The White-haired Queen

The Empress Dowager Cixi was very pleased to see that the little emperor so readily agreed to the selection of a queen. After giving him a few words of concern, she prepared to get up and return to her Antai Palace.

She walked slowly, but she had already started to think: First, she had to arrange a meeting with Princess Qinghe of Nanyue. It was said that this princess was not only good at cooking, but also had a lot of experience in farming. I thought her personality should be quite similar to hers. Moreover, as a princess, her status and family background were also suitable, so she was really the most suitable candidate.

However, the emperor's harem is filled with beauties, and having only Princess Qinghe is clearly not enough. When the Mid-Autumn Festival dinner comes, you need to pay more attention to those noble ladies from famous families. I believe that as long as you carefully select, you will be able to find a person with both virtue and talent for Heng'er, who is worthy of being the mother of the country.

The Empress Dowager Cixi pondered in her heart, but her footsteps involuntarily moved towards her vegetable garden. This vegetable garden, located deep in the magnificent palace, is like a peaceful and vibrant oasis, a private world exclusively for the Empress Dowager Cixi. Here, the changes of the four seasons are carefully cared for, and every vegetable seems to be stained with the noble atmosphere of the royal family.

When spring comes, tender green seedlings struggle to break through the soil under the careful care of the Empress Dowager Cixi, showing vigorous vitality. The Empress Dowager Cixi would always come here in person to personally select the freshest vegetables and taste the generous gift from nature.

In the hot summer, the vegetable garden is full of rich fruits, and the colorful vegetables sparkle in the sun. The Queen Mother will hold a small picking ceremony here, inviting close people to share the joy of the harvest. With laughter, everyone picks these fresh fruits and vegetables into baskets, feeling the richness of the earth and the beauty of life.

In autumn, the golden leaves of vegetables sway in the wind, and the ripe fruits and vegetables emit an alluring aroma. The Empress Dowager Cixi strolled among them, admiring the abundant harvest scene, her heart overflowing with satisfaction.

Even in the cold winter, the vegetable garden was not silent. Under the white snow, the cold-resistant vegetables grew tenaciously, bringing a touch of greenery to the winter palace. The Empress Dowager would order people to fetch these tenacious vegetables and use them to cook warm and delicious dishes to comfort the body and mind.

The whole vegetable garden is full of royal atmosphere and dignity, and every part of it reveals awe and respect for nature. The Queen Mother's vegetable garden is not only a good place for her leisure and entertainment, but also an important place for her to show her royal style and noble status.

There is no doubt that the Empress Dowager Cixi's vegetable garden, as an indispensable part of the imperial garden, must have gathered many unique and precious plants. The reason why these plants won the favor of the Empress Dowager Cixi was not only because of their beautiful appearance and rarity, but also because of the profound symbolic meaning and rich cultural heritage they carried. They can be called the dazzling treasures in the imperial garden.

The first to bear the brunt of the attention were perhaps the rare and precious flowers and plants at that time. They either came from faraway places or arrived here after going through untold hardships; with their unique appearance and colorful colors, they easily captured everyone's attention. These rare flowers and plants were probably brought by envoys or caravans from thousands of miles away to be presented to the Empress Dowager Cixi, as a token of admiration for the royal family's respected status and endless wealth.

Furthermore, the vegetable garden may also be planted with many plants with symbolic meanings, such as the intertwined cypress. The intertwined cypress is a fine tree that stands in embrace of each other. Since ancient times, it has been regarded as a model of deep love and harmony between husband and wife. Carefully cultivating the intertwined cypress in the vegetable garden of the Queen Mother not only expresses the Queen Mother's ardent hope and sincere blessing for a happy marriage, but also implies the hope for harmony and stability within the royal family.

In addition, there may be many medicinal plants planted in this vegetable garden, such as Rehmannia root. They are not only fascinating to watch, but also add a guarantee to the health of the empress dowager. Under the careful guidance of the court doctors, these magical herbs were carefully cultivated and used to prepare various nourishing and nourishing medicinal foods and medicines, always guarding the health of the empress dowager.

In short, the Queen Mother's vegetable garden can be described as a botanical garden that gathers rare treasures. Every plant here not only demonstrates the majesty and wealth of the royal family, but also contains a strong cultural heritage and symbolic meaning. Thanks to the Queen Mother's meticulous care, these flowers and plants have become an important and irreplaceable part of the royal garden.

The Empress Dowager Cixi was delighted to welcome Princess Qinghe of Nanyue to her secret garden. This mysterious place had always been her favorite, filled with all kinds of exotic flowers and delicious fruits and vegetables. She firmly believed that if Princess Qinghe loved farming and nature as much as she did, she would definitely have a special liking for this vegetable garden.

The Empress Dowager rolled up her sleeves, climbed up the ladder, and carefully picked a few yellow leaves from the branches. Then, she turned to Cuiping, the palace maid beside her, and ordered: "Clear all the yellow leaves and dead grass on the ground." Cuiping took action quickly and completed the task carefully and meticulously.

Not only that, the Empress Dowager Cixi also carefully arranged for the eunuchs to place many toys that young girls loved in the pavilion in the courtyard to add to the joyful atmosphere.

The next morning, before dawn, the Empress Dowager could not wait to get up and walk into the vegetable garden to carefully select a batch of fresh fruits and vegetables. Then, she carefully washed each fruit and skillfully placed them on a beautiful plate, like a work of art.

In order to let Princess Qinghe taste the flavor of her hometown, the Empress Dowager Cixi specially went to the imperial kitchen to invite a chef from Yue and asked him to cook several authentic snacks from South Yue. This famous chef has superb skills and will surely satisfy the guests.

Everything was ready, and the Queen Mother was awaiting Princess Qinghe's arrival with great anticipation, hoping that this meeting would not only enhance the friendship between the two countries, but also leave a deep and good impression on the other party, in order to further establish a close relationship with Heng'er.

As the eunuch's sharp and high-pitched report sounded, the Empress Dowager Cixi's heart tightened. She hurriedly reached out to tidy up her somewhat messy clothes, then raised the corners of her mouth slightly, revealing an elegant smile and said, "Please come in quickly!" There was a hint of anticipation in her voice that was hard to conceal.

At this moment, Princess Qinghe was walking slowly from the entrance of the vegetable garden with light and cheerful steps, like a dancing butterfly. The sunlight fell on her, as if she was covered with a layer of golden gauze, making her look even more gentle, charming and radiant.

The Empress Dowager looked at Princess Qinghe from afar, and her eyes were attracted by her fresh and refined dress. Compared with the northern women, the graceful beauty of the southern women made people love them. Northern women usually have larger frames and plump and rounder figures; however, Princess Qinghe was petite and adorable.