Chapter 55 - Scheme of that Noble in the Imperial Palace

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

In the summer, the kitchen was quite hot, and the cooks in the Duke Mansion were curious to see Qiao Jinniang coming in.

But they knew that she was the most favored miss in the mansion, so they dared not say anything other than fawning on her.

It was almost evening, and people usually had no appetite on a summer night, so Qiao Jinniang planned to cook some appetizing food to cool off the heat.

After being busy for about half an hour, Qiao Jinniang followed the maids to bring out the dishes one by one.

Duke Anyuan ordered the servants to pack these dishes into a food box.

Qiao Jinniang asked, “You are not eating them, Father?”

Duke Anyuan said, “It was His Majesty who ordered you to cook. I’m going to the Imperial Palace to offer your dishes. Would you like to go together?”

Qiao Jinniang shook her head. She had been to the East Palace, and she felt suffocated there.

She was absolutely reluctant to go to the Imperial Palace.

Qiao Jinniang said, “In case the dishes go cold, I’ll have Nuomi put some charcoal stoves under the food box…”

Duke Anyuan said, “Okay.”

…

Duke Anyuan sent the dishes to the Imperial Palace, and as soon as he entered the Emperor’s bedroom, he saw Lu Chen coming.

Duke Anyuan hurriedly saluted. “Your Royal Highness.”

“Your Excellency, you don’t have to be so polite. I should call your Teacher now.”

“I’m so flattered.” Duke Anyuan hurriedly said.

Lu Chen’s eyes turned to the food box in Duke Anyuan’s hand. “This is?”

Duke Anyuan said, “These are a few home-cooked dishes made by my daughter. I am bringing them to His Majesty to taste.”

Lu Chen frowned and said, “It’s so hot in the summer. Why bother to go inside a sultry kitchen?”

Duke Anyuan thought so too, but he dared not to disobey the Emperor’s order. He smiled and said, “Jinniang loves to cook.”

Emperor Huilin heard the voice outside the palace and asked, “Is Duke Anyuan here?”

Duke Anyuan hurriedly handed the food box to an eunuch. He took it and tested the dishes with a silver needle before placing them on the Emperor’s dining table.

The Queen slowly came and said, “Your Majesty, how could you make Duke Anyuan’s daughter cook for you? If people hear about this, they’ll laugh at you.”

Duke Anyuan said, “It’s okay. It’s a blessing for my daughter to be able to cook for His Majesty.”

Emperor Huilin said to Duke Anyuan, “Thank you, Duke. I will reward Miss Qiao. Wang Quan, choose a box of treasures from the Queen’s private treasury and let Duke Anyuan take it back to Miss Qiao.”

Duke Anyuan kneeled and thanked again before he left with Eunuch Wang Quan.

Lu Chen sat next to the Queen and said to Emperor Huilin, “Father, the kitchen is smoky and hot. There are so many cooks in the imperial kitchen, so why did you make Jinniang cook?”

Emperor Huilin said angrily, “Humph, since you feel sorry for Miss Qiao, go eat the dishes made by the imperial kitchen. Don’t eat these dishes.”

Lu Chen: “…”

Empress Zhou smiled and said, “Chen’er must have been accustomed to the dishes Jinniang made, right?”

Lu Chen said, “She doesn’t cook very often. She is good at making cakes, pickled food, etc. It’s too tiring to cook. Even if she wants to, I don’t want her to be so tired.”

The Queen sighed. “Now she is going to marry another man, but you don’t want her to leave you? Will you really just watch her marry Li Yun?”

Lu Chen pursed his lips. “Of course not. I’ll give her an explanation about the divorce letter and the matter of demoting her from my wife to my concubine. I’ve already had my men investigate the divorce letter. The handwriting on the letter was fake, but it doesn’t seem to be sent from Chang’an.

“Prince Mediocre and Consort Xian don’t seem to know anything about the relationship between Jinniang and I. My men have checked the post stations along the way. This letter of divorce didn’t seem to be sent from Chang’an. Maybe someone in Lin’an did it, so they have gone to Lin’an to investigate it.”

The Queen took a sip of yellow wine. “Oh, you’re really quick. Qiao Jinniang is already preparing for her dowry and you just finally remembered the divorce letter?”

Lu Chen said slowly, “As long as the divorce letter is not written by me, Qiao Jinniang and I are still a legitimate couple.”

Emperor Huilin tasted a bowl of fish meat slices, which was very delicious and appetizing. He was still wondering why there was a faint aroma of wine coming out of the fish meat when he heard Lu Chen’s words and said,

“How can the marriage be valid? You’re the Crown Prince of our country. How can you marry into a merchant’s family? It’s a disgrace!”

Lu Chen cupped his hands and said, “Father, you can directly hand over the throne to Tuan’er, so that I won’t be a disgrace to the imperial family.”

Emperor Huilin ate a piece of fish, swallowed it and said, “You wish! What is the name of this dish?”

Lu Chen glanced at it and said, “This is the Stewed Sliced Fish in Wine Sauce. Jinniang is very good at making this dish, but I think the Drunken Crab that she makes in autumn and winter is the most delicious.”

The Queen tasted it and said, “It’s really good, but Chen’er, you said that the divorce letter does not count, but you should know that according to our country’s law, if a man marries into his wife’s family, his wife has the right to divorce him without his consent.”

Lu Chen said, “I don’t believe she dares to do that to me.”

However, the Queen felt that from what she knew of Qiao Jinniang, she probably dared to do it.

…

Early the next morning, it rained in Chang’an where it seldom rained.

Qiao Jinniang planned to make some stewed food in wine sauce. Yesterday, she found a lot of wine sauce in the kitchen, which was some really good stuff.

She was dealing with goose meat and goose feet with her maids in the courtyard.

Suddenly, Yuyan came in from outside and said, “Miss, Miss, Young Master Li is here. He is now kneeling before the Duchess and pleading guilty. Would you like to take a look?”

Qiao Jinniang washed her hands clean, pulled down her sleeves, and went to the Duchess’s courtyard with an umbrella.

She saw Li Yun kneeling on the porch. His robe was wet from the raindrops falling from the eaves.

Qiao Jinniang went over to Li Yun and said, “Cousin, please get up.”

Li Yun looked at Qiao Jinniang with guilty eyes and said, “Cousin, no matter if we can be married or not, it is indeed my fault to make you be laughed at by the noble ladies in Chang’an.”

“The Duchess was annoyed and punished me with kneeling here, and I deserved it.”

At this time, Second Madam came over and saw Li Yun kneeling outside the door. When she heard that Li Yun had been kneeling here for a quarter of an hour, she was very angry.

Second Madam went directly inside and said loudly, “Sister-in-law, since this engagement has already been annulled, why are you treating Yun’er like this?

“He will be taking the imperial examinations soon, and he is also a reserve official. Are you worthy of him kneeling to you?”

The Duchess said, “He wanted to kneel himself. You don’t know how those women talked about my Jinniang yesterday. Jinniang suffered so much grievance. Why can’t he kneel?”

Second Madam snorted. “Qiao Jinniang just takes this as an excuse. She looks down on Yun’er and wants to marry into the royal family!

“She didn’t have an excuse to annul the engagement, so she had that noble in the royal family instigate Ruyu to set up Yun’er!

“Now she has a justifiable reason to annul the engagement and marry into the royal family!

“Jinniang is a divorced woman. Is she worthy of marrying into the royal family?

“To become an imperial concubine, she tried really hard!”

Qiao Jinniang asked Li Yun, “Is what Second Aunt said true? Ruyu was instigated by the Crown Prince?”

Li Yun said, “Ruyu confessed that she was instigated by a noble in the royal family indeed.

“She was afraid of offending that noble, and also afraid that the noble would think of other ways to set me up, so she agreed to go to the Tasty Pavilion to harass you…”

Qiao Jinniang clenched her hands, gnashed her teeth and said, “Lu Chen really went too far!”

Then she held the umbrella and left the Duke Mansion with Nuomi.