NFBE Chapter 541 Xie Jingxian: He bit her fingertip
Chapter 541 Xie Jingxian: He bit her fingertip
Shen Qingyan smiled and opened the food box, revealing plates of exquisite pastries inside.
"These are the osmanthus pastries that I sent before. Your Majesty tasted one the other day and said you liked them very much. So I thought I'd make some more and send them over."
As she spoke, she opened the lacquer box, and a warm, sweet fragrance of osmanthus wafted out.
The pale yellow pastries are neatly arranged on a white porcelain plate, the crust slightly raised, and decorated with dried osmanthus flowers, making them look exquisite and charming.
Upon seeing this, Consort Liang's eyes lit up.
She immediately picked up a piece of osmanthus pastry and took a small bite.
The delicate, crispy texture melted on her tongue, the fragrance of osmanthus intertwined with a hint of honey, making her squint her eyes slightly, her expression one of great satisfaction.
After finishing her meal, she looked at Shen Qingyan with admiration in her voice.
"How can my sister's osmanthus pastries be so delicious? They're even better than those made in the imperial kitchen. They're sweet but not cloying; they're truly exceptional."
She chuckled and teased, "Did you perhaps steal a recipe from the imperial kitchen and modify it yourself?"
Shen Qingyan blushed slightly, "Your Majesty, I dare not tamper with the recipes from the Imperial Kitchen. I have loved learning these things since I was a child. If I can win Your Majesty's favor through this, then even the hardship is worthwhile."
Consort Liang nodded and continued to savor the osmanthus pastry in her hand, in a very good mood.
Shen Qingyan glanced at her, "If Your Majesty likes it, that's wonderful. I just wonder if His Majesty would like it if he tasted it..."
Before she could finish speaking, Consort Liang frowned.
Shen Qingyan sensed that Consort Liang suspected her of vying for the Emperor's favor, and immediately added, "If His Majesty tastes this pastry in Your Highness's palace and finds it delicious and interesting, he might come here often."
Upon hearing this, Consort Liang's expression indeed softened somewhat.
"You're quite observant."
Recently, the Emperor has been frequently visiting the Empress's palace. The Empress is old and faded, and I don't know what methods she used to keep the Emperor there.
Consort Liang's face showed a hint of disdain, but also a hidden resentment.
In the years since she entered the palace, she has been confident in her beauty and cunning, but the emperor's favor towards her has grown increasingly cold, and he has not visited her palace for several days.
These words made her suddenly realize something.
She had been in the palace for so long that the emperor had lost interest in her.
If one could employ some clever and unique ideas, wouldn't that be just the right way to win back the Emperor's favor?
Consort Liang pondered for a moment, then her smile deepened. "You're right. Osmanthus cake may not be a delicacy, but the way it's made is unique and the taste is excellent. If His Majesty were to try it, he might really remember it."
She turned to Shen Qingyan and said, "Write down this prescription and give it to me."
Li House.
"How about it?"
Li Sheng, who was sitting to the side, couldn't sit still any longer. She moved her stool closer to him and leaned over to look at him.
Xie Jing flipped through the letter in his hand, and after a moment looked up, smiling as he said, "Everything went smoothly."
Li Sheng's eyes lit up immediately, and he clasped his hands together and looked up, saying, "God bless me!"
The atmosphere relaxed, and she turned her head, picked up the freshly cut apple pieces from the plate, and looked playful.
"Try this, I peeled it myself."
Xie Jing looked at her smiling face, which was like the soft clouds on the horizon tinged with the glow of sunset.
He didn't refuse and leaned closer.
Li Sheng held the apple close to his lips, and he obediently opened his mouth and took a bite.
But then, a warm sensation came through Li Sheng's fingertips, like a sudden electric current, rushing up his spine.
Xie Jing actually bit her fingertip!
Li Sheng's eyes widened, and she stood there stunned.
Her face flushed red.
Xie Jing was also stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting that he would actually bite into it.
He quickly released her grip, and Li Sheng quickly withdrew her fingers as well. She quietly shrank back, trying to hide the uncontrollable flutter in her heart.
But Xie Jing kept staring at her, making her feel hot even when she breathed.
"I...I'm sleepy..."
She suddenly whispered, her voice so soft it sounded like a cat's meow, but she dared not look at Xie Jing's face again.
Before she finished speaking, she had already stood up and was practically fleeing outside.
Xie Jing watched her hurried departure and chuckled softly.
The next day, at Qiyun Palace.
"Consort Li." Consort Liang raised her eyes to look at Shen Qingyan, who was standing respectfully not far away, her tone tinged with doubt.
"I made this osmanthus pastry according to the recipe you wrote yesterday, but the taste is still a little off. Do you know why?"
Shen Qingyan took the osmanthus pastry, took a bite, chewed for a moment, and then her brows furrowed slightly.
"It's definitely different."
After a moment's thought, she said, "I think it might be a problem with the osmanthus."
Consort Liang raised an eyebrow, "Osmanthus?"
Shen Qingyan respectfully explained, "When I made this pastry, I used dried osmanthus flowers that I brought from home. The osmanthus trees in my home are of a different variety than those in the palace, and their fragrance is slightly lighter and sweeter. The osmanthus pastry I made for Your Majesty yesterday was also made with dried osmanthus flowers that I brought from home."
"The Empress used osmanthus from the palace, which may be why the taste is different."
Consort Liang seemed to be thinking about what she heard, took another small bite, and nodded.
"The aroma is indeed rather weak."
Shen Qingyan smiled softly, "If Your Majesty doesn't mind, I still have some osmanthus flowers left from home. I can send them over and ask the kitchen to try again. I'm sure they can make the same flavor that I presented yesterday."
Consort Liang nodded slightly.
In the evening, Shen Qingyan ordered someone to send a small jar of osmanthus flowers to Qiyun Palace, and Consort Liang immediately ordered the small kitchen to make them again according to the recipe.
By the time the pastries came out of the oven, it was already late at night.
Consort Liang was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly, praising, "This is exactly the taste from yesterday."
She took a satisfied sip of tea and then ate a piece of osmanthus pastry.
I find the osmanthus pastry to be more and more unique in its aroma, soft and chewy in the mouth, and sweet but not greasy.
It has a unique flavor compared to the unchanging desserts made in the imperial kitchen.
A glint flashed in her eyes, and she immediately gave instructions to the maid beside her.
"Go and invite the Emperor over for dinner. Tell him that I have some new desserts today and I would like him to try them."
"Yes."
As the eunuch left to carry out his orders, Shen Qingyan stood to the side, her eyes lowered, her lips curving into a subtle smile.
An hour later, at Qiyun Palace.
"The Emperor has arrived——"
Consort Liang immediately rose to greet her, her demeanor elegant and graceful, and she bowed respectfully before the steps.
"I, my concubine, see you, Your Majesty."
Li Wuyang, sitting in a wheelchair, was slowly pushed into the hall by his personal guards. "Rise."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Consort Liang rose gracefully. "I heard that Your Majesty has been busy with imperial duties recently, so I specially made some osmanthus pastries for Your Majesty to try."
Soon, a plate of osmanthus pastries was placed on the wooden table in front of the two of them.
Li Wuyang glanced down, and his personal eunuch Xiao Fuzi immediately stepped forward, picked up a piece of osmanthus pastry from the plate, and tested it with a silver needle.
A moment later, the personal eunuch bowed and reported: "Your Majesty, the pastries are not poisonous."
Li Wuyang nodded and reached out to take a piece, placing it to his lips.
Consort Liang's gaze sharpened slightly as she watched his reaction with a smile.
Li Wuyang took a small bite. "This taste is indeed different from what I've had before."