TPNCQ CHAPTER 34
Today is the day of first snow fall, it's customary to eat hotpot together.
Having failed to see what he wanted to see and instead witnessing such a scene, Qianlong felt a surge of irritation.
Li Yu, ever the astute servant, stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty has been busy for half a day. Perhaps Your Majesty would like to retire to the Jingren Palace for a cup of tea?"
Seeing that the Emperor didn't respond, he turned and left the Prince's Residence. Li Yu raised his hand, signaling to the honor guard to prepare for their departure to Jingren Palace.
Upon arriving at Jingren Palace, Li Yu lifted the curtain and Qianlong strode straight in, his gaze meeting Su Limo's directly. She was seated at a round table, eating heartily. Four dishes, two soups, and four types of pickled vegetables from Sanbiju filled the table. She was eating as if she hadn't eaten in days, a sight that was truly, utterly unsightly.
Su Limo hadn't expected Qianlong to come at this time, and without any prior notice. She was startled by the quietness. Ever since she had traveled through time, she had preferred to eat alone without anyone serving her. Unlike the traditional, refined way of dining in ancient times, where palace maids would serve you one bite at a time, Su Limo, a modern person, preferred to eat freely and fearlessly, afraid that the food would get cold. A person who loves to eat, a soul who loves to eat.
"Have you eaten yourself stupid?" Qianlong frowned, his peach blossom eyes drooping, concealing a deep sense of disgust.
"Greetings to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live long and prosper," Su Limo quickly put down her chopsticks and bowed, gesturing to Shuangjiang to come and serve.
Qianlong sat down on the brocade couch and after a few breaths, he spoke, "Rise. Bring me a cup of milk tea."
"..." Milk tea?
Could you believe it? The Emperor would come to your palace in the middle of the night for overtime work and ask for milk tea? Su Limo almost burst out laughing.
Then she remembered that the last time Qianlong came over, she had made him Longjing iced milk tea. It seemed that this fellow had developed a liking for it. After all, who could dislike milk tea?
"I'll go and make it myself," Su Limo hurriedly left the hall and instructed Dongxue to take away the dinner and share it with the palace maids and eunuchs to prevent it from getting cold. She then took Shuangxue to the small kitchen to make the milk tea.
She specifically took a handful of the Xue Ding Han Cui tea that Qianlong had bestowed upon her and brewed a strong tea, which she then mixed with fresh milk. She also added some tapioca pearls. Since it was autumn, it was not suitable to drink iced milk tea, and ice was also difficult to obtain. Therefore, Su Limo brewed a hot milk tea and added some honey before pouring it into a glass cup and presenting it. She had Shuangjiang prepare another cup, as she knew this fellow would at least drink two cups.
"Your Majesty, please try this. It's hot milk tea made with Xue Ding Han Cui," Su Limo personally held the small tray and presented the milk tea.
Li Yu looked at the color of the tea and wondered how much tea leaves had been used. Oh, my little ancestor, each leaf is as precious as a golden melon seed. Only less than a pound of Xue Ding Han Cui tea was obtained this year, and even the Yangxin Palace only brewed it once every two days. With such a brewing method, Li Yu's heart ached.
Qianlong took the glass cup and sniffed it. It was the same taste.
The icy coldness of the Xue Ding Han Cui tea paired with the fresh fragrance of milk was far better than Longjing tea.
Seeing that Qianlong didn't drink directly, Su Limo handed over a small spoon, "Your Majesty, please try the cassava balls inside. I've infused them with chrysanthemum juice."
Qianlong took the small spoon, scooped up some cassava balls, and took a sip of the tea. The fragrance was overwhelming. He then picked up a piece of freshly made chrysanthemum cake from the table, "It's too ugly."
Hearing Qianlong's comment, Su Limo maintained a gentle and compliant smile, standing respectfully below. This guy coming over at this time, couldn't he be thinking of staying the night? Eating and drinking was fine, but staying the night was completely unnecessary. Actually, Your Majesty, you see, you have a lot of beautiful women in your harem. I'm over thirty, an old stalk, not tender anymore. Your Majesty, the affairs of the state are so busy, I dare not hinder the affairs of the state with just my own body. Your Majesty...
"Another cup."
Su Limo was just thinking about how to politely decline when she suddenly heard Qianlong's voice and came back to her senses. Taking the glass cup, she gave Shuangjiang a nod, and took the second cup and handed it to Qianlong.
Qianlong took the glass cup silently and ate the balls and drank the tea. He only had two pieces of the ugly cake.
It turned out that the Emperor was busy all day and hungry, and had nowhere to eat dinner, so he came to her place to freeload.
Su Limo watched Qianlong eat elegantly, almost silently, and even his movements were somewhat... pleasing to the eye. Thinking back to how she had been eating and drinking dry rice just now, she couldn't help but facepalm. No wonder she always felt that the Emperor looked at her with a hint of disgust. It must be because he disliked her for not being delicate and having an ugly eating manner.
And indeed, Qianlong himself was dragon-like and phoenix-like, with a pair of naturally born peach blossom eyes that were amorous and charming when he smiled. The concubines in the harem were all as beautiful as one another, and she, who was so white, plump, and round-faced, was naturally disliked.
Since that was the case, after eating and drinking his fill, he should definitely not stay overnight.
"What are you staring at me for?" Qianlong put down the second cup after finishing and looked up to see Su Limo staring at his face. His brows furrowed slightly, and he looked a little disgusted. "You can rest now. I'm going back to Yangxin Palace."
Hearing the four big words "Your Majesty is leaving," Su Limo was stunned for a moment before coming back to her senses. Did the Emperor run away like this, afraid that she would stare at him and devour him alive?
Damn it.
Su Limo snorted and plopped down on the brocade couch. She had just touched the cushion when she sat up with a start. Did this guy have a burning bottom? The cushion was so warm.
Su Limo simply changed to the other side. She had only eaten half of her dinner and was still hungry, so she had to finish the chrysanthemum cake on the plate before giving up.
*
Dong dong dong.
Hearing the three taps on the bamboo clapper outside, Qianlong turned over, lifted the curtain, and said irritably, "The candlelight is glaring. Extinguish one more, no, forget it, extinguish them all."
Li Yu was dozing off on the side of the bed. Hearing the sound, he quickly got up and extinguished another candle by the bed, asking in confusion, "Why is Your Majesty still awake? It's already the third watch."
Qianlong turned over and continued to sleep, but his heart was pounding like a drum. He closed his eyes and tossed and turned, thinking about the Shandong governor's embezzlement at the morning court yesterday, then about how the seventh prince was too thin and not strong enough, then about how the pastries in Jingren Palace were too ugly, and then his mind was filled with the image of the Chun Guifei gobbling down food, making it even harder for him to sleep.
Just when he felt he was about to fall asleep in a daze, there were five taps on the bamboo clapper outside. It was the fifth watch, and it was time to get up for court.
"Get me dressed," Qianlong sat up straight, feeling irritated.
Li Yu knew that the emperor had been restless and unable to sleep all night, and now hearing his voice, he knew he was in a bad mood. He could only carefully serve him. He thought to himself, yesterday when he left Jingren Palace, he was still in a good mood, so why is he unhappy now?
After a sleepless night, he was busy with the morning court and then went to discuss matters and review documents, and didn't finish until noon. After lunch, he reviewed some documents and was so sleepy that he finally fell asleep.
He had never felt this way before. Qianlong pondered over it. Yesterday, his diet was normal, except that he had some tea and snacks in Jingren Palace, and then he tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep.
After waking up, Qianlong went straight to Jingren Palace.
Su Limo was lying on the brocade couch watching Shuangjiang and Dong Xue sew clothes. Seeing Qianlong's bad complexion, she quickly held her breath and saluted.
"Last night, my heart pounded like a drum, and I tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep," Qianlong said unkindly, his peach blossom eyes filled with dark clouds.
"..." Hearing this, Su Limo managed to hold back her laughter.
Aren't these the symptoms of drinking milk tea and having a racing heart?
Hahahaha, so clumsy and yet so addicted, drinking two big cups... uh.
The first time he drank it, it was iced milk tea with a lot of ice cubes, and he drank it early. Yesterday, he drank two big cups of concentrated milk tea at night. O(∩_∩)O haha~
However, Su Limo wouldn't admit it.
"Yesterday, Your Majesty drank the milk tea made with Xue Ding Han Cui, and ate five pieces of the ugly chrysanthemum cake, and nothing else. These are all ordinary foods," Su Limo said gently and sweetly, smiling innocently.
"..." Qianlong couldn't continue this conversation, and he also felt that he was being a little unreasonable. Indeed, they were all ordinary foods.
"Seeing that Your Majesty looks unwell, shall I have Shuangjiang cook a bowl of ginseng soup for Your Majesty?" Su Limei suggested kindly.
"No need," Qianlong said, and then got up and left Jingren Palace, his eyes bloodshot.
"Chenqie humbly sees Your Majesty off," Su Limo said to Qianlong's back, and watched Qianlong's figure leave Jingren Palace before she couldn't help but laugh. It seems that next time she makes milk tea, she should put in less tea leaves, this guy has a low tolerance for caffeine.
Qianlong returned to Yangxin Palace and continued to review documents. In the evening, Li Yu announced that the palace maid Shuangjiang from Jingren Palace had presented a bowl of ginseng soup on behalf of the Chun Guifei.
Qianlong looked at the ginseng soup on the desk, and his peach blossom eyes darkened slightly. She still said it was ordinary food. What is this, to replenish his body? Does he need replenishment?
Qianlong impatiently put down his writing brush, looked at the ginseng soup in front of him, and was stunned for a moment. Suddenly, he really felt a little dizzy, so he picked up the cup and tasted it reluctantly.
*
Deep autumn gradually turned cold, the evening wind was strong, and the fallen leaves were swirling. In Chunxi Palace, two young palace maids couldn't sweep away all the leaves.
Standing at the palace door, Jia Fei watched the swirling yellow leaves, and her heart grew colder with each passing moment, just like the autumn wind.
For the past month or two, Qianlong hadn't had her green name tag hung up, nor had he lifted her confinement. He ignored Chunxi Palace completely, as if there were no such person as her in the deep palace.
So this was what loneliness in the deep palace felt like. Jia Fei had never been so neglected and couldn't help but feel disheartened. The desolate autumn made everything seem bleak.
She was a straightforward person, and it would have been fine if he had told her directly. This slow, painful cutting was worse than death. What exactly had angered the Emperor? It couldn't have been just because Chen Guiren had backed up the Empress. What was Chen Guiren?
As for that old hag of an Empress, even when she had been so overstepping and arrogant in the past, the Empress had never treated her so harshly. Because of the Emperor's favor and the fact that she had a prince, the Empress had also had to tolerate her to some extent. So what was it now? What could have made the Empress so restless that she used such a small matter as an excuse to have the Emperor punish her?
Over the past month or two, Jia Fei had thought long and hard about it. At first, she had blamed everything on Chen Guiren, thinking that Chen Guiren was restless and had a different heart, wanting to climb higher. But when she found out that Chen Guiren had moved to the western side hall of Xian Guifei's Yikun Palace instead of Chun Guifei's Jingren Palace, she realized that things were not that simple. Xian Guifei had always been uncompetitive and silent, simply following behind the Empress and doing as she was told. All this must have been the Empress's idea. It was so unusual, but what was it for? Jia Fei really couldn't figure it out.
She had originally thought that the Emperor would only ignore her for ten days or half a month because of the Empress, but when she realized that so much time had passed and there was still no movement, Jia Fei started to panic.
She heard from Moli that during her confinement, the alluring Ling Pin had slept with the Emperor five times, Shu Pin once, Xian Guifei twice, and even Chen Guiren, because she lived in Yikun Palace, had been summoned to accompany the Emperor once. As for the Empress, needless to say, except when the Emperor stayed in Yangxin Palace and with other concubines, she was always in the Empress's Changchun Palace. It was truly a Changchun Palace, a long and lasting spring.
She had also asked a little palace maid to go to Yangxin Palace to invite the Emperor, and had also sent Lamei to pay her respects, but the Emperor was remained indifferent.
Seeing Jia Fei standing under the tree looking so forlorn, Lamei felt sorry for her and handed her a cloak, saying softly, "Niangniang, it's cold. Go back to your room."
"Tell me, Do you think the Emperor is really angry with me and won't come to Chunxi Palace again?" Jia Fei had thought about it for a long time, and her psychological support had already been shattered. Now that Lamei cared for her, she couldn't hold back her tears anymore, but she had always been strong, so how could she cry in front of others? She raised her hand to wipe away the tears at the corner of her eye.
"Your Majesty has always loved niangniang. It must be that someone is spreading rumors and trying to protect the Empress's face, so Your Majesty has no choice but to neglect Your Highness. After a while, Your Majesty will definitely favor niangniang again, and everything will be as usual," Lamei helped Jia Fei into the bedroom and persuaded her with kind words.
"As usual? Will it?" Jia Fei's words were filled with a lack of confidence.
Her family background was ordinary, and she did not come from a noble family. She was far less noble than the Empress Fucha and Xian Guifei from Ulanara. She was not as noble as Shu Pin, who was the great-granddaughter of Nalan Mingzhu. All she could rely on was the Emperor's favor and her sons. Although her father and brothers were officials, it was already a blessing for them not to be a burden to her, let alone expect them to add to her glory.
Without the Emperor's favor, it would truly be worse than death for her.
*
On October 26th, the first snow fell.
Snow began to fall in the early morning, and by the second watch of the si hour (09:00 am to 11:00 am), it had turned into a flurry of goose feathers, covering everything in a pristine white blanket. The branches and trees were adorned with frost and snow, a truly enchanting sight.
Su Limo reclined on the brocade couch, looking out through the window covered with gauze, finding a unique charm in the scene. She had always thought that it would be wonderful to visit the Forbidden City on a snowy day, because once it snowed, the Forbidden City would transform into the Purple Forbidden City. Now, she had become a prominent figure in this Forbidden City, a person who would be recorded in the annals of history.
"It's freezing cold outside. Coming from the Imperial Kitchen, the corridor was so cold it was unbearable. The north wind wrapped around the heavy snow, it was quite soul-stirring." Dong Xue ran a few steps to the corridor, rubbed her hands, stomped her feet to shake off the snow from her shoes, and then stepped on the doormat to remove the moisture from the soles of her shoes.
"Don't say things like that, it's inauspicious. Niangniang is so kind to you, you're becoming more and more spoiled and forgetful of the rules." Shuangjiang lifted the curtain and shook her head with a smile.
"That's only in our own palace. Outside, I'm the first to follow the rules, really!" Dong Xue stuck out her tongue and slipped into the hall. The hall was warm with a charcoal brazier, and her whole body felt instantly comfortable. It was so warm.
Hearing the two of them bickering, Su Limo came back to her senses, "Quickly warm yourself by the fire. It's cold outside, don't catch a cold."
Dong Xue stood by the charcoal brazier rubbing her hands, happily saying, "The head of the Imperial Kitchen is very sensible. Hearing that our palace wanted a hot pot, he didn't hesitate and started preparing according to the list niangniang gave. He said he would make sure everything was perfect, so niangniang could rest assured."
Su Limo had been so eager to eat hot pot that her waist had loosened by an inch. Finally, when the first snow fell, according to palace rules, they could eat hot pot, so she had early on made a list and given some silver to Dong Xue to send to the Imperial Kitchen.
The people in the palace kitchen were as shrewd as foxes. Whatever she asked for from her palace, they would never refuse, especially for such special requests. Su Limo would always give them some silver, and with more money, the people below would work more diligently.
As she waited eagerly, when it was time for the meal, Su Limo was about to ask Dong Xue to serve the food, when she heard a commotion outside. Looking through the window screen, she saw a small eunuch carrying a copper hot pot, another carrying a copper kettle, and behind them were three other eunuchs, each carrying a food box. They walked to the corridor and bowed to ask where to set up the hot pot.
They had already cleared a side room in the palace and prepared everything, just waiting for the hot pot, so Dong Xue directly led them in. The leading eunuch and his men quickly set everything up and exchanged a few polite words with Dong Xue before leaving Jingren Palace.
Dong Xue went to the small kitchen and grabbed a few pieces of silver silk charcoal and put them in the stove. Watching the pot bubble, she went to the main hall to invite Su Limo over.
As soon as she entered the hall, the strong aroma of Sichuan hot pot filled her nostrils. Su Limo took a deep breath, this was the taste!
On a snowy day, she had to eat spicy beef tallow hotpot.
The people in the Imperial Kitchen had gone to great lengths to cater to her request. They had first fried dried chili peppers until fragrant, then boiled them with butter and whole dried chili peppers for nearly half an hour to make the base for the hot pot. Looking at the fresh-cut lamb, fresh-cut beef, shelled prawns, duck feet, fried meatballs, old tofu, handmade wide noodles, and a platter of various mushrooms, as well as a platter of radish, lotus root, potato, and leafy greens on the table, Su Limo couldn't help but salivate. She picked up the long chopsticks and put all four duck feet into the pot first, intending to eat them last. The chewy texture...
Just as she was about to pick up a piece of cooked lamb with her chopsticks to dip it in the sauce, a voice from outside announced, "Your Majesty is here!" Startled, her hand trembled and the tender lamb fell onto the table.
Since drinking the milk tea in Jingren Palace and experiencing a racing heart and chest tightness, Qianlong hadn't been to Jingren Palace for almost a month. Apart from the ginseng soup that day, no one from Jingren Palace had been sent to look for him. It was as if as long as he didn't step into Jingren Palace, the people of Jingren Palace would never take the initiative to seek him out.
Even potted plants would bloom in their season, and raised birds would chirp merrily in the morning. But these dozen or so people in Jingren Palace, all of them freeloaders, didn't have a shred of foresight. Although money was flowing out, they didn't even make a sound.
Today was the first snowfall, and it was customary to eat hot pot in the palace. Originally, he had planned to have it sent to Yangxin Palace, but hearing from Li Yu that there was a lot of commotion in Jingren Palace, she had the Imperial Kitchen prepare a hot pot early in the morning. Since that was the case, he would save himself the trouble and come to Jingren Palace to take a look. Who knew that when he entered the courtyard, only a small eunuch was guarding the main hall, and the room was empty. Upon inquiring, he learned that the Chun Guifei was eating hot pot in a side room.
The little eunuch led a group of people over, intending to stop them, but the little eunuch's voice was so loud that he shouted "Your Majesty is here" quickly and forcefully, even Li Yu couldn't stop him.
Qianlong glared at him, walked into the hall angrily. The hall was filled with steam, and he saw Su Limo sitting alone at a table made up of two large tables. Seeing him, she quickly put down her chopsticks and got up to greet him.
Just as he was about to ask her to rise, Qianlong felt a tickle in his nose and couldn't help but sneeze. It was so spicy and so pungent. No wonder she had chosen to eat hot pot in a spare room, the smell...
Seeing Qianlong sneeze, Su Limo didn't wait for him to speak, but quickly got up and handed him a handkerchief, saying softly, "I don't know if Your Majesty has had lunch yet? I'll prepare a dipping sauce for Your Majesty, so that we can eat hot pot together." Judging from the time... he probably hadn't.
Seeing that Qianlong took the handkerchief and wiped his nose, throwing it on the table with his nostrils slightly red, Su Limo didn't wait for him to say anything. She directly took a small dish, poured in an appropriate amount of soy sauce and vinegar, a pinch of coriander and chives, added a few red chili rings, and finished it off with a drizzle of sesame oil. She respectfully placed it in front of Qianlong, and also placed a pair of chopsticks.
After finishing all this, Su Limo sat down directly and looked at the meat in the copper pot. Hey, she quickly picked up the long chopsticks and put it in a clean spare bowl beside her. She picked up her own chopsticks, dipped a piece in the sauce, and put it in her mouth. No, no, it's been cooked for too long, the meat is tough, "This meat is overcooked, it's not delicious. I'll cook some more."
Su Limo said as she used the long chopsticks to clip a row of meat and put it in the pot. After stirring several times, the red meat changed color. She scooped out a few more pieces and put one piece in Qianlong's spare bowl, smiling softly and saying, "Your Majesty, try this, it's just the right tenderness." Then she scooped up all the remaining meat in the pot and put it in her own bowl.
Seeing her so boldly clipping meat and eating hot pot, and not letting the servants serve her, Qianlong said lightly, "It's not proper."
However, Su Limo was so busy dipping her food in the sauce and eating that she didn't hear what Qianlong said, with the sound of the hot pot bubbling.
Seeing that Su Limo had no reaction and was eating voraciously, Qianlong picked up his chopsticks, clipped a piece of meat, dipped it in the sauce, and put it in his mouth. After tasting it carefully, it was spicy, fragrant, tender, and smooth. It was not bad, so he picked up his chopsticks and ate a few more pieces.
He hadn't felt anything after the first four slices, but as he continued to eat, he felt like a weight of a hundred pounds had been added to his chest, the spiciness was overwhelming. In an instant, Qianlong broke out in a fine sweat on his forehead, gasped, and hissed.
Hearing the sound, Su Limo was about to add more beef when she saw this and kindly asked, "Your Majesty, can you not eat spicy food? If not..."
Hearing this, Qianlong paused with his chopsticks, his peach blossom eyes almost spitting fire, "Noisy."
After being kindly asked and then scolded, Su Limo didn't say anything more. She continued to add meat and swirled it in the pot. When the meat was cooked, she first clipped some for Qianlong and placed it in the spare bowl, and scooped the rest into her own bowl.
Fortunately, there was a palace rule about not speaking while eating, and Qianlong rarely spoke when he came to her palace. It seemed that he only came to work overtime and eat and drink by the way, so they both kept things simple. Su Limo was only responsible for serving him food and drink.
After eating a lot of meat, Su Limo added some meatballs, old tofu, and prawns. Watching the prawns turn from white to red, she clipped two for Qianlong and two for herself.
But there was one thing about this guy that was annoying. When eating hot pot, it was better to clip the food yourself, and it was more enjoyable to grab the food. This guy would only eat what was clipped into the spare bowl in front of him. If she didn't serve him, Qianlong would definitely not pick up his chopsticks and clip food from the copper pot. He was so spoiled.
When they were almost finished eating, Su Limo added some handmade wide noodles and a handful of various mushrooms and green vegetables. Hey, how could you eat hot pot without noodles?
After mixing everything together with long chopsticks, Su Limo put some in Qianlong's spare bowl and scooped the rest into a large bowl. She then added half a spoonful of hot pot broth and mixed it together. With a bowl of hot pot noodles ready, Su Limo picked up her chopsticks and slurped them up.
Qianlong had never seen anyone eat noodles like this before. A large bowl filled with half a bowl of noodles and various vegetables mixed together was truly astonishing. But watching Su Limo eat the noodles loudly and without any pretense, he actually found the noodles a bit appetizing...
Qianlong also picked up his chopsticks and clipped some noodles. However, as soon as he took a bite, he almost choked. It was spicy, so spicy, so spicy! He couldn't help but gasp and hiss.
Seeing this, Su Limo quickly put down her chopsticks and walked to the side table, pouring a cup of chrysanthemum tea with rock sugar for Qianlong. She smiled sweetly and said, "Your Majesty, drink some cold tea to relieve the spiciness." Cough, cough. The hotter the hot pot got, the spicier the noodles and vegetables became, yikes.
Qianlong's eyes were bloodshot from the spiciness and his eyes were slightly red. He quickly took the cold tea and drank it down in one gulp, but his tongue was still burning.
Seeing that it wasn't working, Su Limo took a tangerine and peeled it in three or two. She handed it to Qianlong. She originally thought that he would quickly put it in his mouth, but who knew that this guy would actually peel a segment of the tangerine and then start removing the white veins. Seeing that he was about to cry from the spiciness, he was still peeling the white pulp?
Su Limo was almost dumbfounded. She could only take a tangerine and help Qianlong peel the white pulp.
It wasn't her fault. She had asked him earlier if he could eat spicy food, and this guy had just ignored her and kept eating silently. As a result, he got himself into this mess.
Su Limo poured another cup of chrysanthemum tea and placed it beside Qianlong. She then picked up the long chopsticks and grabbed the duck feet. They had been cooked for nearly half an hour, and the duck feet were now tender and plump. She took two for Qianlong and two for herself.
"Your Majesty, try the duck feet. They're so soft and flavorful." Su Limo said as she ate.
Qianlong watched Su Limo happily munching on the duck feet, a hint of disgust in his eyes. The burning sensation on his tongue had only just subsided, but seeing Su Limo finish one after another, it seemed to be quite delicious. Involuntarily, he picked up his chopsticks and took one to eat. He ate two in a row, still feeling unsatisfied. However, looking at the empty table with only a few green vegetables and mushrooms left, he had to give up.
Seeing that Qianlong had glanced at the vegetables a few times, Su Limo knew he was still hungry, but today she had only prepared these.
After finishing the hot pot, they sat in the main hall and drank two cups of chrysanthemum tea to cool down. Looking at the snow falling outside the window, Su Limo thought it would probably continue for a while. This kind of weather was perfect for stewing a bowl of rock sugar pear as a dessert. But seeing Qianlong sitting there drinking tea, with no intention of leaving, she asked softly, "Your Majesty, aren't you going back to Yangxin Palace to handle state affairs?" The hot pot was finished, the tea was finished, Your Majesty should go back to Yangxin Palace for a nap.
"You don't want me to stay?" Qianlong's heart, which had just calmed down from the spiciness, was filled with anger again. All the other concubines wished he would stay, but only this woman.
Su Limo was so focused on thinking about stewing rock sugar pear later that she didn't hear what Qianlong said, "What?"
Seeing that she didn't seem to be paying attention to him at all, Qianlong said coldly, "Nothing." He got up and walked out. Hearing the cheerful voice behind him, "Your servant humbly sees Your Majesty off," his peach blossom eyes drooped, filled with coldness.
Watching Qianlong leave Jingren Palace, Su Limo looked at the pears on the table and personally picked two large ones, instructing Shuangjiang to stew them with rock sugar. She would eat them after her nap.
The room was warm with a charcoal brazier, and Su Limo slept for half an hour before getting up. The rock sugar pear was just cooked, and she ate a bowl of hot pear. After rinsing her mouth, she went to the side room to check on Jingshun.
The little girl had eaten her fill and was now sleeping in the cradle, her little mouth moving as if she was dreaming of something delicious.
Su Limo tiptoed over to check, and after making sure everything was fine, she went to the outer room and told the wet nurse and the mammy who were taking care of her to keep an eye on Jingshun and not let her catch a cold in the snow. She also gave each of them a piece of silver, and after watching them happily accept it, she added a few more words of caution before leaving.
*
The snow continued to fall for two full days before finally stopping. The world was covered in a blanket of pure white.
The palace lacked manpower to clean up the snow and do odd jobs, so each palace dispatched some small eunuchs to clear the paths in front of their own palaces.
There's a saying that it's not the snow that's cold, but the melting snow. The small eunuchs and servants who were clearing the snow were miserable. They shivered and trembled, and no matter how hard they worked, they couldn't warm up. Their shoes and clothes were soaked, and they felt very uncomfortable. Even if they wanted to change, they didn't have enough clothes to change into.
Outside Chunxi Palace, two small eunuchs were timidly shoveling snow with shovels. The icicles hanging from the eaves were half a meter long and crystal clear, but they had no time to admire this icy world. All they wanted was to finish their work quickly and go inside to get out of the cold.
In the past, when the niangniang was favored, even though they lived in the same dormitory as the other small eunuchs, they would still have a charcoal brazier on snowy days. But this was the first time they had experienced a snowy day without a charcoal brazier. Their clothes and shoes were already soaked, and the wind in the corridor was so strong, it was very cold.
Lamei had just returned empty-handed from the Imperial Household Department, not knowing how to explain to her mistress. Seeing the two small eunuchs loitering and being lazy, she scolded them fiercely before heading inside.
After stamping her feet on the corridor to remove the snow, Lamei lifted the curtain and went inside. Seeing Jia Fei curled up on the brocade couch, covered with a cotton quilt and holding a hot water bottle, looking furious, she quickly stepped forward and handed her a cup of hot tea.
"Where are the things?" Jia Fei asked, her anger flaring up when she saw Lamei return empty-handed.
Jia Fei refused to take the teacup, and Lamei dared not put it down. In a moment, her fingertips turned red from the heat. "Your Highness is always afraid of the cold, please drink a cup of hot tea to warm yourself up. The Imperial Household Department said that two pieces of black fox fur were recently tributed from Qinghai. One was taken by Changchun Palace, and the other was reserved for the Empress, saying that when there are better ones in the future, they will immediately send them to our Chunxi Palace..."
"Nonsense," Jia Fei was so angry that she was fuming. She raised her hand and knocked over the teacup, with a loud bang that startled Lamei.
Jia Fei sat up straight and scolded, "In the past, they were so eager to please Chunxi Palace, and who was it that promoted him to be the chief steward of the Imperial Household Department? Now he dares to be so arrogant. As soon as I lost favor, he immediately became arrogant and treated me with contempt. What a thing."
"That's right. In the past, when we received the best furs as tributes in winter, they would always give them to our palace first. No matter how good something was, as long as niangniang asked for it, they would never refuse. In the past, in addition to the regular amount of charcoal in winter, we would receive two or three times more as a gift. Now, besides the regular amount, they won't even give us half a catty more. The charcoal we have is barely enough to heat one brazier in the bedroom, even if we want more, we can't. Niangniang has never suffered like this before, I feel so sorry for you." Moli was indignant on behalf of her mistress, "The weather is getting colder and colder. I'll go get last year's otter fur vest for niangniang to change into."
Moli went to the wardrobe and took out a green otter fur vest that had been ironed and hung up, ready to be worn. She was worried that she wouldn't be able to get a new one and would have to wear last year's old clothes, and today it was confirmed.
Seeing the glossy otter fur vest, Jia Fei was even angrier. This vest, this charcoal, everything reminded her of the miserable life she had been living for the past two months. For a moment, she didn't know whether to be angry or heartbroken.
But no matter how angry or heartbroken she was, the coldness in her body couldn't be warmed up. Her limbs were freezing, and the fact that she had to wear last year's old clothes was the most painful thing.
"I'm just temporarily down on my luck, and those lowly servants dare to be arrogant. Just wait, when I regain my power, I'll make them pay." Jia Fei was so angry that her voice trembled.
"Your Majesty has always cared for niangniang. If he knew about the hardships niangniang is suffering, he would not be heartless. Why don't niangniang personally write a letter to the Emperor to explain the situation? I'll find a way to deliver it to the Emperor." Lamei said. She had been thinking about this for a few days, but she knew that her mistress was always proud and strong, and she would not do it unless it was absolutely necessary.
"Explain? Do you want me to explain why I punished Chen Guiren and the palace maids that day, and then apologize? Where have I done wrong? Why should I apologize? Do they deserve an apology? This is clearly the Empress's faction deliberately trying to make things difficult for me, causing trouble out of nothing." Jia Fei was furious and her voice rose eight octaves.
“Niangniang, does it really matter now whether the Empress and her faction are deliberately making things difficult for niangniang? The important thing now is the Emperor’s heart. As long as the Emperor feels sorry for niangniang and lifts your confinement, willing to come to Chunxi Palace, no matter how deep the resentment is, you can settle the score with them later. Now that niangniang is confined in the palace, you can't do anything. Everything is over.” After Lamei finished speaking, she saw that her mistress seemed to have taken her words to heart, and after pondering for a moment, she spoke again, "Niangniang is so precious, there's no need to get angry with those servants from the Imperial Household Department. They are always like a weathervane, changing their allegiance depending on who gives them more benefits. When your current difficulties are over, you can find an excuse to deal with them later.”
Lamei saw that Jia Fei's expression had improved, so she gave a signal to Moli, and Moli understood. The two of them helped Jia Fei put on the otter fur vest.
Jia Fei got up and walked to the desk, and Moli quickly spread out a piece of paper, while Lamei served her with pen and ink.
Jia Fei pondered for a while before starting to write. Her words were sincere and touching. When she wrote about her sadness, she couldn't help but shed two tears that smudged the paper.
Half an hour later, Shuangjiang (T/N: I think there should be the name of Jia Fei maid but in raw chapter shuangjiang is written, so I go with it.) carried the letter and a silver ingot and walked towards Yangxin Palace. She said many good things to Li Yu, and then told him how much Jia Fei missed the Emperor and how she had regretted her mistakes. She then secretly slipped the letter and the silver to Li Yu.
As the chief eunuch, Li Yu was always respectful to the concubines and even the lowest-ranking palace maids. The superiors were the superiors, the masters were the masters, and the servants were the servants. The Emperor always adhered to the rules and respected others, and as the Emperor's most trusted eunuch, he naturally had to follow his example and do his duty.
He had a rough idea of the Emperor's thoughts about Jia Fei's matter, and he didn't really intend to completely cut off ties with her. The Emperor was always sentimental, and he had just wanted Jia Fei to reflect on her mistakes. Since Jia Fei had taken this step, whether she was truly repentant or not, at least the stairs had been laid out, and it was up to the Emperor to decide whether or not to come down. He didn't need to stop him.
Li Yu took the silver and the letter, told Lamei to go back and wait for news, and waited until the Emperor had finished reviewing his documents before personally entering with a cup of tea. After offering the tea, he took out the letter, "Your Majesty, the senior maid from Jia Fei's palace has come. This is a letter of apology written by Jia Fei herself."
Qianlong put down his teacup, glanced at the flowery notepaper, and took it. The small, neat handwriting was sincere, and the faint scent of roses filled the air. There were two smudged ink spots, which were probably dried tears, indicating that she had been so sad when writing that she couldn't help but cry.
Thinking back on the past, Qianlong closed the letter and was silent for a moment.
*
After sending the letter to Yangxin Palace, Jia Fei waited for news in Chunxi Palace. However, until late at night, there was still no news, and the courtyard was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
Soon after, the sound of the phoenix carriage jingling through the palace could be heard.
Looking out through the window screen at the swaying shadows of the trees, Jia Fei's heart grew colder, just like the icicles hanging from the eaves.
She had written the letter sincerely, but the Emperor still wouldn't forgive her. What else did he want from her?
*
The situation in Jia Fei's palace was drastically different from before. Her family outside the palace was also facing difficulties. Due to Jia Fei's rise to power, her father and brother had also obtained official positions. Although their positions were neither high nor low, they were quite influential thanks to Jia Fei. Many people flattered them and often sent them silver and various gifts.
Now that Jia Fei had been under house arrest for more than two months without any sign of recovery, the officials had gradually become indifferent. Although they still treated her father and brother politely on the surface, for the sake of their official careers and in case Jia Fei regained her power, they were no longer as generous with their gifts of silver and objects. They were all in a wait-and-see mode.
Jia Fei's father, Jin Bao, could still manage, but her brother, Jin Jian, couldn't sit still.
With several concubines and many children, he needed money constantly. Today, one concubine would ask him for money, and tomorrow another would be short. He was always proud and couldn't bear to lose face in front of women. Not to mention at home, even when he went out to drink and have fun, how could he spend less than a hundred or eighty taels each time? The other young masters he hung out with were all extravagant, surrounded by beautiful women. If he didn't have the same lifestyle, how could he maintain his face in front of them?
Life and death were trivial matters, but face was everything.
Jin Jian was the first to cause trouble. He urged his father to write a petition to the Emperor, pleading for mercy for Jia Fei. However, Jin Bao was always cowardly and weak. He was afraid that if he submitted a petition, the Emperor would not only not forgive Jia Fei but would also punish him. Moreover, he had never spent much money and was frugal. He had been living quite well for the past two months, so he was naturally unwilling to take the initiative.
Jin Jian was both angry and anxious, so he started causing a commotion at home. Finally, his mother had no choice but to persuade Jin Bao. Jin Bao, who was always afraid of his wife, relented and wrote a petition. He first inquired about the Emperor's health, then mentioned the auspicious omen of the heavy snowfall this winter, and finally mentioned his daughter Jia Fei and his two grandsons, hoping that the Emperor would forgive Jia Fei.
Jin Bao spent two hours writing sixty-nine words and read it five or six times to ensure there were no mistakes before submitting it after the court session the next day.
Author's Note:
Qianlong: I, never indulge in gluttony.
Su Limo: Ice milk tea, spicy hot pot, mutton bone pot, pig stomach chicken pot, taro chicken pot, barbecue, oden, does the Emperor want to eat?
Qianlong: The officials of the court and the women in the harem, the two most difficult types of people = =