Tian An sat down at the table, and Nanny Xiao had already served her the meal.
The food in the palace is exquisite, and just looking at it makes one's appetite grow.
"Madam, have you eaten? This fish is so delicious. All the bones have been removed. Please try it." Tian An picked up a piece of fish with chopsticks and handed it to Madam Xiao's mouth.
Nanny Xiao was a little hesitant. Tian An would feed her like this in the past when they were at the mansion, but now he could not do so in the palace.
Tian An saw her hesitation and thought of this. He glanced at the door and quickly stuffed the fish into her mouth. "We are in the house, no one can see us, it's okay."
The fish was already in her mouth, so what else could Madam Xiao do? She could only eat it!
"That girl Deng Xue is still guarding the Queen! Has she eaten?" Tian An said while eating, and did not forget to feed some to Nanny Xiao.
Nanny Xiao swallowed the food in her mouth and said, "That girl remembered the young lady's instructions and stared at the Queen without blinking. She would not leave until you came over."
"Oh! Then we have to leave some food for her." Tian An said as he picked up a clean plate and left some of the untouched dishes on it, and also scooped out a large bowl of rice before continuing to eat.
When Tian An had almost finished eating, Madam Xiao asked her again, "What would you like to eat tomorrow morning, young lady? Eating in the palace is not as convenient as in the mansion, so I have to prepare it early."
"Can we still order food? Prepare? What preparations?" Tian An asked puzzledly.
Madam Xiao glanced at the door and whispered, "The food in the palace is regulated, but if you want to eat good food, you can do so as long as you have connections and spend some money."
Tian An's eyes lit up. She had the money! Madam Xiao definitely had connections. It was a rare opportunity to visit the palace, so he couldn't miss out on the imperial cuisine that even the rich couldn't afford outside.
He immediately said, "Madam, you've been in the palace for a long time. You must know better than me what delicious food there is. For the three of us, you can just make the arrangements. Make sure it's different every day."
As he spoke, he took out a banknote from his pocket and handed it to Madam Xiao. "If it's not enough, tell me again."
Madam Xiao was startled by the banknotes in her hand and quickly stuffed them back into her hand. "Oh! My dear girl! Why would you need so much? Just some small change will do. Don't worry, I have them all with me!"
"Alright!" Tian An silently took back the banknote. "I thought the palace accepted higher tips! I'm afraid people won't look down on me if I give too little."
This made Madam Xiao laugh. "Although there are many nobles in the palace, their monthly salaries are regulated. The higher the rank, the better the food. If you want to eat something, as long as it's within the regulations, just ask for it. There's no need to make special arrangements."
He lowered his voice and continued, "Those of lower rank don't have much money. There are many places to spend money in the palace, so who would want to waste it on food and drink? That's why it's not so easy for the palace servants in the imperial kitchen to receive rewards. They're content with just a little change."
After finishing his meal quickly, Tian An ran to the Queen's Palace, "I'm going to get Deng Xue to come back for dinner."
When Madam Xiao saw her about to go out, she quickly picked up a rabbit fur cloak and gloves and chased after her, "It's snowing outside, put on your cloak before you go."
When Tian An opened the door, she saw a sea of white outside. A biting cold wind blew, making her shiver all over.
Nanny Xiao put the cloak on her from behind and asked her to put on gloves, which made her feel better.
Looking at the snow on the ground, Tian An reminded Madam Xiao, "Madam, you are old now. Be careful when you go out. If you need anything, let the palace servants do it. It's okay to spend some money. I have more money when you run out."
"Okay, I'll save it for you. The Queen is still waiting there! Miss, go quickly!" Madam Xiao said with a kind smile on her face.
Although she is a servant, Tian An really treats her as his own elder.
She went back to the house to bring a piece of clothing for Deng Xue, and then carried the large medicine box that Nanny Xiao brought her from the mansion before going out.
The imperial doctors were still guarding the outer hall of the queen's bedroom. When Tian An arrived, he greeted everyone one by one.
Doctor Wei waved his hand and reminded her quietly, "The Emperor is here, he's inside!"
Tian An nodded, bowed to him to express his gratitude, and then went into the hall.
As soon as they entered, they saw the emperor, dressed in a dragon robe, sitting in front of the queen's bed. Deng Xue stood dutifully beside her, guarding the queen.
After Tian An paid his respects to the emperor according to the rules, he handed the clothes he had brought for Deng Xue to her before letting her go to eat.
After Deng Xue left, the emperor glanced at her and said, "You are so kind to this maid. No wonder she risked her life to protect you."
The temperature in the inner hall was high. Tian An took off his cloak and gloves before carrying his medicine box to the queen's bed. "It's all about mutuality! I protect her, and she protects me."
"Is it really mutual?" The emperor looked at the queen and whispered Tian An's words.
Wearing medical gloves and a mask, Tian An began to re-disinfect and change the dressing on the queen's wound.
The white gauze was opened layer by layer, revealing the wound covered with ointment.
Tian An carefully wiped off the ointment with a cotton swab, revealing the sutured wound.
The emperor stared at the wound, frowning and asking, "Will this scar leave a scar? Can it be removed?"
Tian An didn't say whether it could be removed, but half-jokingly asked, "Will my uncle dislike my aunt because of this?"
The emperor was stunned and shook his head, "She suffered this injury for me, how could I despise her? I even feel heartache for her.
But Shuxian has loved beauty since she was a child, and now she has such a big scar on her belly, she must be sad. "
After saying that, he snorted coldly at Tian An, "Why, in your eyes, am I such a heartless and ungrateful person?"
Tian An hurriedly shook his head, "Of course not, my uncle is deeply in love with my aunt, and An An is so envious!"
"What? Is Yiming not treating you well?"
"Of course Brother Yiming is good to me! But how can the love between us young people compare to the deep affection between my uncle and aunt, which has been baptized by time and sublimated!"
Tian An’s words really touched the emperor’s heart. Who doesn’t like to hear good words!
He just suppressed the corner of his mouth that was raised, and then turned to talking about Tian An. "You girl, you are always talking about love, and you don't know how to be ashamed."
Tian An: “…” It’s really tiring to chat with the emperor.
While the two were talking, Tian An had already treated the queen's wound.
The emperor caressed the queen's still pale face with his hand and asked Tian An, "When will your aunt wake up?"
Tian An dealt with the discarded gauze while saying, "It depends on tonight. If my aunt survives tonight, she will wake up tomorrow."
The emperor no longer asked what would happen if Tian An couldn't make it, because with him around, he wouldn't allow the queen to not make it.
At this time, the eunuch Defu called the emperor outside the palace. The emperor withdrew his hand from the queen's face and instructed Tian An, "Girl, I will hand your aunt over to you. If you need anything, just tell the palace servants to cooperate."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
