jdhmnovel Chapter 1874 Lotus Pond
Chapter 1874 Lotus Pond
The first to arrive were Suiming and Suixin, because they were generals who had long been trained on the battlefield to act on orders. Even if Wan Lianxing asked them to come for a meal, they would treat it as an extremely urgent military order. So when they saw the attendant delivering the order, they rode over on horseback.
Finally, Ge Dongqing arrived by carriage. The Emperor had summoned him for dinner, and he had come without stopping! Although he couldn't arrive as quickly as the two generals, he wasn't slow either!
Once everyone was present, Shang tide first served Wan Lianxing a bowl of mushroom soup that she had made herself: "Uncle, your stomach is empty. Drinking alcohol later might hurt your stomach. Have a bowl of soup first."
Wan Lianxing looked at the bowl of soup in front of him, then at Shang Xi's well-meaning expression, and thought to himself, "I definitely have to drink this soup today." "Did you make this?"
Shang tide smiled upon hearing this, "Uncle saw through it all. He truly has a discerning eye."
Wan Lianxing smiled, wondering if his niece-in-law had caught his nephew's confidence or if his nephew had been influenced by Shang tide. The two of them had the same air of self-confidence. "Since my niece-in-law made this, I must have a good taste!"
The table, which was over ten feet long, seated exactly twelve people. On the left were five people of the "Sui" generation, and on the right, next to Wan Lianxing, was Ge Dongqing, followed by Boss Qian, Cang Man, Wan Baiqian, and Shang Xi. Directly opposite Wan Lianxing was Cheng Feng.
At this moment, Cheng Feng, who was entertaining the guests, stood up just like Shang Xi and personally served Wan Lianxing a pancake, as big as a bowl, baked until golden brown. "Uncle, this is a pancake made by Yu Hua, with mutton filling! This pancake is also a specialty. Your grandson often asks Yu Hua to make this pancake for him. Your grandson can eat five pancakes in one meal and drink a big bowl of meat soup!"
Cheng Youning had always had an exceptionally large appetite since childhood. Hearing that the Crown Prince could eat and drink so much, Wan Lianxing smiled with affection and looked at the cakes on the plate with a fondness. He said with a smile, "Then I must try some."
The pie smelled delicious, but it was also very greasy. Wan Lianxing felt nauseous after just two bites. Seeing this, Cheng Feng instructed, "Uncle, you should have your niece-in-law's mushroom soup with you."
Wan Lianxing drank half a bowl of mushroom soup, then said to Cheng Feng, "Feng'er, sit down and eat. You don't need to serve me!"
Normally, Cheng Feng, who doesn't follow many rules, would sit next to Wan Lianxing. Today, however, he gave his seat to the General and Uncle Ge, leaving Wan Lianxing a table full of dishes away. It was so far away that it was naturally inconvenient to take care of him. Moreover, Cheng Feng was already used to this kind of servile service. He did the work of a servant without complaint!
Before sitting back down, Cheng Feng pointed to the two dishes in front of Wan Lianxing: "Uncle, this braised fish and chicken stew with mushrooms were made by your niece-in-law. They're really authentic. I can skip the other dishes, but I absolutely have to eat these two!"
Cheng Feng, loving his wife so much that he also cherished her, found everything she did wonderful. Even the most ordinary dishes she cooked were praised as delicacies. This flattery was especially effective on Shang Xi, who was happily waiting for Wan Lianxing to eat her cooking, completely oblivious to Cheng Feng's exaggerated praise.
"Uncle has a keen eye; he recognized these two dishes as Shang Xi's specialties long ago! Just look at their colors—they're clearly exceptional. Everyone, pick up your chopsticks and eat them while they're hot! Yu Hua's pies are quite good; everyone should try them!" Wan Lianxing suppressed a laugh as he picked up some food and urged everyone to join in.
The two dishes Shang tide made were both thick and sauce-like, reddish with a hint of yellow and black, and were the most inconspicuous dishes on the table, yet they were placed right in front of Wan Lianxing. On the other hand, Yu Hua's pancakes had a large filling and a thin crust, with a golden color, and looked very appetizing.
Yu Hua's face, already flushed from being busy, became even more radiant after being praised by the Emperor. Cheng Youning ate five pancakes in one sitting, and she thought the Emperor would eat a couple more. However, the Emperor only ate half a pancake before putting it down, and the remaining half was picked up by his attendant. But her plate of pancakes had been eaten up by everyone long ago, and there wasn't even enough to go around.
Shang Xi's dishes were almost all eaten up. Almost everyone at the table hadn't eaten dinner and had come hungry! They started drinking after eating half a bag of food. Shang Xi left the table while they were drinking, and his eccentric attendant didn't join in either. There was still half a plate of fried yellow croaker that Yu Hua had made, so he took it away, along with a pot of wine!
That's just how this person is; they come and go as they please, leaving no trace.
While everyone was drinking, Shang tide returned to her courtyard. When she came back, she was holding a stack of blueprints. This was the task Wan Lianxing had assigned her: to build a nunnery in the south of the city. She had stayed up several nights in a row to finish the blueprints. Only when she was satisfied with them did she decide to show them to the Emperor. Even though the Emperor didn't come today, Shang tide would go to the palace tomorrow to present the blueprints to him.
When the old housekeeper assigned her this task, he told Shang tide to hurry up, so she didn't dare to delay and stayed up all night to finish the blueprints.
As long as the Emperor gives his approval, construction can begin. Yu Hua is the one who is urging the project the most. The Chen brothers, who are bricklayers by trade, are reluctant to change their profession. They have been looking for work since before the Lunar New Year and are still unemployed at home. They have heard that a temple for nuns is going to be built and they are counting on this project. This year, they are counting on this big project!
It was clear that Wan Lianxing was in a good mood today, and his alcohol tolerance was as high as ever. However, Shang Xi's drawings couldn't find an opportunity to be shown to the Emperor, and showing them now would be a downer. Shang Xi wasn't so oblivious; she brought the drawings with a "let's see what happens" attitude. If she found an opportunity to show them to the Emperor, she wouldn't have to make a trip to the palace tomorrow. But everyone was in high spirits, seemingly determined to drink until they were completely drunk. Was that so? Appreciation revealed that she really would have to make a special trip to the palace tomorrow because of these drawings.
At this moment, the old steward walked over with a smile and whispered, "Your Highness, are the blueprints for the nunnery finished?"
Shang Xi nodded and opened the blueprints for the old steward to see. As she looked at them, she explained them to him. The old steward stroked his beard and repeatedly praised them. Shang Xi thought that the old steward was very satisfied with her blueprints. She was happy because she thought that if the old steward praised them, the emperor would also be able to see them. However, after he finished looking at them, the old steward said, "Isn't a pond missing?"
"Pool?" Shang tide wanted to know what kind of pool was missing.
"A small pond in the courtyard or a lotus pond. Planting lotuses and watching fish is an auspicious activity."
Shang tide also took the appearance and layout of Tingfeng Nunnery as a reference. Tingfeng Nunnery is not a big temple, and Shang tide did not see any ponds. However, since the old steward said so, she could just add a lotus pond.
That Zhuoyang is the instigator; everything started because of her. Dalang is dead, and the people are suffering terribly. What right does a culprit have to enjoy peace? Shang tide just doesn't understand. With ponds and lotus flowers everywhere, is this person going to cultivate in seclusion or to enjoy a life of luxury?