Chapter 3 Everyone Wants to Conquer Me 3

Attending court was somewhat boring, and these people dared not speak their minds freely.

They were afraid that the emperor would kill people at will.

However, I recently heard that the emperor is very fond of a palace maid. Considering that the emperor is almost thirty years old now, this is the first woman in his harem.

They didn't dare mention it before.

After all, going to court every day was a nerve-wracking experience.

Now that the emperor has taken a liking to the palace maids, it seems the harem needs to be expanded.

The Vice Minister of Rites suddenly stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, our country is now peaceful and prosperous, and the people are living in peace and contentment. I humbly request Your Majesty to select more women to fill the harem.”

"Firstly, to produce royal offspring, and secondly, to select virtuous women to serve the emperor."

Everyone looked at the Vice Minister of Rites who had spoken in shock.

Is he crazy?

Does the Emperor think he's all that anymore now that he hasn't killed anyone recently?

The Vice Minister of Rites noticed their gazes and straightened his back even more. You know, once a man has a gentle embrace, his temper will be much better.

After all, he doesn't kill people much anymore.

"Ha!" Ji Huaizhi propped his head up and looked at the person kneeling below, who was too far away to see clearly.

"National prosperity and peace? People living in peace and contentment?"

As soon as Ji Huaizhi said this, everyone bowed even lower.

Even the Vice Minister of Rites blinked? Had I misjudged him?

Ji Huaizhi: "Don't you find this ridiculous?"

Upon hearing this, they all knelt down: "Your Majesty, please forgive us."

Ji Huaizhi exclaimed, "How neat and orderly!"

Looking at the man kneeling on the ground, Ji Huaizhi raised an eyebrow: "I've heard that the people outside the city are starving and freezing, yet you, Vice Minister of Rites, are lying about the people's plight."

"What should be the punishment?"

"Your Majesty!" The Minister of Rites regretted speaking immediately: "This humble subject dares not."

Ji Huaizhi: "You dare!"

Everyone lowered their heads even further.

“Now that the Vice Minister of Rites, Deng Zhiyang, has deceived His Majesty, we shall immediately go to the residence of the guilty official Deng Zhiyang, confiscate all his property and put it into the national treasury.”

The Vice Minister of Rites looked up abruptly, wondering if the Emperor was doing it on purpose.

Just because he casually mentioned the talent show, they're going to raid his house?

If you don't want to participate in the talent show, then don't. Why are you raiding my place?

"Your Majesty, I do not know what crime I have committed that warrants the confiscation of my property."

Ji Huaizhi said absentmindedly, "Didn't I say it myself? It's deceiving the Emperor."

"What you're saying is different from what I know. If I don't confiscate your property, whose will I confiscate?"

The Imperial Censor, Lord Li, spoke up: "Your Majesty! The Vice Minister of Rites did not intend to deceive Your Majesty, but is merely concerned about the lack of imperial bloodlines in the harem."

Ji Huaizhi's gaze fell on Lord Li: "What's your name again?"

Li Enci: "..."

I'm used to it; this is the Emperor's standard procedure.

Li Enci lowered his posture: "Your humble servant, Imperial Censor Li Enci."

Ji Huaizhi softly hummed in agreement: "Since you two get along well, why don't you copy it together?"

The Emperor spoke casually, and Li Enci hadn't expected the Emperor to issue such a decree so readily: "Your Majesty..."

"If there is nothing else, the court may adjourn."

Chen Duojin stepped forward: "Dismiss the court!"

"Your Majesty, you mustn't! Your Majesty, I am utterly loyal to you. This will only discourage us loyal subjects!" Li Enci was speechless.

If he lost his family, he shouldn't have spoken up for Deng Zhiyang.

Deng Zhiyang knelt on the ground and moved around, pleading, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

"emperor!"

After returning to the Qianqing Palace, Ji Huaizhi asked Chen Duojin, "Where is the palace maid?"

Chen Duojin: "He kept talking nonsense before he died."

"Yes, let's have a meal."

The palace maids changed his clothes.

As soon as they sat down, food was served, and Chen Duojin's apprentices tasted each dish for poison.

When I tasted the last dish, my eyes lit up and I couldn't help but snort.

Chen Duojin frowned: "Is there something wrong with this dish?"

"No, it's just a bit spicy, and the flavor is quite unique."

When Chen Duojin heard his apprentice Xiao Fuzi say that, his eyelids twitched. He frowned as he looked at the red soup fish and meat. The people in the imperial kitchen were really bold, daring to serve any dish they could think of.

Just as they were about to order the troops to leave, Ji Huaizhi said, "Let me try it."

Xiao Fuzi brought the dish forward, and Chen Duojin served the dish to the Emperor.

Ji Huaizhi showed no expression after tasting it.

This taste... doesn't it taste like pre-cooked food?

Spicy boiled fish.

The fish meat had no elasticity, clearly tasted stale, and had that familiar technological smell.

The original owner never got to eat her cooking in her previous life, so she didn't know that there was a hidden talent in her imperial kitchen.

Lu Haitang is a junior cook in the imperial kitchen. She has a personal space filled with all kinds of pre-made dishes.

She thought that the emperor, who had been used to eating additive-free delicacies all his life, must have never eaten anything that was completely unprocessed.

She was also there to win the emperor's favor. She knew that to win a man's heart, you had to win his stomach. She, Lu Haitang, was going to use these purely additive-based foods to win over the emperor's stomach.

Hearing that the emperor had fallen out of love with a palace maid, she felt this was the perfect opportunity to make her move.

He secretly switched the last dish in the imperial kitchen and then waited anxiously in the imperial kitchen.

She saw that the emperor had so many different dishes for one meal, and wondered if he would eat her favorite boiled fish.

Lu Haitang sat on a small stool, idly poking at the wood ash with a stick.

Suddenly hearing a noise, she looked up and saw that Eunuch Chen had come with the bowl of boiled fish she had made.

"Eunuch Chen, why have you come so suddenly?" The people in the imperial kitchen suddenly became nervous.

The steward smiled ingratiatingly: "Is it because the food today is not to His Majesty's liking?"

Except in front of the Emperor, Eunuch Chen was always arrogant and haughty, speaking in his shrill voice:

"His Majesty sent me to inquire: who made this dish?"

The steward frowned, his gaze falling on the hands of Chen Gonggong's apprentice, Xiao Fuzi: "This dish wasn't made in our imperial kitchen; we've never made it before."

Eunuch Chen's expression changed: "You suddenly changed the Emperor's dishes? Does someone in your Imperial Kitchen have a death wish?"

"Father-in-law, spare my life!"

Suddenly, everyone in the imperial kitchen knelt on the ground.

Lu Haitang's heart suddenly started beating very fast; she didn't have any poison.

"Now, who can tell me who made this dish?"

Lu Haitang gripped her clothes tightly, wondering whether she should admit it.

The main thing is that the father-in-law's expressionless face is quite frightening.

"You won't talk, huh?" Eunuch Chen glanced around at them, and before he could get angry, the steward roared, "Has anyone seen this dish made before?"

"Who exactly is trying to harm our Imperial Kitchen?"

A eunuch washing vegetables raised his hand: "Your Excellency, I have seen these vegetables before."

Eunuch Chen's gaze fell on the little eunuch.

"Speak! Where have you seen him before?" the head of the imperial kitchen shouted.

This person is going to kill them all.

"I've seen Haitang make these strange dishes before."

Hearing the young eunuch's words, the head chef of the imperial kitchen was furious: "Lu Haitang!"

Lu Haitang stepped forward and knelt down, her voice somewhat flustered: "Forgive me, Your Majesty, I just wanted His Majesty to taste the new dishes I made."

"Who do you think you are! You even let the Emperor taste your new dishes?" The head steward kicked her in the shoulder in anger.

He knew she was quite creative with her cooking, but he never expected her to be so daring: "This is a matter of life and death! I think you don't want to live anymore."

Lu Haitang was in excruciating pain.

She had no idea how serious the matter was.

She felt that the head steward was too harsh on her. If she had the chance to win the emperor's favor, she would definitely make him cook non-stop until he was exhausted!

"Alright!" Eunuch Chen raised his hand. "I'm taking her to report back."