C69 (2/2)
After a while, Zhang Cheng came back again. It turned out that Zhu Yijun had rewarded six dishes to Wang Rong He while they were eating. For these six dishes, he had to set up an incense table to welcome them again. The process was very complicated, so much so that Wang Rong didn't have any appetite to sit down, but Zhang Cheng was still there. He had to watch Wang Rong and eat the dishes given by the emperor, then smile and say it was delicious, before returning to report.
Wuyou carefully placed the six bestowed dishes into the plate. Fortunately, she was well versed in the art of cloth cooking, and was able to look good on the plate, but the actual amount was not enough to make Wang Rong unable to eat. When Zhang Cheng was about to return to report, Wang Rong He called out to him, ”Are there any squirrel fish in His Majesty's diet today?”
”I still haven't seen him.” Zhang Cheng said.
”I have a cinnamon squirrel fish here. His Majesty had mentioned it at dinner yesterday, saying that it wants to eat. Hurry and carry it over, His Majesty can still eat something warm.” Wang Rong He said.
Zhang Cheng had never experienced the situation of returning to take back the dishes he gifted His Majesty before, but thinking back to when the Empress was still Imperial Consort Candidate, he had a lot of things to do with his majesty. Furthermore, the Empress was now the empress, so it should be fine for his wife to send food to his husband.
Zhu Yijun saw him carry the dishes over, and was a little confused: ”What's the situation? ”She won't eat it?”
”No, Esteemed wangfei received the dish from His Majesty and ate it immediately. She ate it very happily.” Zhang Cheng said, ”Empress said that today's dish of squirrel cinnamon was extremely good. Thinking that His Majesty had said yesterday that he wanted to eat it, I decided to present it to Your Majesty.”
”Did I say I wanted to eat squirrel cinnamon fish?” Zhu Yijun hesitantly asked himself in a low voice. Did he say such a thing yesterday? Zhu Yijun asked Zhang Cheng to bring the dishes over, and then said to Zhang Juzheng, ”The Empress has just gotten married, and has some thoughts on the part of her little daughter. She doesn't know what it is that we want, but she will naturally ask someone to make it for her, and would even eagerly send it over.”
”The empress being harmonious is a blessing in disguise.” Zhang Juzheng stroked his beard and said.
After Zhang Cheng left, Wang Rong He called for his to withdraw his meal, she leaned on the brick bed, and had Wuyou send her the scalp. When he was at home, she would go to bed to rest for a bit, but it was obviously impossible now.
Besides, he had to meet with the Imperial Consort this afternoon.
When the palace concubines arrived outside the Kunning Palace, Zhu Yijun still hadn't come. Princess Rong and others should go and urge them to sit inside the Jiaotai Palace, not saying that they should go to the Kunning Palace first, nor should they allow the palace concubines to enter the Kunning Palace first. However, she had also sent someone to inform the Imperial Lower Consort Yang that His Majesty had not arrived yet.
Zhu Yijun hurried over, and the two went to the Kunning Palace. After sitting in the hall, they started to summon the imperial concubines that had already been waiting outside for a while to enter the hall.
Although the August sun was not scorching, after standing under the sunlight for three-quarters of an hour, the bridesmaids who were originally dressed extravagantly were in a somewhat sorry state. Imperial Lower Consort Yang was the leader of one group, while the concubine in the palace was in front of the other. Yang and Liu stood tall and straight as they stared straight ahead. Among the beauties behind them, most of them were unsteady, their gazes flurried.
”Our empress has really put on a good show.”
While waiting for the concubine to come in, Zhu Yijun took a sip of tea. ”We discussed the situation with the head assistant about how to push through the same whip technique and momentarily forgot the time, causing Zitong to wait for a long time.”
”It's nothing much for me to sit and wait in the hall. It's just that it's a bit difficult for them to wait outside the hall.” Wang Rong covered her mouth and laughed, ”Who knows, you might even think that I was trying to establish my might.”
”If the Imperial Consort Guo is not here, no one would have the guts to do so.” Zhu Yijun also laughed and said, ”Imperial Consort Guo has made a mistake. We have punished her to be confined in the palace for half a year, you will not be able to see her today.”
”It's alright, I've seen it before in the palace.” Wang Rong He said.
”She's not a bad person. It's just that she has a straightforward character, so she doesn't take pleasure in taking care of her mother.” Zhu Yijun said.
”Straightforward? To what extent? If you don't respect me, can I discipline her? ” Wang Rong He said.
”Of course you can. You're the empress.” Zhu Yijun asked curiously.
”Even if it's the empress, she can't be punished as she pleases. She still has to consider the emperor's feelings.” Wang Rong whispered.
Under the eunuch's report, the imperial concubines entered in a line and kowtowed to him in respect, calling him ”Long live His Majesty” and ”Long live empress”.
”Rise.” Zhu Yijun said.
The oldest one here is the noble concubine, the first woman of the emperor, who soon lost her favor. However, with her seniority, she was promoted to the throne, and with her gentle appearance, she seemed to be at peace with the world, ”Finally, I hope for the empress to enter the palace. Otherwise, if there isn't a mistress in this palace, it really makes one feel at a loss of what to do.”