Your Majesty, please do not disturb, the empress only wants to engage in business

Chapter 176 Well Prepared

To Yao Jinse's surprise, Xie Yun'an had just left Yuxiu Palace in anger that afternoon, and that evening, Hu Shijie's figure reappeared in the main hall of Yuxiu Palace.

"His Majesty said that Your Highness should prepare for tonight, but he will first have dinner with the Noble Consort and then come over after finishing reviewing the memorials in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Your Highness does not need to prepare too early."

Hu Shijie was always smiling, and as the saying goes, one cannot hit a smiling face. Moreover, his status was different; he was the emperor's personal eunuch, and in the harem, his position was even higher than that of many concubines. Therefore, what he said at this moment was naturally particularly meaningful.

"Your Highness knows that His Majesty is troubled right now. This old servant is also anxious seeing His Majesty like this. Your Highness is favored by His Majesty, so you should try to comfort him."

Facing Hu Shijie, Yao Jinse naturally did not show any emotion. As always, she wore a gentle smile and said slowly, "Thank you for your advice, Eunuch. I understand. You are serving the Emperor hard. Why don't you move to the side hall for a cup of tea?"

Hu Shijie shook his head and flicked his whisk: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness, but this old servant still has a mission to complete. I need to go to the Imperial Concubine's palace to deliver a message, so this old servant will take his leave now."

Before he could finish speaking, he had already stepped back. Before Yao Jinse could say a second word, Hu Shijie had already led the little eunuch behind him out the door.

"Since His Majesty is coming over tonight, Your Highness, why don't you have dinner beforehand?"

Bai Tan waved his hand forward, and Bai Shuang, who was at the door, nodded, turned around, and left Yuxiu Palace, heading towards the Imperial Kitchen.

The concubines who were to serve the emperor in the evening had to make many preparations, so they naturally didn't have much time to eat. Therefore, the imperial kitchen would prepare the evening meal about half an hour in advance for the ladies and concubines in each palace who wanted to eat earlier.

Since Xie Yun'an was going to Chengqian Palace to have dinner with the Imperial Concubine, he naturally wouldn't come too early. After having dinner, Yao Jinse still needed to bathe and change clothes to make some preparations before serving the Emperor. While bathing, Yao Jinse didn't completely relax and instructed Bai Tao to prepare some wine and a late-night snack in the Imperial Kitchen.

"At this time, there's no need for the head chefs to start cooking again. Have the eunuchs from the imperial kitchen prepare the wine that the Emperor usually likes to drink, but not too strong. Also, have a dish of braised crispy pig ears, and some cooling seasonal vegetables mixed with fresh walnuts dipped in honey."

Although His Majesty dined at the Consort's residence tonight, given his unhappy mood, he probably didn't enjoy the meal very much.

If fresh bamboo shoots were available, I ordered a plate of diced bamboo shoots. Tonight, the imperial kitchen served smoked chicken, and there were probably some leftovers. I asked them to shred the best chicken thigh and breast meat into thin strips and mix them with the diced bamboo shoots.

If bamboo shoots aren't available, just order shredded chicken, sprinkle with sesame oil and chili oil, mix well, and also order a small serving of wontons and clear broth noodles to take back and keep warm in the kitchenette. Got it?

Bai Shuang nodded her little head and repeated it in a slow and steady voice. After receiving Yao Jinse's approval, she went to the imperial kitchen again.

She's already walked this road once today, so she knows it well. It's best not to bother two people with the same thing, so asking her to make another trip is just a convenient thing to do.

"Your Highness is so considerate of His Majesty," Bai Tan and Bai Tao said, each wiping Yao Jinse's arm with a damp cloth. After hearing Yao Jinse's arrangements, they both felt they were exceptionally meticulous. "But Your Highness has prepared so much, will His Majesty actually use it today?" "Whether he uses it or not, it's always good to prepare in advance. Better safe than sorry. If we wait until His Majesty is in the mood to prepare, who knows how much time we'll waste!"

Moreover, she had just gone against Xie Yun'an's wishes during the day, and Xie Yun'an was going to stay overnight. Even if she left Xie Yun'an with the impression of being quick-witted and intelligent, there was no need for Xie Yun'an to go to such great lengths.

Yao Jinse didn't know what Xie Yun'an was really thinking; she only had a vague guess, but couldn't be sure yet.

"Besides, even if the Emperor doesn't eat it, it doesn't matter. It was ordered in the Emperor's name, so it's not included in our own allowance. If the Emperor doesn't eat it, we can just give it to you. I remember when Bai Tao celebrated her birthday last time, she really wanted to eat a bowl of chicken soup noodles made by the head chef. At that time, it was inconvenient to eat it in the Prince's Mansion. Now that she's in the palace, when Bai Shuang brings the food back later, you can naturally pick out some from one portion first."

After these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the room became somewhat awkward. Bai Tao's eyes even welled up with tears, and she hurriedly squatted down and gave a deep bow to express her gratitude for Yao Jinse's kindness.

The palace maids didn't have much of a regular allowance, and they had to rely on their masters for any benefits. If they encountered stingy masters, they would naturally have to live a hard life. It was truly a blessing for them to meet a kind and considerate master like Yao Jinse.

"Alright, get up. What kind of favor is this? You two are the ones I brought from home. Your dignity is my reputation in the outside world. Of course, I will treat you well. But remember, keep things to yourself. You've always been outspoken, so don't blurt it out."

Bai Tao nodded vigorously, even increasing the force in her hands. Bai Tan, on the other hand, laughed and said, "Don't worry, my lady. I keep an eye on them. I guarantee that when they go out, they'll be as quiet as if their mouths were sewn shut, only saying what they need to say."

Yao Jinse nodded slightly, leaned against the bathtub, closed her eyes, and said no more.

With Bai Tan, such a reliable person, by her side, everything she did was much easier, and she didn't have to spend any effort training her subordinates.

What she just said was more of a reminder. She knew Bai Tao was loyal, but people can sometimes do bad things with good intentions, so she had to be careful.

However, these were words she told herself in her heart.

Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; the environment around her was far more severe than that faced by Bai Tao and the other maids.

After bathing, Yao Jinse changed into a silver-red silk nightgown. A charcoal brazier was lit in the bedroom beforehand to ensure that it wouldn't be too cold even though it was late at night.

The wontons and silver thread noodles were already kept warm in the small kitchen, the cold dishes were placed on the table on the heated kang in several small dishes, and the wine had also been warmed in advance and prepared in the wine pot.

There was always a slight cool breeze in the spring night, which slowly seeped in through the window. Yao Jinse felt a little cold, so she put on a plain-colored cloak and spread her still slightly damp hair over it.

When Xie Yun'an arrived, he did not ask the eunuch to announce his arrival loudly. So when he walked in, he saw Yao Jinse's slightly flushed face in the candlelight, the side dishes laid out on the table, and the aroma of wine wafting in the air.