TPNCQ Chapter 2.2
Chapter- you have to eat to stay away from hunger 2.2
When Consort
Jia, Jin Wu Yun heard the news, she was strolling in the Chunxi Palace,
supported by two trusted palace maids. This routine walk aimed to prevent
excessive weight gain during the late stages of pregnancy and prepare for a
smooth delivery in the future.
"Niang
Niang, if Noble Consort Chun continues to indulge like this, isn't she afraid
of offending the emperor and falling out of favor?" The head palace maid,
Lamei, murmured in a low voice.
"Passing
through the gates of death itself, just to cling onto life, and she still dares
to vie for favor with her daughter? What a farce," Jin Wu Yun remarked
coldly, her eyes flashing with undisguised cunning. Pausing for a moment, she
continued, "Go, inform the kitchen that Jingren Palace shall have whatever
delicacies they desire Spare no effort in delivering the finest dishes
promptly. More is always better."
"Yes, Niang
Niang," Mo Li, the trusted attendant, dashed off to deliver the message to
the kitchen.
"Your
Highness is truly wise. Now the kitchen must exert every effort to showcase
their utmost culinary skills," chuckled Lamei.
Jin Wu Yun
couldn't help but burst into laughter, casting aside the gloom that had loomed
over her for days. Her spirits lifted, she appeared radiant and captivating.
With the
situation in Changchun Palace proving difficult to handle, dealing with Noble
Consort Chun seemed like child's play.
Since
Empress Fucha's pregnancy, Emperor Qianlong had granted Noble Consort Xian the
responsibility of overseeing the affairs of the six palaces, ensuring the
Empress could devote herself to nurturing her unborn child.
Noble Consort
Xian, upon assuming significant responsibilities for the first time, approached
her duties with careful precision. While her treatment of the aloof Noble
Consort Chun wasn't overly generous, she fulfilled her duties diligently. All
provisions, including food supplies, were carefully selected. Furthermore,
Emperor Qianlong's daily inquiries about Fourth Princess meant there was no
room for error.
Upon learning
of Consort Jia’s subtle hint regarding the kitchen, Noble Consort Xian issued
additional instructions through her own channels.
"Jing
Ren Palace has just given birth to Fourth Princess, who holds a special place
in the Emperor's heart. Ensure that she is well-fed and cared for, but be
cautious not to make any mistakes or include anything inappropriate. Don't
blame me for not recalling past favors if something goes wrong."
After these
words were spoken, the kitchen found themselves in a delicate position,
striving to please Consort Jia while also ensuring their own safety. They
spared no effort in meticulously attending to every detail, unwilling to make
any mistakes.
As a
result, the meals served in Jingren Palace were consistently exceptional, with
each dish personally tasted by the palace eunuch responsible for food delivery
to guarantee perfection before being served.
Furthermore,
in recent years, numerous delicacies from various regions had been offered to
the palace, overwhelming the kitchen with an abundance of wild game such as
pheasants, deer, pigeons, quails, and more. Additionally, a myriad of precious
medicinal ingredients like ginseng and deer antler had been stocked in the
palace's storerooms.
In addition
to the usual allocations, Noble Consort Xian had someone select two boxes of
premium Dong County Ejiao and sent them to Jingren Palace as an extra gesture
of goodwill.
On the
twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, the weather was clear and sunny,
with the sun shining brightly.
As Shuang jiang
led a group of palace maids and young eunuchs to collect their annual gifts and
monthly stipends, all dressed in fresh garments.
Su Limo reclined
on a soft cushion, watching Shuang jiang instructing two young palace maids in
their tasks, feeling a sense of clarity within her heart.
"Your
Majesty, while collecting items from the Imperial Household Department, I ran
into Yan'er from Changchun Palace. She mentioned that the Emperor, feeling concern
for the Empress, intends to cancel the fireworks celebration at Yuanming Palace
on New Year's Day." Dong Xue relayed the news as she tidied up, noting her
mistress's patient demeanour before continuing, "The journey from the
palace to Yuanming Place is over twenty miles. With the morning ceremonies on
New Year's Day and the bustling activities throughout the day, it would be
quite exhausting to travel to Yuanming Place in the evening. Especially
considering the Empress is already over six months pregnant."
Observing
the Noble Consort's silence, Shuang jiang shot her a meaningful glance, signalling
Dong Xue to cease speaking further. "Niang Niang needs to rest, and it's
best not to trouble her with such matters," Shuang jiang interjected, subtly
signalling Dong Xue to refrain from continuing.
"I...
I've been feeling a bit better these past few days. Listening to her speak
actually helps pass the time. There's no need to be so strict," Su Limo
spoke gently, her voice warm and comforting.
Shuang
Jiang had been attending to Su Limo since her residence in her paternal house,
always cautious and reserved, speaking sparingly. However, with Su Limo's
recent change in demeanor, desiring to gather information from the inner
palace, she had to rely on the words of others. Dong Xue proved to be astute
and attentive, yet tactful in her approach. After observing her for several
days, Su Limo contemplated promoting her to serve within the inner chambers.
Upon
hearing this, Dong Xue continued, "As a newcomer to the palace, I've heard
that this is the Emperor's first time cancelling the fireworks celebration at
Yuanming Place. It seems he truly cherishes the Empress. Her Majesty is known
for her grace and kindness towards her servants, and everyone in the palace
hopes that her wishes will be fulfilled. Even the Empress Dowager has
consented. However..."
Dong Xue
hesitated for a moment before adding, "However, it seems that Consort Jia of
Chunxi Palace isn't particularly pleased."
With that, Dong
Xue fell silent, choosing not to elaborate further.
Seeing the
Noble Consort's silence, Shuang Jiang led the maidservants to register and
store the monthly stipends and festival gifts in the small storage room.