The Virtuous Concubine

When the people in the Ministry of Internal Affairs heard that Concubine De, who had invented woolen cloth and spinning, was going to farm, they were as excited as the Ministry of Works. However, they also knew that farming was a yearly business, so they did not have high expectations for success. They just urged Concubine De not to keep her waiting too long and to work day and night to open up the land next to Shanglin Garden and Taiye Lake.

Of course, the small kitchen was the first to be built, and it was ready in less than 20 days. Malu naturally cooked two dishes for Kangxi to show his appreciation: one was Longjing shrimp, and the other was braised lion's head.

Malu was pregnant and couldn't drink cold tea like Longjing, otherwise it would become stale if she didn't drink it. So Malu brewed the tea leaves, then marinated the fresh shrimps with tea water, salt, egg white and starch for a while, then added some tea leaves and quickly stir-fried them until they changed color, and finally added a little sugar to enhance the flavor, sprinkled the brewed tea leaves on the plate, and a refreshing Longjing shrimp was ready.

As for the braised lion's head, that was what Malu wanted to eat herself. Kangxi didn't like this dish very much. He was particular about health and didn't like such greasy dishes. So Malu let Bai Fu cook it for her, and she only sprinkled the chopped green onions at the end herself.

Bai Fu is really good at making this dish. She chops the best pork belly into minced meat, then adds chopped water chestnuts, onion and ginger water, eggs, salt, etc. to mix the minced meat evenly, then kneads it into a big round meatball, fries it in a hot pan with cold oil until the surface is golden brown, then adds various seasonings and simmers it on low heat until the meat is tender and the soup is thick.

Malu was so hungry that she ate one dish as soon as it came out of the pot. After satisfying her craving, Malu personally carried the dishes to the house. Kangxi saw that she looked like a smoky woman and asked her to change her clothes before eating.

However, Kangxi could also tell whether the dish was cooked by the concubine or the palace chef, so even though he said he disliked Malu for being so naive and getting covered in smoke while cooking, he also felt that Malu was really attentive to him.

Malu quickly changed her clothes and sat down, and began to introduce the origin of the Longjing shrimp. She said with great joy: "Your Majesty, this Longjing shrimp is made from the tender shoots of West Lake Longjing tea, paired with the delicious river shrimp. The two complement each other and are refreshing and refined. The shrimp is more tender and delicious under the influence of the fragrance of Longjing tea, and the tea leaves are more fragrant and pleasant in the delicious shrimp."

Kangxi was also very curious after hearing this. He appreciated Malu's attentiveness and attention to ingredients. After the poison test, he even picked up a shrimp with chopsticks and tasted it carefully. The tenderness of the shrimp and the fragrance of Longjing tea intertwined on the tip of his tongue. It was just as Malu said, fresh and refined, leaving a lasting aftertaste.

Then, Malu pointed to another dish of braised lion's head, his eyes flashing with the joy of a carnivore: "As for this braised lion's head, it uses top-quality pork belly, which is fat but not greasy, and is paired with the crispness of water chestnuts, with distinct taste layers. Slow-cooking makes the meat tender and tasty, and the soup is rich. Every bite is full of happiness~"

Kangxi really didn't like such heavy dishes, so he only tasted a bite of the braised lion's head. Although he didn't like it, he had to admit that the braised lion's head was tender and tender, with a rich soup and a mellow taste. It was indeed a top-notch delicacy. He looked at Malu with praise in his eyes: "Your cooking skills have improved."

Seeing that Kangxi also liked it, Ma Lu smiled with satisfaction and said, "As long as the emperor likes it."

Kangxi also urged her to eat: "Okay, you've been slurping as soon as you sit down, and you haven't eaten yet. Hurry up and eat!"

After hearing what Kangxi said, Malu picked up her chopsticks and prepared to taste her own cooking. She picked up a shrimp and gently put it into her mouth. However, her smile suddenly froze, and she quickly covered her mouth, pretending to vomit.

How could Kangxi fail to notice that Malu was obviously abnormal? He asked with concern, "What's wrong, Malu? Is there something wrong with the shrimp?"

At this time, Malu held her forehead and said softly: "Your Majesty, it's not the shrimp's problem, it's me..." Before she finished her words, she started to retch again.

Kangxi saw this and probably understood what was going on. He immediately ordered the eunuch beside him: "Quick, go get the imperial physician!" He turned around and gently stroked Malu's back, but in his heart he thought that Malu had also learned bad habits. Many concubines exposed their three-month pregnancy in this way, and he didn't expect that she had also learned this trick.

Thinking of this, Kangxi's joy was reduced by two points.

Soon, the imperial physician hurried over. After a careful diagnosis, the imperial physician knelt down and saluted, reporting with a happy face: "Your Majesty, Concubine De is fine. She is pregnant! It's been about a month, and her pulse is still a little weak. I beg Your Majesty to summon two more imperial physicians who are good at obstetrics and gynecology to ensure everything is safe."

Kangxi was also happy when he heard this, but although he had expected it, he still felt a little surprised: "Only one month?"

The imperial physician on duty today was also a little stunned when he heard this question: "Yes, if it weren't for the fact that Concubine De's pregnancy reaction was a little severe, doctors with less medical skills might not be able to detect it at this time!"

Kangxi then realized his misunderstanding. He felt a little guilty and cherished this unexpected surprise even more. He whispered to Malu, "It was my negligence. I will immediately arrange for the best imperial physician to take care of you and ensure the health of you and your child."

Malu sensed Kangxi's change in attitude from his previous questions, and felt a little puzzled. She responded softly, "Your Majesty, I'm fine. I've only been pregnant for a month. I didn't expect the baby to come so soon. The Fourth Prince is only one year old..."

Thinking of this, Malu hurriedly asked: "How is my health? Will it be successful..."

The imperial physician knew what was going on, so he quickly bowed and said, "Madam Depin is a little weak, and giving birth in succession has taken a lot of toll on her body, so she still needs to be nursed back to health."

In fact, he felt that Malu was in good health, even healthier than those concubines who had not given birth. But if he really dared to say so, Concubine De would definitely not let him go. He was not a person who could not understand her expressions!

As expected, Kangxi hugged Concubine De with a distressed look on her face, and Concubine De also leaned softly in the emperor's arms and said she was scared - scared! I understand, I understand!

Our imperial physician is just a part of the love story between the emperor and his concubine!

After the two of them had finished their flirting, the imperial physician also knelt down to show his loyalty, so Imperial Physician Li also joined the Yonghe Palace fetal protection team and was responsible for this fetus together with Imperial Physician Lin An, who was previously in charge of Malu.

It wasn't that Malu was too greedy or dissatisfied with Lin An, but the system told her that two of them had successfully implanted, and this time they were pregnant with twins! So she thought it would be safer to have two doctors, so she deliberately chose to reveal the matter when Lin was not on duty, and then asked Bai Xia to bring the doctor she had chosen in advance.

Everything went according to plan. Rewards continued to flow into Yonghe Palace. Many people in the harem were very happy, especially Concubine Yi - she was seven months pregnant, but she still lost to Concubine De in terms of rewards!