Quick Wear: Cousin, Come to the Bowl Quickly

Xie seemed to have said something funny, which made Princess He Xin almost laugh to the point of falling over. She kept patting Xie's shoulders and acting very intimate with her.

Lin Xi, Lan Zhi and Lan Xue came to Mrs. Xie, who hurriedly asked the three of them to pay their respects to Princess He Xin, and introduced them to Princess He Xin, "These are the two girls from my second house. You held them in your arms at their full-month banquet."

The princess called Lanzhi and Lanxue over, took their hands and looked them over carefully, smiling kindly, "Back then, I held one in each hand, and they were like two little snow-white balls. Now look at this pair of sisters, they are so tender that you can squeeze water out of them, and they have grown into grown girls."

Lan Zhi and Lan Xue just lowered their heads shyly. Princess He Xin praised them a few more times and took off a pair of jade bracelets from her hands to reward them. The two could not refuse, so they accepted them with many thanks.

After the two of them left, Princess He Xin pointed at Lin Xi and asked Mrs. Xie, "This is your niece, right? She looks like a well-behaved girl."

Xie responded to Princess He Xin and gently pushed Lin Xi from behind, "She is the only flesh and blood left by my sister. It's a pity that she lost her parents at a young age and almost lost her life when the rebels besieged the city. Now I am her only relative, so I have to love her more." As she spoke, she pressed the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief.

Princess Hexin was also quite moved. Seeing Lin Xiwei lowering her head with a respectful and well-behaved look, she touched her head and said softly, "How old are you? Are you used to living in Jiankang now?"

Lin Xi raised her head slightly, her eyes slightly red, her watery eyes full of admiration, "In reply to the eldest princess, I will be eighteen this May. The climate and soil of Jiankang are good for people, and my aunt treats me very well. I have the same food, clothing and expenses as my two younger sisters."

"She is a good child who knows how to be grateful." Princess He Xin patted her hands with satisfaction.

"She has always told me at home that she admires your elegance and grace. Knowing that you are holding a banquet today, she insisted that I bring her to pay her respects to you." Xie wanted to help Lin Xi gain favor in front of the princess, so she also spoke up to join in the fun.

"How can an old woman like me, whose body is half buried in the ground, still have any charm? The world is dominated by young people now." The eldest princess thought that Xie was complimenting her, so she smiled and sighed, and wanted to say something else to get rid of Lin Xi.

Unexpectedly, Lin Xi, who had been keeping her head down just now, suddenly knelt down after hearing her words. She first bowed down and saluted, then raised her head, staring at Princess He Xin with a sharp gaze, "During the rebellion of the six kings in the past, Your Majesty received the will of heaven and ascended the throne, but the remnants of the six kings are still restless and trying to overthrow the government.

"At the critical moment, it was you, the eldest princess, who held the national seal as a woman, angrily rebuked the traitors, and saved the country from the turmoil. After the government was stabilized, you personally set up girls' schools and built charity halls to seek welfare for the people of Daling."

"Although I grew up in Langya and never saw the princess, I have heard my mother tell me about Princess Hexin's heroic deeds since I was young. I can even recite the words of the children in the alley: 'The country is as beautiful as brocade, and the beauty is better than a hero. The country has a princess who makes all the men ashamed.'"

"So I have admired the eldest princess since I was young. When I first arrived in Jiankang, my aunt saw that I was depressed day by day, and she always comforted and encouraged me with the deeds of the eldest princess. Time flies, but the eldest princess's demeanor is as bright as the moon, and she has brought blessings to the world. It is something that girls like me can never achieve!"

The moment Lin Xi looked up, Princess He Xin was still thinking that although this girl from the Lin family had a good appearance, she lacked manners. She had originally wanted to ask the nanny to send her away, but she had never expected that Lin Xi would speak so much without stopping. Moreover, the straightforward and passionate admiration for her in her words moved Princess He Xin, who was used to hearing flattery.

Being stared at by her clear eyes, the princess couldn't help but breathe faster. The nanny behind her saw that the princess didn't say anything for a long time, thinking that she was offended by Lin Xi's gaze at the emperor. Just as she was about to scold her, she saw the princess stretched out her trembling hands and personally helped Lin Xi up.

"Good child, get up quickly. It's amazing that you are so ambitious at such a young age." Seeing Lin Xi stand up, Princess He Xin looked at Xie again, "You and her parents have taught her very well."

"I haven't spoken to a young girl for a long time since Jiayue left. Today you stay by my side and accompany an old man like me." Princess Hexin touched Lin Xi's head lovingly, and asked the nanny to move Lin Xi's seat next to her.

Seeing that Lin Xi hadn't reacted yet, Mrs. Xie quickly called her to thank her, "Silly child, you are so happy that you are silly. Why don't you thank the princess quickly?"

Jiayue is the maiden name of Princess Hexin's only daughter, Princess Duanshu. Princess Duanshu was very cute and was deeply loved by Princess Hexin. Unfortunately, she was so beautiful that she fell seriously ill and died at the age of fourteen. Princess Hexin was so heartbroken to see her son die before her that she fell seriously ill. From then on, the princess became a hidden pain in her heart. Now she even took the initiative to bring it up, which shows how much she loved Lin Xi.

Soon, all the ladies arrived and the banquet officially began. This Spring Banquet was as its name suggested. In addition to the common dishes that wealthy families would serve to their guests, there were more seasonal side dishes, such as newly sprouted bamboo shoots, the first crop of shepherd's purse, and newly picked Chinese toon. The fresh and refreshing food made many ladies, who had just finished the first month of the year and were tired of eating big fish and meat, couldn't help but raise their hands.

Lin Xi's favorite dish on the table is the mandarin fish and tofu soup. Zhang Zhihe of the Tang Dynasty once wrote a poem that goes, "White egrets fly in front of Xise Mountain, peach blossoms bloom and mandarin fish are fat." The peach blossom season is when mandarin fish are the fattest. The chef who prepared this soup is obviously a skilled cook. The milky white fish soup is so delicious as soon as Lin Xi takes a sip that she wishes she could swallow it along with her tongue.

She put down the spoon after drinking half a bowl and said to the maid behind the princess, "Mammy, this fish soup is fresh and tender. Although it is sunny today, it is still chilly in spring. Why don't you give the princess another bowl to warm her stomach first?"

After hearing what Lin Xi said, the nanny's originally serious expression softened a little. She nodded to Lin Xi, showed a kind smile and said, "Miss, you are careful, but the princess took a nourishing soup this morning, and the imperial physician advised to avoid fish, shrimp and other irritating foods."

Lin Xi was slightly startled when she heard this and was about to apologize, but the eldest princess who had listened to their conversation smiled and said, "No wonder I liked this child the moment I saw her. She is really a smart person. Jingzhen, don't let this child down. Give me half a bowl of the fish soup so I can have a sip."

Seeing Lin Xi's panic, he comforted her, "Good girl, don't be afraid. Jingzhen and the other old rascals always take the doctor's words as an imperial decree, not allowing me to eat this or that. Today is a rare feast, but they still want to restrict me. I am also very greedy for this fish soup, so it won't hurt to drink a little."

After hearing this, the nanny could only smile helplessly, stepped forward and filled a small bowl of the fish soup in front of the princess, complaining to her, "You are always saying you are a child, a child. The princess is getting worse and worse. Now she doesn't look like a princess at all, but more like a three-year-old who drinks medicine and asks for candy."

The princess was not angry after hearing this. She just smiled and said to everyone at the table, "Listen, Nanny Jing has a very sharp tongue. Now she is scolding me. I dare not control her. You should quickly pull her down and tear her mouth apart."

Everyone at the table knew that Nanny Jing had been serving the princess since she was a boudoir maid. They knew the two were joking and laughed along. Lin Xi also spoke up at the right time, "It's all because of your ignorance. When I saw the delicious fish soup, I thought of borrowing flowers to offer to Buddha. I didn't expect that it would cause the princess and Nanny to have a quarrel. If you really want to quarrel, just tear my mouth."

The princess took a sip of the fish soup in her hand and put it down. She smiled lovingly at Lin Xi, "This soup is really good. You are so kind. I love you so much that I can't bear to punish you." She looked at everyone and said, "Don't stare at an old woman like me. Let's eat quickly. Today's meal is very good. You can all eat more."