TPNCQ CHAPTER 15
Torment
"Greetings, E'niang."
"Greetings, Chun Niangniang."
The three tuanzi greeted her politely and sat down in a circle.
Su Limo took out the food box and placed three bowls of black glutinous rice pumpkin milk pudding. Knowing that Sixth tuanzi (Sixth Prince) was too young to digest black rice, she had prepared a separate bowl without the black glutinous rice, but with two small pieces of steamed pumpkin.
The three little tuanzis looked at the four bowls of dessert on the table with both curiosity and confusion.
The novelty was that they had never tasted anything like this before, and the sweet aroma was simply irresistible. Their confusion stemmed from why there were four bowls.
Being the eldest, Third Prince immediately understood and smiled, "Save this bowl for Fourth Brother."
"The snacks made by Chun niangniang are really delicious," wage (frog brother) Yongqi said, his mouth full. Having enjoyed the snacks, he couldn't help but praise, After all, the snacks were truly delicious.
Su Limo, took a small spoon and fed Sixth tuanzi spoon by spoon, smiling as she said, "I'm glad you like it. This dessert isn't hard to make. Soak the black glutinous rice a day in advance, steam it and form it into balls in the early morning. Steam the pumpkin, mash it, and cook it with milk until thick, then put the black glutinous rice balls on top."
"It's delicious! Mother's cooking is the best," Sixth tuanzi exclaimed, stomping his little feet in delight, his hands waving excitedly.
Seeing the children enjoy their food made Su Limo feel a sense of accomplishment.
Fourth tuanzi, Yongcheng, though he was in the small study room revising his lessons, couldn't concentrate with the sounds of laughter and the faint aroma of food drifting in. He spent an hour in distraction, and when he heard that Chun niangniang had left, he dismissed the nanny, claiming he needed to change clothes in the sleeping quarters.
Seeing no suspicion from the nanny, Fourth tuanzi quickly returned to the sleeping quarters. As planned the previous day, they would meet in the sleeping quarters. Sure enough, as soon as he entered, he saw Third tuanzi waving him over. He rushed over, and the four brothers gathered in the sleeping quarters, chatting and laughing quietly as they watched Fourth tuanzi finish a bowl of black glutinous rice pumpkin milk pudding.
After enduring for an hour, the delicious food now in his mouth made Fourth tuanzi feel it was all worth it.
Chun niangniang's desserts, how could they be so delicious?
*
In the east wing of Yanxi Palace, shattered porcelain pieces were strewn across the floor.
Xiu Guiren sat on the brocade couch, tears streaming down her cheeks.
For the past half month, the Emperor had not set foot in Yanxi Palace again, as if everything from the previous month had been fleeting cloud.
In the palace, people always fawned on those in power and ignored those who fell from favor.
When she first became pregnant, everyone was eager to visit her daily, to the point where the threshold was nearly worn out. Now, after being reprimanded by the Empress Dowager, everyone avoided her as if she were a plague, fearing association.
Even the servants from the Internal Affairs Department dared to act insolent, either shorting her on charcoal or lacking necessary items. Requesting a new tea set met with endless delays and excuses.
Not to mention the Imperial Kitchen.. Last month, they delivered only the best dishes to her table. Now, forget about delicacies; she couldn't even see a bit of meat. Every day it was three or four plates of vegetarian dishes, as if they were feeding a beggar.
Even getting her prenatal medicine brewed was a struggle. They claimed that the medicines for the Empress in Changchun Palace were of utmost importance, and the soups for Jia Fei occupied two stoves, simmering for three or four hours without being moved. Yesterday, her chief maid Lianhua beside her went to the Imperial Kitchen three or four times in person, but despite the seventy or eighty stoves, they couldn't spare even one small stove for her.
If it was just a day or two, that would be one thing, but for half a month, she couldn't even get a bowl of warm prenatal medicine. Isn't this intentionally humiliating her?
They are all carrying the Emperor's dragon seed. Why should she be trampled upon like this?
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E'niang - Mother, The way imperial children address their mother other than Empress.
tuanzi - Dumpling, little dumplings, nickname for a child, way to address a child.