Chapter 009: The Jade Food and Warm Bath of the Beautiful Woman

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This smile attracted Zhu Yijun's attention, and he simply chose not to look at the eunuchs arranging the dishes, instead sizing up the two beautiful palace maids.

It is indeed the case that the position of a guard does not allow for arbitrary movement, making it impossible to know the actions of officials in various palaces. Moreover, the fact that this information was conveyed to Gao Gong so quickly can only indicate that it must have come from someone within our own ranks

What troubled him even more was that this home intruder was very stubborn, insisting that he was wronged and refusing to speak no matter what.

With a single chopstick, what is this? It is very delicious

Is it intended to be stored in the icehouse for the next meal? However, the emperor certainly would not eat leftovers; it must be the freshest available.

It is truly comfortable

He sighed, realizing there was no other way; if it had to be done by the eunuch, so be it! Unfortunately, the fleeting spring dream had suddenly come to nothing

In fact, Zhu Yijun was already hungry, and his stomach had been growling for some time.

It is so delicious! Enjoy!

As soon as I sat down, the water temperature was just right; it truly felt like a hot spring, and the water quality was excellent, crystal clear to the bottom

Feng Bao has already instructed the chefs specifically responsible for the imperial meals at Qianqing Palace to be swiftly transferred to the Eastern Palace, and has also elevated the standards of the Crown Prince's meals to those reserved for the Emperor.

He sat down on the chair, watching the eunuchs serve the dishes with great interest

Their lips were curved in smiles, first kneeling to express gratitude to the young master, and then gently wrapping up the plates he had not finished or had not touched with a yellow cloth

At that moment, he suddenly realized that the uneaten dishes or those that had not been touched by chopsticks were the greatest rewards for his subordinates. Upon reflection, it made sense; the dishes presented from the imperial kitchen to the emperor's table, regardless of the selection of ingredients, preparation, craftsmanship, or seasoning, were already the finest delicacies in the world

He did not know that his father, Ming Muzong, had a fondness for donkey meat in his early years. Later, realizing that killing donkeys for meat was too extravagant, he prohibited donkey meat.

Under the guidance of the two little eunuchs in front, he stepped into the bathhouse, sitting down on a chair in the pool, where surprisingly, each leg of the chair was adorned with a dragon.

Feng Bao furrowed his brow, initially believing that Liu Yiming was a member of the Jinyiwei, acting as an informant under the guise of a palace guard. However, he did not expect that Liu Yiming was, without a doubt, a member of the Eastern Depot, and even a small leader specifically tasked with monitoring the movements within the various palaces of the imperial court

After careful arrangement, the bathhouse is evidently more grand than before. The large pool in the center seems to have been widened, capable of accommodating at least a hundred people. It is shrouded in mist, and several small pools have been newly established nearby. Some of these pools contain flower petals, while others are filled with milk.

A sound of copper bells rang out as a row of eunuchs dressed in uniform attire entered in single file, balancing gleaming golden trays on their heads. The trays were adorned with small copper bells, jingling as they approached, each tray also covered by a small golden umbrella.

What is this

However, they did not follow; instead, they stood in place, each maintaining the action of grasping a corner of the dragon robe, shielding their eyes, rendering their faces invisible

This chair can only be occupied by him, while everyone else nearby is there solely to serve him, leaving no space for anyone else to sit.

Just as he was thinking, A Zhu and Xiao Qian had already taken off his dragon robe from outside

It is still the same as before, with eunuchs giving baths, only this time it has changed from one person to six people

Having failed to achieve his aim, he could only hold the chopsticks in his mouth, gazing at the two beautiful women with a fluttering heart. He originally intended to ask someone to add two seats for them to sit down and eat together, but seeing the numerous eunuchs waiting nearby, he thought that such an action would surely violate the rules of propriety. Fearing that someone might report him to Consort Li, he decided to first address his hunger issue.

On ordinary days, when the Crown Prince requests a reward, it is usually silk or gold and silver. However, it seems that the chefs in the imperial kitchen are accustomed to this term, lightly waving their hands to signal, while the eunuchs and palace maids nearby seem to quickly understand how to "reward".

He, with his mouth full of oil, was now in high spirits, and after uttering the word "reward," he himself did not know what would be a good reward.

Such a large and numerous number of baths, yet only one person is washing, and they can choose whichever one they wish to use

On a whim, I had Xiao Qian call out the master chef from the imperial kitchen to introduce each dish to me one by one

However, the torture methods of the Eastern Depot were exceedingly brutal. During the brief journey from the courtroom to the Eastern Palace, the wounds suddenly burst open, gushing forth a large amount of fresh blood. The clean clothes that had been changed into were stained red again in less than fifteen minutes

Especially the one with slightly larger eyes, she is exceptionally beautiful. However, despite her beauty, it is difficult to harbor any improper thoughts about her, as she possesses a very dignified appearance, somewhat resembling Guanyin Bodhisattva

He, with boundless imagination, emitted an infinite and indulgent smile

He couldn't help but glance at A Zhu and Xiao Qian beside him. Washing such a large pool alone was too dull; it would be much better if these two beauties could join him.

The family thief has truly emerged, and this time the embarrassment is significant

A Zhu and Xiao Qian, holding lanterns, led him towards the side hall, followed by several eunuchs.

Then a young eunuch knelt down in front, holding a tray, while another young eunuch behind him began to help him remove the clothes inside.

The alluring palace maid lowered her hand from her mouth: "The master asked once the day before yesterday, why is he asking again today? I am called Xiao Qian, and she is called A Zhu"

What are your names

At this moment, not far away in the side hall, Consort Li and Feng Bao were watching the mysterious "interrogator" who had just been brought from the Eastern Depot's torture chamber

At this moment, the imperial chef hurriedly replied: "Your Majesty, it is crispy donkey intestines!"

Reluctantly, she turned back to look at the two of them. Six eunuchs followed closely behind; the two in front each held a large spoon. The next two carried towels, while the last two held trays with towels on them.

Zhu Yijun was momentarily stunned, unable to help but reach out to grasp Xiao Qian's hand. Beside him, A Zhu reacted quickly, swiftly placing chopsticks into his hand: "Master, please have your meal."

So delicious

Donkey meat was prohibited by the late emperor, but now the new master has taken over, and the young master is rarely in a good mood. When he finally speaks, how could there be no reason for it? The head chef of the imperial kitchen hurriedly ran over, saying: "Your Majesty! We have donkey meat! We will prepare it right away, please wait a moment, Your Majesty!"

Feng Bao cast a sidelong glance at Consort Li, having just pulled Liu Yiming out of the torture chamber of the Eastern Bureau. Being cautious, he worried about being reproached by his master for abusing power, so he specifically changed Liu's clothes to a clean set.

It is uncertain whether it is due to having given birth to three children or having witnessed too many bloody court struggles, but Consort Li possesses an exceptionally large heart. Seeing the once proud "intermediary" Liu Yiming now transformed into a bloodied figure, she surprisingly remains unfazed, her expression unchanged and her heart steady.

Only when they arrived at the long table and placed the plates down did Zhu Yijun realize the purpose of these small gauze cloths. It turned out that when they placed the plates, they first covered their mouths and noses with the cloths, and then gently set the plates down, primarily to prevent any nasal or oral emissions from contaminating the master's dishes

He really wanted to shout: "Let these two beauties come over and wash with me!"

He then realized that not only had the dining standards improved, but also the specifications for the bathing facilities had been elevated along with the library.

It is truly magnificent! It is several times higher than what I used to dine on!

Fortunately, Consort Li did not blame him; she simply stared calmly into Liu Yiming's eyes

The two individuals each have their own merits, which made him lost in a flurry of thoughts.

However, after these two beauties removed his outer dragon robe, they ceased all movement. One of them grasped a corner of the robe, gently covering their eyes, and quickly turned to the side

Having removed all his clothes, he placed them in the plate in front of him, and the two eunuchs began to lead him forward

After letting out a satisfied burp, I couldn't help but feel a flutter in my heart as I watched A Zhu and Xiao Qian gracefully carrying their lanterns.

These two beautiful palace maids merely stand at the entrance from a distance, covering their eyes, as if to say, "Do not gaze inappropriately"

Sated and full! He chewed the last bit of donkey intestine into his stomach, pushed the plate away, and said, "I am full and satisfied, time to take a bath!"

Two beautiful palace maids led him to the dining hall, which immediately startled him

The voice is pleasant to hear

After a while, they arrived at the screen in the side hall. A Zhu and Xiao Qian stepped aside to let him enter, while the eunuch behind closed the main door

To enjoy such delicacies is truly a delight that even the Buddha would leap over walls for

Do you have donkey meat? He did not know how this sentence slipped out so casually.

He suddenly recalled a saying: "Dragon meat in the sky, donkey meat on the ground"

Too particular

Even as the crown prince, today has truly opened my eyes

Consort Li and Feng Bao, in order to interrogate the "spy," neglected their meals. They were concerned that the scene of torture would be too bloody and did not dare to let the young master witness it. They instructed two personal maids to take the young master to the central hall to have a meal first, and then to take a bath

Indeed, from the moment I opened my eyes until now, I have experienced various heart-stopping moments. I have only eaten a few lychees and some snacks, not a single grain of rice has entered my mouth, and my stomach has long been in an uproar

Yes, my lord, this dish is prepared by first roasting the whole donkey intestine over a fierce flame, then carefully filling it with honey and fresh ingredients, and finally slow-roasting it. Due to the time constraints, I am unsure if it suits your taste

The face of Chief Steward Feng has begun to change from white to red, and from red to blue

Grilled clams, stir-fried fresh shrimp, frog legs, chicken breast with bamboo shoots, as well as poached fish lips, braised fish bones, osmanthus fish fillets, and eight-treasure diced rabbit.

The other one is more charming, and her smile brings a spring-like vibrancy to the entire garden

I took a bite, and it was indeed delicious. I then tried the vermicelli next to it, and it was even better, both crispy and crunchy

The most exquisite is a small jar called "Qian Zhen Guan," which is a dish made by simmering sea cucumbers, eel, shark tendons, fatty chicken, and pig tendons together.

A long table, measuring at least ten meters in length, is placed in the center of the hall. Several cold dishes have already been arranged on it, and only one chair is positioned in the middle.

Crispy Donkey Intestines

It is unclear where they found the donkey, but before long, the donkey meat was served on a golden platter, with neatly sliced pieces of donkey meat in the center, surrounded by many items resembling vermicelli arranged in the shape of a dragon.

The two palace maids were also recently arranged by Feng Bao and the Empress Dowager, and they are not very old, appearing to be around sixteen or seventeen years of age, and they are quite good-looking.

Upon closer inspection, these eunuchs are also wearing a small blue scarf around their chests

At this moment, Wang Sanbao, the deputy supervisor of the Eastern Depot, brought two chairs for Consort Li and Feng Bao, and then whispered a few words in Feng Bao's ear

Zhu Yijun sat alone in the vast room, having his meal

At the moment the dragon robe slipped from his arm, the fingers of the two women accidentally brushed against him. The intimate contact, as soft as cream, sent a shiver through him instantly; it was so sudden, almost too quick.

Watching the eunuchs meticulously arrange the dishes, my stomach growled even louder. The two close maidservants heard it and couldn't help but cover their mouths and chuckle softly