Gluttonous Crown Princess - Chapter 29.2

“Sent by the Crown Prince…” Emperor Zhaokang recalled that there was indeed such a matter.

Since they were sent by the Crown Prince, he pondered for a moment, then picked up a pair of silver chopsticks and took a Qingtuan.

As the Qingtuan neared his lips, a subtle fragrance of mugwort wafted into his nose. With a gentle bite, the soft and chewy outer layer blended with the savoury and flavourful filling, delivering immense pleasure to his taste buds.

A hint of astonishment flickered in Emperor Zhaokang’s eyes. This was his first time tasting a savoury Qingtuan.

In his memory, Qingtuan were sweet and cloying, and just one bite would leave a sickeningly sweet aftertaste for a long time. However, the Qingtuan he was eating now was not only fragrant and refreshing, but also not in the least bit cloying. The pickled vegetables provided a balanced sour and salty taste that was just right, while the braised tofu was richly aromatic. Even if they were served separately, they would be excellent accompaniments to wine…

Seeing Emperor Zhaokang finish a Qingtuan the size of an infant’s fist in just a couple of bites, even Li Gui felt a little like having some.

“You’re saying the Crown Princess made these?” Emperor Zhaokang asked.

“Yes. His Highness the Crown Prince also mentioned that the Crown Princess made four different flavors—both sweet and savory, each with its unique taste. If Your Majesty is interested, you can try them all,” Li Gui replied.

Emperor Zhaokang let out a slow “Hmm,” then lifted his teacup and took a sip to moisten his throat.

Observing this, Li Gui wondered, Is His Majesty done eating already? He seemed to be enjoying the food just a moment ago.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, the next moment, Emperor Zhaokang picked up another Qingtuan, leisurely placing it in his mouth. This one had a red bean paste filling, and was fragrant and delicate, with a rich aroma of roses that spread across his palate.

Next, Emperor Zhaokang tasted one with bamboo shoot and pork filling, followed by another with sesame and peanut filling. Li Gui’s eyes widened as he watched, and he quickly advised, “Your Majesty, Qingtuan are made from glutinous rice. It may be hard on your digestion if you eat too many. Please take it easy.”

Having consumed four green rice balls, although he felt a bit reluctant to stop, Emperor Zhaokang knew that it wouldn’t be appropriate to continue.

Dabbing his lips with a handkerchief, Emperor Zhaokang instructed Li Gui, “Pack up the remaining four Qingtuan, and come with me to Fengyi Palace. ”

Li Gui was briefly dumbfounded, then realized Emperor Zhaokang’s intention. Qingtuan were often used for sacrificial offerings. Emperor Zhaokang wanted to offer them to the late Empress, so that her spirit in the heavens could also taste this delicacy.

However, what he didn’t know was that Fengyi Palace had already received these Qingtuan early in the morning.

Upon receiving the Qingtuan sent by the Crown Prince, Lan Momo couldn’t bear to eat them; instead, she placed them directly on the altar.

“My lady, according to the eunuch who delivered the Qingtuan, they were personally made by the Crown Princess. She truly is a thoughtful and virtuous wife. Even though you’re no longer with us, she still has us in her heart. It’s really quite commendable…”

Lan Momo carefully wiped the dark memorial tablet with her handkerchief, murmuring, “I’ve also heard people say that the Crown Princess is quite skilled. She has a talent for cooking and often prepares various delicious dishes for His Highness. With her by His Highness’s side, you can rest assured.”

As Lan Momo meticulously cleaned the altar, time seemed to slip away. Before she knew it, the announcement of the Emperor’s arrival reached her from outside.

Her wiping motion paused.

Without delay, she hastened to the front of the hall, turned the memorial tablet of the Eldest Prince around to ensure it was not visible from the front, then went outside to receive the Emperor.

“This servant pays respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy enduring prosperity.”

“Rise,” said Emperor Zhaokang nonchalantly, then strode towards the memorial hall. However, upon seeing the Qingtuan placed on the table for offerings, he was slightly taken aback and asked, “These Qingtuan…?”

Lan Momo hurriedly replied, “They were sent by the Crown Princess.”

Hearing this, Emperor Zhaokang’s brows lifted slightly, and he said in a deep voice, “She’s a thoughtful one.”

Lan Momo discreetly glanced at Emperor Zhaokang, then at the food container in Li Gui’s hand. Having known each other for many years, Li Gui exchanged a subtle look with her, and she immediately understood what was going on. She quietly stepped aside and stood silently.

After a moment of silence, Emperor Zhaokang issued an order, “Li Gui, I recall that some new decorative items have been delivered from Lingnan recently. There’s a bicolored agate flower vase depicting twin fish, which is quite exquisite. Retrieve it, and also select two pairs of pearl hair accessories, five bolts of silk brocade, and send them to the Crown Princess.”

Li Gui quickly acknowledged the command.

Emperor Zhaokang added, “You can all leave now. I’ll have a word with the Empress.”

Li Gui and Lan Momo withdrew, gently closing the door behind them.

Inside the memorial hall, sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a golden glow on the floor.

Emperor Zhaokang walked straight to the dark memorial tablet, reaching out to take it down. He gazed at it for a moment with an inscrutable expression, then tucked it into his robes and made his way toward the bedroom on the right.

Inside the bedroom, everything remained unchanged: the crane and cloud candleholders, the carved plum blossom screen with its purple rafters, the black wood bed adorned with gold-painted elephants and entwined branches, the brocade quilt featuring a motif of five bats holding auspicious clouds on a red background, and the bold red phoenix robes along with the exquisitely adorned phoenix crown that was on the quilt…

Everything was just as it had been on the day she had closed her eyes.

Emperor Zhaokang sat down on the side of the bed, holding the memorial tablet in his arms. His fingers gently traced the exquisite embroidery of the phoenix robes. He could still vividly remember the day she had worn this set of robes—how incredibly beautiful and captivating she had looked. At that moment, it seemed as though everything in the world had lost its colours.

“Yuanyuan, the daughter-in-law you selected for Yan’er is rather filial. She even knows how to honour you, to her mother-in-law.”

“Speaking of which, the Zhou family seems to be getting a bit carried away lately. Our son is doing well, yet they seem so eager for him to not recover… Yuanyuan, I’m considering recalling your elder brothers to Chang’an to keep the Zhou family in check. What do you think?”

“Mhm, I know you’re concerned about them. I promise you that I won’t harm them… Our Yan’er has grown up without even having met the members of the Gu family. At the very least, Gu Changming is Yan’er’s uncle—he should come back and assist Yan’er. Don’t you agree?”

Cradling the memorial tablet, he murmured to himself, speaking his thoughts aloud with a hint of infatuated madness in his eyes.

Outside, the sun shone brightly, but inside the hall, a chilling solitude was growing rapidly.

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