Having not cooked for a long time, Xia Ruqing’s culinary skills were somewhat rusty, but the foundation was still there. She made carrot and pork rib stew, plain stir-fried bok choy, sour bamboo shoot chicken soup, and honey-glazed tender lotus root slices. There were still some lotus root slices left over, so she had someone fetch some wood ear mushrooms. She then made a salad with the lotus root and wood ear, drizzling it with some chili oil. It was slightly spicy but wonderfully fragrant—crisp and refreshing. Perfect to enjoy before sipping some soup, and then one could have more!
Finally, the fish was steamed. She set aside the large fish head to simmer in a small pot, bubbling away into a fish head soup. No salt was added. Fish soup was said to be good for brain development, and she wanted Little Bun to try a bit. Although he was not even two months old, a little fish soup should be fine, right? After all, it was mostly water, not greasy, and easy to digest.
Lastly, she selected two carrots, personally ground them into a pulp with a small stone mill, and then used a clean cotton cloth to squeeze out the juice.
"My Lady, what is this for...?" Zi Su asked.
"For Little Bun to drink!"
Zi Su was somewhat puzzled. "My Lady, the Little Prince is still so young. Are you sure... he can drink this?"
Xia Ruqing smiled. "Why not? Carrots are good for the eyes! They are all nutrients. If he can drink milk, why not vegetable and fruit juices? It’s really the same principle!"
Zi Su didn’t dare to say more; her mistress always had her own strong opinions. In any case, it wasn’t their place to question her.
After preparing these, Xia Ruqing then stewed a large pot of mixed vegetables. She chopped a large piece of pork belly into chunks and tossed it all in. She also added more wood ear mushrooms, lotus root slices, and other leftover vegetables from before. It was, in a sense, a kind of hearty stew.
"Xiao Zhu Zi, you all can add whatever you like to it!" she said.
Xiao Zhu Zi quickly knelt and kowtowed. "This servant thanks the Mistress!"
For a mistress to personally cook for her servants was likely unprecedented throughout all dynasties. If they didn’t know their mistress usually wasn’t bothered by such informalities, they would have been scared to death. Even so, Xiao Zhu Zi felt thoroughly uneasy.
Xia Ruqing didn’t think much of it and waved her hand with a smile. "Get up, quick!" With that, she left.
Cooking for herself was simply a pleasure. As long as she was happy, she could do whatever she wanted; it wasn’t as if she were doing anything outrageous. Nobility wasn’t something one feigned, nor did cooking a few dishes diminish one’s noble status. Just like now, she enjoyed moving about and getting some light exercise occasionally; it pleased her!
「Before lunch, the piping hot food was all laid out.」
Xia Ruqing picked up a piece of bok choy to taste and smiled. "My own cooking really is the best!" There was minimal seasoning, mainly because the vegetables were so fresh. The bok choy was stir-fried until perfectly tender-crisp; even without much seasoning, the texture alone was delightful! At the very least, it was far more delicious than the often overcooked or dried-out dishes from the Imperial Kitchen.
Xia Ruqing mused to herself. Actually, life in the palace isn’t as inscrutable as the rumors outside make it seem. Most people probably still enjoy simple bok choy. However, they value propriety even more, so...
Xia Ruqing ladled some of the bok choy’s savory broth onto her rice, mixed it well, and ate it with a spoon. The delicious broth coated each firm grain of rice; it was so good she felt like she could take flight.
Just as she was thoroughly enjoying her meal, Zhao Junyao arrived. He caught the fragrant aroma of home-cooked food even before stepping inside. That little minx, he thought, she must have found fault with the Imperial Kitchen’s food again and is busy concocting something herself! Sure enough, when he entered, he saw Xia Ruqing already eating.
When Xia Ruqing saw the Emperor enter, her eyes widened. She quickly wiped her mouth with her sleeve and scurried over to greet him. "Greetings to the Emper... COUGH COUGH..." She had stood up too abruptly and choked, tears welling in her eyes. Zhao Junyao swiftly pulled her upright and patted her back firmly a couple of times. With a forceful cough, the rice grain stuck in her throat was finally dislodged. Her complexion returned to normal.
Zhao Junyao’s face was stern. "Why did you get up in such a rush?"
Little Bun, lying on the bed, kept glancing their way, a hint of disdain in his eyes. Hmph, my mother is truly too foolish! If it weren’t for Imperial Father, what would she ever do!
Xia Ruqing lowered her head and muttered softly, "It was only because I feared neglecting Your Majesty!" She wouldn’t have dared to remain seated if the Emperor had arrived and she hadn’t risen to greet him!
Zhao Junyao didn’t press the matter further and pulled her down to sit. Looking at the table laden with dishes, his expression darkened once more. "So, you weren’t afraid of neglecting Zhen when you started your lunch without waiting?"
Xia Ruqing was speechless. Your Majesty, you never said you were coming! Sometimes, the Emperor can be so unreasonable!
Fortunately, the other dishes were untouched. Only half of the bok choy dish had been eaten, so it was fine once that plate was removed. Zhao Junyao wasn’t actually petty enough to bicker with a woman over a few mouthfuls of food, so he didn’t say much more.