"No, no, no,
After lunch at Penglai Study, Wen Qiao was summoned by Lady Sang to the Green Gauze Cabinet in the main hall of Fuxi Pavilion for a private talk. On the table were a plate of roasted golden taro and several of Wen Qiao's favorite pastries. There was also a food box, which Lady Sang said contained milk tea, Honey-Baked Crisp Pastry, and several preserved fruits from the most popular Qianji Shop in the capital, for Wen Qiao to take back to Jiang Xuesui.
Wen Qiao felt that his mother had changed, but whether for better or worse, he had yet to decide.
Lady Sang picked up a roasted golden taro and brought it to Wen Qiao's lips, saying gently, "A Qiao, these are all your favorites. Eat more." She had only learned from her eldest daughter what her eldest son liked to eat. After so many years, she had forgotten the difficult days when she gave birth to the twins. Back then, Concubine Miao was favored, and she could only huddle in Fuxi Pavilion with her ailing children, enduring those days. She never expected that Yuan Ai would become the noble Crown Princess, and that A Qiao would marry a high-born lady like Yuanyuan. She was happy that her children were living well. But A Yu was neither good at literature nor martial arts, and had even lost his status as the heir of Duke Xiangguo. It would be hard for him to find a marriage partner, and his future was bleak.
Wen Qiao only took one bite of the roasted taro before putting it down. His mother only knew to use his favorite snacks to curry favor, forgetting that he had just eaten lunch. No matter how delicious these pastries were, he couldn't eat more. Then he heard his mother sighing deeply, and Wen Qiao knew she must have a request for him; otherwise, she wouldn't be so ingratiating for no reason.
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