Life in the Yuanmingyuan was indeed much more comfortable than in the Forbidden City. Yihua stretched her body, calculated the time when Yinzhen would finish court, and carried the food box to the Zhengda Guangming Palace.

Su Peisheng has been complaining lately that Yinzhen never eats properly, and the food is almost always taken away as soon as it's served, which is driving the people in the imperial kitchen crazy.

So Yihua turned her attention away from eating, drinking and having fun and started watching Yinzhen eat breakfast every day.

The time for the morning court session, as set by our ancestors, cannot be changed. Getting up at that time is already difficult enough, let alone having much of an appetite; one can only have a little something to eat.

After the morning court session, it was time for a regular meal. Yi Hua had been waiting hungry until now, ready to eat with Yin Zhen.

Simply put, food tastes better when eaten by two people than when eaten by one.

Yi Hua hadn't paid much attention to the palace servants around Yin Zhen before. Most of these people were old servants who had served in the Prince Yong's mansion. They were aloof and didn't associate with the inner court when they were in the mansion. Now, they only had Yin Zhen as their master.

It's nothing, Yi Hua has no shortage of servants, it's just that one of the palace maids with a certain allure caught her attention.

The incident began with a bowl of bird's nest porridge. One time, Yinzhen's court session went on for a while, and Yihua arrived a little early, so she waited in the inner room for a bit.

Su Peisheng instructed the palace servants to serve Yihua some tea and snacks so she wouldn't get bored while waiting.

Thus, Yihua had the good fortune to drink the bird's nest porridge specially made for the emperor. She only took one sip before putting down the spoon.

It was too sweet to drink so early in the morning, so Yi Hua took a sip of tea and cleared her throat.

"Your Majesty, this bird's nest porridge suits His Majesty's taste perfectly. He drinks it every day. What do you think of my cooking technique?" The light green palace dress was pleasing to the eye, but her words were somewhat intriguing.

"What's your name?" Yi Hua didn't touch the bowl of bird's nest porridge anymore.

"This servant's name is Qianqian." The envy in the eyes of the palace maid Qianqian was almost tangible. It had been several months, and she and the emperor had made no progress at all. She watched as the people around her were all dealt with by that old bastard Su Peisheng. If it weren't for her aunt serving by the Empress Dowager's side, she would have been purged from the Hall of Mental Cultivation long ago.

Over time, Qianqian has come to understand that the Empress Dowager and the Emperor do not have a good relationship, and she has to find another way out, otherwise it is only a matter of time before she is kicked out.

"Hmm, the bird's nest is quite good, reward it." Yi Hua thought for a moment and continued, "By the way, next time when you make it for me, put less sugar in it. You may leave now."

Yi Hua's nonchalant attitude hurt Qian Qian deeply. She looked back at Yi Hua repeatedly before finally retreating unwillingly.

Yu Xue rolled her eyes: "Your Majesty, what's the point of talking to her? Just kick her out."

"Miss Yuxue, you have quite the air of authority." Yihua smiled. "Su Peisheng has ill intentions. The infighting among the servants in the front yard has nothing to do with you or me. We can just watch from the sidelines."

After hearing this, Yu Xue suddenly realized: "So it's because Eunuch Su doesn't like her. Even Eunuch Su has to be roundabout with her. This Miss Qianqian has someone backing her!"

"That's right, Master. Whenever you come to the Emperor's place, eight out of ten times it's this Miss Qianqian who serves you," Yu Xue recalled. It was strange that Eunuch Su dared to scheme against his master.

Yi Hua shook her head. She had already sent people to investigate the background of this young lady Qianqian. As for the Empress Dowager, she wouldn't consider her for now.

With a delicate yawn, Yi Hua sat on the recliner, covered herself with a light blanket, and gently closed her eyes.

After an unknown amount of time, Yi Hua felt an itch in her nose and couldn't help but sneeze. She immediately woke up, and Yin Zhen took out a handkerchief to wipe the corner of Yi Hua's mouth.

"You're drooling in your sleep." The tone revealed a subtle mix of doting and disdain.

Yi Hua wiped herself again, secretly thinking to herself, "It's not like I haven't eaten saliva before, what a hypocrite."

"Grumble," Yi Hua's stomach growled, protesting that she hadn't eaten all morning.

Yinzhen pulled Yihua up, and the two had a sumptuous breakfast: "Tangtang, you don't need to wait for me to have breakfast every day. It's ridiculous that you're starving at home."

"Your Majesty, please have some soup." Yi Hua served Yin Zhen a large bowl of soup.

Yinzhen frowned, and just as he was about to drink it all down, a sweet female voice came: "Your Majesty, the Emperor does not like this taste. Why don't you have me tell the Imperial Kitchen to prepare a new one and send it over?"

When the Emperor and Empress dine, there are always people to serve them. Yi Hua glanced at Su Peisheng, who remained silent, and sighed.

Yinzhen paused for a moment, then drank the soup until not a drop was left: "You... your manners are bad, go back to the Imperial Household Department and learn them again."

"Su Peisheng, go and collect your twenty strokes of the cane."

Qianqian suddenly looked up. She didn't want to go back to the Imperial Household Department; that was a place that devoured people. "Your Majesty, it was the Empress Dowager who instructed me to take care of your daily life. For the sake of the Empress Dowager, please spare me!"

Su Peisheng quickly covered Qianqian's mouth and dragged her out forcefully: "Miss Qianqian, please. Yuanmingyuan can't accommodate you. Hurry back to the palace. I still have to take the beating with you."

Qianqian stammered and couldn't speak. The gag in her mouth smelled nauseating. She was sent back to the palace immediately.

******

When the Empress Dowager received the news, she continued feeding the cranes without stopping.

"She's indeed useless, but I never really expected anything from her anyway," the Empress Dowager said softly. "Is Huixia ready?"

“Your Majesty, Princess Huixia is a strong-willed woman. She didn’t listen to you last time. Will she obey this time?” Granny Green still felt uneasy. The Empress Dowager actually had the idea of ​​placing someone by the Emperor’s side.

"The fourth prince was a prince before, but now he is the emperor. What woman in the world can resist the temptation of rising to the top in one step!"

"Besides, if she behaves well, that's fine. If she doesn't, we'll just send her and her family back together."

"After all, there are too many people who want to enter the Emperor's harem."

Green Granny hesitated, saying that the Empress Dowager's idea was good, but since she and the Emperor were not of one mind, it would inevitably be counterproductive.

"The late emperor had twenty or thirty princes, not to mention princesses. Now the emperor has fewer than a fraction of the number of princes the late emperor had. This is the empress's dereliction of duty." The empress dowager stroked the half-reclining crane. "As long as public opinion is on our side, as long as Ulanara gives in, countless Uya Huixias will naturally come after us. Let's just wait and see."

"Her Majesty the Empress doesn't seem like someone who would be influenced by external things." Granny Green felt that Her Majesty the Empress was a very strong person with her own principles, which she wouldn't easily change.

"Everyone has a weakness. She is resolute enough, but what about her children? What about her family? There are flaws everywhere." The Empress Dowager felt that she had been too hasty before, but it was not too late now.

After Yi Hua ascended to the throne, the Empress Dowager realized the difference between having an empress and not having one in the palace; her power was greatly reduced.

Now, she's going to take it all back, bit by bit!