A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace

Chapter 361: Chapter 361: Turning Face Faster Than Flipping a Book!

Zi Su was anxious.

”But... why?”

”Why did everything change overnight!”

Zi Yue glanced at her and then smiled.

”This Harem is ultimately the Emperor’s Harem, Zi Su, do you understand?”

Zi Su was stunned.

”The Emperor’s Harem?”

She pondered for a while, and her eyes gradually cleared... So that’s it. That day, the Empress left Qingya Residence with an ashen face, and in the following days, the Emperor stayed continuously at Jiaofang Hall. That explains everything. Our master offended the Empress, and now the Empress’s imperial favor is suddenly soaring, while the Emperor hasn’t even glanced our master’s way! How could I not have understood sooner?

”I see...”

”But...” Zi Su was dumbfounded.

The master clearly hasn’t lost favor!

Zi Yue just laughed.

”It’s best we know this ourselves. Don’t stir up trouble, don’t complain. Just keep quiet, and all will be well!”

Zi Su looked at Zi Yue, and as she began to understand, she smiled too.

”So Sister Zi Yue had figured it all out already!”

Zi Yue glanced at her.

”The matters of the palace are complex. You need to think more. We all hope for the master’s wellbeing, so we can’t afford to stir up trouble!”

Zi Su blushed slightly. She stuck out her tongue. ”Yes!”

”Thank you for your guidance, Sister Zi Yue!”

Zi Ning, who was standing by, also relaxed and smiled.

”No matter what, we just need to live our lives well!”

The Emperor is treating the master well; how could he suddenly ignore her? Besides, the master is seven months pregnant. Once the Little Prince is born, her status will rise even higher!

Seeing that they all understood, Zi Yue said, ”Alright, the master should be waking up now. Let’s all serve her attentively!”

”Yes!”

With that, the three of them went inside.

In the late afternoon, it started raining outside, and it was quite heavy.

Xia Ruqing woke up in a daze, feeling thirsty. She got up to wash her face, then drank some water. Then, she felt a bit hungry.

”Bring me two plates of the snacks I usually have!”

”Alright!”

Xiao Xizi dashed to the Imperial Kitchen.

Xia Ruqing, draped in her cloak, stood by the window, watching the rain lash down outside. After a while, Xiao Xizi had still not returned. She then settled back on the soft couch.

Da Bai and Little White ran up to her, one after the other. One nuzzled her arm with its little head. The other, with its tail held high, burrowed eagerly into her arms.

Xia Ruqing picked up the fluffy Little White. She stroked her incredibly cute back of the head and rubbed her tender little paws.

”Little White... Do you want some dried fish, Little White?”

Little White looked up, her big, watery eyes fixed on Xia Ruqing.

”MEOW!”

Xia Ruqing lay down happily. She kissed Little White’s paws.

”Okay, Xiao Zhu Zi, go to the Imperial Kitchen and get some dried fish for Little White!”

Xiao Zhu Zi acknowledged and left. He hadn’t even made it out the door when Xiao Xizi returned, and his expression was very bleak.

Xiao Xizi put down the food box and knelt on the spot.

”Forgive me, My Lady, I...”

Xia Ruqing was somewhat surprised. ”What happened?”

As she spoke, she put down Little White, got off the couch, and walked over. She opened the food box to take a look.

It was empty.

”What’s going on? Where are the snacks?”

Xiao Xizi said with his head lowered, ”The Imperial Kitchen said that the master chefs are all busy stewing soup and can’t spare the attention!

”They also said... tonight the Emperor is going to have his evening meal at Jiaofang Hall, and all the food is reserved for the Emperor!”

Xia Ruqing frowned. ”No matter how busy they are, they should still be able to make some snacks!”

Xiao Xizi didn’t dare to say more. He just said with his head still bowed, ”My Lady, please don’t be angry. Why don’t we just order a meal?”

Xia Ruqing looked at the sky. ”Eating at this hour? Hmm...”

Forget it. She was pregnant, after all, and the number of meals she had per day wasn’t fixed. Xia Ruqing didn’t make a fuss and said, ”Well then, since they are stewing soup already, I’ll have yam and pork rib soup, and a pan-fried cornbread, crispy and golden brown!”

She suddenly felt like eating coarse grains.

Xiao Xizi seemed to want to say something, but in the end, he said nothing. He kowtowed and left.

Upon arrival at the Imperial Kitchen, unsurprisingly, they encountered all sorts of excuses.

A little eunuch said arrogantly, ”Xiao Xizi, it’s not that we don’t want to make it for you; it’s just that we’re too busy!

”We know that Xia Jieyu is pregnant, but... no matter how pregnant she is, she can’t compete with the Emperor, can she?”

This little eunuch, named Xiao Zhangzi, was an errand-running apprentice like Xiao Weizi. Just a few days ago, Xiao Zhangzi had been calling him ’Big Brother’ this and ’Big Brother’ that. Now, he suddenly came out with a ”Xiao Xizi?”

Heh, their attitudes change faster than flipping through a book!

Xiao Weizi stood by, unable to say anything, just pulling at Xiao Xizi apologetically.

”Big Brother Xizi!

”It’s an order from above; they want so many dishes. We all... dare not disobey!”

Xiao Xizi was fretting inside. ”This is too unreasonable! Our Lady is heavily pregnant and still hungry!

”Weren’t there two master chefs taking care of the snacks before?”

Xiao Weizi looked helpless. ”The master chefs are also in a hurry; they were all called over there. Not a single bit of leeway was left!

”Big Brother Xizi, look, even Zhaoer, who serves Honored Lady Shih, is going back empty-handed!

”There’s just nothing to eat!”

Xiao Xizi looked around and indeed saw many Palace Maids who had come to collect snacks going back empty-handed.

He sneered inside. Is the Empress acting high and mighty after just a few days of favor? Or is she willing to forsake her reputation for virtue?

Xiao Weizi sighed helplessly.

Xiao Zhangzi, on the other hand, was very impatient. ”Xiao Weizi, why are you explaining so much to him? Even the snacks for the Noble Consort haven’t been made, let alone for Xia Jieyu!

”There’s more than one pregnant woman in the palace. How come others can bear it, but your mistress can’t?”

Xiao Xizi was so angry that his face turned ashen.

Xiao Zhangzi glared defiantly. ”Oh? What, you’re angry? No matter how angry you are, you’ll have to wait!”

After saying this, he ignored Xiao Xizi and Xiao Weizi and swaggered into the kitchen.

Xiao Weizi gave a wry smile. ”Don’t take it to heart, Big Brother Xizi. This one is newly transferred from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and doesn’t understand how things work yet!”

Xiao Xizi just sneered coldly. ”It doesn’t matter!”

The Ministry of Internal Affairs was under the Empress’s control. It was obvious whose man Xiao Zhangzi was. But... this was a bit too much. Even if my mistress had offended the Empress, would she just fall from favor like that? Do people really not leave themselves any way out?

Xiao Xizi shook his head. Seeing that Xiao Weizi was still there, an idea struck him.

”Are there still any of those sun-dried little fish that the master chef prepared before?”

Xiao Weizi nodded eagerly. ”Yes, yes, yes! Big Brother Xizi, you wait here, I’ll go get them for you right now!”

He said this and hurried off.

”Hey, wait a minute!” Xiao Xizi stopped him.

”Since the master chefs are unavailable, just give us some raw ingredients. My mistress just wants to drink some soup, and we can stew it ourselves!”

Xiao Weizi looked at him, apologetic once again. ”Big Brother Xizi, this... The Xia mistress has always been kind to us servants; I just don’t feel right about this!”

Xiao Xizi then laughed. ”Hey! In the palace, isn’t that just how things are? Nobody can say they’ll always be on top, can they? Go on now!”

Xiao Weizi nodded and left.