The first time in history

There was a pot of red charcoal fire in the study. Lu Ran helped Qian Mingduo take off his cloak and pulled him to sit next to the charcoal fire.

"Are you cold?" Lu Ran asked softly.

"It's cold!" Qian Mingduo warmed his hands on the charcoal fire and said, "If you hadn't sent a sedan chair to pick me up, a cloak wouldn't be enough to keep me warm."

"When I asked Your Highness to get the cloak, you said it was almost April and it wouldn't be cold anymore." Lu Ran handed a cup of hot tea to Qian Mingduo and said softly, "How much did Your Highness drink today?"

"Just a few drinks."

"Looking at your state, you probably didn't drink much." Lu Ran also poured himself a cup of hot tea, sat down by the charcoal fire, and said, "How does Your Highness the Princess look at that painting?"

Qian Ming drank more tea and said, "Guess what." Ruichen deliberately kept it a secret.

"Her Royal Highness the Princess will definitely say that that little girl Lu Ran drew me so ugly that I'll beat her with eighty military sticks." Lu Ran said jokingly.

"Hmm..." Qian Mingduo held Lu Ran's hand and said, "Although my aunt didn't say it, I think she really likes this painting."

"Really?" Lu Ran said happily, "Then will Her Royal Highness the Princess feel that the birthday gift Your Highness sent is not valuable enough? After all, it's just a painting."

"My third brother gave me a glass Ruyi cup, my second brother gave me a Ferghana horse, and my sixth brother gave me a precious sword." Qian Mingduo smiled and said, "That one is many times more valuable than the painting I gave you."

"They all gave such expensive birthday gifts!" Lu Ran looked at the charcoal fire and said leisurely: "It seems that... several princes have the idea of ​​relying on the eldest princess!"

"By the way," Qian Mingduo said, "Father also went to my aunt's house today and said that you paint very well!"

"The emperor went there too?" Lu Ran asked, "Did the emperor see the birthday gifts from the princes?"

Qian Mingduo took another sip of tea and nodded.

"Now that His Majesty has seen these birthday gifts, he must have known what the princes are thinking." Lu Ran said leisurely, "The Emperor is extremely suspicious. I wonder if the eldest princess's opinion will influence the Emperor on the issue of choosing a crown prince."

Qian Mingduo used the tongs to stir the charcoal fire and said softly, "Do you know who got the glass cup from Third Brother?"

"Su Yan, the great cavalry general who commands a large number of troops." Lu Ran blurted out without thinking.

"Ran'er, you really have a photographic memory!" Qian Mingduo nodded and said, "Originally we only knew about the second brother and Wu Sikai, and the sixth brother and Cai Bin. Today we learned that the third brother had already formed an alliance with Su Yan."

Lu Ran added a few pieces of refined charcoal into the charcoal basin and said, "Your Highness, do you want to adjust your strategy of not making friends with military commanders?"

Qian Mingduo stared at the red charcoal fire and fell into deep thought.

"Today is my aunt's birthday," Qian Mingduo said slowly after a long while, "Those who came to celebrate her birthday are generals serving in the army. My father hates the royal family members making friends with military generals the most, and today..."

"Your Highness, do you think that these generals came to congratulate the eldest princess on her birthday only after getting the emperor's permission?" Lu Ran asked softly.

"Aunt knows my father well. Without my father's permission," Qian Mingduo said, "Aunt will not rashly invite these generals to a banquet."

"Since the princess and the generals have obtained the emperor's consent, then..."

"That is to say..." Qian Mingduo looked at Lu Ran and said, "Although my father is very suspicious and he is on guard against almost everyone, he still trusts my aunt the most."

"Your Highness is right." Lu Ran smiled and said, "Otherwise, the Emperor would not have sent these generals to celebrate the eldest princess' birthday."

"So... we still stick to the original strategy. Don't make friends with those powerful people. So as not to arouse the suspicion of our father, which would backfire and bring disaster upon ourselves."

Lu Ran nodded gently and said, "Don't go against the Emperor's will and don't make friends with anyone who controls the army. Your Highness won't have weaknesses that can be exploited by others. Slowly infiltrate from the bottom and it won't be too noticeable. It's just... we need some time."

Qian Mingduo stood up, picked up the cloak on the hanger, and gently put it on Lu Ran.

"Although the charcoal fire is warm, your back is cold. You are weak, don't catch a cold." Qian Mingduo said softly, his tone revealing his concern for Lu Ran.

Lu Ran turned her head slightly and met Qian Mingduo's gaze, with a gleam of gratitude in her eyes. She said softly, "Thank you, Your Highness!"

"The news we have received recently is less than before." Lu Ran glanced at the bookshelf and said, "I think Your Highness should go meet Mr. Liu."

Qian Mingduo smiled and said, "This Mr. Liu is like a mysterious dragon that is hard to find! I have looked for him several times, and I did not return empty-handed that time!"

"Since we can't find Mr. Liu." Lu Ran frowned slightly and said, "Why not let him come to find you, Your Highness?"

Qian Mingduo looked at Lu Ran's gradually relaxed brows, smiled and nodded.

Canglu Mountain is fifty miles northwest of the capital. As the sky gradually darkened, a young man on horseback arrived at an inn at the foot of the mountain. With him came a light sedan carriage, driven by a girl in red.

The handsome and tall young man tied the horse to the wooden stake in front of the inn, walked to the carriage, opened the curtain, and helped a dignified and beautiful woman in a blue dress down.

After the girl in red stopped the carriage, the three of them walked into the inn together.

"Sir," the waiter came forward and greeted him attentively, "Are you staying here or just stopping by for a meal?"

"Eat first, then stay in the hotel." The young man threw a piece of silver, looked around the hotel, and said, "Give me two upper rooms."

The waiter felt the weight of the silver and dared not neglect it. He led the three people to a clean table, wiped the table and asked, "What would you like to eat, young master?"

"What kind of delicious food can be found in this small shop of his?" the girl in red said with disdain.

"This lady is wrong!" The waiter put a towel on his shoulders and gestured, "Although our restaurant is small, the chef is a master chef from Kuiyuanlou in Beijing. He makes authentic Huaiyang cuisine with color, fragrance and taste."

"Kuiyuanlou is the largest restaurant in Beijing. Would their chef come to your small restaurant to cook?" The girl in red rolled her eyes at the waiter and said, "I think you are bragging, right?"

"Miss, you can't say that. The Huaiyang cuisine here is indeed delicious."

"Xiu'er." The girl in red wanted to argue with the waiter, but the woman in blue held her hand and shook her head. "Why don't we ask him to cook a few dishes and taste them, and then we'll know, right?"

The woman in the blue skirt said to the waiter, "Since you are a master chef of Huaiyang cuisine, I would like to order some Huaiyang dishes. I wonder if you can make them?"