The Eldest Daughter Reborn: She Provoked the Obsessive Crown Prince and Couldn't Escape

Yuan Li hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he took the apricots from her hand and ate them.

"Hmm, just so-so, not sweet enough..." Yuan Li stared at Fu Luan. Her hands were already empty, but Yuan Li still licked her fingers, "Not even half as sweet as A-Luan's soft hands!"

Fu Luan pretended not to know what he was thinking and simply smiled, "This 'Apricot Decoction' is simple to make, but its advantage lies in using various kinds of apricots that were freshly presented as tribute this year from different regions. The names of these apricots are so strange and unusual that they're hard to remember!"

"His Majesty has lived in the deep palace all his life. What good things hasn't he seen and what delicious food hasn't he tasted? He's just trying something new! The Imperial Kitchen deserves credit for whetting His Majesty's appetite! However..."

Fu Luan then brought over a tray with three wooden plaques, each engraved with one of the three large characters: “芷”, “蘅”, and “汀”.

“Apricots have names, and people should have names too! The nineteenth prince’s first birthday is coming soon, and His Majesty hasn’t named him yet! This is a name chosen by the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and His Majesty will have to review it personally!” Fu Luan said with a smile.

Since its founding, the Great Wei Dynasty has not liked to use names to assign generations to its descendants.

The Court of Imperial Sacrifices initially sent "Zhi", "Heng", and "Su", which caused Yuan Li to fly into a rage, even extending to the birth mother of the nineteenth prince—

Mei Yuanfei, who had just been demoted from the second-rank concubine to one of the three upper concubines, was demoted again to the seventh-rank Baolin, losing even her status as a principal concubine!

So for a long time, no one dared to bring up the matter of naming the nineteenth prince again. Now, only Fu Luan dares to "bring up the sore spot"!

"What do you think, A-Luan? I'll listen to you!" Yuan Li only glanced at the tray.

“‘White jade is used as a pendant, and sparse stones are used as a fragrance. The angelica is used as a canopy, and the fragrant herbs surround it.’1 I think… ‘fragrant herbs’ is the best word.” Fu Luan smiled and picked up the middle piece.

"Alright, alright! Let's call him 'Yuan Heng'!" Yuan Li tossed the character "Heng" back onto the tray and carried Fu Luan to the bed...

The nineteenth prince was originally named "Yuan Heng," a name given to him by Yuan Li in his previous life.

This was also the first time Fu Luan had used her memories from her past life to please this man. This man was the ruler of a nation, her husband; if she wanted, she could make Yuan Li happier, and happier still!

She wrapped her arms around her husband's neck and brought the "Zhu Xing Jian" (a type of pastry) in her mouth to Yuan Li's lips. Yuan Li then devoured the "not-so-sweet" pastry, along with the person beneath him, completely...

"Ah Luan, last time at 'Jade Snow and Rainbow Robes,' I didn't mean to say that you were... I will never say such things to Ah Luan again!" After the intense intimacy, Yuan Li held his wife, his words full of remorse.

What he couldn't bring himself to say was, of course, the word "slut".

Fu Luan said softly, "If I wanted to be angry with Your Majesty, I could be angry no matter how many times! It's not just because of those two words. Besides..."

"On the day Sang Zhuo attempted the assassination, Your Majesty also protected me in your arms. I remember it all!"

She wrapped her arms around Yuan Li's body, just like that day at the Prince of Yan's residence...

Yuan Li kissed her forehead and whispered, "I know why you can't forget Xiao Jiu. Compared to my son, I am ultimately inferior. In times of crisis, he was able to selflessly shield you, even at the cost of his own life, while I..."

Fu Luan played with her husband's hair and smiled, "In my heart, they are the same... Xiao Jiu is very good, and Your Majesty is also... very good."

"What's so good about him? Has A-Luan tried it?" Yuan Li suppressed his heavy breathing as he reached his hands inside his wife's freshly straightened clothes...

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, the Yongning Marquis's residence, the Qi Kingdom Princess's residence, and the Jimo Marquis's residence have sent over some refreshments..." Hua Luo reported from outside the palace.

Since Fu Luan entered the palace, her brothers who were still in Chang'an were worried that the food in the palace would not suit her taste, so they sent people to Changqiu Palace every day to deliver different kinds of dishes and snacks, sometimes several times a day.

"What a timing! What a spoilsport!" the Emperor complained, frowning.

Fu Luan stood up, straightened her clothes again, and said with a smile, "Your Majesty is not hungry, but I am! Your Majesty, please keep me company while I eat."

"Even if it's just a glance and a gift, it would still fulfill my brothers' filial piety!"

After lunch, Yuan Li only ate two pieces of "Zhu Xing Jian". With the recent resolution of his misunderstanding with Fu Luan, he did have an appetite, so he had the tribute snacks brought up.

The other gifts were mediocre, but the lamb liver and lamb milk cheese from the Yongning Marquis's residence caught Fu Luan's eye, and Yuan Li also took a liking to these two items.

"Your Majesty, I gave you the apricot jelly this afternoon. Now it's Your Majesty's turn to give me the lamb liver and lamb milk cheese... Consider it a reward for me, okay?" Fu Luan said coquettishly.

"Alright, alright! It's just two desserts, what's the big deal? I'll eat something else!" Yuan Li whispered in Fu Luan's ear, "As long as A Luan is happy, even my life is yours..."

Fu Luan frowned slightly upon hearing this, but quickly regained her composure. Yuan Li didn't pursue the matter, but casually asked, "As far as I remember, you've never eaten mutton or anything from a sheep, finding it too smelly. Why the sudden change of heart?"

Hua Luo chuckled from the side, "The mutton at the Yongning Marquis's residence is exceptionally well-prepared, with absolutely no gamey smell while retaining its fresh flavor. That's why Your Highness can occasionally enjoy it!"

"Da Changqiu, having served in Changqiu Palace, understands the Empress better than I do! You did save the Empress's life at the Prince of Yan's residence that day, so why doesn't your mistress reward you properly?" Yuan Li looked at Hua Luo with a hint of approval in her eyes.

Hua Luo quickly knelt down and said, "Your Highness has something to reward this servant with..."

"His Majesty thinks I haven't given you enough and is afraid you'll be disappointed, so he wants to give you more! Don't try to save him any money or worry; just tell him what you want!" Fu Luan said as she poured wine for Yuan Li.

The couple's playful banter during their meal soon became a reality.

Not only did Hua Luo, the Grand Chamberlain, receive double the salary, but because her master, Fu Luan, had earned fame on horseback, the Emperor bestowed upon her a Wusun horse, which was a tribute from the Western Regions, and granted her the special privilege of riding it within the palace.

"Hmph, 'civil officials dismount from their sedan chairs and military generals dismount from their horses' is a custom that has been practiced in the palace for thousands of years. Once you pass the dismounting stele, even the great general has to dismount!"

"My uncle was reprimanded by the Emperor a few years ago for simply dismounting a little too slowly. Now, a lowly maid can ride a horse in the palace? What a show of power!" Lady Yaozhang said through gritted teeth.

Qian Chonghua said, "The 'Grand Chamberlain' receives an annual salary of two thousand shi (a unit of grain), so she can't really be called a 'lowly servant,' especially since the Emperor himself increased her salary. If this salary were converted into silver, it might be more than what we concubines receive..."

Before she could finish speaking, she received a heavy slap across the face from Madam Yao Zhang!