Chapter 68 [VIP]
Chapter Summary: Parting the Clouds.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager!" Ayu rushed in from outside the hall. Yu Jing panicked and stood up from the couch, forgetting to put on her shoes. Her feet were ice-cold. "How are you?"
"Good news! It's good news!" Ayu excitedly told Yu Jing, but her gaze slowly darkened as she looked at Yu Jing. It was impossible to tell whether her eyes held joy or something else; in short, it was a complex mix of emotions.
"Is the war in Youzhou going to be stopped?" Yu Jing then asked.
"I haven't heard yet, but I imagine they won't be back until after the New Year," Ayu replied hesitantly. After all this, Ayu didn't know how to respond, so she could only tell the truth.
"I understand, you may leave." Yu Jing returned to the couch in a daze. Ayu asked with some concern, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager?"
Yu Jing smiled at A Yu: "I'm fine."
"By the way, if there is any news from the previous dynasty, inform me immediately," Yu Jing added.
"This servant understands." Ayu bowed slightly in response, then turned and left, not forgetting to look back at Yu Jing before she left.
Yu Jing sat on the couch for a long time before recovering. When her stomach started growling, she glanced out the window; it was already dark. She reached out and touched her stomach, thinking that whether she worried or not, she couldn't change what was about to happen, so she might as well take it one step at a time.
“Ayu.”
Ayu was already waiting anxiously outside the door. Upon hearing Yu Jing's voice, she hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager!"
"I'm a little hungry, please serve dinner."
"Yes," Ayu replied happily, then turned and instructed the people behind her to prepare dinner.
Dinner was quickly prepared: a mutton hot pot with various kinds of mutton, green vegetables, radishes, chive blossoms, spare ribs, and mutton skewers. The pot had two sides, one with clear broth and the other with spicy broth, and underneath was a glowing red charcoal fire. The broth was still bubbling and steaming, filling the room with its unique aroma.
Yu Jing was already hungry, and the aroma made her even hungrier. She rubbed her hands together, sat down, and picked up a piece of mutton to cook in the broth. After a while, Yu Jing took the mutton out, blew on it, and took a bite. The mutton wasn't gamey at all; on the contrary, it was very tender. The lean parts were soft and smooth, while the fatty parts were very oily. The perfect balance of lean and fat, dipped in the sauce, made for a very rich flavor. The mutton skewers were the same—cumin, Sichuan peppercorns, and black pepper powder. Biting into them, the oil burst in her mouth, mixing with the lean meat and spices—it was so delicious that Yu Jing frowned.
Yu Jing was enjoying her meal when a palace maid suddenly entered from outside. Upon seeing the maid, A Yu immediately became nervous.
"This servant greets Your Majesty the Empress Dowager," the palace maid said, curtsying to Yu Jing. Ayu then spoke up, dismissing the others standing around. Yu Jing, having roughly identified her, put down her chopsticks, her expression becoming serious.
"Your Majesty, news just came from the Imperial Study that Youzhou has achieved consecutive victories. With the end of the year approaching, His Majesty has granted General Xie and Lord Xie permission to return to the capital for the New Year before going to Youzhou."
Yu Jing frowned slightly and asked in return, "The war is not over yet, and you are allowed to return to the capital?"
"I've heard that's how it is," the palace maid replied, somewhat at a loss.
"You may leave," Yu Jing said calmly.
"Yes," the palace maid replied and withdrew.
"Ayu, tell me, what does His Majesty think?" Yu Jing asked Ayu, truly puzzled.
“This servant doesn’t know either,” Ayu shook her head and said, “I’ve never heard of anything like this before.”
I really can't figure out what Qi Jin means.
"His Majesty has arrived!" Hearing Xu Xinshu's sharp voice outside, Yu Jing was startled. She exchanged a glance with A Yu, who was quick-witted and immediately went to Yu Jing's side.
"Send it over." Yu Jing took a handkerchief from the side, wiped her mouth, and sat up straight.
"This servant greets Your Majesty." The palace servants waiting outside knelt down and bowed to Qi Jin to pay their respects.
A moment later, the door opened, and a gust of cold wind carrying a faint scent of ambergris wafted in, but it was quickly overwhelmed by the aroma of the mutton hot pot.
"Your subject greets Your Majesty." Qi Jin entered the hall and bowed to Yu Jing to pay his respects. Perhaps due to dealing with border wars for several days, Qi Jin had lost a lot of weight. He was still wearing court robes, but he had removed his crown and was wearing a simple white jade dragon-patterned hairpin instead.
"Get up," Yu Jing replied.
"Thank you, Mother." Qi Jin stood up and glanced at the pot on the table where Yu Jing had eaten some food. "It seems I came at the wrong time."
"Has the Emperor had his dinner yet?" Since Qi Jin had already said so, Yu Jing couldn't help but ask as a formality. Although they weren't related by blood, she still had to do the proper pretense.
"Your subject came in haste and has not had dinner," Qi Jin replied readily.
Yu Jing choked, and before she could react, A Yu had already answered first: "This servant will go and prepare a new set of bowls and chopsticks."
They said it was a new set of bowls and chopsticks, but it was actually a completely new set of tableware, which filled a large area of the table. Qi Jin didn't stand on ceremony and leisurely rolled up his sleeves a little before going up to the table. Seeing this, Xu Xinshu was about to take out chopsticks to heat something for Qi Jin, but Qi Jin raised his hand, and Xu Xinshu mumbled a "yes" and put down the chopsticks, taking two steps back.
Qi Jin was probably really hungry. He didn't say much after the bowls and chopsticks were served, just focusing on cooking the mutton. He ate with great relish, and Yu Jingyuan, who wasn't full either, joined him. Yu Jingyuan had a smaller appetite than Qi Jin and started eating earlier, so he was full in no time. Qi Jin, on the other hand, ate for quite a while longer. In the middle of the meal, the pot got a little cold, so they added charcoal to the fire.
Yu Jing watched Qi Jin eat. When Qi Jin put down his chopsticks, he sighed, his expression full of satisfaction.
"I have something I'd like to ask the Emperor," Yu Jing said directly. Perhaps because she had just eaten hot pot with Qi Jin, and now that the palace was warm and cozy, Yu Jing felt somewhat relaxed.
Qi Jin looked at Yu Jing and raised an eyebrow slightly: "What does Mother want to ask?"
There was actually no one else in the hall at the moment. Apart from Ayu and Xu Xinshu, the other palace maids and eunuchs who came to add things also left as soon as they entered.
"The war in Youzhou is not over yet, so why would the emperor allow Xie Jin and Xie Xuan to return to the capital after the New Year..."
Yu Jing looked at Qi Jin as she asked the question, and to be honest, Qi Jin's expression at that moment was quite intriguing. His eyes were dim and unclear in the candlelight, his eyebrows were lowered with a smile, and the corners of his lips were slightly upturned, which was very amusing.
"Doesn't Mother want to?"
"Hmm?" Yu Jingqing asked in return.
Qi Jin chuckled softly, then said seriously, "The war in Youzhou has eased considerably. Xie Jin and Xie Xuan have been working hard for days. I think it would be good for them to return to the capital. Firstly, it would allow their subordinates to gain experience, and secondly, it would allow them to reunite with their families at the end of the year. It would also be a reward. What do you think, Mother?"
Yu Jing was taken aback by Qi Jin's question, then chuckled awkwardly, "This is a matter of the previous dynasty, and it is in my inconvenience to interfere."
"It's nothing. The Empress Dowager has interfered quite a bit in the past." Qi Jin said this casually, but everyone present froze, with only the crackling of the charcoal fire and the bubbling of the pot remaining.
Before Yu Jing could react and say anything, Qi Jin changed the subject: "When will Your Majesty eat Bo Xia Gong again? Please have someone call me. The Bo Xia Gong here is much tastier than the one in the Imperial Kitchen!"
"Okay." Yu Jing replied calmly, watched Qi Jin bow, and then went out.
"Your Majesty, does His Majesty know that you are with..." After Qi Jin left, A Yu tentatively spoke to Yu Jing.
"I suppose so," Yu Jing replied blankly. She had previously thought Qi Jin was somewhat unpredictable, but now it seemed that his relationship with Sheng Hua wasn't as harmonious as it appeared on the surface. At the very least, he harbored resentment towards Sheng Hua's interference in politics.
However, that's not very important. What's important is that it seems Xie Xuan is about to return from Youzhou. It's already mid-to-late December, and if Xie Xuan sets off from Youzhou now, he won't arrive in the capital until near the end of the year at the earliest.
"Have someone clean it up. Ah Yu, let's go for a walk," Yu Jing instructed. As she spoke, she stood up and rubbed her stomach; she was quite full.
"Yes." Ayu responded and quickly followed Yu Jing's footsteps.
It was still snowing outside, with a thick layer of snow piled up in the courtyard and on the eaves. The snowflakes fell from the sky, and red lanterns hung under the eaves, giving it a real feeling that the New Year was approaching. Yu Jing pulled her red fox fur cloak tighter around herself, exhaled a breath, and a cloud of white mist dissipated in an instant.
"Have you received any letters from Xie Xuan recently?" Yu Jing asked.
"No," Ayu shook her head, then continued, "Has Her Majesty the Empress Dowager sent a letter?"
"No need, Xie Xuan will be back soon anyway."
"yes."
After strolling around with Ayu for a couple of hours, Yu Jing went to take a bath. As she was drying her hair, she suddenly noticed the red earrings that Ayu had casually placed in front of the vanity mirror. She paused in drying her hair, then walked to the vanity, sat down, put down the towel, and, as if possessed, picked up the earrings and put them in her ears.
The moment Yu Jing put on the earrings, a voice rang in her mind.
"So you are Yu Jing?"
Sheng Hua's voice was slow and leisurely, with a rather arrogant tone and a sense of oppression.
Yu Jing did not respond. Looking at herself in the bronze mirror, her hair was not dry, and water was still dripping from the ends. The red earrings she had just put on swayed back and forth, making her neck appear even whiter and longer, which reminded Yu Jing of a crane.
"Yes," Yu Jing replied.
"I wish to see Su Siyang," Sheng Hua said directly.
“I will take you to see her,” Yu Jing said calmly.
Although Sheng Hua only occupied a part of her thoughts, Yu Jing could clearly feel that she was different. The eyes and expression in the bronze mirror were clearly not hers, but Sheng Hua's.
This was her first time seeing Sheng Hua. Compared to her own naivety and inexperience, the person in the bronze mirror now seemed more like the Empress Dowager. Even without makeup, she exuded an air of elegance, nobility, and dominance.
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