Free Web NovelChapter 413: Chapter 416: It’s Really Something to Look Forward To
Two days later, during the morning court session, the Emperor announced that the Fourth Prince, Li Ying, would be named Prince Wu Zhang. He was immediately given his seal, and the Emperor placed the golden crown signifying his rank as a Commandery Prince on his head.
This matter sparked a great deal of speculation within the court.
With the Crown Prince and the Fifth Prince having died one after another, and Prince Dongyang having rebelled against Shangjing, Li Ying had become the most likely candidate to be named the new Crown Prince.
In fact, the capabilities he had demonstrated while suppressing the rebellion had indeed won him the admiration of many.
Now, with his transformation into Prince Wu Zhang, his status had risen to a new level, making him seem all the more exceptional and eye-catching.
If there was one thing about him that invited criticism, it was the low birth of his mother.
Of course, this was not a problem without a solution.
The Emperor only needed to issue a Holy Decree posthumously elevating Li Ying’s birth mother to a higher rank, and his background would no longer be so objectionable.
However, after naming Li Ying Prince Wu Zhang, the Emperor made no further moves.
He didn’t say a single word about Li Ying’s birth mother,
which left many people unable to understand his intentions.
Li Ji didn’t want Manman to find out about Li Ying being named Prince Wu Zhang. He ordered his men to secretly watch the new Prince Wu Zhang, then chose a day that wasn’t too hot, right after a rainstorm, to take Manman and leave the Prince Mansion.
The young couple took a carriage to their manor outside the city to escape the summer heat.
Unwilling to stay at the Prince Mansion by himself, Feihua Zhenren packed his bags and insisted on joining them.
Steward Jia at the manor had already received word, so he had his staff clean the residence and courtyards spotless ahead of time. All the bedding and curtains had been replaced with new sets.
The manor was shaded by lush green trees and surrounded by picturesque mountains and clear waters. It felt much cooler here than in the city.
Manman felt that the decision to come here to escape the summer heat had been absolutely correct.
The manor might not have had much else, but it had food in abundance, especially a wide variety of fresh fruits and melons.
From the moment Hua Manman and Feihua Zhenren walked through the door, their mouths never stopped moving. They just ate, and ate, and ate.
Only when their stomachs were stuffed to bursting and they couldn’t take another bite did the two foodies reluctantly stop.
As the sun began to set and the scorching heat subsided, Li Ji got ready to take Manman out for a walk.
Manman asked Feihua Zhenren if he wanted to join them.
Standing behind Manman, Li Ji fixed Feihua Zhenren with a stare that screamed, ’I’ll kill you if you dare say yes.’
The stare made Feihua Zhenren’s hair stand on end, and he hurriedly waved his hands in refusal.
"No, no, I’m good! I don’t want to go anywhere. I just want to stay in my room and contemplate the meaning of life."
Hua Manman didn’t press him. "Alright, we’ll be on our way then."
She turned to head out, and Li Ji followed.
At the doorway, he glanced back at Feihua Zhenren and silently mouthed, "You know what’s good for you."
Feihua Zhenren silently curled into a ball. ’This poor Taoist’s life is just too hard, WAHHH!’
Li Ji led Manman to the edge of a lake.
The lake was filled with emerald green lotus leaves, creating a vast sea of green. It was dotted with delicate pink and white lotus blossoms, all gilded by the golden afterglow of the setting sun. The sight was breathtakingly beautiful.
Li Ji had envisioned them drifting on a boat, playfully splashing each other and laughing together.
When the mood was right, they would gaze deeply into each other’s eyes and share a romantic, passionate kiss.
However, before Li Ji could even suggest a boat ride, he heard Manman exclaim with delight.
"Wow! They actually have river snails here!!"
Li Ji followed her gaze. Through the clear water, he could see countless river snails of various sizes clinging to the muddy bank.
’These things are ugly,’ he thought. ’And they have shells. They’re not pretty to look at, and you can’t even eat them.’
He didn’t understand why Manman was so excited.
But Manman paid no mind to his thoughts. She immediately had Steward Jia call over a group of servants.
"Help me get all of these river snails out of the water. Remember to pick the biggest ones you can find; you can leave the small ones."
Although the servants had no idea what the Princess Consort wanted with these snails, they obediently did as told. They fetched their tools and began to work with bustling energy.
Manman rubbed her hands together, watching them work with eager anticipation.
Li Ji stared at the scene before him, falling into a long silence.
’How did things turn out this way?’
’I just wanted to have a romantic date with Manman.’
’Now the date is completely ruined, and a huge crowd of people has appeared out of nowhere.’
’Manman is completely engrossed in watching them gather snails, not even sparing me a single glance.’
’It’s so frustrating!’
The servants used fishing nets, scooping up a lot of things at once. In addition to the river snails, they also caught some small fish and shrimp.
Hua Manman had them keep anything edible and toss the rest back into the lake.
One of them pulled a small, dark red creature out of the mud and asked in confusion.
"Can you eat this?"
An older man nearby said, "That’s a lagu. You can’t eat those."
Hearing this, the man prepared to toss the creature back into the lake.
But Hua Manman stopped him.
"Wait!"
Ignoring the muck, she leaned in for a closer look at the creature in his hand. It was bluish-green, with a hard shell and pincers.
’Isn’t this a crayfish?!’
’This is a must-have summer delicacy!’
Hua Manman was overjoyed. She hadn’t expected such a bonus.
She hastily told the servants, "This is a crayfish, and it’s edible! Look around for more, and if you find any, bring them all up."
Steward Jia tried to dissuade her.
"That’s a lagu, Your Highness. Some of the local children catch them to play with, but no one has ever eaten them.
If Your Highness wishes to eat shrimp, we raise plenty of them in this lake. We can catch as many as you desire."
Hua Manman said with certainty.
"It’s precisely because you’ve never had them that you don’t know how delicious crayfish are. Just do as I say. Afterward, I’ll have someone bring you some once they’re cooked. I guarantee you’ll fall in love with them after one bite."
Unable to persuade her, Steward Jia could only turn to Prince Zhao with a pleading look.
’No one has ever eaten a lagu,’ he thought, ’and we don’t know if it’s truly edible. If the Princess Consort gets sick, who will take the blame?’
His date was in shambles, and Li Ji was in a foul mood.
He snapped, "What are you looking at me for? Is there something on my face?!"
Startled, Steward Jia quickly averted his gaze, not daring to look any longer.
The servants followed Princess Consort Zhao’s command, gathering not only river snails but also searching for crayfish.
However, there weren’t many crayfish in the lake.
Compared to lakes, these little creatures preferred living in streams with stronger currents.
Even after working until dark, the servants only managed to find barely half a basket of crayfish.
They had much better luck with the river snails, however, gathering two full, large baskets of them.
Manman had the servants take the snails and crayfish back to be kept in clean water.
Feihua Zhenren heard the commotion and rushed over.
He looked at the river snails and crayfish being kept in the water vats, his curiosity piqued.
"Are these things really edible?"
Hua Manman declared with confidence, "Not only are they edible, they’re absolutely delicious!"
Feihua Zhenren couldn’t help but gulp.
’If even Princess Consort Zhao says something is delicious, then it must be out of this world!’
’I can’t wait to try it.’
...
The author is out today, so there are only two Chapters. Good night!~
