“Where is my father? Did he not return with you?” Leng Ruoli asked urgently, glancing behind Jun Mohan.
“He’s right behind me.” Saying that, Jun Mohan turned his head to look behind him, but did not see Leng Jinyu’s figure. He was stunned, “Strange, father-in-law came into the Cold King’s mansion with me just now, how did he get lost?”
Upon hearing this, Leng Ruoli rolled her eyes at Jun Mohan.
Her father must have seen the two of them being affectionate and didn’t want to be a third wheel, so he had quietly left.
In fact, it was just as Leng Ruoli had guessed. Leng Jinyu followed closely behind Jun Mohan to the garden and saw Jun Mohan hugging his daughter. He wisely chose not to disturb the young couple’s reunion.
Although he, as a father, felt a pang of sadness seeing his own daughter being whisked away by Jun Mohan, he was happy that his daughter had found true love seeing how doting Jun Mohan was. Thus, he chose to leave them some space and quietly departed.
At this moment, Leng Jinyu missed Xia Wan'er even more. His children had grown up, but his own days were becoming increasingly lonely.
However, during this period, the person Leng Jinyu worried about the most was his son, Leng Ruorui.
Because after his son returned to the Xie family, he had only written two letters to them. Both letters contained only good news or inquiries about him and Li’er. He had no idea how Leng Ruorui was handling matters at the Xie family.
Leng Jinyu was lost in thought, and before he knew it, he was led by a servant of the Cold King’s mansion to a small hall within the mansion.
“Let’s go see father.”
Leng Ruoli smiled gently.
Afterward, Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan found Leng Jinyu in the small reception room of the mansion.
Leng Jinyu was travel-worn, with dewdrops clinging to his hair and his trouser cuffs and shoes stained with mud. He was as dirty as Jun Mohan, indicating that they had returned in a hurry.
“Father, shall I have the steward take you down to bathe and change into clean clothes?”
“No need, Li’er. Father is just here to see you, and then I’ll be leaving.”
“No, Father. I’ve made some delicious food today. You and the King should both take a bath and change into clean clothes, and we’ll eat breakfast together.”
Upon hearing that his daughter had made delicious food, Leng Jinyu instantly changed his mind.
“Is that so? It just so happens that I have nothing else to do today. Then father will take a bath at the mansion and leave after breakfast.”
With that, Leng Jinyu asked his daughter to arrange for a servant to take him to bathe.
After he left, Jun Mohan also went to his hot spring room to bathe.
…
Today, the weather was clear, with not a cloud in the sky, and the sky was a beautiful deep blue.
In the courtyard early in the morning, the summer breeze gently brushed against the face, neither cold nor hot, more comfortable than being indoors. Thus, while Jun Mohan and Leng Jinyu were bathing, Leng Ruoli had already taken the desserts and the other roasted meat and bacon pizza she had prepared that morning from the storage and arranged them on the small stone table in the pavilion.
A quarter of an hour later, Leng Jinyu and Jun Mohan had both finished their baths and came to the courtyard of the Hanchen Courtyard to prepare for breakfast.
Seeing the beautifully made, appetizing, and fragrant large flatbread placed on the stone table, both of them couldn’t help but swallow.
Immediately, they both asked curiously, “Li’er, what is this large flatbread on the table?”
“Father, Your Highness, it’s not called a large flatbread. This is a pizza I learned to make yesterday. It’s very delicious, you two should sit down quickly, I’ll cut you a piece to try.”
After Leng Ruoli spoke, she picked up the knife and fork beside her and slowly cut two small pieces of pizza into their empty bowls.
Jun Mohan and Leng Jinyu eagerly picked up their chopsticks, put the pizza into their mouths, and slowly savored it.
“Delicious, truly delicious!”
Jun Mohan and Leng Jinyu praised as they ate.
“Delicious, I’ll cut more for you!”
After Leng Ruoli finished speaking, she nimbly cut a few more pieces for the two of them.
“Li’er, you sit down and eat with us too.” Leng Jinyu reminded Leng Ruoli while eating.
“Okay, I’ll eat with you.”
Hearing this, Leng Ruoli readily sat down and had breakfast with them. The three of them sat in the pavilion, eating and chatting.
Halfway through breakfast, Ye Ying returned to report to Leng Ruoli.
“Your subordinate greets His Highness, Her Highness, and the Great General!”
“Ye Ying, how did the matter go?”
Leng Ruoli asked, looking at him.
“Your Highness, His Majesty was overjoyed when he received the delicious food you made for him. Although he was displeased after seeing your note, even muttering, ‘Offering kindness for no reason is either deceit or theft,’ His Majesty still agreed to your request. He casually wrote a small note for this subordinate to give to you, and then he personally summoned the Commander of the Imperial Guards, Feng Jian, and gave him some instructions… telling you that you can bring Zuo Qing out of the imperial prison today.”
Ye Ying recounted everything that had happened in the palace without omission to Leng Ruoli. Then, he took out the note written by His Majesty for Leng Ruoli from his chest and handed it to her.
After reading the “imperial edict” written by His Majesty, Leng Ruoli’s eyes slightly curved. Heh, this Emperor is truly…
“I’ve read His Majesty’s decree. You can take Ye Fang to the prison to bring the person out now.”
“Yes, Your subordinate obeys! However, Ye Fang voluntarily accepted fifty lashes last night. She is currently lying in bed recuperating.”
Ye Ying suddenly remembered this matter and said.
“Oh, I almost forgot about this. Then you go to the prison yourself to bring Zuo Qing out, and then you can tell Ye Fang about this matter.”
“Alright, Your Highness.”
Ye Ying replied and immediately withdrew.
Subsequently, Leng Ruoli called Xing’er to her. She casually took a bottle of ointment from her sleeve pocket and asked Xing’er to give it to Ye Fang to apply to her wounds.
After she had finished giving all the instructions, Jun Mohan and Leng Jinyu curiously asked, “Li’er, what was Ye Ying talking about just now?”
“Oh, it’s like this. Ye Fang begged me last night to ask His Majesty not to send Zuo Qing to the desolate lands as forced labor. Then, considering that Zuo Qing’s nature is not bad, I got up early this morning and made some delicious food for Ye Ying to take to the palace as His Majesty’s breakfast… His Majesty agreed to release Zuo Qing and asked me to send him and the Empress Dowager delicious food periodically from now on to change their diet.”
Leng Ruoli explained the entire story in great detail.
“Li’er, did you send the Emperor food, like the pizza we are eating now?” Leng Jinyu asked with a hint of jealousy in his tone.
“Yes, Father!”
Leng Ruoli nodded in confirmation.
Upon hearing her answer, Leng Jinyu suddenly felt that the pizza he was eating in his mouth was no longer as delicious.