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"Bang!"

The roof of the carriage had been smashed by an enormous object that had fallen from the sky, causing a loud crash.

Suddenly, a scream was heard, "Quick, look, someone has fallen from the inn above."

The crowd outside the carriage immediately became noisy.

The coachman, with a trembling heart, stopped the horses right away and looked towards the roof, only to see a person lying there, thinking it was a corpse, which made him shout loudly in fright.

Inside the carriage, Guo Neng was terribly startled and got jolted by the sudden stop.

Guo Neng pulled away the servant boy who was protecting him, lifted the curtain at the front of the carriage, and rushed out, paying no mind to the coachman, looked towards the roof. Upon seeing the face of the person lying there, he exclaimed, unable to hold back, "Guo Fu!"

This loud noise along with the commotion of the crowd naturally did not escape Hu Miaomiao’s attention.

His expression turned stern. He no longer paid attention to the two young ladies but made a gesture, and two people quickly turned and headed towards the source of the sound.

He then made his way through the crowd towards the Emperor. Apart from those assigned to explore and guard the key pathways, everyone else silently gathered around the Emperor.

Inside the Side Hall of Canglan Court.

Lian Hua and Nanny Qi had just finished their lunch and were resting.

Lian Hua was not idle either. She had someone place that strange rock on the table; at that moment, she was using a tool to smooth the protruding sharp edges to prevent it from looking unsightly and causing scrapes.

After this was done, she planned to refine the rock more delicately on its existing base, carving additional textures to improve its shape.

"I wonder if His Majesty has had his lunch," murmured Lian Hua, without halting her movements.

His Majesty had sent someone to say that he did not need lunch sent today as he had plans to go out, so they did not send lunch to the Star Palace today.

Nanny Qi, covered with a blanket, half-closed her eyes, lying on a rocking chair watching Lian Hua slowly polish that stone, very much at ease.

Upon hearing this, she said, "He’s a grown-up; he won’t starve, and besides, His Majesty has so many servants around him, they are not just for show. When the time comes, they will surely remind him."

As Lian Hua smoothed a small stone corner, she continued, "Grandmother, the Lord is used to the meals from the court, I worry he might not be accustomed to food from elsewhere, and he doesn’t like dishes that are too oily."

Although His Majesty had never explicitly stated what he liked or disliked to eat, she had long figured it all out.

Rocking the chair, Nanny Qi added, "He’s the Emperor; he should not indulge his desires for food."

Lian Hua wiped the dust off with a cloth and checked the rock over. It needed a bit more work.

Though she had a different opinion, she didn’t argue, knowing being the Emperor was very tiring, having to hide his preferences and not let others know about them; otherwise, the consequences could be significant as others would exaggerate their own preferences.

She naturally agreed, "Grandmother is right. The Lord eats whatever is given, which makes him easy to feed. However, the Lord has said we should be frugal, so we must prepare good dishes that the Lord can finish completely."

Nanny Qi could not help but laugh softly, opening her eyes to look at the earnest Lian Hua before her, thinking to herself that she was indeed a clever one.

Although the intention behind her words was still to prepare the Emperor’s favorite dishes, she had phrased it differently, avoiding taboos while still sounding quite pleasant.

Considering the young girl’s own habits, she loved to eat until the plate was empty, and if she didn’t like something, there would always be leftovers. Using her own standards, she applied this habit to the Emperor as well.

However, she could see that the Emperor truly enjoyed the meals prepared by the young girl; although it wasn’t apparent on his face, his appetite betrayed him.

She had dined with the Emperor quite a few times before; each time was merely to keep her company for a few bites.

His appetite wasn’t as great when it was just at Canglan Court.

Lian Hua thought it was thoroughly satisfactory now. She paused to check, nodded in approval, and murmured, "It’s still best when His Majesty has our court’s meals. It’s more reassuring."

"Why is that?" Nanny Qi wasn’t willing for Lian Hua to work too hard. A pregnant person needs to be stress-free for the fetus to be well-nourished. The Emperor’s meals should be managed by others; she didn’t want Lian Hua to worry.

Lian Hua naturally responded, "Our court’s meals are good! Besides, I worry about His Majesty neglecting his own health, unwilling to eat in time, without knowing how much he has consumed."

Nanny Qi sat up, "You need not worry. Zhang Qing is there to remind him. If he doesn’t remind, it’s negligence and he should be penalized."

Lian Hua shook her head in disagreement and reasoned, "Nanny, His Majesty is the most powerful in the world. If he refuses, no reminders are useful. If I don’t keep an eye on him, he will be stubborn, so I have Da Zhuang deliver meals daily from our court.

We only need to see when the food box comes back; how much food was consumed or left, and we’ll know. "

Nanny Qi now understood. No wonder the young girl insisted on it, truly a considerate effort, such special care.

Lian Hua remembered something and couldn’t help but put down the clippers, and complained to Nanny Qi, "Nanny, His Majesty used to eat his meals quite recklessly, just skimping through them, and once even combined two meals into one late at night. He’s a grown man, and it’s hard on him day after day.

I don’t want him to neglect his health; it pains my heart. "

Skimping didn’t mean the meals were prepared negligently—no one in the Imperial Kitchen would dare. It meant not having an appetite and only eating a few bites, or just eating casually to fill up, and sometimes being too busy with official duties to eat on time.

She discovered this inadvertently later on when she suddenly wanted to know what His Majesty used to eat, to see if they should prepare the same at Canglan Court. She asked him what dish he used to have, and surprisingly, he couldn’t remember any. That’s when she realized it.

Before realizing this, she had thought that His Majesty dined very well, quite meticulously; after all, the first time he dined at Canglan Court, he had finished her pot of porridge cleanly and deliciously, making her swallow her saliva enviously.

Nanny Qi straightened up, "Oh? There was such a thing?" She always thought the Emperor was very disciplined.

Lian Hua seriously said, "Of course, I caught him in the act."

So, she recounted the past events, although she didn’t mention punishing the Emperor—that was too embarrassing to speak of, and His Majesty needed to save face. She understood, she understood.

Nanny Qi frowned, "That needs to be addressed."

The concerns of the young girl couldn’t be ignored, or even an iron-clad body wouldn’t endure.

Lian Hua nodded affirmatively and firmly added, "Nanny, don’t worry. Leave it to me. His Majesty promised to eat his meals on time, not missing any."

Nanny Qi nodded in relief. This was true care, not just sweet talk.

She glanced outside at the sun, nearing midday rest. Remembering something, she said, "Is the bird’s nest soup ready? It’s about time to have it now?"

Pang Ya hastily replied, "It’s ready. It was still a bit hot just a while ago, Xiao Linzi is cooling it down a bit more. It should be about right now. I’ll go fetch it."

Nanny Qi nodded.

Pang Ya went out immediately to fetch the bird’s nest from the kitchen.