Chapter 37: Dining Together
Yunshan stared at Song Zhao for a long while.
She always felt that her young lady was very different from when she was in the mansion before.
More beautiful, more calm,
"What are you looking at?" Song Zhao asked.
"I suddenly realized that the silver hairpin that the young lady usually wears seems to have been missing for several days."
Song Zhao stroked his hair lightly and said calmly, "Maybe it was lost somewhere."
Yunshan said hurriedly, "Then I will send someone to look for it carefully. The hairpin was given to the young lady by the master. The young lady wore it specially when she entered the palace, saying that she wanted to keep it as a souvenir. It must not be lost."
"No need." Song Zhao shook his head. "Looking for a hairpin in such a huge palace is like looking for a needle in a haystack. There is a funeral in the palace, so we shouldn't show off anything. Forget it."
"Oh." Yunshan pouted, "That's a pity... But the emperor gave me so many rewards, I can't wear them all if I have to wear a different one every day~"
Song Zhao smiled and didn't respond to her.
The reason why she brought the silver hairpin into the palace was not because the hairpin was given to her by Song Shicheng, but because she wanted to bring it into the palace as a souvenir.
It would be better if her father died. How could she have the leisure to miss him?
The reason she brought the hairpin into the palace was because the head of the silver hairpin was hollow, so she could hide things in it.
Before entering the palace, Song Zhao hid a small amount of arsenic in the hairpin.
She had already planned that once she gained favor and aroused jealousy from others, she would poison herself to induce Xiao Jingheng to pity her.
It was just that Li Changzai had no reason to bump into her, which could be considered as helping her.
The next day, after Song Zhao paid his respects to the Queen, he and Concubine Yao went to visit Concubine Shu.
Shu Fei was still in a very low mood. She did not greet the visitor and just lay on the couch with a small bellyband embroidered with a Qilin in her arms.
That was something she made for the unborn prince herself. Now the bellyband is still there, but the person is gone.
Concubine Yao tried to persuade Concubine Shu a few words, but when the matter of the little prince was mentioned, Concubine Shu's tears kept flowing like beads from a broken string.
When the two came out of Shufei's palace, Yaopin whispered to Song Zhao:
"No wonder Shu Fei cried so sadly. The child was already seven months old, and then he died just like that. Who could bear this kind of blow?"
Song Zhao responded sadly, and then asked, "I heard that Empress Chen also had a miscarriage when she was six months pregnant. It seems that she fell down accidentally?"
A hint of sneer flashed across Concubine Yao's lips, "She deserves it."
She noticed Song Zhao's eyes on her, so she quickly stopped smiling and changed the subject:
"The Emperor's birthday will be in two days. I have to go to the Music Bureau to practice the Yaozheng with Auntie, so you should go back to the palace first."
Song Zhao knelt down and bowed respectfully to see Concubine Yao off. After returning to the palace, he happened to meet Yunshan and Xiao Fuzi at the palace gate.
Little Fuzi was covered in dust and walked with a limp. It seemed that Yunshan had supported him all the way back.
Song Zhao asked hurriedly: "What happened?"
As the master and his servants returned to the palace, they heard Yunshan say with lingering fear:
"The rocks on the rockery in the southeast corner of the Imperial Garden loosened and fell down, almost hitting me. Fortunately, Xiao Fuzi was quick to help me. I am fine, but he sprained his ankle."
Song Zhao looked at Xiao Fuzi with concern, "How are you? Are you okay?"
Xiao Fuzi waved her hands and said with a smile, "Compared to the suffering I endured in Xinzheku before, a sprained ankle is not a big deal. I can just apply some safflower oil on myself. But this matter must be reported to the Ministry of Internal Affairs as soon as possible, so that they can repair the rockery and don't hurt the master someday."
Xiao Fuzi and Yunshan discussed how to quickly report this matter.
Song Zhao thought for a moment and said, "The Empress has handed over all the trivial matters of the harem to Concubine Ying. If you report it to the Ministry of Internal Affairs without thinking, Concubine Ying will think that we are interfering in other people's affairs. After all, the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs patrol the palace every day, and they will find out about this sooner or later. Let's just pretend that we don't know about it."
That night, Xiao Jingheng was still flipping over the name of Concubine Chen.
However, after nightfall, Zhang Jiugui from the Jingshifang came to Yaohua Palace in person.
He smiled and announced the good news to Song Zhao, "Master Song, the emperor has ordered you to have lunch at Chaoyang Palace tomorrow at noon."
Song Zhao smiled and agreed, "Thank you for taking this trip, eunuch. I understand."
After Zhang Jiugui left, Song Zhao began to prepare lunch.
The last time Xiao Jingheng came to her place for dinner, there was a bamboo shoot and ham soup that seemed to suit Xiao Jingheng's appetite, so Song Zhao asked Yunshan to prepare the ingredients in advance, and she would personally deliver it to Xiao Jingheng tomorrow.
During the cooking, she reminded me: "The soup base should be made with fresh mushrooms, tea tree mushrooms and cordyceps, so that it has a strong flavor. Take out the mushroom water in advance, and soak some sweet potato vermicelli in it to make it taste good in advance."
Yunshan was a little confused. "It's just a soup. Most people drink a bowl of it after finishing the main meal to moisten their stomach. Sweet potato vermicelli is the most bloating thing. Why did you put it in there, young master?"
Song Zhao said: "The crystal clear ones floating on top are just for decoration. It is up to the emperor whether to eat it or not, just do as you are told."
At lunch time the next day, Song Zhao took the bamboo shoot and ham soup to Chaoyang Palace.
As expected, this dish was quite popular with Jamel Xiao.
After the meal, I asked someone to serve two bowls of soup. The soup was delicious and the vermicelli was tasty. It aroused my appetite and I couldn't get enough of it.
Our ancestors set a rule that the emperor should not eat more than three times the amount of food he eats. It means that if an emperor is fond of a dish and loves to eat it and eats a lot, it would be bad if someone spots it and makes an effort to murder the emperor.
So generally speaking, the concubines would advise the emperor at this time.
Xiao Jingheng had been advised many times, and when the palace servant served the third bowl, he subconsciously raised his eyebrows and glanced at Song Zhao.
But he found that this silly girl was looking at him with her chin in her hand and smiling sweetly.
Xiao Jingheng scratched her small nose and asked, "Why are you staring at me and laughing?"
Song Zhao said: "The emperor likes the dishes I cook, and I am happy to see them."
Xiao Jingheng laughed heartily upon hearing this and said, "I like having you by my side. It's not like the Queen has so many rules, nor like the Concubine Chen has so many words. Just having a quiet meal is great."
How could it be bad? When others eat with him, they either care about his health or try their best to please him.
But Song Zhao is very simple.
She just wanted Jamel Xiao to eat more.
After finishing half the bowl of soup, Xiao Jingheng's stomach was bloated with the sweet potato vermicelli.
Song Zhao helped him rinse his mouth, "Your Majesty, please take a nap. You still have to review memorials in the afternoon."
How could Xiao Jingheng sleep when he was so full?
He smiled and said, "I was a little greedy just now, would you like to walk around with me to help digest the food?"
Song Zhao nodded in agreement, and Jiang Deshun said, "The chrysanthemums in the imperial garden are in full bloom now. Your Majesty, would you like to go and have a look?"
When autumn comes, all flowers die, and only chrysanthemums remain on the branches with fragrance.
Jiang Deshun could only suggest that Xiao Jingheng go to appreciate the chrysanthemums. Otherwise, what was there to see? To see the withered flowers and willows blooming all over the ground?
The best place to enjoy chrysanthemums in the palace is
It's right behind the rockery in the southeast corner of the Imperial Garden.
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