The day got hotter and hotter.
One day in June, Jiang Ning rolled up the sleeves of her snow-colored, double-breasted top and sweated profusely in the kitchen.
No need to mention, the cooks all knew that the Princess Consort was creating a new dish to pay tribute to the Empress in the Splendid Palace.
The two little ones had tired themselves out playing, so the wet nurse and maids took them for a nap.
Huang Ying brought a cloth to wipe away Jiang Ning's sweat, sympathetically saying, "On such a hot day, even us servants don't want to be in the kitchen. You don't need to cook for the Empress, she won't mind if you miss one meal."
"I'm not just making this for her. The kids haven't had much appetite the past few days because of the heat. Especially Xiaoqian, I could see his tiny face getting thinner by the day. I thought I'd make something tasty for them to regain their strength."