In the following days, nothing major happened. The little rice cake continued to be favored, and when I had nothing to do, I would go to Dan Ning Hall and greet Ning Guiren from afar.
Anyway, Shu Jin kept them far apart and would never let these two black-eyed chickens get together.
After verification, Shu Jin expelled Xiao Lingzi, the eunuch of the side palace. This time, Ning Guiren did not protect him. After all, Xiao Lingzi's behavior could be regarded as betrayal.
"You don't need to be angry. In the final analysis, you're just a loose-mouthed slave." Shu Jin glanced at Ning Guiren's bulging belly and spoke calmly.
But Guiren Ning didn't think so. Why is she not strict with her words? She must have been bribed by Concubine Dun! She even hid in Concubine Yu's Dan Ning Palace, but she still couldn't get rid of that bitch Nian!
Ning Guiren clasped her belly. In order to protect this child, she did not care—but it must be her elder brother!
As long as I can get a son in one fell swoop, even if I can't match Concubine Yu, I can still be a concubine for my concubine, and I won't have Concubine Dun to bully her because of her position!
Ning Guiren's eyes were slightly red, "Concubine Dun has gone too far to deceive others. Now I have been avoiding her everywhere, but I still can't find peace!"
Shu Jin cursed: You competed with Concubine Dun for favor before, but you were never polite. Why do you want to hide and relax now, and others have to be worthy of you? Do you think the whole world is your mother!
"Okay, pregnant women should not shed tears. Since the emperor has entrusted you to me, I will do my best to protect you." Shu Jin could only comfort her a little.
Ning Guiren said timidly: "Then I will entrust myself and the child in my belly to the queen."
At this time, the eldest palace maid Hanshuang stepped forward quickly and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, today the Ministry of Internal Affairs sent a very plump banyan snake, which is most suitable for making snake soup."
Shu Jin nodded, "Then leave it to the eunuch who is best at Cantonese cuisine."
Ning Guiren's pretty face suddenly turned pale, and her body trembled slightly: "Snake?! How can there be a snake in the palace?"
Shu Jin was speechless for a while, what's the big deal? Snake soup is a famous dish.
Hanshuang secretly snickered, Ning Guiren turned out to be so timid, so he quickly smiled and said: "My lord, please rest assured, this banyan tree snake is not poisonous."
Ning Guiren's face was still ugly, "Even if it's not poisonous, it can still bite people!"
Hanshuang was speechless for a while, "The chickens, ducks and geese sent to Danning Hall were slaughtered cleanly, let alone snakes."
Ning Guiren bit her lip, but still couldn't understand, and her voice was a little stumbling: "Your Majesty, how come you like eating snakes?"
Shu Jin also couldn't understand Ning Guiren, why are you so picky?
"Snake soup is a delicacy." The other concubines couldn't eat it even if they wanted to! After she became a noble concubine, she could ask for this or that from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. If it were anyone else, the Ministry of Internal Affairs would not pay attention.
Then he smiled and ordered: "Tell the cook Haosheng to make a snake stew tonight. Hong Zhou also likes it very much."
Ning Guiren's face turned pale again. She covered her stomach and said, "I'll take my leave now!"
Then he ran away as if running for his life and disappeared.
Shu Jin:……
Although girls will be afraid of snakes no matter how much they see them, but if they are made into a dish, what else is there to be afraid of?
Hanshuang chuckled and whispered: "You are really as timid as a mouse!"
Shu Jin waved his hand: "Okay, don't mention this in front of Ning Guiren in the future."
"Yes, I have written it down," Hanshuang said, holding back a smile.
In fact, the authentic Cantonese dishes such as Three Snake Soup, Taishi Five Snake Soup, etc., all use venomous snakes, and there are also highly venomous snakes such as cobras and kraits. Although Shu Jin is not afraid of a dish, he does not want anyone to die trying to catch venomous snakes.
He asked the Ministry of Internal Affairs to purchase non-venomous snakes to make snake soup.
Although the chickens, ducks, geese, pigs, cattle and sheep sent to various palaces and courtyards are the freshest, they cannot be allowed to fly around in the palace. They are slaughtered on the same day and then sent to various dining rooms. This snake is naturally no exception. After all,
Shu Jin also didn't want his ingredients to come out and scare people.
So Ning Guiren has lived in Dan Ning Palace for so long, and he just discovered that the imperial concubine actually likes to eat snake soup.
This stewed snake soup is not difficult to make. Cut the snake meat into sections, add rice wine, onions, ginger, salt, and shredded tangerine peel, steam it in a basket, remove the snake meat, tear it into shreds, and stir-fry it with lard.
Add shiitake mushrooms and fungus shreds, add rice wine, and simmer for an hour.
It's just fresh snake meat, so the stewed snake soup is absolutely delicious.
As the sun set in the west, Shu Jin and Hong Xiao Zhou each had a bowl of snake soup, each enjoying a delicious meal.
Putting down the bowl and chopsticks, Hong Xiaozhou was satisfied but also a little regretful, "It's a pity that the portion is a little small."
Shu Jin smiled and said: "This tree banyan snake was brought from the south. It is really rare."
What's more, this stuff seems to be kidney-tonifying, um... it's better not to give it to children too much.
Hong Xiaozhou patted his belly and couldn't help but lament: "Today, Mr. Wang has arranged ten more large characters. Alas, I have to stay up late again."
At such a young age, he already had homework. Although Shu Jin felt sorry for his son, he couldn't change the rules of going to the study, so he said: "Then go back and write quickly."
Hong Xiaozhou let out a dull "Hmm", picked up a handful of oranges, and then left with satisfaction.
"Meow!" The plump orange nimbly jumped onto Shu Jin's legs, revealing its snow-white belly - this was a yellow-backed and white-bellied cat, called "Golden Quilt and Silver Bed", and it was a rare color.
Shu Jinhuan petted the cat happily, and asked someone to bring a plate of dried fish and feed it to the orange.
For a moment, the master and the servant were enjoying themselves.
When the last ray of sunset has faded away, Danning Hall is already brightly lit.
Shu Jin was lying lazily on the beauty's couch, while Aunt Lan Ruo stood beside her: "My Lady, today's palace affairs, I have checked them one by one, except... you accidentally wrote a few white words about missing arms and legs.
, and there are no other problems.”
Shu Jin black lines, if there are white words, you can just change them, no need to tell me specifically!
It's not that Shu Jin is illiterate, it's just that he was used to using simplified Chinese characters in his previous life. Even if he knows how to write this character in traditional Chinese, he still occasionally makes some harmless mistakes.
"Ahem!" Shu Jin coughed twice awkwardly, then turned his attention to Hanshuang and Luxue. These two girls were now in their twenties.
"What plans do you two have for the future?" Shu Jin looked at their fair and round little faces. As her personal maids, the food standard is quite good, and each of them is slightly fat, which is very gratifying.
Hanshuang and Luxue were both stunned for a moment.
Shu Jin then said: "As usual, palace maids can leave the palace when they reach the age of twenty-five."
Hanshuang blinked: "Mother, it's still early."
Hanshuang and Luxue are only in their early twenties, and they still have three or four years to live.
Shu Jin smiled and said: "Of course I have not forgotten how old you two are, but it is a life-long matter, so you should make plans in advance."
Hanshuang said without hesitation: "I don't want to leave the palace."
Lu Xue also said: "I want to stay here to teach you and serve my empress for the rest of my life."
Such a choice is not surprising to Shu Jin. Although most of the palace ladies look forward to leaving the palace at the age of 10 to get married, at the age of twenty-five, in this era, she is considered an old maid, and at most she can only marry someone.
She could only be a stepmother, or even a concubine. After leaving the palace, more palace ladies found that they could not marry into good families, so they simply went to work as nannies in wealthy families to teach those candidates for the Eight Banners ladies.
Many retired palace maids often end up in a miserable life. Therefore, older palace maids who have gained the trust of their masters would rather stay and work as nuns.
Shu Jin is now a noble concubine, and Lan Ruo, the grandma in charge, is the envy of many people.
Hanshuang and Luxue are probably waiting to take over.
Shu Jin smiled and said: "You have all thought clearly. Now that I am a noble concubine, I can let you go out a year or two in advance and give you a generous dowry."
Upon hearing the generous dowry, Han Shuang couldn't help but hesitate. After thinking about it for a while, she couldn't help but laugh at herself for being infatuated. She was not a beauty. Even if she left the palace a year or two earlier, how could she have married into a better family? Then she would serve the whole family.
As a young man, you might as well stay and serve your empress!
Lu Xue didn't hesitate at all and said immediately: "I just want to serve you!"
Seeing this, Hanshuang hurriedly said: "I'm not leaving either!"
Shu Jin nodded, "I understand your intentions."
Although they are all considering their own long-term interests, is this not a kind of loyalty?
She thought for a while and then said: "Hong Zhou is currently having a hard time with his studies. I have always been worried about Changchun Immortal Pavilion. I want to appoint a maid in charge there. Which one of you is willing to go?"
Hanshuang and Luxue were both stunned for a moment. After all, there are eunuchs in charge of Changchun Immortal Palace, and there are also several nuns, but it is true that the empress has never assigned maids in charge. This joint position is reserved for them!
Hanshuang was a little excited for a moment, but she couldn't bear to leave Danning Hall. She secretly glanced at Aunt Lanruo. Aunt Lanruo was not old. If she was waiting to take over, she didn't know when. It would be better to go to Changchun Fairy Hall and do it first.
The maid in charge of the palace will become the grandma in charge when she reaches twenty-five years old. In the future, when the elder brother divides the palace, she will be the grandma in charge of the palace! This is a clear road!
Without saying a word, Hanshuang knelt down and said, "I am willing to serve the fifth elder brother!"
Shu Jin nodded with satisfaction. Although Hanshuang Luxue had always been as close as sisters, she would turn against her in the future for the position of Grandma of Danning Hall. Therefore, she reserved the position of the Palace Maid of the Changchun Immortal Hall just for today.
These two girls are loyal and smart, and it would be a pity if they left. Shu Jin had long wanted to keep people, but it was hard to force them. Since they were willing to stay, Shu Jin couldn't treat them badly.
"Okay, then you tidy up today and go to Changchun Fairy Hall tomorrow." Shu Jin asked Lan Ruo to take two gold ingots and two hostas as a reward.
Lu Xue will be Lan Ruo's deputy and successor in the future.
Later, Shu Jin promoted Shu Xiang, Mo Xiang, Mei Xiang, and Zhu Xiang from among the second-class palace maids to be first-class palace maids.
The four newly promoted first-class maids are also very smart. They beat their legs and pinch their backs, serve tea and hold incense. They are called diligent.
Lu Xue's smile became even brighter, and she devoted herself to learning various palace affairs from Aunt Lan Ruo.
There was harmony between the upper and lower factions in Danning Palace, and Shu Jin could finally rest peacefully again.
I suspect that I am impotent, although there is no evidence...