Princess Duanjia glared at her and raised a little clenched fist. She threatened, “Chu Liu, you’re really stupid. You have no idea what giving away this roast duck recipe means! You’re just lucky that it’s me you’re dealing with. If you gave it to someone else, you’d definitely regret it.”
Still feeling uneasy, Princess Duanjia added, “Chu Liu, listen to me. Don’t give away your secret recipes to others so casually.”
Chu Lian found it funny, but she could only agree and nod.
These recipes might be precious and priceless in the eyes of others, but to her, their only value was to cook up a delicious meal.
If she wanted more recipes, she had plenty in her mind.
After seeing Chu Lian’s nod, Princess Duanjia finally relaxed a little. Princess Duanjia gave a weird sigh and said, “This princess is now a little worried for Marquis Anyuan. Since he married such a silly wife, he’ll have to watch you closely in the future.”
The side of Chu Lian’s lips twitched. “I thought you didn’t like my husband, Princess?”
Princess Duanjia burst into giggles. “That was in the past! That was when I thought he was a useless person! I didn’t expect him to become a marquis from a single trip to the northern border… Although you’re already a fifth-ranked noble wife, the title of Marchioness Anyuan is way more valuable than Honoured Lady Jinyi.”
“Your viewpoint switches really quickly, Princess!” Chu Lian teased.
Princess Duanjia was feeling a little guilty inside. The reason she was flattering He Changdi now wasn’t just because of his accomplishments; most of it had to do with his elder brother He Erlang…
The perceptive Chu Lian noticed the odd expression on Princess Duanjia and asked, “What’s wrong? Is the smoke in the kitchen making you unwell?”
Princess Duanjia quickly waved her hand to deny that notion.
It was already past lunch time when they finished the basic preparations for the duck. All that was left was to hang it in the oven above charcoal-fuelled flames and to turn it several times. Once it was out of the oven, they just had to brush it with a specially made oil. These could all be done by the two lady chefs, so Chu Lian didn’t need to continue supervising them anymore.
The guards of the front courtyard informed them that He Changdi had gone to the Left Military Guards, so Chu Lian had her lunch in Princess Wei’s courtyard.
When it was evening time, the roast ducks were taken out of the oven.
Chu Lian personally brushed a layer of fragrant oil on the duck. By doing this, she could make the duck’s skin shinier and counteract the overly intense smoky flavour, making the duck’s taste stand out instead.
The whole kitchen was enveloped in the alluring aroma of duck fresh out of the oven.
It was getting dark, so Chu Lian wanted to return home, but she was kept there by Princess Wei.
“Jinyi, let’s have dinner together. My husband will be back in a while. You’ve been here so many times, but you’ve never gotten to meet him!”
Princess Duanjia also chimed in. “Chu Liu, aren’t you hungry? We haven’t even enjoyed the roast ducks we spent most of the day cooking!”
Chu Lian couldn’t put a downer on Princess Duanjia’s enthusiasm, so she decided to return after having dinner in Prince Wei’s Estate instead.
Who could have known that, when night fell, Prince Wei would return with a few familiar-looking young men?
The Great Wu Dynasty was more open-minded. When there were senior family members present, young men and women could speak freely with each other. More progressive families even allowed men and women to sit at the same table, but it was still a rare sight in the noble circles.
A maidservant came from outside to announce that the prince had returned.
Princess Wei led Princess Duanjia and Chu Lian over to the parlour to await his arrival.
They waited for less than ten minutes before they could hear the sounds of servants greeting the prince.
Chu Lian and the others seated in the parlour suddenly frowned in uncoordinated unison.
When the curtains of the parlour were pulled to the side by two maidservants, a middle-aged man walked in with a majestic air. He was tall, and despite the marks left on his face by the vestiges of time, he still possessed an amazing presence.
When Prince Wei saw Princess Wei, it was as if a strong breeze lifted a veil on his face and his stern expression instantly turned gentle.
There were four young men who entered following Prince Wei.
The most well-built figure amongst them belonged to He Changjue, He Sanlang’s second brother.
He was wearing his Dragon Guard uniform, which was a white martial arts robe with black embroidery, his sword hung at his waist. His chiseled jaw, wide shoulders, slim waist, and tanned skin gave off a manly aura. Despite his burly looks, he had a very cheerful vibe unlike the two men right behind him, who were about to form a blizzard from their iciness.
He Changdi cut a striking figure in all black. His handsome face was kept stiff and cool, while his eyes were like deep pits of darkness. When he stood next to Xiao Bojian, it almost seemed like there was a repelling field between the two of them.
He was taller than Xiao Bojian and had a more chilly countenance. He Changdi gave off the feeling of a beautiful flower on a tall cliff, refined but unattainable…
Xiao Bojian was dressed in a purple robe and a large cloak in a complementary darker shade of purple. He had a slim figure which made him look like a typical court official. However, his features seemed to be crafted by the gods themselves. He was so beautiful to the point that people could forget to breathe while looking at him. With the slightly sullen expression in his eyes, it gave others the urge to coddle him more.
The last man entering was the young Royal Prince Lu Tai, in his royal blue robe and white jade crown. As he hadn’t come of age yet, only half of his hair was bunned up, while the other half hung freely. The baby fat that he had yet to shed gave him the handsome charm of youth.
Lu Tai’s mouth was slightly upturned. His eyes were narrowed so that it was impossible to tell if he was smiling. On such a cold day, he was still holding a sandalwood fan and swaying it slightly, seemingly unafraid of catching a cold.
The looks of the four men were all impressive in their own ways and practically embodied the different tastes of all the noble ladies in the capital. However, if they judged them according to the aesthetic sense of the Great Wu Dynasty, the winner would definitely be Xiao Bojian.
