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.
Both her title as County Princess and her grandfather's acquittal were gifts from Shu.
Putting aside her overwhelming emotions, she looked up to meet the complex gazes of the Song family.
She opened her mouth, about to explain, when she heard Elder Madam Song say, "Does this mean I'll be the County Princess's aunt from now on?"
"Ahem." Old Lady Song cleared her throat, lifting her chin proudly. "Then I shall be the County Princess's grandmother!"
Young Madam Song looked from her grandmother-in-law to her mother-in-law, immediately straightening her back. "And I'll be the County Princess's sister-in-law!"
Song You'an also softly added, "I'm the County Princess's cousin."
"I'm the County Princess's head maid," Tao Su chimed in excitedly.
Standing beside her, Yan Qing secretly glanced at her, thinking: County Princess? What's that compared to Brother Ximen being a prince? Sister Qi will definitely become a princess consort in the future. I'll surely be the princess consort's maid then. A princess consort outranks a County Princess.
One must think big!
After hearing their thoughts, Qi Huan was momentarily stunned.
Shouldn't they be curious about the freckles on her face? Shouldn't they ask what kind of opportunity led to her being conferred the title of County Princess?
However, the Song family showed that the process wasn't important; what mattered was the result.
The imperial edict had mentioned the Yunzhou epidemic, so it must have been Qi Huan's medical skills that impressed the Emperor. Medical skills were a family treasure, and they had no intention of prying.
Their only concern was whether Qi Huan had suffered in Yunzhou.
"No, no, I was very well treated in Yunzhou," Qi Huan answered with a smile.
Then she saw Old Master Song and Elder Master Song, who had just received the news, hurrying back.
Subsequently, they solemnly opened the ancestral hall, bathed, burned incense, and enshrined the imperial edict.
As they emerged from the ancestral hall, the sun was setting in the west.
Since all the Song family members were present, Qi Huan, her almond eyes curved in a smile, said cheerfully, "Grandmother, Grandfather, Uncle, Aunt, let me prepare tonight's meal. I'd like to make something new for everyone."
Old Lady Song's first reaction was concern: "Huan'er, Grandmother knows your filial heart, but cooking is such smoky and fiery work..."
But not wanting to disappoint her granddaughter, she quickly changed tack, "Why don't you tell the kitchen maids how to make it, and you can supervise while they do the work?"
"Alright!" Qi Huan nodded obediently. After taking her leave, she returned to Qinghuan Court, picked up the basket she had set down earlier, and enthusiastically made her way to the kitchen.
She rolled up her sleeves, and Tao Su helped her tie on an apron.
"Tao Su, watch the method carefully. I plan to open a spicy hot pot shop later, and I'll need your help to teach the cooks."
"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...
