Chapter 571: Chapter 571
Fengyu accompanied the elderly lady for a walk to lift her spirits. At dinner, she personally went to the kitchen to cook noodles and prepared a few small dishes, insisting that the elderly lady, Su Yuejiao, and Feng Changqing taste her cooking. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel·fıre·net
She was already skilled at making noodles, and the small dishes were simple flavors typical of West State. It wasn’t very difficult. During her time in West State, she had plenty of leisure, and even during busy periods, she had learned to make a few dishes. Now, it was the perfect opportunity to showcase her skills.
Each person had a bowl of chicken soup noodles, while the table was adorned with eight or nine dishes. Only three of the meat dishes were not prepared by Fengyu; the rest were all made by her own hands.
Feng Changqing and Su Yuejiao, after all these years, were eating Fengyu’s homemade food for the first time and were both surprised and deeply moved. After all, their youngest daughter truly didn’t like to lift a finger for anything – she was exceedingly lazy.
"When I was in West State, there were times when I really missed the flavors of the Capital City’s cuisine. Though the cooks at the manor were skilled, they could never quite match my tastes. If Chunlu and Qiuxiang weren’t around at the manor, I would try to cook a little myself. It wasn’t that hard." Fengyu sat down and served chicken soup to her grandmother and parents.
"Grandmother, Father, Mother, please try it and see if it suits your taste."
The chicken soup had been boiled with the skin removed, making it light and not greasy. Its aroma was rich, and Fengyu had added just a bit of lotus root. It catered perfectly to the palates of the elderly lady, Feng Changqing, and Su Yuejiao.
After the elderly lady drank the chicken soup, she tried a few dishes under Fengyu’s attentive care. While the flavors didn’t surpass those of the manor cooks, they were still quite good.
The sentiment behind the effort mattered more than the taste.
Feng Changqing, who wasn’t picky about food, praised her generously and ate with gusto, giving Fengyu due face. Fengyu’s mood lightened considerably.
"Why the sudden desire to cook personally?" Su Yuejiao asked with a gentle laugh.
"I will soon enter the palace, and in the future, chances to cook for you will be few and far between. I happened to have the time today, so I thought I’d showcase my skills. These few dishes are West State flavors; please give them a try." Fengyu had also prepared a few heavier-flavored West State dishes. The elderly lady, being considerate, sampled a few bites but couldn’t eat much more.
They were all aware that tomorrow, Xie Xun would ascend the throne.
Once he ascended the throne, Fengyu would be crowned Empress. Both Feng Changqing and Su Yuejiao were deeply concerned for Fengyu, understanding that being an Empress was no easy task. With Ayu’s difficulty in childbirth and her uncompromising nature, becoming Empress would surely bring grievances. Even though Xie Xun loved her deeply, there would be matters beyond his control.
Still, their daughter’s happiness was within reach. After years of mutual longing, their dream was about to be realized. They didn’t want to dampen Fengyu’s spirits; as long as she was cheerful, that was enough.
After accompanying her family for dinner, Fengyu also escorted her grandmother out of the mansion for an evening walk. With Xie Xun’s imminent ascension, there was no curfew in the Capital City for three days, and the streets were bustling with activity.
The elderly lady hadn’t ventured out for years. Fengyu accompanied her as they strolled through the market, tasted street foods, and then joined her grandmother and parents for a boat ride to listen to music at the lake. Fengyu had specially invited Lady Thirteen to bring a group of talented musicians onboard to perform songs, dance, and entertain. The elderly lady, amused by the young women, laughed to the point of tears, while Su Yuejiao also felt exceptionally delighted.
Ever since Feng Shu passed away, moments of such pure joy had been rare for the family.
Xie Xun was well aware that Fengyu was accompanying her family, enjoying music, lanterns, and lake views, and he refrained from sending anyone to disrupt them. Tomorrow’s enthronement ceremony would be significant, and tonight the palace was consumed with preparations. Even so, he had received reports from his guards indicating that Grandmaster Zhang and others were indeed planning to stir trouble at the ceremony. If Yuwen Jing remained alive, it would pose a serious challenge for him. Even if he were to create an elaborate deception, they wouldn’t believe it unless the Astronomical Observatory cooperated to fabricate evidence.
For ordinary individuals, this situation might present a dilemma. But Xie Xun was different. From the start, he had no intention of taking risks. He would rather bear the storms himself, enduring all the slander and attacks. These matters didn’t trouble him; he could resolve them in time, so long as they didn’t disturb Fengyu’s peace.
Even if his cousin sought out Ayu, with Ayu’s temperament, she wouldn’t pay him any heed.