A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace

Chapter 213: Chapter 212: Posting of the Imperial Examination Results

Xia Ruqing looked on, finding it rather unbelievable!

Was this... really the Noble Consort who went mad half a month ago? This recovery ability is truly...

She had to admit, the power of hatred was indeed immeasurable!

「Back at Qingya Residence.」

Xia Ruqing said, ”The weather isn’t bad today! It seems the vegetables in the garden are about ready, so how about we have hot pot tonight?”

Xiao Xizi and Zi Yue were overjoyed, especially Xiao Xizi. ”What would you like, My Lady? Your servant will prepare it for you!”

After all, if the master ate well, the servants could also enjoy a treat. Regardless of other places, that was certainly the case at Qingya Residence!

Zi Yue also said, ”Then your servant will go and clear a space! Both the stove and the pot need a good cleaning!”

Xia Ruqing laughed. ”It’s only morning, look how excited you both are! Now, off you go!”

”Yes, yes!”

The master and servants chattered and laughed on their way to the vegetable garden.

It was mid-winter, and outside it was a world of biting cold and frozen earth. But inside the garden, there was a lush expanse of green! Spinach, radishes, cabbages, carrots, lettuce—each one was growing splendidly. The previously dug Lotus Root Pond had also been densely planted by Xiao Xizi. If one craved fresh lotus roots, they could simply have someone dig them up.

Being a foodie, Xia Ruqing felt a greater sense of security seeing the fresh vegetables growing there. As for those so-called precious dried vegetables, whoever liked them could eat them; she, for one, wouldn’t! So what if radishes and cabbages were cheap? When fresh, they were just as delicious!

After strolling for a while, Xia Ruqing led her attendants back.

The small tea room at Qingya Residence was much larger than the one at Zhaohua Pavilion. It had every kitchen utensil imaginable, immeasurably more luxurious than an ordinary household’s kitchen.

It was said that in the palace, only pregnant concubines were entitled to set up a small kitchen. The Ministry of Internal Affairs would also assign a Kitchen Maid to attend to them. That way, the concubines wouldn’t need to fetch meals from the Imperial Kitchen but could eat directly in their small kitchens. Others, at most, could have a small tea room, which was considered quite good. There would also be a stove to boil tea and water.

But Xia Ruqing liked to make small dishes herself, to experiment with making her own food. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Imperial Kitchen, wanting to curry favor, had sent over these cooking utensils. However, there was no Kitchen Maid. So, no matter how luxurious Xia Ruqing’s facilities were, it could only be considered a small tea room.

At lunchtime, Xiao Xizi went to pick up the meal as usual. But not even ten minutes had passed before Xiao Xizi came racing back as if he’d gone mad.

Xia Ruqing was teasing her cat, Da Bai, at the time. Da Bai was so startled that its fur stood on end, and it ran off. Xia Ruqing herself was also taken aback. ”What’s wrong? What happened?”

Xiao Xizi was panting heavily, and it took him a good while to speak. ”My... My Lady... Your servant just heard that the results have been posted outside!”

”Posted what results?” Xia Ruqing didn’t immediately understand.

Zi Yue reminded her, ”My Lady, the imperial examination results, for our Second Young Master Jingfeng!”

Xia Ruqing was stunned for two seconds, then slapped her thigh. ”How could I have forgotten about this!”

With that thought, she became a bit excited. ”I wonder if Jingfeng managed to pass. If he did, he would be a Scholar! Right, the results for Scholar, those can’t be checked in the Capital City, can they? Shouldn’t they be checked locally? How can we find out?”

Xia Ruqing was so anxious she was practically wringing her hands.

Xiao Xizi then laughed. ”My Lady, for this, I’m afraid you’ll have to ask the Emperor for help!”

Xia Ruqing’s eyes lit up. Yes, the Emperor!

However, she soon sighed again. ”Alas! I don’t know when I’ll be able to see the Emperor.”

Zi Yue hurried to comfort her. ”You’ll meet him eventually, My Lady. Don’t worry too much! Perhaps... you might even see him in the next couple of days!”

Xia Ruqing nodded. ”I can only hope so! Never mind, let’s eat first. Eating is a serious matter; it can’t be delayed!”

Xiao Xizi was speechless.

「That very night」

Zhao Junyao flipped Xia Ruqing’s name tag.

Xia Ruqing happily came out to greet him. After the formalities, she said with a smile, ”Your Majesty really knows how to pick the time!”

She had planned to have hot pot tonight!

Zhao Junyao looked at her. ”What do you mean by that?”

Xia Ruqing quickly shook her head. ”Um, it means nothing in particular!”

Zhao Junyao was silent. ’Means nothing in particular?’ It was the first time he’d heard such a response!

The two entered the room, one after the other. Before they even lifted the curtain, a fragrant aroma wafted out.

Zhao Junyao turned back and gave Xia Ruqing an ’I understand’ look.

Xia Ruqing blushed, feeling a bit embarrassed. ”Your Majesty, if you like it, you’re not allowed to laugh at me!”

With his hands behind his back and furrowed brows, Zhao Junyao asked, ”When did I say I liked it? And when did I laugh at you?”

Xia Ruqing’s face turned even redder. Had she been too forward?

Just as she was feeling awkward, Zhao Junyao suddenly pulled her into an embrace. ”Are you trying to starve Your Sovereign? Hurry and serve me!”

Xia Ruqing snapped back to her senses, said, ”Oh,” and hurriedly went inside.

Everything was ready inside. A medium-sized stove was placed beside the soft couch. The spicy red oil hot pot broth on the stove was bubbling, emitting an enticing fragrance. On the small low table next to it were several dishes of vegetables and meat.

”All these vegetables are from my own little garden. Your Majesty, you must try them!”

”Oh? And what about this meat?” Zhao Junyao asked.

Xia Ruqing replied, ”This is lamb, specially sliced by a master chef from the Imperial Kitchen.”

The meat on the plate, sliced as thin as a cicada’s wing, was a vibrant red and looked exceptionally fresh.

”This is beef, marinated in a secret sauce! Cook it for a moment in the pot, and it will be tender and juicy!”

”And this one?” Zhao Junyao asked with a smile.

Xia Ruqing answered, ”This is venison. I hadn’t originally planned on having venison, but the Imperial Kitchen happened to have some, so I requested a little. I haven’t quite decided how to prepare it, so let’s just boil it and dip it in some sauce!”

As she spoke, Xia Ruqing pointed to a bowl of dipping sauce nearby. ”I mixed this myself—it’s essential for eating hot pot!”

Zhao Junyao nodded. ”So you call this thing hot pot?”

Xia Ruqing nodded.

Zhao Junyao seemed unfamiliar with it; he had eaten grilled skewers the previous winter.

Xia Ruqing suddenly thought, These people from ancient times are rather pitiable. If wealthy people want to eat well, they still have to worry about this and that! The poor, on the other hand, can’t afford it. It’s as if the whole world doesn’t know how to enjoy life! The Imperial Kitchen seems to be recklessly wasting nature’s bounty! How lamentable! How lamentable!

That night, the cold wind howled outside, freezing the land. Inside, a small stove was enough to fill the entire room with warmth.

The ancients said, ”A gentleman stays far from the kitchen!”

This saying is indeed true.

When Zhao Junyao picked up his chopsticks to face the boiling hot pot, he was completely at a loss. The Emperor, accustomed to commanding with authority and directing the affairs of the nation, now found himself in a difficult situation!

At this moment, Xia Ruqing, on the other hand, became the seasoned expert.

”Your Majesty, watch. You have to do it like this!”

With that, Xia Ruqing picked up a slice of lamb and swished it in the bubbling hot pot.