Jiu Zhang Ji: The Daily Life of the Reborn Daughter

Chapter 20 In the Clouds

The grand court meeting was over, and the emperor took eunuch Li back to the study. When they reached a fork in the road, the emperor stopped, stretched out his left foot, thought about it, and retracted it. He then stretched out his right foot to the right, thought about it, and retracted it as well. Eunuch Li followed behind, smiling silently.

"Your Majesty, I heard from Xiao Zhangzi this morning that the cherry blossoms in the Imperial Garden have bloomed. You have been so busy this morning, and you have to review memorials in the upper study. How about you take me to the Imperial Garden to have a look?"

Seeing that the emperor didn't say yes or no, he sighed again, "I haven't seen the cherry blossoms bloom yet."

"You old fellow, your hair has turned white, but you are still so ignorant. Come on, I will take you to broaden your horizons." He took a quick step with his left leg, as if afraid that Eunuch Li would change his mind, and went to the left to the Imperial Garden.

To get to the Imperial Garden, one has to pass by the Yunxiao Palace. When he reached the steps at the entrance, he looked at the three words "In the Clouds" written by himself on the plaque and sat down on the steps. "I can't walk anymore. Go and see the cherry blossoms by yourself. I'll wait for you here."

"Oh, then I thank the Lord for his grace." Eunuch Li ran towards the Imperial Garden.

The emperor stretched his neck and looked around. He saw Eunuch Li enter the imperial garden and then disappeared. He stood up, climbed the steps and walked to the vermilion gate. He knocked on the door gently: "Fei'er, open the door for me. I have something important to tell you."

Although there was deathly silence inside the door, he knew that there must be a row of people standing inside.

He pushed the door carefully, and as expected, it was locked. He put his ear against the door, but heard nothing.

He raised his hand high and tried to knock on the door hard, but his hand swayed twice in the air and then dropped down weakly.

He stretched his neck to look towards the Imperial Garden, but couldn't see Eunuch Li. He raised his foot and gestured twice, but in the end he didn't dare to kick down.

He sighed and sat down against the door. After all, he had lied to her, so it was understandable that she treated him like this. "Fei'er, I just learned a new song. Can I sing it to you to cheer you up?"

"Island," just as he uttered the word, he saw two palace maids walking towards him not far away, and he quickly stopped the voice that had just been raised.

"Fei'er, I just remembered that I have an important memorial to review. I'm leaving now. I'll come back to sing for you in the evening. Please wait for me."

He pressed his face against the door, lowered his voice and reminded her again through the crack in the door, "Fei'er, you must wait for me."

The emperor went down the stairs and was about to sit down in his original seat when he saw Eunuch Li coming back from the Imperial Garden, so he simply stood up.

"You old thing, you took me so long to come back. I have to go back by myself." As he said this, he patted his butt, as if he had just stood up and he also wanted to save his face.

The entire palace knows that the emperor cannot enter the gate of Yunxiao Palace, but as long as I think you don’t know, then you don’t know.

"The cherry blossoms are so beautiful, I can't even describe it. I was stunned. I am slow, so I was delayed for a while."

The emperor shook his dragon robe and walked back, and Eunuch Li followed behind him. He had no idea what cherry blossoms looked like, so he hid behind a tree not far away. When he saw the emperor coming down the steps, he quickly trotted out.

"Asheng, go check which palace those two palace maids are from. If you have nothing to do, just embroider a few more handkerchiefs for them." He pointed at the two figures that could be vaguely seen.

My Fei'er won't leave the palace, so you all stay in the palace and embroider for me, and no one is allowed to go out for a walk.

If Fei'er can't visit the Imperial Garden, then no one else can.

*

The east is rich and the west is noble, the south is humble and the north is poor.

In Broom Alley, a civilian area in the North City, Bai Shi and Bai Rouer were sitting at the table having dinner.

A plate of braised food, a plate of cold dish, a plate of stir-fried vegetables, a plate of steamed bamboo shoots, and a bowl of egg drop soup. The staple food is white rice.

Bai Rouer circled the dishes with her chopsticks in her hand, but was reluctant to put them down. This was because she had never seen the appearance of these dishes before.

"Mom, this braised food smells so fishy. How can I eat it?" The braised food was bought from a braised food store. Apart from anything else, it was cut quite neatly, so in the end, Bai Rouer chose to eat it first. She picked up a piece of the braised food and just as she brought it to her mouth, she smelled a bad smell.

"Mrs. Li, where did you buy this braised food?" Mrs. Bai also smelled the fishy smell and turned to ask Mrs. Li, who was still busy with something.

"Madam, it's the one at the entrance of the alley. The neighbors say that their food is delicious and affordable." Mrs. Li put down the rag in her hand and went to get a broom.

"Mom, I don't want to eat it. I can't eat it. I only eat the braised food and smoked meat from Xiangpiaopiao Delicatessen. You know that." Yes, it was Xiangpiaopiao Delicatessen. I had spent four or five hundred taels of silver on smoked meat and braised food in four years, and I just paid the bill.

Mrs. Li also knew the Xiangpiaopiao delicatessen, but the shop was on the main street of the Imperial City, too far from where they were. If she walked there, she would not be able to return for two hours. Who would do this job? Besides, the smoked meat was expensive. The money for this plate of braised meat could not even buy the small piece on the chopsticks.

Bai picked up a piece, but she couldn't eat it either, so she put it down and picked up a piece of green vegetables with chopsticks, "If the meat doesn't taste good, eat the green vegetables." She glared at Bai Rou'er, a girl who didn't know the sufferings of the world. She put the green vegetables in her mouth and chewed and chewed. The vegetables were really tough, "Mrs. Li, I can't chew this vegetable at all."

"Madam, that money is not enough to buy the cabbage hearts. I will fry them with more fire next time." Mrs. Li straightened up and pounded her lower back with her hands. She worked alone and had to use both her hands and feet every day. She had been beaten before and her old bones could not bear it.

She didn't work in the kitchen. She just cooked a bite of food for her family. She had never served her master. She really couldn't cook.

"If the fire is too high, how can we eat this dish? There is too much salt, it is too salty." Bai swallowed two mouthfuls of rice to suppress the salty taste. She did not dare to wash it down with soup, she felt that the soup would definitely not be light.

"My servant, my family only eats one dish, and it relies on the salty taste. We have become accustomed to it. Next time I will put less salt, and I will change it." Mrs. Li said terrified. She still added seasonings according to her cooking habit at home. Now thinking about it, it must have been too salty.

"When brother is not at home, we can afford to eat good meals. Why is it that now that brother is back, we can't even eat good braised food, and we have to eat old vegetables?" Bai Rouer felt very aggrieved. She threw her chopsticks on the table, pouted and stopped eating.

She threw herself into Bai's arms, "Mom, it's all Lou Xinyue's fault. If it weren't for her, that idiot Qiao Lili would definitely still provide us with delicious food and drink."

"Mother, my brother must have taken that bitch Lou Xinyue to a restaurant to eat tonight, leaving us at home to eat pig food. Mother, I don't want to eat, I don't want to eat, I want to go to the restaurant to eat too." She rubbed and arched in Bai's arms. At first, she just wanted to act coquettishly and let Bai prepare some delicious food for her again. Later, the more she talked, the more she felt that she was wronged, and she actually shed tears.