A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace

Two days later.

Xia Jingfeng, having packed all his belongings, bid farewell to the Hou Mansion and departed from the Capital City.

Riding in an extremely simple horse-drawn carriage, accompanied by only his two personal servant boys, he set off for Jiangnan.

...

As April arrived, the court became increasingly busy with the additional imperial examinations.

The matter of the selection process was gradually put aside.

No matter how much the people in the city gossiped about it, the civil and military officials did not dare to openly defy the Emperor’s decree.

After all, they were there to assist the Emperor, not the Empress Dowager.

In the end, the selection process was merely the Emperor’s domestic affair and not a matter concerning the survival of the state.

Moreover...

At this point, they gradually understood the true nature of the situation.

The Emperor was not rejecting the selection process itself, but rather the Empress Dowager’s coercive attitude.

Come to think of it,

even a normal person would not appreciate the feeling of being held in someone else’s control for no reason.

Let alone the Emperor, the ruler of the nation!

The Empress Dowager, although the Emperor’s mother, sometimes advising on harem matters was not inappropriate.

But if she constantly tried to control him, it would be problematic!

No wonder the Emperor was angry and felt uneasy!

Having understood this, the court officials collected their thoughts.

”Whether the selection process takes place should depend on the Emperor’s wishes. They should focus on their own duties!”

To put it bluntly,

”How many more years does the Empress Dowager have to live? The Emperor is in his prime!”

”Angering the Emperor for the Empress Dowager is not worth it!”

Having realized this, the court officials behaved more appropriately.

The petitions urging the selection in the Imperial Study Room significantly decreased, while the normal business reports gradually increased, and governance slowly returned to the right path.

As for those in the Capital City who were still causing trouble,

Zhao Junyao could not care less about those insignificant troublemakers.

...

April 10th.

It was a day of rest.

Zhao Junyao hadn’t enjoyed such a full and comfortable sleep in a long time.

With a beauty in his arms and the scent of flowers wafting in from the window, he felt immensely fulfilled and at ease.

Xia Ruqing looked at him dazedly, then glanced outside the window.

”Emperor, you’re really staying in bed too long; it’s almost noon. Why haven’t you gotten up yet?”

Zhao Junyao lazily glanced at her.

”What’s the rush? It’s a rare day for me to rest; I’ll spend it however I want!”

Seeing he was in a somewhat better mood,

Xia Ruqing finally gathered the courage to ask.

”Emperor, will the selection process still proceed?”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Junyao was silent for a long time, for he was conflicted as well.

If he conducted the selection, he truly didn’t want to. To an emperor who had experienced all the beauties of the world, the young, innocent girls of fifteen or sixteen no longer interested him in the slightest.

If he didn’t conduct the selection,

the burden and rumors on Qingqing and even the Xia Family were already too much. He genuinely didn’t want her to be labeled as a beauty who brings disaster.

What should he do? To select or not to select, it was truly a dilemma!

”Do you want me to conduct the selection?” he looked at her.

Xia Ruqing shook her head without hesitation.

”I don’t want it!”

She was neither a fool nor a saint, and certainly not so magnanimous as to constantly find concubines for her emperor husband.

So, she was very resistant.

Zhao Junyao suddenly laughed, his face brightening like the thawing ice of spring.

”Alright! Then we won’t select!”

Xia Ruqing began to worry.

”But what about the Empress Dowager? And the court officials... Will it be acceptable?”

Zhao Junyao smiled faintly.

”Don’t worry!”

”I’ll handle everything!”

Xia Ruqing’s smile bloomed like a flower.

”You said it!”

”If anything goes wrong, I won’t be responsible!”

Zhao Junyao pinched her cheek.

”Alright, what could possibly go wrong?”

”When the previous Emperor ruled, there once was a disaster in Jiangnan and the selection was delayed for six years! It’s not an unprecedented event!”

Upon hearing this, Xia Ruqing also breathed a sigh of relief.

”I see!”

With that, she was free of any psychological burden.

After all, she was merely a woman in the deep palace, unable to see or hear the chaos outside.

As for her family, she believed Zhao Junyao would handle it well, so she wouldn’t worry unnecessarily.

That’s right, she was this carefree!

”By the way, didn’t Jingfeng go to Jiangnan? Has he set off?”

Zhao Junyao thought for a moment and replied casually.

”Probably!”

Upon hearing this, Xia Ruqing was relieved and didn’t ask any further.

...

In Ningshou Palace.

The Empress Dowager knelt in the small Buddha hall, with a palace maid discreetly reporting something to her.

Upon hearing the report, she immediately frowned.

”What? The selection process is canceled?”

The palace maid nodded.

A layer of frost suddenly covered the Empress Dowager’s face, and her fists clenched tightly.

”Emperor, oh Emperor, his wings indeed have grown strong!”

”My soft and hard tactics all proved useless!”

The trusted palace maid remained silent, not daring to speak.

The Empress Dowager furrowed her brows and pondered for a long time before suddenly waving her hand.

”Go, call Wanxin here!”

”Yes!”

The palace maid turned and left.

Before long, Shih Wanxin came, dragging her old and plump body gracefully.

”Empress Dowager!”

”Rise!”

The Empress Dowager waved her hand slightly.

Shih Wanxin thanked her and got up, sitting down on the low table beside her.

”Aunt, you were looking for me?”

The Empress Dowager dismissed the people around and, after some thought, disclosed the truth.

”The Emperor is unwilling to bring new people into the palace!”

Shih Wanxin was taken aback upon hearing this.

”Unwilling?!”

”What should we do then? How will we carry out our plan?”

The Empress Dowager frowned deeply, troubled and remained silent for a long time.

After pondering, Shih Wanxin spoke again.

”What if... we just bring them into the palace directly?”

The Empress Dowager’s eyes lit up.

”Bring them in directly? Do you have a way?”

Shih Wanxin smiled brightly.

”You are the Empress Dowager; when you leave the palace to worship Buddha or fulfill a vow, naturally no one will dare to stop you!”

”When out, if you encounter a pitiful and helpless girl, and out of compassion, decide to bring her by your side, it’s not unheard of!”

”Once inside the palace, wouldn’t the next steps be easily managed?”

The Empress Dowager thought for a moment and finally nodded.

”This indeed is a solution; let’s go with this for now!”

”Cough, cough!”

”Cough, cough, cough!”

The Empress Dowager suddenly began to cough violently.

Shih Wanxin quickly stepped forward to support her.

”Aunt, what’s wrong?”

The Empress Dowager, veins bulging, grasped her tightly, unable to hide her urgency.

”Quick!”

”Quick, get me the medicine!”

Shih Wanxin quickly helped her sit upright and stood up to fetch the medicine.

Moments later, she returned with an exquisite small medicine bottle.

”Aunt, quick!”

The Empress Dowager shakily accepted the bottle, poured out a pill, and hurriedly placed it in her mouth.

Shih Wanxin then handed her a bowl of tea.

The Empress Dowager took a few sips, finally catching her breath.

”Alright!”

”Thank goodness, thank goodness I have you to help me!”

Shih Wanxin smiled.

”Oh, Aunt, we’re on the same boat!”

”If one thrives, so does the other!”

”Helping you is helping myself!”

The Empress Dowager gave a bitter smile.

”Indeed! Helping me is helping yourself!”

She rubbed her chest and slowly stood up.

”I must say, these pills really work! Wanxin, when did you learn about these things?”