In Sangyuxuan, it is time for the almost daily "listening to books" session.
Only during this time period can Jingning be allowed to sit in the main seat and enjoy the feeling of being surrounded by others.
"As mentioned in the previous chapter, Zhang, a concubine of the Yanxi Palace, is skilled in massage, attracting the Emperor's favor! However, she is still not satisfied and tries to show off her skills at a gathering to win the favor of the Empress Dowager! So..."
Jing An interrupted her: "Speak to the point."
"The chefs in Yanxi Palace are in trouble! I don't know what she's thinking. We just scolded her once in the palace, and she never came back. Every day she's in her own palace, thinking about cooking and scolding the chefs. Now everyone in the palace is laughing at her!"
Concubine Xin had anticipated this day: "Sister Yi, we're like throwing meat buns at a dog, there's no coming back. If others learn the real skills and hide away to practice, I'm afraid they'll leave us far behind!"
"This isn't going to work. If there's any misunderstanding, it's better to resolve it promptly." Wei Shuyi put down the paint in his hand and put away the unfinished scroll. "Since she refuses to come, we'll take the initiative to go and see her. We can also visit Concubine Wen, who is still pregnant, while we're at it. How about that?"
"Although I really don't like seeing that face, but for Sister Yi, I'll still go with her reluctantly!"
Concubine Xin reluctantly left the Lin'an Palace, and along the way, she kept complaining about this "heartless" woman.
Wei Shuyi just listened quietly, and Wen Yu's words from last night kept ringing in his mind: someone is watching the Yanx Palace, and has gone to Chengqian Palace to report the news more than once.
I thought it was just a minor quarrel between the two sisters of the Qu family, spying on each other. But the target of the surveillance was Zhang Da Ying.
She felt something was amiss and decided to investigate the situation herself. She hoped the girl would listen to her words instead of simply rejecting them and taking an extreme attitude.
"Is that the Imperial Concubine behind her?"
Jing'an turned around and took a look, then immediately ordered the sedan to stop. Everyone walked to the sides of the palace road and waited according to the rules.
Concubine Jin's sedan chair gradually approached, and when passing by them, it chose to stop -
"This concubine pays her respects to the Imperial Concubine."
"I rarely meet Noble Lady Yi. I wonder where you are going?"
"In reply to your Majesty, I, remembering the kindness shown to Lady Wen in the past, specially selected a gift for her."
Noble Consort Jin was stunned for a moment, then lowered the curtain of the sedan chair. "It just so happens that I'm going there too. Compared to you two, the relationship between me and Noble Lady Wen doesn't seem like that of true sisters."
Wei Shuyi watched the other party's sedan chair leave, then stood up again: She didn't want a sister who was so difficult to understand, so she could only wish her the best.
The Yanx Palace was quite lively today, with three concubines visiting in succession, and the palace servants lined up outside the door.
Concubine Jin originally wanted to go to the west wing hall to watch a play first, but because she had just told a lie, she had to go against her original intention and changed her route to go to Concubine Wen's hall.
Wei Shuyi and Xin Xuanshi followed behind her, their minds also flying to the other side.
"Huh? My eldest sister is here?" Concubine Wen put down her book and exclaimed in surprise, "Sister Yi! You're here too! That person next to you is Sister Xin, who specializes in Taoism, right? Come in!"
The contrast between the two attitudes immediately made Concubine Jin's face darken.
"I heard that your pregnancy was unstable a while ago. How is it now?"
"Thanks to my elder sister, and also thanks to my father who often sends nourishing medicine from the mansion, I am much better now. Please don't worry about me."
The conversation between the two sisters was filled with coldness and alienation. Even Concubine Xin, an outsider, noticed something was wrong.
"I also heard that you were trying to promote that Zhang and took the initiative to push the emperor to her room. You are really magnanimous!"
"Eldest sister is indeed very sharp-eyed and sharp-eared. You haven't reached old age yet. The Yanxi Palace is quite a distance away from the Chengqian Palace! You could hear everything I was saying in the room!"
Just as Imperial Concubine Jin was about to explode, Concubine Xin changed the subject: "Actually, this matter was spread by a palace maid. I, a concubine, have also heard about it while in Lin'an Palace."
"Then I've wronged my elder sister. I should apologize." Concubine Wen bowed perfunctorily and lay back down delicately. "Alas, this baby in my belly is nowhere near as obedient as Sister Yi's Princess Zhaohua! It's almost driving me crazy!"
"Zhaohua was personally conferred the title of Princess Jiahe by the Emperor. She enjoys the privileges of a legitimate princess born to the Empress. Naturally, she cannot compare to her!"
"That's better than having no one to rely on, right? The eldest sister has never experienced childbirth, so naturally she doesn't understand the younger sister's feelings."
"you?!"
Just then, a man with torn clothes and a wound on his forehead rushed in!
Several eunuchs followed closely behind him and clamped him to the ground!
"Who is it?! How dare you! Barging into the imperial concubine's inner chambers without permission, how disrespectful!"
Concubine Jin was so angry that she had no place to vent it, so she subconsciously shouted harshly.
Half of the man's face was held down tightly, and his words were unclear: "Your Majesty... West Side Hall... The young master hit someone... Almost burned to death..."
"Let him go."
Noble Lady Wen heard the key words and sat up nervously: "Hurry up and tell me! What happened in the West Side Hall?"
"Your Highness, and all the ladies, please help me! Although I am only responsible for lighting the fire and cooking in the small kitchen, and am far inferior to the imperial chef in the palace, I am still an official appointed by the Emperor! It's ok for Zhang to mistreat us normally, but today he actually attacked us openly and burned down a corner of the small kitchen! If we hadn't put out the fire in time, who knows how much more trouble would have happened!"
"There's a fire in the Yanxi Palace?!" Concubine Jin asked in surprise, glancing at Concubine Wen. "Such a serious incident has happened, and why did you just report it? What if it disturbs Concubine Wen? Can you bear the responsibility?!"
Wei Shuyi didn't want to embarrass the innocent, so she took the initiative to suggest, "The most urgent thing is that I think we should go to the West Wing Hall to check on the situation, in case anyone is seriously injured and can't get timely treatment."
"Lady Yi is right. Come, let's go and take a look!"
Of course, Noble Lady Wen had no intention of staying in the palace: "After all, it happened in the Yanxi Palace, so I'll go and take a look."
When the group hurried to the small kitchen, they saw the vegetable leaves scattered outside and the pork covered with dust, and they couldn't help frowning.
"Why didn't God burn you to death, you idiots like you?!" Zhang Da Ying's voice came from the kitchen, and it was particularly sharp. "Hurry up! No matter what I say today, I will eat them!"
Concubine Jin stepped over the filth on the ground and slowly approached the door.
The maids and cooks were all kneeling on the ground, each holding a piece of pig fat and wiping their tears over it. The leader, who had no idea how she had offended her, was actually holding half a bloody pig brain, retching repeatedly but unable to put it down.
Beside Zhang Da Ying, there was an old lady whispering persuasion, but to no avail.
"Eat! You can't bear to eat your own kind, right? Who are you shedding tears for?"
"Show it to me."
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