Chapter Nine Bribery

Xiao Zhao's eyes widened instantly, and she even forgot to eat the meat pie in her hand.

"Does Your Highness have a solution?"

Jiang Huan winked at Xiao Zhao and said with a meaningful smile, "With so many people in the palace, who said that we have to personally handle the procurement of ingredients?"

Xiao Zhao immediately understood the meaning behind Jiang Huan's words, "Does Your Highness want to find someone to help us buy it?"

The thought of being able to eat Jiang Huan's cooking again made Xiao Zhao happy, but her happiness lasted less than a second before worry returned to her face.

"But who would be willing to help us?"

The ladies in the harem loved to bully her mistress, and as a result, the palace servants in several palaces also treated her poorly.

Jiang Huan immediately understood Xiao Zhao's concerns and patiently guided her.

Which place in the palace has the most abundant ingredients?

Xiao Zhao immediately realized: "The Imperial Kitchen!"

The Imperial Kitchen was responsible for the emperor's meals, and it was difficult for the concubines in the harem to interfere.

But they had neither relatives nor any special favors, so what could they use to bribe others?

Xiao Zhao was extremely distressed, feeling that it was completely impossible.

“My lady, the imperial kitchen is full of rich food, while we are dirt poor.”

"vulgar."

Jiang Huan gently tapped Xiao Zhao's forehead, smiled slyly, her mind full of calculations.

"Who says you can only bribe people with money?"

She took a bite of the meat pie and beckoned to Xiao Zhao with her finger.

Xiao Zhao approached suspiciously, and Jiang Huan immediately told her her plan. Xiao Zhao's eyes lit up as she listened.

If everything develops as you say, it might really be possible!

Xiao Zhao was so excited that she jumped up and said, "I'll go right now!"

Jiang Huan looked up at Xiao Zhao, who had suddenly grown taller, and waved her hand.

"What's the rush? The person isn't going to run away. Let's eat first."

"But……"

“No buts,” Jiang Huan interrupted Xiao Zhao, pulled her back down to sit, and shoved another meat pie into her hand. “Look at this golden, fragrant meat pie, are you willing to give it up?”

Xiao Zhao couldn't bear to part with it, so she chose to sit down and eat the pancake.

Jiang Huan was very pleased to see this, and slowly took a bite of the pancake as well.

Mmm, this is delicious! My cooking skills are really good!

After the two finished eating, Xiao Zhao tidied up and left the west side hall to wander around the imperial kitchen.

She secretly observed the palace servants coming and going from the imperial kitchen, carefully selecting the targets she wanted to win over according to Jiang Huan's instructions.

However, before Xiao Zhao could choose a suitable person, someone approached her first.

A fair-skinned, kind-faced, and somewhat chubby eunuch walked up to Xiao Zhao and asked her the usual questions.

"Which palace are you from? What's your name? What are you doing around here?"

Xiao Zhao didn't reply, but carefully examined the person in front of her.

Hmm, this physique and these qualities perfectly match the ideal candidate you mentioned!

However, the area is crowded with people, making it not an easy place to talk to.

Xiao Zhao glanced around mysteriously, then whispered, "Eunuch, may I speak to you in private?"

Deok-sun looked at So-jo strangely, wondering what So-jo was planning to do.

"Is there something you can't say here?"

Seeing that Deok-sun was unwilling to go with her, So-so looked down at Deok-sun's stomach again and took out an oil paper package from her bosom.

“Father-in-law, I have come here to ask for your help. If you are willing, I would like to give you this delicious food.”

Deok-sun reacted as if she had heard something funny.

Please, this is the imperial kitchen!

What amazing delicacies could this little palace maid possibly produce? It's like showing off your skills in front of Guan Yu (a legendary Chinese general known for his axe-wielding prowess).

Moreover, he was Wang Degui's junior apprentice, and he loved to go to the imperial kitchen to serve dishes to the emperor. What kind of delicacies hadn't he tasted?

Deok-sun dismissed it, saying, "No matter how delicious your food is, can it compare to the food from the royal kitchen?"

“Of course,” Xiao Zhao replied confidently. “Why don’t you try it yourself, Father-in-law?”

Deok-sun was somewhat surprised to see that she didn't seem to be joking.

He glanced at Xiao Zhao a few more times with suspicion, and his curiosity was immediately piqued.

Fortunately, he had nothing else to do, so he followed Xiao Zhao to a nearby secluded spot.

"What kind of delicious food is this? Open it and let this eunuch see it."

Now Xiao Zhao stopped hiding it and opened the oil paper package under Deok-sun's expectant gaze.

The golden-yellow meat patties had lost their heat and lay limply on the lotus leaves.

The expectation in Deok-sun's eyes vanished abruptly, and he snorted through his nose.

That's it?

Seeing Deshan's disdain, Xiao Zhao quickly said, "Father-in-law, don't underestimate this pancake! It tastes delicious!"

Since things had come to this point, Deok-sun figured it wouldn't hurt to have a bite to tide her over, so she picked up a meat pie and took a bite.

This is a good way to get rid of this little palace maid, so she won't keep bothering me.

Although it had cooled down, the crust was still crispy and delicious, and the filling was rich and flavorful with meat, filling your mouth with its aroma.

Deok-sun paused for a moment, then her eyes lit up, and she couldn't resist taking another bite.

He had never eaten anything so delicious before!

One bite after another.

Seeing that Deok-sun was engrossed in eating, Xiao Zhao seized the opportunity and suddenly snatched away the remaining half of the pancake.

"Oh dear, Father-in-law, you'd better not eat this. How could such coarse food be worthy of your palate?"

"Wait!"

When the meat pie in her mouth was snatched away, Deok-sun immediately grabbed her wrist.

When he met Xiao Zhao's sly smile, he realized he had lost his composure and quickly covered it up with a cough.

"I...I'm just afraid of wasting food!"

Xiao Zhao knew that the matter was half accomplished.

She insisted that her mistress's cooking skills were the best in the world! No one could resist!

She readily returned the cake to Deok-sun, and only spoke after Deok-sun had finished the entire cake.

"See, Father-in-law, I wasn't wrong, was I?"

As the saying goes, "He who eats another's food is bound to him; he who takes another's money is bound to him."

Deok-sun's attitude towards So-jo was no longer as impatient as before.

"Tell me, what do you want me to help you with?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhao pressed her advantage and immediately said, "Your Excellency, it's like this. My name is Xiao Zhao, and I am a maidservant of Consort Zhuang. I would like to ask Your Excellency to help me buy some ingredients."

Deok-sun asked curiously, "What do you need ingredients for, a palace maid who serves the master?"

“Your Excellency, you don’t know this,” Xiao Zhao said, her face falling. “My mistress is usually treated very poorly. In the palace, she has to be very careful and watch her step. She even has to cook her own meals. But now she’s been confined for many days, and there’s not a single grain of rice or flour left in the palace. The meat pie you’re giving me today is her last meal…”

Xiao Zhao spoke in a mournful tone, wiping her face with her sleeve and rubbing her eyelids until they were red.

“The other day, when you cooked porridge, you had to pick out each grain of rice with a needle! And this dress of mine…” She lifted the hem of her skirt and shook it, revealing a large hole in the oil-stained area. “Look! The rats were so hungry they ate the hem of my skirt like it was a pancake!”

She sobbed and pulled out a handkerchief to blow her nose, making a loud snotty noise.

"Your Excellency is wise! If this continues, my master may not even be able to afford to keep mice!"

Deok-sun listened for a long time, but was still a little confused.

Are there really any concubines in the palace who are in such a miserable state?

He could help a little because of the meat pie, but he couldn't be too bold in helping.

"Alright, alright, stop crying. There are still some scallions and noodles left in the imperial kitchen. Do you want some?"

Is that all?

"That's all," Deok-sun replied confidently. He wasn't the head of the royal kitchen, so it was already quite generous of him to provide such limited supplies.

Xiao Zhao couldn't believe that such a large imperial kitchen could only contain this much food.

She wanted more, but Deok-sun insisted that this was all she had.

Xiao Zhao had no choice but to take the scallions and noodles away, looking distressed.

After all, something is better than nothing.