The Noble Consort is the most favored in the harem

Chapter 64 - Brewing Plum Wine

In the main house, Lin Wanyi was flipping through a miscellaneous book on winemaking. It not only clearly recorded how to brew plum wine but also included many recipes for other fruit wines.

Since she had plenty of time in the palace, she could slowly experiment with these recipes.

Just as she was finishing up, Chunqi and Xia'an entered the room.

"My Lady, look at this. Xiao Luzi just brought these plums from the imperial kitchen. They look very fresh."

As she spoke, she took some plums out of the basket.

Lin Wanyi examined them closely. Indeed, they were fresh and uniformly sized, clearly carefully selected.

The people in the imperial kitchen were meticulous in their work.

"Very good. Go get some salt and ginger sugar, and also some white wine and porcelain jars."

"My Lady, why did you suddenly think of brewing plum wine?"

Lin Wanyi smiled, recalling a joke her brother once made.

"When can I drink the plum wine brewed by Qianqian herself? Then I will have no regrets in this life!"

It was because of this remark that Lin Wanyi thought of brewing this wine. When her brother returned from the Imperial Guard, she might be able to give it to him to taste!

"Isn't brother going to join the army? By the time this wine is ready to drink, he should be back for a visit. Then I can send it out of the palace for him to taste, as a token of my sisterly affection."

"I see."

"Since it's for the young master, we must use the best."

Chunqi smiled slyly and said, "Last time, the imperial kitchen sent a jar of good wine. The emperor didn't drink it, so I kept it. It's perfect for this!"

She then turned and left to prepare the items.

Xia'an handed over some silk threads with a smile. Lin Wanyi took them and was very pleased.

"Every time Madam Fan sends silk threads, they are just to my liking. She was indeed well-taught by my grandmother."

She then had Xia'an organize them by color and put them in a box for future use.

Chunqi hurriedly brought everything to the pavilion in the courtyard, which Xiao Luzi cleaned daily, keeping it very tidy.

Lin Wanyi and Xia'an went out together to help organize.

The grapevines in the backyard, carefully watered by Chunqi and Xiaoluzi every day, had already grown to the height of two palms. Although it was still early for them to climb the trellis, everyone was happy to see their vigorous growth.

In the harem, if you don't find something to do, the days can feel endless.

If you focus solely on vying for favor and waiting for the emperor's attention, it's easy to go mad.

Lin Wanyi feared becoming like Lin Guifei and others who schemed all day, so she preferred to do some handicrafts in her spare time to clear her mind.

The plums were washed twice with clean water, then salted and rubbed repeatedly.

Chunqi and Xia'an were concerned that Lin Wanyi's hands might not withstand the saltwater, so they vigorously rubbed the plums for her.

As they rubbed, they asked, "My Lady, what is this for?"

"To remove the astringency."

"Oh."

"When you're done rubbing, let them soak. After half an hour, remove the stems and rinse them clean."

"Okay."

After giving instructions, Lin Wanyi didn't stay idle. She carefully washed the porcelain jars again and wiped them dry with a clean cloth.

These plums would probably fill three jars.

Since it was her first time making this, she thought it best to separate the ingredients in case one jar spoiled.

For example, one jar had ginger sugar, another had rock sugar, and the third had sugar water with a few dried perilla leaves.

The book mentioned that perilla leaves could enhance the flavor, but Lin Wanyi wasn't sure, so she only added them to one jar.

Time flew by while working.

Soon, half an hour had passed. Chunqi brought a bamboo basket to drain the plums.

Lin Wanyi wiped each plum dry with a cloth until the fuzz was visible in the sunlight, then placed them in the jars.

She then added the imperial wine.

The jars were small, so after filling three, there was still half a cup of wine left.

Lin Wanyi smelled it, found it fragrant and rich, and drank it in one gulp.

Her drinking capacity was unknown to outsiders, but Chunqi and Xia'an had witnessed it.

Even the combined drinking capacity of Lin Wanyi's father and brother couldn't match hers.

Her grandfather loved to drink and was very good at it.

The family always had good wine, and he would often share a few sips with Lin Wanyi.

Over time, Lin Wanyi developed a strong tolerance for alcohol.

"Indeed, it's good wine. The emperor's wine is extraordinary!"

Chunqi smiled and sealed the jars with oil paper to aid fermentation.

"Store them in a cool place. Add some sugar in half a month."

She then wrote "plum wine" on red paper and pasted it on the jars.

The white jars with black characters looked quite interesting.

After everything was done, the sun was setting.

Lin Wanyi looked up at the sky, tinged orange and red by the sunset, and felt a deep sense of emotion.

"If only I could watch the sunset from the city tower."

"Do you want to watch the sunset?"

A voice suddenly spoke from behind, startling Lin Wanyi.

She turned to see the emperor in casual clothes, standing in the courtyard.

They were only two steps apart, yet she hadn't noticed anyone behind her.

The emperor had arrived without any announcement.

Seeing Qiu Ming and Xiao Luzi standing behind Dong Yuzhong with their heads lowered, and Chunqi and Xia'an kneeling in the corridor, she understood.

"I apologize for my rudeness, Your Majesty."

"Rise. I just came to take a look, so I didn't have them announce my arrival."

Lin Wanyi stood up, feeling uneasy about the mess left from making plum wine.

She said to the emperor, "Your Majesty, please move to the main house. It's quite messy here."

"What were you doing?"

"Making plum wine. I thought it would be nice to preserve the plums as fruit wine since they are in season."

"You have quite the hobby. I remember drinking fruit tea in your palace last time."

Lin Wanyi smiled, her face blooming like a peach blossom in March.

"Your Majesty has a good memory."

"Yes, when the plum wine is ready, bring some for me to taste. Fruit wine is rare."

Lin Wanyi sighed inwardly. She had made the wine for her brother, but now the emperor wanted it.

Even if she was unwilling, she couldn't refuse.

Fortunately, she had the foresight to make three jars. Otherwise, if the emperor took an interest, how could she give any to her brother?