right after

After the early court, the East Hall of the Taiji Hall was a place where four people would gather to discuss state affairs on weekdays, but today there were only three people left, and a layer of melancholy shrouded it.

After a round of discussion, Gong'e presented, among the colorful cakes, a snow-white and crystal-clear chrysanthemum cake, which made Li Junye and Yan Zijin's eyes refreshed and their index fingers twitched.

"It melts in the mouth, it's fragrant, soft and crispy, it's really the best of the chrysanthemum cakes." Yan Zijin sighed happily as he squinted his eyes and was captured immediately after taking a sip.

"This cake is sweet but not greasy, and has a lingering fragrance. It's good, it's good."

Li Junye was not as enthusiastic about desserts as Yan Zijin. Seeing the crystal clear chrysanthemum cake today, it was rare to be aroused by the gluttons.

When Li Junye unconsciously grabbed the last piece of chrysanthemum cake.

Yan Zijin immediately flew onto the table vigilantly, held the disk tightly in his arms, and stared anxiously: "Jun Ye, it's not like you don't like sweets on weekdays, but today you snatched it from me for the first time."

"I don't know, probably when the taste seems to be living in seclusion, what I ate..."

Seeing Yan Zijin, a foodie, acting childishly protecting food like a child, Li Junye couldn't help withdrawing his claws, amused to let him.

Yan Zijin reluctantly grabbed the last piece of chrysanthemum cake, closed her eyes, and obsessively swallowed it bit by bit.

After Yan Zijin ate the chrysanthemum cake, she tasted other cakes and found them tasteless.

Yan Zijin discarded the sweet-scented osmanthus cake with only one bite on the plate, and asked the emperor with staring eyes, "Is there any more chrysanthemum cake?"

Xiao Jingyu took a sip of chrysanthemum tea, shook his head and said, "Among the cakes today, only this plate of chrysanthemum cake was not made by the imperial dining room, but by Qing He, the little maid of Mei Gong Meimei, I don't know Is there any surplus?"

"I think today's cooks are far better than the imperial cooks in the past. It turns out that there are other people." Yan Zijin looked through the empty plate containing chrysanthemum cakes, as if he saw a lot of delicacies waving to him.

"Hey, you're just greedy, why are you dragging me there?" Li Junye asked in bewilderment when he saw that Yan Zijin had just left the Tai Chi Hall, and dragged him to the back bedroom.

"I don't have an older sister. As a concubine in the palace, of course I can only meet the little cook in your name."

It turned out that Yan Zijin ate the chrysanthemum cake and was thinking about the cook's other delicacies, but the harem is not a place where everyone can go, one must have an imperial order to see the family members at home.

"There's really nothing I can do about you!" Li Junye couldn't help laughing.

The two walked into the Mei Palace, and saw outside the house, a wooden ladder was erected under the big pear tree, a maid was pressing the ladder, and a young court lady was climbing up the tree with her skirts lifted.

"Hey, do you know where Qing He from Mei Palace is?" Yan Zijin asked suddenly.

"Ah..." Hua Xihuan was climbing the ladder when she heard the words, when she looked back and saw Li Junye who was standing quietly at the side, she suddenly stepped on the ground and fell down the ladder with her head on her head.

"Girl, be careful!" Li Junye saw the maid slipped and fell off the stairs, so she ran up quickly and reached out her hands to catch the woman.

The light green palace gauze, like a colorful cloud in the sky, slowly drifted down, her jet-black hair fluttered, and her white face tinged with astonishment.

"Mister..." The woman fell into a pair of strong and safe arms, her shock faded away, and she looked at the dazzling man like frost in front of her eyes, and murmured foolishly.

"Small... Huan...?" Li Junye only felt the girl in his arms, as light as a swallow, and heard a familiar address in his ears. Hearing this, he looked at the girl and said in surprise.

On that plain white face, the eyebrows were as light as smoke, the eyes as bright as streams, the nose as bold as gall, and the lips as delicate as flowers. She was no longer the little girl in my memory, but a beautiful young girl next door.

Li Junye suddenly felt that his heart was knocked open by a gentle wind, looking straight at Hua Xihuan with a flowery smile.

"Hey, Jun Ye, what are you doing with this girl all the time? Could it be that you are interested in her?" Yan Zijin said with a nasty joke when he saw his friend hugging a girl abnormally and not letting go.

Li Junye hastily placed Hua Xihuan firmly on the ground, his face recovered calmly, and he always looked like a carefree and unhindered expert.

"Sir, why did you come here?" Hua Xihuan hurriedly straightened her hair, grabbed a lock of long hair, and asked shyly.

"Xiao Huan, why did you enter the palace?" Li Junye looked at Hua Xihuan in palace clothes and asked in puzzlement.

"I'm... I want to go to the palace to find my husband..." Hua Xihuan said softly with her head lowered like a little girl who has made a mistake.

"Oh, your personality is not suitable for staying in the palace, and Tan County is more suitable for you. I will ask the emperor to let you out of the palace some other day." Li Junye said lovingly, stroking the little apprentice's head.

Hua Xihuan hurriedly avoided his touch again, quickly shook her head and refused: "Sir, I'm not going out of the palace, Li'er can't live without me."

"Li'er? It's Meimei." Li Junye frowned slightly.

"Exactly, she and I are sisters, we can't leave her alone in the palace." Hua Xihuan replied seriously when mentioning Mo Xiangli, the spring in her eyes was much less.

"You are already at the age of marriage, and you willfully spend your time in this palace. Have you ever thought about Aunt Hua?"

Li Junye saw that his kind little apprentice, for the sake of favor, spared no expense of his good years to accompany his good sister, he couldn't help but sternly criticized with a hint of anger in his tone.

"Sir, I don't want to marry out of the palace...a person I don't like..." Hua Xihuan glanced at Li Junye who was angry, and said in a low voice.

"Oh, forget it, this is my belonging. If you want to leave the palace, you can come to me with this jade order." Li Junye untied the jade pendant from his waist, and hung it on Hua Xihuan's belt himself. Said.

"Sir..." Hua Xihuan moved her slender fingers as she touched the exquisite jade ring.

Li Junye patted her head, with a doting smile on the corner of his mouth.

"Jun Ye, where did you get your apprentice from?" Yan Zijin stepped forward and asked with interest.

"This is Hua Xihuan, the daughter of the cook I hired when I lived in seclusion in Tan County. I teach her to read and write when I have nothing to do. She is her husband."

Li Junye answered his doubts and said, of course he would not reveal that he was using the recipes to teach Hua Xihuan how to read and let her satisfy his appetite.

Li Junye recalled in his mind, the carefree time in Tan County, his serious face could not help but relax.

"This is really fun, little Huan, I'm Yan Zijin and your husband's friend." Yan Zijin saw the girl in front of her, with bright eyes and bright teeth, so cute, she couldn't help but want to reach out and touch her head.

Hua Xihuan hurriedly stepped back defensively, pointed at Yan Zijin's face with red lips and white teeth, raised her eyebrows, and said angrily: "I know you, you were the one who lured Mr. into the palace three years ago by wearing an official uniform. "

"Hey, it's easy if you recognize me. Do you know where Qing He is?" Yan Zijin asked happily when she saw that she knew him.

"Why are you looking for Qing He?" Hua Xihuan looked at him defensively and asked.

"I... I asked her to teach me how to make chrysanthemum cake, and I wanted to teach the cook at home to learn how to make it." Of course, Yan Zijin couldn't directly say that she was looking for Qing He to eat, and made an excuse in a high-sounding manner.

"I'm Qing He." Hua Xihuan replied when she saw that he was harmless.

"Ah, that's great, so you are Qing He, can you make other things?" Yan Zijin asked excitedly, seeing the cook right in front of her, drooling immediately.

"By the way, the chrysanthemum wine I made is ready to drink, sir, wait a moment."

Hua Xihuan saw the jade gourd on Li Junye's waist that never left him, remembered his love of fine wine, and happily ran into the house, took a small iron crowbar out in a blink of an eye, and dug the soil anxiously under the pear tree.

How could Li Junye let his female apprentice get tired? He took the shovel and asked Ming where the wine was stored, and after a few pry it off, the wine jar was exposed.

Hua Xi joyfully took out the wine jar, took out a handkerchief from her pocket, wiped the bottle, and finally lifted the cover, a tangy scent of chrysanthemum came to her face.

Li Junye couldn't wait to take a step forward to take the chrysanthemum brewing, took a deep breath, and sighed: "It seems that you have learned the brewing skills of Mrs. Hua, hahaha..."

After he finished speaking, he put his mouth directly to the mouth of the bottle, took a swig, and poured the wine on his clothes without any scruples.

Seeing that he was going to drink up the chrysanthemum brew, Yan Zijin hurried forward to grab it, but Li Junye avoided him, letting him escape, protecting the chrysanthemum brew in his arms, and mockingly said: "This is the little one, Huan Niang." Give me a drink, you have no share."

"You...you, you actually abandoned me as a friend just for a jar of wine."

Yan Zijin stepped forward furiously and continued to grab, Li Junye's body was like a light bird, and every time Yan Zijin was thrown into the air, Hua Xihuan covered her mouth and laughed beside her.

Mo Xiangli was taking a nap in the house, and heard laughter outside, like the voice of a man talking, woke up leisurely, and couldn't help but find the door.

"Mei Mei, good afternoon." Seeing a beautiful woman in white clothes coming out of the room, Li Junye stopped playing with Yan Zijin, and both of them greeted each other in unison.

"Prime Minister Li, Prime Minister Yan, good afternoon." Mo Xiangli saluted politely, like a daughter of a nobleman who had been well-educated since childhood.

"Li'er, Li'er, you see, my husband came to look for me, and he saved me just now." Hua Xihuan ran forward, grabbed her hand, and shared happily.

Mo Xiangli glanced at Li Junye when he heard the words, with a hint of wariness in his eyes, he said reservedly, "Today, Prime Minister Li is in the harem for some reason, and Ah Huan and I met for the first time in the palace for three years. It's really strange." .”

As soon as Hua Xihuan heard her words, the joy in her eyes dropped quite a bit, and she thought to herself: How could my husband come to her?I can't help but put away my elated smile with inferiority.

This woman is not a good preparation, there are sharp needles hidden in her words, I am afraid she is scheming, and Ah Huan may not be a good place to follow her.

Seeing the inferiority complexion on Hua Xihuan's face, Li Junye felt a pain in her heart, she was innocent and romantic by nature, who taught her to know the dignity of the earth.

Li Junye restrained his expression, and replied generously: "Junye is here to see my imperial sister, Mrs. Li, and come to ask for advice on Miss Huan's cooking skills."

Mo Xiangli stared at the altar of chrysanthemum brewed in his hand, with a slight smile on his red lips, feeling jealous.

I was buried in the soil with Ah Huan last year. As the master, she hasn't had her first sip yet.

Miss Ah Huan, she was so affectionate, she hadn't come to see Ah Huan once in three years, and she drank the wine so quickly.

"Presumably Prime Minister Li has finished asking for advice after staying here for a long time. Don't look at this chrysanthemum brew, it tastes cool and refreshing, and its purity is not small, so as not to delay the prime minister's important affairs."

Mo Xiangli's sentences seem to be caring, but in fact, every word is cruel, with the intention of driving people away.

"Hey, Miss Huan is a superb cooker, how could she be able to ask for advice in just a few words? Meimei feels sorry for us staying here for so long and eating all the good things in Mei Palace."

Yan Zijin next to him has a strong foodie heart, how can he be driven away by Mo Xiangli's mere words, and he expects to come to Hua Xihuan for food every day in the future, so he hastened to argue.

"Hehe, Prime Minister Yan and Prime Minister Li like Ah Huan's cabinet art in my palace, so it's a great honor, and Li'er won't feel sorry for mere little things, but this is the place of the harem, I'm afraid it's inconvenient for us to stay with the adults for a long time."

Yan Zijin looked at the woman opposite who was smiling and feasting, and couldn't help but have a little more meaning in his eyes.

Although this woman looks like a weak snowflake on the outside, passing away in a short time, she is very lovable, but her logic is orderly and can accurately pinpoint her weaknesses. She is not an ordinary woman.

Compared with the naive and romantic Hua Xihuan, her personality cannot be more likable.

"In broad daylight, the world is clear, and we have never stepped into the Mei Palace. There are many people here, and everyone must be a sensible person, and they will not speculate at will and speak out random words.

It's less than half a cup of tea time for the empress to come out, so there's no need to worry about it. "

Yan Zijin followed her words, resisted the dark sword in her words and said, pulling out the weakness in her words.

"Hehe, I'm worrying too much." Mo Xiangli said with an ugly smile.

"Tomorrow, we will come to Miss Xiao Huan to learn cooking skills here. I hope that your mother will satisfy our eagerness to learn."

Yan Zijin spoke very bluntly, meaning that I will still come tomorrow, do you dare to stop us?

"Naturally..." Mo Xiangli said incongruously, and glanced at Hua Xihuan, who was secretly happy, with the intention of hating that iron can't be made into steel.