Don't help me, I can sit up by myself

It doesn't matter what you give as a reward. It's really nice to give him a night's sleep.

What's more, the queen was not favored in the old years, but now she is like cheating. She slept with her two or three times in more than a month.

Even the queen herself couldn't believe it, but thinking about it carefully, it seemed that every time she went to bed, it had something to do with Du Jiyan, directly or indirectly.

"Du Chang is nurturing me." The queen was helped by longan to comb her hair. The queen's complexion in the bronze mirror was much better than before. She used to doze off when she sat on the soft couch in the morning, but now her energy has improved for a long time. The queen in the mirror has bright eyes and bright teeth.

Even the Queen Mother couldn't help but tell Aunt Guan in private: "Back then, the Queen didn't make progress and had no favor for many years. The Ai family felt that the Wei family had no hope, so they let Zhao Ning enter the palace. Now that Zhao Ning has just entered the palace, The queen has been summoned by the emperor several times to be blessed, so how could she know that it wasn't Zhao Ning who brought her good fortune."

"Your Majesty, I heard that this time it was because the Queen sent delicious food to the Emperor. When the Emperor was happy, he asked the Queen to sleep with him."

"What delicious things did the queen offer?"

"I heard they are dumplings."

The Queen Mother was puzzled. Dumplings were not a rare thing, and the Palace of Supreme Harmony was not without them either.

"I heard they are wild vegetable dumplings. The emperor is the emperor and everything he eats is of the highest quality. Naturally, he has never tasted these country game delicacies."

"How does the queen know about country game?"

"I heard that it was made by Du Chang from Yongfu Palace. The queen ate well and gave some to the emperor. The emperor also liked it very much."

The Queen Mother secretly thought, this Du Jiyan was outrageous. Everyone in the palace knew how to do woodwork, and now he was working as a cook again?

Her father is a fifth-grade supervisory censor, and she is also considered a young lady from an official family. How come she has so many other skills?The Queen Mother was also a little curious: "I think back when Aijia was a girl, her family was wealthy and there were two or three Zhuangzi. She occasionally went to Zhuangzi and tasted wild vegetables. How many years passed by? After entering the palace, We don’t have such a carefree time anymore. When you have time, go to Yongfu Hall and have a look. If there is anything fresh to eat, ask Du Changzai to get some for Aijia so that Aijia can have a taste of her craftsmanship. , is it as good as you say?"

Changle Palace.

Because of the queen's presence, Meng Yuzhu's face became even more ugly.

Meng Yuzhu's mind started to get excited when he heard that the emperor kept the queen in bed because he ate the wild vegetable dumplings sent by the queen.

Sneaking Tian Lingyue into the main hall, Meng Yuzhu specially prepared two fruits for her.

Tian Lingyue sat hunched over in the chair and dared not eat.

Meng Yuzhu pushed the fruit in front of Tian Lingyue: "Why are you so polite to me?"

Tian Lingyue had to eat the fruit carefully.

He was not rewarded for his meritorious service, and sure enough, the fruit was still in his throat. Meng Yuzhu said: "I heard that Du Changzai became famous again because of his good cooking skills. The queen relied on her to serve and sleep. What kind of wild game and wild food are just rough things?" "Shiwu, I remember that your family background is not good, your father has a low official position, and your mother was just a clothesmaker. You have also lived in the suburbs since you were a child. Have you eaten those coarse game meats, right?"

Tian Lingyue felt a soreness in her throat. The fruit was fine, but it was difficult to swallow.

Meng Yuzhu investigated her thoroughly, and even knew that she lived in the countryside when she was a child. It seemed that she must have something up her sleeve.

"Back to my wife, I've eaten one or two of those wild game dishes. It's been a long time, so I can't remember them clearly."

"I asked someone to get some wild vegetables. You can make them into game. I'll try them first." Meng Yuzhu raised his eyelids. Cashew Nuts brought several baskets from nowhere. The baskets contained green shepherd's purse and dark green radish seedlings. , green dandelions, a few wild pigeons, a gray turtle dove, and half a basket of quail eggs.

The wild vegetables in the greenhouse in the palace have been pulled out by the people of Yongfu Palace.

These game meats were brought from the daily purchases in the imperial kitchen. They were quite fresh and delicious, no less than the raw materials in Du Jiyan's hands, especially the half basket of quail eggs, which cost almost two taels. Silver, I heard, are eggs laid by wild quails. The yolks are large and fragrant. They are very precious. Ordinary people don't often eat them. They only put one in the soup stewed for the Queen Mother occasionally.

Tian Lingyue was a little embarrassed.

She had lived a hard life and had eaten wild vegetables, but eating was one thing and cooking was another.God knows how Du Jiyan can make such delicious dumplings.

Meng Yuzhu stroked the baskets of green vegetables and turned to look at the cramped Tian Lingyue: "You also know that I don't like useless people. This palace can live in Changle Palace, and I can live in this palace. The only one around me is you, do you understand what I mean?"

Tian Lingyue felt her face burning, as if Meng Yuzhu had seen through it.

Meng Yuzhu seemed to be discussing with her, but in Changle Palace, the word "discussion" never existed. Meng Yuzhu's words were orders.Tian Lingyue had no other choice but to follow the instructions.

Carrying a bunch of game to the small kitchen, Tian Lingyue and the servants in the side hall worked together to figure out how to make those bland, oily, non-greasy game.

After working for more than two hours, the daylight dimmed and the moon floated to the roof. The moonlight intersected with the color of snow in the whole palace, and the silvery white light and biting coldness came to the place.

Tian Lingyue came to the main hall with the prepared shepherd's purse dumplings in her hands, and raised her head with her eyebrows low.

The shepherd's purse dumplings had just been steamed, and there was a refreshing fragrance of shepherd's purse. In this snowy night, the cold was approaching, and the steaming shepherd's purse dumplings made people a little appetizing.

Meng Yuzhu was nestled on a soft couch made of fox fur, with a soft goose feather pillow as her pillow. The palace maid Cashew Guo waited on her and beat her legs. She almost fell asleep while waiting for the wild food. The palace was warm, and she vaguely heard Cashew Guo saying that the wild vegetables were ready. Meng Yuzhu Yuzhu steeled herself, took a deep breath of the agarwood fragrance in the room, helped Xiao Ji sit up slowly, caressed the armor with golden gems, raised her sleepy eyelids, and slowly looked at her knees. Tian Lingyue next to the charcoal pot.

Tian Lingyue held up the vegetable dumplings cautiously, without daring to raise her head.

Meng Yuzhu sniffed and felt that there seemed to be a special fragrance wafting in the palace. This smell was somewhat similar to the smell in Jingren Palace.

She knew it tasted like shepherd's purse.

Look at the food on the plate again. Although it is made of wild vegetables, it seems to have a few red wolfberries mixed in. The flowers are red and the willows are green, and the color is quite beautiful.

"As expected of having stayed in the countryside, this thing looks decent. I knew that there were so many talented people in this palace, but they were just cooking, and Du Jiyan must not be the only one." Meng Yuzhu had a smile on his lips. , slowly rose up like a crescent moon: "Tell me, what is the name of what you are doing?"

"Go back to the queen, these are shepherd's purse dumplings."

"Tuanzi, round and round, this name is also good." Meng Yuzhu became interested: "It has been more than two hours since I made it, and it is already dark. It seems that Tian promised you that he has worked hard. Come, get it I'll give it a try, and if it tastes good, I'll send a few to Taihe Palace tomorrow, so we can't let those hooves take advantage of them all."

Cashew hurriedly brought a small plate and a golden fork, forked a vegetable ball into the small plate, and held it to Meng Yuzhu's lips diligently.

Meng Yuzhu took a bite with a smile, and suddenly felt a bolt from the blue on her face.

The next time I smelled it, I almost vomited out all the food I had eaten the past few days.Looking at the appearance of these vegetable dumplings, they look good, but why do they taste like chewing rags?

"Dumplings made of wild vegetables are naturally more vulgar. They are eaten by the poor among the people, and some are not to your liking. If the queen dislikes them, I will make two more delicate ones and bring them to the queen." Tian Lingyue looked at Meng. Yuzhu's face looked wrong and she quickly lowered her head.

Meng Yuzhu picked up another piece of shepherd's purse dumpling and chewed it, but her expression was not as good as before.

The limelight is wrong.

The Changle Palace alarm sounded.

The eunuchs and maids retreated consciously, and no one dared to make any noise.

"Tian promised, how do you make these shepherd's purse dumplings?"

"Back to the empress, the shepherd's purse dumplings are steamed with shepherd's purse and flour. The shepherd's purse is fresh from the empress' palace, the flour is fine powder sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the wolfberry is a tribute from the frontier fortress. They are all good things, I think. However, these things are too bland, and the vegetable dumplings will be bland. I remember when I was a child, my mother would put a little oil and water in the dumplings to make them memorable, so I used a wild pigeon, a quail and a chicken to simmer it. Soup, use this soup base and noodles to make dumplings..."

"I thought you were very talented. It seems that I promoted you." Meng Yuzhu dropped the golden fork, grabbed a shepherd's purse dumpling and threw it into the charcoal basin: "Just this hard vegetable dumpling, even dogs can chew it. Don’t move, thank you for being able to do it.”

Tian Lingyue quickly knelt down.

Meng Yuzhu grabbed another vegetable dumpling. The more she looked at Tian Lingyue, the angrier she became. She simply threw the vegetable dumpling on Tian Lingyue's head: "You are giving this to me to eat, do you want to choke someone to death? Stupid thing." "

The vegetable dumplings were so hot that Tian Lingyue's face suddenly turned red and hurt.

Tian Lingyue endured it and did not dare to move.

The wind was rustling outside the curtain, and snow was falling again.

On a lonely winter night, in a lonely palace, Tian Lingyue knelt there, holding back her tears.

Cashew Nut brought a bowl of ginseng soup to Meng Yuzhu, held it carefully and said: "It's cold, my Majesty, please rest early and don't get so angry. Those vulgar things are not meant for noble people like your Majesty to eat. Chang Zai was too unsettled, so after the emperor named her Chang Zai, she lived unsettled in Yongfu Palace. The meals of each palace were taken care of by the small kitchen of each palace. It had never been heard that a palace concubine could Those who buy and sell food in the palace."

"You are also short-sighted." Meng Yuzhu could not drink the ginseng soup: "Because of the meals she cooked, the emperor summoned the queen. Who in our Changle Palace has the ability to cook wild vegetables?"

The cashew nut dared not make a sound.

In the middle of the night, Tian Lingyue dragged her heavy body back to the side hall.

The charcoal fire in the side hall has been extinguished, and the room is cold.

Through the window, I watched the octagonal palace lanterns under the corridor swaying in the wind, and the snowflakes wrapped around the lights were dancing one by one.

The brocade quilt is cold, and my heart is even colder.

A candle and a bronze mirror.

Tian Lingyue sat quietly in front of the bronze mirror and looked at the blush on her face, which was the mark of being burned by the vegetable dumplings.

For women in the palace, beauty is particularly important.Tian Lingyue was born with a lack of beauty, but she finally got the promised position and moved to the side hall of Changle Palace. She didn't want Meng Yuzhu to throw the hot vegetable dumplings in her face when she was angry. She didn't dare to resist or cry out in pain. , Shengsheng endured and returned to the room.

The palace maid Shangghu had already brought warm water and towels to wait on her. Seeing Tian Lingyue's face turned red and swollen like this, Shangghu choked up a little: "Master, I see your face is swollen. How about I ask an imperial physician to come and take a look?" See?"

Tian Lingyue shook her head: "It's too late. We asked the imperial doctor. The whole palace will know about it tomorrow."

"But……"

"Just put some ointment on it and it'll be fine. Don't make any noise."

Tian Lingyue opened the ointment, picked a little with a silver hairpin and spread it evenly in the palm of her hand, and then lightly covered her face. She felt a burning pain on her face, as if some bug had penetrated into her flesh. She She held the silver hairpin in her hand tightly to prevent herself from screaming. She didn't know how long it took. She raised her head and looked at herself in the bronze mirror. Although she was not fair and beautiful, she had long hair reaching her waist. , it feels like Xiaojiabiyu, but the redness on her face is unsightly, and she wonders if it will leave scars. Tian Lingyue sighed and applied another layer of ointment.

"It's all the fault of that Du Changzai. It's so good to live in the palace. It's great to have salary, rewards, and servants to serve you. Why do you have to bother with some delicious food? It's okay now. I let you suffer misfortune, master. Kneel down in the main hall. It’s been so long, and I don’t know if the injuries on my face will heal.”

"If it can't be cured, then I will scratch it." Tian Lingyue held up the silver hairpin and lightly scratched it on her face. The cold touch of the silver hairpin was like a cold insect crawling on her face.

Shanzhu was so frightened that he knelt down directly in front of Tian Lingyue: "Master, don't scare me... Master still has to serve the emperor, how can I be so obsessed with it? If I lose my face, I will have no way out in the future."

Tian Lingyue thought, of course, it would be best not to leave a scar. If there were a scar, and she would not be favored in the future, she would have no choice but to keep doing it, scratching her face to seek mercy from the emperor, and also to seduce the concubine in the main palace. , maybe he still has a glimmer of hope.

The wind outside the curtain is bone-chilling.

Snowflakes entered the side hall along the window.

A gust of cool wind blew Tian Lingyue's black hair, which flew like a snake. Her eyes in the bronze mirror were unusually tough.

Yongfu Hall.

Because Du Jiyan is not stingy, the people below are vying to work for her.

The servants of the Ministry of Internal Affairs would send some vegetables to Yongfu Hall every day. One part was Du Jiyan's own salary, and the other part was what Du Jiyan had people buy.

Every time someone from the Ministry of Internal Affairs brought something good, Du Jiyan would reward the eunuch who ran the errand with half a pound of money.

So when I heard that it was Du Changzai's errand from Yongfu Palace, not only the compradors of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but also the little eunuchs who were running errands lined up to get this job.

The number of people cooking in Yongfudian's small kitchen quickly grew from one to three, plus one person who works as a chef and chops vegetables.

At dawn, I received the dishes delivered by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. I washed and chopped them in the small kitchen. I put carrots, white radish, perilla, and fresh shrimps on plates one by one for later use. There were also two on the fire. There are small casseroles, one is stewed with red date and white fungus soup, and the other is stewed with pheasant and yam soup. The smoke is lingering in the small kitchen, and the fragrance floats far away.

Du Jiyan leaned on the desk, holding the brush and thinking for a long time before writing on the wooden sign: pheasant yam soup for one ounce of money, red date and white fungus soup for half a ounce of money, sweet potato leaf nest for half a ounce of money.

Shi Jing stared at the words on the wooden sign, and then looked at the floating heads outside the curtain, and couldn't help but worry about Du Jiyan.This is obviously in short supply.