Chapter 567: Go And Look For The Empress
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
While Si Chenâs mind drifted away, the medicine boy returned with the hot
water.
âYoung Master, have some hot water.â
The medicine boy looked to be no more than thirteen or fourteen years old. He spoke with an accent reminiscent of the old capital city dweller. It was obvious that he had lived here for a long time.
âYoung Brother, if you have nothing else to do, sit down for a while. You didnât eat at night, right? Come, have a pancake.â
Many of these medicine boys were apprentices, and they only received a few dozen copper coins as a living allowance every month. Looking at the fragrant pancake in front of him, the medicine boy couldnât resist taking one. âThank you, Young Master. I can tell this pancake is delicious.â âYoung Brother, are you from the capital city?â Si Chen took the opportunity to ask.
âYes, I grew up in the capital.â
âOh, thatâs good. The capital city is big, so there are more opportunities to look for work By the way, Young Brother, I once heard a storyteller in a teahouse say that thereâs a Drum of Appeal outside the palace for people who wish to seek redress for an injustice. As long as he beat on the Drum of Appeal, he would be able to meet the Emperor?â
The medicine boy was very baffled when he heard that. âDrum of Appeal? I have never heard of this before. Those storytellers must have made it up. Where did the Drum of Appeal come from?â
When Si Chen heard that, a hint of disappointment appeared in his eyes. âSo itâs a story made up randomly by a storytellerâŠ
âThatâs right, Young Master. Iâve been in the capital city for so many years, but
Iâve never heard of such a thing.â
âThen, if there are commoners in the capital city who want to seek redress for an injustice, what do they have to do?
The medicine boy said, âGo and look for the Capital Governor. Isnât the Capital Governor here to help the people redress injustice?
Si Chen frowned slightly and said in a low voice, âIâm afraid the Capital
Governor canât do anything about thisâŠâ
âWhat are you saying, Young Master? Did Young Master suffer any injustice?
Gosh! If only you had come earlier.â
Si Chen raised his head in surprise. âWhatâs wrong?â
âYoung Master, you may not know, but a while ago the Empress personally brought the poor people to the hill slopes on the outskirts of the city to make charcoal. If you had come earlier, wouldnât you have been able to seek help from the Empress to redress your injustice?â The medicine boy was munching on the pancake, and his voice was a little muffled.
Si Chenâs delicate eyebrows furrowed. âThe Empress is the master of the Imperial haremâs palace complex. How can she get involved in the affairs of the Imperial Court?â
The medicine boy had a puzzled look on his face. âYou probably donât know about this, do you? Perhaps other Empresses canât get involved, but our current Empress is different. This Empress is very powerful and has done many things for us poor people.â
The medicine boy excitedly told Si Chen about Su Yingâs glorious deeds, leaving
Si Chen dumbfounded.
He thought to himself that it was rare to come across such a woman in this world.
âThatâS why I said that you missed the chance. If you have grievances and have no way to complain, just go to the Empress. You wonât go wrong.â Si Chen was stumped. Now that the Empress had returned to the palace, how was he going to see the Empress? He could wait, but the people waiting for him could not.
The medicine boy yawned after eating his fill. He looked at Si Chenâs thoughtful expression and assumed that Si Chen was probably taking his words seriously. âOh, yes. I heard that the Empress would go to the womenâs academy from time to time. If Young Master wants to see the Empress, you can wait outside the womenâs academy.â
âThe womenâs academy?â
âMm-hmm. Thatâs right. Itâs the womenâs academy that I mentioned to you just now. It was established by the Empress. The Empress will go to the womenâs academy at least twice a month to check on the situation. I donât know the exact time, but if you go there and keep watch, you will definitely be able to catch sight of her.â
Si Chen was very grateful and asked for the location of the womenâs academy. If it wasnât already dark, he would have gone there right away.
âYoung Master, donât be anxious. The Empress canât possibly go there at night. Itâs getting late and you are still injured. Better rest early.â
âThank you, thank you so much.â
The medicine boy waved his hand nonchalantly and yawned as he left the
room.
It was a night without dreams.
When she woke up and pushed open the window, everywhere her eyes landed was a swathe of white snow.
Bai Shuang exhaled a mouthful of white vapor and got up. After washing up, she waited outside the inner hall.
As soon as Bai Shuang got into her position, Zhang Shuming opened the door to the inner hall. Xiao Jin, who was dressed in a dragon robe, walked out and got ready to attend the morning court session.
âFarewell, Your Majesty.â
Xiao Jinâs footsteps paused slightly. âThe Empress said she wanted to eat noodle soup last night. Go to the Imperial kitchen and tell the Imperial chef to add a bowl of soup noodles.â
âYes, your servant will go now.â
Xiao Jin nodded slightly and disappeared into the landscape of drifting snow in the blink of an eye.
The weather was cold, and the Conjugal Phoenix Palace was quite a distance away from the Imperial kitchen. The food was almost cold by the time they brought it over, so at this time of the year, they would first bring the food back to the small kitchen in the hall to warm it up. When Su Ying woke up, she would be able to eat something warm.
When Bai Shuang arrived at the Imperial kitchen, Hea Shouyi was busy preparing breakfast.
âUncle Hea, you are still busy.â
Hea Shouyi turned around when he heard the noise. When he saw Bai Shuang, he smiled. âYou little lass, when did you come back? I havenât seen you for a long time.â
Bai Shuang walked into the kitchen and took a hot bun to eat. These were all breakfast items prepared for the servants in the palace. She became hungry after rushing all the way here.
âUncle Heaâs cooking is still the best. Any dish you cooked is delicious.â For a chef, what he liked to hear the most was other peopleâs approval of his cooking skills. Upon hearing her say this, Hea Shouyi beamed so happily that the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened.
âWhatâs wrong? Did the Emperor have any instructions?â âUncle Hea, how did you know that it was the Emperorâs instruction?â Bai Shuang asked in wide-eyed surprise. She was the Empressâs servant, so if she came, shouldnât he say that it was the Empressâs instruction?
Hea Shouyiâs smile deepened. âUsually, the Empress isnât awake at this hour. Also Iâve been cooking for the Empress for so long, but she has never sent anyone to add anything in the morning. Except for the Emperor.â It was always Xiao Jin who added something for Su Ying every time, so he was already used to it.
Bai Shuang gave Hea Shouyi a thumbs up in admiration.
âThe Emperor told me to tell you to prepare a bowl of noodle soup for Her imperial Highness. It is red dates and wolfberries chicken noodle soup. He said that she would definitely feel warm and comfortable after eating this early in the morning.â
âIs the Empress awake now?â
âShe wasnât when I came.â
Hea Shouyi nodded and said, âAlright, I got it. Iâll make the noodles in a while. You can take the food that has been prepared back first. The noodles will be done when you come back again.â
âOkay.â
When Bai Shuang returned to the Conjugal Phoenix Palace with the food container, Su Ying had already woken up.
Even in the middle of winter, she didnât have the habit of lazing in bed. She would only sleep in if Xiao Jin made her really tired from the previous night. âYour Imperial Highness, you are awake. The food is still warm, so Your Imperial Highness should eat it while itâs still hot.
âWhereâs the First Prince and the Young Princess?â
Zhou Qing laughed softly. âThe First Prince and the Young Princess havenât woken up at this hour. They said that class is now an hour later than before, so they can sleep a little longer.â
Su Ying nodded. That was human nature after all.
âBefore His Majesty went to attend the morning court session, he specially instructed me to tell Uncle Hea to make a bowl of hot noodle soup for Your Imperial Highness.â
Su Ying was slightly astonished. She seemed to have casually mentioned that she wanted to eat hot noodle soup last night. She didnât expect Xiao Jin to remember it..
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