CHAPTER 153: CHAPTER 153: SUBMISSION

Prince NanAn, Chu Shun, and even Xie Jingchen—all of them exchanged glances.

The little maid’s words were truly surprising.

Among them, only Prince NanAn had some knowledge about the affairs of Chaohua Palace and the favored concubine.

Madam Dongxiang, a woman from far-off Qingyun Mountain, knew these matters so clearly, it was unbelievable.

Moreover—

She knew that the Emperor feared people fainting.

Even Prince NanAn was unaware of this weakness of the Emperor.

The Emperor scared of people fainting?

He found it hard to believe.

Prince NanAn looked at Xingxing and said, "Little maid, you’ve successfully piqued my interest in your Madam."

Su Jin, "...."

Could you not be so irritating?

How dare he express interest in her mother right in front of her?

But she couldn’t deny, Xingxing’s words had also stirred her curiosity.

Her mother seemed to know the Emperor far too well, suggesting familiarity.

However, the bizarre part was her mother was familiar with the Emperor, yet the Emperor seemed unfamiliar with her mother.

Xingxing mentioned how her parents gathered quite a lot of information before arriving in the Capital City, but such information shouldn’t be easy to come by, right?

Intuition told Su Jin there was definitely something amiss.

A young attendant knocked on the door and brought in two more dishes.

Faced with delicious delicacies, everyone automatically shelved the topic.

However, they were unaware that while they praised the delicious dishes, the palace was in an uproar.

Over a dozen imperial chefs had collapsed; the previously prepared dishes had all ended up in Xingxing’s stomach, leaving the assistants who had only mediocre culinary skills.

The palace maids and eunuchs were easier to satisfy, as long as they were full, but those concubines accustomed to gourmet food couldn’t tolerate the five dishes and one soup turning into three dishes and one soup, all lacking in color, aroma, and taste.

A group of concubines went to the Emperor to protest.

The Emperor at that time was looking at the five dishes and one soup on his table, unable to stop his lips from twitching.

It was known that the Emperor’s meals consisted of at least twenty dishes.

Even when traveling, settling for fewer, there would be at least eight dishes.

In his own palace, living as though in hardship.

The Emperor raised his hand to rub his forehead, unsure of what to say.

The eunuch blocked the door, preventing the concubines from entering, but the sounds of the commotion reached the Emperor’s ears without missing a word.

The Emperor felt overwhelmed.

"Am I overindulging Marquis Dongxiang’s daughter?" the Emperor asked.

"...."

Eunuch Fu’s lips twitched.

Even the Emperor himself had noticed, was there even a need to ask?

"The Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion saved the Emperor before; it’s understandable if the Emperor favors her a bit. The matter with the Imperial Kitchen can’t be blamed on her, it was the chefs who despaired and poisoned themselves," Eunuch Fu explained.

"Truly not that dish being poisoned?" the Emperor doubted.

"Emperor, the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion may be impulsive, but she has never actively provoked anyone in the palace; for the Emperor to let her pick imperial chefs who then deprive the Emperor of meals, she wouldn’t be foolish enough to commit such an act," Eunuch Fu said.

Indeed, Su Jin had never actively provoked anyone.

The conflict with Princess Shouning was because the Emperor said to treat the palace as her own home.

Picking flowers in one’s own home really wasn’t a big deal, especially since Marquis Dongxiang and Mrs. Tang pampered their daughter so much, even tearing the roof off was acceptable.

Princess Shouning wanted to chop off Su Jin’s hand, only to be whipped by her, exacerbating the conflict.

Thinking of how his daughter had been frustrated at the hands of Marquis Dongxiang’s daughter several times.

He himself had been robbed by Marquis Dongxiang.

But when he saw Marquis Dongxiang’s daughter, he would feel exceptionally soft-hearted, so much so that he would give her whatever she wanted.

His own daughter had never shared such sentiments.

The Emperor sighed.

Seeing this, Eunuch Fu asked, "Is the Emperor feeling unwell?"

"I’m fine, when can the imperial chefs recover?" the Emperor asked.

"The Imperial Physician said they would need three days to recover," Eunuch Fu said quietly.

Eunuch Fu went to inquire about the situation from the Imperial Physician, who only said, "The Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion showed mercy."

This statement alone was enough to prove that it was the chefs themselves who courted death, falling at the hands of the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion.

But how they fell, the Imperial Physician didn’t say, and Eunuch Fu didn’t know.

To prevent disturbance to the Emperor, Eunuch Fu went out and dispersed the concubines.

Drunken Immortal Pavilion.

After eating and drinking their fill.

Su Jin and her group went downstairs.

Xingxing went to settle the bill with the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper handed a hundred taels of silver to Xingxing.

Xingxing, "...."

Chu Shun and the others were once again dumbfounded.

Xingxing stared at the silver, then looked at the shopkeeper, bewildered, "Why are you giving me money?"

The shopkeeper spoke guiltily, "The dishes the Eldest Young Madam ate were prepared by the imperial chefs; those dishes aren’t worth much. The hundred taels are the wages of those two chefs; since they are the Eldest Young Madam’s people, their wages naturally go to the Eldest Young Madam."

Eating a meal without paying and then receiving money afterward.

This was more impressive than robbing someone to pay the bill.

Chu Shun and the others were completely awed by Su Jin.

Su Jin did not accept; she said, "Give the hundred taels to the imperial chefs, shopkeeper."

What troubled Su Jin was how to settle the imperial chefs—

Tianxiang Building was built but not yet suitable for habitation.

Putting them in the library wouldn’t fit them all.

Bringing them to Duke Zhen’s Mansion would risk them being bribed.

Sending them to Dongxiang Marquis Mansion would mean they might not come out once inside.

In the end, Chu Shun suggested, "How about I take them to Marquis Jingguo Mansion?"

"And my Prince NanAn Mansion!" Prince NanAn declared.

"My mansion can accommodate a hundred or more imperial chefs, no problem," Eldest Young Master of Duke Dingguo stated.

"...."

Su Jin decisively assigned the two imperial chefs to them, letting them divide as they saw fit.

Then, the four took the imperial chefs, each house hosting them for two days as a starting point.

After Su Jin and Xie Jingchen left.

Chu Shun patted Prince NanAn’s shoulder, saying, "Don’t forget to ask your mother for the Emperor’s weakness when you get back, it might save your life one day."

"You still don’t know me, I can’t hold back anymore," Prince NanAn said.

Prince NanAn rode back to the mansion and went directly to find Princess NanAn.

Luckily, Princess NanAn was admiring flowers in the garden.

Prince NanAn approached and said, "Mother, you’re in good spirits."

Princess NanAn glanced at him, "Rarely coming back so early, I guess Tianxiang Building is complete."

Prince NanAn fanned Princess NanAn and then said, "Mother, I want to ask you about something."

"What is it?" Princess NanAn asked curiously.

"I only found out today that the Emperor has a problem with fear of people fainting; is it true?" Prince NanAn asked.

"...."

"Who told you the Emperor has a fear of people fainting?" Princess NanAn frowned and asked.

"Mother, is it true?" Prince NanAn inquired.

"Yes, it’s true," Princess NanAn replied.

Surprisingly it was true!

"But, you must not imitate it, in case the Emperor drags you out and chops you," Princess NanAn warned.

"...."

"What Mother said has confused me a bit," Prince NanAn helped Princess NanAn into the gazebo.

Princess NanAn waved her hand, dismissing the maids.

She sat down and said, "The Emperor’s fear of people fainting dates back over ten years, when the Emperor favored Consort Yun. Once, Consort Yun felt unwell, and for reasons unknown, the Emperor criticized her a few times, and she fainted; since then, whenever Consort Yun was present, the Emperor would check her expression before scolding anyone."

Prince NanAn, "...."

This statement greatly affected the Emperor’s image in his mind.

How could the Emperor be such a person?

Too hard to believe.

"After Consort Yun’s death, some concubines imitated and were sent to the Cold Palace by the Emperor," Princess NanAn said.

"...."

Prince NanAn held his forehead.

The Emperor, behaving like this, seemed more normal.

But the information Madam Dongxiang had was at least a decade old.

Or perhaps, Madam Dongxiang had lived in the Capital over ten years ago?