The Farm Girl's Charismatic Fortune-Chapter 302 - 298: So Xiaojiu Likes This?

On New Year’s Eve, it was Xuanyuan Que’s birthday.

The Emperor hadn’t celebrated Xiaojiu’s birthday for several years.

Although there would be a palace banquet on New Year’s Eve that was bound to be lively, he still wanted to prepare something special for Xiaojiu, otherwise it would feel like just holding a palace banquet without celebrating his birthday.

The Emperor personally went to Xuanyang Palace to ask Xuanyuan Que if he wanted any gifts, but he wasn’t there.

After inquiring with the eunuchs of Xuanyang Palace and learning that the Empress Dowager had called Xuanyuan Que to Cining Palace for a meal, he followed suit.

Upon arriving at Cining Palace, he found that the Crown Prince was also present.

The Emperor couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy, "Mother shows favoritism, now she doesn’t even invite her son to dine."

The Empress Dowager gave him a look, "With so many women in the palace vying to dine with the Emperor, how could I dare to disturb Your Majesty?"

The toxic atmosphere of the harem had left the Empress Dowager fuming upon her return.

The Emperor, knowing he was at fault, took a seat and quickly changed the subject, "Xiaojiu, on New Year’s Eve, you’ll be eight years old. Is there anything in particular you want this year?"

Xuanyuan Que: "I would like a decree."

The Emperor was surprised; he had thought Xuanyuan Que would say he wanted nothing, considering how among all his sons, Xiaojiu was practically devoid of desires.

The Empress Dowager and Crown Prince were also surprised, looking at him. ƒreewebɳovel.com

"What decree?"

Xuanyuan Que: "Princess Wuyou comes from a humble background and is unfamiliar with etiquette. She might unintentionally offend the masters in the palace. Could Father perhaps exempt her from paying respects in the hall?"

The Emperor: "..."

Is that it?

He had thought Xuanyuan Que wanted some decree.

To exempt her from paying respects in the hall meant she wouldn’t need to perform formal courtesies before the Emperor.

If she’s not required to do so before the Emperor, she wouldn’t need to for anyone else either.

After all, there is no one more noble than the Emperor in this realm.

Xuanyuan Que would not need to pay respects.

However, since he was young, he never performed formal courtesies and didn’t speak either, no matter how his nursemaid taught him.

The Emperor simply exempted him from paying respects.

The Empress Dowager smiled, "Right, that child has an innocent nature and is surely not used to the rule of paying respects to everyone in the palace. When I sent people to teach the Ruo Family females the rules, I specifically did not have Xuanbao learn them."

It was the first time his son had asked something of him, and here was Mother protecting the other party, too.

The Emperor, not lacking in young ladies’ formal courtesies, directly said, "It’s no big deal, consider it exempted! This doesn’t count as a birthday gift. Xiaojiu, is there anything else you want?"

Xuanyuan Que: "Gold, silver, jewelry, any of these will do."

Crown Prince: "..."

He glanced at the child, as pure as the sun and moon in the sky, untainted by the tribulations of the mundane world. Since when did he desire such worldly possessions?

The corners of the Emperor’s mouth twitched. When had his son grown interested in material wealth?

This child had truly come to understand the hardships of commoners after mingling with them!

He had become grounded!

At last, he resembled a normal person!

To love gold and jewels, to love wealth—that’s what normal people do!

The Emperor asked further, "Is there anything specific you want to eat on your birthday?"

"Rabbit meat, lamb, as well as desserts shaped like rabbits and goats."

The palace banquet would feature esteemed delicacies; such common fare as rabbit and lamb would not be included.

But if that girl doesn’t have rabbit or lamb meat at every meal, she isn’t content. She must have at least one of the two, and if neither is available, she must have a bite of candy or pastries shaped like rabbits or goats.

She hasn’t tried the Imperial Chef’s cooking, and this might be a good opportunity to do so.

The Emperor: "..."

He was just asking casually; his son has never been one to indulge in gustatory pleasures.

He would eat whatever was given to him since childhood and always in a set quantity—no matter how delicious or rare the food, he would never take an extra bite.

You’d never be able to tell what he liked to eat.

It is indeed not a bad idea to let a child go out and experience more!

The Empress Dowager chuckled quietly to herself. What were these if not the dishes Xiaojiu desired, the ones he wanted to taste? Clearly, they were Xuanbao’s favorites.

The Emperor glanced at Xuanyuan Que, noting that he had only taken one bite of each dish and then stopped eating.

Could it be that while living in the palace he had never tasted rabbit or lamb meat and discovered outside that they were his favorites?

But there was neither rabbit nor lamb meat on the table, only a plate of pastries shaped like rabbit ears.

The Emperor picked up a piece with the serving chopsticks and placed it in his bowl.

Xuanyuan Que: "..."

He didn’t like sweets at all.

Still, he ate it.

Too sweet, too rich! That flower must like it.

Xuanyuan Que said, "It’s not sweet enough, it could be even sweeter."

If it were sweeter, that flower would like it even more.

The Crown Prince was even more surprised; his brother was commenting on a dish for the first time.

He also didn’t care much for sweets, but wanting to know why his brother liked them, he couldn’t help but also pick up a piece of pastry and taste it: Sickeningly sweet!

Did they put a pound of sugar in this one piece?

So his brother actually liked it this sweet?

Although it was so sweet he felt like vomiting, the Crown Prince maintained a calm expression and finished it.

As the Crown Prince, he couldn’t show his preferences either.

Of course, he couldn’t waste food; no matter how unappetizing, it all had to be eaten.

Seeing that both his sons liked it and having heard that sons inherit their father’s tastes, the Emperor wondered if he might also like it.

He took a piece and bit into it!

The Emperor petrified!

Could he spit it out?

In the end, the Emperor drank two pots of tea before he could finish that piece of pastry!

So sweet, and Xiaojiu still thought it wasn’t sweet enough?

So did Xiaojiu have such a taste for sweetness?!!!

It seemed that special sweet dishes would have to be prepared just for Xiaojiu at the palace banquets.

The Empress Dowager watched with an amused smile as the three of them ate the pastries despite clearly not favoring sweets, toughing it out.

The pastries were made by Aunt Yu Hua, especially for Xiaojiu to take them out of the palace for Xuanbao to try. She made extra and placed a few pieces on the table, asking Xuanyuan Que if the sweetness was just right.

Xiaojiu had a talent for instantly knowing whether Xuanbao would like those pastries or not.

In the end, at the palace banquet, Xuanyuan Que found that every dish in front of him was so sweet it was maddening!

On New Year’s Eve, early in the morning, heavy snow began to flutter down from the sky.

Ruo Xuan, carrying the birthday gift she had "carefully" prepared for Xuanyuan Que, entered the palace!

As the Ruo Family carriage arrived at the palace gate, Aunt Yu Hua came out to greet them. She said with a smile, "It’s snowing, and the Empress Dowager, worried about the health of Granny Lei and Princess Xuanbao, instructed me to wait here."

The Empress Dowager, concerned that Xuanbao might catch a cold, had prepared a warm sedan to take Xuanbao and the ladies of the Ruo Family to Cining Palace.

Granny Lei laughed and said, "We’ve troubled you, Aunt Yu Hua, in such cold weather."

Aunt Yu Hua replied with a smile, "I’m used to it by now. I just worry that Granny Lei, the ladies, and Princess Xuanbao might be accustomed to life in Shaxi County and find the climate of Capital City hard to adapt to."

Ruo Xuan quickly said, "No, I’m used to it; I’m not afraid of cold."

The cold was constant on the Ruoshui Riverbank; she had grown accustomed to it. Plus, the clothes she was wearing were woven by Divine Lord Xuanyuan—they were warm in winter and cool in summer, so she never felt cold.

But the adults didn’t know that, and they had her bundled up like a dumpling, wearing two padded jackets!

Aunt Yu Hua chuckled and draped the fox fur cape she was holding over Ruo Xuan, saying, "Princess Xuanbao is truly impressive, not afraid of cold at all. Wear the cape well; don’t let the wind and snow get to you."

Ruo Xuan: "..."

With the Empress Dowager preparing a warm sedan, Aunt Yu Hua, holding the dumpling-like wrapped Xuanbao, walked toward the warm sedan arranged inside the palace gate.

The others looked on with envy, surprise, and curiosity.