Chapter 380: That’s All You Have?
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
After the coronation ceremony, there was basically nothing else to do. However, Xiao Jin had to go to the Imperial study to take over the state affairs, while Su Ying had to return to the back palace to take over the affairs of the Imperial harem’s quarters.
After returning to the Conjugal Phoenix Palace where the Empress stayed, Su Ying hurriedly asked Aunt Zhao to remove her phoenix robe and change into a looser set of casual clothes.
Aunt Zhao took the bird’s nest porridge from Bai Shuang’s hands and brought it in. “Your Imperial Highness, eat something and then have a rest.”
Su Ying opened the porcelain bowl and finished it in one go.
“Is Your Imperial Highness hungry?”
“I’m hungry. 1 haven’t eaten lunch yet.”
Aunt Zhao smiled and said, “1 just knew that Your Imperial Highness must be hungry. I’ve already asked Bai Shuang to bring some food from the Imperial kitchen. Your Imperial Highness will be able to have something to eat soon.” The lady-in-waiting standing in the room frowned again when she heard this. “The Empress has already eaten a lot of food. If she eats any more, it will not be easy for her to digest. It is better to eat later, isn’t it?”
Aunt Zhao turned to look at the lady-in-waiting. This lady-in-waiting was Emperor Kangze’s wet nurse, Nanny Fang.
After the Empress Dowager gave birth to Emperor Kangze, she did not like him at first because of her hatred for the previous Emperor.
Emperor Kangze was brought up by his wet nurse Nanny Fang since he was young. He did feel some affection for her just like he would towards his own mother, so after he ascended the throne, he brought Nanny Fang into the palace and made her a lady-in-waiting. He allowed her to follow the Empress as an assistant, but in fact, she was also a spy on the Empress’s side.
Now that Emperor Kangze was dead, Nanny Fang did not leave the palace but remained in the palace as a lady-in-waiting.
She felt that with her talent, even the new Empress would have to be polite to her, so when she spoke to Su Ying, she subconsciously put on airs, which she adopted toward the former Empress.
Back then, Emperor Kangze sided with her, and the former Empress dared not do anything to her. However, she did not know that Su Ying was different from others.
Aunt Zhao adjusted her expression and said with a smile, “Nanny Fang, you’ve been busy all day. Why don’t you go back and rest for a while?”
Nanny Fang looked sternly at Aunt Zhao. “Is this how Granny Zhao indulges the Empress? You think that this is good for the Empress, but you don’t know that you are harming the Empress. Our Chu State has always regarded a slim figure as beauty. If the Empress is allowed to eat without restraint and she loses the Emperor’s favor, can Granny Zhao bear the responsibility?”
To Nanny Fang, the thing a married woman feared the most was losing her husband’s love. She said these words to let Su Ying know who understood the rules of the palace better and who Su Ying should trust more.
Sure enough, after Nanny Fang finished speaking, she caught a glimpse of Su Ying rubbing the spot between her eyebrows. Just as she was waiting for Aunt Zhao to be scolded by Su Ying, Su Ying said impatiently, “Aunt Zhao, don’t tell me that’s all you have?”
Aunt Zhao’s elderly face tensed up, and her fighting spirit was ignited immediately. “Nanny Fang, how can you discuss your Master’s matters so casually? What are you still standing there for? Nanny Fang is so tired that she’s talking nonsense. Why aren’t you guys taking her to rest at once? Let her rest well and don’t let her come out again if there is nothing urgent!”
As they said, it was easy to meet the King of Hell but the little demons were difficult to deal with. Aunt Zhao specialized in dealing with these little demons who did not know the complexities that existed between heaven and earth.
Nanny Fang was thrown out before she had even come back to her senses.
The world was finally quiet.
Bai Shuang walked back with the food container in her hand, beaming happily.
“Your Imperial Highness, guess what delicious food Uncle Hea has prepared for you today?” After they entered the palace, Hea Shouyi also followed them. Xiao Jin arranged for him to work in the Imperial kitchen to specially cook for his family.
Su Ying could smell the fragrance through the food container. “Roasted lamb chops, fried eel with sauce, crystal pork knuckles, and roasted chicken.”
Bai Shuang was very surprised. “How did the Your Imperial Highness know? You guessed them all correctly!”
She opened the food container. There were four dishes in total in each of the four layers. Each dish was placed on a large plate.
Su Ying lifted her chin smugly. How could she not know? These were the dishes she had specifically told Hea Shouyi yesterday that she wanted to eat. How could he cook something else for her?
Su Ying immediately picked up a lamb chop and started eating.
The lamb chops were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. It was so delicious that she almost wanted to swallow her tongue.
She finished all the dishes on the table without leaving behind any leftovers.
After eating and drinking her fill, Su Ying went to the soft couch to rest for a while.
When she woke up, it was already dark outside.
Su Ying sat up from the couch and yawned. This palace life was really boring.
Su Ying called out, and Bai Shuang, who was keeping watch outside the door, walked in. “Your Imperial Highness is awake.”
“The sky has just turned dark?”
“Yes, the sky has just turned dark. Just now, the Young Princess and the First Young Prince dropped by. When they saw that Your Imperial Highness was still sleeping, they went back to study.”
Su Ying murmured her acknowledgment. She felt that the two little ones had become more hardworking these days.
“I’ll go over and take a look.”
The two children were still young, so Su Ying let them live with her, and their rooms were next to hers.
When Su Ying arrived, the two little fellows had just finished their dinner. When they saw Su Ying, they stood up and walked up to her.
“Mother, you’re finally awake.”
“Mother is becoming more and more of a sleepaholic. You are going to become a big lazy worm.”
Su Ying cried out that she was wronged. She was only sleepy because she had become a little confused by the tedious procedures in the morning.
“Mother, have you eaten dinner?”
“No, I’ll eat later.”
“Mother, look at the calligraphic big characters Big Brother and 1 wrote.” Ling pulled Su Ying to the desk and handed her the characters she had written as if she was presenting a treasure.
Su Ying took it and looked at it. She had to admit that Ling’s handwriting was better than hers. “Not bad. Ling is improving more and more.”
Ling smiled shyly and said, “Father said that my handwriting must not be as ugly as Mother’s.”
Su Ying was speechless.
Hmph! She really ought to thank him.
“Mother, will Father come back tonight?”
“That’s hard to say.” Emperor Kangze’s sudden death left Xiao Jin with an unknown amount of mess. He probably wouldn’t have much free time in the short term.
“Then can Mother sleep with us tonight?”
“No problem.”
After washing up at night, Su Ying lay down on the bed with the two little ones.
However, in the middle of the night, Su Ying felt someone lift her up from the bed. She detected the familiar scent on his body, so she closed her eyes and pretended to be dead, allowing him to put her under a slightly cold blanket.
In the next second, Su Ying was hugged firmly by Xiao Jin from behind.
He planted a kiss on her forehead and hugged her as he closed his eyes.
The next morning.
Before dawn, Su Ying heard a rustling sound coming from beside her.
She opened her eyes and saw Zhang Shuming helping Xiao Jin change and wash up. He was going to attend the morning court.
Su Ying felt that being an Emperor was really meaningless. He didn’t even have the right to sleep in.
After Xiao Jin finished dressing up, he saw Su Ying sit up from the corner of his eye. “Why don’t you sleep more?”
“I slept too much yesterday, so I can’t sleep now. I’ll get up and practice martial arts for a while.”
Xiao Jin knew her habits and didn’t say anything. “Mm-hmm. I’ll go to court first.”
“Alright.”
Su Ying had just finished her morning practice and washed up when a palace maid came to say that Princess Tingling of the Nan State wanted to see her.
Su Ying’s expression froze momentarily. She had forgotten that the envoy delegation from the Nan State was still in the capital..