A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace

Chapter 436: Chapter 435: So Anxious to Destroy Me

Honored Lady Jiang’s face turned deathly pale with fright, and Hua Cha, beside her, was also filled with terror.

How did the Empress find out? Could it be the Noble Consort? No, that can’t be. The two of them have always been at odds; it’s impossible...

Unable to find an answer despite much thought, Yu Lan spoke up again with a smile.

”Honored Lady, there’s no need to panic. Our Empress means you well. Please hand over the spices so that I may take my leave.”

Honored Lady Jiang collapsed on the bed, looking desperately at Hua Cha.

”Go and get it!”

Hua Cha nervously went to fetch them.

She returned shortly with the items.

Yu Lan carefully checked everything, confirmed it was all in order, and then politely took her leave.

Hua Cha stepped forward to cover Honored Lady Jiang with a blanket, trying to console her.

”Master, I truly don’t understand. Why did you do it? Isn’t the Emperor good enough? Whether he dotes on you or not, he treats all the masters well. He’s young, handsome, and reigns supreme over the world. So many women would break their necks trying to get in here. Since you managed to enter the palace, and you have the Empress’s support and the Emperor’s favor, what more could you be dissatisfied with? What on earth are you doing?”

Hua Cha simply could not understand. She couldn’t dissuade her master and could only fret inwardly: Why did I end up with such a master... one so lacking in ambition! But what could be done? In the palace, who you served and where you served was all down to luck. It wasn’t as if one could choose.

She sighed, adjusted the lamp, closed the door, and left.

「Jiaofang Hall」

Under the lamplight, the Empress looked at the box of musk and chuckled coldly.

”Just imagine, someone I painstakingly nurtured, and she was so eager to destroy it all for me!”

This was a reference to Noble Concubine Shih.

As long-time archenemies, when the Empress and Noble Concubine Shih decided to be ruthless, neither would show any mercy.

Sister Ji felt a sense of relief.

”Fortunately, Your Majesty, you were vigilant enough to have someone keep an eye on Lijing Pavilion. Otherwise, if Honored Lady Jiang had actually used it, all our efforts would have been for naught!”

The Empress scoffed.

”But of course! Despite all her calculations, she probably never imagined I’d foil her plan in just a few Shi Chen!”

Sister Ji quickly smiled and said, ”Ultimately, it is Your Majesty who is wise!”

The Empress gave a cold smile and said no more.

Noble Concubine Shih is determined to fight me to the end, is she? Well then, I shall oblige her! I am the Empress; I have plenty of advantages.

Sister Ji continued, ”In fact, Your Majesty, you needn’t worry too much. Given Honored Lady Shih’s condition, it’s uncertain if she can even give birth. Besides, even if she does, whether it’s a boy or a girl, and whether the child can be successfully raised to adulthood are all uncertain! Even if a prince is born and survives, who can guarantee the child will grow up safely? So many children in the Royal Family die young. Of course, if it’s a princess, there’s even less to worry about. In the future, she’ll just be a dowry; what kind of trouble could she possibly stir up?”

The Empress picked up her teacup, took a sip, a confident smile playing on her lips.

「The next morning,」

The Empress summoned Honored Lady Jiang on the pretext of needing someone to attend to her due to illness.

Her attitude this time was not nearly as amiable as the last.

Last time, Honored Lady Jiang had been rewarded with a set of kingfisher-feather hair ornaments; this time, she was forced to kneel the moment she entered!

After kneeling for half a Shi Chen, Honored Lady Jiang’s knees grew numb.

Her complexion was deathly pale.

The Empress sat above, leisurely sipping her tea.

She gazed coldly at Honored Lady Jiang and said with a faint smile, ”Honored Lady Jiang, you’ve been kneeling for quite some time. Do you have anything to say to me?”

Honored Lady Jiang bit her lip, her face pale.

”Your Majesty, I... I do not understand what Your Majesty means.”

The Empress burst into a radiant smile.

”HEH... What a fine display of ’not understanding’! Then you can continue kneeling and think it over properly,” she said, then took Yu Lan’s arm and entered the inner chamber.

Honored Lady Jiang knelt alone in the hall. First, her limbs grew numb, then... dizziness and blurred vision overcame her.

Hua Cha, kneeling behind her, could barely hold on any longer. Weakly, her voice trembling, she pleaded, ”Master, please, just apologize to the Empress!”

Honored Lady Jiang slowly turned her head to look at her, and then... she fainted.

”Master! Master, what’s wrong with you?”

”Master!” Hua Cha cried out in alarm.

Yu Lan and two other Little Palace Maids rushed over. They helped Honored Lady Jiang up and hastily summoned the Imperial Physician, a flurry of activity erupting.

The Empress looked at Honored Lady Jiang lying on the soft couch, inwardly gritting her teeth in frustration.

If I had known she was such an ungrateful creature, I would have chosen someone else! If it weren’t for your resemblance to Consort Xian Pin, I wouldn’t have given you a second glance! HMPH!

The Imperial Physician arrived, made his diagnosis, and reported, ”Your Majesty, Honored Lady Jiang is fine. She is merely exhausted. A night’s rest will see her recovered.”

The Empress was somewhat disappointed but waved her hand, instructing her attendants to escort the Imperial Physician out respectfully.

Honored Lady Jiang awoke after a short while.

The Empress, somewhat impatient, ordered her to be sent back. Before Honored Lady Jiang left, the Empress gave her a long, hard look and warned, ”I will let this incident pass. But if you are disobedient again, I have plenty of ways to make you wish you were dead but unable to die!”

Honored Lady Jiang, weak and submissive, lowered her eyes. ”This servant wouldn’t dare.”

After saying this, she respectfully withdrew.

Once Honored Lady Jiang had departed, the Empress issued another order. ”Have someone keep an eye on her. Don’t let her cause any more trouble!”

”Yes, Your Majesty!”

「By the time March arrived,」

The Empress, after recuperating for a full three months—supposedly due to illness—was finally ready to regroup and re-enter the fray. Her first order of business was to reclaim her authority over the Harem.

The Noble Consort was extremely displeased, feeling both wronged and furious. However, her interim control had never been truly legitimate. She had no choice. Despite her unwillingness, she had to hand over the Phoenix Seal, the symbol of power she had temporarily wielded.

Having retrieved the Phoenix Seal, the Empress felt like a fish back in water.

During the morning greetings, the Empress, her complexion rosy, smiled radiantly.

”Dearest sister Noble Consort, thank you so much for all your hard work during this time. Otherwise, I truly wouldn’t have known what to do!”

The Noble Consort was so furious she could have gnashed her teeth. But she couldn’t let it show on her face, so she forced a smile and muttered a few cursory words of agreement.

Inwardly, however, she had already rolled her eyes countless times. So, all my hard work was just paving the way for her, and I was actually feeling smug about it before? HA! The Noble Consort was beside herself with vexation. She hadn’t achieved her own goals, and now she was being ridiculed by the Empress. It was simply too much!

Watching the Noble Consort struggle to suppress her emotions, the Empress felt increasingly satisfied.

After conversing with everyone for a good while, she finally dismissed them.

Following the main group departing from Jiaofang Hall, Xia Ruqing hurried back to Qingya Residence. Ever since she had Little Bun, she didn’t want to be away from him for even a moment.

Little Bun, now over five months old, was as robust as an average six-month-old child. He could already sit up. The milk from the Wetnurse Nanny was no longer enough to satisfy him, so Xia Ruqing had to ask the small kitchen to prepare porridge, noodles, and other supplementary foods.

She didn’t opt for overly refined fare; she simply consulted with Imperial Doctor Zhang and selected a few recipes suitable for young children.

Imperial Doctor Zhang was quite impressed by this. ”It is commendable, Your Highness, that you allow the Little Prince to eat such grains and cereals!”

Xia Ruqing was a little surprised. ”What’s so unacceptable about it? People are supposed to eat grains and cereals!”