Chapter Eighty-Five Ice

  ...but those who knew there was no incense in the house that day...

  Chen Fei herself knew, Sui Mu knew, Chao Sheng knew - Qing Jing, who had also entered the house to serve that day, might have known.

  The hand holding the tide trembled slightly.

  The empress pinned the blame for Concubine Chen's miscarriage on Consort Gui, and Consort Xian was also implicated, but in fact this incense never existed.

  Aunt Li looked at her with some confusion: "What's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?"

  "Not... " Chao Sheng lowered his head: "I remembered something... I don't know if it's very important."

  Auntie Li's expression changed, she glanced at the two people selecting vegetables outside the door, and with one hand holding a fire tongs, asked in a low voice: "What's going on?"

  Chao Sheng told her about the incense thing, but she still couldn't figure it out.

  Is it just because she knew there was no incense in the house that she had to be silenced? Is there another reason?

  For example... eat food?

  Since the incense is fine, the problem probably lies in what Chen Fei ate.

  While Chao Sheng also went to the kitchen to wait.

  Auntie Li slowly burned the fire, while Chao Sheng stood beside her, fanning the flames with a bamboo fan. From afar, it seemed like the two were completely focused on their work, and even when they occasionally exchanged a few words, it was only about the stove.

  "What did Queen Chen eat that night? Tell me again."

  "Su San Xian, Ba Bao Zhajin, Steamed Ham, and a dish of Sour White Steam, the soup is... hmm, the soup is Quan Wei Tang."

  Auntie Li furrowed her brow and pondered, "Generally, it's best to do something in the food, preferably in the soup... because dishes have different flavors, maybe this meal won't even be tasted. Among four dishes, usually only one will be eaten more. Of course, if you know which dish the person serving must eat, then putting it in that dish is also okay."

  "Sour white steam is what Niangniang specifically asked for. Then, could it be that dish was tampered with?"

  Auntie Li asked: "What about Liu Ergou, the cook? Where did she go later?"

  Chao Sheng shook his head: "Never heard of it again..."

  Auntie Li nodded: "Mmm, this mouth is probably already unable to speak. When presenting dishes, there are too many people, it's not easy to make a move. It's much easier when cooking."

  These words came from Li Auntie, a professional cook, so they were quite authoritative... but Chao Sheng felt that something was off when he heard them.

  "That being the case, why did Empress Chen let Qingjing enter the house to serve her at that time? If we're talking about reliability, Qingjing isn't as trustworthy as I am... Is it possible that she had an ulterior motive? Considering her current situation..."

  But she's already a beauty. No, last time I picked up the pearl, it seemed that she had already risen to become a beautiful woman, rivaling Xu Mei, the master of the pearl picker.

  This huge change in identity can be called bizarre.

  "What's there to think about?" Li Aunt snorted: "Although Chen Fei is beautiful, she has been in the palace for ten years and has been quiet for so long. Suddenly getting favored again, she must be worried that this favor will not last till tomorrow. Moreover, now that she is pregnant, it's naturally inconvenient for her to serve the Emperor. For such a long time, what if the Emperor forgets about her? When the child is born, whether it's a boy or girl, good or bad, where will her future security be? Of course, she has to think of ways to tie down the Emperor's heart. Is that Qing Jing not especially beautiful?"

  Chao Sheng nodded and said sincerely: "Yes, she is the most beautiful one in our Yunxia Palace."

  "How about comparing with Chen Fei?"

  Chao Sheng thought for a moment and said objectively: "The charm is not as good as before, but the eyebrows and eyes seem to be more beautiful."

  She nodded and said, "That's it. This is an old trick in the palace. When a concubine is pregnant or ill and cannot attend to the emperor, she doesn't want to lose favor with him and be slowly forgotten. So, she will choose someone from her side, maybe a palace maid, or an unlucky imperial concubine... to take her place when the emperor comes..."

  Cháo swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

  At that time she really didn't notice.

  "This approach is still relatively safe. The selected person is young and beautiful, can capture the emperor's heart, even if only for a short period of time. Moreover, with a lowly birth and no background, she can only rely on the high-ranking concubines and generally will not dare to disobey."

  Was it Chen Fei's intention those two times when she let Qing Jing enter the house to serve the Emperor?

  Chao Sheng was just thinking why Empress Chen trusted Qing Jing more and didn't let her enter the house to serve.

  It's fortunate that Chen Fei didn't let herself enter the house.

  She is probably young and not as beautiful as Qing Jing.

  Many girls in the palace dream of being favored by the emperor, but for Chao Sheng, she really can't do anything with a man old enough to be her father.

  The emperor was over forty years old, well-preserved, and often heard to have archery and horseback riding exercises, his figure didn't change at all, looking like he was just in his thirties.

  But... it's just not possible.

  Just thinking about it makes me feel a wave of nausea in my stomach.

  No wonder Qing Jing later became a talented person...

  Chen Fei's arrangement took effect, the emperor must have a deep impression of Qing Jing, it was quite good, so under the circumstances where others related were either dead or punished, Qing Jing alone stood out and became... hmm, considered a new favorite.

  Auntie Li looked at Chao Sheng with a glance and suddenly smiled.

  Chao Sheng was laughed at inexplicably.

  Auntie Li pinched her face: "If it were now, the girl chosen by that princess wouldn't be called Green Mirror. Look at your current appearance, you're really lovely."

  The tide is born with great embarrassment.

  "Auntie, don't tease me."

  "It's not a joke." Aunt Li said: "When you first came, you were like a small bean sprout, your body hadn't developed and your face wasn't fully formed. Now looking at you is different, indeed 'a girl changes at eighteen'... Unfortunately, this child only grew in appearance, didn't have many thoughts, and actually could only follow me to learn how to be a kitchen maid..."

  Chao Sheng smiled: "What's wrong with being a scullery maid? It's down-to-earth and worry-free."

  Aunt Li also laughed: "Nonsense. This place is the most troublesome place under heaven. If cooking and doing chores were so easy-going, how would I have ended up in the Eastern Palace? And what about all the suffering I've endured over the years? Let's just say you yourself, have you forgotten those days in the Washing Clothes Alley? It's not that you wanted to hide, but trouble wouldn't find you if you didn't go looking for it."

  The tide was silent.

  "After a while she changed the subject: 'Well, Auntie, don't you think that Qing Jing has nothing to do with Chen Fei's matter?'"

  "It's hard to say, we think it doesn't matter whether she has a relationship or not, anyway the emperor should think she doesn't have one."

  Yes.

  That's true.

  It doesn't matter what others think, as long as the emperor likes her and is willing to believe in her, she is innocent.

  Look, others have a powerful backer and haven't been swept into this deadly turmoil, instead turning the tables to become the master.

  Like them, those who have no backing, either die or disperse.

  It's like someone reviewing Journey to the West, where all the demons with backstage connections were taken away, and those without were beaten to death with a stick.

  Multiple realities...

  Too sad...

  It has been half a day since Chao Sheng realized many things.

  Auntie Li was thinking about something else.

  The queen is still quiet, her invitation has been sent out... including mentioning Concubine Yan and Ninth Princess in front of the emperor...

  What I said to Chao Sheng just now is Li Aunt's personal experience.

  At first, Empress Yan was pregnant and thought of this plan.

  At that time, Empress Yu chose Jiu'er.

  Jiuer was lively and clever, although she wasn't particularly beautiful, but she was very much liked by the emperor.

  Aunt Li hasn't thought about past events for a long time. Now that she thinks back, it all feels like things from her previous life.

  This is another phrase coined by the post-80s generation.

  She regained her composure...

  With her many years of understanding the Empress, the Empress is not a person who will yield. She has a strong and resilient temperament, with clever means. Her own methods may not necessarily be able to protect herself and Chao Sheng's lives.

  But why hasn't the queen made a move yet?

  Auntie Li couldn't figure it out.

  The last time Chen Suping's matter was settled too smoothly, without any signs of human intervention.

  And after Chen Suping was gone, the queen didn't make any move either...

  Could it be that I guessed wrong?

  The person behind Chen Suping is not the empress?

  But apart from the queen, who else would take action against Chao Sheng?

  Pin this thing on the imperial concubine's head, and even the virtuous imperial concubine didn't get any benefits. The only one who benefited from this was the empress.

  Auntie Li shook her head.

  Maybe it's not time yet.

  The queen may be waiting for an opportunity.

  Waiting for an opportunity to completely destroy them.

  Chao Sheng couldn't sleep well at night, thinking about old things for a while, and didn't know how Huang Quan lived after leaving the palace.

  Yes, Xiao Shun and the others will have a chance to leave the palace. The fourth prince may still send someone to deliver things to the second prince, and at that time, ask them to pass on a message again.

  It's just a pity that this thing I understand myself can't be told to Huan Xun.

  Xun Yun was completely unaware of the details from start to finish, and for her, this nightmare had already passed. It was enough for her to be trapped in it alone, there was no need to implicate her again.

  The eighth prince didn't know whether he had discussed with the fourth prince or not. However, since the fourth prince promised her that he wouldn't give her to someone else, the tide was able to put his mind at ease and didn't need to worry about this matter.

  To repay the Fourth Prince for being so "righteous", Chao Sheng felt that she should also have some returns. She not only put more thought into making a summer shirt for the Fourth Prince, but also racked her brains and came up with two ice points as a thank you gift.

  One is ice cream and the other is colored ice fruit.

  In the past, the ice in the four princes' share was used to make a cold soup or placed in the house to reduce humidity and relieve the heat. After Chao Sheng came up with the idea of ice cream, he first couldn't tell if the fourth prince liked it or not.

  The fourth prince has a light taste and doesn't particularly like sweet food in his daily life.

  The ice cream wasn't very sweet, it was soft and smooth to eat, with a refreshing taste. Xiao Dong first asked Li Auntie and Xiao Shun to try some, Li Auntie's comment was "not bad", saying that it seemed like some thought had been put into it, and it was somewhat similar to the eating style of the Western Regions, the prince should like it. Xiao Shun's comment was "it's too delicious, give me another bowl".

  Since both of their evaluations were good, Cao Sheng boldly presented it to the Fourth Prince.

  The fourth prince tasted both and had the same evaluation of the ice cream as Li Aunt.

  As expected, Aunt Li is more experienced and knows the Fourth Prince's taste better.

  ————————

  I heard there is a double monthly ticket again, I'll check the specific date and tell everyone