Chapter 225: Imperial Kitchen
The Empress’s head wind flared up again, and the atmosphere in the Imperial Harem tightened as a result.
“These days have been fine, how did it suddenly flare up again?”
“Who knows? May heaven bless her with a speedy recovery! Then our lives can be a little easier.”
Wen Mingqian overheard two Palace Maids gossiping privately. She suspected that the Empress’s head wind flare-up was related to the Green Tangerine from yesterday.
She came to pay respects, and the Empress looked listless.
“My headache has returned, it’s truly infuriating,” the Empress said, pressing her hand to her forehead, utterly vexed. “I had been sleeping very soundly at night with the incense you made. Yesterday, I thought since there were Green Tangerines in the room, it would be fine not to burn incense, but who would have thought it would turn out like this.”
Wen Mingqian glanced at the Green Tangerines on the table and said casually, “Please forgive this servant for speaking out of turn, but the fragrance of citrus fruits, while pleasant, actually has the effect of refreshing the mind. Perhaps Your Ladyship could have someone temporarily remove these Green Tangerines and then burn the incense I made, to see how it goes.”
The Empress listened to Wen Mingqian’s words, suspecting nothing, and waved her hand, “Then take them away for now!”
She then had the incense Wen Mingqian had brought burned again.
“May I ask if Your Ladyship would permit this servant to massage the acupoints on your head and neck? It might alleviate some of the discomfort,” Wen Mingqian added.
“Then let’s try it!” The Empress was truly uncomfortable at this moment.
Wen Mingqian stepped forward to give her a massage; this technique was one she had specially prepared for the Empress.
She meticulously catered to the Empress’s preferences, all to make the Empress trust her more and more.
After about the time it takes to burn one stick of incense, the Empress finally fell asleep.
Wen Mingqian quietly rubbed her sore wrist and exchanged a glance with Yu Lu beside her.
The two of them quietly walked out, and Yu Lu said, “Madam Wen, we are truly indebted to you today. If the Empress cannot sleep well, her mood will inevitably become anxious. This is not only harmful to her Imperial Body but also makes us servants live in constant trepidation.”
“Steward Yu is too kind. We all serve Her Ladyship. When Her Ladyship is at peace, everyone is at peace, and the Imperial Harem is at peace,” Wen Mingqian smiled. “May I ask where the Green Tangerines that were removed just now were placed? Could you give them to me? I will use them to make incense when I return and bring it to Her Ladyship. Since Her Ladyship likes the scent of Green Tangerines, it is not suitable to keep them directly in the room.”
“Madam Wen is indeed thoughtful. I will have them sent to you right away,” Yu Lu thought nothing more of it.
There were many Palace Maids and Eunuchs in the Empress’s Palace, but they all performed their duties, with each person’s tasks assigned and not to be mixed.
Qiu Yan was responsible for placing fruits in the rooms. Wen Mingqian walked with her, so they naturally chatted for a while.
“Younger Sister Qiu Yan, may I ask where these tangerines were tribute from?”
“I heard it was from Meizhou. The Green Tangerines there are the earliest to arrive, and the best ones are selected and sent to the Palace every year.”
“Are all these tribute fruits first sent to the Imperial Kitchen? Who is in charge of this?”
“It’s Aunt Bai. She leads her subordinates in carefully selecting them, and then sends the chosen fruits to various places in the Palace,” Qiu Yan said. “Naturally, those for the Empress’s Palace are handled with extra care.”
“Oh? And how is this ‘extra care’ done?” Wen Mingqian asked with great interest.
“Everything the Empress eats and drinks daily must not only be carefully selected but also reviewed by an Imperial Physician. There’s a concern that these items might interfere with each other, a rule that has been in place since the previous dynasty.” Wen Mingqian’s questions seemed to please Qiu Yan. “When it comes to what the Masters consume, one cannot be too careful.”
Although Wen Mingqian was favored, her seniority was shallow, and she didn’t understand much about palace affairs.
Wen Mingqian took all these words to heart.
When they reached her residence, Qiu Yan left after putting down the Green Tangerines.
Wen Mingqian picked up a tangerine and examined it carefully. It was indeed poisoned.
Anyone who could poison it must have been someone who handled it along the way.
She wanted to find out who this person was, but she couldn’t let anyone notice.
The best method was to lure the snake out of its hole.
Wen Mingqian then put these tangerines away, locked them in a box, and secured it.
When the Empress woke up after her nap, she felt much better.
Chun Ying quickly brought her tea. The Empress took a sip and said faintly, “Mingqian’s incense is indeed effective. Tell the people below that from today onwards, there’s no need to send any Buddha’s Hand Citron or Green Tangerines. She said these things have a refreshing effect, and although I like it, I shouldn’t use it anymore.”
“Yes, this servant will issue the order immediately,” Chun Ying quickly agreed.
The Empress indeed felt much better afterwards, and the servants attending her were relieved.
Wen Mingqian also received a reward as a result.
“If you hadn’t reminded me, I would never have realized that my poor sleep was related to the Green Tangerines. This shows your meticulousness and extensive knowledge. No wonder my younger sister recommended you so highly.”
“Your Ladyship is too generous. This servant was merely guessing,” Wen Mingqian replied. “As for whether it is true, time will tell.”
“That’s true,” the Empress nodded. “There are many matters in the Palace right now. In less than half a month, the Princess and the Prince will be entering the capital. I cannot afford to fall ill at this time.”
“Your Ladyship, this servant also knows a little about medicinal cuisine. If you don’t mind, perhaps you could try the calming soup I make,” Wen Mingqian volunteered. “It might not have a great effect, but it’s worth a try.”
The Empress laughed upon hearing this, “That’s right, my younger sister mentioned it. When you were at their mansion, you made medicinal cuisine for her and Song’er, and it was very good.
You are skillful and clever; the same dish made by your hands is better than when others make it. And it’s rare that you are so dedicated to me. Just go ahead and do it!”
For Wen Mingqian to make medicinal cuisine for the Empress, she had to go to the small kitchen of the Imperial Kitchen.
This was a place she normally couldn’t access. To figure out who was poisoning the Empress, she had to investigate here.
Wen Mingqian was a favorite in the Palace. Even if the people here hadn’t seen her before, they were all very welcoming upon meeting her.
“Madam Wen, just say what you need,” said Aunt Bai, the one in charge. “If you need someone to assist you, just say the word. We have plenty of idle hands here.”
“Aunt, you are too kind. I am disturbing everyone by coming here,” Wen Mingqian replied with a smile. “I will undoubtedly need to trouble you all in the future.”
Everyone was very happy to see her being so polite, as it indicated she was easygoing and wouldn’t abuse her influence.
Wen Mingqian began selecting ingredients. Seeing a basket of Green Tangerines in the kitchen, she casually picked one up and examined it carefully. It was not poisoned.
This showed that only those sent to the Empress were poisoned, and the poisoner was targeting only the Empress.
She selected a few ingredients and then said, “Besides these, I will need two kinds of medicinal herbs.”
Aunt Bai immediately said, “Have Qing’er run the errand! She’s fast on her feet.”
Saying this, she called out to Qing’er, “Go to the Imperial Hospital and tell them that Madam Wen needs to make medicinal cuisine for the Empress and requires the bark of the Albizia julibrissin and lilies. Go and fetch some.”
