Chapter 447: Chapter 447
Yuan Yuan shook her head and sighed. The cumbersome and elaborate ancient rituals were indeed too strict, and with no other choice, she had to feign anger.
"If I tell you to eat, you eat. What, you won’t even listen to me?"
The Palace Attendants fell to the ground ’thump’, their eyes filled with terror. Thinking of the group that the Empress Dowager executed the other day, their worry intensified. With a mere flick of the Empress’s finger, wouldn’t it be effortless to end their lives?
But... why did the Empress change her face so suddenly? What if they ate and then the Empress became hungry and blamed them afterward?
It was precisely because of their concern that they dared not touch the food, but now that the Empress had even given an order, could they still refrain?
Hence, under Yuan Yuan’s watchful eye, they stood up one by one and reached out towards the table, for there was only one pair of chopsticks before her. Seeing them reach for the food, she let out another helpless sigh.
"Can’t you bring your own pair of chopsticks to eat? I’ve allowed you to sit down and eat, what kind of behavior is this? Are those hands clean? You’re not children anymore, do I still need to teach you?"
Not to make these people feel uncomfortable eating in front of her, she slowly supported her clumsy body to move toward the couch in the side hall with the help of a palace maid. By the time she finally relaxed her body and lay down on the couch, her stomach embarrassingly grumbled.
Shiqi looked at her worriedly, "Empress..."
Her face flushed as she waved her hand at Shiqi, "Brew me a pot of tea, and hurry over to eat before it’s all gone."
Without needing to look, she knew that their daily meals were not that good. They naturally couldn’t miss out on the rare reward from their master.
Indeed, as soon as Shiqi went in, she heard her complaining.
"Shunzi, Xiao Dezi, eat slowly, will the rest of us even get a chance to compete with you for the food?"
After Shiqi finished serving the tea, she brought the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone according to her request and then withdrew.
The room was quiet. Yuan Yuan slowly propped herself up and moved to the small coffee table. She first poured herself a cup of water, then took the brush and started writing. She had practiced calligraphy in her past life as Xiao Yu, so it was not difficult for her.
After she finished writing and checked it several times, she drank a whole pot of tea to fill her stomach, so she wouldn’t think about eating, and then summoned Song Cheng, the Chief Eunuch from Yikun Palace.
Seeing the list, Song Cheng knew at once what the Empress was planning.
"Empress, are you preparing a private kitchen? Is it that these meals don’t suit your taste? Just give the order, and I will notify the Imperial Kitchen to make improvements immediately."
"No need, just follow my commands and arrange the private kitchen as quickly as possible. The matter of sharing the food with all of you, do not publicize it. If the Empress Dowager inquires, tell her the truth, but everyone else, keep your mouths shut."
How could someone dispatched by the Empress Dowager not be shrewd? He immediately made a bow with hands clasped.
"I will abide by Your Majesty’s commands with the utmost care. What would you like to have this afternoon? I will give the order right away."
"I’ve had enough medicine and tea to fill my stomach, I don’t want to eat anything right now. Don’t bother yourself with it, I will give my orders when I need to, you may all withdraw."
"Yes, Empress." Once everyone had withdrawn, Yuan Yuan exhaled a long breath of relief and rubbed her rumbling stomach.
"Dieting is the most torturous thing on the road of life, to be so hungry and yet have to endure it; I don’t know if I’ll be able to successfully turn things around."