vstars Chapter 494 The first clues appear
Chapter 494 The first clues appear
In the end, the second prince didn't get to eat the sweet snowflake crisp.
Chen Lin said he had done his best, but Lord Jiang was watching him intently.
The Second Prince watched helplessly as pieces of snowflake pastry disappeared into the mouths of Chen Lin and Jiang Xiaoqi.
Tears of sadness involuntarily streamed down her face.
This resulted in the lectures being far less effective than those in the morning, and the second prince was somewhat distracted.
I kept imagining how delicious those snow-white pastries must be, even Lin Ge, who doesn't like sweets, was eating them with his eyes half-closed.
No, I absolutely have to eat it!
The Second Prince had somewhat forgotten his original intention in bringing Jiang Xiaoqi to his side; now, all he could think about was snowflake pastries.
The chefs in the palace are really useless; how come they can't make any new or interesting desserts?
It's always the same old osmanthus cake, yam cake, and jujube paste cake.
It's not that it tastes bad, but I'm tired of eating it after all these years.
Or should we spend money to buy the Chiang family's pastry recipe?
"DuangDuangDuang!"
The ruler struck the table three times, snapping the second prince out of his reverie.
For a fleeting moment, his eyes were sharp, unlike those of a simpleton.
Jiang Xiaoqi rubbed her eyes, thinking she had misread it.
Chen Lin coughed a few times at the right moment, attracting Jiang Xiaoqi's attention.
"Is Eunuch Chen alright? But the snowflake crisps he just ate were too sweet. Let him have some tea to wash away the sweetness!"
As soon as Jiang Xiaoqi finished speaking, the Second Prince realized that he had almost been exposed.
Fortunately, Brother Lin covered for him, but he really wanted the prescription.
Chen Lin was like a mind reader to the Second Prince; he knew what the prince was thinking without him having to say a word.
"Ahem, my apologies, Lord Jiang, but the snowflake crisp pastry made in your small kitchen is so delicious that I couldn't resist."
Furthermore, I have a presumptuous request; I wonder if Lord Jiang would be willing to grant it?
Jiang Xiaoqi put down the ruler and said, "Please speak freely, Eunuch Chen."
Jiang Xiaoqi knew that this Eunuch Chen Lin was the most trusted person of the Empress and the Second Prince, and could not be treated as an ordinary palace servant.
After all, sometimes even though Chen Lin says the words, it's very likely that the Empress is saying them through him.
"It is so. Your family's pastry is truly special. Even the imperial chefs in the palace cannot make it. I was thinking that Her Majesty the Empress also loves sweets. I wonder if Lord Jiang would be willing to part with it?"
"What does Father-in-law mean?"
"I'd like to buy this pastry recipe to please my master. What do you think, Lord Jiang?"
"I see. From what you're saying, it's just a humble food. Why bother with any business? Just give it to me."
Snowflake crisps are easy to make, well, provided you have the ingredients. But there are many talented people in the palace; perhaps someone can figure it out themselves.
"Oh dear, how can this be? We must buy it! This is a recipe that can help us open a shop and start a business. How can we take yours for free? That fellow is too shameless."
Jiang Xiaoqi didn't say anything more, and directly took out paper and pen and quickly wrote down the recipe for snowflake crisps.
"Eunuch Chen, some of the ingredients are quite difficult to obtain, which will require the imperial chefs to put in a lot of effort."
I've explained how these materials are made; if you have any questions, just ask me.
"Oh dear, thank you so much, Lord Jiang! I'll take it to the Imperial Kitchen right away so the imperial chefs can study it. I won't disturb your lecture any longer!"
After saying that, he took out a large purse and threw it to Jiang Xiaoqi. Before Jiang Xiaoqi could push it back, Chen Lin had already disappeared.
"Wow! He's got some martial arts skills!"
Jiang Xiaoqi sighed, this Chen Lin is no ordinary person, at least his lightness skill should be no less than her own.
Upon hearing this, the Second Prince suddenly looked up.
However, Jiang Xiaoqi happened to have her back to him this time and didn't notice.
With the recipe in hand, the Second Prince finally relented.
When it was lunchtime, Jiang Xiaoqi wanted to take his leave, thinking that the Second Prince could eat and take a nap before he came back.
That way, he'll have enough energy to continue in the afternoon. He's not a nanny; he needs a midday nap too.
Just as he was about to take his leave, his sleeve was grabbed.
The Second Prince still had those incredibly clear eyes, which made Jiang Xiaoqi feel a little dazed.
"Your Highness, it's time for your meal. I'll take my leave now and return in an hour."
"Let's eat together, sir, let's eat together!"
"Um! My servants will bring me food, so I won't disturb Your Highness's meal any longer."
Jiang Xiaoqi tried to refuse, but the Second Prince wouldn't let go.
It can be said that the Second Prince perfectly portrayed the image of an innocent and carefree child.
When the Oscar judges come, they have to chase after him and present him with an Oscar.
Jiang Xiaoqi had extremely keen senses. Although she vaguely sensed that something was wrong, she still did not doubt that the Second Prince's stupidity was an act.
Even after forcing myself to have lunch with the Second Prince and then forcing him to take a nap, I still felt a sense of unease.
The Second Prince has experienced countless such immersive performances since childhood; even seasoned actors can't compete with someone who lives and breathes the world of a play.
When the Second Prince was not in character, he was only in front of the Empress, his wet nurse, and Chen Lin.
Coaxing a twenty-year-old "giant baby" to take a nap is probably the most surreal experience Jiang Xiaoqi has had since becoming an official.
He didn't dislike the Second Prince; on the contrary, he found him quite adorable.
But does he, a compiler of the Hanlin Academy, really want to stay in the palace as a kindergarten teacher forever?
It wasn't that he disliked the Second Prince for not being able to participate in the struggle for the throne; after all, the Second Prince was born of the legitimate wife.
The same applies to the empress; regardless of which prince ascends the throne, the empress remains the empress dowager.
With the Empress Dowager's protection, the Second Prince's remaining years will not be too bad.
Moreover, wouldn't it be perfect for the new emperor to show his love and respect for his brothers by having someone who poses no threat to the throne?
In short, the Second Prince's fate will not end tragically.
It has to be said that Jiang Xiaoqi's thinking was too simplistic.