Sheng Jinyan rubbed his itchy nose and asked Old Zhengzi, "Shouldn't the princesses be done with their lessons by now?"
In the past, after finishing their lessons, the children always came to him for hugs. Today, none of them were around, and it felt strangely quiet.
Old Zhengzi replied, "The Eldest Princess and the others have all returned to General Shi's estate."
Hearing this, Sheng Jinyan sighed, "I was hoping to have them join me for the evening meal."
It was rare that the Imperial Kitchen had added an extra dish of stir-fried tofu today.
Old Zhengzi looked at the only two dishes on the table—one was stir-fried cabbage, the other stir-fried tofu—and thought to himself that the princesses definitely wouldn't like them.
But he dared not say it.
Sheng Jinyan, however, thought good things should be shared. "Go, send this stir-fried tofu to the children, so they can have a taste of something fresh."
Old Zhengzi...
After all, he was of low status and could not speak his mind. He could not help the corner of his mouth twitching as he accepted the order. "Yes."
General Shi's Estate.
Shi Zhenxiang looked at the plate of stir-fried tofu sent from the Imperial Palace and felt quite speechless, yet she still had to thank the eunuch.
Then she called the children over. "Hurry and eat. This is an imperial gift from your Father Emperor."
The several princesses all had constipated expressions, but they knew that imperial gifts had to be accepted with a smile. So they furrowed their little brows and shared the tofu.
The youngest, Little Fourth, had no filter on her mouth. In her milky voice, she complained, "Not tasty~"
The Eldest Princess immediately covered her little mouth. "Don't talk nonsense. Whatever Father King bestows, you must say it's delicious."
Otherwise, they would be scolded for being unruly.
Little Fourth listened very obediently to her eldest sister. She then wrinkled her little brows and said very against her true feelings, "Delicious." As if!
Shi Zhenxiang could barely hold back her laughter. She ordered someone to heat the tofu, then added meatballs to it and stir-fried it together.
When the children smelled the aroma of the meatballs, they finally began eating with big mouthfuls.
Shi Zhenxiang ordered someone to paint a picture of the children eating with gusto and send it to the Imperial Palace.
When Sheng Jinyan saw that the children loved the tofu he had sent so much, a smile indeed curled at the corner of his mouth.
He even shared it with Old Zhengzi. "See? The children really love it."
Old Zhengzi's sharp eyes noticed something else seemed to have been added to the tofu, but he dared not say it. He only flattered, "Yes, the princesses' tastes have always matched yours, Your Majesty. Whatever you like to eat, the princesses also like."
Sheng Jinyan liked hearing that.
He also felt that his princesses were very much like him—not only in appearance but even in their preferences.
They were truly his children.
But in this painting, why were there so many meatballs on the tofu?
The slave who delivered the painting replied, "Because the princesses are in their growing years, one plate of tofu is not enough for them. So Her Grace added some meatballs for the princesses, or else they feared they wouldn't be full and wouldn't grow tall."
When it involved the children's growth, Sheng Jinyan indeed nodded in agreement.
"The Imperial Consort did the right thing."
The children were indeed in their growing years. It was considerate of her to think of that.
"Go, send the bird's nest soup that the Empress Dowager sent at noon to the General's estate, so the Imperial Consort can nourish herself."
When the imperial concubines in the Harem heard that the stingy Sheng Jinyan had actually sent bird's nest to Shi Zhenxiang, they gnashed their teeth in envy.
It was known that since Sheng Jinyan took over state affairs, he had always been thrifty and frugal, using the money saved to distribute as military rations for the soldiers at the border passes.
Everyone in the Imperial Palace had to have their monthly stipends reduced, even the Empress. Yet only Noble Consort Shi could receive some rewards every time.
After all was said and done, it was only the favor that came from bearing children.
When the Empress heard this news, she clenched her fingers and asked her personal nanny, "Do you think I should slip some medicine to the Emperor?"
Otherwise, before the appointed day, the Emperor would not come.
The nanny shook her head. "His Majesty values rules the most. If you break his rules, I'm afraid you'll be punished."
Better to let a concubine-born daughter from the Prime Minister's Estate enter the palace to increase the birth rate.
Although the Empress was displeased, she agreed.
When Shi Zhenxiang heard that the Prime Minister's Estate was sending another concubine-born daughter into the palace, she couldn't care less.
However, Sister-in-law Shi was worried. "Could it be that Her Majesty the Empress wants to use her own younger sister to win over His Majesty?"
Shi Zhenxiang was indifferent. "That's very normal."
After all, there was only one Emperor. Who wouldn't want to win his favor?
Sister-in-law Shi felt disgusted. "I can't stand the thought of your eldest brother having so many women."
Fortunately, the Shi family had a rule that a man could only take a concubine if he had no son by age forty. Otherwise, she couldn't accept her husband taking so many women.
But Shi Zhenxiang was open-minded. "There is only one Emperor. The court officials can't possibly let him have only one woman."
Moreover, times were different. She wasn't going to make herself an exception.
Better to strive for more benefits.
After all, she didn't rely on the Emperor's favor to live; she relied on her maternal family's capability and her daughters' future.
Seeing her composed as an old dog, Sister-in-law Shi admired her greatly.
Just as they were talking, bird's nest arrived from the Imperial Palace.
"Noble Consort, this is the bird's nest His Majesty granted you, for you to nourish your body well."
Shi Zhenxiang accepted it with a clear conscience. "Alright, I'll have the small kitchen stew it shortly. I'll definitely eat it well."
Sister-in-law Shi went to look at the bird's nest. Good heavens, only two pieces?
What could that possibly nourish?
Shi Zhenxiang couldn't help laughing. "Getting two pieces is already pretty good."
The other imperial concubines didn't have any.
Sister-in-law Shi sighed. "Why is His Majesty so stingy?"
Shi Zhenxiang laughed. "Actually, it's because the National Treasury is empty."
Even if he wanted to be generous, he had no money.
Shi Zhenxiang didn't disdain even a scrap of meat this small. If given, she accepted.
She even tipped the eunuch. "His Majesty has been busy with state affairs lately; he should also nourish himself. I'll use my own private funds to buy some mutton for His Majesty to help him replenish his health."
"You can take the mutton back with you later."
Having said that, she gave the young eunuch ten taels of silver.
The young eunuch hadn't received any silver in a long time and knelt to thank her.
"As expected, Your Grace cares for His Majesty. I will go back and report shortly."
Shi Zhenxiang smiled and waved her hand, telling him to go with the butler to buy the mutton.
At the same time, she bought twenty catties of lamb chops for herself, planning to add an extra meal tonight.
Seeing that she didn't shortchange herself at all, Sister-in-law Shi couldn't help laughing.
"You give the Emperor two catties of mutton, but buy twenty for yourself?"
Shi Zhenxiang gave a sly smile. "No matter whom you love, never forget to love yourself."
A while later, when the princesses returned from their lessons, they smelled the aroma of mutton in the room.
They gathered around with greedy mouths. "Imperial Consort Mother, are we stewing mutton today?"
Shi Zhenxiang lay on the chaise lounge, lazily cracking melon seeds. "Mm, we're having lamb chops today. Whoever finishes their homework first can have two extra pieces."
The princesses, who normally procrastinated on their assignments, immediately set to work on their homework briskly upon hearing they could get two extra lamb chops.
Shi Zhenxiang didn't wait for them. As soon as the lamb chops were ready, she started eating first.
She placed four lamb chops in each of the four princesses' bowls. Whoever finished first, she would add one more chop for them.
In order to get two extra pieces, the four princesses even wrote tomorrow's and the day after tomorrow's homework.
Shi Zhenxiang...
How do you all know what tomorrow's and the day after's homework is?
The four princesses: "No matter what it is, we'll just do it first."
Get the lamb chops first, eat them, and then talk.
The rest wasn't important.
Shi Zhenxiang...
It seemed her four princesses also knew how to love themselves.
Even Little Fifth, upon smelling the mutton, quickly took a few more sips of milk, afraid to miss out.
Shi Zhenxiang didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but she was quite satisfied with the results of her education.
In contrast, Sister-in-law Shi and the others all fed the children first, only eating after the children were full.
Not like her. She could eat together with the children.
Or eat until she was full, then feed the children.
Sister-in-law Shi...
She felt she could learn from that too.
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