When they entered the hall again, the people from the imperial kitchen had already arrived. Hua Zhi followed the nanny along the wall back to where she had been before.
In the center of the hall, Divine Doctor Yu was flipping through the diary that recorded the emperor's diet, his brows furrowed more and more. Seeing this, the Empress Dowager couldn't help but ask, "But what's wrong?"
"I want to ask about the situation first."
"I know, did you all hear it?"
The chief chef and the deputy chef of the imperial kitchen were extremely terrified.
Doctor Yu thought for a moment and asked, "Who decided on this dish?"
Shang Shanzheng said hurriedly: "Sometimes the emperor personally designates. If the emperor does not give special instructions, the imperial kitchen will decide according to the emperor's preferences. Anyone who enters the imperial kitchen must first remember the emperor's likes and dislikes to avoid making mistakes."
"What does the Emperor like?"
The Shang Shen was looking at the Empress Dowager carefully. According to the rules, such things could not be told to anyone else.
The Queen Mother lowered her eyes and said, "Just tell me."
"Yes." The Shangshan was lowering his head. "The emperor has a strong taste for meat, especially mutton with a strong smell. The emperor also likes garlic, which must be put in all dishes, whether stir-fried or stewed. A kind of pickled garlic from the north is also very much loved by the emperor..."
Doctor Yu nodded slightly, "You should know that even the best things can harm your body if you eat too much."
"Yes, this is a principle that you must understand when you enter the Imperial Kitchen. So even if the Emperor loves to eat garlic, I will control the amount, but..."
The Queen Mother's heart skipped a beat and she looked over immediately, "Just say what you want to say, why are you hesitating?"
"Yes." The Shangshan was bending down even lower. "In the past six months, the Emperor has often eaten at Concubine Yue's place. Concubines with high positions in the palace all have their own small kitchens, which the Imperial Kitchen cannot control."
It’s Yuepin again!
The Queen Mother patted the armrest, "Yuxiang."
"The servant is here."
"Take people to search the Ruyue Palace thoroughly, especially her small kitchen."
"yes."
Hua Zhi's eyes lit up, and she silently reminded Xiao Liu, "Lai Fu!"
Xiaoliu suddenly realized, yes, he felt like someone was missing, it was Lai Fu.
After organizing his words in his mind, Xiao Liu walked to the Queen Mother and whispered, "Grandma, I think Lai Fu is the one who knows my father best."
The Fourth Prince was so anxious that he was about to burst into flames. Hearing Xiaoliu's words was like adding fuel to the fire. "What nonsense are you giving me? Shouldn't Father's health be more important at this moment?"
"I asked Fu Lai to find out more clearly what happened." Xiao Liu said back, "As the chief eunuch, no one knows these things better than him."
The fourth prince was so uncomfortable being blocked that he stabbed back without thinking, "It's not your turn to speak here."
"Then am I qualified to speak?" The Queen Mother raised her eyebrows and looked at the prince who was only sixteen years old but already had calculating eyes. "I want to send someone to look for Lai Fu, but do I need the consent of His Royal Highness the Fourth Prince?"
The fourth prince's face changed and he quickly apologized, "Grandson dare not!"
The Queen Mother snorted and ignored him, and ordered someone to find Lai Fu.
The Fourth Prince took two steps away awkwardly, his face gloomy where the Queen Mother couldn't see. He couldn't go on like this, he had to find a way to escape!
Lai Fu was carried here. He was so thin that his bones were visible. He seemed shaky even when he knelt down. He touched his forehead to the ground and said in a hoarse voice, "I am guilty."
"Stop being polite and sit down to answer." The Queen Mother hadn't seen him for many days and was shocked when she saw him. "What are you doing..."
Lai Fu forced himself to stand up and moved half of his buttocks to sit down on the edge of the chair, "I was sick a while ago..."
Before Lai Fu could finish his words, he was startled by the movement of Doctor Yu stretching out his hand to feel his pulse. He tried to move away. This was a miracle doctor, how could he treat a servant like him!
"It's just some unpresentable means."
Lai Fu was stunned, "Method? Not a disease?"
Doctor Yu looked through the medicine but couldn't find what he was looking for. "I'll have someone bring you medicine later."
"Yes, thank you for saving my life." Lai Fu gritted his teeth. He had been working in the palace all his life. What else did he not understand at this moment? But he could not say anything. He could only swallow all the anger, hatred and resentment in his heart. "I wonder what instructions the Queen Mother has for me?"
"Has the Emperor been dining at Yuepin's place for the past six months?"
"Yes, that's mostly the case."
"What did you eat?"
"The Yue Concubine doesn't like me, and the Emperor hasn't allowed me to enter the Ruyue Palace for several months."
The Queen Mother slapped the armrest, "This is ridiculous! Someone go and see why Yuxiang hasn't come back yet. She was asked to search, not to clean for others!"
The nanny hurriedly walked out, and just as she reached the door, she bumped into Yuxiang who was rushing in. The two of them supported each other. Yuxiang, who was sweating all over her forehead, ran inside quickly without saying anything.
"My queen, Ruyue Palace... Ruyue Palace..."
The Queen Mother stood up and said, "Speak!"
Yuxiang pinched herself secretly to calm herself down, but when she thought of the scene in Ruyue Palace, she couldn't remain calm at all. Instead, her heart beat faster.
"I can't say for sure. It's better for you to go and see it yourself."
The Queen Mother knew Yuxiang's personality very well. She was afraid that the matter was really serious. Looking at the emperor who was carefully protected on the mattress, the Queen Mother asked, "Can the emperor still wait?"
Doctor Yu bowed slightly, "I will take care of it."
The Queen Mother nodded and extended her hand towards Xiaoliu.
Xiao Liu understood and stepped forward to help the man up with both hands. "I am timid and I am afraid I can't stand the shock. All of you should accompany me."
The fourth prince looked down at the emperor and said, "Grandma, I want to stay with my father..."
The Queen Mother glanced at him and said, "It's fine for the others, but you? Just stay within my sight."
Without waiting for him to say anything else, the Queen Mother walked out of the palace. When she was at the threshold, her eyes fell on Hua Zhi and she said, "I am old and my mind is not working well. Please ask the eldest daughter of the Hua family to go with me."
Hua Zhi bowed and walked quietly behind the group of people. This was exactly what she wanted.
Whether a concubine is favored or not can be seen from the flowers, plants and trees where she lives. As Haoyue is the most favored concubine in the harem in the past year, every detail of Ruyue Palace is meticulously decorated. Even the stones seem to have their edges and corners determined and they should be placed in a certain direction.
The Queen Mother was accustomed to all this and without even glancing at her, she gestured to Yuxiang to lead the way.
Yuxiang lowered her head and led the group to the secondary hall next to the main hall. After entering the hall, they walked to the end and stopped in front of a house.
After looking at the empress dowager, Yuxiang took a deep breath and pushed the door open. A little girl with eyes so big that they almost took up half of her face was standing behind the door. A white smock was dangling from her body. She was so thin that she could hardly stand up. If it wasn't broad daylight, one would really wonder if she had seen a ghost.
When she saw people, she ran in like a little rabbit, and the others followed her.
Hua Zhi walked at the end. The pain in her body didn't matter to her anymore. Her head was buzzing. Wei Congwen said that the Fourth Prince asked the Xu family to look for a child around eight years old. She suspected at the time whether the child was sent to the palace. But now that she had confirmed this, she couldn't be happy at all. Secretly sending a child to the palace... for what
PS: After revising it again and again, it still looks like shit.