Chapter 7 This is a plot
Xu Lanshan laughed at their flattery. "It's only just begun, and you're already talking about it. We can talk about it behind closed doors, but don't spread it around outside."
Yuchan and Xiaofuzi quickly agreed.
The master is reliable and not frivolous, so the two of them feel more at ease.
They all cherish this good job because they have finally gotten it, and they sincerely hope that their master will be well. Only when their master is well, will they be well.
Because she will be serving the emperor in bed tonight, the imperial kitchen will serve dinner early as usual. After dinner, she will quickly take a bath, change clothes, and put on makeup.
The meal for a maid usually consists of three dishes and one soup, but because Xu Lanshan was going to sleep with him tonight, it became six dishes and one soup, and there were also two small snacks and two appetizers.
When Xiao Fuzi brought the meal back and placed it on the table with a smile, Xu Lanshan looked at the exquisite dishes and felt sincerely moved. No wonder the concubines in the palace were fighting for favor. The ubiquitous hierarchical treatment was stimulating people to make progress all the time!
Xiao Fuzi smiled at Xu Lanshan with some pride and said, "The people in the imperial kitchen were extremely polite to me. These dishes are all freshly made with the best ingredients. I didn't dare to delay along the way and quickly brought them back. They taste just right. My lady, please enjoy them..."
Xu Lanshan looked over and saw steamed mandarin fish, grilled lamb chops, pork with mashed garlic, braised prawns, steamed pork elbow with sauce, stir-fried beef slices with green and red peppers, and shiitake mushroom and lamb soup. The appetizers were crystal scallions and pickled radish cubes, and the snacks were small dumplings with crab roe and crab meat, and small pancakes with jam filling.
Xu Lanshan let Xiao Fuzi taste a small pancake and asked with a smile what the filling was.
Xiao Fuzi quickly replied with a smile, "It seems to taste like chopped and boiled dried persimmons. It's very sweet, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. My dear, would you like to try one?"
Xu Lanshan understood and said with a smile, "Put these pancakes and roasted lamb chops on a separate plate for me to eat when I come back from serving you in the evening. You two can share the rest later."
As Xu Lanshan spoke, she asked Yuchan to give her half a bowl of white rice.
Judging from her intentions, she seemed to only want to eat white rice. Yu Chan and Xiao Fuzi were stunned: "My lady, are you... are these dishes not to your taste?"
Even if they didn't ask, Xu Lanshan would tell them.
Now that they had all moved into Cuiyinxuan, they were one, master and servant, sharing honor and disgrace. A bad teammate was more terrifying than the enemy, and they would eventually understand what they needed to understand.
Of course, it would be great if she could get an experienced nanny or aunt, which would save her a lot of trouble. Unfortunately, with her current position, she can't even think about it.
"Look at these dishes: steamed fish, braised shrimp, mutton, minced garlic, etc. They all leave a strong odor. I'm serving you tonight. If the lingering odor intoxicates the Emperor and makes him unhappy, will he be willing to see me again?"
Yuchan and Xiaofuzi's expressions changed.
Xu Lanshan continued, "It's rumored that eating crab meat and persimmons together can easily cause abdominal pain and diarrhea."
"Plop!" Xiao Fuzi knelt down in fear: "My lady, this slave deserves death! This slave deserves death!"
"Hurry up and get up. What does this have to do with you? You take whatever the imperial kitchen gives you. Isn't that normal? It will be like this in the future, okay? I'm just a small concubine, and I don't have the qualifications to order food in the imperial kitchen."
Yu Chan said angrily, "I didn't expect the people in the imperial kitchen to be so black-hearted. This is too immoral."
Xu Lanshan chuckled. "That might not be the intention of the Imperial Kitchen. Who is favored and who is not in the harem has nothing to do with the Imperial Kitchen. Why would they want to make things difficult for me?"
Yuchan and Xiaofuzi were stunned and their faces changed color.
"My Lord, what you mean is..."
Xu Lanshan shook her head. "It's hard to say who it is, and it doesn't matter who it is. Whoever is favored is the enemy of all the concubines. Although I'm not favored yet, the emperor treats me a little bit differently, so it's natural that some people will dislike me. It's okay, you don't have to worry too much. When the enemy comes, the general will fight, and when the water comes, the earth will cover it. Just be cautious in what you say and do, keep a low profile, and don't meddle in other people's affairs."
Yuchan and Xiaofuzi quickly agreed.
Xiao Fuzi hesitated to speak, and could not help but whispered: "My lady, could it be, could it be Song Ronghua..."
"It can't be her," Xu Lanshan denied it without hesitation: "She doesn't have such great ability. The imperial kitchen will not help her do such a thing."
They were all in the palace, no one was stupid. The Imperial Kitchen must have had some benefits for turning a blind eye to this. Song Ronghua was not favored, nor was she wealthy, and her family was not very wealthy either. How could she have such face?
This truth made Yuchan and Xiaofuzi choke.
Song Ronghua would probably be furious if he heard this.
Xu Lanshan smiled indifferently: "It's just a small matter, you don't have to take it to heart."
"Yes, my lord."
As expected, Xu Lanshan only drank the bowl of white rice. The rice was made from the best imperial rice, with each grain distinct and crystal clear. When she chewed it, the natural rice aroma had a light sweetness. The taste was really good, and Xu Lanshan ate it very happily.
At midnight, a sedan chair finally arrived from Ganyuan Palace and took Xu Lanshan, who had been prepared.
After entering the palace, she was led to a side hall by two calm and steady middle-aged women. They undressed and changed into a light, yellowish-green gauze nightgown. The nightgown was loose, tied only loosely at the waist with a soft gauze belt. It was completely bare underneath, presumably for the emperor's convenience.
Her hair was untied, all her hairpins and jewelry removed, and her face washed, washing away even the slightest amount of makeup.
Xu Lanshan was extremely embarrassed during the whole process, but she didn't dare to resist. She could only treat herself as a rag doll without any emotions and let her two aunts play with her.
I silently complained in my heart: That's why my previous dressing-up was so boring! Fortunately, Yuchan was still so enthusiastic and spent a long time with her choosing clothes to match...
On second thought, who knows? Perhaps some concubines came to the emperor's bedchamber to accompany him on a leisurely stroll, discussing romantic matters and life ideals. So, dressing up was indeed quite important.
Changing clothes in this side hall is actually considered okay. If you were stripped naked in Cuiyinxuan and wrapped in a quilt and asked to be carried here by eunuchs, that would be even more embarrassing!
In comparison, the harem of the Dawen Dynasty was barely a little humane in this matter - although not much.
Anyway, her two aunts also have what she has, so she is not afraid of seeing it.
Once she was properly dressed, the two aunts helped her to lie down on the dragon bed, gently covering her with a thin apricot-colored quilt embroidered with dragon patterns and lowering the golden silk curtains. Xu Lanshan tilted her head to look over. Through the curtains, the light became soft and hazy, like light smoke.
Xu Lanshan's heart seemed to be shrouded in clouds and fog. She tightened her grip on the quilt and suddenly felt a little nervous.
After waiting for about two quarters of an hour, she finally heard brisk footsteps. The emperor had finally arrived - Xu Lanshan didn't know whether she should be worried or relieved.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
