SFS Chapter 670 I Will Teach You Personally (1 Chapter)
Chapter 670 I Will Teach You Personally (1 Chapter)
"Your Majesty, you have been guarding here for a long time. Why not moisten your throat with a cup of fragrant soup that I personally brewed?"
Zhen Huan presented the teacup with the rich fragrance of plum blossoms with both hands, feeling more embarrassed.
Ever since Yunli sent her back to the palace, the emperor's attitude towards her has not been the same as before.
For the sake of her child and Yu Rao who was far away in Lingyun Peak, she had to humble herself and try her best to please him.
The emperor looked at the woman in front of him, who was holding the teacup with lowered eyebrows and a pleasant look, and the fragrance of plum blossoms was intoxicating.
Once upon a time, Rouze would also serve him a bowl of the same fragrant soup when he was exhausted.
He looked at Zhen Huan's profile, which was similar to that of an old friend, and his heart softened, so he stretched out his hand.
When Zhen Huan saw the emperor take the teacup, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Ever since this man came to Zhongcui Palace, all his attention has been focused on the Eleventh Prince, and he has been somewhat cold towards her.
Now the emperor's attitude has finally softened.
This bottle of pickled plum blossoms was sent by Yunli.
He said that Queen Chunyuan would pick half-opened flowers with stalks in the early morning every year and pickle them layer by layer with salt.
Next year, take two or three petals of the flower, add honey, and pour boiling water over it to make this fragrant soup.
Yunli didn't know that she was pregnant with his child, but he was able to help her regain the emperor's heart. He was so infatuated with her.
Zhen Huan thought of what Jin Xi had said recently and felt it made perfect sense. She should make some plans for Hong Yang and not continue to be so depressed.
So she slowly raised her head and was about to tell the emperor about her pain, but she saw the emperor put the teacup that had never touched his lips on the table and looked at her with a complicated expression.
"Concubine Zhen, you just need to take good care of Hongyang. The servants will take care of the tea and water."
The Zhen family is really secretive. Even the details of his relationship with Rouze can be found out.
The emperor's eyes darkened and he stood up and walked out.
"I still have government affairs to attend to. If Hongyang behaves abnormally, send someone to inform me."
"Your Majesty, I thank you for your concern."
Zhen Huan changed her words bitterly, and watched the emperor leave without looking back. She sat down on the ground powerlessly, her heart filled with confusion.
"Jinxi, why do you think the emperor is like this?"
Yunli had clearly said that he used to use the Anxiang Soup, so why did he...
Cui Jinxi helped the man up with a serious face, "Master, the emperor has always been changeable. Perhaps he is in a bad mood because he sees that the Eleventh Prince is too ill."
Light shone into the main hall of Zhongcui Palace, illuminating Zhen Huan's pale and haggard face.
Her mind was in a mess and she didn't notice that Cui Jinxi deliberately emphasized the words "too seriously ill".
As soon as the news came back that the emperor and the sixth prince were eating and living together, a vase was accidentally broken in the main hall of Zhongcui Palace.
That night, the Eleventh Prince developed a high fever and his condition became increasingly serious.
Cui Jinxi suspected that it was Zhen Huan who visited the young master who had done something.
"Jinxi, I can sense that the Emperor's attitude has softened a bit just now. Why do you think he suddenly changed his attitude?"
Zhen Huan was full of confusion.
"Do you think he is..."
The thought "Did he get tired of her?" came to her mind.
"Jinxi, the emperor likes the Jinghong dance. Please give the money to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to make a set of dance costumes as soon as possible."
Her parents' death could not be in vain, and her sister's suffering could not be in vain.
Since the emperor is unkind, she will let her son who has no blood relationship with him inherit the throne!
Cui Jinxi glared at her in dissatisfaction, and then responded respectfully when Zhen Huan raised her head.
"Master, I will send someone over right away."
While the young master was still ill, she had the idea of pleasing the emperor and regaining his favor.
How could such a woman be even half as good as Queen Chunyuan?
Cui Jinxi looked at the white hair hidden under Zhen Huan's black hair, and secretly decided to politely refuse the supplements sent by Prince Guo on her behalf.
Instead of relying on her stunning dance to regain the emperor's favor, Zhen Huan might as well rely on her illness to win the emperor's pity.
Her body is entirely supported by supplements. Once she stops taking them, she will slowly age from the inside out.
The young master has successfully entered the palace. If Zhen Huan is really useless or a drag, she will consider the proposal over there and kill the mother and keep the son.
On the other side, the emperor came out of Zhongcui Palace, hesitated for a moment while standing on the palace road, and then turned into Jingyang Palace nearby.
"You guys stay outside the temple and don't let anyone in!"
After the emperor gave his order, he gave Su Peisheng a wink.
The master and servant shuttled back and forth among the numerous bookshelves and stopped in front of an inconspicuous small door.
Su Peisheng skillfully took out a key from the bookshelf beside him and opened the door in a few seconds.
"Master, please."
What caught my eye was a simple tea room, with two dried plum trees in a vase being the brightest colors in the room.
The emperor picked up the scroll on the small table and continued reading from the previous chapter.
Su Peisheng tinkered outside for a while, then came in carrying a small stove.
In less than a quarter of an hour, a large amount of white smoke came out of the pot. Su Peisheng took three pickled plum blossoms from a small jar on the side and put them in.
After a few breaths, the fragrance of plum blossoms, along with the white mist, filled the entire small room.
Su Peisheng calmly added two spoonfuls of honey and stirred, then poured the boiling hot tea into the teacup and let it cool.
He thought it was about time before he presented the teacup.
The emperor took a sip in silence and it still tasted the same as before.
"Su Peisheng, I asked you to investigate Zhen Yuandao. Have you made any progress?"
"Your Majesty, our subordinates have been investigating and discovered that Zhen Yuandao, using his position at the Dali Temple, replaced He Bizhu, the daughter of a convicted official who was supposed to be exiled, with a condemned prisoner on death row. He then changed her name to He Mianmian and raised her as a concubine. She also gave birth to a daughter. It's said that since He Mianmian's death, the daughter has disappeared."
Su Peisheng paused, then continued speaking boldly.
"Your Majesty, Miss Fubao, who served Concubine He, said that after Concubine Zhen returned to the palace, Concubine He was the first to come and visit. She returned from Zhongcui Palace and happily rewarded the servants with silver. Miss Fubao accidentally learned that Zhen Yuandao seemed to be considering adopting Concubine He as his adopted daughter."
"The Zhen family was a criminal at the time. I was afraid Miss Fubao might have misunderstood, so I sent someone to question the family of Miss Liuzhu, who also served Concubine Zhen. They said that Concubine He's food, clothing, and other expenses in the mansion were almost as much as Concubine Zhen's. Once, when Concubine He got drunk, she even called herself the second young lady of the Zhen family."
Su Peisheng has made it very clear that He Huanbi, who entered the palace with Zhen Huan, was Zhen Yuandao's concubine.
The emperor slammed the teacup onto the small table so hard that the water inside splashed out.
The He family committed the crime during the reign of the previous emperor, so it doesn't matter whether he intervenes in this old case or not.
But Zhen Yuandao carefully raised his eldest daughter and sent her to the palace, but he still wanted her to be accompanied by a concubine, which was really intolerable for him.
The emperor felt a chill in his heart when he thought of everything Huanbi had done since entering the palace.
Not only did Zhen Yuandao use his eldest daughter to seduce him, he also secretly allowed his virgin daughter to climb into his bed.
The concubine even took medicine to harm herself in order to give birth to a prince.
Zhen Yuandao is absolutely despicable!
The emperor was furious, his throat felt hot, and he quickly wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief and gave orders with a gloomy face.
"Su Peisheng, dig up He Bin and Zhen Yuandao and their spouses and grind their bones to dust!"
"Yes, I will send someone to do it right away."
Su Peisheng received the news on the day the emperor decided to return to the palace, and he had been looking for a suitable opportunity to report it.
Today, seeing that Concubine Zhen was trying to please her master under the guise of Queen Chunyuan, he told her everything without hesitation when her master became suspicious of Concubine Zhen.
Sure enough, the master, who already had a grudge against the Zhen family, became even more furious.
The emperor summoned Xia Yi again on the night he returned to the Yangxin Palace.
When he heard that Zhen Yuandao had married and had a daughter in his hometown earlier, he was not surprised at all.
"Have you found out the whereabouts of Zhen Yuandao's daughter born to his first wife?"
With the sinister He Huanbi in front of him, the emperor could not help but take this issue seriously.
Zhen Yuandao's first wife's daughter is older than Concubine Zhen, and it seems that there is no orphan girl in his harem who meets this condition for the time being.
"Your Majesty, according to Zhen Yuandao's neighbors, two months after he left for Beijing to take the imperial examination, his home was targeted by thieves, and his first wife and eldest daughter are missing."
"I am incompetent and have not been able to find out more information."
"It's been over 30 years since this happened. You've done your best to find out this much."
The emperor rubbed his head irritably and stuffed another pill into his pocket.
"During the days I've been in the garden to escape the summer heat, have you discovered anything in Zhongcui Palace?"
"Your Majesty, Empress Zhenfei, aside from going to Fubi Pavilion to enjoy the rain on rainy days, stays in Zhongcui Palace to look after the Eleventh Prince and Princess Lingxi. Some palace matters are handled by her subordinates, Cui Jinxi and Bai Zhi."
Xia Qi said this and took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket.
"Your Majesty, these are the expenses of the Zhongcui Palace for the kitchen and the Imperial Household Department over the past six months. Please review them."
After Zhen Fei entered the palace again, she basically lived on her salary and the emperor's rewards.
But Xia Qi knew that Concubine Zhen had always been indifferent to money, and most of the rewards sent by the emperor and the Ministry of Internal Affairs were in kind.
The expenses of Zhongcui Palace in the past few months far exceeded the level of a concubine who had no support from her maternal family.
The emperor stared at the records on the paper for a long time, then he slowly exhaled.
"Xia Qian, please compile the expenses of the Eleventh Prince's biological mother, Concubine He, over the past few years. I want to see it as soon as possible."
Xia Qi rarely agreed immediately, but instead took out a booklet from his pocket.
"Your Majesty, this is an account book that our servants found in the secret compartment of the main hall of Yanxi Palace. Please take a look."
It records in detail all of Concubine He's expenses over the past five years.
The emperor flipped through the booklet quickly and laughed angrily.
"Some of the women in my harem are truly wealthy."
"Xia Qian, take your men and search the Zhen family's house thoroughly, inside and out, and bring back everything you find!"
Zhen Yuandao prides himself on being honest and fair, but unexpectedly he is actually a calculating hypocrite in private.
After the eldest daughter left the palace in anger, she poured all her resources into her concubine's daughter.
The emperor placed the things Xia Qie handed over into the small drawer on the desk and asked him to leave.
A little nobleman was spoiled by a father whom he could not recognize, but poor Rong'er unfortunately lost his father early.
The more the emperor thought of the three sisters of the Zhen family, the more uncomfortable he felt.
"Su Peisheng, take two thousand taels of silver from my private treasury and give it to the Imperial Concubine. Tell her that the three children are growing up and we should not let them go hungry."
"Rong'er is weak, please pick out some supplements to bring over."
Su Peisheng agreed repeatedly.
The next day, An Lingrong took the things sent by Su Peisheng in confusion. After thinking about it, she gave the emperor a nightgown in return.
"Eunuch Su, this is the material the Emperor likes. Please pass it on to me."
"Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I will present it as soon as possible."
When Su Peisheng was leaving, he saw Baoque coming in with a cage, and he went up to him and chatted with him for a while.
After he presented the clothes to the emperor, he started chatting.
"Master, the Seventh Prince needs living creatures to learn painting, so he brought back a few pure white rabbits from the garden. He sent one to the Imperial Concubine."
"I heard from Aunt Baoque that the Imperial Noble Consort didn't want to disappoint the Seventh Prince and wanted to feed the baby herself."
A smile finally appeared on the emperor's gloomy face.
"The Imperial Concubine is kind and generous, and Hongxia is a good boy who knows how to repay his kindness."
He promoted Rong'er to Imperial Noble Consort despite the pressure, and now it seems that his vision was good.
"I remember there are several nice inkstones in the inner treasury. Please choose one and send it to each of the three princes."
Su Peisheng did not hide his presence when he gave out rewards twice.
After Cui Jinxi told Zhen Huan the news, she immediately put down the bowl in her hand.
"Baizhi, I have no appetite. Please take away this ginseng and red date soup."
Ever since the emperor fined her salary, she has been short of money.
Baizhi often brought back supplements from the kitchen and the Imperial Household Department. After she punished the man, she didn't want to let Yunli down for his efforts in keeping him healthy.
But no amount of silver could support her three daily meals. Today, the bowl contained small ginseng roots.
"Master, there is no ginseng left in the warehouse..."
Cui Jinxi quickly interrupted.
"Baizhi, the master is upset, please stop talking and go down quickly."
Zhen Huan didn't even glance at Bai Zhi, obviously agreeing with Cui Jinxi's words.
Seeing this, Baizhi had no choice but to take the small bowl and go out.
Zhen Huan clenched her hands so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
"Jinxi, how is the training of Xunmei going?"
Cui Jinxi reported with her head lowered.
"My Lord, Xunmei was very young when she entered the palace. She was able to learn to read only because of the favor of the Aunt in Charge. Her poetry and calligraphy... I have done my best."
A look of confusion flashed across Zhen Huan's eyes. When she thought about what the emperor had done in the past two days, she quickly made a decision.
"Thank you for your hard work. Let me teach you myself."
"Master, this...I'm afraid it's inappropriate?"
"Jinxi, I have made up my mind. Please stop trying to persuade me."
Zhen Huan patted her hand gently and said, "Have someone keep an eye on Xunmei's family. If she doesn't obey, then..."
Cui Jinxi nodded in understanding.
"Yes, Miss Xunmei misses her family, so I will send someone to get an old item to ease her homesickness."
"Okay, I'm confident you can handle this."
If Ying, whom Yunli placed beside the emperor, had not proved to be useless, she would not have fallen to the point of having to personally train a woman and send her to the emperor.