Xiao Yichen lowered his eyes to look at the thing wrapped in a brocade handkerchief that Chi Feng handed over and asked, "What is this?"
At first glance, it looked like an exquisite gift, but Xiao Yichen knew that Chi Feng had never given him any serious gifts.
Chi Feng smiled like a fox, "This is something that Yuchi Gongru unexpectedly obtained last night. I believe the emperor will be surprised when he sees it." This suspense makes people wonder, what good things could Yuchi Gongru have in his hand
As Chi Feng expected, Xiao Yichen took the brocade handkerchief and unfolded it. Inside was a human skin mask as thin as a cicada's wing? "Xiao Yichen raised his eyebrows. Seeing this, he was not surprised at all. Where did the joy come from
Xiao Yichen stretched out two fingers to pinch the mask, shook it open and took a look, then asked tentatively, "Whose face was this taken from?" The face shape and eyebrows of this human skin were very beautiful, and it didn't look like a man's. Could it be...
"Is it on Zhixue's face?" Xiao Yichen raised his eyebrows and looked up at Chi Feng with a hint of warning in his eyes. Chi Feng was the only one who dared to keep it a secret in front of him.
Chi Feng smiled and said, "Your Majesty is wise!"
Xiao Yichen raised his hand and placed the human skin on the table, then continued to think, "Zhixue is not the real Princess of Dayan? Then what about that person?"
Chi Feng said: "The person that Yuchi Ruge is looking for is exactly the person that the emperor is concerned about. I, your humble servant, took care of the matter very well with the intention of helping the emperor to relieve his worries. Now she is in the palace."
Xiao Yichen nodded as if he didn't care, and glanced at the dishes on the table, "She's in the imperial kitchen?"
Chi Feng nodded and said, “Your Majesty, I can only help you up to this point. You have to resolve the complex between you and her...by yourselves.”
Xiao Yichen raised his hand and patted Chi Feng on the shoulder, "Thank you for your hard work. I won't mind you letting Yuchi Gongru run away."
Chi Feng bowed and flattered again, "Thank you, Your Majesty. Your majesty is kind-hearted. It is a blessing for me and the people. I am deeply moved. I will serve Your Majesty with all my heart and soul until my death."
Xiao Yichen waved his hand, "I understand, you can go down!"
Chi Feng retreated to the door, suddenly looked up and asked with a smile, "Your Majesty, I have done such a great thing, why don't I get any reward?" Your Majesty, aren't you too stingy
Xiao Yichen looked at Chi Feng with amusement and said, "Isn't it enough that I rewarded you with a sumptuous breakfast?"
Chi Feng's eyelids twitched, he lowered his head and disappeared obediently.
Xiao Yichen stood up, put away the human skin mask, and walked towards the imperial kitchen without a single eunuch.
By the well in the backyard of the imperial kitchen, Ji Lingxue was squatting on the ground washing dishes with a rag. She had been squatting to wash the dishes since the sun just came up. The bowls were carried over in buckets. She washed for half an hour and still hadn't finished. Her delicate hands had turned red, white and wrinkled from being soaked in the water for so long.
From time to time, she heard the sound of whips behind her. She now knew that it was the head eunuch, the aunt, who was whipping her to get up and urging her to wash the dishes.
Ji Lingxue: What the hell is going on? Which bastard kidnapped me and took me to the palace to wash dishes last night? When I find out who it is, I will thank him for his kindness!
It is easy to enter the palace but difficult to leave. She has lost contact with Ruge and An Ge. She is really helpless.
"A-choo!" Chi Feng sneezed violently as he walked to the palace gate. He rubbed his nose and looked up at the sun above his head.
"Snap!" The housekeeper's aunt's whip caused water to splash around her hand, and Ji Lingxue, who was in a trance, was so scared that she loosened her hand, and the bowl fell to the ground with a clatter and broke into pieces.
Auntie, the housekeeper: "What are you doing? You can't even hold a bowl. Wash it quickly. It's almost noon and all these bowls are waiting to be used! Don't think you can make a few cakes and show off your skills in front of the chef and you don't have to work!"
Ji Lingxue turned her head and glanced at the housekeeper who was holding a whip and speaking harshly and couldn't stand anyone doing well. She remembered this person.
Xiao Yichen came to the imperial kitchen in person, "Your Majesty!" The palace servant who was chopping firewood in the yard was the first to notice Xiao Yichen's arrival. In the entire palace, Xiao Yichen was the only one wearing white, and this shining white robe with dragon pattern was too eye-catching.
Then the head chef, the assistant chefs and the maids in the imperial kitchen all went out to kowtow.
Xiao Yichen waved his hand, "Stand up, I'm just taking a look, you guys continue to do your own things!"
Everyone looked at each other, wondering why the emperor came to the imperial kitchen in person. They became more cautious in their actions.
The kitchen helpers who were cutting vegetables and meat in the kitchen were shaking with fear. Their hands slipped and the knife scraped across their fingers, and the next moment blood splattered everywhere.
The kitchen helper who was kneading the flour wanted to perform well in front of the emperor. His hands holding the spoon were shaking, and he added too much water. The dough became more and more fluffy, and he was sweating profusely.
The kitchen helper who was cutting meat here wanted to show off his years of knife skills. He threw the kitchen knife in the air, and when he reached out to catch it, he held the blade instead of the handle. In an instant, blood gushed out, and the maids around him screamed in fear.
The imperial kitchen instantly became a disaster scene. Xiao Yichen's mouth twitched. He quickly glanced at the people in the room, and when he didn't see Ji Lingxue, he turned and walked out.
At this moment, Ji Lingxue was holding the freshly washed dishes stacked up to half a person's height, and entered the imperial kitchen with a few maids. The tall dishes blocked Ji Lingxue's eyes, and she did not see Xiao Yichen who passed by her.
The housekeeper who came behind Ji Lingxue saw Xiao Yichen standing in the yard with a dignified manner and saluted with fear, but was interrupted by Xiao Yichen, "Are all the people from the imperial kitchen here?"
The housekeeper thought for a moment and replied, "Several maids have gone to various palaces to deliver meals to their masters. I wonder who the emperor wants to see?"
Xiao Yichen said "oh" and rushed over in a hurry, and even brushed past Ji Lingxue. It was really... Forget it, it's good for her to stay in the palace, which is better than staying with Yuchi Ruge.
Xiao Yichen said, "Nothing, just go do your thing." Then he left.
The housekeeper watched Xiao Yichen leave reluctantly. The emperor spoke to her today...
Ji Lingxue crouched down, grabbed the buns from the steamer and stuffed them into her mouth while the housekeeper was still intoxicated, then turned around and slipped out.
After leaning against the rockery, Ji Lingxue waited for a team of patrolling imperial guards to pass by. She wiped the oil stains from the corner of her mouth, walked out of the rockery, looked around, and walked left to the imperial study, and walked right to the harem.
Ji Lingxue walked to the right without thinking, but the further she walked, the further she went off the track. It was strange. Why was the layout of the palace different from the one she remembered
Ji Lingxue curled her lips as she looked at the word "Cold Palace" on the door plaque not far away. She turned around and was about to leave when she saw a team of patrolling imperial guards coming over. She lowered her head to look at herself dressed as a palace maid and walked slowly.
Ji Lingxue: I am a palace maid now, there is no need to hide.
A skinny hand suddenly stretched out from the crack of the cold palace door, grabbed Ji Lingxue's arm and pulled her in.
Ji Lingxue was so frightened by the sudden change that she broke out in a cold sweat. She covered her mouth to prevent herself from shouting. If she alerted the Imperial Guards, it would be bad because her identity would be exposed.
“Don’t be afraid… Don’t be afraid…” A kind and gentle voice came from behind.
Ji Lingxue looked carefully and saw a familiar face from the other person's messy hair. It turned out to be the former imperial concubine.
After Xiao Yichen ascended the throne, except for the assassination of the former empress and the emperor's uncle, all other female members of the family were basically driven out of the palace. There was a major purge in the palace. The empress dowager was still the empress dowager and still lived in her palace, but she became more and more reclusive.
The former imperial concubine had given birth to a son and a daughter for Xiao Yimo. The son died at the age of three months, and the daughter was said to have died of illness before she was ten years old. The imperial concubine, who had no one to rely on, went crazy overnight and ended up living in the cold palace for the rest of her life.
"Daughter, don't be afraid, it's your mother!" The former imperial concubine took Ji Lingxue's hand and looked her up and down, her eyes full of surprise.
Ji Lingxue: She actually mistook me for his daughter.
The former imperial concubine took Ji Lingxue's hand and walked inside. The cold palace was very shabby, and the doors and windows were broken with big holes and no one came to repair them. Ji Lingxue was pressed on a stool. The former imperial concubine took out a set of clothes and handed it to her, saying, "Daughter, I made a dress for you. Do you like it?"
Ji Lingxue wiped the fabric and nodded, "It looks good!"
The former imperial concubine was delighted. She looked down and saw Ji Lingxue holding her white, cracked hands in her palms with a distressed look on her face. "Daughter, your hand..."
Ji Lingxue smiled and said, "It's okay, it will be fine in a few days."
The former imperial concubine turned around and rummaged through the worn-out dressing cabinet, then found a bottle of ointment and carefully applied it to Ji Lingxue. "This ointment was given to me by your father. It's very effective. You will heal quickly after applying it."
Ji Lingxue was moved. The grievances she had suffered in the palace also disappeared after meeting the former imperial concubine. She suddenly held her hand, stared into her eyes and asked, "Do you want to leave here?"
The former imperial concubine was stunned and shook her head: "But if you are here, I will be here." After that, she covered her mouth and coughed.
Ji Lingxue calculated the time and thought that the Royal Guards who were patrolling outside had probably left, so she stood up and was about to leave.
The former imperial concubine took her hand and asked, "You are leaving, when will you come to see me next time?"
Ji Lingxue thought for a moment and said, "I'll come to see you in two days."
The former imperial concubine smiled and let go of her hand. "Okay, I'll wait for you. You should go quickly and don't let anyone find you." She waved her hand.
Ji Lingxue walked to the door and turned around, only to see the former imperial concubine waving at her with disheveled hair. There was more vitality in her eyes, perhaps because of her arrival.
In the imperial study, Xiao Yichen called a female secret guard, who was Ji Lingxue's substitute carefully trained by Xiao Yichen. At that time, he and Ji Lingxue went to Dayan, and this substitute played the role of Ji Lingxue in the palace.
"Your Majesty!" The female secret guard saluted with her fists clasped.
Xiao Yichen nodded, took out the human skin mask from his sleeve and handed it to her, "This is Princess Zhixue of Dayan. Disguise yourself as her and go back to Yuchi Ruge."
There was a hint of confusion in the eyes of the female secret guard. She was carefully trained by Xiao Yichen, and her words and deeds were learned from Ji Lingxue. Although she could not interpret it completely, she had learned something that was 70% similar. Now, she was suddenly asked to change her identity. How could she play the role
Xiao Yichen was too lazy to explain, "If Yuchi Ruge asks you where you went last night, just say you went to the gambling house." Then he threw a bag of silver to her.
The female secret guard took it, nodded, and turned away.
(End of this chapter)