Chapter 26: Nonsense

Gu Yu came back when Song Jinning and Li Chengxuan were about to have dinner. She reported that Empress Dowager Song allowed Tong’an Furen and her daughter to come tomorrow.

What can Song Jinning do? She just asked someone to relay the message to Tong’an Furen. 

As for Gu Yu, although Song Jinning allowed her to go back and rest, she refused. After cleaning her hands, she helped prepare the meal.

When the food was ready, Gu Yu came over and told Li Chengxuan and Song Jinning that they were ready to eat. 

Li Chengxuan walked to the table and sat down. He looked at the dishes on the table, and as usual, he didn’t know most of them. 

He subconsciously looked at Zhou Jing.

Before, Zhou Jing would stand by the table and report the names of the dishes one by one, but Song Jinning did not do this, so Li Chengxuan’s eyes blackened with curiosity, as he didn’t know what the names of these dishes were…..

As for Zhou Jing, he was also embarrassed.

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Hbsw Kkdt: …

Even a restaurant outside would have auspicious or literary names for their food. This is the first time he has seen such straightforward names for a dish. 

So just now he actually didn’t make a mistake. 

Li Chengxuan was not as surprised as Zhou Jing.

He pointed at the Yuxiang shredded pork and asked Song Jinning: “There is fish in this dish? Why can’t zhen see it?” 

Only slices of shredded meat could be seen.

“How come?”

Song Jinning teased him, and said with a smile, “Chenqie asked someone to catch this fish from the pond in the Royal Garden. It was still alive and kicking when it was cooked.” 

Gu Yu and Bai Lu who were standing on the side looked at Song Jinning with shame. 

Your Highness, you can really make things up! 

Li Chengxuan already knows Song Jinning’s ability to talk nonsense, so when he saw the joking smile in her eyes, he knew that she was teasing him again.

All the fishes in the royal garden are koi, so how can they be used for eating? 

He ignored Song Jinning and stretched out his chopsticks to take a piece of Yuxiang Shredded Pork then placed it in his mouth. 

Although there is no fish in this dish, why does it taste like fish? 

It’s really fun to tease Li Chengxuan once in a while. 

He is the emperor after all, and if he wanted to, he can grant her death for deceiving him all the time. 

When Song Jinning thought about this, she felt that Li Chengxuan was a good man. 

Since this is the case, she will show him even more delicious foods! 

She asked, “Your Majesty, what do you think of the Yuxiang Shredded Pork?”

Li Chengxuan had already eaten several chopsticks of Yuxiang shredded pork. 

To be honest, this dish is sour and sweet, and it indeed has a peculiar taste that he has never tasted before.

But he refused to admit this, in case Song Jinning will tease him for being ignorant. 

“It’s fine.” 

Zhou Jing: …

Your Majesty, how come you don’t want to show your true feelings? 

If you really hate it, how come you have eaten so much Yuxiang shredded pork? Even a blind person can see that you like this dish, let alone the Empress? 

Don’t you hate the Empress teasing you? 

But to Zhou Jing’s surprise, Song Jinning didn’t tease Li Chengxuan. 

Song Jinning ignored Li Chengxuan’s statement, and instead told him that fish was not used in this dish, and its peculiar taste is because of various seasonings and sauces.

“Since your Majesty loves this taste, Chenqie will have someone make a Yuxiang eggplant⁸鱼香茄子 (Yú xiāng qiézi)- Yuxiang Eggplant. This is basically Yuxiang shredded pork but with eggplant instead of pork. dish when your majesty comes over next time.”

Eggplants can also have this taste? 

Li Chengxuan actually doesn’t like eggplant very much. To be more precise, he doesn’t like eating vegetables and usually prefers meat. But listening to Song Jinning’s words, he felt excited to try this Yuxiang eggplant.

At the same time, he noticed that Song Jinning likes to eat vegetables so much. 

After a pause, he couldn’t hold back, and asked, “Why do you always eat vegetables?”

Li Chengxuan has eaten with Song Jinning many times, and he noticed that she seemed to like vegetables more than meat. 

Song Jinning was eating winter melon and mushroom soup when she heard Li Chengxuan’s question. She replied: “No, chenqie eats both meat and vegetables. But maybe chenqie eats more vegetables than meat…”

Putting the spoon down, she raised her eyes to look at Li Chengxuan, with a rare expression of seriousness on her face. 

“The Huangdi Neijing⁹Esoteric Scripture of the Yellow Emperor. This is an ancient Chinese medical text that has been treated as the fundamental doctrinal source for Chinese medicine for more than two millennia. This book appeared in a previous chapter (if you noticed). says that to preserve the body’s qi, one must eat vegetables to replenish oneself. If a person only eats meat, how will she or he receive the nutrients she or he needs?” 

When Song Jinning entered the palace, she found that whether it was Li Chengxuan, Empress Dowager Song or Li Xiyan, the usual meals they ate only consisted of meat, with a rarity of vegetables. 

How can this work? If things go on like this, their health will definitely deteriorate.

Li Chengxuan refused to admit that he actually listened to Song Jinning’s advice in his heart.

Instead, he laughed and teased Song Jinning: “Zhen didn’t expect that you read medical books. Why? Does the empress want to be a Xinglin Master¹⁰杏林高手 (xìnglín gāoshǒu)- Xinglin Master. This refers to a person with outstanding medical skills in ancient chinese medicine. in the future?”

Xinglin master?

Song Jinning’s heart suddenly moved.

In fact, she has never been serious about medicine before. All her knowledge of medicine comes from books and what her father had told her. 

But now she is bored all day long, so it would be good for her to pursue a career in medicine.

First, she can use this to pass the time, and secondly, if she becomes a Xinglin Master, she will be able to take care of Empress Dowager Song and Li Xiyan’s health. 

As for help, there are so many imperial doctors in the imperial hospital, such as Liu Lanxi who is an excellent doctor. It would be a waste if he doesn’t teach her his ways.

Moreover, Liu Lanxi is so handsome that looking at him already makes you feel good. Song Jinning will definitely do better with such eye candy to look at. 

So besides making wine, Song Jinning found a new hobby for herself.

Li Chengxuan didn’t know that his unintentional words opened a new door for Song Jinning. Seeing her face suddenly show joy, he didn’t know what was going inside her mind. 

Li Chengxuan didn’t leave after the meal. Song Jinning understood that this was because he needed to put on a show again.

To Empress Dowager Song and the ministers. 

Although there are only a few masters living in the forbidden city, there are thousands of people serving them. 

Since there are so many people, if news reaches Empress Dowager Song and the ministers that Li Chengxuan left Weiyang Palace after dinner again, there will definitely be some problems. 

The harmony between the Emperor and Empress is important, so Song Jinning naturally cooperated with this.

Song Jinning slept in the bed and Li Chengxuan slept on the couch as usual.

The weather is gradually warming up, so the annoying mosquitoes have appeared again. 

Song Jinning puts a curtain down when she sleeps. Because this is the case, she feels separated and safe from Li Chengxuan. 

So she naturally didn’t feel the mosquitoes, and slept quite peacefully.

In the middle of the night she heard Li Chengxuan clapping his hands, but she didn’t bother to care. 

When she had breakfast with Li Chengxuan the next morning, she was surprised to see small red spots on his face and neck.

Your majesty, you should stay indoors more especially when you have white skin. 

Li Chengxuan has white skin, so the two small dots could be seen very well. Song Jinning then asked where the dots were from. 

Li Chengxuan didn’t want to admit that he was infested by mosquitoes last night, and didn’t sleep well at all. 

He just glanced at Song Jinning without speaking.

Song Jinning thought he was being rude.

This man didn’t even give her any face. 

So she didn’t bother to ask any more.

Zhou Jing, Gu Yu and Bai Lu who were standing on the side, heard Song Jinning’s question, and they all subconsciously looked at Li Chengxuan. 

After seeing the two red dots:……

How many traces are hidden underneath his majesty’s clothes? 

It seems that the battle between his majesty and the empress last night was fierce.

Gu Yu’s complexion was reddish. She was still unmarried, so this was definitely something she is shy about. 

Bai Lu had no expression on her face. Her face is permanently paralyzed and no matter what happens, she can keep a straight face. 

As for Zhou Jing, his face had a clear look.

Remember what he said about the husband who was dissatisfied with his new wife, but was later captured by his wife’s good cooking skills and the husband and wife spent a lifetime together?

Zhou Jing has already predicted Li Chengxuan and Song Jinning’s future when he saw Li Chengxuan eat an extra bowl of rice in Weiyang Palace. 

Song Jinning didn’t know that the imagination of these people could be so rich. After breakfast, Li Chengxuan went to court, and after clearing up, she went to Shoukang Palace.

Li Xiyan was also there. The two cousins ​​accompanied Empress Dowager Song for a while, before a maidservant came in to inform them that Tong’an Furen was there. 

Not only Tong’an Furen, but also her daughter, Song Jinfu. 

Song Jinning has already seen Song Jinfu twice and vaguely remembers some narratives about her in the book.

She is an arrogant girl, but her appearance is as bright as a lotus. Tong’an Furen sent her to the palace and Li Chengxuan gave her the rank of Zhaoyi¹¹昭儀 (zhāo yí)- An Imperial Concubine of the First Rank. In history, this rank is directly underneath the four consorts and the empress. for Empress Dowager Song’s sake. 

But Song Jinfu’s rank stopped at Zhaoyi, and it didn’t get any higher.

However, a girl from the Song family was already in the palace. This was Song Jinning who also had an arrogant temperament, but the difference was that Song Jinfu was a concubine, while Song Jinning was the Empress. 

Li Chengxuan’s inner palace was very rich. 

It’s a pity that after encountering Jiang Wanqiu, these concubines of his were like ice seeing the scorching sun, and they all melted and disappeared.

Thinking of this, Song Jinning felt sorry for Li Chengxuan.