Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

  Hearing her ridiculous words, Qjao Ruoyi couldn’t help retorting “Auntie, your

  words are funny.

  “Fourth Sister disregarded the fact that Father is the Grand Mentor of the

  Crown Prince, befriended Imperial Concubine Xian and became the concubine

  of Prince Mediocre. Had she ever thought whether Father would be laughed at

  by the courtiers? Moreover, she also failed Mother although she was personally

  brought up by Mother.

  “But has Second Sister ever done anything to let Mother down?

  Mrs. Zheng said, “You are just a concubine-born daughter. What makes you

  think you can.

  The Duchess who was worried that Jinniang had offended the Crown Prince

  was annoyed by her words and said impatiently, “Even if she was born by a

  concubine, she is still the Duke’s daughter. Sister-in-law, if you dare to scold

  the Duke’s daughter again, don’t blame the Duke for not helping the Zheng

  family in the future.”


  Mrs. Zheng shivered. She didn’t dare to piss off the Duchess.

  In the small kitchen in the East Palace, Qjao Jinniang ordered the servants to

  open the food steamer and take out the sweet-scented osmanthus cake that

  had just been steamed.

  Putting some sweet-scented osmanthus nectar in a small jar on the side, she

  took a look at the sky outside and said, “The banquet is about to start. If you eat

  it now, you won’t be able to eat anything at the palace banquet. Shall I packit

  for you?

  Fulu said, “I can eat it at the palace banquet.”


  Qjao Jinniang nodded and placed the osmanthus cakes on the plate. The golden

  osmanthus looked like spots of gold foil.

  Junior Duke Rong said, “Can you make the crab-stuffed orange I ate last time?

  There were hairy crabs from Taihu Lake at today’s palace banquet, but they

  were cold and smelled fishy.”


  Seeing that there was still time, Qjao Jinniang asked the servants to fetch somne

  crabs and oranges from the imperial kitchen.

  There are only crabs, but no oranges, so crab-stuffed oranges can’t be made.

  Let me make some crab-roe soup dumplings instead.”


  Oranges were not for sale in Changan at this time of year, so there weren’t

  even oranges in the imperial palace.

  The oranges in Tasty Pavilion were all shipped from Ganzhou.

  Fulu nodded quickly. “It’s all right. We like both.

  The palace banquet had already started, and Qiao Jinniang, Fulu, and Junior

  Duke Rong entered the Chengxi Palace.

  The banquet was held in the open space outside the palace, opposite of the

  lotus pond and the water pavilion where singers and dancers were performing

  As the banquet was going on, they secretly sneaked in and took their seats

  respectively.

  When Qiao Jinniang returned to the table of the Duke Mansion, the duchess

  asked worriedly, “Why did you come so late?

  “Princess Fulu and Junior Duke Rong wanted to eat crab-roe soup dumplings. I

  made some dishes for them, so I’m late. Mother, I brought some for you.”


  Qjao Jinniang took the sweet-scented osmanthus cake and crab-roe soup

  dumplings from her maid, placed a spoonful of sweet-scented osmanthus

  nectar into the tea cup, and brewed it for the Duchess.

  The duchess had long heard that Qjao Jinniang’s cooking skills were good, but

  she hadn’t had a chance to taste the dishes she made. “How could they bully

  you like this? You are not a cook”


  Qjao Jinniang said, “No, they didn’t bully me. I like cooking. Have a try,

  Mother.”


  The Duchess tasted the sweet-scented osmanthus cake. The aroma of

  sweet-scented osmanthus slowly entered her nose. The cake was soft and

  glutinous, but not sticky. When she took a bite, sweet-scented osmanthus

  honey flowed out of it, which tasted sweet but not too cloying. “Yummy.”


  It was made by her daughter, so it tasted even better.

  Qjao Jinniang gave Qjao Ruoyi a portion.

  old Madam Zhou, who was sitting beside them, smelled the fragrance and

  jested, “Oh, that’s unfair. Why don’t we have this?”


  The Duchess hurriedly said, “old Madam Zhou, this is made by my daughter,

  Jin’er. Jinniang, give some to Old Madam Zhou to taste.”


  Qjao Jinniang grabbed a new plate from the maid, placed two pieces of

  sweet-scented osmanthus cakes and two soup dumplings on it, brewed two

  cups of tea with sweet-scented osmanthus honey, and handed them to Old Madam Zhou and Duchess Wu.

  “Madam Zhou, Duchess, please have a taste.”


  Old Madam Zhou didn’t come to the banquet at noon, so Duchess Wu said,

  “Mother, this is the biological mother of Tuan’er, the lost daughter of Duke

  Anyuan.

  Old Madam Zhou looked at Qjao Jinniang and said, “You’re so beautiful. No

  wonder Chen’er loves you so much.

  Qjao Jinniang just smiled.

  Duchess Wu wrapped the sweet-scented osmanthus cake with rice paper and

  took a bite, and the sweet-scented osmanthus honey filling flowed out. “This is

  so much better than mooncakes.”


  Old Madam Zhou said, “The fresh meat mooncakes that Sisi brought home this

  year were delicious too.

  “However, I heard that each person can only buy five mooncakes and the

  customers have to get a number in advance. I had my maid buy it early this

  moning, but all the numbers had already been taken.”


  Qjao Jinniang said, Tf Old Madam Zhou likes it, I will have my servants send

  some fresh meat mooncakes to your home.

  I really didn’t expect the fresh meat mooncakes to sell so well Today, the

  production had been expanded, but it was still sold out.”


  old Madam Zhou nodded, “It turns out that you made the mooncakes, now I

  really want to taste your craftsmanship.”


  old Madam Zhou tasted a piece of sweet-scented osmanthus cake, took a sip of

  sweet-scented osmanthus honey tea, and said with a smile, “Chen’er is lucky!”


  Then she took off a bracelet from her wrist, held Qjao Jinniang’s hand, and put

  it on Qjao Jinniang’s wrist.

  “This is the first time I saw you, and rd like to give you this bracelet as a gift. It

  was handed down from the ancestors of the Zhou family.”


  Qjao Jinniang hurriedly said, “No, this is too precious, Old Madam.”


  Old Madam Zhou patted Qjao Jinniang’s hand and said, “Chen’er is my only

  grandson, and this is for my granddaughter-in-law. Please keep it.”


  Zhou Siming also said, “Miss Qjao, just accept it. My grandmother loves His

  Royal Highness the most.”


  old Madam Zhou snorted softly. “Then get a wife. Don’t worry, if you get a wife,

  I will treat her very well too.”


  When Qjao Jinniang heard that it was for Lu Chen’s wife, she accepted it.

  Old Madam Zhou said to Qjao Jinniang, “By the way, I heard that the Empress

  Dowager bullied you today?”


  “Well, not really. Tuan’er played with Junior Duke Bao and they had a little

  fight, and the Empress Dowager felt that Tuan’er shouldn’t bite Junior Duke

  Bao.”


  Old Madam Zhou snorted. “She is now the Empress Dowager, so she has

  forgotten how she crazily bit others when she was younger

  “Don’t worry. I’ll definitely seek for justice for Tuan’er.”


  Qjao Jinniang said, “Thank you, Old Madam.”


  old Madam Zhou pretended to be unhappy and said, “Why do you still call me

  old Madam? Are you looking down on our Zhou family? Shouldn’t you call me

  Grandma?

  Qjao Jinniang blushed slightly and called her “Grandmother”, and Old Madam

  Zhou nodded with a smile.

  The dancers were dancing gracefully in the water pavilion.

  Li Lingling came out, walked to the middle, and saluted. “It’s the Mid-Autumn

  Festival today. I’d like to performa dance to congratulate the reunion of His

  Majesty and His Royal Highness.”


  Emperor Huilin said, “Okay.”


  Qjao Jinniang returned to the Dulke Mansion’s table from the Zhou family’s

  side.

  Qjao Ruoyi whispered to Qjao Jinniang, “Li Lingling is famous for dancing. Im

  afraid she’s here today for His Royal Highness.”


  Qjao Jinniang said, “I don’t get it. Imperial Concubine Xian came from Earl

  Cheng’en Mansion that is on Prince Mediocre’s side.

  “But why does Li Lingling want to marry the Crown Prince instead of Prince

  Mediocre?

  Qjao Ruoyi smiled and said, “Earl Cheng’en doesn’t want to put all their eggs in

  one basket while Imperial Concubine Xian can only rely on him.

  “His Majesty has to call Earl Chengen Uncle, so Earl Cheng’en is also His Royal

  Highness’ elder.

  “If Li Lingling can marry His Royal Highness, it is equivalent to giving Earl

  Cheng’en extra insurance!

  “Although arl Cheng’en seems to be helping Prince Mediocre, in fact, he has

  been preparing for two outcomes.

  “If the Crown Prince had not disappeared back then, Li Lingling would have

  already married into the East Palace.

  Li Lingling changed into a set of dance clothes and danced gracefully in the

  water pavilion.

  The Empress Dowager smiled and said, “Ling’er is becoming more and more

  beautiful. She is such a good girl, I really can’t bear to let her marry and leave

  me.

  Your Majesty, do you think it’s a good idea to let Ling’er marry her cousin as a

  concubine