In the front, the emperor and empress, along with their concubines, ministers and relatives, celebrated the festival together, but in the back, it became a little deserted.
It was at this time that Ye Jun was late for dinner for the first time.
It has not been delivered yet, an hour later than usual.
Ye Jun was so angry that he laughed, "You see me under house arrest, do you think I can't get up from my disgrace? It's been less than ten days, and you dare to do this."
"How dare these lowly people who look down on others be so disrespectful? I will go and seek justice from them!"
Nan Zhi was furious and was about to walk out.
"No need. I don't have much appetite anyway. Please help me take a bath first. I want to see when it will be delivered." Ye Jun said coldly.
There was a cold light in those eyes, and it was obvious that he was angry.
Huiyue was steady and persuaded Nanzhi, then asked Luhe to go to the small kitchen to warm up the pastries while she helped Yejun wash up.
Almost an hour later, Ye Jun finished washing up and sat for a while before he finally heard the noise outside.
A strange young eunuch came in leisurely carrying a food box.
"Please forgive me, Concubine. There was a banquet earlier today and the chefs were busy preparing the dishes for the banquet. They were too busy to handle it all at once, so it's a little late."
"You cheap bastard! I think you are just being disrespectful to our Concubine!" Nan Zhi couldn't help but curse.
Huiyue tried to stop her, but she was also very angry.
"You are shaking now, are you sure that our Concubine has no future? Go back and tell your steward that every detail of what happened today has been memorized, so you won't have no place to cry in the future!"
The young eunuch's face was bitter, but he still acted shamelessly, "Oh my two aunts, the emperor is hosting a banquet, so our imperial kitchen should take the lead, right? We can't put the cart before the horse. The dishes have been delivered, please enjoy them, Concubine. I will take my leave now."
After saying this, he put down the food box and walked out.
Nan Zhi was so angry that she followed him and took a deep breath.
When she came back, her eyes were red with anger. "Jieyu, they are too bold!"
Ye Jun took a deep breath, closed his eyes slightly, and opened them after a while.
"Okay, let's see what's been delivered first."
Huiyue nodded and opened the food box, which contained four dishes and a soup.
A stir-fried bitter gourd, a cold cucumber salad, braised pork and pigeon soup.
It looked like nothing special, but firstly, Ye Jun didn't eat bitter melon, and secondly, the cucumber looked wilted. The braised pork was not stewed until it was soft at all, and it was still pale. There was only a skinny baby pigeon in the pigeon soup, and the soup was like clear water.
This is not food for the master at all!
Ye Jun took a glance and his expression became even gloomier.
"Pack it up and take it to the emperor wherever he is. Just tell him that the dishes sent to me by the imperial kitchen today are excellent and I am offering them to the emperor for his enjoyment."
The girls looked at each other, wondering if they were being too bold.
Bai Zhu was quite quick, he packed up the things and picked them up, "The banquet is over now, don't worry, Concubine, I will definitely deliver them."
Ye Jun smiled as she looked at him, took out a pair of mutton-fat jade earrings from her dressing table and put them in his hands.
"Do it well. After all, the girls are not as courageous as you."
"I obey your command!" Bai Zhu bowed and retreated respectfully.
Huiyue and Nanzhi felt a little embarrassed, and Lvhe, Lvmei and Lvzhi behind them also lowered their heads.
Ye Jun waved his hand, "Don't think too much. The people around me should have their own strengths. Bai Shu is bold, but inevitably reckless, and women are more stable. You should complement each other. Now I am under house arrest, but it won't last forever. Relax your minds and do your job well. The Ye family has made outstanding contributions, and the emperor will not treat me badly."
"Yes, we will be loyal to you!" several maids said in unison.
On the other side, the banquet was over and Ning Chen returned to Jiuchen Palace alone.
The Queen wanted to invite him, but Ning Chen drank a little too much today and wanted to be alone, so he didn't go.
When I walked outside the Jiuchen Palace, I saw a familiar eunuch waiting there.
Yuan Jiu recognized him first and whispered, "Your Majesty, it looks like Bai Shu who is by Concubine Ming's side."
Ning Chen narrowed his eyes slightly and took a look, and recognized it.
I can't understand how we can meet now.
Could it be that Ye was under house arrest and was anxious
Thinking of this, Ning Chen frowned slightly. He always disliked women being so restless. What's more, the punishment he gave was not severe at all. How could she not even sit on the bench
But I vaguely feel that it won’t happen.
Ye is smart, and although she looks arrogant, she is not unstable.
After thinking for a moment, he decided to ask someone to go and call Bai Zhu over.
"Why are you coming to Jiuchen Palace so late?"
Bai Zhu knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, the imperial concubine said that the food prepared by the kitchen today is very good, so I sent it to Your Majesty to taste."
"What could possibly make her praise it like this? Let's open it and take a look." Ning Chen became puzzled.
Yuan Jiu responded, walked forward and opened the box, and his expression changed as soon as he saw it.
"Your Majesty, this..."
This is not a delicious dish at all, it is not something that can be served on the table!
When Ning Chen saw Yuan Jiu hesitating, his eyes darkened. He walked forward and took a quick look at the things in the food box, and his face immediately darkened.
"Who is the steward of the kitchen? How dare you neglect the master like this? If you can't serve the master well, get out of the palace and replace him with someone who can do the job!"
It was true that he put Ye Jun under house arrest, but it was just a formality and not a real punishment.
How could Jiaojiao, who is always picky, eat if the kitchen treats her so harshly
Thinking of this, Ning Chen felt that the pampered woman might not be able to eat anything well during this period, and he became even more angry.
He had already drunk some wine and was feeling irritable, so he immediately ordered that all the servants who had touched the food at Yuxiu Pavilion today be beaten with thirty boards and sent to work elsewhere.
This matter was not even left overnight, and people were sent to do it immediately.
The kitchen had just received the reward money for hosting the Double Ninth Festival banquet, but before they had time to be happy, a group of people were arrested.
They pressed him into the yard and beat him, then exiled him.
Such a big thing naturally could not be kept secret from the harem, and the news soon spread everywhere.
The queen had just finished her bath and her face darkened when she heard this.
"The Emperor is protecting Ye Shi like this. He has even put her under house arrest, yet he still stands up for her like this."
Madam Ding twisted her hair and whispered, "After all, the Ye family has made great achievements in the war. The emperor will not treat the descendants of meritorious officials harshly. Moreover, Ye herself is also capable and favored. She has the confidence to make trouble."
Yes, he was not confident. If it were someone else, he would still be under house arrest. If he was treated harshly, how could he dare to say anything, let alone make a scene in front of the emperor.
“If no one instructed, the kitchen would not dare to put down and praise the powerful so quickly. I’m afraid the people behind the scenes didn’t expect that Ye would dare to expose it like this.” The queen curled the corners of her lips coldly.
Madam Ding chuckled, "It's good that your Majesty knows. No matter who it is, colluding with the kitchen is a taboo in the harem. The emperor is busy with many things and it is inevitable that he will miss something. Your Majesty is in charge of the harem, so you should be meticulous."
"Of course, Concubine Ming is the emperor's favorite at the moment. I am of the same mind as the emperor, so how can I let her suffer in vain?"
The queen looked at herself in the bronze mirror, her eyes gradually becoming colder.
There are not many people in the harem who can bribe the servants in the kitchen. They can only be people in high positions.
No matter who it is in the end, they will all be severely smeared.