Chapter 132 A Chance Encounter

Lin Zheng acted swiftly, and within two days, he had delivered the person to Consort Jia.

It is said that this person was once the head chef of the imperial kitchen, served the late emperor, and was most skilled in the elegant dishes of the palace.

Consort Jia was filled with pride and satisfaction. She specially changed into a gorgeous dress and, with a group of palace servants, headed straight for the Imperial Study.

Inside the Imperial Study.

Huo Lin was engrossed in the memorials, radiating a low-pressure aura that kept strangers at bay.

Just then, Wang Degui tiptoed in to report.

"Your Majesty, Consort Jia requests an audience."

Huo Lin paused, and the ink splattered onto the memorial in a small patch.

The person I least want to see is Consort Jia!

Huo Lin put down the vermilion brush and rubbed his temples: "Let her in."

Wang Degui immediately went out to deliver the message, and soon after, Consort Jia walked in.

With a smile on her face, she bowed gracefully to Huo Lin.

"This concubine greets Your Majesty."

Huo Lin didn't even lift his eyelids, only letting out a soft "hmm" through his nose as a response.

Consort Jia seemed completely unconcerned about Huo Lin's coldness. She got up on her own, her voice soft and charming.

"Your Majesty works so hard for the country, and it pains me to see that. I have come here today to invite Your Majesty to my palace for a simple meal."

Huo Lin glanced at Consort Jia and refused outright.

"No need."

They cooked it to the point of looking like shit, yet they had the nerve to invite me to eat it.

She copied everything Jiang Huan did, so why didn't the Liang Dynasty punish this cunning scholar?

Consort Jia's smile froze, but she did not give up.

Is the master chef's skill really inferior to Jiang Huan's?

Once the Emperor eats at her place even once, he will know how utterly unpresentable Jiang Huan is.

"Your Majesty, I have invited a master chef to the palace. His skills are quite excellent. Why don't you give him a try?"

Huo Lin's brows furrowed more and more tightly.

This Consort Jia can't understand human language. Since she can't understand, she might as well sleep in the pigsty tomorrow.

Wang Degui was very perceptive and immediately bowed.

"The Imperial Concubine's consideration for His Majesty's heart is a blessing to the harem. However, the Imperial Physician has repeatedly warned that His Majesty's diet must be carefully prepared to avoid harming his health."

"Moreover, the Emperor's meals have always been prepared by the Imperial Kitchen or by Consort Zhuang herself, so that I can rest assured."

Wang Degui's words were watertight, invoking the imperial physician and the emperor's good health, effectively blocking Consort Jia's path.

A hint of annoyance flashed in Consort Jia's eyes.

The implication was clear: she might have tampered with the soup!

Her face darkened, and her voice turned cold.

"Does Eunuch Wang mean that the food served at my palace is unclean?"

"This servant would never dare to do such a thing. This servant is merely following the doctor's orders. Please, Your Majesty, understand."

Although he said he dared not, Wang Degui's face remained completely expressionless.

Consort Jia felt a tightness in her chest from Wang Degui's refusal, unable to catch her breath.

She gritted her teeth: "Eunuch Wang is truly loyal!"

Huo Lin listened to the exchange between the two and was quite satisfied with Wang Degui's answer, but his face remained expressionless.

"I still have official business to attend to. If the Consort has nothing else to attend to, she may return now."

This order to leave was delivered without any tact.

Consort Jia nearly ground her teeth to powder; she took a deep breath and barely managed to maintain her composure.

"Yes, I'll take my leave."

Consort Jia left the Imperial Study, her heart burning with jealousy that nearly consumed her.

However, just as they turned a corner outside the Imperial Study, they bumped into another group of people.

They met on a narrow path.

Consort Jia stopped abruptly, her already unpleasant face instantly turning ashen.

Jiang Huan hadn't expected to run into Consort Jia here, and her heart skipped a beat.

Good heavens, what a small world!

She gestured for Xiao Zhao to stop, maintaining proper etiquette.

"Greetings, Your Highness."

Consort Jia did not respond immediately. She looked Jiang Huan up and down before finally sitting on the wheelchair beneath her, a cruel sneer curling at the corner of her lips.

"Oh, isn't this Consort Zhuang?"

Consort Jia's voice was drawn out, filled with undisguised sarcasm.

"Despite her physical limitations, she still went out of her way to deliver food to the Imperial Study. My sister's kindness is truly touching."

Jiang Huan inwardly pursed her lips.

So what if someone uses a wheelchair? There's no discrimination against people with disabilities.

And it's still better than Consort Jia wearing a headdress weighing over ten kilograms every day, right? Doesn't that strain her neck?

Just as he was about to speak, Granny Deng stepped forward and curtsied respectfully.

"This old servant greets Consort Jia. Our Consort is grateful for His Majesty's hard work for the country. Autumn is dry, so she specially prepared some suitable food for us. This is the duty of a concubine. As for your legs..."

Granny Deng slightly raised her eyes, her gaze calmly meeting Consort Jia's malicious stare.

"The imperial physician advised our Consort to rest quietly and not to walk around too much. His Majesty was very considerate and even made a wheelchair for her. I wonder what has offended the Consort?"

Granny Deng's words were clear and logical, and every sentence made sense.

First, it should be stated that Jiang Huan's act of sending soup was out of duty and concern, which is reasonable and justifiable.

Secondly, using a wheelchair is following the doctor's orders and the sacred command, which is not only not wrong, but also a sign of following the rules.

The last sentence, "I don't know what offended the Imperial Concubine," was a barbed remark, directly characterizing the Imperial Concubine's difficult behavior as unreasonable.

Consort Jia was speechless for a moment after being choked by Deng Mama's watertight words.

She knew, of course, that Granny Deng was an old hand in the palace and had shrewd methods, but she never expected that the other party would dare to contradict her so directly.

"What a sharp tongue you have!" Consort Jia's face turned pale with anger. Pointing at Granny Deng, she roared, "How dare you, a mere servant, be so insolent in front of me? Consort Zhuang, is this how you discipline your servants?"

Seeing Consort Jia's exasperated state, Jiang Huan silently gave Deng Mama a thumbs up in her heart.

The old lady is awesome!

That fighting prowess would make them a champion debater in modern times.

She thought to herself, but then showed a hint of confusion on her face.

"Your Highness, please calm your anger. Granny Deng was merely answering the truth. If there was anything impolite in her words, please forgive her. However..."

She paused, her gaze clear and innocent.

"I don't know what I did wrong today that angered Your Majesty so much? Please enlighten me so that I can correct myself."

Looking at Jiang Huan's appearance, and then at the respectful but unyielding Deng Mama beside her, Consort Jia felt a surge of anger rising to her head, burning away her reason.

She dressed up meticulously and studied diligently, yet she still found it difficult to even invite the emperor to dine in her palace.

This cripple, whose leg hadn't fully healed, brought along a cunning servant. With just a few words, he silenced her, and then put on this pitiful act!

"You, you all..." Consort Jia was so angry that her fingers were trembling and her chest was heaving violently.

She stared intently at Jiang Huan, wishing she could tear that face apart right then and there.

"If Your Highness has nothing else to say, I shall take my leave now?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Xiao Zhao pushed the wheelchair around Consort Jia and left.