Chapter 7 I said I forgot something important

Zhao Deyi and Fang Ruo noticed that their master's expression suddenly turned ugly.

Thinking she had thought of some serious poisoning incident, he became even more alarmed and immediately made a promise.

"Your Majesty, rest assured!"

Zhao Deyi's expression was solemn.

"This servant will personally oversee the small kitchen. All ingredients will be stored, cleaned, cooked, and served. Reliable people will be assigned to monitor each step around the clock to ensure that no villains have any opportunity to take advantage."

Fang Ruo also said solemnly.

"This servant will strictly check all food and drink that is put into Your Highness's mouth, and will never allow anything unclean to come near Your Highness."

"Okay, go ahead."

Jiang Nan waved her hand weakly; she felt a little tired.

"Wait!" she called out.

"What are your orders, Your Majesty?"

Fang Ruo turned around, bowed, and asked.

"Prepare water, I wish to take a bath."

Jiang Nan gave the order, her tone tinged with a natural weariness.

"Find another clean and comfortable set of pajamas."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Fangruo responded and immediately turned to whisper a few instructions to one of the palace maids, who then quickly withdrew.

She then led Jiang Nan towards the warm pavilion on the east side of the main hall.

"Your Majesty, the bedchamber is not yet fully prepared. Please rest in the warm pavilion for a while. Hot water will be ready soon. I will help you change your clothes."

The warm room was also exquisitely decorated.

Fangruo gently untied Jiang Nan's hair and removed her dirty undergarment.

Another palace maid brought over a set of soft, clean, moon-white silk nightgown and waited to the side.

Soon, the young palace maid who had gone out earlier returned to report.

"Your Majesty, hot water has been prepared in the bathing room."

Fang Ruo then led Jiang Nan, who was only wearing a nightgown, through a beaded curtain to a small bathroom.

The room was warm and cozy, filled with steam, and a large cypress bathtub was filled with hot water.

A few fresh rose petals floated on the water, emitting a faint fragrance.

Two eunuchs stood guard in the corner outside the door, heads bowed and breathless.

With Fang Ruo's help, she stepped into the bathtub.

The warm water instantly enveloped her tired body, so comforting that she almost groaned.

Fangruo rolled up her sleeves and personally used a soft cotton towel to wipe her back, her movements gentle and professional.

Being served while taking a bath...what a strange experience.

But it feels so good... No wonder ancient nobles were so decadent.

She closed her eyes, letting herself immerse herself in the comfort of the hot water and the pleasure of being waited on, and almost fell asleep.

After her bath, Fangruo and the palace maids carefully dried her body with large cotton towels and helped her change into a silky, cool nightgown.

Jiang Nan hardly had to move during the entire process.

She was led back to the warm chamber in a daze and collapsed onto the softly laid-out kang (heated brick bed).

Sleeping... right now, the world is vast, but sleeping is the most important thing...

This was her last thought before she fell into a deep sleep, as if she had forgotten something of paramount importance.

But as her heavy eyelids closed, she almost instantly fell asleep.

Fangruo gently covered her with a brocade quilt, lowered the gauze curtain, and quietly withdrew without anyone noticing.

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Jiang Nan was woken up by hunger.

Her stomach was so empty it was practically churning in protest, yanking her out of her sweet slumber.

She opened her eyes groggily and stared at the brocade canopy above her, embroidered with intricate patterns.

It took me several seconds to realize where I was.

"Holy crap..."

She sat up, rubbing her aching stomach from hunger. It was only just beginning to lighten outside the gauze curtains.

"I have indeed forgotten something of great importance... I was so busy with wits and sleep yesterday that I didn't even eat dinner."

She has disgraced all time travelers.

"Someone come here!"

She called out weakly, her voice still hoarse from just waking up.

Almost immediately, soft footsteps were heard from outside, and the beaded curtain was gently lifted.

Fang Ruo appeared, dressed neatly with her hair in a perfect bun, looking nothing like someone who had just been woken up.

"Your Majesty, you're awake."

Fang Ruo walked quickly closer, her voice gentle.

"This servant will help you to get up."

Jiang Nan looked at the energetic Fang Ruo and felt a sense of surprise.

Do the people in this palace never get to sleep? Or... did she keep watch outside last night?

This kind of service, where someone appears immediately upon being called, is even more attentive than the room service at a five-star hotel.

This made her, a modern-day office worker, feel both flattered and a little unaccustomed to it.

"Fangruo!"

She couldn't help but speak up.

"From now on, you don't need to stay up all night to watch over me. You need to get some rest too. You're my right-hand woman; what if you collapse from exhaustion?"

She was trying to express the humanistic concerns of modern people.

Upon hearing this, Fangruo showed a hint of gratitude on her face, but more so, she remained steadfast.

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness, but serving my master is my duty, and keeping watch at night is also part of the rules. I am not tired."

Seeing her serious expression, Jiang Nan knew that she couldn't be persuaded in a short time.

Forget it, I'll try to persuade you more slowly when we're closer.

The working class in feudal society was much more ruthless than those in later times.

She has only one thing on her mind right now.

"I'm hungry! Quickly get ready, I need to have breakfast!"

She threw back the covers and got out of bed, feeling so hungry her stomach was practically sticking to her back.

"Oh, right! Get more meat. I feel like I could eat a whole cow right now."

Fangruo smiled, amused by her straightforward declaration of hunger, and quickly responded.

"Yes, Your Highness. Breakfast has already been prepared, I will send someone to serve it to you right away."

She gestured to the palace maid waiting outside to inform the small kitchen.

He personally stepped forward and quickly helped Jiang Nan change clothes and wash up.

Two other personal maids also entered.

One person brought warm water and salt water to help her rinse her mouth and cleanse her face, while the other began to comb her long, black hair with gentle and skillful movements.

Jiang Nan was being manipulated like a puppet, but in her heart she was thinking about her flesh.

This palace dressing process is far too complicated... It's enough to starve one's ancestors...

Just as she was thinking this, Fangruo whispered a reminder from the side.

"Your Majesty, after breakfast, you will need to prepare to go to Kunning Palace to offer tea and pay your respects to the Empress."

Jiang Nan's mind, which was contemplating roasting a whole lamb, suddenly froze, and the expression on her face instantly fell.

"What? Offering tea as a greeting? When? Do I have to go every day from now on?"

Her dream of sleeping in late has only just begun to sprout.

Fangruo, suppressing a laugh, replied respectfully to her mistress's expression of utter despair.

"Your Majesty, yes. This is a rule set by our ancestors, requiring us to pay our respects to each other every morning and evening. Unless Your Majesty the Empress is exempt from paying her respects, today is the first day after your promotion, so this ceremony cannot be skipped."

"Get up early every day? Who made this ridiculous rule? It's going to kill me!"

Jiang Nan let out a wail, feeling worse than if she had drunk poison.

Fang Ruo smiled gently and comforted her.

“Your Majesty, this is the ancestral etiquette. In fact… the Emperor and his court officials get up even earlier; they have to get up before dawn for the morning court session.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Nan's lips twitched.

What a bunch of cattle and horses! The emperor leads the way, and the whole court is wiped out.

This wicked feudal society was simply unbearable for human beings.

Goodbye to my lazy sleep... my natural waking up...

Forget it, I'll force myself to go to bed early and wake up early from now on... I'll just treat it as a way to maintain my health.

———————

She reluctantly accepted this cruel reality.

At this moment, Fangruo said again, "Your Highness, breakfast has been prepared."

"Great, let's go!"

Jiang Nan instantly forgot about the trouble of paying her respects and followed Fang Ruo quickly toward the dining hall like a hungry wolf pouncing on its prey.

Several exquisite breakfast dishes were already laid out on the round rosewood table in the dining hall.

A plate of crystal shrimp dumplings, a basket of crab roe soup dumplings, a bowl of glutinous red date and millet porridge, a few refreshing side dishes, and a plate of braised venison that she specially requested, which looked rich and flavorful.

How sumptuous! Jiang Nan's eyes lit up. Forget about manners, she sat down, picked up her ivory chopsticks, and started eating.

The shrimp dumplings were fresh and sweet, the xiaolongbao were full of soup, and the venison was stewed until tender and flavorful...

She ate like a whirlwind, completely disregarding her image.

Halfway through the meal, she didn't forget to look up and greet Fangruo, who was standing beside her serving.

"Fangruo, why don't you eat some too? There's so much we can't finish it all."

Fangruo quickly bowed.

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty, but this is against the rules. We servants all have our own meals, so please don't worry."

Seeing her resolute attitude, Jiang Nan stopped trying to persuade her. "The class divide..." she muttered to herself, and continued to eat voraciously.

She only slowed down when she was about 70% full and the burning sensation in her stomach subsided, and her mind started wandering to other things.

She took a sip of porridge and asked casually.

"Fangruo, what kind of concubines do we have in our harem now? Besides the Empress and Consort Niohuru, who else is there?"

She needs to quickly find out the list of competitors and potential allies.

——————

A polite, tentative invitation to Fangruo for a meal—and you're complaining about that? Do I have to spell out my true feelings for you to understand? Even without a probing, couldn't a normal invitation win people over? Is the imperial kitchen short of food?