Winter has passed in a blink of an eye, in the early spring, the spring is cold, not only is there a trace of warmth, but it makes people feel a different kind of contrast - looking at the spring outside, in fact, slammed the door and walked out, but it was cold and abnormal.

Kou Shu was dressed in a peony and phoenix pattern raccoon brocade shirt, holding a hand warmer painted with gold lacquer in her arms, and sat on the seat.

Unlike other palace concubines who wore red and green early to fiddle in front of Song Jinyan, Kou Shu stayed in Changle Palace most of the time, reading books and practicing calligraphy, and when she was in a good mood, she took Ripples and Mandarin Ducks out for a walk, but she never went to Song Jinyan's eyes to wander around.

Glancing at the gilded post on his desk, Kou Shu picked it up and muttered: "This is not a special season now, it's just that spring has just arrived, so why do you have to think of this." ”

On the post, it is said that now that spring is approaching, flowers are in full bloom, and it is the characteristic of our dynasty to use flowers into dishes, and it is because the emperor invited all the palace concubines to participate in a spring banquet, and on the banquet, each palace concubine must prepare a dish with spring blooming flowers.

Then the color and aroma of the fundamental dish are judged. There is no distinction between superior and inferior dishes, there is a personal preference, and Song Jinyan let the palace concubines not worry too much, give full play to their respective strengths, and just want spring.

This competition is vague, and there is no head and no shadow, Kou Shu frowned, there has never been any spring banquet in the harem, and there are very few palace concubines who cook in person, the emperor asked all the palace concubines to cook together this time, and it is really a bit unbelievable to come.

"Niangniang," Ripple saw the words on the post, and there was a hint of confidence in her eyes: "We have nothing to be afraid of, the dishes made by Niangniang are first-class." ”

Kou Shu smiled, when she was a child, she didn't like dancing and writing, but she liked dancing knives and guns very much, and her father still supported her, but her mother always felt that she was a girl, and she always had to learn something from her family, so her mother forced herself to learn the accounting and cooking skills.

Kou Shu, the bookkeeper, is not interested, but he is still interested in cooking. It's Kou Shu who still has a few dishes that can be handled.

Waving his hand, Kou Shu continued: "That's it, since the emperor wants to do it, let's do it according to the emperor's will, but there is one more thing-" Kou Shu's voice turned to the mandarin duck: "Lan Guifei's matter, how is the investigation?" ”

Ever since Rong Guiren told him Lan Ruoxuan's true identity, Kou Shu had a strong premonition that the death of his father Kou Yunwu must be inextricably linked to the events of Lanling Kingdom back then, and the key behind this connection is Lan Ruoxuan in the Yilan Palace.

Mandarin duck bowed his head: "Niangniang, not yet, there is a double cherry tree by Concubine Lan's side, and the news of the Yilan Palace is impenetrable, since we have protected the Rong Guiren that day, the double cherry has changed the maids inside and outside the entire Yilan Palace, and none of our people can be inserted." ”

Kou Shu nodded: "Mandarin duck, you let people be more vigilant and find a way to find out what Lan Ruoxuan has been doing recently." Every move has to be reported to me. Now that Yuan Ming and Yuan Yun are gone, I can only rely on you. ”

The mandarin duck looked awe-inspiring and lowered his head; "Yes, sissy."

The door was pushed open, but it was the ripples who just didn't know when they slipped out, and I saw the ripples holding a full bosom of flowers in their arms: irises, calla lilies, calendula, manjushri, and centifolia...... Seeing Kou Shu, Ripple said excitedly: "Niangniang, come and see, what flowers do we choose to put into the vegetables?" ”

As soon as he heard that flowers were going to be used in the vegetables, Ripple was very excited, and ran to the back garden as soon as possible.

Kou Shu looked at the flowers in Ripples' arms that were almost uprooted, and there were still dewdrops on them, crying and laughing: "Ripples, even if you really want to study what to cook, just pick one or two, where are you picking flowers, you are pulling flowers." Besides, it's just an ordinary feast, and it doesn't take so much effort. ”

"Niangniang, you don't know-" Ripple shook his head: "This time, the emperor can speak, saying that whoever can get the first name of this spring feast, the emperor will promise him a wrong, anything." ”

Kou Shu was stunned: "Is the emperor really saying that?" Then he reacted and said, "Even if that's the case, you don't have to be so positive about Ripples, right?" ”

Ripple pouted indifferently, and said: "Niangniang, that's not what I said, I call it prepared, in case Niangniang uses it, the flowers are not enough, Niangniang, you don't know, there are people in the palace who come to look for flowers and vegetables outside, if we go late, I'm afraid there will not even be leaves left." ”

Kou Shu was amused by Ripple's more serious expression and laughed, and nodded again and again: "Good Ripple, even if you think thoughtfully, you should quickly put down the flower in your hand first." ”

The mandarin duck hurriedly stepped forward and took the flower from Ripple's hand.

Kou Shu turned her head away, poured herself a cup of tea, as if she remembered something, stood up, and looked thoughtfully at the flower in the mandarin duck's hand.

When the mandarin duck saw it, she knew that her mother was thinking about how to make the dishes of this spring feast, and said: "Niangniang, the simplest way to use flowers in the dish is to use it as a decoration, whether it is on a plate or sprinkled with some petals in the soup, it is extremely beautiful." ”

Kou Shu nodded, but seemed unmoved by the idea.

Mandarin Duck continued: "Then the next is to cook flowers into the dish, if so, the most common ones are lilies, green lotus, these dishes into the dish, hot and refreshing, have a different taste. ”

This method is not wrong, but it is also too bland, Kou Shu continued to shake her head, frowning slightly.

The mandarin duck thought for a while and continued: "Niangniang, if Niangniang still wants to have any new tricks, you might as well let the mandarin duck go to the imperial dining room to inquire and see what the masters of the imperial dining room say?" ”

Kou Shu didn't speak, and caught a glimpse of the flowers in the mandarin duck's arms, a thought quickly flashed through his mind, and then Kou Shu smiled: "Mandarin duck, no need-"

"Huh?"

Kou Shu smiled faintly, reached out and picked a flower in the mandarin duck's arms, slowly put it in the palm of her hand and played with it carefully: "This feast, this palace has figured out what to do." ”

The mandarin duck's eyes widened, and she looked at Kou Shu in surprise, she didn't say anything, and Niangniang only thought about what to do for a while?

"Go and pick some more flowers, whatever they are." Kou Shu said, "But you need to have flowers that bloom, the more the better." ”

The ripple had just finished washing and pushed the door in, and when he heard that he was going to continue to pick flowers outside, he happily pulled up the mandarin duck and ran to the garden outside.

"Oh ripples, you slow down—" The mandarin duck rushed after Ripple.