The emperor's emotional turmoil was drowned out by the music and dance that filled the hall, and those below did not notice anything amiss.
However, this could not be hidden from the Empress, who was always watching his every move, Su Peisheng, who served him closely, and the Empress Dowager, who was perceptive enough to notice the subtle signs.
None of the three understood why he had suddenly become so angry, radiating a chill that was even more frigid than the snow outside, when he had been perfectly fine just moments before.
The Empress did not want to invite trouble from the chubby orange at this time, but after receiving a look from the Empress Dowager, she could not pretend not to see it and ignore it.
Cursing her bad luck, the Empress filled a cup with wine and said earnestly, "Today is the Emperor's birthday. Your Majesty, I offer you a toast, wishing you boundless happiness and longevity."
Upon hearing the Empress's blessing, the chubby orange cat relaxed its gloomy demeanor and politely asked Su Peisheng to fill its cup in return, but it remained silent, its body language clearly showing its impatience.
After drinking, the chubby orange looked around at the crowd below the stage with a bored expression.
Consort Qi... (skipping the part)
Consort Hua... um... has just recovered from a serious illness and needs to be treated with care.
"Send this dish of ginseng and astragalus stewed with white phoenix seeds to Consort Hua so that she can take good care of herself."
Su Peisheng nodded, tilted his head slightly to the back, and a young eunuch quickly removed the imperial dish and placed it on Consort Hua's table within moments.
Consort Hua glanced triumphantly at the Empress, then gave the chubby orange a bright smile. She raised her wine cup and offered a toast of sweet osmanthus wine.
"Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace. May Your Majesty have many more such days to come."
Big Fatty Orange smiled and drank a cup. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and since he hadn't been to Yikun Palace for a while, he really missed Consort Hua's gentleness.
Consort Jing... (skipping the part)
Consort Li... (skipping the part)
Consort Cao... (skipping the part)
Consort Fucha... (skipping the part)
Xin Changzai... (skipping over)
And those I have absolutely no recollection of, let's skip them, skip them... skip them all...
Finally, the chubby orange gave the order, "Send this plate of crab meat and bamboo shoots to Consort Cheng; she likes it. And send this dish of chrysanthemum Buddha's hand pastries to Consort Shen."
After the chubby orange finished speaking, it glanced at the person below who was fanning themselves and a wicked idea flashed through its mind. It stretched out its hand to tell the little eunuch not to rush to carry the plates.
"Wait a minute, give this plate of crab meat and bamboo shoots to Consort Shen. Take this dish of candied oranges to Consort Cheng and tell her that it is good for her appetite, regulates her qi, moistens her lungs and promotes the production of body fluids, and encourage her to eat a few more."
Su Peisheng was taken aback. Everyone in the palace knew that Consort Cheng loved crabs and all kinds of pastries, but hated candied orange peel the most. She would stay far away even if she could smell it, let alone eat it.
Not only did they refuse to give her crab meat and bamboo shoots, but they also forced her to eat the dessert she hated most.
Not only that, but he also gave the crab meat and bamboo shoot shreds to Consort Shen, who was sitting next to him.
What has Consort Cheng done to offend the Emperor this time?
"That doesn't seem like it," Su Peisheng thought to herself. She didn't have a brother like Nian Gengyao. If she were truly angered, the Emperor could simply send her to the Cold Palace; there was no need to make a fuss about this.
However, Su Peisheng was a man of great experience and quickly realized what was happening, so he had someone send the two items over.
Sun Miaoqing looked at the crab meat and bamboo shoot shreds passing by, then at the plate of candied orange peel in front of her. The smell hit her nose and head, and she quickly covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief.
Xiazi said, "Your Highness, His Majesty instructed that these candied oranges are good for your health, as they stimulate the appetite, regulate qi, moisten the lungs, and promote the production of body fluids. He urged you to eat as many as possible."
Sun Miaoqing stared in disbelief at the large, fat orange-haired man sitting on the throne, only to see him grinning broadly and watching the singing and dancing in the hall with great joy.
All the malice in the world is contained in this plate of candied orange peel!
"I understand. I'll leave it here and use it later."
Sun Miaoqing used the tactic of stalling, waiting and waiting until the palace banquet ended, by which time no one cared whether she had eaten or not.
Xia Zi said with difficulty, "Your Highness, this is all His Majesty's gift, what do you think..."
Sun Miaoqing's eyes were full of accusation. How could she have someone watching her? What a vicious heart she had!
The young woman was both flexible and resilient. Sun Miaoqing endured the disgusting smell, stuffing candied orange peel into her mouth while inwardly cursing the scumbag. Her fierce expression made it seem as if she was chewing the bone of a large, fat orange rather than candied orange peel.
[That fat orange cat, shameless, moody, and utterly lacking in manners, is like a knife cutting your butt—it's an eye-opener!]
[I'm beautiful and in the prime of my youth, how could I have married such a... petty and narrow-minded emperor! I don't even know what I did wrong to offend him, so he's trying to find ways to get rid of me.]
If you won't let me have an easy time, you'll get one too...
Unable to bear the nauseating smell any longer, Sun Miaoqing covered her mouth and ran out.
Big Fat Orange burst into laughter. Just then, the acrobatic performance below reached its climax.
The chubby orange clapped its hands twice and shouted, "Good!"
This drew applause and cheers from everyone present; it was truly a wonderful misunderstanding.
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