Chapter 189

Surprised glances poured in from all directions as Qi Huan calmly set down her basket and returned to her room to change clothes.

Behind her, the little maids huddled together, whispering.

"That's an imperial edict! How can the young lady look so unperturbed?"

"Exactly! Elder Madam Song almost cried when she heard about the edict, fearing the Emperor might be investigating the young lady's grandfather's crimes..."

The faint voices seeped through the door cracks and latticed windows, reaching the room in fragments. Qi Huan applied her makeup while wearing a slight smile.

What was there to fear about an imperial edict? She had even slept with the "Son of Heaven" – the Emperor's son. She wasn't worried.

She firmly believed in Shu; he wouldn't let anything happen to her.

Qi Huan finished preparing her appearance and gracefully stepped over the threshold. "Let's go," she said lightly, leading her maids to the front courtyard.

Seeing the eunuch who had come to read the edict smiling before speaking, she felt even more at ease. She steadily followed the etiquette Xu Nanny had taught her and curtsied gracefully.

She heard the eunuch drawl out in a long tone:

"By the will of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: The female physician Qi Huan, selfless and impartial, understanding of righteousness and propriety, has made invaluable contributions in controlling the epidemic in Yunzhou. She is hereby conferred the title of County Princess, with the title Yunjin. So be it!"

"I thank His Majesty for this great honor."

After kowtowing, Qi Huan respectfully accepted the imperial edict and signaled with her eyes for Tao Su to present the reward money.

The eunuch weighed the pouch in his hand, his smile growing even more ingratiating. "County Princess, this humble servant has another piece of good news to congratulate you on."

"Please, do tell."

"Your grandfather, Physician Qi's case has been overturned. The judicial official responsible for the case back then has been convicted. The Ministry of Justice has investigated and found that it was because of a competition for the position of Academy Director. The Academy Director went so far as to frame Physician Qi for the sake of his younger brother. They have all been imprisoned now. The Emperor has issued a verbal order to thoroughly investigate this matter and clear Physician Qi's name of false charges."

Upon hearing this, Qi Huan first instructed Tao Su to present another pouch, then expressed her boundless gratitude to the Emperor.

Her pleasantries were so well-spoken that they left the eunuch beaming. Considering the two pouches and her eloquence, the eunuch decided to praise her well when reporting back.

The Emperor favored such articulate young ladies, but it was a pity that Qi Huan's face was covered in too many freckles for the Emperor's liking.

Little did he know, this was Qi Huan's intentional doing.

Even the dogs in the imperial city knew that the current Emperor was an old lecher.

Qi Huan lowered her gaze to the imperial yellow edict in her hands.

She was self-aware enough to know that her small contribution wasn't enough to catch the Emperor's eye.

"Yes, County Princess." Tao Su's eyes were glued to her mistress's hands.

Qi Huan first washed and cut all the vegetables, and blanched the meatballs for later use. After preparing the ingredients, she cut off a small piece of hot pot base and fried it in hot oil until it melted.

The spicy aroma made Tao Su turn away coughing. She stepped back a bit but continued to watch intently.

Qi Huan then added a bowl of reconstituted milk powder and some stock. After the soup came to a boil, she added the meatballs, vegetables, and noodles in sequence.

Once everything was cooked, she scooped it out into bowls.

She had also prepared sesame paste, chili oil, aged vinegar, and other condiments in small bowls for everyone to add as they pleased.

After finishing the spicy hot pot, she suddenly remembered that the method for making spicy stir-fry was quite similar.

As there were still leftover ingredients, she began to wash the pot.

After cleaning the pot, she added water and brought it to a boil, then blanched the various prepared ingredients separately. Afterward, she heated oil and sautéed green onions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant, added a spoonful of Pi County doubanjiang (broad bean paste), followed by some hot pot base. She stir-fried the meat dishes first, then the vegetables, and finally sprinkled white sesame seeds and cilantro over the dish before serving.

She wasn't a professional chef; these were just home-style versions of spicy hot pot and spicy stir-fry. But since Li Country didn't have these two dishes, their rarity made them valuable. Even if her versions weren't authentic, the people of this era wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

Qi Huan tasted both dishes; they were very fragrant.

But that was to be expected.

With these seasonings, even a shoe sole would taste delicious.

Before she had arrived, the kitchen had already steamed white rice, so she didn't need to cook that separately.

Qi Huan untied her apron and instructed the maids, "Serve it in the dining hall quickly."

These dishes were best eaten hot. If they cooled down, the beef tallow in the hotpot base would solidify. Since she had added an extra spicy stir-fry dish at the last minute, there was more than enough. She generously gave the leftovers to the servant women and maids.

When the news reached Qingfeng Court, Ximen Ye let out a displeased grunt. "Nothing for me?"

"Not just for you, Master, but for me too," Zhu Yan pouted, feeling wronged.

What could they do?

Following a young master with "consumption," they couldn't eat these strongly flavored dishes. The food prepared by the Song household was already bordering on bland.

Master and servant silently gazed at the sky, taking a bite of the roast chicken in their hands.

They had money, so they wouldn't deprive themselves.

But Qingfeng Court wasn't far from the kitchen, and the intense aroma was incredibly tempting. Zhu Yan dejectedly felt that even the roast chicken wasn't as fragrant as usual, and tears streamed from the corners of his mouth.

Meanwhile, in the Song family's dining hall, a similar silence reigned. Everyone quietly ate from their bowls, their eyes unconsciously fixed on what was in the pot...