After so many years had passed, when Imperial Noble Consort Xiao thought back to those events, her heart no longer experienced much turmoil.

But that fragrance had remained in her memory all this time.

Though the pork knuckle she was currently tasting had an excellent flavor, in her view it still couldn’t compare to that fat chicken.

And a cook who could make beggar’s pork knuckle taste this good would surely make beggar’s chicken just as well.

Hearing Imperial Noble Consort Xiao’s words, Emperor Yong’an laughed: “It wasn’t made by the imperial kitchen.”

“Not the imperial kitchen?” Imperial Noble Consort Xiao was even more surprised.

“It was made by a cook brought by Grand Commander Luo’s daughter…”

After hearing Emperor Yong’an’s explanation, Imperial Noble Consort Xiao smiled: “I see. Miss Luo truly knows how to enjoy life.”

“For a young lady to know how to enjoy life isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” Emperor Yong’an said indifferently.

He had heard about how Luo Chi doted on his only legitimate daughter.

This wasn’t anything serious.

He didn’t mind his subjects letting their families live comfortably and freely.

Loyalty—that was what mattered most.

Thinking of his empty family line, Emperor Yong’an suddenly felt the soft, tender, and fatty pork knuckle had lost its flavor.

He had once had many children, but now the only one who was truly his flesh and blood was Princess Chang’le alone.

Wei Qiang was his own nephew, adopted under his name and supposedly no different from a biological son.

But “supposedly” was just supposedly—how could they truly be the same?

Standing in his position, even between actual father and son, as the crown prince’s wings grew full one had to be on guard, let alone with merely a nephew.

For this reason, a subject’s loyalty was the greatest asset to him.

As for ability—Emperor Yong’an sneered.

The Great Zhou produced talented people in abundance; what they never lacked were capable individuals.

“If Your Majesty finds the taste good, have some more,” Imperial Noble Consort Xiao said, picking up a slice of pork knuckle and placing it in Emperor Yong’an’s dish.

Emperor Yong’an gazed at Imperial Noble Consort Xiao’s young and radiant face, nodding with a smile.

Having eaten to his heart’s content, Emperor Yong’an’s mood lifted: “My beloved consort, dance for me. It’s been quite a while since I’ve appreciated your dancing.”

Soon the sound of strings and bamboo instruments rose, and Imperial Noble Consort Xiao waved her long sleeves, dancing gracefully upon the golden silk carpet.

When Wei Qiang came to pay his respects to Emperor Yong’an, he was stopped outside the tent.

“Your Highness, please wait a moment. The Noble Consort is dancing.”

Wei Qiang stood quietly waiting outside the tent.

After an unknown period of time, Imperial Noble Consort Xiao emerged from the golden tent.

“The Crown Prince has arrived.”

Wave after wave of subtle fragrance approached.

Wei Qiang averted his gaze and greeted her properly.

Imperial Noble Consort Xiao smiled and walked past Wei Qiang.

Wei Qiang, accompanied by an inner attendant, entered the tent.

Imperial Noble Consort Xiao didn’t return to the golden tent, but instead went directly back to the traveling palace and thoroughly enjoyed a bath in the pool.

After all that exertion, it wasn’t far from the evening meal again.

Imperial Noble Consort Xiao reclined on the beauty couch and instructed an inner attendant: “Go to Miss Luo’s place and ask her cook to make a beggar’s chicken.”

The inner attendant received the order and departed.

“The Noble Consort wishes to eat beggar’s chicken?”

The inner attendant smiled politely: “I’m troubling Miss Luo.”

“Did you bring the ingredients?”

The inner attendant was stunned.

Ingredients? What ingredients?

Seeing the inner attendant’s blank expression, Hong Dou pursed her lips in reminder: “The fat chicken, of course. How can you make beggar’s chicken without a fat chicken?”

Such a simple matter and he couldn’t figure it out?

The inner attendant drew in a breath and then suppressed it.

Of course he knew making beggar’s chicken required a fat chicken, but was the Noble Consort supposed to prepare the fat chicken herself?

“You didn’t bring one?” Hong Dou’s voice rose slightly. “Then it can’t be made. We have plenty of prepared pork knuckles here, but no wild chickens.”

Never mind wild chickens—today they hadn’t even seen deer or rabbits, only wild boars.

“This—” The inner attendant was dumbfounded.

Luo Sheng said indifferently: “Eunuch, you can try asking at the imperial kitchen.”

The inner attendant came to his senses as if awakening from a dream and ran to the imperial kitchen to obtain two fat chickens.

Beggar’s chicken, like beggar’s pork knuckle, was a labor-intensive dish.

The inner attendant waited eagerly, tormented by various aromas.

“Would the eunuch like some roasted meat?” Hong Dou asked with a grin.

The inner attendant glanced at the meat skewer the little maid held in her hand.

The evenly-sized meat chunks were golden and glistening with oil, and a layer of red chili powder had been sprinkled on top.

He didn’t eat spicy food.

“Not eating?” Hong Dou bit off a piece of roasted meat, the corners of her mouth gleaming with oil.

“Then I’ll try some,” the inner attendant said, reaching out to take the meat skewer and eating it in large bites.

So spicy, so fragrant.

After a long while.

Hong Dou handed over the beggar’s chicken packed in a food box: “Eunuch, be careful with it.”

The inner attendant received the food box and turned around with difficulty, holding his full stomach.

He was simply too stuffed!

After Imperial Noble Consort Xiao woke from her nap, she strolled in the traveling palace’s garden for quite some time before finally receiving this beggar’s chicken.

Tearing off a piece of tender chicken meat and eating it, Imperial Noble Consort Xiao closed her eyes.

The flavor was just as good as in her memory.

“Did Miss Luo say anything?” Although she found the taste good, Imperial Noble Consort Xiao only ate a few pieces before stopping.

The inner attendant respectfully said: “Upon hearing it was for Your Ladyship, Miss Luo appeared very pleased.”

He carefully recalled—Miss Luo had barely said anything, and he hadn’t noticed whether she was pleased or not.

However, thinking of the belly full of fragrant roasted meat he’d eaten, saying a few kind words was no harm.

“Is that so?” Imperial Noble Consort Xiao glanced at the beggar’s chicken on the white jade plate and smiled faintly.

When Wei Qiang arrived at Luo Sheng’s place, he just missed the inner attendant Imperial Noble Consort Xiao had sent.

“Your Highness wishes to eat sour soup fish brain noodles?” Luo Sheng glanced at the fish being held by the inner attendant standing behind Wei Qiang and asked indifferently.

“Ever since I tasted the sour soup fish brain noodles made by Miss Luo’s cook that day, I’ve been unable to forget it.”

Luo Sheng smiled slightly: “I thought Your Highness preferred eating beggar’s pork knuckle.”

Seeing her casually toying with flowers and plants, Wei Qiang momentarily forgot to respond.

Perhaps it was that chance encounter that had changed his mindset. Looking at her now, he couldn’t help but unconsciously search for another shadow in her every movement and gesture.

And then, he increasingly felt the resemblance.

But why hadn’t he noticed before?

Wei Qiang silently reminded himself not to think wildly, yet couldn’t help stealing a few more glances at the person before him.

Luo Sheng casually tossed aside a wild flower and smiled: “Is it Lady Yu who likes to eat sour soup fish brain noodles?”

Wei Qiang’s eyes flickered slightly, and it took him a long time before he nodded.

He had originally come for Yu Niang, but hearing Miss Luo ask this way, he felt somewhat unwilling to admit it.

Luo Sheng coldly observed Wei Qiang’s reaction, secretly puzzled.

Had something gone wrong? She had thought things would flow naturally, that Wei Qiang would be the one to bring up that Lady Yu liked eating sour soup fish brain noodles.

Luo Sheng’s silence made Wei Qiang unconsciously want to explain.

“Lady Yu has always had a poor appetite, and coming to Beihe she hasn’t adapted well, making her appetite even worse, which is why I’ve come to trouble Miss Luo.”

Luo Sheng nodded slightly: “It is quite troublesome indeed.”

Wei Qiang was startled. Before he could say anything, he saw the young lady before him smile.

“As the saying goes, ‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.’ Since both Your Highness and Lady Yu enjoy eating sour soup fish brain noodles, why not take advantage of this convenient opportunity and have my cook teach the dish to Lady Yu’s palace maids? That way, even after returning to the palace, Your Highness and Lady Yu can have it whenever you wish.”

Luo Sheng looked at Wei Qiang with a smile playing at the corners of her mouth: “What does Your Highness think?”

Looking at the young lady with her radiant eyes and brows, Wei Qiang couldn’t help but nod: “If this can be arranged, naturally nothing could be better.”

Luo Sheng turned her head to give instructions: “Xiu Gu, go with His Highness.”

“Yes.” Xiu Yue walked over impassively.