At dusk, Huanan Xin came to Jingyang Palace.

Entering the Main Hall, he saw Gu Yunxi was sick in bed.

Her palm-sized face did not wear much make-up. She was tired with washed-out eyes.

The candle shone brightly, and the clear light gave a gentle silhouette to her jade-skinned and snow-built face.

The pure, fresh, and plain appearance was also a kind of strange aesthetic feeling with the temptation that drew the soul.

Sensing the obsession of the Emperor's deep gaze, which could not be erased, Gu Yunxi gently turned around. She cleverly avoided his eyes and slowly walked to the table to make tea for him.

Huanan Xin saw it and took a few steps to stop her.

"Don't bother. I've already drunk water in Shuofeng Hall."

He took her hand and looked at her with deep affection. With gentleness in the corners of his eyebrows, he sighed.

"Dear, you don't feel well. Have you called the imperial doctors?"

Gu Yunxi slightly shook her head and smiled.

"I'm fine. I don't need to bother the doctors."

In fact, the fact that being promoted to a concubine before she slept with the Emperor sounded the alarm bell again for Gu Yunxi, forcing her to be on high alert all day long.

After returning to the Palace from Yonglu Temple, she ordered Leshuang to arrange informers all over the Palace.

Those who seemed to be ordinary palace people, such as people sweeping the floor, pruning and cutting flowers, and patrolling, paid more attention to the places where the Emperor often passed usually.

As long as there was a sign of disturbance, these people tried their best to bring the news to Jingyang Palace and let Gu Yunxi prepare in advance.

Today, the Emperor had just left Shuofeng Hall. When the Emperor was on the way to Jingyang Palace, someone took a shortcut and ran to Jingyang Palace to report to Gu Yunxi what happened in Shuofeng Hall.

The Emperor looked down and found that the table was full of fresh and tender chrysanthemum buds, a few oval crocks, two dustpans of glutinous rice, and three or four unknown things in the round shape.

The Emperor picked up one and looked at it with a strange look.

"What's this?"

Gu Yunxi replied with a smile, "It's wheat yeast to make wine."

Hunan Xin was surprised.

"Dear, what do you want to make?"

"I went to Imperial Garden after the noon break and collected some chrysanthemums. I think that in one month, it will be Double Ninth Festival. Your Majesty, at that time, you can taste the chrysanthemum wine that I brew.

Chrysanthemum wine was mentioned in The Exquisite Collection of Delicacies. The process was as follows.

"Take fresh glutinous rice and soak it in water. Then mix it with chrysanthemum petals. Put the mixture on a bamboo drawer and steam it on the stove."

"When the rice is cooked and cooled, put the crushed yeast in it. Stir it evenly and move it into the crock. Add an appropriate amount of water and leave it in a sweltering place for fermentation for a few days."

"Filter out the glutinous rice residue and the crushed petals. The remaining white slightly turbid slurry is the sweet wine."

Huanan Xin's compassion sneaked out of his heart and his eyes. He sighed.

"In summer, it's still hot in the afternoon. Dear, you must be affected by the heat in the garden, so there's no doubt you're unwell."

Gu Yunxi winked at him and pretended to please him.

"Your Majesty, it's my fault to worry you."

Huanan Xin waved his hand to summon Zhiqi and asked her to clean up the messy table.

He lifted up his robe and sat down. Then he held Gu Yunxi and pressed her to his lap.

Zhiqi and Xiuyu cleaned the table quietly. The Emperor couldn't wait to get fresh with their master as soon as he came to Jingyang Palace. They were worried without resort, so they had to leave the hall nervously.

Gu Yunxi was still quite calm. As she had received the news in advance, she knew the Emperor's intention.

The Emperor reached his hands out from behind the woman to wrap around her waist. He gently pressed his graceful chin against her neck socket and smiled ambiguously.

"Yunxi, I have been busy with the envoy of Ying State in recent days, so I can't come to see you in time. Do you miss me?"

His four fingers became extremely restless, and he lightly put his hand into the woman's clothes with brocade clusters.

The long narrow eyes were tender with affection. Instantly, a deep and bottomless whirlpool set off, swallowing people's bodies and minds.

"Your Majesty, I'm ticklish..."

Gu Yunxi smiled, and the clear voice trembled like water gracefully.

She pressed the man's hot palm in her clothes, cleverly avoiding his teasing.

The Emperor was not willing, and slightly rubbed the woman's ear pinna with his pink hot thin lips. He gently whispered to her and the words made people blush.

"Why do you refuse me? Dear, I just want to see if there are scars left on your body after you recover from smallpox."

Gu Yunxi suddenly realized that the current situation was critical, and she quickly thought about a counterplan.

Turning around, she held the Emperor's neck with her jade-like arms. She smiled charmingly with silky eyes.

The accumulating emotions were about to come out in an instant. The Emperor's eyes were in a trance. When he was about to continue, Gu Yunxi suddenly changed the topic.

"Your Majesty, when I visited the Imperial Garden today, I saw that the floats and flower stands in the garden were luxuriously and exquisitely built, which really put me in a good mood."

"I have never seen such a magnificent garden parade in my life. Your Majesty, I increase my knowledge thanks to you. I consider myself the most fortunate."

Huanan Xin was exaggerated by the woman's sweet words. Seeing her long eyelashes blinking, he was immediately stimulated by this meek and delicate appearance.

Bending an arm to hold the little woman, the Emperor said in a shallow voice.

"Dear, I'm glad you like it. On the first night when the envoy of Ying State comes, there will be a grand fireworks display in the garden. At that time, let's watch it together, okay?"

Gu Yunxi only felt sick and was about to vomit. However, she still had to hold a pure and well-behaved posture. She rolled her bright eyes and said shyly.

"Your Majesty, thank you very much."

Huanan Xin looked a little gloomy at this time. He held the woman's jade-like small hand and put it on his cheek. Then he sighed.

Gu Yunxi knew the reason, but she pretended to be confused and asked.

"Your Majesty, do you have some worries?"

Huanan Xin looked at her honestly.

"Yunxi, I indeed have something to ask for your favor."

With a smile, Gu Yunxi answered.

"Your Majesty, please make it clear to me. My ability is limited, but for the sake of you, I'm willing to try my best."

Huanan Xin's eyes turned bright.

"Dear, definitely. This time, the envoy is accompanied by five imperial chefs from Ying State. They want to compete with our imperial chefs. I want you to preside over the arena as the main chef. If you need a few assistants, just tell me."

Gu Yunxi secretly sneered.

She had already learned from the informants that asking her to fight against the chefs from Ying State was the idea that Concubine Liang Su Mao came up with for Huanan Xin.

That woman was always gossipy and malicious.

On the surface, Concubine Liang recommended Gu Yunxi to the Emperor so that she could play her strengths to fight against the imperial chefs of Ying State, which gave Gu Yunxi a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to turn up.

However, the informants in the Palace also explained that the competition between the chefs of the two countries was related to the royal honor of the Imperial Family Huanan.

If she won, it made sense.

If she lost, the arrogant people from Ying State would take the opportunity to attack Da Yi and compete for the ownership of Kunhuang Island.

Gu Yunxi was not stupid and understood that if she took on this thankless errand and really lost the contest, which caused subsequent troubles, she would be blamed and become an eternal sinner who led to war and caused people to be displaced.

Concubine Liang was adept at scheming and was really annoying. Just by saying something, she easily threw a big burden on Gu Yunxi.

"Su Mao, if I find an opportunity one day, I will get rid of you!" Gu Yunxi thought.

"Dear, what are you thinking about?"

Huanan Xin found that Gu Yunxi lowered her head and kept silent for a long time with sharp light in her squinting eyes, and he was deeply puzzled.

Gu Yunxi came to her sense and smiled.

"Nothing, but I don't know what kind of scarce ingredients the people from Ying State bring. Your Majesty, do you receive the news?"

Huanan Xin answered confidently.

"Tonight, I will have dinner in your palace and order the Imperial Kitchen to use those ingredients and present the dishes to Jingyang Palace. Dear, you can have a try and make comments."

Hearing that the Emperor would have a meal in her palace, Gu Yunxi was immediately flustered.

However, he would come here for the sake of the country. She didn't think he would have the mood to do anything to her at the moment.

Gu Yunxi nodded lightly, waiting for the palace people to bring the dishes.

―

It was dark and the moon was dim.

In the Imperial Kitchen, the white smoke was dense and warm.

The maids were busy in an orderly manner, putting exquisite imperial food into the food box and handing it over to the eunuchs who passed on the dishes.

With a figure appearing at the door, Commandery Princess Jingle lifted the hem of her cherry pink dress embroidered with butterflies, birds, and peony flowers and went to the Imperial Kitchen.

Pantrywoman Liu looked at the girl confusedly. Then she immediately greeted Jingle with a smile and did not forget to flatter her.

"What brings you here, Your Highness? Your dress is really beautiful."

Jingle's delicate eyebrows seemed to have a thousand layers of frost and snow. Even under the warm jumping light, it could last for a long time.

"Madam, what are you busy with?"

"His Majesty is having dinner at Jingyang Palace. He is asking us to serve the dishes. You...?"

Jingle smiled strangely and coldly.

"It's no big deal. Her Grace wants to eat the Best Tart, so she asks me to come and get some."

Pantrywoman Liu grinned and nodded her head.

"Yes, yes. It's fresh-baked. I will take some."

Then she turned around and walked inside.

Jingle looked around nervously. She reached into her chest with trembling hands and took out a paper bag.

Taking a deep breath, she mixed some medicinal powder into the jade wine pot carved with the pattern of double dragons playing with a pearl. She then grabbed the paper into her palm and took two steps back with a trembling body.

Pantrywoman Liu walked out with the food box in hand. Seeing that the girl's face was not very good, she asked with concern.

"Your Highness, what's wrong? Are you not well?"

It was the first time that she had done such a thing. Jingle was so nervous that her heart almost stopped beating.

"No. No..."

She waved her hands again and again and minced her words.

Pantrywoman Liu handed the food box and said kindly.

"It's too smoky here. Your Highness, go to Her Grace with these refreshments."

"Thank you."

Jingle glanced awkwardly at the "flavored" wine pot. Then she turned and ran away.