An Shuyi took the sportswear handed to her and changed into it. Then she put on her embroidered shoes and jumped around lightly for a few days. After that, she tied her hair into a bun and put on the black mask that Hua Hua handed her. Her gear was ready.
Instead of opening the door and going out, the two opened the window of the room and jumped out. Although the body was not their own, they had adapted to it after so long. In modern times, they could climb even smooth walls.
Looking at the palace wall in front of her, An Shuyi blinked. "Huahua, the bird's nest you mentioned, it can't be from the palace, right? Although the things in the palace are good, there are many guards and secret agents here. If we are discovered, we will be treated as assassins."
Xia Hua glanced at her and teased, "What? Don't you have confidence in yourself? You're just a guard. Just be careful and avoid us. The secret guards aren't wandering around everywhere. We're only going to the imperial kitchen and the storeroom. We won't be discovered."
"Do you know where the storeroom is? And the imperial kitchen too?" The palace is so big, you can get lost even if you go in, how are you going to find it?
"Don't worry, I'm here. No matter how big this palace is, the imperial kitchens and storerooms will stay in the same place. They won't run away. I know where they are. Just follow me." After Xia Hua finished speaking, she led her over the wall and then wandered around the palace.
It was so late, already past midnight. Apart from the palace maids and eunuchs on night watch, there were only guards patrolling. The secret guards would only watch over important places. Soon the two arrived at the imperial kitchen, which was dark and empty.
Although the Imperial Kitchen is the last to close, because perhaps a concubine in that palace needs to eat and so they have to wait, it's too late now, and everyone has already gone to bed.
Having evaded the patrolling guards, the two slipped inside. There were lanterns everywhere in the palace, though not many, but enough to see the way. After entering the imperial kitchen, the room in the very center had a large table where the prepared meals were placed before being served to various palaces.
The two rooms next to it were where they cooked and chopped vegetables. Vegetables were placed on the shelves and in the bamboo baskets. Soon, the two found the bird's nest on the shelf.
"Huahua, this bird's nest isn't good. Let's go to the storeroom to get some." They had eaten plenty of bird's nest in modern times, so they naturally knew which bird's nest was good. These bird's nests looked like they weren't of good quality, no wonder they were just casually placed in the imperial kitchen.
Go!
The two continued searching for the storeroom, which was the kitchen's storeroom used to store precious ingredients and other items used by the imperial kitchen, not the emperor's storeroom. After all, that storeroom was filled with gold and silver treasures, and there would definitely be many guards and secret agents guarding it.
No matter how capable they were, they couldn't possibly steal anything from the emperor's treasury, so they should just take some bird's nest. When they found the treasury and opened the door, the floor was piled with things and many boxes were placed on the shelves.
The two didn't speak, but instead picked up the box on the shelf and opened it. Looking at the bird's nest inside, An Shuyi turned around and saw that the box Hua Hua had opened contained not bird's nest, but deer tendon.
They threw the items into the warehouse, then opened the other boxes. Surprisingly, there was abalone—they couldn't pass it up. Bird's nest was even better. Sea cucumber, deer antler velvet… The two of them only took the good stuff and didn't take the bad stuff.
When they had taken almost everything, the two stopped. However, they only took the items; after taking the items out of the boxes, they put them back in.
"Huahua, we've got the stuff, let's go!"
Xia Hua nodded, "Let's go back first. After things are settled in a few days, we'll come to the palace for a few days. Those dishes were made by the imperial chefs in the Imperial Kitchen. No restaurant outside can make them as delicious as theirs."
"We'll hide in the shadows and take a little bit each day. We'll leave when we've filled all those empty bowls in your warehouse."
An Shuyi glanced at her and said, "Isn't this too risky?" Is it really a good idea to take such a risk for food?
"What are you afraid of? It would be a waste to let such a good thing pass by. I just saw that the food in the palace is really good. There's Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Chrysanthemum Pickled Cabbage and Donkey Meat, Beggar's Chicken, Peony Fish Slices, and many more."
"I can only make beggar's chicken, I can't make any of these dishes, especially Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. It takes several days to make that. So, do you want to eat it?"
Slurp
An Shuyi swallowed the saliva in her mouth, which was uncontrollably flowing out of her mouth. "I want to eat it, so it's settled then. We'll come back in a few days."
Seeing her like that, Xia Hua nodded in satisfaction. "Let's go back to sleep." She knew Shu Shu wouldn't be able to resist.
Other things are fine, but when it comes to food, Shushu has very little resistance. She doesn't actually want to eat that much. She only came to the palace for Shushu's sake. After all, if she wants to get her body in good shape, she needs to eat well.
Food is worse than medicine. Her cooking skills are not good now. She can cook some simple dishes, but anything too complicated is too difficult for her. So in order to improve Shushu's health and so that she doesn't have to cook, she has no choice but to go to the palace and get the emperor's food.
His Majesty the Emperor has tasted all sorts of delicacies; he will have plenty of time to enjoy them later. However, she and Shushu cannot come to the capital often, so let them eat first.
After the two returned, Xia Hua took out all the things she had taken from the storeroom, along with a transparent box, and put all the things in the box.
An Shuyi also took out the things she had brought and put them in a box. Then she put the box in the warehouse, taking up another slot. Although she didn't get to eat the bird's nest, with so many good things, it didn't matter. Then the two of them went to sleep.
The next morning, they got up early, had breakfast, and then left the city. When they reappeared, they each led a horse to buy a carriage, and finally drove the carriage to the mansion.
The two stopped at a place along the way, and An Shuyi put the things she had bought into the carriage: rice, flour, and cloth—all ordinary fabrics, not silk—followed by quilts, iron pots, and anything else available through the trading system that the mansion lacked, filling both carriages to the brim.
After buying the goods, they slowly drove the carriage to the mansion. Before they even entered, they found the gate was open. They tied their horses outside and went inside. The people who had bought the goods were already cleaning the mansion. When they saw them arrive, they came forward and bowed.
Xia Hua looked at those people and instructed, "Go over there and call the people from the neighboring houses over to move things."
"Yes, Madam." Anxiu, who had been summoned, hurriedly went outside and called over the people from the neighboring house.
Looking at the people who came over, the two of them noticed that nothing was missing and remarked that they were quite honest. "The things on the carriage, one set for each of the two residences, Tao and Zhou. You two will be in charge of the kitchen."
"Wu Yue is in charge of the house here, and He Jin is in charge of the house there. After you have everything sorted out, you can go and buy all the furniture and other things needed for the houses. Make sure every courtyard is included. If you can't buy everything from one shop, go to several more."
"And this courtyard has also been taken care of. I will give you the money later. Remember to keep track of how much you spend in the future."
"Yes, madam," everyone answered in unison.
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