6 CHAPTER 6 : MIDNIGHT MOONCAKE

After the incident, several days had gone by. Li Xi Rui has been diligent on taking a martial art lesson. Before officially becoming the crown prince's fiancee, she likes to combat. She and her brother even have the same martial art teacher. But after the engagement, her martial art skill become stagnant and her lesson in the 4 arts increase. Now, with her martial art lesson continue, she become less bored. Not really sad but not extremely happy either. Every night she can sleep better because of the exhaustion.

"Miss! Miss!", Xiao Xi shouted from afar. The dagger in her palm almost fall.

Looking over at Xiao Xi, she asked, "What happen to make you run and shouts? It's not proper you know".

"Miss, forgive this servant, but every year we will go out tonight. So, this servant want to ask what should we bring to the moon viewing tonight? Some peach blossom cakes? Or maybe rice cakes with sesame? How about the tea? Or wine if you prefer... or how about...", Li Xi Rui's mind started to drift off from the conversation.

These past few days she has been busy with her martial art lesson that she forgot about the annual moon viewing event. At this event, all the nobles will gather at the lake pavilion owned by the royal family and will be bringing their own food. Usually they will bring cakes and tea or wine. While enjoying the treat, the talented ladies will show their skills. Of course this only apply to the single ladies. Afterward, they will release lanterns to the sky as the concluding show.

In Li Xi Rui's last lifetime, she has challenge the heroine in zither. As a result, not only she lost, she has lose face as ritual only ever allow single ladies to compete. As she was the crown prince fiancee, she broke this rule. At that time the decree to annulled their engagement has not been announced yet. But this event only add to the accusations in the imperial decree.

Thus, Li Xi Rui decided tonight, she won't be competing with the heroine. She would just let her win.

"The treat tonight will be make personally by me. I want to try some of the new recipe I develop", she tell Xiao Xi.

"Miss wanted to make them yourself? But what if you got burned by the fire?", Xiao Xi is bewildered. Her miss had never interested in cooking before. She has not even stepped inside the kitchen before. 'Her miss have been acting weird since the broken engagement and if cooking can make her feel better, then why not just cook?'. Still feeling a bit weird, Xiao Xi left to inform the cook, Old Pi.

But what Xiao Xi doesn't know, Li Xi Rui has been quite unsatisfied with the food she ate lately. She thought maybe her taste bud have been enhanced due to her reincarnation. So she has been thinking to develop new recipes and now is the right time to try them.

Going into the kitchen, she asked Xiao Xi about some new stamps that is not have been used before.

'My miss is getting stranger everyday', she thought but left anyway to get the stamps.

After asking Old Pi to prepare the necessary ingredients for her recipe, she asked all the servant to leave. The servants seem reluctant so Li Xi Rui has to compromise to let Old Pi in charge of the fire.

She starts with the custard filling before moving on to steam the sticky wrapper. While doing so, she saw some fruits that can be used to dye the wrapper. She asked Old Pi to help her squeeze out some fruit juice and use it for the dye. As she steaming the dyed sticky wrapper, Xiao Xi arrive with the new stamps. She use these stamps to make the top designs of the mooncakes.

"Wow miss, it's so pretty. What is this called? I've never see such colourful mooncakes before. All I have seen is the brown mooncakes", Xiao Xi praise her non stop while looking admirely at the mooncakes.

"These are called snow skin mooncakes. It's different from the baked mooncakes as it is steamed before shaped", she explained to Xiao Xi as Old Pi nodded beside her.

"Miss, I never knew you could cook before!", she exclaimed as she thought, 'that dumb crown prince is truly stupid to let go such beautiful and smart lady'.

"Well, there is a new colour I want to try. Xiao Xi, please give me some squids ink", she instructed.

As Xiao Xi give her miss the ink, she patiently see what her miss is doing. When the new mooncake is produced, her eyes nearly bulging out from the socket.

"This.... it's black mooncake! Wow! I've never see such black moon cake before. And the filling looks like the full moon!", Xiao Xi stood there with a shocked expression.

"Actually, I call this midnight mooncake. I thought it would be perfect for tonight's event", Li Xi Rui feel satisfied with her new creation.

With the servants shocked expression, Li Xi Rui laugh. As laughter could be heard from the kitchen, all the servant feel happy and smile to themselves. Their miss might not realize it herself, but her strained smile has affected all the servant. She might smile and laugh, but it just seems forced. Today, finally they could hear her genuine laughter again.

***

As Li Xi Rui, her mother and her father arrived at the Lotus Garden, they are welcome with an incredible sight. The Lotus Lake with sky as black as ink and peach blossoms raining down upon them, the view in front of them is still as breath taking as the previous year. As an eunuch as the guide, they walk passed the lake and went to their designated table.

Only the nobles and high ranking officers' family are allowed to join the Moon Viewing Event as the Emperor and Royal families will also join the fun.

The royal families will sit in the boat floating across the Lotus Lake while other nobles and officers will sit at the tables looking out to the Lake pavilion. The ladies participating in the talent show will perform at the Lake pavilion and the empress will then selected the winner.

At The Lake Pavilion~

The first half would be the performance by the dancers and the men to recite the poems they prepared with the theme moon.

Afterward, will be break time and the emperor will announce for the treat to be carried to each table. This time, the maid will bring the food they prepared to their masters and madam.

The second half would be the most anticipated of all, the talent show. At her last lifetime, Li Xi Rui will be dueling with the heroine and she will be defeated miserably. So, tonight she decided to not participate at all.

Sitting down at their tables, Li Xi Rui is aware when all the other misses are giving her their gloating look.

'It's quite rude and unlady-like of them to be showing that kind of expression', she shakes her head. She is kind of amused since the crown prince will never be attracted to them. Hiding her smile, she drinks the tea in front of her. Frowning, she stops drinking. In her last life, she likes this kind of tea, but after her reincarnation, she doesn't fancy this tasteless tea. So she stop drinking and is looking at the pavilion towards the man reciting poems. Unable to concentrate, she looks up at the moon without noticing a pair of eye is watching her.

"How arrogant of her to not even paying attention to my performance!", Long Jie is looking at the gorgeous lady looking up at the moon. He had never paid any attention to other ladies before but this particular vicious woman, always manage to irritate him.

'It's not like the moon tonight is any different from any other year', Long Jie stop reciting the poem and flew to his boat with haste. He doesn't want to gaze upon that woman any longer as it will only raged him on. Drinking his tea inside the boat, he started to think about his mysterious lady. 'Where could she be?'.

"LET THE FEAST BEGIN!", the emperor's voice wakes Li Xi Rui up from her daze. Beside her, Xiao Xi start to serve the mooncakes.

"Father, mother, please taste these mooncakes", Li Xi Rui offered her parents.

"Xi-er, did you make these yourself? Such pretty mooncakes. Mother didn't know my daughter can cook as well", Madam Li complimented her daughter.

"Of course our Xi-er is talented in everything. Mmmm.... this black mooncake is particularly father's favourite", the left prime minister chewing while complimenting her daughter.

Looking at her father's cheek like a squirrel, Li Xi Rui couldn't help but start chuckling. This is the first time she saw her father being this adorable.

"Father,you will choke if you eat them that fast. They are meant to be enjoyed slowly....hmmm...Xiao Xi, serve the Red Chrysanthemum tea", Li Xi Rui reminded her father while pushing the tea cup to her father.

"Oh my... such beautiful flower. Is it chrysanthemum tea?", beside her a lady spoke.

Looking at the direction of the sound, Li Xi Rui answer politely, "Answering to your highness Princess Long Xia, it is chrysanthemum tea. Allow this Princess to offer some to your highness".

"Yes of course, I would like a pot of it if you may and..... maybe some of your black mooncake as well?", Princess Long xia inquiry.

Li Xi Rui's mouth twitched... how can she refused the princess? She is the emperor blood related sister after all. 'But how come does the princess sit here beside them? She is a royal. She should be sitting in the boat'. Without voicing her question, she told Xiao Xi to serve a new pot of tea and all the variety of mooncakes she made.

As the treats and tea being serve, the princess couldn't help but enlarging her eyes. 'Such pretty mooncakes, I haven't eat them before!'. Excitedly, she began munching on them while exclaiming, "The taste is even better than the emperial palace's mooncakes. Quickly tell this princess where did you buy this!".

"Answering your highness, this mooncakes is made by this princess personally. The coloured mooncake is called Snowskin Mooncake and the black mooncake is called Midnight Mooncake. The inside of the mooncake resembles the full moon, showing the beautiful golden light. This mooncake is good for maintaining young healthy skin", Li Xi Rui informed the princess.

"Truly a gifted young princess! Here, take this bangle, you must make some more for this princess latter", happily, the princess munched on the mooncake.

Taking the bangle, Li Xi Rui thanked the princess, "Thanks for your highness' grace". Seeing her munching on the cakes, Li Xi Rui look back at her parents. Her parents is also munching like hamsters.