Xiao Jingzhao said apologetically, "I've been too busy these days and haven't been able to leave the palace to be with her. Tomorrow I'll go to the storeroom and send those two bolts of Tianxiang Yunwu yarn to the Jiang residence."
"Your Majesty, even in the Nanzhao Kingdom, only a few bolts of that fragrant cloud-like gauze can be produced each year. If the embroiderers in Miss Jiang's household don't do a good job, wouldn't that be a waste of such a fine material?"
"Your worries are unnecessary. The embroidery skills of the Jiang family's embroiderers may not be as good as those of the Imperial Clothing Bureau's embroiderers, but the others may be."
Xiao Jingzhao was often drawn to Jiang Shuyue's clothes, especially one time when he arrived too late and saw Jiang Shuyue wearing a unique nightgown and playing with Xue'er.
That scene remains unforgettable to this day.
That night, she wore a loose purple robe with a matching belt around her waist.
The neckline wasn't embroidered with intricate patterns; the overlapping neckline revealed delicate skin and a refined collarbone.
The robe was loose and must have been very comfortable. Her hair was simply tied back, elegant yet dignified. Against the backdrop of the unique robe, she looked languid and beautiful, giving one the urge to pull her into one's arms and cherish her.
Eunuch Ma bowed and accepted the order, "This servant will have someone deliver it tomorrow."
"While the food is still hot, Your Majesty, please try the cured meat and sausage."
Urged on by Eunuch Ma, Xiao Jingzhao picked up a slice of sausage and put it in his mouth.
It has a perfect balance of lean and fatty meat, neither dry nor greasy, and has a unique aroma when chewed slowly.
"It's delicious, spicy and flavorful. Is this also marinated?"
Xiao Jingzhao ate one bite of food after another.
Eunuch Ma stammered, "It should be so. Manager Hu said when he delivered it that the cured meat and sausages in the restaurant can be sold until March next year."
"This wasn't made by her?" A hint of disappointment flashed in Xiao Jingzhao's eyes, and he put down his chopsticks.
Eunuch Ma quickly said, "Your Majesty has misunderstood. It was this servant who did not report clearly. These are all New Year's gifts that Miss Jiang sent to Princess Yonghe."
"This servant...this servant saw that this food was extraordinary, so I asked Manager Hu to set aside some for me."
Seeing Eunuch Ma's guilty look, Xiao Jingzhao said calmly, "You mean this was sent to Yonghe Palace? Then who took my portion?"
"No, no, how could this servant dare to withhold His Majesty's belongings?"
Grandpa Ma was so frightened that his legs went weak and he almost knelt down.
What's wrong with His Majesty today? He's even getting angry over some food.
Eunuch Ma wondered to himself, "Is this novel way of eating really that delicious that it has made the Emperor, who usually doesn't care much about food, take notice?"
He mustered his courage and said, "Manager Hu said that if His Majesty is used to the food, he will send someone to Juxian Pavilion to fetch it."
Xiao Jingzhao moved the plate in front of him further away. "No need."
His tone was calm and unpredictable. Eunuch Ma had been serving the Emperor for some time now. If he couldn't even tell that the Emperor was unhappy, then he would be a useless head eunuch.
"Tomorrow, the sky will be shrouded in fragrant clouds and mist..."
Xiao Jingzhao didn't even glance at Eunuch Ma. "Send it to the Jiang residence as usual tomorrow."
After the Emperor left his seat, Eunuch Ma glanced at the table and noticed that the Emperor had eaten very little today.
The next day, Eunuch Ma sent several clever eunuchs to the Jiang residence, along with Fugui.
Qiuju greeted them in the hall. Before she even opened the box, she could smell the unique fragrance of Tianxiang Yunwu Yarn.
Fu Gui kept in mind the task that Steward Ma had given him in private: to get some cured meat and sausages from the Jiang residence and bring them back to the palace, and they had to be in bamboo baskets.
When Eunuch Ma couldn't sleep at night, he figured out something: the Emperor was very interested in the New Year's gift that Miss Jiang had given him.
"Thank you all, gentlemen. Please accept this small token of our appreciation and use it to buy a cup of tea."
Qiuju slipped a purse into everyone's hand.
The emperor now has no concubines in his harem, so there's basically no money to be made working in the palace.
The purse that Qiuju gave was quite heavy, and everyone accepted it after exchanging polite words.
When it was Fugui's turn, he hid his little hands behind his back.
Qiuju couldn't help but chuckle at Fugui's innocent appearance, which showed his delicate features and young age.
She said in a gentle voice, "Take it. It's not easy for you to come out of the palace. You can go to the street later and buy some things you like."
An older eunuch was closest to Fugui and said to him, "Take it, don't disappoint the young lady's good intentions."
Fu Gui's eyes darted around as he looked at Qiu Ju. "Can I buy cured meat and sausages on the street with the reward money?"
Qiuju was taken aback and asked in surprise, "Does the young master know about cured meat and sausages?"
"Of course I know. Princess Yonghe praised it highly after eating it, and Princess Changle was showing it off to the Emperor yesterday, which made the Emperor very envious."
Fu Gui ignored his companions and kept spouting nonsense.
The older eunuch nudged Fugui's shoulder with his elbow. "Don't talk nonsense. The Emperor doesn't care about food at all, and he's not picky about food."
"Please wait a moment, I'll be right back."
Since things have come to this point, Qiuju should at least send some cured meat to the Emperor in the palace.
She had long felt that it was inappropriate for the young lady to send the Emperor's New Year's gift without it, and now that someone from the palace had come, it saved her the trouble of sending food to the palace.
Qiuju stuffed the purse into Fugui's hand and was about to head to the kitchen when Fugui added, "Auntie, remember to put it in a bamboo basket."
This statement made Qiuju even more convinced that the clever little eunuch had seen Princess Yonghe's New Year's gift.
After Qiuju left, the remaining eunuchs surrounded Fugui and asked, "Did His Majesty really say he likes to eat that kind of meat?"
Fu Gui dared not reveal the Emperor's preferences, and shook his head with a smile, "I was just talking nonsense. It was the Chief Steward who was craving it, and I was thinking of taking some back to give to him. He will definitely give everyone a reward during the New Year, so we won't lose out."
"I was terrified! Fugui, you've got some nerve! You actually dared to use the Emperor as a cover. If this gets to the Emperor's ears, we'll all be punished."
A eunuch let out a long sigh, patting his chest in lingering fear.
"What's there to be afraid of! The two princesses have a good relationship with the Jiang family. There are only a few of us here. Once we leave this door, if everyone keeps their mouths shut, this matter won't get out." Fu Gui said dismissively.
The rest of the people looked at Fugui with admiration. He was a precocious little man who could run errands and still bring back a bribe to Steward Ma. No wonder he was the most popular person with Steward Ma.
A moment later, Qiuju came out carrying an exquisite bamboo basket.
After seeing everyone off, Qiuju took the New Year's gifts sent by the Emperor and went into the backyard.
Yesterday, Young Master Nangong and Miss had a drink together. Perhaps Miss was preoccupied with her worries and tried to drown her sorrows in alcohol, and ended up drinking a few too many cups.
Jiang Shuyue was in a daze yesterday and didn't go to sleep in the space.
The rice wine in the manor was all made from pure grains, so Jiang Shuyue didn't have a splitting headache when she woke up.
The feeling of dry mouth and throat was quite noticeable.
She put on her bathrobe and walked to the coffee table.
He casually picked up a teacup, poured himself a cup of tea, tilted his head back slightly, and drank it all in one gulp.
As she put down her cup, a letter was found lying prominently on the coffee table.
It was addressed to the Moon Goddess.
this……
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