Consort Zhuang doesn't want palace intrigue; she just wants to raise her child and live a caref

"Your Highness, look! These gourd strips should be enough!" Zhixiang deftly bundled the prepared gourd strips into neat bundles, then carefully packed them into thick cloth bags. She then looked up and asked Su Nuannuan.

"Yes, that's enough." Su Nuannuan smiled and nodded, indicating her satisfaction.

Actually, she was secretly thinking that if she continued to dry the gourd strips, her third brother would probably go crazy.

Just then, Yaoqin ran over happily, holding a handful of freshly dried cowpeas in her hands, and said with a smile, "Your Highness, look, these dried cowpeas are all dried too!"

From the moment she decided to dry gourd strips, Su Nuannuan seemed to have opened the door to a new world, starting a crazy mode of drying vegetables.

In her little vegetable garden, almost every vegetable that could be dried and made into dried vegetables was taken by her.

Such behavior not only left the palace maids around him speechless, but also became a great tale in the royal harem of the Azure Kingdom.

It's worth noting that throughout the long history of the imperial concubines, no one has ever been as enthusiastic about drying vegetables as Su Nuannuan. However, when asked whether others would follow suit, Su Nuannuan nonchalantly stated that she couldn't predict the future.

Just as everyone was busy, a panicked cry suddenly rang out: "Fifth Prince, you absolutely mustn't eat this!"

It turned out that the mischievous Jingcheng had secretly grabbed a gourd strip and was about to stuff it into his mouth to enjoy it.

Hearing Yue Niang's exclamation, Su Nuannuan quickly turned around to check the situation. She saw that Yue Niang was quick-witted and nimble-fingered, swiftly reaching out to Jing Cheng's mouth and, with considerable effort, prying the gourd strip that was about to go into his mouth out.

Seeing the gourd strip snatched from her son's mouth by Yue Niang, Su Nuannuan couldn't help but feel a little amused and exasperated. She shook her head helplessly, stretched out her slender finger, and gently tapped Jing Cheng's forehead, which was as smooth and delicate as a peeled egg, and said in a soft, reproachful voice, "My little darling, if you continue like this, you will definitely become a complete little foodie in the future."

Despite having his possession forcibly taken away, young Jingcheng displayed remarkable strength, not even shedding a single tear. With a nimble flip, the little guy lay back down as if nothing had happened, displaying a rather carefree and composed demeanor.

Immediately afterwards, Su Nuannuan turned her head and looked at Li Quan beside her, and instructed, "Li Quan, next time you go out of the palace on business, remember to bring back a piece of Sichuan pepper wood for me. I want to make teething sticks for the two children myself."

Upon hearing this, Li Quan quickly put down the dried vegetables he was tidying up and replied with a smile, "Yes, Your Majesty, this servant will certainly keep it in mind." After saying that, he continued to work busily.

At this moment, as if suddenly remembering something, Su Nuannuan turned her head again and looked at Zhixiang, who was busy working on the other side, and asked, "Zhixiang, do we have any walnuts left?"

Upon hearing this, Zhixiang immediately stopped what she was doing, looked up, and replied, "Your Majesty, there are still some left. I wonder if Your Majesty needs them?"

Su Nuannuan smiled and nodded, pointing to her son who was amusing himself on the small couch, and said softly, "Hmm, go wash it clean, then get one for this little guy to gnaw on."

Upon receiving the instructions, Zhixiang didn't dare to delay. She quickly tidied up the gourd strips that she hadn't finished binding and carefully placed them into a cloth bag beside her. After doing this, she turned around and hurried towards the kitchen.

At this moment, Su Nuannuan gazed tenderly at her daughter Jingyao, who was lying there quietly playing by herself, and couldn't help but praise, "Ah, our little Yao'er is still the most well-behaved and sensible!"

Upon hearing this, Jinse, who was standing to the side, smiled and agreed, "Your Majesty is absolutely right. In fact, both young masters are extremely well-behaved and adorable."

“Ever since Cheng’er learned to roll over, he’s been quite restless. Look how energetically he’s thrashing around on the small couch! He’s trying so hard to learn to crawl! He hasn’t even learned to sit yet, but he’s already eager to crawl forward.” Su Nuannuan said to the people around her with a smile, pointing to her son who was happily thrashing around on the small couch.

It was already mid-August, and the morning temperatures were no longer as unbearably hot as before. So, Jinse and Yaoqin brought out a small, exquisite wooden couch from the storeroom and placed it in the courtyard. Now, the two adorable young masters could play and frolic in this comfortable and pleasant environment.

When Cuiwei Palace began drying the vegetables, the news quickly spread throughout the inner palace. The mistresses of the other palaces also discussed it extensively. Some approved of the practice, finding it both economical and flavorful; others scoffed, feeling it was beneath the dignity of the royal family. However, Su Nuannuan remained calm and composed in the face of these mixed opinions. She completely ignored others' views, focusing solely on managing her own life well.

Even the Emperor himself visited Cuiwei Palace twice after hearing about this. However, the meaning behind the Emperor's words was: "I have never mistreated you in the slightest."

Su Nuannuan's response was particularly straightforward and honest: "Your Majesty, I have always enjoyed the taste of these dried vegetables, but I have not tasted them since I entered the palace. I miss them very much."

With a single sentence, she left the Emperor speechless, even making him feel indebted. As a result, the Imperial Household Department had no choice but to purchase a large quantity of dried vegetables and send them to Cuiwei Palace.

Taking advantage of the Emperor's favor, Su Nuannuan became increasingly willful and reckless, even asking the Emperor to send her more delicacies in a coquettish manner.

The Emperor was completely captivated by Su Nuannuan's coquettish charm, but he also vaguely felt that he had captured the heart of his beloved concubine. From then on, every few days, all sorts of dried vegetables would be continuously delivered to Cuiwei Palace. But let's leave that aside for now.

At this moment, in the tranquil and peaceful Anning Palace, the Empress was sitting leisurely at her desk, focused on the book in her hands. Beside her, the palace maid Yingqiu was quietly grinding ink, while whispering to the Empress, "Your Majesty, the Emperor has sent dried vegetables to Cuiwei Palace three times this month."