A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace-Chapter 726 Like a Dream, Not a Dream

Li Shengan said, laughing, "Consort Xian, these are fruits His Majesty specially transported from Guangnan for you!"

"His Majesty also sent word that these fruits have never been seen in the north. You must have never encountered them!"

"Not knowing which ones you might like, His Majesty had someone bring a bit of each kind!"

Having finished speaking, Li Shengan personally lifted the red cloth covering the basket.

Upon seeing them, Xia Ruqing’s eyes lit up. Dragon Fruit, mango, durian...

She could name only a few. Most were misshapen, unappealing to the eye, and she had rarely seen them even in modern times. They must be the ancestors of certain modern fruits. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Li Shengan then added with a smile, "His Majesty also said, these fruits may not look good, but they taste excellent!"

"We have already consulted with the Imperial Physician. You can eat all of them!"

Upon hearing they were tasty and she could eat them, Xia Ruqing’s spirits immediately soared.

"Great!"

"Come on, bring them all in!"

Zi Yue and Zi Su: "..."

My lady, didn’t you just have your morning meal?

After conveying several more of the Emperor’s messages and leaving behind a personal letter from him, Li Shengan took his leave.

Xia Ruqing was very pleased and decided not to go out after all. She asked Xiao Xizi to find a local gazetteer and began to familiarize herself with the fruits, one by one. She had always been very interested in this.

Hmm, not bad. To have traveled to ancient times and still be able to eat the ancestors of fruits—pretty good!

Although they might not be as delicious as modern ones, they are antiques, after all!

Even as she read, the fragrance of the fruits permeated the entire room. In her previous life, she knew that tropical fruits from the south were exceptionally fragrant and sweet. She never expected it would be the same in ancient times!

She hadn’t looked through many pages when Yellow Bean led Da Bai and Xiao Bai in.

Da Bai, curious, circled the basket several times like a noble leopard, its expression serious, inspecting here and sniffing there.

Xiao Bai was different; it jumped straight into the basket. If it smelled a particularly fragrant fruit, it would take a few bites, then scratch it with its paw. It was as if it were intentionally creating a scent to assert its dominance!

As for Yellow Bean, it seemed not very interested in fruits. Upon entering, its large, watery eyes scanned the room. After not finding anything particularly attractive, it settled obediently at Xia Ruqing’s feet.

Yellow Bean had grown a bit, but not much. According to the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, this type of pet dog just doesn’t grow very large. Its fur was the same as when it was little: golden yellow, fluffy, and soft.

If it were winter, Xia Ruqing would undoubtedly use it as her personal warm treasure without hesitation. It was too soft and cuddly.

Xia Ruqing rubbed Yellow Bean’s head and continued reading.

Thus, she spent the whole morning doing nothing but getting to know these fruits.

At lunchtime, Little Bun didn’t return from the Study Room, so Xia Ruqing had her meal by herself. This meal, she didn’t eat much of the main dishes but filled up on these peculiar fruits instead.

Initially, Zi Yue was quite worried and even tried to stop her from eating them. Later, she personally went to the Imperial Medical Bureau to consult Imperial Doctor Zhang.

Imperial Doctor Zhang said almost immediately, "She can eat! She can eat them all!"

He also said, "Lady Zi Yue, rest assured. These items were checked by the military doctors with the army. Upon their return to the palace, they are inspected again before formal entry! And when delivered to Qingya Residence, they undergo a final inspection!"

So, there would be no problems.

Only after hearing this did Zi Yue allow her to eat. Finally, Xia Ruqing could indulge in the fruits joyfully!

After a satisfying midday meal, the pregnant Xia Ruqing became drowsy. She tossed aside her book, lay down on the bed, and soon fell asleep.

Zi Yue and Zi Su, following their old routine, guarded the antechamber of the bedchamber. The room was quiet, so they felt at ease.

Xia Ruqing had a very bizarre dream. It was long and filled with peculiar colors. She wanted to wake up, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t! She could only toss and turn uncomfortably in bed.

After an unknown amount of time, she groggily opened her eyes.

Before her, right at the foot of her bed, stood a tall, slender, gracefully standing figure in a wide-sleeved, dark purple robe.

Xia Ruqing squinted for a long time before she realized. It was a man!

Besides Zhao Junyao, what man could enter her bedchamber?

Xia Ruqing felt a surge of excitement. "Emperor... Your Majesty, have you returned?"

She wanted to get out of bed, but her limbs felt so heavy she could only lie there and look at him. Zhao Junyao probably wouldn’t blame her, would he?

The man slowly turned around, and Xia Ruqing’s vision gradually cleared.

Not Zhao Junyao?

Could it be that I’m dreaming?

The man gave her a slight smile. "Consort Xian, it’s me. I’m Zhao Junqi!"

"Ah? Zhao Junqi?" Xia Ruqing narrowed her eyes, extremely puzzled. "Are you Zhao Junqi? What are you doing here?!"

His facial features truly resembled Zhao Junyao’s! But she clearly remembered they weren’t *that* similar! At most, a fifty-percent resemblance would have been remarkable! But this person before her—he looked exactly like Zhao Junyao, didn’t he?!

"Who exactly are you?" Xia Ruqing couldn’t help but ask again.

The man remained assertive. "I am indeed Zhao Junqi!"

Xia Ruqing pinched her own arm. This isn’t a dream... what’s happening to me?

He clearly didn’t want to discuss it much with her. He gradually approached, sitting down on the edge of Xia Ruqing’s bed, his expression somewhat melancholic.

"Qingqing..."

Hey, hey, hey! Who does he think he’s calling? Xia Ruqing could hardly believe her ears.

"Crown Prince Yan... please... conduct yourself with dignity!" she said, each word an effort.

Sitting beside her, Zhao Junqi chuckled. "Qingqing, don’t be afraid. I’ve come to see you today to say goodbye!"

After saying these words, he began to speak, regardless of what Xia Ruqing thought, recounting everything. His story, his background, even the people in his family and their affairs. Regardless of whether Xia Ruqing was listening, he poured it all out.

In the end, he gazed at Xia Ruqing and murmured, "Qingqing!"

"I loathe that filth. I like you!"

"You are so clean, so pure, and most importantly, you love to smile!"

"My Imperial Brother occasionally mentions you, saying how incredibly likable you are!"

"He said that a small treat can make you happy for a long time, and if you were to visit the Capital City, you’d count down the days on your fingers beforehand!"

"Such a wonderful you, so different from all of them!"

"I’m sorry, Qingqing. About the incident with the Yellow Jade Hairpin and the painting last time... I truly didn’t mean for that to happen!"

"That was never my intention!"

Zhao Junqi actually felt quite aggrieved. He had harbored feelings for a woman and secretly sent her some gifts; it shouldn’t have been a big deal. But somehow, those unscrupulous servants found out, and one way or another, word reached the palace. When the Empress Dowager and the Noble Consort learned of it, they somehow concocted such a malicious plan.

You see? It’s useless to guard against those who seem intent on entrapping you! Conversely, strangers you’ve never exchanged a word with aren’t the ones who will try to harm you at the drop of a hat.

And then, everything became known.

That Yellow Jade Hairpin and that painting—what did the Noble Consort use them for?!