Stealing the Pen: Kirin's Primordial Lotus

The next day, before daybreak, when the dawn was just breaking, it was already the hour of Mao. At this time, Zhuo Yixuan, wearing a light training suit and holding a long sword, stood tall in the courtyard.

His body was agile and his sword moves were sharp. Every move and every style contained deep spiritual power and exquisite skills, as if they were integrated with the sword in his hand.

Zhuo Yichen, on the other hand, was wearing a small and exquisite cloak. He sat quietly at the doorstep, staring intently at his brother who was practicing swordsmanship.

Time passed quietly, and in the blink of an eye it was already morning. Zhuo Yichen gently stood up, dusted off his body, and walked towards the courtyard where Gong Yuanzheng lived.

When he stepped into the courtyard, he was surprised to find that Gong Yuanzheng had woken up for a long time. At this moment, he was immersed in the herbal medicine house specially built for him by the Zhuo brothers, exploring the mysteries therein like a fish in water.

"Yuanzheng, it's getting late, we should go enjoy breakfast. This herbal medicine house is not going to run away on its own. After we have breakfast, I will accompany you to visit Mr. Wang. I heard that he has collected a lot of rare and precious medicinal herbs." Zhuo Yichen walked to the door of the herbal medicine house with a smile, raised his hand and knocked on the door, and called gently.

A response soon came from inside the house: "Okay, Brother Chen, I'll be there right away!" Then, there was a slight noise.

Soon, Gong Yuanzheng walked out of the herbal medicine room with excitement, holding a few rare and precious herbs he had just picked. He carefully put these treasures aside, then followed Zhuo Yichen's footsteps and walked towards the front hall where they had dinner yesterday.

Gong Yuanzheng walked into the house, and his eyes were instantly attracted by the dazzling array of delicacies on the table. As soon as he walked into the front hall, an alluring aroma hit his nose. The table was filled with a variety of delicious dishes, dazzling and mouth-watering.

The wide mahogany table was filled with all kinds of exquisite snacks and delicacies: almond yogurt with a rich milky aroma, crystal clear bird's nest porridge dotted with strands of bird's nest; peach blossom princess as delicate as a girl's face, golden and attractive, fragrant osmanthus honey; and the colorful eight-treasure sweet yogurt, like gems inlaid in it; the special meat floss from Fujian, every bit of it exudes a salty and fragrant taste; the fresh and elegant almond lily porridge, exuding a faint fragrance; the expensive and rare abalone stewed with pearls, each one is round and plump, sparkling with a charming luster; the smooth and sweet milk and water chestnut powder cake, which melts in the mouth; the nutritious purple cloud ginseng and duck soup, the soup is mellow and delicious; and the layers of crispy and delicious cream puff pastry... This table full of delicious dishes is mouth-watering.

Gong Yuanzheng couldn't help but exclaimed: "Wow, what a sumptuous breakfast!"

"I heard from Mr. Jiao that you like sweet food, so I asked the kitchen to make more. Yuanzheng can try them all and see if there is anything you like. If not, I will ask them to make something else next time." Zhuo Yixuan said with a smile.

It turned out that he had taken the time to understand Gong Yuanzheng's eating habits last night, and had personally instructed the kitchen to carefully prepare these foods early this morning, just to please Gong Yuanzheng.

Gong Yuanzheng responded calmly: "No need to be so troublesome, I'm not picky about food." This sentence was like a thunderclap, which made Gong Zishang and Gong Ziyu, who had just stepped into the room, stagger and almost fall to the ground.

The two looked at each other, both with disbelief on their faces. You know, everyone in the palace knew that Gong Yuanzheng was very picky about food! Could it be that all the rumors about him being picky about food were false? This was really surprising!

"How dare you say that you are not picky about food? Then I would like to ask, who was the person who replaced 18 chefs in just one month in Jiao Palace? Could it be Gong Shangjiao?" Gong Zishang sat down slowly, looked straight at Gong Yuanzheng, and asked with a bit of joking on his face.

Hearing this, Gong Yuanzheng's heart tightened involuntarily, but he still pretended to be calm and replied: "Of course it's because those chefs' skills are too poor! They even boasted that they are top chefs, but what's the result? Even a small fish was burnt to a charred black, how can anyone eat it? If I don't replace them, do I have to keep them and continue to ruin my appetite?" After saying this, Gong Yuanzheng secretly glanced at Zhuo Yixuan and Zhuo Yichen who were sitting next to him, fearing that they would blame him for this.

However, to Gong Yuanzheng's surprise, Zhuo Yixuan only smiled and did not show any blame. Instead, he said gently: "It's really not a big deal. After all, if you can't even cook a fish, you really don't deserve to be called a top chef, and it's reasonable to be replaced. What's more, brother Yuanzheng is still young and is in a critical period of growth and development. Naturally, he should be more particular and meticulous in his diet."

Seeing this, Gong Zishang couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. She knew that she was no match for Gong Yuanzheng in terms of eloquence, but she couldn't help but want to argue with him every time. Now, she was defeated again. But she was unwilling to admit defeat, so she muttered angrily: "Humph, you only know how to favor him! It's obviously him who is too picky..."

Zhuo Yixuan patted Zhuo Yichen on the shoulder after he finished speaking. "When Xiaochen was young, he was also very picky about food. My father and I were very worried about it, so we asked our ancestors to go to the wilderness to find a chef and bring him back. Only then did we raise Xiaochen to be a bit meaty."

Gong Zishang never expected that this elegant and noble Zhuo Yichen was like this when he was a child. It was really eye-opening.

"Master Zhuo, I have an unreasonable request, but I don't know if I should say it or not..." Gong Zishang carefully scooped himself a bowl of steaming and fragrant lily porridge.

The delicate porcelain spoon gently reached into the bowl and stirred it slowly, round and round, as if the lilies in the bowl were dancing. However, despite the constant movement of her hands, Gong Zishang was hesitant in her heart, and she hesitated several times. Finally, as if she had mustered up her courage, she gritted her teeth and said shamelessly: "I would like to ask you..."

Gong Yuanzheng, on the other hand, did not have so many concerns. He was always outspoken and never thought before speaking. After all, he had been spoiled by his brother Gong Shangjiao and had developed a personality of speaking directly without caring whether others would feel embarrassed or uncomfortable.

Gong Yuanzheng shouted loudly: "Since you know it's an unreasonable request, why did you say it out loud? You're really asking for trouble!" As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere became tense and awkward.

Fortunately, Zhuo Yixuan reacted quickly. He frowned slightly, reached out his hand and knocked Gong Yuanzheng's head lightly, and said with a hint of reproach: "Yuanzheng! Stop talking nonsense! Since Miss Zishang specifically brought it up, I'm sure this matter must have troubled her for a long time. If it is within our ability, we should naturally help." After that, he turned to look at Gong Zishang, with gentleness and inquiry in his eyes.

Gong Zishang was embarrassed by what Gong Yuanzheng had just said. After hearing Zhuo Yixuan's considerate words, she couldn't help but feel a little grateful. She raised her head, met Zhuo Yixuan's gaze, and asked in surprise: "Master Zhuo, how do you know what I'm thinking? Can you really see into people's hearts?"

Zhuo Yixuan just smiled and said, "I just noticed that Miss Zishang had the same calluses on her hands as Elder Jiang, and this kind of calluses only appear on the hands of those blacksmiths. And Miss Zishang, as a weak girl, should not have such calluses. So, I made a bold guess."

Gong Zishang touched the thick calluses on his hands and hid them in his sleeves in embarrassment. After all, in the eyes of the world, a woman should be well-versed in the rules and regulations for women, be proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, needlework, instead of wielding guns and sticks, and swinging a hammer with one hand with great power.

"Miss Zishang, there is no need to hide. There are countless women like you in Tiandu City. The daughters of military generals love to wield swords and guns, and the women in Tianji Pavilion are also proficient in forging." Zhuo Yixuan noticed Gong Zishang's inferiority complex and comforted her.

"Why are you being shy now! You were lying on the wall of the guard camp inside the palace gate, peeking at who was being trained! And... " Gong Yuanzheng wanted to continue talking about some embarrassing stories about Gong Zishang with great interest, but before he could finish his words, he suddenly felt a small, steaming bun stuffed into his mouth.

"Gong San! Even food can't stop your mouth!" Gong Zishang raised her eyebrows, her beautiful eyes wide open, and stared at Gong Yuanzheng fiercely, as if she wanted to eat him alive.

Gong Yuanzheng was stunned at first, then he reacted, took the bun out of his mouth, and snorted heavily. However, he did not argue with Gong Zishang too much, but returned a vicious look to him, and then began to bite the bun in his hand. For a while, the only sound in the room was the "crunching" sound of him chewing the bun.

At this moment, Zhuo Yixuan on the side couldn't help laughing out loud. He shook his head gently and said quickly: "Please forgive me, Miss Zishang! Yuanzheng was probably spoiled by Mr. Jiao on weekdays. Now he suddenly leaves the familiar environment and it is inevitable that he is a little uncomfortable. But don't worry, after breakfast, I can personally take Miss Zishang to Mr. Jiang." After saying that, Zhuo Yixuan looked at Gong Yuanzheng and Gong Zishang with a smile.

After hearing what Zhuo Yixuan said, Gong Zishang, who was originally full of anger, instantly calmed down. In fact, she didn't take what Gong Yuanzheng just said to heart at all.

So, she put on a gentle and peaceful expression, looked at Gong Yuanzheng with a smile, and said softly: "What he said is true, but after all, this is not our home, we still have to give our sister some face when we are outside! Don't you agree, brother Yuanzheng?"