After eating a meal of dumplings on the Winter Solstice, Su Wan felt warm all over.
This was her first meal since returning from the winter festival in the southern suburbs. The dumplings had thin skin and rich fillings, and must have been specially made for her by her aunt.
Judging from the ingredients, the taste is excellent.
After eating, Su Wan looked at Yu Shu and the others, feeling a little embarrassed: "Have you eaten yet?"
"We have it. Today is the winter solstice. Our western kitchen has made dumplings and glutinous rice balls. Everyone can eat as much as they want." Chunxiang said with a smile, "Was the winter festival fun? You were only there for three days, but it felt like a long time."
"It's not very fun. The palace is too cold and no one has lived there for a long time." Su Wan looked at Yu Shu. Xiao Yue next to her was a little silent and did not mention the matter for the time being.
Although it is tiring, it is an honor for them to go to the Winter Festival.
It’s not good to mention too much.
She had been busy at the Shangshenjian for almost a month, going out early and coming back late. Now that she suddenly came back and had time to chat, it felt like a long time had passed.
Su Wan originally planned to go out to wash the dishes, but Yu Shu stopped her and told her to just wash them with the hot water in the house.
Su Wan slept for two or three hours. It was already white outside and the whole yard was covered with snow.
The first snow in early November is usually heavy, but this time the snow is even heavier and hasn’t stopped yet.
It's still warm in their room now, but they'll be cold if they go out.
Su Wan naturally listened to the advice and looked at the snow outside. Fortunately, she had returned today. If the snow had fallen a day earlier, she would have been trapped in the Daxiang Palace.
The four of them chatted for a while, then turned off the lights and went to sleep.
We have to get up early tomorrow.
Except Su Wan.
Su Wan and Aunt Feng Ping, who is in charge of Xiyou, had not officially returned yet. The next afternoon, which was the afternoon of November 30th, they had to go to Shangshen to monitor the order.
This time, we just talk about the problems we encounter, and reward if we have made contributions and punish if we have made mistakes.
But now that things have been done perfectly, with basically no major mistakes, there is nothing we can do but praise it.
Su Wan also received the five taels of silver reward this time. Although it was not much, it was silver after all, and she continued to add it to her small treasury.
Moreover, Su Wan heard the chief of the Imperial Food Department say that the twelfth lunar month was approaching, and their Ministry of Rites had sent some charcoal, chickens and ducks.
The charcoal was given to the palace servants in the Imperial Kitchen for heating in winter, while the chickens and ducks were given to the palace servants in each palace so that the Imperial Kitchen could make soup for everyone to warm up.
Although the Ministry of Rites was still arguing with the saint at the court meeting about the high priest going up to the altar, the things that should be allocated were still allocated.
In previous years, the palace servants in the Imperial Kitchen had no access to charcoal, so Su Wan and her room had to buy the charcoal themselves.
Although the share this year is not much, it will always allow them to save some money.
Not to mention chickens and ducks, each palace will be grateful to the Imperial Food Bureau.
When the weather is cold, these things are especially heartwarming.
The benefits of joining the Ministry of Rites gradually became apparent, and it was worth their fight.
In the end, there was nothing much to do. Apart from the things to prepare for the New Year, there were also winter items distributed by various palaces, all of which were taken back one by one.
When Su Wan heard the last part, she was already thinking how happy the palace servants in the west kitchen would be to hear this.
With charcoal and clothes, this winter will be easier.
By the way, I should give my aunt some more gifts. After all, it is the New Year, which is different from other times.
Su Wan was distracted, and Li Rongrong beside her poked her, and then she heard what her superior was saying.
"It's the end of the year, and the Shangshenjian has a lot of things to do, so Su Wan stayed to help pass on the news to the Ministry of Rites headquarters."
What?
Su Wan wondered if she had heard it wrong.
What should she do?
What news?
But the envious looks of Deputy Nan Cheng and Li Rongrong told her that this was definitely a good job.
Aunt Yonglan, the head of the Imperial Kitchen, immediately said, "Su Wan, why don't you thank the commander quickly?"
Su Wan stood up subconsciously, and the matter was settled.
When she came to her senses, she realized what had happened.
She had come into contact with the young man named Xie Yibin from the Ministry of Rites before. He was waiting at the headquarters of the Ministry of Rites and going around spreading news when he had nothing to do. He was only sixteen years old and had no achievements. This job was arranged by his father and brother.
As for herself, she would be a "little palace maid" in the Shangshi Division under the Ministry of Rites, waiting in the Shangshen Supervisor. Whenever there were any matters, big or small, she would be asked to run around.
Oh, the headquarters office secretary.
You can also call him a liaison officer.
No wonder Deputy Nan Cheng and Li Rongrong were envious.
When she has nothing to do, she works in the Imperial Kitchen. When she has time, she can try out new dishes. When she has something to do, she goes to various departments to do her work.
After working for a year or so, you will be familiar with the functions of each department.
It’s basically a job that allows you to cook and do chores without any delay.
Although she is still called a little palace maid, her pink clothes have to be changed into sky-blue little palace maid's clothes. She looks more gentle and generous, and is obviously different from other little palace maids.
How can I change my job and still have to return my clothes?
After the meeting was over, the first person who couldn't accept it was Deputy Prime Minister Xi!
Deputy Prime Minister Xi looked at the head of the Imperial Food Department in disbelief: "Madam, why are you taking this person away so soon? I don't even know about this."
Wait a minute.
The officer himself was stunned.
There have been a lot of things going on recently, and it seems that she has only discussed it with Xiyou Zhizhang?
Deputy Xi Cheng had a face full of complaints, but still said, "Forget it. I should have known that she would be snatched away."
Su Wan next to her smiled awkwardly.
What do you mean I knew it would be snatched away!
It's not that exaggerated.
Deputy Prime Minister Li, who had not yet left, smiled and said, "I asked for it several times, but the commander never gave it to me. What do you think?"
Deputy Prime Minister Xi had no choice but to say, "It's only because the Western Kitchen is now on the right track, otherwise I would definitely not let him go."
If you think about it carefully, the four-season menu for Deputy Prime Minister Xi has already been released, and the commander took advantage of the winter festival to take the person away directly, which is also a clever plan.
It’s just that I’ve been busy lately and I’m so familiar with Deputy Prime Minister Xi that I forgot to tell him in advance.
As they spoke, everyone looked at Su Wan with a smile.
It was obvious just now that when the superior looked at Su Wan, she was still distracted. It was only after she agreed that she realized what she had agreed to. She couldn't help but smile and touch Su Wan's head.
Still a child.
Su Wan was at a loss whether to laugh or cry when she saw this. Okay, it’s okay to think so, but she looked at Deputy Prime Minister Xi with an apologetic look.
Even if she came to the Imperial Kitchen, she should have obtained the consent of the Deputy Prime Minister of the West first.
Unexpectedly, the Deputy Prime Minister of the West laughed and said, "Why are you feeling guilty? With your ability, you should have been transferred here a long time ago. It's just out of selfishness that I want you to stay in the West Kitchen for a little longer."
"You must do it well this time and don't embarrass the West Kitchen."
"Well, definitely not." Su Wan nodded.
Su Wan had a vague idea of what was going on when she was brought along to participate in the Winter Festival. Furthermore, during the three days of the Winter Festival, no matter how busy the officer was, he still asked her and Li Rongrong to follow the various procedures, which made her feel a little better.
As for being transferred from the West Kitchen to the Imperial Kitchen, Su Wan did not object.
One is that all parties have this idea, and Su Wan is aware of it. The second is that she can stay away from the Guandi Temple and avoid trouble in the future.
Besides, she still likes the Imperial Food Bureau and the Imperial Kitchen Supervisor very much.
Be it the female officials, the Guanglu Temple next door, or the people from the Ministry of Rites, they all gave her a good impression.
If she were in an extremely dangerous situation, she would probably be the first one to run away.
But the current working environment seems to be okay. At least it is not an era where people can be beheaded at will. Even if Su Wan is a useless person, she will not refuse an opportunity that comes to her door.
And she found out too.
The better she lived in the palace, the better her aunt's situation was at home.
So it’s time to change jobs!
It's the same everywhere!
Su Wan didn't expect that she would return to the west kitchen to pack up and leave.
Since I'm going to work in the Shangshenjian, I must move all my things over there.
Not only did it house all her stuff, but it also housed the small kitchen.
Especially her small jade bottles and the tools for making baking soda must be taken.
When Su Wan was packing her things, several senior palace maids, Yu Shu and others also came over.
Most people still gave their blessings, but Yu Shu was very reluctant to let her go. Although Su Wan was younger than her, she received more care from Su Wan.
If it weren't for Su Wan, I'm afraid she would still be worried about family matters and would not dare to take the initiative to ask You Zhizhang for help.
Now that she has a skill and with the guidance of Aunt Feng Ping, she has gradually gotten out of the difficult situation at home.
But Su Wan was about to leave.
This made her reluctant.
Su Wan smiled: "We are still in the Imperial Food Department. You can still see me when you go to the Imperial Kitchen later."
The Right Master also said: "If you work hard, you may all work in the Imperial Kitchen."
Everyone couldn't help laughing, how could it be that easy.
Only someone as capable as Su Wan could go to the Shangshenjian so quickly.
Chunxiang also sent some gifts over, but Xiaoyue, who usually loves to talk, was very silent at this time.
Su Wan didn't say much. After all, she was a person who didn't like to talk much.
After packing up all the things, Su Wan realized that she had entered the palace in April, and now it was almost December, but she had so many things on hand.
I didn’t buy much for myself, but I had to take bags of things given to me by my aunt, my friends, and Xie Pei.
Seeing this, the Right Hand Officer said, "Just take the most important ones. I'll send someone to deliver them to you tomorrow morning."
Su Wan is small, so it is indeed difficult for her to carry so many things, but there is no one in the western kitchen to help at the moment. It is just dinner time and everyone is still busy.
The palace servants who came to see him off also came over to take a look and hurried off to do their work.
The Right Hand Man and Yu Shu are no exception.
Su Wan nodded: "Okay, I'll just take these two packages, you guys go and do your work, don't worry about me, I'm very familiar with this place."
Everyone laughed.
Yes, Su Wan must be familiar with this place.
And even though Su Wan went to the Shangshenjian, their relationship wouldn't be bad. She is not that kind of person.
After everyone left, Su Wan left her share of the charcoal in a corner of the house.
After all, she had more monthly salary, so if things didn't work out, she could buy charcoal for herself and leave the rest for Yu Shu and the others.
She also kept a few small purses that her aunt made for her.
After all these scattered items were sorted out, the package was indeed much lighter.
It's not easy for her to ask for help in such a cold day.
I didn't say it just now because I didn't want to make things difficult for everyone. It would be nice to divide the things up after everyone leaves.
After Su Wan simplified everything, there were only two packages left. She carried her big package and went to the Shangshenjian now!
She always felt that someone was still there to help her carry the package.
really.
As soon as I left Shangshenjian, I saw a familiar figure on the palace road.
That is Xie Pei, who has a bad reputation whenever he has a reputation and always stirs up trouble when something goes wrong.
Xie Pei was still wearing the same black clothes, which looked a little thin, but he had a tall and straight figure and didn't feel cold at all.
On the contrary, I was shivering even though I was wearing a cotton coat.
Su Wan looked at her best friend in the palace and sighed subconsciously.
How come a good friend suddenly becomes a prince?
Xie Pei walked forward and chuckled, "Promotion?"
The word "promotion" was definitely heard from Su Wan.
Why bother gossiping with him so much?
"Is it considered a promotion?" Su Wan asked back.
"Of course it counts." Xie Pei said, taking the package from Su Wan's hand and replacing it with a light lantern.
She lifted such a big package, but it was as light as a feather in Xie Pei's hand. He was only one year older, so could the difference in strength be so big?
Xie Pei seemed to know what she wanted to ask, and said directly: "I have been practicing martial arts since I was young."
Oh, no wonder.
Are the scars on your body also from martial arts training?
She is stupid!
The palace road was long, dark and deep, and people checked the identities of the two people from time to time, but there was absolutely no problem with their ID tags, so they just walked slowly on this long palace road.
The snow had not stopped yet, and some of the secluded palace roads had not been cleared of snow yet. Walking on them, one foot was deep and one foot was shallow. Only the lantern in Su Wan's hand could illuminate the road ahead.
Neither of them said anything.
It seemed as if Xie Pei just wanted to send Su Wan to the Shangshenjian.
When they were almost there, Xie Pei said, "If you have any problems in the future, you can write a note and hand it to Guandi Temple."
Su Wan hesitated for a moment, but still nodded.
How could I not agree to such a good thing as using cheats? What if something happens in the future?
But thinking of this, Su Wan took out the Sanskrit gold bead and returned it to Xie Pei: "Thank you, luckily I didn't use it."
In fact, I almost used it.
If the monks in the inner palace forced them to go to the inner palace to cook, she would definitely give them the pearl in exchange for her freedom without hesitation.
Xie Pei did not refuse, and said after speaking Sanskrit Jinzhu: "They have no time to cause trouble recently, you can rest assured."
An An An, now that you said so, it must be An.
Xie Pei always felt that Su Wan seemed to be complaining about him, but he had no evidence, and a smile subconsciously appeared on the corner of his mouth.
As for not talking about other things?
That’s not necessary. We’re not going to see each other anymore in the future.
After the two exchanged their things, Xie Pei took the lantern instead. Su Wan saw the long palace road again and subconsciously said, "It's cold and the road is slippery. Be careful."
Xie Pei smiled: "Yeah, definitely be careful."
Xie Pei now looks like a teenager or a young adult. Although he is a young man, he has the sharpness of a teenager.
Although he is a teenager, the calmness between his brows is different from that of others.
If we must say it, he is like a sharp blade that is about to be unsheathed, and its edge can only be seen vaguely.
It's just that his features are so well-shaped that this sharpness seems even more fierce.
It's okay when he smiles, but it's scary when he doesn't smile.
It is said that true beauty is aggressive.
Maybe this is what Xie Pei is like?
When Su Wan turned around and went to the Shangshenjian, the smile on Xie Pei's face gradually faded, and he walked west again with the lantern in his hand.
He has always lived in the West Courtyard, which is further west than the West Kitchen.
The Shangshenjian was in the East Outer Palace, which was exactly east of where he lived.
Halfway through this time, Xie Pei stopped and said, "The East Palace is just to the east."
"It's time to move somewhere else."
The guards behind him were secretly shocked.
East Palace.
A place where only the prince can live.
Third Prince, look at your situation! You still want to be the crown prince!
This requires hard work! At least it’s not the right time yet!
The guard didn't dare to speak. He had seen the methods of the Third Prince, so it was better for him to keep silent.
In his opinion, that position will belong to the Third Prince sooner or later, it is just a matter of time.
But it's too early now and it's simply not possible.
Would the saint let him be the crown prince?
That's impossible.
Su Wan moved from the West Kitchen to the Shangshenjian and was immediately welcomed by Aunt Yonglan.
After all, Aunt Yonglan used to be the left manager of the West Kitchen, and is now the head of the Imperial Kitchen. No matter from which aspect, she has the best relationship with Su Wan.
The other acquaintances in the Shangshenjian are naturally the former Deputy Beicheng, now the Right Doctor of the Shangshenjian, and the Left Doctor Song Cui, the former Chief Maid of the Shangshenjian.
The former Right Chief of the North was from Hunan and is now the Deputy Director of the Imperial Academy.
It sounds complicated now, but we are all family anyway.
The other senior and junior palace maids had also had contact recently, so as soon as Su Wan came here, she basically had a good relationship with everyone.
While the others were still busy, Aunt Yonglan took Su Wan to the residence of Shangshenjian.
This residence is right behind the government office. Many government offices are like this, with offices in the front and accommodation in the back.
For example, the female officials in the Shangshenjian, if they are not on duty, can go home at xu time in the evening, which is around 7 or 8 in the evening. As long as there is nothing to do in the Shangshisi, they can go home and rest.
If you don't want to go home, there are rooms for everyone behind the office.
In other words, the female officials in the Shangshenjian office basically worked and left work normally. They came at seven or eight o'clock when they were not attending the morning court, and left between six and nine o'clock in the evening. After nine o'clock, the palace gates were locked and they could not go out.
There are three days off per month, each lasting two days.
Isn't it great to be a female official?
No, being an official is too good.
Although the working hours are longer, it is much better than that of the palace maids. Moreover, as a superior or a left or right doctor, they can come to the palace in the afternoon or not.
It’s just that the female officials are diligent and have a lot of things to do recently, so they have to come every day.
Aunt Yonglan took Su Wan into her room. The room was not big. There was only a bed, a dressing table, a round table, and a small wardrobe.
"Originally, this was supposed to be shared by two people, but now that you're assigned to this room, you don't have a roommate." Aunt Yonglan introduced the Shangshenjian to Su Wan, saying, "At first I thought it was just a normal promotion from sixth rank to sixth rank. I didn't expect that being a female official here is completely different from being in any kitchen."
Below are the north, south and west kitchens, and the miscellaneous storehouse. Except for the highest female official, the other two in charge are treated almost the same as other palace maids.
You are not allowed to leave the palace at will and can only take a rest once a month.
But it was only after I came to the Shangshenjian that I experienced what a real official was.
Therefore, Aunt Yonglan always feels guilty towards Aunt Fengping, the right-hand man.
Su Wan comforted her, "This is the decision of the Imperial Kitchen Supervisor. It has nothing to do with you. Aunt Yonglan, don't think too much about it."
By the way, Su Wan has already settled down in her new residence.
This is where she will live from now on.
Even the charcoal fire was lit by Aunt Yonglan, and the room became warm in a short while.
Aunt Yonglan asked Su Wan to pack up first, and she continued to work on her official business, so she did not accompany her.
Su Wan stood up to see them off and looked at the row of houses. These houses were not yet fully occupied and there were flowers and plants at the door of each room. Although it was winter, they were still well maintained.
Is this the East Outer Palace? As I walked to the next door, I could still hear the laughter and noise of the palace people next door.
I always feel like I have moved from the suburbs of Xiwaigong to the bustling city of Dongwaigong.
It is no exaggeration to say that the Dongwai Palace is a bustling area.
As far as Su Wan knew, in the same distance from north to south, the West Outer Palace only had the Armory, the Old Warehouse, the Guandi Temple, the West Kitchen, the Imperial Household Department, and the Treasury.
This sounds like a lot, but on the left is the Taiye Lake and on the right is the Inner Palace.
But the situation is different on the East Outer Palace side. There are twenty-one government offices of varying sizes, in two rows in total. Compared with the one row on the West Outer Palace side, the offices are both numerous and densely packed.
For example, the Shangshenjian is on the right side of the two rows of government offices from north to south, and on the left is the Neidongmensi, which is responsible for the entry and exit cards of the palace servants and checking their identities.
To the north there are the Mingqi Factory and the Huntangsi, and further north there are the Nanshanfang Nuan Ge Factory and so on.
In the south there are Guanglu Temple, billiard room, medical school and study room, etc.
Even after passing the palace road and further south, there is a Chonghua Palace. This Chonghua Palace is located in a remote area and has been uninhabited for a long time. There is also a porcelain warehouse and two small temples next to it.
From this point, we can see why we move from the suburbs to the downtown area.
It is no exaggeration to say so.
Su Wan familiarized herself with the environment. This place was closest to Dong'an Gate. From now on, when her aunt came to get baking soda, she wouldn't have to go to Lingtai Gate. The distance was closer than before. Wasn't this good news?
Besides, she lives in her own room, so it is easy to keep the tools for making baking soda.
Su Wan was getting familiar with the new environment, and heard that her new assignment had arrived the next morning.
This mission is crucial.
The next day was the first day of the twelfth lunar month, which was also the time for the grand court assembly. The atmosphere at the meeting was solemn. There was no quarrel over the high priest's ascension to the altar, nor was there any argument over trivial matters.
There is only one topic to be discussed here: disaster relief.
Heavy snow has not stopped for two days, and many houses in the northern suburbs have collapsed under the snow, resulting in two deaths, more than a dozen injuries, and hundreds of people losing their homes.
These hundred people can still be accommodated, but if the snow continues, I am afraid that thousands of people will be affected.
We must think of countermeasures in advance in order to appease the people and settle their livelihood.
Snow disasters can be big or small, and being prepared in advance can always reduce losses.
The grand court meeting was held outside the palace. The feet of the civil and military officials were numb from the cold, but they still had to discuss what needed to be discussed.
All places were coordinating their responsibilities. The emperor ordered the Ministry of Revenue to take the lead, with the three princes and other departments assisting to clear the snow in a timely manner, resettle the victims, and ask officials from all places to report the damage to houses.
Finally, the warehouses were opened to release grain and provide porridge for the victims.
All the government decrees were based on previous precedents. Although they were conservative, they were all good policies that had already proven effective.
On the first day of the twelfth lunar month, all departments in the court began to get busy.
The Ministry of Revenue naturally also contacted the Ministry of Rites. The Shangshisi did a very good job during the last winter festival, so this time they also wanted to borrow some people to help prepare porridge and provide meals.
The Minister of Rites naturally agreed to these small matters.
Su Wan didn't expect that she would have to leave the palace again just two days after returning to it.
This trip out of the palace was much more important than the winter festival, as it was to make porridge for the victims.
With such heavy snow, how can we survive the cold winter without food?
The palace servants of the Imperial Kitchen set off quickly on the ice and snow and immediately headed towards the northern suburbs of Kyoto.
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