Chapter 160

Chapter 160

When Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia left Yonghe Palace, even though she had applied ice water to her eyes, the corners of her eyes still looked slightly red when she emerged.

Adding to the fact that she had just embarrassed herself again in front of Consort Rong, Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia's expression wasn't very good either, her face a bit sour, and this misunderstanding seemed to have spread quite a bit.

By the time Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia returned to her own Jingren Palace, there were already three versions of the rumor circulating about her being bested by Consort Rong, trying to provoke Consort Rong but instead being the one who ended up getting upset.

Not a single version of the rumor was correct, and Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia was furious when she heard them. How could they get it so wrong? What did they mean by her trying to show off in front of Consort Rong but failing and then leaving in tears?

Who actually saw it?!

As if Consort Rong could make her cry, and what was this about her crying at the entrance of Yonghe Palace? Who started spreading this nonsense!

Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia was so angry she was about to explode. How could they make her seem so powerless?!

After drinking several more glasses of water, she finally felt the spiciness in her mouth subside a bit.

She immediately ordered her people to silence those who started spreading the rumors!

She was crying from the unbearably spicy food! Not because she was upset!

Then, as she sat there, Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia fumed again, "Consort Rong must have known I can't handle spicy food. That woman deliberately had the food made so spicy to make me lose my composure. How devious! I should have known!"

Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia seemed to have found a new, solid reason to justify her anger.

The maid attending to Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia had a complicated expression, looking somewhat speechless.

Her ladyship always says this upon returning, but she never stops visiting Yonghe Palace. After every rant, she returns after a while.

It's so contradictory. Her ladyship's intentions are truly hard to grasp.

When Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia first said this, the maid, trying to curry favor, had joined in by badmouthing Consort Rong. But it didn't earn her any favor, and Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia's mood didn't improve.

'Between me and Consort Rong, what right do you have to speak? Do you need to speak for me?!'

Instead of gaining favor, she was scolded.

Since then, she understood that her ladyship didn't need her input. If she did, she wouldn't receive any rewards and might even be scolded.

So now, as Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia sat there angrily venting, the maid simply stood by and listened without chiming in.

She occasionally refilled Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia's teacup when it was empty, knowing her ladyship would stop shortly.

Sure enough.

After saying a few more things, Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia felt tired, "Help me change, I'm feeling quite tired."

"Yes, Your Ladyship." The maid obediently stepped forward to help Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia up, thinking to herself that after the visit to Yonghe Palace, her ladyship would finally be able to rest.

Recently, with the matter of the grand enfeoffment of the harem, her ladyship had been so anxious she was almost getting ulcers, yet she wouldn't let anyone bring her soup or snacks.

She could only watch as the other concubines eagerly used every opportunity to offer soups and sweets, being extremely attentive.

Her ladyship was clearly unhappy about it, and the maid felt nervous serving her.

Yonghe Palace

Qinxin fanned Consort Rong with a fan, "Your Ladyship, what exactly is the purpose of the Imperial Noble Consort's visit?"

It's unclear whether their relationship is good or not. It's not particularly good, but it's not bad either. She didn't come with the intention to pick a fight, but she left in a huff, leading everyone in the palace to believe that the relationship between Consort Tongjia and Her Ladyship had significantly deteriorated.

Who would have thought that today they would be eating spicy duck necks together, continuing to eat despite being nearly brought to tears and a runny nose.

This is truly perplexing.

You should know that when Consort Tongjia came before, they were extremely cautious, fearing that she was coming to cause trouble. However, unexpectedly, they interacted quite amicably.

Today, it appears that Consort Tongjia is anxious due to the recent news of the grand conferment and approached Her Ladyship to probe for information, or perhaps she wanted Her Ladyship to feel anxious too, so that when the Emperor arrives, she could test his reaction?

After all, all the ladies in the palace are on edge and trying to find out information.

When the Emperor came to Yonghe Palace in front of Her Ladyship, he didn't mention what rank Her Ladyship would be granted. Qinxin couldn't help feeling anxious for Her Ladyship.

Her Ladyship currently holds the concubine rank, so naturally, she can only ascend to the consort rank.

However, there are only four consort positions available, and there are more than four concubines. If some are promoted to the consort rank, the others will remain at the concubine rank, and then they will have to face the ladies who are promoted to fill the concubine positions, which would be quite disheartening.

At present, Consort Tongjia's attitude is temporarily not in conflict with Her Ladyship, but it's still not a situation to be taken lightly. Her attitude could shift at any moment, just like it is now.

The other ladies are either of the same rank as Her Ladyship or of a lower rank. Even if they wished to cause trouble, they wouldn't dare to overstep.

But if the four consorts are conferred, and Her Ladyship is not promoted to the consort rank, she would be at a disadvantage because of the rules and regulations.

Considering the current situation in the harem, if Her Ladyship doesn't stand in a high position, she might find herself at a disadvantage and could be targeted by the other ladies in the harem, who would be eager to tear her apart.

Qinxin expressed her concerns with a worried look, her young face almost turning into a bitter melon.

"Hmm, it is indeed a problem," Su Yi, who usually seems absent-minded, nodded in agreement this time.

She is really annoyed by the etiquette of bowing. Isn't she worried that it might be bad for her knees?

Seeing that Consort Rong seemed to take it seriously and realized the severity of the situation, Qinxin said, "Your Ladyship, the other ladies have sent food to the Qianqing Palace. Shouldn't we send some too, to show our sincerity? We shouldn't fall behind the other ladies."

Otherwise, if the other ladies have sent something and we haven't, wouldn't we be at a disadvantage?

We should at least show some effort.

Qinxin is really worried that Her Ladyship might not take it seriously. This is a critical moment, and if Her Ladyship doesn't pay attention, she would be really anxious.

Surprisingly, Su Yi, who usually says 'you can say whatever you want, but whether I do it or not depends on my mood', and spends eight out of twelve hours a day being lazy, seems to have finally realized the sense of crisis.

"Alright, let's send these," Su Yi pointed at the spicy duck necks and asked Qinxin to pack them up and send them over.

Before Qinxin could feel happy, her expression froze. She thought carefully and said cautiously, "Your Ladyship, wouldn't these be a bit, a bit inappropriate?"

The Emperor doesn't seem to eat much spicy food. He seems to focus on health and rarely eats heavy oil and spicy food. Are you sure sending these would have an effect??

And among all the soups and desserts, wouldn't it be a bit unstable?

Su Yi had a look on her face that said 'how could you think that, your thinking is shallow',

"You see, everyone is sending desserts and soups, so there's no sincerity left. If we also send these, it would be too unoriginal.

We need to send something unexpected, something that can quickly stand out among all the soups and desserts, something that is different and unforgettable, something that leaves a deep impression. Do you understand what I mean?"

She spoke with such conviction, as if she had thoroughly considered it.

Qinxin: "..." It seems what she said is... not wrong?

Indeed, the soups from other consorts are often simmered for hours, and the pastries are as delicate as can be. The sudden appearance of spicy duck necks would definitely 'stand out' among them.

But wasn’t it just that the consort was too lazy to think of something to send and simply grabbed whatever was handy? After all, the remaining items weren’t spicy, and the consort isn’t particularly fond of spicy food.

Seeing the consort’s earnest expression, Qinxin silently swallowed her words. It’s the thought that counts, and the consort’s gesture was simple and unadorned.

Then she ordered the servants to pack the items and send them to the Qianqing Palace. Before leaving with the food box, Su Yi slipped a beautifully decorated note inside. Qinxin didn’t see what was written on it, but the consort’s gesture made her feel that some effort had been made.

With this note, even if the Emperor didn’t touch the items, seeing it would surely remind him of the consort.

Perfect, just perfect.

Lately, the Qianqing Palace has been inundated with soups and beverages from various palaces.

Some were personally made by the consorts, others were carefully prepared under their direction, and some were specially ordered from the imperial kitchen. At the very least, there were five or six servings, and at times, over a dozen.

The imperial kitchen was so busy that the staff were running around like headless chickens, trying to meet the consorts’ demands.

The servants in the Qianqing Palace have been eating so much of the food sent over that they’ve all put on a bit of weight.

Today, while routinely collecting the food sent by the consorts, they recorded which palace each item came from.

When one of the food boxes was opened for inspection, its contents were completely different from the others, and the eunuch’s expression shifted slightly.

In a tone of disbelief, he said, "This... which consort sent this? It’s so odd. Could it have been sent by mistake?" As he spoke, he glanced at the record below and saw the bold characters 'Yonghe Palace.'

The eunuch: "..." It’s no surprise at all that this is something the consort from Yonghe Palace would do.

After finishing the inspection, he closed the lid of the food box, planning to inform Liang Jiugong later.

Whether these soups and pastries reach the Emperor is not important.

What matters is that the consorts aim to send something to leave an impression on the Emperor.

All the consorts know this, which is why they’ve been sending so many items. After all, the Emperor is just one person—he couldn’t possibly eat all of it. It’s more about making their presence felt when sending the items.

In the end, these things just end up benefiting the palace staff.

Liang Jiugong is also accustomed to this. He routinely records the items sent by the consorts and mentions them to the Emperor during his breaks, just going through the motions.

But when he heard the name 'Yonghe Palace,' Liang Jiugong cleared his ears, "Yonghe Palace also sent something?"

Consort Rong must have seen the sun rise from the west—she actually sent something too. It seems that with all the consorts sending items, Consort Rong has finally felt the urgency and decided to send something as well.

"What did Yonghe Palace send?" Liang Jiugong asked, though he thought it was probably just something from the imperial kitchen—nothing too special.

Upon hearing what the eunuch said was sent, Liang Jiugong’s smile became uncertain, "What?"

The eunuch nodded again, repeating it—Liang Jiugong hadn’t misheard.

Liang Jiugong forced a smile, "I see, Consort Rong is indeed thoughtful," he said, though it was insincere.

The eunuch also smiled, "Yes, Liang Jiugong." Who could disagree?

While Kangxi was summoning Zhang Ying to play chess and discuss recent court affairs, during the break when the tea was being changed, Liang Jiugong approached Kangxi and reported the food items received that day.

Kangxi, holding a black chess piece, listened with a distracted air and acknowledged with a casual hum. Usually, at this point, Liang Jiugong knew it was time to handle these matters when Kangxi showed no further interest.

"Wait," Kangxi paused the black piece he was about to place, turning his head towards Liang Jiugong, "Did Consort Rong send something as well?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, would you like to see it?" Liang Jiugong hesitated to say 'taste it.'

Zhang Ying, seated across, noticed the shift in Kangxi's previously indifferent expression.

Kangxi chuckled and tossed the black piece back into the chess box, "Since it’s already here, bring it up."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Liang Jiugong wasn’t the least bit surprised and then instructed the servants to bring up the items along with the prepared water.

As they waited for the items to arrive, Kangxi spoke with Zhang Ying, "I’m not usually in need of anything, but Consort Rong always sends things, considering her good intentions, it wouldn’t hurt to try."

His tone had a touch of pride.

Zhang Ying, noticing the emperor’s faint irritation but with a hint of pride in Consort Rong's affection, suppressed his inner disbelief and outwardly praised, "Consort Rong is truly attentive to Your Majesty."

This somewhat bland compliment didn’t show on Kangxi's face, but he was indeed satisfied.

Just as Liang Jiugong returned and overheard the conversation between the emperor and Zhang Ying, he felt a pang of guilt on the emperor’s behalf.

Your Majesty, you're speaking too confidently now, what if you end up embarrassed in front of Zhang Ying? Will Zhang Ying pretend not to notice or really not notice?

As feared, when Kangxi saw the various spicy marinated items in the food box, he and Zhang Ying, who subtly glanced at the contents, fell into silence.

Those slightly charred items—were they a mistake?

Liang Jiugong handed over the flower note inside. In front of his minister, Kangxi’s composure remained flawless, as if he hadn’t just fallen into a brief silence with his minister over the contents of the food box.

He calmly took the flower note from Liang Jiugong, though inwardly gritting his teeth, thinking, well done, let’s see what she’s written.

Zhang Ying was already thinking about how to subtly offer the emperor an out and how to naturally bring up his departure.

'Specially reserved for you, mildly spicy,' a short line, but below was a little figure with a disproportionately large head, smiling with squinted eyes, just a few strokes, yet capturing the essence, clearly depicting who this little figure was.

This oddly shaped little figure was something only Consort Rong liked to draw, even Baocheng drew better than her. Kangxi found the childish strokes somewhat distasteful, but his expression softened slightly.

After reading, Kangxi pressed a corner of the flower note under the chess box and looked back at Zhang Ying, saying,

"Usually, I drink a lot of soups and broths, nothing new, but today’s offerings are rather unique. Afraid I might not be used to it, she sent some for me to try. Zhang, stay and try them with me."

Zhang Ying, who was just thinking about how to naturally take his leave, had no choice but to stay. Always perceptive, Zhang Ying naturally sensed that the emperor's mood had improved in a short time, and his polite words were quite sincere.

Although Zhang Ying had never encountered these items before and they didn’t look very appetizing, since the emperor invited him, he of course had to accompany, his face betraying no reluctance.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, it's my honor to taste these with you."

Liang Jiugong and the maids cleared the unfinished chess game. Liang Jiugong put away the chess box along with the flower note.

The delivered food had already been cut into bite-sized pieces, with utensils arranged and a particularly conspicuous large water pot placed beside.

Although Kangxi appeared calm and composed on the surface, he was secretly a bit worried that the 'mildly spicy' Consort Rong mentioned might not align with his understanding of mildly spicy.

But at this point, he could only drag his minister along, at least he had company.

Lest he not eat, and then Consort Rong might think, since he won’t eat, she might as well not send anything in the future, what a hassle.

Given how picky Consort Rong is, if something wasn’t tasty, she wouldn’t touch it. It must have something special, Kangxi mused uncertainly.

With his minister watching, Kangxi calmly picked up a piece of suitable size and put it in his mouth, feeling a bit like he was opening a mystery box at this moment.

Hmm? Kangxi hesitated, and Liang Jiugong, standing nervously beside him, gulped. Zhang Ying was equally tense.

"Not bad, it has a distinct flavor. Minister Zhang, give it a try," Kangxi commented leisurely after finishing, his mood visibly lifted, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ying immediately picked up his chopsticks. He hadn’t touched his chopsticks earlier because the Emperor hadn’t begun, and naturally, he couldn’t either. Now, he could only trust that the Emperor was being honest.

Zhang Ying thought, even if it wasn’t great, he’d have to praise it, and make it sound original and clever.

To his surprise, it was actually really good?!

He even thought about having a few more bites. This would pair perfectly with drinks.

It was a bit spicy, but more fragrant, and he found it quite enjoyable.

This time, Zhang Ying's praise was not at all forced.

He even praised Consort Rong for her wisdom and grace.

Zhang Ying: When it comes to flattery, one must aim in the right direction.

Sure enough, Kangxi's smile grew even warmer, the corners of his mouth unable to suppress their upward curve, but he still said, "Where, where, she usually just messes around with these things." His tone was very helpless.

Zhang Ying maintained a proper smile: Your Majesty, you're being a bit hypocritical now.

However, just as Zhang Ying finished some words of praise and was about to naturally continue with a second piece.

After all, it was quite delicious, and he had eaten a bit too quickly earlier. This time, he wanted to savor it more carefully, and see if the chef at his residence could replicate it upon his return.

Then he heard the Emperor say, "It's getting late, I won't keep you any longer. You should head home early, lest you return too late."

Zhang Ying: ?!

Your Majesty, you just said the opposite!!