The rumor really reached the peak on Chinese New Year's Eve, the royal night banquet, but the Queen Mother excused herself due to physical fatigue. Although the wives, queens and side concubines who followed the kings back to the capital were still entertained by the queen, the queen mother additionally ordered Huo Guifei to assist with the three concubines Shen Shu and Gu Xian.

The Empress Dowager's decree is considered by many to be the beginning of the separation of powers.

Because Su Ruhui and others were raised in Renshou Palace, the Queen Mother did not attend, Huo Qinglian took the lead in saying that he was not willing to attend the banquet, but only wanted to accompany the Queen Mother, Su Ruhui and Zhou Yier seconded the proposal. After hearing this, the Queen Mother did not summon them to the Detai Palace, but ordered a reward for a good banquet, and called the Lord of Danzhu County out, and called a few aunts to serve them to have a lively meal in Caimingxuan.

In addition to Huo Qinglian, Zhou Yier and Su Ruhui have not seen Danzhu for a long time, this small county lord of the East Jiao Country has always liked to wear red and green, this Chinese New Year's Eve, Su Ruhui only wore a positive color red like her, but saw Danzhu who walked in but changed into a color of smoke and water, the style is quite chic.

Zhou Yi'er couldn't help but say, "Why didn't the county lord wear red today?" ”

Su Ruhui smiled secretly, it turned out that Zhou Yi'er also felt that Danzhu County's main clothes were as his name. But listening to the county lord of Danzhu said happily: "Sister Ran said that she wanted to wear new clothes on Chinese New Year's Eve, so she made this for Danzhu, does Sister Zhou think it looks good?" ”

It turned out that Zhou Qingran did it?

Su Ruhui was secretly curious, Zhou Yi'er pursed her lips and smiled: "The county lord is cute, she can wear anything, Miss Zhou's craftsmanship is naturally not bad, and she is naturally very good-looking today." ”

"Sister Zhou is beautiful." Dan Zhu showed a hint of surprise and said.

At this time, the banquet of the Queen Mother of the Imperial Dining Room had arrived, and several aunts were busy arranging it, Huo Qinglian suddenly clapped his hands and said, "I originally thought that I would show my hand to everyone today and make a sweet cake, but I forgot!" ”

"What sweet cake?" Zhou Yi'er often corresponded with Huo Qinglian during this time, but she was familiar with her a lot, so she asked first.

"It's what I saw in the book before.,It's said to take the stamens and noodles of plum blossoms.,And then add other ingredients to make it.,It's very refreshing.,I thought that Sister Ruhui doesn't seem to like things that are too sweet and greasy.,This snack is something that everyone can eat.,It's easy to make.。 Huo Qinglian said regretfully, "But I forgot to prepare the materials." ”

Huo Qinglian is extremely careful, among the four, Su Ruhui has the least contact with her, but her habit of not liking sweets has also made her notice.

The county lord of Danzhu was young, and he couldn't hide his emotions, so he raised his head innocently and said, "What Sister Lian'er said is delicious, since it's too late today, can you do it tomorrow?" Danjoo would love to try it. ”

"Nature." Huo Qinglian smiled and took her hand, and said to Zhou Yi'er and Su Ruhua, "I'll make this dim sum I'll make it, you two are not allowed to be lazy, Ming'er will get up early and go to the plum blossom forest in the north of the Imperial Garden to pick plum blossoms for me!" ”

"You don't have to get up early to go." Zhou Yi'er smiled, "Sister Lian'er, don't you know? If you pick it at night, the cold fragrance is heavier. ”

"It's cool at night." Huo Qinglian said angrily to her, "Don't freeze your body bones for a snack, in that case, the Queen Mother will blame me if she knows." ”

"Danju will go too." The county lord of Danzhu took Huo Qinglian's sleeve and said.

Su Ruhui interjected: "Wear more, just hold the stove, aren't there still fireworks today?" Let's go out for a walk and pick plum blossoms by the way. ”

After discussion, several people decided, waited for dinner, went to the Detai Hall to see if they could give the Queen Mother a New Year's greeting, and then went to the Imperial Garden to watch the fireworks and pick plum blossoms.

The imperial dining room is the busiest today, if it weren't for the Queen Mother's orders, I'm afraid that Su Ruhui and a few people won't go to the banquet, and most of the food will be cold. Rao is like this, and the dishes on this table are also tasteless.

"Sister Lian'er, has the small kitchen here been set up? It's better to let someone boil some porridge and drink it. Among these people, Zhou Yi'er was the most anxious one, and after moving a few times, he stopped and said stupidly.

An aunt who was waiting said with a smile: "Miss Zhou doesn't know, as usual, Your Majesty is going to give a banquet to a hundred officials tonight, and the queen and the three mothers are also going to entertain the queen, side concubines and wives, so they are really too busy." ”

"Yi'er is not to blame the imperial dining room, it's just that these days are about the first time to celebrate the New Year in the palace, and they are all a little novel, but they can't eat anything, they just want to drink some porridge." Huo Qinglian hurriedly played a round.

Zhou Yi'er also came to her senses, this aunt is from the Detai Palace, since she helped the imperial dining room to speak, she was afraid that she would have something to do with the Shang Food Bureau, so she still followed the way, so she took Huo Qinglian's topic and said, "Isn't it?" The aunts are working hard. ”

"Slaves and maids have been in the palace for decades, but they have long been used to it." The aunt smiled and said, "A few young ladies have just entered the palace, and some unaccustomed things are also common. ”

Su Ruhui was curious: "Sister Lian'er has a small kitchen here?" ”

"There is spare space in Cai Mingxuan, I like to make some dishes when I am at home, and I often go to borrow the Queen Mother's small kitchen before, which is inevitably unruly, so I asked the Queen Mother for her grace some time ago and asked me to set up a simpler kitchen." Huo Qinglian said, "It's just that it's just approaching the New Year, and the Six Shang Bureaus are busy, although the dimensions have been measured and the foundation has been laid, but the Shang Gong Bureau has to build a stage for the New Year celebration, make fireworks, palace lanterns, and prepare for the next Lantern Festival, and this side plans to officially build it after the Lantern Festival." ”

Hearing this, Zhou Yi'er was very disappointed, and Su Ruhua said: "If Sister Yi'er only needs simple porridge, she can let Xiuwan think of a way." ”

Because of the banquet given by the Queen Mother, although it was a little sloppy because of the festival, the scene was not small, so the palace maids of each person were also helping the aunts to serve together, Xiuwan saluted Zhou Yi'er and said: "The slave will only make some ordinary porridge, or jujube porridge, lotus seed porridge and the like, Miss Zhou?" ”

"Oh? I also want to eat lighter, but I'm going to trouble people like paintings. Huo Qinglian was a little surprised, "But I don't know where the porridge comes from?" ”

Su Ruhui smiled without answering, and said to Xiuwan: "Then you go back and do it, and get some of everything." ”

"Danzhu wants sugar porridge!" Lord Danzhu seemed a little embarrassed, but he still whispered. For a while, the four of them lost their interest in eating, and instructed their aunt to remove the table that had not moved much to reward the palace people, and they all ordered their favorite porridge for Xiuwan to cook.

Xiuwan agreed with a smile, and Zhou Yi'er hurriedly called Xiuying and said, "You are too busy alone with so much porridge, let Xiuying help you." Said and smiled, "It's also a secret teacher, why do we live in the same small courtyard, and Sister Ruhui actually secretly set up a small kitchen?" ”

As soon as she said this, the people in the palace around her didn't say anything, Huo Qinglian frowned: "Don't go first, such as painting, you are reckless, in order to prevent water in the palace, you must have the consent of the queen or the queen mother to set up a small kitchen, this is ......"

Huo Qinglian didn't finish speaking, but the meaning was obvious, Su Ruhui smiled, held the teacup in his hand and said: "Sister, don't worry, where is the small kitchen, but it's because it's cold today, although the food box in the imperial dining room is specially made, and it is carried all the way to Lumingtai, but it is mostly cold, and it is also ashamed to say it, since I have lived in the Chunsheng Hall for a while, my body has become a little weaker, and it is not very comfortable to eat hot things, Xiuwan gave me an idea." As he spoke, he raised his chin and motioned for Xiuwan to answer.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's like this, the slave maid saw that Miss's food was mostly cold, and Miss was not very happy eating, thinking that although there was no kitchen in the small courtyard, there was a place to boil water, and then every time I took the food, I put it in it to steam it through the water, and the water could also be covered to make fragrant soup, which was not very wasteful." Xiuwan said respectfully, "Not long ago, the Queen Mother rewarded red dates and other things, and the slave maid tried to make a bowl of red date porridge, and found that this method was feasible, so she told Miss, and Miss will say it today." ”

Zhou Yi'er listened, and was about to twist Su Ruhui's cheeks, and scolded with a smile: "Okay, you Ruhua, you have such a good way, you didn't tell me, Baba let me eat a semi-cold meal, not to mention, the last time a plate of mutton was cold and fishy smelled out, I like this at home, so I have to rely on Xiuying to slowly roast it in a charcoal basin, waste work, and starve me for a long time!" ”

"How do I know?" Su Ruhui looked aggrieved, "I also ate too many cold dishes, Xiuwan only remembered this, and at that time she still said that she was stupid, thinking that her sister had thought of this method a long time ago, and she was embarrassed to tell her sister." Su Ruhui smiled bitterly and said to Xiuwan, "We are both stupid, we didn't even think of the charcoal basin to be hot, or that time I was uncomfortable after eating cold, and you only thought of this method when you persuaded me to take a bath - if I thought of such a thing as a charcoal basin earlier, who would boil water?" ”

"What kind of stupidity is this? The charcoal pot is hot slowly, and it is often hot on the outside and cold on the inside, how can it be steamed safely? Zhou Yi'er shook her head, "What's more, if you don't think about boiling water, you wouldn't have cooked porridge." ”

"But I'm talking too much." Huo Qinglian smiled and groaned, "I want to trouble you to get some porridge, I'm really hungry when I say this." ”

Su Ruhui ordered Xiuwan Xiuying to prepare, and tilted her head and said: "Sister Lian'er is also well-intentioned, in fact, Ruhua does this, and it is also a little hindered by the palace rules, but the queen mother is busy during this time, and she went back to Weiyang Palace to meet the queen mother, just to mention this matter, but the queen mother was weak that day, so she only asked Aunt Anqiu to come out and say a few words to me, and Ruhua didn't dare to use such a trivial matter to disturb the already sleepy queen mother." ”

Saying that, she blinked her eyes and said with a low smile: "I just think about the Queen Mother's kindness, when the Queen Mother is summoned by the Kaichun Mother, the sisters and the county lord will have to intercede for Ruhua, don't let the Queen Mother punish too much!" ”

She explained the matter of going to Weiyang Palace clearly in a few words, and the reason was high-sounding, so as not to let anyone talk about it in the future. Huo Qinglian slapped her with a smile and said, "What are you talking about?" The Queen Mother is the most concerned about us, if I had known that you and Yi'er had eaten cold food for so long, I was afraid that it would be too late to feel distressed, where would I blame you? ”

Zhou Yi'er and Su Ruhui both hurriedly praised the Queen Mother, and the county lord of Danzhu also assured that she would intercede for Su Ruhui.

It's just that Huo Qinglian's interest in the next step is not very high, I don't know if he is lacking, or he feels that he is the only one who has the grace of a small kitchen, and when he is made by Su Ruhua like this, Zhou Yi'er will naturally follow suit, as if all three of them have it.