Chapter 2 Let's have dumplings
Ying Zheng said nothing and motioned for him to continue.
The old eunuch breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "The Queen Mother was kind and gentle, and had no ability to judge people, so she was deceived by the thieves and treated the king with contempt. But now the thieves have been killed, and the two children are dead. The Queen Mother is willing to come to you, so she must be regretting it."
"She has said she will not return to Xianyang!" Ying Zheng narrowed his eyes slightly, his fingers lightly placed on the table, and the indifference in his eyes faded slightly.
It was true that Ying Zheng didn't want to see the Queen Mother, but if the Queen Mother begged to see him, it had to be said that he would be pleased.
"The Queen Mother knows that you don't want to see her now, so she naturally doesn't dare to make excessive demands. When the Queen Mother feels that the king's anger has subsided, she will naturally invite you back to Xianyang." The old eunuch bowed his head again.
"If she wants to come back, will I let her go? Wishful thinking!"
The old eunuch smiled bitterly in his heart. He was sent by King Zhuangxiang of Qin to take care of this king. He watched King Zheng of Qin grow up, so he naturally understood the meaning of these words.
The Queen Mother is always the Queen Mother. Even if the King hates her, she is still his only mother.
The nine years when they depended on each other in Zhao State were not fake. The Queen Mother at that time treated the King sincerely. It's just that people change with time, and the Queen Mother forgot that the King was her precious child.
The old eunuch only hoped that when the queen mother returned, she would not anger the king again and force him to chop her off.
"Alright, go down! The Queen Mother will have her stay in Yongcheng and pick some palace maids and eunuchs to look after her."
This means agreeing to the Queen Mother's request.
"promise!"
The old eunuch bowed and left the hall. It was a sunny day outside, but when the wind blew, he realized that he was breaking out in a cold sweat.
He was crazy today. If the king didn't still have some feelings for the queen mother, he would have died here.
The old eunuch waved to the young eunuch mopping the floor nearby and said, "Go and call some palace maids. The king wants to select some palace maids to be sent to Liyang Palace to serve the queen mother."
The young eunuch responded without getting up, but kowtowed three times, "I will go to Liyang Palace to serve the Queen Mother."
The old eunuch was a little surprised.
He knew the man in front of him. He was a little clever, but he was a flatterer and a bully. He was not suitable to serve the monarch. For this reason, he had never recommended him to the King of Qin.
I didn't expect this person to make such a choice today.
Sensing the scrutinizing gaze, Gao Sheng lowered his head even lower. When he realized that the other party didn't like him, he knew that he would have a hard time making a name for himself here.
It would be better to take a gamble and wait for the King of Qin to welcome the Queen Mother back to the palace. Then he will be the Queen Mother's close minister, and his situation will not be any worse than it is now.
"If you want to go, I won't stop you."
"Thank you for the order, eunuch!" Gao Sheng was overjoyed.
Zhao Yuanxi still didn't know what gift her eldest son had given her.
After what happened early in the morning, she was already very hungry.
The palace maid brought the breakfast.
A plate of pickled plums, a bowl of corn and minced meat porridge, and a small plate of dried meat of unknown origin.
This food is worse than the Japanese! ???
Is this what the Queen Mother of Qin eats on a daily basis?
Zhao Yuanxi did not suspect that the palace maids and eunuchs were deliberately making things difficult for her. A lean camel is bigger than a horse. Even if Zhao Ji was under house arrest, she was still the biological mother of the King of Qin. Anyone with a bit of common sense would not choose to torture her.
"Where is the kitchen?"
Upon hearing this, the palace maid knelt down in fear, "Queen Dowager, please forgive me, Queen Dowager, please forgive me!"
If the noble lady is dissatisfied with the meal, then the palace servants will definitely be punished.
"Get up! I don't blame you. Take me over to have a look." Zhao Yuanxi, who has some demands on life, really doesn't want to eat these things.
Since the meals didn't meet her requirements, she would make them herself!
Liyang Palace, once the residence of the Queen Mother of Qin, has its own kitchen. Although it is not large, it is sufficient.
It’s a pity that although iron tools are available now, the forging technology is not mature enough, and most kitchen utensils are made of copper or pottery.
The ingredients are also very simple. In addition to common meats such as pork and mutton, there are also common grains and vegetables such as leeks.
Zhao Yuanxi rolled up his sleeves and planned to make dumplings for himself.
The palace maid immediately turned pale with fear, "Your Majesty the Queen Mother, absolutely not. If you need anything, just tell this servant."
If the king knew that the queen mother wanted to cook it herself, there would be no point in saving her life. Those who cannot serve the king should be expelled!
Zhao Yuanxi was worried. She had underestimated the hierarchy of that era.
"Don't cry, I forgive you. If you interfere with my work again, I will really punish you. Back in Zhao State, I had to wash clothes and cook for myself. There was nothing I couldn't do."
The palace maid's originally sad face revealed an expression of regret and fear, and the way she looked at Zhao Yuanxi also became a little different.
She understood!
The Queen Mother wanted the King to recall the days when mother and son were in Zhao State, hoping that the King would forgive her. She was so stupid that she almost ruined the Queen Mother's important plan.
Seeing that she not only stopped him but also looked at her with admiration, Zhao Yuanxi tapped her toes awkwardly.
Is cooking for yourself such a big deal? Why are you looking at me like that, or did I just say something I shouldn't have?
That shouldn't be the case! From Zhao Ji's memory, she did see the life of her and little Ying Zheng cooking and washing clothes together.
Although little Ying Zheng did the work by himself most of the time, it was indeed a rare period of warmth between mother and son.
No one stopped him, so Zhao Yuanxi took action.
The empress dowager's sleeves were too wide, so she simply found a rope to tie them up, making them look somewhat similar to the collars of the Song Dynasty.
The palace maid looked at Zhao Yuanxi in surprise, "Empress Dowager, the way the sleeves are tied is very exquisite."
"What's the big deal? If you like, I can teach you." Zhao Yuanxi turned around and smiled at the palace maid.
The palace maid's eyes sparkled, and she bowed deeply to Zhao Yuanxi again.
Zhao Yuanxi sighed in her heart. In just one day, she had adapted well and was used to these people's kneeling. Feudal ideas really poisoned people's hearts!
"What's your name?" Zhao Yuanxi asked her.
The eunuchs and palace maids who originally served Zhao Ji were all killed by Ying Zheng. The one sent now had only been on the job for one day. Zhao Ji didn't know him, and Zhao Yuanxi didn't know him even more.
"Slave girl Yuzu."
Most of the common people in the Qin State had no names but surnames. Even Zhao Ji was not actually called Zhao Ji. She was just called Zhao Ji because she was from Zhao and was once Lu Buwei's concubine.
"You? Are you from Chu?" Zhao Yuanxi was chopping the meat.
"How did the Empress Dowager know that I was from Chu?" Perhaps because Zhao Yuanxi was so friendly, You no longer had the fear of Zhao Yuanxi as before, and instead asked curiously.
"Pomelo trees mostly grow in Chu. They're only found in Bashu in Qin, and your accent doesn't sound like someone from Bashu."
"Your Majesty knows so much."
The corners of Zhao Yuanxi's mouth twitched. He didn't dare to look at the little girl's fiery gaze anymore and concentrated on making dumplings.
The Qin State had wheat and stone mills began to be used, but the wheat flour produced was not satisfactory.
Zhao Yuanxi grabbed a handful of wheat flour and couldn't help frowning. It was obvious that wheat flour mixed with bran could not be used to make dumplings.
After thinking for a moment, she asked You, "Do you know how to use a stone mill?"
"meeting!"
"Then I'll teach you how to remove the bran later."
Wheat was not liked by the nobles in Qin because the bran was difficult to remove. If the Queen Mother really had a way, she would be a very wise person, no less wise than those scholars and officials.
You suppressed her excitement at the moment and looked at Zhao Yuanxi with her sparkling almond-shaped eyes.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
