Ode to Longevity-Chapter 7: Imposter
Proofread by Yin Jing
When the emperor eats the soup, he must be angry about its taste, and the only thing she should do is pretending to be innocent, and blaming on Feng Qingge. She believes that Qingge is sure to be punished harshly.
"How dare you! Too arrogant to take away my stuff!"
At this moment, Feng Qingge sits sloppily in an old-fashioned wooden armchair, with her body filled fully in the chair, and it's a wonder t how she would get up later.
"Soup of pearl?" (A nickname for soup made of spinach, Chinese cabbage and bean curd)
Mu Ronghao, the emperor, is impressed by the name. He moves the lid off the bowl, and soon the aroma pervades the air.
Till the white glim fades, the delicate rice appears. It looks like ground pearls of the same size. The tofu cubes are just like little boxes, covering the rice perfectly, decorated by some green spinach leaves.
Green leaves and white rice mix perfectly, with bowls and chopsticks of white and blue
Mu Ronghao picks up the spoon quickly, and can't wait to taste it.
Feng Qinger is a little shocked, and she never expects Qingge would cook such delicate cuisine, but she still believes the emperor would throw it out because of its terrible taste.
Chewing the rice soup, Mu Ronghao wonders about the freshness of its taste which he has never had before. He doesn't feel exhausted any more but relaxed, and all the tiredness has gone.
What is this fresh taste that I've never had before? The stuff in my mouth is not as sticky as rice. It's so chewy unlike the usual rice.
"What's this?" Mu Ronghao spoons the rice. The oblate rice bounces away with a little pressure by Mu Ronghao.
How Come!
Feng Qinger almost jumps up when the rice bounces to her face. She is so shocked, and she wonders what kind of rice can be chewy like this.
Qingge smiles slightly, watches the two people in front of her with arms folded, then squints and snorts with disdain. Can't she make Tofu Soup with Chinese Cabbages?
"What did you do to make the rice so chewy, and why is the spinach in the soup so fresh, moreover, the tofu in it is delicious, which seems to be completely different from what I have eaten. It makes me feel relaxed and comfortable, as if the soul were about to get out of the body..." Ronghao gobbles up the soup without observing the table manner.
But people seated downstairs are all shocked, because everybody knows Mu Ronghao values his health. He only eats little or no more than three spoons, even if the food is very delicious.
But now, he actually can't wait to eat up a big bowl of the rice soup. Is this soup so magical?
Smiling slightly, Qingge watches Ronghao upstairs without expression. These ingredients are very common, and she made the rice with the Nine-level Fire Hand, then she put it into Tofu with spinach as decoration. At the part of its rhizome, it's embellished with some light pink spinach roots, like a parrot. She pours bone soup over it after taking it out of the pot, which makes the soup fresher.
"Box is white like pearl, parrot is green like emerald." Tofu Soup with Chinese Cabbages is made just as simple. But...The cuisine made by Feng Qingge herself is actually different from others'. The best is yet to come.
"Excellent, Qinger, come on, how did you cook it?" Ronghao can't wait to reveal the answer right away with gleaming eyes.
But Qinger is shocked, and she has never imagined that the emperor would ask her about the recipe. Her face blushes, and then she falters, "This, this is not..."
"Not what? It is you who made this, isn't it? If not, please tell me the name, I would like to award her. When it comes to princess' selection, this should be set as the cooking standard." Wiping the rice in the corners of his mouth, Ronghao says straightly.
The Princess!
Qinger shudders and says at once, "Emperor, this Tofu Soup with Chinese Cabbages is made by me, and it's prepared for you. Do you like it?"
"Yes, Emperor, she spares no effort to make the dish throughout the morning." Feng Lingyun knows exactly what Qinger wants, so he nods and says.
Ronghao gobbles up the rice soup and smiles with satisfaction, saying, "It's been a long time without eating such delicious food. I can taste different flavors every time, it's sweet, spicy, sour and..."
"Emperor, it's my special cuisine, so I can't say it out. If Emperor like it, I can cook it for you at any time." With a sweet smile, Qinger displays her gentleness and virtue incisively and vividly.
But she doesn't notice Ronghao's face at the moment, and still says with full confidence, "I just put usual rice, spinach and tofu in it, and others are configured. Prince, only a perfect lady can become the princess, and cookery must be one of her skills."
"Are you boasting that you are perfect, Pheasant Qing?" Qingge glances at Qinger, and doesn't care about her at all.
As she speaks out the word, pheasant, courtiers nearby spit out directly. Although Qinger is not that beautiful, she is kind of a beauty, and she is scantily dressed today to meet Mu Rongchu. Apart from gold and silver jewelry, there are also two or three chicken feathers in her hair, which really makes her look like a little green pheasant.
Qinger turns pale, and glares at Qingge, she can't do nothing but hold fists, and says in a low voice with an awkward smile, "You are right. Emperor, there is more rice soup, and I will take…"
However, Qinger can't continue speaking, because she sees Mu Ronghao's face. His eyes are bloodshot and eyeballs almost bump out. He still holds the spoon, but his body becomes stiff as a sculpture.
Now, not only Qinger is shocked, but also FengLingyun, what happened to Mu Ronghao?
Quirking up the corners of her mouth, Qingge leans on a chair, watching the anxious people up there with a slight smile.
This kind of a smile...
With slender fingers tapping the table, Mu Cangyun captures a sly smile from Qingge's eyes. When he fixes his eyes on the rice on the ground subconsciously, he gets a surprise.
