her two sons in their lives came from this man. If he had not abandoned his wife and remarried in order to climb the social ladder, none of the subsequent events would have occurred.
His later wife, Zhang, was vicious and deserving of death, and the Marquis of Chengen deserved to be torn to pieces.