The Self-cultivation of a Salted Fish Concubine

Chapter 315 Wu Cairen asks for help

"This reward today was given to us by our queen. She said that the emperor dined at the Zhaohe Palace this morning and praised your cooking."

The eunuch in charge grinned from ear to ear, his tone fawning. "I know, I know. The Emperor sent a reward this morning. I was quite surprised to see that my own work had the chance to be presented to the Emperor."

This statement is somewhat exaggerated, but the point is that everyone knows that the emperor had his meal in the Cining Palace in the morning, and no one would have thought that he would suddenly go to the Showa Palace.

The eunuch in charge was muttering in the morning that Showa Palace wanted some big dishes, which took a lot of effort to prepare, and he was secretly complaining in his heart.

But when they learned that the emperor was having dinner at Showa Palace, all those complaints turned into secret joy.

When she received the emperor's reward, she felt nothing but gratitude towards Concubine Zhao Shu.

Now he was full of compliments, saying, "It's still Empress Zhao Shufei who is favored. The Emperor went to the Cining Palace and even came to the Zhaohe Palace to see the Empress, which also made us servants feel good."

Chun Juan quickly said, "Don't talk nonsense!"

"What do you mean by favored or not? That all depends on the emperor's mood. It's just a matter of a word to decide whose palace to go to!"

"As for you, stop talking nonsense about my queen, or you will definitely not get this reward in the future!"

The eunuch in charge quickly said, "Yes, yes, yes! It's my fault that I'm not good at speaking."

As he spoke, a young eunuch under the eunuch in charge came forward carrying a box.

He smiled and leaned closer to Chun Juan: "This is the newly developed honey soup from the imperial kitchen. It smells as sweet as honey, but tastes refreshing and clean. It's perfect for a day like this."

"Our queen loves to drink something light. This honey soup is just what she likes. It can be considered as a filial gift from the servants."

Chun Juan glanced at him and said, "You are a sensible boy."

He returned to Showa Palace carrying the honey soup.

It is common for subordinates to show filial piety to their superiors, and Chunjuan has now handled it with ease.

Such filial respect cannot be rejected, nor can it be accepted in full.

He accepted it now and only told the queen that it was her business whether to drink it or not.

After the people here sent their tributes, they could accept the reward money with peace of mind.

When they arrived at Showa Palace, Chunjuan mentioned the matter of honey soup.

Xie Run had just come back from seeing Hua Yu and was feeling a bit hot, so he said, "Then let's give it a try."

Immediately, a young eunuch came forward to test the poison for her.

This young eunuch who tested poison was the one who was rewarded by the emperor for the incident with the poisonous spider Gu two days ago.

The emperor not only rewarded the person, but also issued an order that in the future, any concubine who became a concubine would be given a young eunuch who was specifically responsible for testing poisons.

Concubine Jing benefited from this.

Xie Run used honey core soup, which tasted pretty good. It was indeed as the imperial kitchen said, smelling sweet and tasting fresh and elegant.

This was originally a small matter and Xie Run didn't take it seriously.

Unexpectedly, just as it was getting dark, Concubine Wu suddenly came to ask for a meeting.

Xie Run was puzzled: "Why did she come to see me?"

After being stabbed in the back by Wu Cairen last time, Xie Run was not prepared to have anything to do with Wu Cairen again.

Wu Cairen herself knew that she was disliked and would not approach Xie Run.

In addition, she was pregnant, so she focused on taking care of the baby, usually hiding in her own yard.

Dan Tao reminded her, "Your Majesty, Consort Wu is still under house arrest. If she comes to look for you rashly, I'm afraid she has something wrong."

Xie Run: "...What is it that makes her come to me?"

Now the Queen is in charge of the harem, and no matter big or small, everyone will go to Fengyi Palace instead of Xie Run’s Showa Palace.

Xie Run thought for a moment and said, "No, let her go to Fengyi Palace."

The little palace maid was sent to deliver the message, but after a while the little palace maid came back.

"Madam, Consort Wu refuses to leave. She says you took and drank her honey soup, and she wants to come to your house to demand an explanation."

Before Xie Run could say anything, Xiao Shu beside him was about to laugh out of anger.

"Let's not even mention that this honey soup was a gift from the servants. Just a bowl of soup, our queen would have asked for it, but she came all the way here to ask for it?"

"In terms of seniority, the food in the imperial kitchen should be eaten by the Empress first, and the rest should be for everyone else. How did it become hers now?"

"You say that as if our queen is determined to snatch a bowl of soup from her."

Xiao Shu also knew that this bowl of soup was probably an excuse, but this excuse sounded really disgusting.

Xie Run still said the same thing: "No."

"If she feels that I took her soup and bullied her, she can report it to the Empress and let Her Majesty make the decision for her."

Xie Run's words seemed like bullying, but there was no way she would meet Wu Cairen.

He came at dark and found an excuse to see her. There must be a ghost!

The young palace maid whispered, "Just now, I took a look by the light of the lantern, and Lady Wu didn't look well."

Xie Run remembered that she was still pregnant.

"Tell her that if she fails to protect the Emperor's child, she will be the only one to suffer in the end!"

Xie Run was a little suspicious that something had happened to Wu Cairen.

She thought, not without malicious intent, that Wu Cairen might be unable to keep the child and wanted to take the opportunity to put the blame on her.

Such things had happened several times in the palace before, so Xie Run had to be on guard.

This time it was Dan Tao who sent Xie Run to deliver the message.

Wu Cairen didn't expect that Concubine Zhao Shu was so determined. No matter how she begged and showed weakness, she refused to see her.

She simply threw away her dignity and face and knelt in front of the gate of Showa Palace: "Please tell the Concubine Shu that I beg her to save my life."

Dan Tao looked calm, but her heart skipped a beat. She only asked, "Is Concubine Wu talking nonsense because she's drunk?"

"You are pregnant with the Emperor's child. If anything were to happen, you should ask the Empress for help. Why did you ask my master for help?"

Two large lanterns were hung at the entrance of Showa Palace, and the candlelight illuminated Wu Cairen's face.

The orange candlelight could not hide the paleness of her face.

"Is your Majesty really so cruel that she won't lend me a helping hand?"

Dan Tao smiled and said, "It's not that my queen is cruel, it's just that what Concubine Wu asked for is too unreasonable."

"When we were in the palace, it was my wife who helped the Queen manage the backyard. Now that Concubine Wu has come to ask for help, my wife will do her utmost to protect you."

"But now in the palace, the rules are very strict. Even my wife has to abide by the rules step by step and dare not make any mistakes. How can she dare to overstep the line and interfere in Wu Cairen's affairs?"

"Concubine Wu is pregnant with the heir to the throne. Why would she turn to my wife instead of the Emperor or Empress when she has a problem?"

Dan Tao asked softly, "If you don't know, you might think that Concubine Wu saw that my wife was having an easy life and wanted to harm her on purpose."

Dan Tao is usually very gentle and friendly, but she also can't stand Wu Cairen's betrayal of Xie Run.

He deliberately brought up what happened back then just to annoy Wu Cairen and remind her not to hurt others.

After hearing this, Concubine Wu's face was filled with disappointment. "Forget it. Concubine Zhao Shu is so cruel that she didn't help me. Then I can only ask the Empress for help."

Dan Tao returned to Showa Palace and passed the message to Xie Run.

Xie Run didn't want to care at first, but then he thought that if something happened to Wu Cairen, she would probably be blamed for not helping her.

Xie Run smiled and said, "Since she's in trouble, I can't really just ignore her. After all, she's carrying the heir to the throne."

Dan Tao and Xiao Shu's faces tightened, fearing that Xie Runyi would be soft-hearted and get involved in the big trouble of Wu Cairen.

Unexpectedly, Xie Run changed the subject and asked, "Send someone to tell the emperor about this. Tell him that I'm really panicked and don't know how to deal with it."

Both of their eyes lit up. "Your Majesty is indeed very quick-witted. Let the matter be handled by the Emperor. No matter what happens, the Master cannot be blamed in the end."

Xie Run picked up the fan on the table and fanned himself, "Go ahead."

Chun Juan came up and confessed, "I was not aware of what Concubine Wu said about the honey soup. Now I have caused Your Majesty to get into trouble. I am at fault. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."

Xie Run waved his fan and said, "I don't like to punish people, and your mistake is not serious."

Xiao Shu's words just now were a bit aggressive, but they were actually in line with the palace's strict rules.

When the concubines went to the imperial kitchen to ask for meals, they would be allocated according to their rank.

Those in higher positions get their meals first, and those in lower positions get their meals later.

Not to mention that Xie Run only ate a bowl of soup, even if all of Wu Cairen's food was taken away, she couldn't blame Xie Run.

Xie Run: "I'm afraid this is caused by the people in the imperial kitchen. In order to please me, these people may have done some things to flatter the powerful and bully the weak."

"These things are common, but now that Wu Cairen has brought them up, it really hurts Prince Showa's reputation."

"Go ask the people in the imperial kitchen what's going on first. If they're at fault, I'll naturally ask the Queen to punish them. If it's your fault, it won't be too late to punish you then."

The Imperial Kitchen is responsible for the meals of the six palaces. There are many servants in it, and each of them has his or her own little thoughts.

Although food is served from high to low status, if the low status is favored and the high status is not, someone will naturally consider changing the order of serving the food.

Those in high positions who are not favored dare not complain about such a small matter, and those in low positions who are favored also enjoy the small privileges that come with favor.

Xie Run has always had privileges, but she never uses them.

This time, she encountered such a thing by chance and was even brought to her door. She couldn't pretend nothing happened.

The imperial kitchen was also shocked when they heard that Concubine Wu had gone to Showa Palace to make trouble. The chief steward quickly brought people to Showa Palace to apologize.

"Your Majesty, the recipe for the honey pudding was originally given by Consort Wu, who only asked the imperial kitchen staff to try making it and see if they could reproduce the flavor."

"It just so happened that this little slave received a reward from the Empress. He had just made a honey soup and took it upon himself to present it to the Empress. This is how the current misunderstanding occurred."

The chief steward smiled ingratiatingly, "The honey broth for Lady Wu has been delivered. It's probably just the right time to eat it now."

Xie Run said with a smile, "Chief Eunuch Jiang, you may not know yet, but Concubine Wu is in trouble and has gone to Fengyi Palace. I'm afraid she won't be able to drink your honey soup anymore."

Chief Steward Jiang's face turned pale. "Concubine Wu went to Fengyi Palace? That's really unfortunate."

His heart almost jumped out of his throat, fearing that Concubine Wu would go and complain to the Queen over a bowl of soup.

In the past, as the chief steward of the imperial kitchen, he would naturally not be afraid of a talented woman.

But now Concubine Wu is pregnant with the royal heir, and the emperor and the empress have repeatedly said that they will take good care of her.

How could Jiang Zongguan, a eunuch in charge, dare to bring the matter to the Queen?

Xie Run said with a smile: "Look how scared Chief Steward Jiang is. Don't get me wrong, Concubine Wu is not going to complain about you."

"I saw that she seemed to be unwell, so I went to Fengyi Palace."

Chief Steward Jiang breathed a sigh of relief. "This time, I did something stupid. Thank you for reminding me, Your Majesty."

Xie Run still had a faint smile on his face. "What happened with Lady Wu isn't a big deal, but I can't just let it go."

"Because of the tribute you sent, Concubine Wu came to ask for it. It seems that I bullied her and took the food from her mouth."

"She came to my house specifically to ask for it and even threatened me to see her."

"General Manager Jiang, Concubine Wu is feeling unwell, but she didn't ask to see the Queen, and instead insisted on coming to see me. What do you think she's planning?"

"Consort Wu used this bowl of honey soup as an excuse to knock on the door of the Showa Palace... and this excuse was given to me by your Imperial Kitchen." Xie Run's smile gradually faded. "Is this what your Imperial Kitchen does?"

Chief Steward Jiang's face turned pale, sweat broke out on his forehead, and he quickly knelt in front of Xie Run.

"Please, Your Majesty, listen to my rebuttal!"

The eunuchs who came with him also knelt on the ground and begged for mercy.

Xie Run continued calmly, "Last time, the Emperor didn't blame us for the spider poison found in our meals, but now this has happened again."

"If something happens to Concubine Wu, and the blame falls on me, do you think the Imperial Kitchen can escape responsibility?"

After hearing these words, Jiang Da Zongguan, who was kneeling on the ground, felt cold sweat running down his back.

He begged for mercy repeatedly: "My Queen, please spare me! My Queen, please spare me!"

"This kind of thing happens all the time in the Imperial Kitchen. I saw something good and only wanted to honor the Empress. I don't know if Concubine Wu dared to come to the Empress and ask for it!"

Xiao Shu scolded: "What shameless words!"

"Are you saying that our queen is just coveting Lady Wu's bowl of soup?!"

"Of course not!" Chief Eunuch Jiang begged for mercy: "It's my fault that I'm dumb and can't speak!"

"It was because we servants wanted to curry favor with the Majesty that we took advantage of Concubine Wu because of her low rank. We intercepted the soup and gave it to the Majesty to curry favor. We servants flatter the powerful and look down on the weak, and we deserve to be punished!"

"I only ask that Your Majesty give me a lighter punishment and not tell the Emperor or Empress. I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty's great kindness!"

Dan Tao said softly, "It's a little late to say these things now."

Chief Steward Jiang knelt on the ground and kowtowed, his head banging loudly, begging for mercy from Xie Run without a word.

Xie Run said calmly, "You don't have to kowtow to me. Now that Concubine Wu has gone to the Queen's palace, there will naturally be someone sharp-eyed and sharp-eared who will report what happened in the Imperial Kitchen to the Queen."

"Even if I forgive you, I'm afraid the Queen won't forgive you easily either."

Chief Eunuch Jiang was stunned and cried miserably, "Please, Her Majesty, for the sake of my diligence in my work, please say a few good words for me. Perhaps then Her Majesty will not blame me..."

Just at this moment, the fifth prince in the ear room started crying.

Xiao Shu scolded: "Shut up!"

"You guys are howling like ghosts and wolves, and you scared the Fifth Prince. Ten heads won't be enough to pay him back!"

The eunuchs, led by Chief Eunuch Jiang, did not dare to utter a word for a moment.

Xie Run simply said, "Send Chief Steward Jiang back."

Her tone was cold, without any intention of showing any mercy.