A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace-Chapter 788 Reward

Chapter 788: Chapter 788 Reward
"A whole book?!"
Little Bun was extremely astonished.
Xia Ruqing quickly glared at him, then nodded her assent.
The Empress Dowager, seeing her compliance, gradually let her anger dissipate.
Finally, she waved her hand dismissively.
"I am tired too. You all may leave!"
"As you wish!"
Everyone respectfully withdrew.
...
Outside the gates of Ningshou Palace, Noble Consort Shih cast a sidelong glance at Xia Ruqing and then at Little Bun beside her.
With a cold smile, she said tartly, "Consort Xian is truly fortunate indeed! His Highness the Crown Prince is very clever and bright, isn’t he!"
Xia Ruqing just smiled, her tone neither servile nor overbearing. "Thank you for the praise, Noble Consort. After all, he is the Emperor’s eldest son, and the Emperor naturally instructs him well! This concubine also wishes Your Highness to bear a dragon heir soon!"
After speaking, she took Little Bun’s hand, bowed to Noble Consort Shih, and left.
Noble Consort Shih was infuriated. "Lady Xia, you... how dare you... How dare you leave before me!"
She had intended to say that Lady Xia had dared to offend her; after all, it was impossible for her to bear a dragon heir now.
But when the words reached her lips, she still did not dare to speak them.
If someone overheard, how would she maintain her position in the future!
So she had grasped at a reason that was hardly a reason at all.
However, Xia Ruqing, acting as if she hadn’t heard, did not respond. She simply turned a corner and left.
Noble Consort Shih was so angry she was practically steaming, but she was helpless. She could only flick her sleeves and depart in her warm palanquin.
...
Having spent so much time in the Empress Dowager’s palace, by the time Xia Ruqing returned to Qingya Residence, it was already past noon.
She was chilled to the bone, both cold and hungry.
"Get me something to eat, anything, and make it quick!"
"Yes!" Zi Su hurriedly went to see to it.
Zi Yue helped Xia Ruqing sit down in the inner chamber.
Sister Huang stepped forward to take the Little Prince. After looking him over from top to bottom and all around, and finding nothing amiss, she finally relaxed.
Xiao Xizi, Xiao Zhu Zi, and others also came in, standing by to attend. All of them looked at her with worried eyes.
After drinking a cup of warm tea, Xia Ruqing felt somewhat better. Looking up abruptly at this scene, she asked in surprise, "What’s wrong with all of you?"
Xiao Xizi was a bit embarrassed. "My lady, we were all worried when the Empress Dowager kept you in the palace!"
Xiao Zhu Zi quickly nodded. "Yes, yes!" His eyes instantly reddened, and he spoke with a nasal voice, "My lady, this servant has tended to the vegetables in the rear garden very well. Whatever you want to eat, we have it fresh!"
Zi Ning, her eyes also red, stepped forward. "My lady, if you hadn’t come back soon, Zi Su would have been crying from worry!"
Xia Ruqing looked at them, opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say, feeling only a deep warmth in her heart.
After a while, she finally smiled and said, "It seems my kindness to you all has not been in vain! But you don’t have to worry. The Empress Dowager didn’t do anything to me... ACHOO!"
Her sentence was cut short, making everyone laugh, though only for a moment. They quickly realized their mistress might have caught a cold.
Zi Yue was the first to voice her concern. "My lady, shall we call for the Imperial Physician?"
Xia Ruqing hesitated for a moment, then waved her hand. "The Emperor is swamped with work and hasn’t returned yet; let’s not cause any trouble. Besides, if I call for the Imperial Physician right after returning from Ningshou Palace, people might think the Empress Dowager did something to me. I fear she will hate me even more in the future. It’s best to let it be! Why make it known to everyone and have them curse me?"
Zi Yue thought about it and agreed. "Then this servant will go and have someone make you a bowl of ginger soup to dispel the cold."
"Mm! Go then!"
Zi Yue got up and left.
...
Meanwhile, Zi Su was already leading several Imperial Kitchen Palace Maids from the small kitchen to set the table.
Zi Su’s smile was brilliant. "Mistress, there are easily more than a dozen types of dumpling fillings! They’re all made with hometown flavors by Chef Su. Your Highness probably hasn’t tasted them before!"
Xia Ruqing’s eyes lit up. "Really? What flavors are there? Tell me about them."
Zi Su began to list them. "There are common folk fillings like the ’three delicacies,’ as well as chicken with winter bamboo shoots, sauce-glazed pork with mushrooms, fragrant fish with yellow chives, and shrimp with egg yolk. There are also some uncommon ones like beef filling and rabbit meat filling, and even sweet ones, like red bean paste with dates, and walnut with dried fruit fillings..."
Zi Su patiently listed them one by one.
Xia Ruqing was already hungry before Zi Su finished. By the time Zi Su was done, Xia Ruqing’s stomach was growling nonstop.
Without another word, she dug in!
Little Bun, having changed his clothes, came out from the west chamber. Seeing a table full of dumplings, he became excited.
"There are so many! Mother Consort, I want to eat too!"
"Alright, you eat too! Let’s eat together, shall we?"
"Yes!!" Little Bun nodded vigorously.
But moments later, he suddenly became dejected, feigning a sigh. "Alas... What a pity! My two little brothers can’t eat; they can only watch..."
Xia Ruqing: "..."
Son, have you considered your brothers’ feelings when you say this?
For a moment, she could almost see a future scenario of her three mischievous little rascals fighting and roughhousing.
She sighed longingly, looking up to the sky with a touch of melancholy as she sincerely prayed, "Oh, Heaven, please grant me a sweet daughter!"
...
Xia Ruqing and Little Bun tasted each type of dumpling together until they were both full.
Little Bun patted his belly, feeling a bit sleepy, and went with Sister Huang for his noon nap.
Xia Ruqing was also quite full. She lay contentedly on the soft couch, hugging her round belly.
Zi Su and Zi Ning were clearing the dining table. Xiao Xizi and Xiao Zhu Zi were helping Zi Yue put up window paper-cuts, decorating the room. With the New Year approaching, it had to look festive.
Seeing her mistress watching, Zi Yue smiled and persuaded, "Your Highness, you’ve caught a chill. Why not take a nap and sweat it out before the Emperor returns?"
Xia Ruqing shook her head with a smile. "It’s nothing; I’m not sleepy!" After speaking, she still wrapped the blanket more tightly around herself.
A while later, after everyone had finished their tasks, Xia Ruqing called all the Palace Attendants of Qingya Residence in.
Seeing the crowd of people kneeling before her, she suddenly felt emotional.
Who could have imagined that the Lady who once had nothing would have all this today?
Who could have thought that one day she would be so esteemed and blessed with children?
Even she herself had never imagined it!
"Your Highness?" Zi Yue noticed her spacing out and quietly reminded her.
Xia Ruqing suddenly came to her senses. She looked at everyone and then smiled. "Alright, all of you can stop kneeling. Get up!"
Everyone thanked her and rose to their feet.
Xia Ruqing continued, "Today is New Year’s Eve. Other masters are giving out rewards, and my residence cannot be an exception! Zi Yue, go get the prepared reward money and distribute it!"
"Yes!"
Zi Yue turned and left, returning a moment later with a large tray in hand.
"This is for all of you. Although I am favored by His Majesty, I am not an extravagant person, so I don’t have much silver to spare. If you find it lacking, well, that’s all I can offer!"