After returning from Changchun Garden, Emperor Jingning went directly to Kunning Palace. After he ascended the throne, he and He Xue moved to Kunning Palace.

Kunning Palace has been vacant since his mother, Empress Hesheli, passed away.

He Xue originally wanted to live in Chengqian Palace because she had lived there when she was a child and was familiar with its layout.

However, he felt that living with Xue in Kunning Palace was the most suitable, because the Book of Changes (Zhouyi) states: "Qian represents heaven, roundness, and the ruler. Kun represents earth and the mother."

"Qian represents Heaven, hence it is called Father; Kun represents Earth, hence it is called Mother."

He and He Xue were husband and wife; he was the emperor, and He Xue was the empress. Gan Qing and Kun Ning were mutually dependent and indispensable, which was exactly the relationship between him and He Xue—a perfect union of heaven and earth.

"Greetings, Your Majesty! May Your Majesty be well!"

Upon hearing someone greet him, Emperor Jingning casually replied, "No need for formalities!"

He glanced casually at the people kneeling to the side; some of them were unfamiliar. The people in Kunning Palace were all arranged by him and carefully selected, so he remembered most of them.

"Who are you? I've never seen you before," Emperor Jingning asked.

"Your Majesty, this servant is Cheng Jia, and I work in the small kitchen of Kunning Palace!" Cheng Jia said, bowing her head.

Emperor Jingning vaguely remembered, "Did you prepare the Empress's breakfast today?"

"yes!"

"Excellent, reward me!"

"This servant thanks Your Majesty!" Cheng Jia only looked up at Emperor Jingning's back after he had walked far away, a bitter smile on her lips. If it weren't for the breakfast she had prepared today that whetted the Empress's appetite, the Emperor probably wouldn't even remember that she existed in the harem!

The Emperor only remembered her as a palace maid who prepared breakfast for the Empress, but he did not remember that she was once a woman assigned to him by the Emperor Emeritus. Since she entered Yuqing Palace, she had seen the Emperor no more than three times.

However, she no longer cares; she enjoys her current life.

She enjoyed cooking. When she was in Yuqing Palace, she always liked to think about food. At that time, she would often send some to Li Jia Shi. She felt that food should be shared, and since she had worked hard to make it, she naturally hoped to gain recognition from others.

However, Lady Li Jia suspected that she had ulterior motives, saying that she wanted Lady Li Jia to get fat so that the Crown Prince would notice her. She really admired Lady Li Jia's brain for being able to come up with such a bizarre reason.

She felt that her good intentions had been betrayed, and she cried in distress.

Just then, the Empress, who was still the Crown Princess at the time, happened to pass by and asked her what had happened. Seeing that the Empress had a kind face, she tearfully told the Empress everything.

Upon hearing this, the Empress immediately picked up one of the pastries she had made and put it in her mouth. She then praised the woman highly, saying it was a real pity that Lady Li Jia wasn't eating such delicious treats.

The Queen told her that she could send new pastries to the main courtyard in the future. The Queen liked the pastries she made very much, and she felt very satisfied.

Moreover, after the Empress ate it, she would discuss it with her, pointing out areas for improvement or suggesting the addition of other ingredients. They would discuss and improve together, giving her a sense of recognition.

Li Jia, however, was very disdainful of this, believing that the Empress did it on purpose. After all, no man likes a woman covered in the smell of cooking oil, and the Empress's intentions were too sinister.

She felt that Lady Li was blinded by greed. They had been in Yuqing Palace for quite some time, and the Crown Prince at that time had probably forgotten about them long ago. But Lady Li refused to believe it and insisted on courting her own demise. In the end, she could only be seeking her own death.