A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace-Chapter 704 Tenacious
"Yu Lan, go get some food. I want to eat!"
It was already past noon.
During these few days of unconsciousness, she hadn’t ingested anything, and her stomach was already empty!
To survive, she must eat!
At this moment, she couldn’t care about anything else and just wanted to quickly fill the void in her body.
Yu Lan wiped away her tears and nodded.
"Your Majesty, please wait. Good food may not be available, but there is some ordinary food!"
After speaking, she made sure the Empress was comfortable before going out.
After a while, Yu Lan came in carrying a food box.
Inside was a bowl of porridge boiled to a paste, a dish of pickled vegetable bits made by the nuns in the mountains themselves, a steamed bun, and a salted egg.
There were chickens and ducks raised on the mountain.
The nuns did not kill living beings, but they did eat eggs.
Even if they had more than they could eat, they would pickle them, wasting nothing.
The Empress hadn’t eaten for a long time and was starving, yet she was determined to survive.
So she forced herself to eat the food bit by bit until she finished it all.
After eating and drinking her medicine, the Empress lay down again.
Yu Lan tucked her in and said,
"Your Majesty, this herbal medicine was obtained by this servant from a nun in the mountains who understands medicine!
"The nun said that Your Majesty is suffering from excessive internal heat due to anxiety and that there’s an emotional blockage in your heart!
"This medicine isn’t expensive, but it’s an effective remedy for soothing the liver and relieving depression. As long as you persist in taking it, you’ll get better!"
The Empress nodded, her eyes filled with unwavering determination.
"I understand!"
She would definitely take her medicine diligently!
Wanyue Nunnery was not an imperial monastery. It received no tribute from the Imperial Court nor incense offerings.
Its sole income came from the ladies of wealthy families in the Capital City who would go there to burn incense, make wishes, and seek divinations.
Beyond that, there was nothing else.
The nuns also lived in poverty.
The Empress felt a secret sense of relief.
Fortunately, the supplies she brought this time were sufficient; otherwise, she really would have died here.
"Your Majesty, don’t overthink things. Just rest well for now!
"We still have enough charcoal. When the weather gets warmer, we’ll make a trip back to the palace!"
It wasn’t said that Her Majesty should return to the palace, but surely going back for supplies would be alright?
The Emperor hadn’t issued a decree deposing her, so the Empress was still the Empress.
As long as one was clever and adaptable, surviving wouldn’t be a problem!
The Empress, her gaze resolute, nodded.
When a person is determined to survive, life can be incredibly tenacious.
The Empress, who had been gravely ill, gradually began to recover by springtime.
Knowing the situation in the palace, she was no longer in a hurry to return.
She only sent someone back to retrieve supplies once.
Concurrently, she wrote a letter to the Emperor to request a decree.
’Your servant is unwell and wishes to recuperate here for an extended period. Regarding palace matters, please allow the Noble Consort to take charge. Your servant is at fault for not being able to alleviate Your Majesty’s burdens, and I beg for Your Majesty’s forgiveness!’
The letter was written with sincere emotion and earnest words.
In fact, the Empress knew she couldn’t return.
Zhao Junyao wouldn’t allow her to return; this was something they both understood clearly.
This letter was merely a formality.
But even such a superfluous formality had to be performed.
After Zhao Junyao read the letter, he immediately affixed his vermilion approval to it.
"Approved!"
He was very pleased with the Empress’s ’sensibility’.
The assassination attempt on The King had led to the downfall and annihilation of the Fan Family.
Lady Fan, no matter what, could not remain in the palace.
The initial plan had been to send her to the mountains to die of illness.
Unexpectedly, she continued to live well.
This couldn’t be helped, Zhao Junyao thought. Since she wants to stay there, let her. She can stay as long as she wishes; this palace has no place for her anymore!
He refused to believe a woman with no background or backing could last long in such a place. A year or two at most, and she’d be gone.
Thus, Zhao Junyao’s attitude was:
She can have whatever supplies she asks for, but return? Impossible!
With this letter, the Empress’s stay at Wanyue Nunnery became much more legitimate.
News of this spread.
Before long, everyone in the Capital City knew.
The Empress had been observing a vegetarian diet before the Buddha for an entire year to pray for blessings for the Great Chu Dynasty.
TSK! TSK!
Truly worthy of being the mother of the nation!
Truly worthy of being the Empress, the exemplar of virtue to all under heaven in the Great Chu Dynasty!
In no time, the Empress’s reputation soared, and her name for wisdom spread far and wide.
Zhao Junyao couldn’t have cared less.
He treated the Empress with the tolerance one might show a person on their deathbed.
Indeed, in his eyes, the Empress was as good as dead.
But the Noble Consort was very anxious.
To sum it up in one phrase: ’envy, jealousy, and hatred!’
"The Empress! She’s been driven out of the palace by the Emperor, how can she still cause so much trouble!" Noble Concubine Shih said incredulously.
Ying Qiu, however, advised,
"Your Majesty, no matter how virtuous she appears, isn’t she still confined outside the palace?
"No matter how wise, don’t you still hold power over the harem?
"If this servant may be so bold, she’s no different from a stray dog now. Your Majesty should focus on finding a way to suppress Consort Xian; that’s more important!"
At the mention of ’Consort Xian,’
Noble Concubine Shih would always pause subconsciously before realizing who Ying Qiu meant.
The Noble Consort sneered.
"Consort Xian? Oh my, your mistress here certainly doesn’t have that kind of ability!
"She’s the one currently cherished in the Emperor’s palm!
"Why should I, a has-been, bother getting involved!"
As she spoke, her tone was filled with bitterness.
Ying Qiu felt she could say no more and dropped the subject.
The second half of the first lunar month passed very peacefully.
Though the Beginning of Spring had already passed, the weather during the first month didn’t warm up much.
However, Qingya Residence was already bustling with activity.
All because of one thing:
’Little Bun was going to start his studies!’
That day, early in the morning, Little Bun, carrying the school bag Zi Yue had sewn for him, went to Xia Ruqing’s bedroom.
Xia Ruqing was still fast asleep, snoring softly.
Little Bun slipped his cool little hands onto her neck to wake her.
"Mother..."
Before her irritation from being woken could take hold, she saw such innocent, wide eyes looking back at her.
Her heart instantly softened.
"Son, what brings you here!"
Little Bun immediately looked very aggrieved.
"Mother, I’m going to meet my teacher today!"
Xia Ruqing then remembered that today was the day Little Bun was to begin his studies.
She quickly sat up. Still in her nightgown, her pregnant belly prominent, she got out of bed and took Little Bun into her arms.
"Son..."
"Mother! You’re carrying my little brother or sister; why do you sleep so much?"
Before she could reply, Little Bun interrupted her.
Xia Ruqing, caught between laughter and tears, said awkwardly,
"That’s because your little brother or sister loves to sleep, so Mother has to accompany them!"
"Oh!"
Little Bun pondered for a moment and then nodded thoughtfully.
"Then, when my little brother or sister is born, will you still love me, Mother?"
Xia Ruqing was momentarily stunned.
She shot a sharp glance at Sister Huang, but her expression quickly returned to normal as she smiled.
"Of course not. You are Mother’s first baby, and Mother will always love you the most!"
Little Bun visibly relaxed, hopped down from her embrace, and bounced a little.
"Mother, Chenchen will also always love you the most!"
Xia Ruqing’s eyes grew a little moist, and she nodded vigorously.
"Good!"
Little Bun wriggled out of her embrace, got down to the floor, and bowed to her.
Accompanied by Palace Maids and a Little Eunuch, he strode out.
His small back and determined steps were almost a spitting image of his Imperial Father.
