Pampered Consort of the Fragrant Orchard Chapter 68.5

Ji Liu Xia's Engagement (5)

T/N: Chapter sponsored by Gigi Jinx and Anons! Thank you for sponsoring!

When they came to pick the dishes, Xia Yuan and them also brought out some raw food and placed it by those stoves.

"Xiao Li, what's this? Inviting us to eat raw meat?" Ji Liu Feng looked to the thinly sliced meat and curiously asked.

"If I give you raw to eat, will you really eat?" Du Xiao Li asked.

"That's nothing. In the past, when out with the army at war, I've even eaten tree roots before!" Ji Liu Feng said.

Du Xiao Li recalled Feng Ming's situation a few years ago. At that time, they definitely must have suffered a lot of hardships.

"You can eat, but princess and them can't." Du Xiao Li had the skewered meat placed onto the already heated charcoal grill and said, "Tonight, aside from eating a buffet, we're going to be eating barbecue."

(T/N: So I previously mistranslated grill to oven, I realized after the fact but it's fixed now, tho the word only appears like twice, an to my defense, oven and grill is the same word in chinese. Also barbecue in chinese literally means 'roast meat'.)

"This is the barbecue you mentioned?" Ji Liu Xia squeezed over and asked, after seeing Du Xiao Li messing with the rack. 

"Yes." Du Xiao Li turned the skewer from time to time, "The taste of grill meat is different from stir-fry, you'll be able to eat it in a bit."

Very soon, the first batch of grill meat were done. Everyone impatiently began tasting, and soon, the first place of grill meat was announced to have ran out.

However, fortunately, while Du Xiao Li was cooking them, Xia Yuan and Ying Ge also used the other two grills to cook. The two of them, in regards to cooking, very much received Du Xiao Li's personal teachings. Although they weren't as good as her, it was still very delicious. 

Towards the end, when everyone was mostly full, Ji Liu Xia and them also tried their hands to grilling. The first time she burnt the meat; the second time, under Du Xiao Li's guidance, it managed to be edible. This for a cooking idiot was already very hard to come by.

Fu Ya Lan and them were much stronger, however their fire control still couldn't keep up with Du Xiao Li's.

Everyone all played until the moon rose into the middle of the sky, before finally ending. Du Xiao Li let the horse carriage have everyone sent to Niu Jing's manor, watching them get on the horse carriage and leaving. Soon after, she sent Xia Yuan and Ying Ge tail after them the whole way, all the way until they returned home, before finally coming back.

"Wah----so tired."

Du Xiao Li massaged her somewhat sore shoulders and headed back together with Du Xiu Heng.

"Today, really tired you out." Du Xiu Heng looked to Du Xiao Li and said.

"Actually, it's alright, as long as everyone played happily." Du Xiao Li unconcernedly said. This bit of exhaustion can be erased after going back and using her inner energy.

"Today, I heard Ding Wang say, during mid-autumn, the Emperor wants to organize a large banquet. Officials of rank five or higher and their family members will all have to participate." Du Xiu Heng relayed the news he heard today.

"Then we'll also have to go?" Du Xiao Li asked.

"Yes, the Emperor mentioned by name for us to go." Du Xiu Heng also didn't know what the Emperor was planning inside. That many people, yet why does he pick their names?

"Ah?" Du Xiao Li somewhat headached. Attending that kind of banquet definitely will let her lose a layer of skin!

"I think it's probably because the banquet this time is also a celebratory banquet for the army, and you are Ding Wang's fiancee. That's why, he would mention by name for us to go." Du Xiu Heng guessed.

"Probably."

When she returned to Jade Bamboo Courtyard, Xia Yuan and them had already returned. Learning that Fu Ya Lan and them all safely arrived home, Du Xiao Li thus went to take a bath, preparing to retire for the night, but when she returned to her own room after her bath, she detected a second person's breathing again. 

"Big brother Yi, why didn't you go back?" Du Xiao Li came to the balcony. On the rocking chair placed there currently sat Han Ming Yi, who originally should've gone back.

"I came to see you." Han Ming Yi got up and came to Du Xiao Li's side. Seeing her properly wearing sleeping clothes today, he faintly spoke.

"Didn't we just separate a while ago?" Du Xiao Li asked in puzzlement.

Han Ming Yi pulled Du Xiao Li to lie down on the chair, and them sat down on a stool next to her himself. He pulled over her hand, lightly kneading, "I saw you running around all day today, and thought you must be very tired."

"Eh---"

Du Xiao Li looked to Han Ming Yi, feeling her own sore muscles, under his clever kneading, slowly relax, very much comfortable, letting her unconsciously loosen up. All the way until she felt a warm stream of air enter her body from her palm. The exhaustion disappearing from all the places it wondered through. 

He was using his own inner energy to eliminate fatigue for her!

After a while, Han Ming Yi finally withdrew his hand and said, "Go rest rest soon. I'll be heading back."

"En, thank you big brother Yi." Du Xiao Li stood up. Her body had already relaxed completely.

If there wasn't Han Ming Yi, her activating her inner energy herself later can also achieve this kind of result, but Han Ming Yi didn't know, and thinking she was tired, he even specially ran over, using his inner energy to eliminate her fatigue for her. Thinking of this, she felt little ripples surface in her heart.

Han Ming Yi reached out and pinched her glossy face, "No need to say thanks to me. I'm going then."

Du Xiao Li nodded and watched him fly away from the second floor. Following his departure, two shadows flew out from below. Du Xiao Li recognized it was Leng Yi and Leng Er.

"Ding Wang is so good to miss." Xia Yuan and them entered from outside, looking to Du Xiao Li with a smile.

"Right, I didn't even know that the cold-faced Ding Wang actually had such a gentle and considerate side to him." Qiao Zhu also began teasing. 

Speaking of the one most familiar with the people and affairs of the capital, it was still Qiao Zhu. However, she really has never seen Ding Wang as such before. Normally he was also cold around people. His body constantly emitting a 'don't come near' aura. 

"That's right, however, it's for the best that the future guye is willing to be good to our miss!" Ying Ge said with a smile.

(T/N: Guye - female family's servants address to their miss's husband.)

Du Xiao Li also never thought that Han Ming Yi would do this. She looked to Xia Yuan and the other's teasing looks and said, "Alright, you all must be tired, go and rest then. Xia Yuan, you all help Qiao Zhu ease her body." 

"We know miss." Xia Yuan said with a nod.

"That's right, Qiao Zhu, since school started, you've been studying how to read and write with Xia Yuan and them. How's you're progress so far? Tomorrow, since I don't have class, I'll be quizzing you." Du Xiao Li said.

"Hehe, miss, I know how to write my own name and you all's name now!" Qiao Zhu said.

"Qiao Zhu's natural talent is very good, and her memory also very good. Those characters were all taught in one try." Xia Yuan praised.

"Then tomorrow, we'll have a look at her study results together." Du Xiao Li said, "Alright, I don't need you all here, all go and rest then."

"Yes, miss." 

Xia Yuan and them left. Du Xiao Li came to her bed and sat down, rubbing her own arm, seemingly still carrying Han Ming Yi's warmth. She softly laughed, then stored away her thoughts, and began practicing her inner energy.

The morning of the next day, Du Xiao Li got called over by Du Yun Han. She'd assumed it was because of the grapes, that's why she was called over, but unexpectedly, when she arrived at his study, she saw that Du Ke Xin was also there.

"Father, you were looking for me?" Du Xiao Li glanced at Du Ke Xin and asked.

"En, today, I called you two over, indeed because I have something to say." Du Yun Han looked to Du Ke Xin and Du Xiao Li. From his face, one was unable to see joy.

"Did something happen?" Du Ke Xin asked.

"No." Du Yun Han shook his head and said, "Today, after morning court ended, his Majesty had me called over and asked some things about you two."

Du Yun Han's words made both Du Ke Xin and Du Xiao Li startled inside.

T/N: Sorry I've been slow with updates on this, I've started spring cleaning around the house this weekend, so that's been taking up some of my time. Never knew how much trash I've accumulated until I started cleaning. 

Aditional Chapters Queue: 2

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