To Hold One’s Joy

  Chapter 329 Returned

  Of course, wine shops cannot close their doors.

  The door is closed, how can there be any distinguished guests?

  The middle-aged woman came in, greeted Luo Sheng, and asked, "Is the Beggar Chicken ready?"

   "It should be ready. Red bean, you go to the kitchen and have a look."

  Hongdou turned around and went to the back kitchen.

  The woman waited silently, without any intention of chatting.

  She didn't say anything, and Luo Sheng didn't take the initiative to speak.

   Not long after, Hongdou came out with a food box: "Girl, it's ready."

  Luo Sheng nodded slightly: "Leave it to Nanny Dou."

   "Nurse Dou, it's ready." Hong Dou handed over the food box.

   To be honest, she looked at this nanny very kindly, and there was a "bean" in her name.

  Nurse Dou took the food box and opened it as before, so that the beggar chicken could be replaced in the food box brought out from the palace, but she found that besides the beggar chicken wrapped in a mud shell, there was also a plate of pastries.

"This is-"

   "Red jujube cake, Madam Dou doesn't recognize it?" Hong Dou asked in surprise.

  The corners of Nanny Dou's mouth trembled.

   She dared to say that if this little girl was in the palace, she would not survive three days.

   "Your Majesty didn't ask for jujube cake." Aunt Dou thought about it.

  Luo Sheng smiled and said: "The newly baked jujube cake is the most healthy food to eat at this season, bring a plate for your mother to try."

Mother Dou was still hesitating, Hongdou pursed her lips and said, "A plate of cakes is not heavy, so mother can take it with you. If your mother doesn't want to eat it, mother can eat it too. I have tasted it all, sweet and soft, but It's delicious."

  Nurse Dou subconsciously moved her nose at what Hongdou said, and the aroma of jujube filled her nose.

  The little maid also made sense.

   "My servant thanked Miss Luo on behalf of my mother." Aunt Dou put the beggar chicken into the food box she brought, and then put the jujube cake in it.

  Luo Sheng had a smile in his eyes: "Nurse Dou is being polite."

  Nurse Dou didn't stay, and hurried away with the packed food box.

  Luo Sheng walked to the window, watching the small sedan chair with green curtains gradually disappearing in the sunset, until the shadow disappeared before turning and going to the back kitchen.

  Everyone who served Concubine Xiao Gui in Yuhua Palace knew that today is the day when Nanny Dou goes out of the palace to fetch beggar chickens for the empress.

  The imperial concubine doesn't care much about anything, but she has a soft spot for beggar chicken, especially after Qiu Xi comes back, she always eats it once a month to feel comfortable.

   "Mammy is back, Your Majesty is waiting for you." The palace maid who raised the curtain smiled flatteringly at Mammy Dou.

  Nurse Dou nodded reservedly, and walked in quickly.

  There is a thick soft blanket under the feet, which is spotless white, as if a large snowfall is spreading in the temple.

  Nurse Dou bowed down and saluted.

   Concubine Xiao stepped barefoot on the snow blanket, her indifferent expression became more interesting: "I'm back, bring your things here."

  Nurse Dou opened the food box and took out the food one by one.

   Concubine Xiao's eyes fell on the plate of red date cake.

  Nurse Dou hurriedly explained: "Just in time for the jujube cake to come out of the oven, Miss Luo asked her to make a plate for the empress to taste."

  Concubine Xiao Gui didn't say anything.

  The maidservant who served close to him understood that this meant trying to taste it.

  A palace maid immediately came forward to try the dishes.

  After a while, the maid bowed to Concubine Xiao Gui and said, "Your Majesty, you can eat."

  Concubine Xiao Gui took the jujube cake offered by the palace servants and took a small bite.

  Concubine Xiao Guifei was not very interested in this unusual pastry. Although the red date cake brought by Madam Dou was much more delicious than the usual ones, the jujube cake was after all a jujube cake and could not be turned into a beggar's chicken.

   Concubine Xiao Gui tasted it a little, then ordered the palace servants to open the beggar chicken.

   The beggar's chicken wrapped in a mud shell was still hot. Concubine Xiao put down her chopsticks after eating two mouthfuls of meat.

   A small chicken wing was not finished.

   "Take it down." Concubine Xiao Gui, who had rinsed her mouth, was half lying on the beauty couch, with a lazy expression, as if she had no interest in anything.

  Jujube cake is delicious, but there are too many delicacies in the palace, and I am already tired of eating it.

  Beggar chicken is not only delicious, but also has a special meaning to her, but no matter how special the food is, it is enough to taste the past after a bite.

  The gate of the palace is deep, the night is long, there is no plan to seek a future for her mother's family, and there is no blind little **** to compete with her. The days in the palace are too lonely and boring.

  The favor of the emperor will not make her helpless heart feel at ease.

  The tragic experience when she was young made her understand that there must be something that can be held in her hand, so that she will not be slaughtered.

  Before, what she grasped was the beautiful face, graceful dancing posture, and unique temperament.

  She used these in exchange for the favor of the emperor and the position of imperial concubine.

   But these will eventually pass away with the passage of time, and she has no confidence in whether the exchanged things can be kept.

   No, she was very discouraged, she felt that sooner or later she would lose.

  Thinking about this, what is the meaning of the beautiful Gaoliang in front of you?

   Concubine Xiao Gui lowered her eyes, staring at the still white and soft slender hands, her heart was full of sadness that could not be shaken off.

   She wants a baby.

  Even if it is a daughter, let her no longer be a rootless duckweed in this huge deep palace, and let the heart that was never at ease come to the ground.

  With children, those things that are destined to be lost over time are not afraid of losing.

   Watching the children grow up little by little, the gain is always more than the loss.

   It's a pity that it is too difficult, and there is no hope at all.

   Concubine Xiao put one hand on her flat stomach, and sighed softly.

   Entering the twelfth lunar month, it is getting colder every day.

  It finally snowed that day, and the snow foam fell from the sky profusely, falling on the eaves, on the treetops, and on the hair and clothes of passers-by.

   Wei Han's black cloak was covered with fine snowflakes, and he hurried into the imperial city.

   "Your Majesty, King Kaiyang is back." Zhou Shan leaned close to Emperor Yong'an and whispered.

  Emperor Yong'an lifted his slightly closed eyelids, and said without changing his face: "Let him in."

   Not long after, a young man with dark clothes and black hair strode in.

   "I have met the emperor."

   "Get up. Give your seat."

  Zhou Shan immediately moved a small stick and put it behind Wei Han.

   Wei Han sat down.

  In addition to Emperor Yong'an and Wei Han, only Zhou Shan was left in the palace.

   "Have you found anything?" Emperor Yong'an asked.

   "The whereabouts of the merchants who exposed the remnants of the Zhennan Palace to the magistrate of Liuqing have been found. The letter from the south said that they will arrive in Beijing in a few days."

  Emperor Yong'an nodded slightly: "That's good."

  The informant peddler did not go to Beijing with Liuqing county magistrate, but someone poisoned Luo Chi again, which made him think deeply.

  He couldn't fully trust the people in the Sanfa Division, and of course he couldn't fully trust Kaiyang King, so he used multiple investigations to check and balance each other.

   After asking some more questions carefully, Emperor Yong'an waved his hand: "Brother Eleven has worked hard, let's go back and rest."

   "The younger brother will retire."

  Leaving the palace, the snow became heavier, and the flake-like snow foam turned into goose feathers.

   Wei Han let the snow fall on the black cloak he put on again, and instead of going back to the palace, he went straight to the place where the guards of the Zhennan Palace were being held.

  (end of this chapter)