Although the Forbidden City is covered in snow at night, it is more luxurious than usual under the illumination of countless palace lanterns. Outside the imperial city not far away, ordinary people can only be illuminated by kerosene lamps the size of bean seedlings.

Even the bustling and busy streets during the day quickly deserted at night. Cadets of the curfew sergeants walked through the streets, met vendors who closed their stalls a little later, and gave them a whip and robbed them of what little they had earned from a hard day's work.

Only in the north of the city, where restaurants and brothels gather, are more lively than during the day. Dignitaries or wealthy businessmen squandered money, time, and body for a variety of purposes. Those dusty women, all of them are showing off their flowers, and they welcome each other, and in the candle shadow shaking red, they throw their delicate bodies into the arms of familiar or unfamiliar men.

At this time, the atmosphere of the Wenhua Hall is slightly different from these bright places. Although it is also a sumptuous feast full of red sleeves, and there are beautiful women with red sleeves, there are only two guests: Zhu Youzhen and Rui'er. All the other people were standing with their hands hanging down to the side, or serving the food like flowing water, and none of them dared to speak, which seemed quite depressed.

Zhu Youzhen looked at the table full of dishes, and his heart was worried. Oops, this dish is too hard! Roast suckling pig, steamed goose paws, roast duck, roast chicken, and many other big fish and meat that can't be named, but even a single leaf can't be seen. It's true that my brother is a carnivore, but don't put the meat of eight meals on it all at once! Besides, this atmosphere is too weird, the two of them are eating here, a bunch of people are watching from the side, and they don't say a word, the more they think about it, the more it looks like the Last Supper!

Seeing that Zhu Youzhen was stunned and didn't move his chopsticks, Guan Ning hurriedly said: "Lord Wang, Niangniang, I have already tried the bamboo sword and chrysanthemum sword for dinner just now, please use it!" ”

After all, Guan Ning is the eunuch officially appointed by the celebrant and Wei Zhongxian's godson, so Zhu Youzhen is not happy, and he wants to sell him some face. Just now, Guan Ning summoned all the eunuchs and palace maids and made a detailed division of duties. Unexpectedly, Zhu Jian and Ju Jian were arranged to taste the meal.

That is to say, no matter what kind of food it is, the prince must let the two of them try it before eating. If they eat it, the prince will eat it again. If they eat and have diarrhea, or even die with a whimper, then it will be regarded as a thunderstorm for the prince, and they can consider themselves unlucky.

Zhu Youzhen thought to himself that this rule is too cao, isn't the palace maid also a person, and she is such a delicate beauty, doing such a high-risk job, it is simply too unsympathetic. So he couldn't help but glance at Zhu Jian and Ju Jian sympathetically, and then glared at Guan Ning and said, "Father-in-law, this king's diet, why do you want these two palace maids to taste it first?" What should I do if I get dirty? Let this king pick up people's teeth, what does this mean? ”

Zhu Jian and Ju Jian didn't react, and thought that the prince was blaming himself, so they trembled in fright, and fell to the ground with a plop and begged: "The prince is gracious, spare the slave and maid!" ”

Guan Ning hurriedly smiled and said: "Lord Wang, let your subordinates try the meal, this is the rule left by Taizu, and it is also for the sake of the prince!" ”

Zhu Youzhen pretended to be angry and said, "That's not good!" I think the status of these two palace maids is too low, and I feel uncomfortable! It's better like this," he smiled maliciously, "Father-in-law, you are the leading eunuch, much higher than them, if you try it, this king will feel much more comfortable, hehehehe!" ”

Guan Ning was so frightened that she almost peed her pants. Wei Zhongxian sent him to ask him to spy on Zhu Youzhen, and he naturally knew that Wei Zhongxian had long wanted to kill Zhu Youzhen. In case the nine-thousand-year-old brain is hot, he really poisoned this meal, and the poison will not kill Zhu Youzhen, but he will be poisoned to death.

Guan Ning secretly scolded Zhu Youzhen in his heart, but he sneered and said: "Alas, my lord, there are no rules for eunuchs to try food in the palace, you just borrow the courage of the slave, and the slave will not dare!" You think, we eunuchs are all filthy fools, and the palace maids are different, right, hahaha. ”

Zhu Youzhen thought about it, Guan Ning bit me again, doesn't that mean kissing him, it's disgusting to think about it. And the bamboo sword and chrysanthemum sword, red lips and teeth, full of fragrance, she eats a bite, I take a bite, I eat a bite, she eats another bite, how ** does it feel!

He was thinking* when he heard Rui'er say, "You can't eat that." ”

Zhu Youzhen was stunned, and thought that Rui'er was jealous again. Sure enough, Rui'er said coldly: "The prince has just recovered from a serious illness, these diets are so greasy, how can the prince be able to restrain himself!" Just now, the prince also said that he wanted his concubine to cook some rice porridge to eat. Right, Lord? As he spoke, he couldn't stop glancing at Zhu Youzhen.

Zhu Youzhen wondered when I said I was going to drink porridge, but seeing Rui'er's expression, he knew that something was wrong, so he had to answer casually: "Ah... yes, that's it, I mean! ”

Guan Ning said with an embarrassed face: "If you go back to Niangniang, this dinner was passed by the Shangshan Supervisor, and there are regulations, and you can't control it unless you are a slave." ”

Rui'er smiled slightly: "This doesn't bother the father-in-law. Isn't there a stove in this Wenhua Palace? The palace can also cook, the father-in-law only needs to go to the Shangshan supervisor to get some ingredients, and the palace personally cooks porridge for the prince. ”

Guan Ning was startled, and hurriedly knelt down and said, "Niang Niang forgive your sins!" Since the establishment of Daming Foundation by Da Hong Wuye, there is no rule in the palace to let the princess cook by herself! If the mother cooks herself and lets the celebrant know, none of us who are slaves will survive! Besides, the pots and stoves in this hall are only used for cooking for us subordinates, how can the prince and the mother use these pots and stoves! Ask for mercy! ”

When he said this, the other eunuchs and palace maids were also so frightened that they knelt on the ground.

Rui'er was unmoved, and said with a sneer: "This is the prince's order, and the palace does not dare to disobey it." Since you are afraid of the celebrant and the celebrant, as long as you don't go out and talk nonsense, who can know to outsiders, is there still a way to report the news! Father-in-law, please send someone to fetch some rice and vegetables, the prince is hungry and waiting for the palace to cook! ”

Guan Ning saw that the princess's attitude was very resolute, knowing that she had encountered a hard stubble, she didn't dare to fight again, and said with a smile: "Since it is the order of the prince and the mother, the slave will do it." While urging the little eunuch beside him, he urged him one after another: "Go to Shangshan Prison!" ”

"Wait!" Rui'er called Guan Ning with a smile again, "Father-in-law Guan, I'm afraid that this little eunuch will be clumsy, and he won't be able to tell clearly when he arrives at Shangshan, so why bother Father-in-law Guan to run in person, how about it?" ”

Guan Ning secretly gritted his teeth, but he didn't dare to reply, so he had to answer and go to Shangshan Jian in person.

Zhu Youzhen watched Rui'er rectify Guan Ning, and was very relieved. But I didn't eat the dishes on the table, and I didn't know what Rui'er meant. I only listened to Rui'er's instructions: "The prince has an edict, today's dinner will be rewarded to everyone, and you can divide these dishes." I also hope that you will serve the prince well in the future, the prince is kind-hearted, and there are many rewards. ”

The eunuchs and palace maids who didn't know the truth cheered and knelt down to thank them. They are the lowest people in the palace, although there are also rules for diet, so that they will not eat bran vegetables, but compared with the standard of the prince, there is naturally a world of difference. On weekdays, after the master eats, he can also eat some leftovers, but like today, the prince didn't move a mouthful and gave them food directly, which is the first time in the world, so they all miss Zhu Youzhen and Rui'er.

After a short time, Guan Ning took a few little eunuchs, or carried rice noodles, or bundles of vegetables, and returned to the Wenhua Hall sweating profusely. Because I didn't know what the princess was going to cook, I simply brought some of each dish.

The eunuch in charge of Shangshan Jian was also puzzled, and joked with Guan Ning: "Father-in-law, they all say that the new official has three fires in office, and your fire is a bit evil, this is to move our Shangshan Supervisor to Wenhua Palace?" ”

"Shut up, old thing! You think I do! Our family is really fucking unlucky, how can we have two masters who are so difficult to serve! Guan Ning scolded hatefully.

Rui'er saw that the ingredients were delivered, so she didn't say more, went back to the house to change her clothes and came out, and went straight to the kitchen.

It turns out that there are stoves in each hall of the harem of the Forbidden City, but it is not all as Guan Ning said, it is specially for eunuchs and palace maids to cook, if the master wants to change the taste, he can naturally make some here. It's just that the vast majority of the main meals are still prepared from the Shangshan Supervisor and brought over by a special person in a food box.

Wenhua Hall originally did not belong to the harem, but since Zhu Youzhen moved here, a stove has also been added. But no matter what, there has never been a matter of the mother of the palace cooking herself. The other palace maids, including Mei Lan Zhuju and Yi Yi, all tried to stop the princess, but they were all reprimanded by Rui'er and withdrew from the kitchen in a gloomy manner.

After a while, the smell of food wafted out of the kitchen, and Zhu Youzhen couldn't help but feel refreshed. Immediately afterwards, Rui'er walked out with a tray in her hands and sent it to Zhu Youzhen's table.

Zhu Youzhen took a closer look, and it turned out to be a plate of vegetarian fried vegetables and a bowl of eight-treasure porridge, steaming hot. His gluttony was instantly aroused, and he picked up the bowl and devoured it, and soon swept it away, and shouted repeatedly: "Delicious, delicious, another bowl!" ”

It turned out that when Rui'er was still in the people, due to the loss of her mother at a young age and her family was very poor, she learned to cook early. She is also a native of Suzhou, and the local atmosphere has always attached importance to food taste, so her cooking skills are also quite good, although she is not as varied as the chefs of Shang Shan Jian , but she is also full of color and flavor.

Moreover, the Wenhua Hall is quite far away from the Shang Shan Supervisor, and in the middle of winter, the food is already cold. But Rui'er's cooking was steaming, and Zhu Youzhen was comfortable and refreshed after eating. It was the first time he had eaten properly since he crossed over, but he felt that this meal was better than any meal in his previous life.

Of course, in the past few years of college, it was basically instant noodles and coke, and there was no food culture at all. Now there is a beauty who cooks by herself and cooks carefully for herself, which is naturally a hundred times stronger than the microwave oven of the dormitory administrator's aunt.

After eating, Zhu Youzhen touched his straw belly with satisfaction, burped, and returned to the bedroom satisfied.

The bedroom is yesterday's wedding room, and there are several charcoal braziers on the wall, which bakes the whole room warmly. Full of warm thoughts, this thing was sitting on the bed, looking forward to whether to do some exercise with Rui'er that was beneficial to physical and mental health for a while, but Rui'er waved away all the eunuchs and palace maids, and said in a low voice: "The concubine has something important to report to the prince." ”