Inside the palace, Empress Song was eating bird's nest soup when a palace maid stepped forward and announced, "Your Majesty, Prince Ling and Princess Ling have arrived."
Almost as soon as these words were heard, Empress Song's face fell.
"Let them in."
Empress Song put down the bird's nest soup, wiped her mouth, and tried to suppress her unpleasant emotions. However, when she saw Shen Wan and Xie Jingyan walking in side by side, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, they were a perfect match, but her eyes still turned cold involuntarily.
Shen Wan and Xie Jingyan stepped forward to pay their respects to the Empress. Empress Song said, "The affection between Prince Ling and Princess Ling is truly enviable. Even when I summoned them, they were worried and insisted on coming with me."
Xie Jingyan remained silent, while Chen Wan said, "My husband and I went to the palace together to thank the Emperor. The Emperor was busy discussing state affairs with his ministers, so my husband accompanied me to pay our respects to the Empress."
Thank you, Your Majesty?
We should indeed thank the Emperor properly.
The emperor bestowed almost all of the horses, silks, and medicines that had been presented as tribute a few days ago upon them.
What's even more infuriating is that the horse that Prince Jin had wanted for a long time was given to Xie Jingyan by the Emperor, but he didn't want it and instead asked the Emperor to give it to the heir of the Marquis of Pingyang!
She was increasingly unable to figure out the Emperor's attitude towards Prince Ling.
Empress Song's eyes were cold, her gaze unfathomable. She said in a deep voice, "The other day, Your Majesty summoned me to the palace, but unfortunately I was unwell and unable to come. I wonder why Your Majesty summoned me...?"
Empress Song hesitated to speak, and Shen Wan knew that she had dragged Xie Jingyan into it, so the Empress dared not go too far.
Empress Song remained silent, and Shen Wan did not ask. Finally, Empress Song said, "A few days ago, a piece of 'Yanxia' silk was presented as tribute. Shouchun had wanted it for a long time, and the Emperor agreed to give it to her. In the end, it was bestowed upon you."
So, the reason they invited her to the palace was to make her reluctantly give up her beloved Yanxia Silk to Princess Shouchun.
She knew that Empress Song's summons to the palace wouldn't be for anything good, and sure enough, it was.
Princess Shouchun wanted it, and Empress Song asked for it for her daughter's sake. Anyone who was sensible would have readily given it to her.
Unfortunately, she wasn't sensible.
And even if she is sensible, it's useless. The Emperor didn't give her the Yanxia Silk, and no one knows where the Empress got the news from.
Shen Wan said, "The Empress's information is probably wrong. The Emperor did not bestow the Yanxia Silk upon me."
Empress Song frowned. "No?"
Just as Shen Wan was about to nod, Xie Jingyan's voice suddenly came, "I've given you a reward. Before sending it to Moyuxuan, I had someone deliver it directly to the embroidery room, preparing a surprise for you."
The Emperor actually bestowed upon her the shimmering silk gauze.
Shen Wan looked on in disbelief.
The beauty of the misty gauze is evident just from its name. It's an indescribable beauty, as if one were wearing misty clouds. Its ethereal quality is such that only one bolt could be offered as tribute each year. In her previous life, the concubines and princesses fought tooth and nail for it. In this life, it was simply bestowed upon her. Moreover, it was sent directly to the embroidery workshop and made into a dress for her without her even knowing.
Empress Song had not expected things to turn out this way. She sat there and waited for a long time, but neither Shen Wan nor Xie Jingyan spoke.
Shen Wan knew what Empress Song wanted her to say. She thought she would hypocritically say something like, "If it wasn't sent to the embroidery workshop, I'll give it to Princess Shouchun instead." But she wouldn't say that. The Yanxia gauze had only been in the Ling Prince's residence for three days. Even if it had been sent to the embroidery workshop, it might not have been started yet. Besides, she and Princess Shouchun were about the same size. Even if it was finished, she could give it to Princess Shouchun.
Why should she give up the shimmering silk that the Emperor bestowed upon her?
Just because she, the daughter of Empress Song, likes something doesn't mean others should cater to her every whim, right?
Are you waiting for her to speak?
Shen Wan looked at Xie Jingyan reproachfully, "Why did you send the Yanxia gauze directly to the embroidery room, husband? What if it doesn't meet my expectations?"
Xie Jingyan said, "Don't you think my judgment is good?"
Shen Wan looked shy.
The two flirted and teased each other as if no one else was around, and Empress Song's face turned slightly pale.
Shen Wan was about to ask the Empress if there was anything else. If not, she was in a hurry to thank the Emperor. However, just as she was about to speak, a palace maid came in and said, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened. Princess Consort of Jin got up early to cook breakfast for Prince Jin, and he vomited and had diarrhea after eating it."
Shen Wan, “…???”
Xie Jingyan, "..."
Isn't Shen Ying self-aware enough not to harm Prince Jin? Why is she cooking for him again, and even getting up early to cook? Could it be that she wants to be a royal chef after the Emperor bestowed upon her?
Just then, Empress Song's voice came from behind her: "The young lady from the Marquis of Pingyang's mansion really doesn't know how to cook at all."
I couldn't detect any concern for the Prince of Jin in his tone; he was definitely after the imperial chef.
But Shen Wan was speechless in the face of these words and could only look at Xie Jingyan with shame.
Xie Jingyan said indulgently, "It doesn't matter if you don't know how to cook. The Emperor has bestowed upon you the title of Imperial Chef, which shows that in the Emperor's eyes, a lady from a prominent family like you doesn't need to learn how to cook."
With nothing else to say, Xie Jingyan and Shen Wan got up to take their leave.
Empress Song did not keep them. Shen Wan and Xie Jingyan turned and left. Before they could leave, a young eunuch hurried into the hall and reported to Empress Song, "His Majesty heard that the breakfast made by the Princess Consort of Jin upset the Prince of Jin's stomach, so he sent an imperial physician to the Prince of Jin's residence."
Empress Song remained silent, and the nanny asked, "Anything else?"
“No more,” the young eunuch said.
"No imperial chef was appointed?" the nanny asked.
The young eunuch shook his head. "Eunuch Yuan asked the Emperor if he wanted to bestow a royal chef upon the Princess Consort of Jin as well. The Emperor reprimanded Eunuch Yuan a couple of times and asked him how many prince consorts the imperial kitchen had enough chefs to bestow upon them."
Shen Wan didn't turn around, but she could almost see Empress Song's purplish-blue face behind her head. She forced herself not to laugh out loud, but her shoulders were shaking so badly they almost dislocated.
The Emperor knew perfectly well that Empress Song would demand that he treat everyone equally, so he simply used the pretext of reprimanding Eunuch Yuan to shut her up.
After all, if the Princess Consort of Jin was treated equally, it wouldn't be fair if the other princes' consorts weren't treated the same.
The imperial kitchen had many chefs, but not enough to receive such a large number.
Shen Ying has really made a fool of herself this time.
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