Chapter 22 Loss of Favor
Concubine Li was ill, so Emperor Xuanwu naturally had to go and take care of her. For five consecutive days, he stayed in Concubine Li's palace.
With such great favor, she was truly the most favored person in the harem.
The rewards from the Ministry of Internal Affairs flowed into Changxin Palace like a stream, and many people were waiting to see the jokes in Hexi Palace.
After all, since Jiang Xinyue entered the palace, she had taken away half of Concubine Li's favor, and the concubines in the harem were all looking forward to the two of them pulling hairs against each other! Even
the Queen and Concubine Liang had repeatedly hinted that she should do something to win back Emperor Xuanwu's heart.
Jiang Xinyue pretended not to understand, and every day she and Xi Que, Shuang Jiang, Jiang Chuan and other palace maids and eunuchs closed the door in Hexi Palace to study delicious food.
The two young chefs in the kitchen had already learned the secret of roasting meat. It was said that they were summoned by Emperor Xuanwu to Changxin Palace to roast meat for the emperor and Concubine Li.
The dog emperor really knew how to use her achievements to do favors.
This made all the chefs jealous.
The old chefs who used to be disdainful came to ask for the method of roasting meat.
Everyone thought that Concubine Li Gui did not take Concubine Zhen Ji seriously, so she did not fight for her favor. Now she realized the threat of Concubine Zhen Ji, and made Hexi Palace lose favor.
The hottest summer has passed, and autumn has come in a blink of an eye.
With her excellent cooking skills that were not available in this era, Jiang Xinyue not only did not live a hard life like other concubines in the palace thought, but her life was more fulfilling.
There was no way. Recently, in the autumn, she stewed a lot of nourishing Cantonese soups in the kitchen, which made people look rosy and radiant.
Even Empress Zhu, Concubine Liang and Concubine De sent them to the palace. It’s true that they all felt that their bodies had improved this autumn.
Since the eldest princess, the second princess, and the third prince had eaten barbecue in Hexi Palace, they would come to Empress Zhenji's place every few days to beg for food, and would not go back until their bellies were full.
It has been half a month, and the emperor has not been to Hexi Palace.
Because Concubine Li is sick, the imperial physician said that she is worried and needs to rest and not be stimulated, otherwise her body will collapse and it will be difficult to conceive in the future.
Chengqian Palace -
the atmosphere in the whole hall is very depressed. Emperor Xuanwu has been in a bad mood recently. The palace servants are trembling with fear and dare not make any mistakes.
"Your Majesty..."
Wang Dequan's heart was in his throat: "Empress Zhenji went to Yikun Palace again."
Carrying radish, tangerine peel and beef soup...
"Snap!"
The wolf-hair brush in Emperor Xuanwu's hand was broken, and the ink splashed all over his hand. He pulled the rice paper to wipe his hand without caring, and said expressionlessly: "I know, leave!"
Zhenji stewed the tonic soup for half a month, but never sent it to Chengqian Palace once, even though the distance between the two palaces was so close.
Emperor Xuanwu felt upset and sour.
Concubine Li Guifei and Jiang Zhaoyi, even Concubine Defei and Concubine Liangfei had come to send it several times.
When Emperor Xuanwu went to Changxin Palace yesterday, he saw Jiang Xinyue at the gate of Hexi Palace. After not seeing her for half a month, she has become more beautiful.
Her plump figure, round and smooth face, and white and glowing skin make her charming, but also with a bit of girlish coquettishness.
In a word, without the emperor's favor, her life is extremely free and comfortable.
After wandering for half a month, Jiang Xinyue came back from Yikun Palace and passed by Chengqian Palace. She finally had a conscience and wanted to go in to see the emperor.
As soon as she walked to the steps of Chengqian Palace, she ran into Concubine Li.
"Your concubine pays respects to the Imperial Concubine."
Imperial Concubine Li didn't even look at her. She lowered her head and took the food box from Lanyue's hand. She asked the eunuch to go in and report. Soon... Wang Dequan came out and invited Imperial Concubine Li in.
Imperial Concubine Li moved aside, and Wang Dequan saw the smiling Imperial Concubine Zhenji standing on the steps.
He widened his eyes and wanted to explain a few words for the emperor, but he saw Imperial Concubine Zhenji waved her hand and ran away with the two maids, Xi Que and Shuang Jiang.
No!
Why did he feel that the emperor's meeting with Imperial Concubine Li was unfair to Imperial Concubine Zhenji?
It was really weird.
As he closed the door of Chengqian Palace, he looked at Jiang Xinyue's back and thought: Maybe it's because the emperor showed special concern for Zhenji that he also took it to heart!
"Your Majesty, please try this pork belly soup. I asked the small kitchen in Changxin Palace to make it for you."
Emperor Xuanwu, who didn't like to eat dirty things, drank a few sips of it out of respect. He saw Wang Dequan's constipated expression as if he wanted to say something but stopped, and said to Concubine Li: "I am very busy with government affairs today. My beloved concubine is just getting well. I'd better go back to Changxin Palace to rest. Wang Dequan, use my dragon chariot to send Concubine Li back."
Concubine Li didn't want to leave, but the emperor said that he would use the dragon chariot to send her back, which made her unable to refuse: "Although state affairs are serious, Your Majesty must also take care of his health. I won't bother you."
That was a dragon chariot!
The empress had never sat on the dragon chariot before, and she would be the first concubine to sit on it.
Such a special honor will make others jealous and crazy.
It will also let the person in Hexi Palace see who is the most beloved woman in the emperor's heart.
After sending Concubine Li away, Wang Dequan hurried back and said, "Your Majesty, when Concubine Gui came just now, Concubine Zhenji was also outside. She should have come to see Your Majesty."
"Crack--"
"What did you say?"
The chair under his butt was knocked open, making a harsh sound. Emperor Xuanwu walked a few steps and stopped again: "Why didn't you say it earlier?"
"I also saw it when I went out. I asked the eunuch on duty at the door, and he said that Concubine Zhenji came first."
"Zhenji came first, why was it Concubine Li who reported it?"
Emperor Xuanwu frowned: "I have replaced the people on duty at the door today, so as not to break the rules."
They are blaming them for looking down on Concubine Zhenji and not reporting to her!
Jiang Xinyue's status in Wang Dequan's heart was raised to a higher level.
Jiang Xinyue returned to Hexi Palace and said to Shuangjiang: "I want to have lotus seed and pork tripe soup for dinner today. Go to the kitchen to inform them."
Frost received the order and left at the appointed time, but he never came back. The
autumn wind was blowing, and in the backyard of Hexi Palace, the vegetables and fruits had already borne fruit, which looked bright green and delicious.
The lantern at the door was swayed by the wind. Xi Que knelt at her feet holding a stew pot: "Don't cry anymore, my queen. If we don't have pig tripe soup, we still have Gastrodia elata pigeon soup, which is just as delicious."
"Am I crying for the pig tripe soup?"
Jiang Xinyue's voice was choked with sobs: "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have deliberately provoked the noble concubine in order to lose favor. Now you have to follow me and be beaten by La Yue. I'm so useless."
"It doesn't hurt."
A grimace of gasps sounded, and Jiang Xinyue's tears flowed even more fiercely: "Don't be afraid, Shuangjiang, I will never let you have a scar on your face."
Emperor Xuanwu opened the door...