nycdaug Chapter 156 Impersonating an Appointment
Chapter 156 Impersonating an Appointment
Last time, I mentioned that Yunxi received a secret letter, which said: Meet at the South Pavilion in the suburbs of the city at 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. tomorrow to discuss important matters. Signed by: Zhu.
Yunxi had an idea and decided to keep the appointment at the time written in the letter.
So the next day, Yunxi changed out of her fancy clothes, put on simple clothes, carried a secret letter and took Xiaohong with her, disguised as a palace maid going out of the palace to purchase items, got on a carriage and left the palace, heading straight to the South Pavilion on the outskirts of the city...
The carriage galloped all the way and soon arrived at the outskirts of the city. The South Pavilion could be seen from afar.
When they arrived near the pavilion, they did not get off the carriage. Yunxi asked the eunuch driving the carriage to park on the small road beside the South Pavilion.
Yunxi and Xiaohong sat in the car and observed the surroundings. They found that there was no one around, but the sound of birds could be heard from the woods in the distance from time to time.
"Master, is there an ambush?" Xiaohong asked nervously.
"I don't know. Let's wait and see." Yunxi comforted her.
After a while, Yunxi felt a little bored, so he got off the carriage, walked to the pavilion and looked at it.
This pavilion is very ordinary, just a hexagonal pavilion with some simple patterns carved on the pillars. The roof is paved with green tiles, and there is some dust on it.
Yunxi walked into the pavilion again and looked carefully. He found a stone table in the middle of the pavilion. On the table was a pot of tea and several teacups, which seemed to be specially prepared for people.
At this moment, the sound of horse hooves was suddenly heard coming from far away. Yunxi was delighted, thinking that they had finally arrived.
She hurried back to the carriage and said to Xiaohong, "Maybe that person is here. Let's wait and see."
After a while, a black carriage drove into the path in front of the pavilion and stopped there.
Yunxi looked through the window and saw a man in a black robe getting off the carriage. He was wearing a hat and his face could not be seen clearly, but he was of medium build and had an extraordinary temperament. It was obvious that he was an official appointed by the court.
The man walked into the pavilion, sat down, picked up the teapot, poured a cup of tea, and drank it slowly.
Yunxi hesitated for a moment, and finally she whispered to Xiaohong for a while, put the letter in her arms and gave it to Xiaohong. Xiaohong got off the carriage and walked towards the pavilion.
As she approached the pavilion, the man looked up at her with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
Xiaohong looked at the man and felt somewhat confused, wondering who this person was.
"Why is it you and not Miss Xiao Cui?" The man frowned, a hint of doubt in his eyes.
Xiao Hong's heart tightened, but she remained calm and replied, "Xiao Cui had something urgent to do today and couldn't leave, so the master sent me here. Is there anything you need to convey?"
The man was silent for a moment, and seemed to be a little doubtful. Seeing this, Xiaohong hurriedly took out a letter from her bosom, handed it to the man, and explained: "My master is worried that you can't recognize me, so he specially asked me to take this letter as a proof."
The man took the letter and carefully looked at the seal on the envelope. His doubts were finally dispelled. He sighed softly and said slowly, "Go back and tell your master to take good care of Zhu Cairen in the cold palace and find an opportunity to help my daughter regain the favor of the emperor. I will naturally follow the agreement and work with Prince Rui and other ministers to make suggestions to the emperor and the queen mother to impeach Concubine Xi for colluding with foreign officials and interfering in government affairs."
The man's words were like thunder, exploding in Xiaohong's ears, shocking her so much that she stood there in a daze. After a long time, she suddenly came to her senses and nodded in response: "Don't worry, sir, I will convey your words to the master without missing a word."
Yunxi, who was in the carriage, heard it clearly. Yunxi knew that Ye Ling'er had colluded with Zhu Cairen's father, Zhu Shixian, the Minister of Works, and wanted to kill her.
After talking to Xiaohong, Zhu Shixian, the Minister of Works, turned back to the carriage and left.
Xiaohong returned to the carriage and told Yunxi what Zhu Shixian said. Yunxi said, "I just heard what he said. Fortunately, we are here to keep the appointment today." She secretly vowed to come up with a foolproof plan.
She decided to wait and see, and at the same time, she would secretly investigate the evidence of Ye Ling'er's collusion with forces outside the palace.
After a few days, Yunxi began to prepare this sumptuous banquet. She first cooked in the kitchen herself, and then asked the imperial kitchen to make some exquisite snacks and cakes, and finally selected a few bottles of precious wine. After everything was ready, Yunxi dressed up carefully, put on a gorgeous palace dress, and sent a palace maid to Xingqing Palace with a letter to invite the emperor to come to the banquet.
Soon, the emperor arrived as expected. As soon as he entered the palace, he saw Yunxi had been waiting for a long time. Seeing the emperor coming, Yunxi smiled slightly, then slowly stood up and saluted: "Your Highness!" Seeing this, the emperor hurriedly helped Yunxi up and said with a smile: "No need to be polite, please stand up. My beloved concubine invited me here so eagerly today. I wonder what important matter is there?"
Yunxi smiled slightly and replied, "I have recently learned some skills in making dim sum dishes, so I specially invited Your Majesty to come and taste them. I hope Your Majesty will not dislike them."
The emperor pulled Yunxi to sit down and said, "My beloved concubine is so thoughtful. I am very happy today." He signaled the palace maids to help pour the wine.
After three rounds of wine and five dishes, Yunxi suddenly said, "Your Majesty, I see that you are very busy, so I learned cooking skills and made some delicious food for you...Does Your Majesty like it?"
"I like it... I like it. My beloved concubine made it herself. Of course it suits my taste." The emperor picked up a piece of pine nut cake and ate it with relish.
"Your Majesty likes the dishes I cook. I am very happy. I will often cook delicious food for you in the future." Yunxi raised her lips slightly, revealing a gentle smile, and said softly. She knew that although her cooking skills were not as good as those of professional chefs, she was satisfied to be praised by the emperor.
"Oh, that's not necessary. Leave the heavy work to the imperial chef. Besides, you have to come to Xingqing Palace often to help me with my plans." The emperor patted Yunxi's hand gently, his eyes full of love. He knew that Yunxi was not only an excellent cook, but also had extraordinary wisdom and strategy, so he hoped that she could participate more in the affairs of the court.
However, Yunxi suddenly knelt down, a trace of melancholy appeared on her face, and she said slowly: "It is my blessing to help the emperor share his worries, but I am afraid that I will not be able to help the emperor anymore in the future." Her voice was a little helpless and bitter, as if she had some unspeakable secret.
"My beloved concubine, why do you say that?" The emperor frowned slightly, looking at Yunxi with a melancholy face, and couldn't help but feel a sense of pity in his heart. He gently helped Yunxi up and asked with concern.