The Marquise: I Earn My Own Worship

"Grind the carrots into a paste and mix in the yam paste. Heat the milk and add the milk. Sprinkle the lotus seeds, peanuts, and cherry yogurt in."

Song Shengfu sat aside and gave orders while enjoying the grapes handed to her by the pretty palace maid. Naturally, she didn't have to do these things herself, she just had to tell the people below to do it.

Those who can be cooks in the palace are not ordinary people. They have extremely high comprehension and basically know what to do as soon as Song Shengfu tells them.

After a while, several bowls of cherry cheese, lotus seed and yam soup were served. Duan Chengkang and the Sixth Prince were playing Gobang in the compartment. Duan Chengkang finally had a boy of the same age to play with. Although he had sisters before, he never had the feeling of competing with people of the same sex.

Hearing that there was something delicious, Duan Chengkang solemnly said it was time for tea and snacks, and dragged the Sixth Prince to the east side hall. He looked back at the chessboard quietly. Fortunately, he almost lost again.

"What is this? It's smooth and mellow with the taste of milk." Concubine Ning's expression revealed astonishment. This thing was so sweet and delicious.

"This is called Cherry Yogurt Lotus Seed and Yam Soup. Lotus seeds and yams are good for strengthening the spleen and stomach, and adding peanuts and golden rice adds a variety of flavors. You can also add different fruits, honey, etc."

Song Shengfu introduced it with a smile. She hadn't eaten it for a long time and was craving it.

"Mrs. Duan is really clever. She can come up with such a combination." Concubine Ning praised while enjoying it.

Song Shengfu: This is not what an old woman like me thinks. This is the wisdom of modern China, a country with a 5,000-year history of food.

The Sixth Prince looked at the jade ice cups before him, feeling somewhat curious. The combination of colors alone whetted his appetite. He couldn't help but pick up the jade spoon and take a sip.

Hmm? Sixth Prince Chu Qinling's eyes lit up. He could taste milk, but what was this dense jade sand beneath the ground?

She asked as she thought about it. Concubine Ning was also a little curious and looked at the pastry chef standing beside her.

The cook, upon hearing his master's inquiries, quickly stepped forward and explained the cooking process. Chu Qinling then realized he had just eaten the taro and yam he often ate. His round eyes were filled with disbelief. He had eaten taro and yam before, but they were ordinary. But he had never expected these ingredients to be so delicious together.

Before Chu Qinling knew it, he had finished a bowl of cherry cheese, lotus seeds and yam soup. Concubine Ning, who was standing next to him, saw that Ling'er was eating so seriously that she didn't dare to disturb him. This was the first time she saw Ling'er finish a whole bowl of food without being coaxed by the palace servants.

There seemed to be tears in Concubine Ning's eyes. When she saw Old Madam Duan and Duan Chengkang in the palace, a hint of consideration flashed across her eyes, and then she greeted Song Shengfu calmly.

As agreed, Song Shengfu took Duan Chengkang for a stroll in the capital and returned to the mansion with the food they had bought along the way. Not long after, they heard the doorman convey that the imperial edict had arrived. Everyone hurriedly washed their clothes, burned incense, and set up an incense table to welcome the imperial edict.

"By the grace of Heaven and the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims: Duan Song, gentle, kind, respectful, frugal, and virtuous, appears foolish. She diligently follows the emperor's orders and has made meritorious contributions, sharing his worries. She is a model wife. Therefore, she is granted one hundred taels of gold, ten bolts of brocade jade palace silk, a pair of white jade court crowns with the inscription "Fu Shou" (blessings and longevity), a set of gilded and kingfisher-inlaid headdresses, three taels of old immortal, a purple jade cloud-patterned headband, and a set of four treasures of the study. She is hereby promoted to the rank of Marquise of the Second Rank. This is my decree."

A eunuch in second-class palace uniform read out the imperial edict, with a perfect smile on his plump face.

"The old lady has finished reading the imperial edict. Congratulations, please accept it."

Song Shengfu kowtowed in thanks and stood up, signaling Suchun with her eyes. Suchun quickly stepped forward and stuffed a purse into the eunuch's hand.

Eunuch Wang rubbed it secretly with his fingers and found that there were silver bills inside. He immediately smiled happily, his expression became more gentle and respectful, and he said nice words of congratulations.

Song Shengfu didn't expect that she would not only receive rewards but also be promoted after visiting the palace twice. She was originally a second-rank marquise, and now she has been promoted to the second rank. It was indeed an unexpected surprise.

After respectfully sending off the eunuch who announced the decree, everyone in the Earl's Mansion was overjoyed. Their Earl's Mansion had finally made it, and now that they had the favor of the emperor, they were even more respectful to the old lady in their family.

"Were these dishes presented by Madam Duan Hou?"

While drinking the Four Gods Soup, the Emperor of Chu asked Concubine Ning who was sitting next to him. Concubine Ning's eyes were full of smiles. The Emperor of Chu had not seen his concubine so happy for a long time.

"It was presented by Old Madam Duan. Her recipes are truly ingenious. Your son ate quite a bit today. Not as much as an average person, but much better than usual. Old Madam Duan said that your son's spleen and stomach have been out of balance for a long time, so he needs to slowly replenish his body with food. There's no need to rush."

There was a smile in Concubine Ning's eyes, and the depression of the past few years seemed to have dissipated. At this moment, she was just a mother worried about her children.

The King of Chu was moved. His son's poor health was also a source of worry for him. He had thought that the child was unlucky, but he never expected that things would take a turn for the better. He was very happy.

As soon as he heard the good news today, he immediately ordered a large reward and directly promoted Madam Duan to a higher rank. After all, even if she was promoted, it would not have much impact on the court, so he did not hesitate to spend money on it.

Looking back, the old Marquis Duan was also loyal and devoted in the past. This reward can be regarded as a comfort to the old minister. It’s a pity that the upright and loyal old Marquis did not have any promising descendants. It’s such a pity.

"Ling'er, come here. How was your relationship with that kid from the Duan family today?"

The Emperor of Chu asked Chu Qinling to sit next to him and looked at his youngest son with a loving expression. This was the son he had had in the ninth year of Mingde. Since the birth of the son, he was afraid that he would leave him, so he doted on him especially.

Chu Qinling was in better spirits than usual. When his father asked him about it, he excitedly talked about the "Journey to the West" he had listened to today, the Gobang game, and the delicious cheese bowl.

Concubine Ning and Emperor Chu were also very happy. It was rare to see Ling'er interested in something.

"Then how about letting that young man Kang come to the palace to play with you more often?"

The Emperor of Chu fondly patted Chu Qinling's head.

"But is it true?! Thank you, father." Chu Qinling was also a little happy. The friendship between boys came so quickly. In just one day, the two of them were playing together. Even when they parted today, they were reluctant to leave.

In the evening, when Concubine Ning was helping Emperor Chu to sleep, she couldn't help but talk about what happened today. During the meal, Ling'er was beside her and there were some things she couldn't say. Concubine Ning later told her about what happened today in detail. It seemed that she was full of good feelings for Song Shengfu, and her words were full of praise.

The Emperor of Chu was a little curious. His concubine Ning rarely even had contact with her own family. This was the first time he saw her praising someone so much. He also felt a little favorable impression towards the Duan family, whom he had never met before.

Especially the Tai Chi, he had also read it and asked the secret guards around him to secretly investigate the Duan family. The fact was exactly as rumored outside. Several masters of the Duan family were practicing this method. The secret guards observed it and understood the general key points. After coming back and demonstrating it to him, he also saw some enlightenment from it, which was one of the reasons why he rewarded it so highly.

Besides, this Tai Chi technique might not be as simple as what the old lady said the Taoist priest had learned...

From then on, Duan Chengkang had to go to the palace almost every day to accompany the Sixth Prince Chu Qinling. In the past winters, Chu Qinling was always bedridden and could easily catch a cold if he wasn't careful. Although he had a minor cold this year, he was well after resting for two days. Even the imperial physician said that the Sixth Prince was a little stronger than before.

Concubine Ning had a rare happy winter, which showed that the dietary supplements and Tai Chi techniques were effective. She became more and more kind to Duan Chengkang who came to the palace every day.

For a period of time, Chengkang lived a very carefree life in the palace. He had delicious food to eat all day long and people to play with. He gained a lot of weight during the winter and turned from a small fat ball into a big fat ball.