northernbook Chapter 331 Entering the Palace
Chapter 331 Entering the Palace
The emperor kept two women from the Xie family, but returned the rest.
This time he was smarter; he didn't even give them official titles, but kept them confined in the harem for his own purposes.
"Your Majesty, the Empress is unwell and has been bedridden for several days." Seeing that the Emperor was in a good mood, Wu Xuan told him about this.
With his eyes closed, the emperor asked, "Could her illness be because I confined the crown prince to his quarters?"
Wu Xuan honestly replied, "The imperial physicians said that Her Majesty's condition is caused by pent-up emotions and excessive anger."
"Hmph, I knew it. She's just angry that I've confined the Crown Prince to his quarters. She's showing me her illness."
Wu Xuan chuckled awkwardly: "Your Majesty must have misunderstood. The Empress is too considerate of you to deliberately upset you."
Everyone in the palace knows that because of Consort Xie's affair, the Emperor has been giving everyone the cold shoulder lately.
He only looked a little better after taking the elixir today.
"Don't worry about her. Once the Crown Prince is released from confinement, her illness will naturally improve."
"Yes, then may I select some medicinal herbs for you and send them to Kunning Palace tomorrow?"
The emperor opened his eyes, revealing a satisfied look. "You're better than that old dog Huang. Do as you say."
Wu Xuan happily agreed.
Zhao Jinxiao secretly glanced at Wu Xuan.
He investigated Wu Xuan's background and found nothing useful except that he had a grudge against Eunuch Huang.
So when the emperor asked him who was suitable to take over the position of head of affairs, he recommended Wu Xuan.
The other party's reward to him was very direct: when the emperor wanted to investigate Consort Xie's lover, he provided false testimony for him.
That's how relationships are formed.
He knew his secret, and although he didn't use it to blackmail him, Zhao Jinxiao never dared to underestimate this eunuch Wu again.
"Has Tong Yiwen returned to the academy?" the emperor suddenly asked.
Zhao Jinxiao stepped forward and replied, "Not yet."
"Very well, summon him to the palace at noon tomorrow to dine with me."
"Yes."
Finally, dawn broke, and the emperor awoke, full of energy, to attend court.
Zhao Jinxiao lagged a few steps behind and winked at Eunuch Wu, who then followed him to the back of the group.
"Does Commander Zhao have something to say to us?"
"Does Eunuch Wu know what illness Her Majesty the Empress has?"
"I do not know."
"Is that so? I get the feeling you're deliberately trying to sow discord between the Emperor and the Empress. Do you even dare to plot against her?"
“How could Commander Zhao think that way? Why would a mere servant like me scheme against Her Majesty the Empress? After all, I don’t have a single woman who is a concubine.”
Zhao Jinxiao narrowed his eyes and asked, "Wu Xuan, whose side are you on?"
"This servant is of course the Emperor's man, and is loyal only to the Emperor."
"You better be!"
Wu Xuan was not afraid of his threats at all; in terms of loyalty, the man beside him was no different from him.
Their loyalty was not pure to begin with.
There are no trivial matters in the court, but the civil officials argue every day, and the military generals all ask for money, leaving the emperor feeling exhausted.
When the court session ended, the emperor learned that Tong Yiwen had entered the palace, so he changed into his court robes and went to see him.
Tong Yiwen was the emperor's father-in-law, so he was naturally older than the emperor. But when the two met, the emperor was momentarily stunned.
"I haven't seen my father-in-law for so long, I almost didn't recognize him."
Tong Yiwen has a full head of white hair and a white beard, but he doesn't look old at all. Instead, he has a kind of otherworldly and venerable appearance.
Tong Yiwen performed the grand ceremony of kneeling three times and kowtowing nine times, saying, "Your Majesty, this humble subject is very concerned about Your Majesty."
"Rise," the emperor said, ordering someone to offer him a seat so he could sit facing him.
The imperial dishes were served in a continuous stream, but the emperor's gaze remained fixed on Tong Yiwen's face.
Compared to him, I am like an old man on the verge of decay.
"I am free from all worries. I am only able to live in seclusion in the mountains thanks to the Emperor."
The emperor shook his head. "I have seen my father-in-law's achievements. Every student at Yishan Academy is a young talent and a pillar of the nation. All of this is inseparable from my father-in-law's teachings."
The emperor had no appetite and, seeing that Tong Yiwen had only eaten a few bites of food before stopping, he became somewhat suspicious.
"But the food doesn't suit your taste?"
"No, the imperial cuisine is a delicacy, but I have not eaten meat for many years, so I can only miss out on these delicacies."
The emperor asked with interest, "Is there any particular custom involved?"
"Perhaps it was because I spent so much time in the mountains that I couldn't bear to kill any living creatures, so I gradually started to become a vegetarian."
"I see. My father-in-law is indeed a kind person."
The emperor beckoned, "Wu Xuan, come here and serve a bowl of this soup to my father-in-law. It is a soup made with dozens of kinds of mushrooms and has no meat. Please taste it."
Wu Xuan lowered his head and carefully ladled a bowl of soup in front of Tong Yiwen before bowing and retreating.
The emperor watched with a smile.
Tong Yiwen picked up the bowl and smelled it. He could only smell the fragrance of mushrooms, so he took a sip.
It was incredibly fresh and a rare delicacy; he unconsciously drank half a bowl.
A wicked smile flashed in the emperor's eyes. He also felt an appetite and drank a bowl of soup with the emperor.
"The soup tastes very good, please give it a try."
Wu Xuan ran to reward the imperial chef, who happily gave the last bowl of soup left in the pot to Wu Xuan.
"Please try it, sir. If it's not good enough, please give me some pointers."
As Wu Xuan drank, he asked, "What exactly is added to this soup that makes it so delicious?"
"This soup is quite special. It requires simmering eighteen kinds of ingredients for two hours first, then mincing the fish and adding it to the soup, and then simmering it with mountain delicacies for another four hours to fully extract the umami flavor from the mushrooms."
Wu Xuan almost dropped the bowl.
After all that, it turned out to be a bowl of meat.
"Does Your Majesty know what to do?"
"Perhaps he knows, perhaps he doesn't. His Majesty used to love this soup, but he got tired of it and hasn't made it for a long time."
"Okay, I understand. Don't tell other people how to make this soup in the future."
The imperial chef was puzzled, but he still obediently agreed.
Li Ge was reading a book in his room.
News from the emperor's side would be reported every now and then, so he naturally knew about Tong Yiwen's entry into the palace.
He instructed Wu Xuan to deliberately mention the Empress's serious illness, hoping to get the Emperor to meet Tong Yiwen.
That's how people are; they're drawn to things from afar. No matter how good Tong Yiwen's reputation was, once he entered the palace, the emperor would have a reason to dislike him.
"Master Tong has no weaknesses. If he did, it would be the Crown Prince."
The relationship between the Crown Prince and the Emperor has only just begun to crack; we need to take stronger measures to fix it. Perhaps we can try to open a new channel through Headmaster Tong.
It's said that love extends to everything connected to the beloved, and the reverse is also true.
Coincidentally, the Second Prince and Xiao Ji were talking about the same thing at that moment.
"If the information revealed by that assassin is true, then this noble and upright Headmaster Tong has quite a few secrets hidden."
The second prince instructed Xiao Ji: "Do you think Father Emperor would be angry if he knew the Tong family was secretly raising assassins?"
Xiao Ji shook his head, "Angry as he may be, it's not enough to shake the Crown Prince's position. It's not hard to find a few families in the entire capital who raise assassins."
"That's true, then we'll have to find another way."