"You are no easier than me. If you really want to embarrass me, I won't be polite. Put it away."
"Why are you still telling me this now? I know you want to be strong, but there is a time limit. I still have some, which can last for a while, so don't refuse."
Shen Qingwan had no choice but to accept half of it with great reluctance.
"It's not easy for my sister either. The rest of you don't need to persuade me anymore. The emperor plans to go south to seek help from Lord Li. He is in charge of the grain supervision of Jiangdong and can make greater efforts. Now that we have armaments, we don't have to worry about supplies anymore, and we can accomplish great things."
Wu Ling was also very happy.
The two then talked about Concubine Shu's recent situation.
"It's not a big deal for me. No matter how arrogant the queen is, she wouldn't dare to target me for no reason. Not to mention that I'm one of the four concubines, even if my brother is in the army, she wouldn't dare to act rashly. If she forces him to follow the emperor, wouldn't that be a big loss?"
Don’t you know that she has long been a loyal fan of the emperor, and she doesn’t care whether the queen is the prince’s mother or how much real power she holds.
"She is bullying the weak and afraid of the strong. If one day it is confirmed that the emperor is in trouble, not only your elder brother but also my elder brother will suffer. If I hadn't been alert to rescue father from the prison and found him in the military camp, I am afraid he would still be kept in the dark and think that he is enjoying a good life in the capital."
Speaking of Shen Qingwan, she was filled with anger. Add to that the deaths of Concubine De and the Queen Mother, and the suffering suffered by Concubine Qi, how could she not hate the Queen.
If I had arrived a step later, my father might have lost his life.
Seeing that she was angry, Wu Ling didn't want her to go out and do things with such an emotion, so she advised: "You are going to do great things. These are all things of the past. When the time is right, I will ask that woman to pay it back. You can't make any mistakes now. You need to be careful."
Shen Qingwan nodded and agreed to all of them.
"I want to find an opportunity to meet Concubine Qi. What my sister said makes me feel uncomfortable. There are many crazy people there. I don't know if she is afraid at night with her temperament."
"How can I not be afraid?"
The moth sighed.
"I was just about to tell you that Sister Qipin might not have a good life."
Concubine Shu wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief.
"If it were anything else, it would be fine, but the Queen hated her for being so arrogant that day, and deliberately skimped on her food. If it weren't for my support, she would have become as thin as a bone. She looks forward to Guard Ye coming to see her and the Emperor returning to the palace every day, but how can that be achieved in a day or two? I can only advise her to think more positively, and not lose her mind and drive herself crazy again."
"The Queen probably hates not only her, but also Guard Ye. I think she is kept as a hostage. If we really attack the palace one day, not only her, but also my sister will be in a worrying situation, so we must send you out of the palace in advance."
Wu Ling didn't expect Shen Qingwan to be so thoughtful. Her consideration for her was not in vain.
"Good sister, just tell me what to do and we will cooperate. Concubine Qi is almost falling in love with Guard Ye. If you don't have a great opportunity this time, don't go over and check on her. I'm afraid she won't be able to bear it and reveal her clues."
Shen Qingwan nodded: "I understand, sister, I won't act rashly."
After coming out of Concubine Shu's courtyard, Shen Qingwan returned to the imperial kitchen.
The housekeeper was waiting for her reply.
When passing by Murong Wan on the way, he heard her sneer: "Some people just overestimate their own abilities, thinking they can really soar to the sky, but in the end they still get nothing."
Shen Qingwan knew that some rumors must have been spread, which fueled Murong Wan's emotions and made her ignore the housekeeper's attack on her.
Qingwan ignored it.
When she reached where the housekeeper was, people kept looking at her, but she ignored them all.
When she entered the inner room, the nanny was sitting at the tea table drinking tea. When she saw her coming, her attitude was still appreciative as before, but Shen Qingwan was clearly aware that something had changed.
"Madam, thank you for keeping me waiting. I went to the noble lady's room to talk to her for a few more words. The noble lady also specifically told me to remember to send her a copy of the new dishes next time I have them."
"Oh? What else did you talk about besides this? Are you having such a good chat?"
She felt relieved, as she was most afraid that Shen Qingwan would bring disaster to her.
Now that the emperor is gone, no matter how high the concubines' status is, it is all related to money. The queen is still the master of the harem. If she wants to climb up this path, she still doesn't have enough intention to enter the palace, and she hasn't considered some things well enough.
"If you're all right, Mammy, I'll go back to work. There must be a lot of things to deal with in the kitchen."
She shook her sore arms quietly and saw Mammy waving her hand in agreement.
Once you enter the kitchen, there is a lot of hard work to do.
Shen Qingwan wiped the sweat from her head.
For the future, everything is worth it.
Because of the time spent in Concubine Shu's palace in the afternoon, Shen Qingwan worked until night before returning to her room to sleep and had to get up early the next day.
Leng Xiang, who lived in the same room with her, had already gone to bed, but she was secretly laughing at her stupidity in her heart.
Just like she said, it was just yesterday's news. The prince had already ascended the throne. What was the point of her trying to please him
"You were the one who spread the rumor today, right?"
Leng Xiang was awake and was shocked when she heard this.
"You don't have to pretend to be asleep. No one would do this except you. Even if they would, it would probably be because of you."
Shen Qingwan had already seen through the people who entered the palace with her. Few had such ambitions, so Leng Xiang could not escape.
She still didn't answer, but curled up in the quilt without moving.
"Sometimes playing dumb is a good thing, but it's not good to overdo it. I came back and made such a big noise, but you were still able to sleep. I really admire your determination."
After saying that, he said no more, washed up, and went to bed, but this time he did not hide any of his movements.
The cold fragrance was very strong, but I had to be more cautious in secret.
This woman is so smart. It seems that today's events will not have any good results. Leng Xiang feels sorry that she failed to deal a blow to Shen Qingwan with such a good opportunity.
Why didn't the nobleman reprimand her for her behavior? If she added fuel to the fire, it would definitely be a blow to her and she would not be able to raise her head.
Shen Qingwan said this just as a warning. She was not a softie who could be easily bullied. She had to consider the consequences before taking any action.
After this incident, Shen Qingwan immediately taught Leng Xiang a lesson.
She sprinkled some croton water on the soup ingredients that Leng Xiang personally sent to the concubines in the palace, causing her to be beaten several times. The reason why she was not beaten to death was thanks to her ancestral medicinal cooking skills.
"I heard that the Empress lost her temper and even the maid was scolded. She is the most important person in the imperial kitchen. I think Miss Lengxiang will have a hard time in the future."
That's exactly the case.
Shen Qingwan still stayed in the team calmly, watching the housekeeper find a trivial matter to bully Leng Xiang.