Hae-il has been with the Queen Dowager for so many years, he can tell what she's thinking with just one glance.
"Grand Consort!" whispering in Seingia's ear, "The princess's favorite food is still the meat from our region. The ones the Emperor raises on the estate, the princess says, aren't as delicious as the meat from our region."
Sianjia was skeptical. It's been almost a year since they arrived; surely they'd gotten used to it by now?
However, Hai Ri's words made her feel a little better.
But when she went inside and saw the nourishing ingredients piled up in a corner, placed together with ordinary ingredients, she was completely convinced that her quiet and obedient daughter, who liked nothing but books, had really had good luck and was extremely loved by the emperor.
Although the emperor forced her into marriage, it seems she made the right choice now. At least she can't guarantee that she would have treated Harigana the same way if it were someone else.
They can only protect the surface; what matters most is the feeling in their hearts.
Plain congee is easy to cook, but lean meat congee takes time. Actually, for meat congee, you should chop the meat into small cubes with your hands after cooking, then add water and raw rice to a large pot and cook it continuously.
Since ingredients are limited, beef jerky is the only option available.
The dried beef jerky was very hard. After washing her hands, Senja slowly began to tear the beef into thin strips along the meat fibers, then cut it into small pieces and put them into the pot.
Harigana didn't see it, otherwise he would definitely have said that what Saengiya made looked like meat floss. On second thought, he realized how much effort she put into it.
Tonight is Emperor Kangxi's birthday banquet. Although the Imperial Household Department has arranged for someone to host it and the Empress Dowager is overseeing things, there are still some matters that I need to handle personally.
Having found solace in Harigana and reconciled with his beloved, he returned to the Qianqing Palace in high spirits.
However, before leaving, he repeatedly reminded her not to get up on the ground casually, to rest more, and to speak up immediately if there were any problems. Seeing this, Saenjiya, who was standing to the side with a bowl of porridge, wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
"Xuan Ye, hurry up, I'm hungry."
You're busy today, you don't need to come back to see me.
"Hurry up and get busy. Isn't tomorrow your day off? Just spend time with me tomorrow; don't neglect today's tasks."
Emperor Kangxi was about to give her a few more instructions, but when he heard her say she was hungry, he stood up to take the porridge and feed her.
"Xuan Ye, are you sure you want to stay here? Won't the court officials say I'm a wicked concubine who brought ruin to the country?"
"dare!"
Kangxi was slightly angry. He had finally managed to suppress those rumors, but now he had all the old and new grievances in his hands. He was just waiting for the war with Tsarist Russia to end so he could wipe them all out in one fell swoop.
Hearing Harigana say that now, my anger surged.
"Xuan Ye!"
When Kangxi saw the woman on the bed looking at him with a pitiful expression, he knew that she had done something wrong again, although he didn't know what she had done wrong.
"Okay, okay, I'll go take care of my work now. I'll stay here with you, so I'm not worried. Don't be angry, be good."
When Kangxi said "I dare," Sai Enjiya almost knelt on the ground, but when her daughter casually called out the emperor's name, she immediately became obedient.
Most importantly, the Emperor actually referred to me as "I," instead of "朕" (the imperial "I"). And he just said "母吉" (Eji), not "你母吉" (Ni Eji).
She secretly turned her head to look at Dulan and Hairi, only to find that they were not surprised at all. In fact, she could see the word "satisfaction" on Dulan's face.
"Okay, go quickly, there's a surprise for you tonight."
Harigana's words had been better off not saying that. After he finished speaking, Kangxi, who was about to stand up, froze instantly and then sat back down.
"Jiaojiao, can you tell me?"
Everyone present was exasperated. When did the Emperor become so curious?
Harigana shook his head and didn't say anything.
"Oh! I'll go now. I'll be back when it's over tonight. You don't need to wait for me. Go to sleep if you're tired."
Kangxi stood up and walked out, turning back every few steps. Harigana felt utterly humiliated.
Dulan and the others were alright; they watched the two of them gradually go from strangers to being all lovey-dovey. But with Saiengiya around, did she even have any shame?
"Mother!"
Seeing Saenjiya's expression of anticipation, Harigana could only helplessly remind her to tone down her smile.
"This is a good thing, Mother is happy."
Harigana was well taken care of by Dulan and Saienjiya. Just after finishing his porridge, he saw Granny Hu and Granny Su carrying the child in.
"Your Majesty, the young prince and princess have come to pay their respects to their mother."
Looking at the two small blankets, one pink and one blue, by the bedside, Harigana wondered if it was just her imagination, but the two children looked much, much better than before.
Although they still looked like an old man and an old woman, their faces were clean, and they were even blowing bubbles.
"Your Majesty, the two young masters are very easy to take care of. They just whimper when they're hungry, and they sleep when they're full. They don't bother us at all."
The young prince ate significantly more than the young princess; fortunately, the Emperor hired four wet nurses, otherwise there might not have been enough for them.
Harigana reached out and gently touched the cheeks of the two children. Looking at their tiny hands, she wanted to touch them, but her son grabbed her hands and wouldn't let go.
"Look, the bond between mother and child is strong. Knowing that it is his mother, the little prince is holding on so tightly."
Granny Hu spoke auspicious words; she was genuinely happy.
Although she wasn't the emperor's wet nurse, she had practically watched him grow up. She thought her life would just pass by like this, but unexpectedly, she was now able to serve the young prince. How could she not be excited?
The Emperor is in his prime, and given how favored this man is, who knows who will rule the world in the future?
"Dulan, I have been promoted to Imperial Noble Consort today and have a prince and a princess. The servants of Qingxi Palace have served me well, so I will reward them with three months' salary. You can decide to give a 10% increase to the few who have made contributions."
Also, send 20 taels of silver to the Imperial Hospital for Physician Zhao; those in charge will receive an extra 20%. Li Dequan's reward will be the same as yours.
Dulan and Granny Hu immediately knelt down to express their gratitude.
Money is not important; what matters most is that the Imperial Noble Consort cares for them and shares her joy with them.
In the past, the servants in Qingxi Palace would have been overjoyed to know they would receive a reward. However, in the last six months, they had become somewhat numb to the frequent rewards from Harigana, and their only feelings upon receiving the money were happiness and gratitude.
Harigana wasn't afraid of inflating their appetites. Firstly, she was wealthy, and secondly, this was a feudal society. If anyone actually did something disloyal, not only she, but even Emperor Kangxi wouldn't let them off the hook.
So the two of them played the roles of good cop and bad cop, and the servants of Qingxi Palace were completely under their control.
Of course, that little palace maid is an exception; after all, there are very few people as foolish as her.
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