A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace

Chapter 770: Chapter 770: Just a Minor Injury

He turned his back, and it took quite a while before he suppressed the surge of irritation.

When he turned around again, his expression was very solemn, looking as if he was about to punish someone.

Xia Ruqing was startled and hastened to step back.

”Emperor, I... I won’t dare again, Emperor!”

Zhao Junyao gave a slight smile, stepped forward to take her into his arms, and hooked her chin.

”Qingqing, you’ve become quite bold!”

”I may tolerate you today, but that doesn’t mean I will in the future...”

Xia Ruqing thought it over from all angles. She knew all too well the effectiveness of the little black book Zhao Junyao kept in his heart. She dared not tease him any further and immediately caved in.

So, Xia Ruqing promised Zhao Junyao quite a few things to just barely settle the matter.

For example... to attend to him day and night.

Another example... to serve him three meals.

And yet another example... to give him massages and back pats.

She had to agree to this and that. In the end, she who had been debt-free suddenly found herself deep in debt.

”Sigh!”

When Xia Ruqing let out her thirty-sixth sigh, she finally couldn’t resist the overwhelming drowsiness and fell fast asleep.

Zhao Junyao carefully wrapped her up in a large blanket, his toes lightly touched the ground, and he vanished into the night.

The night wind howled past. Zhao Junyao’s black-gold cloak spread out like eagle wings. The little woman sleeping soundly in his arms was tucked away in the blanket beneath his protective wings.

He looked down at her, and a sly smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

Qingqing, oh Qingqing!

Your little cleverness, should I call it cute, or foolish!

「The next morning」

A night without dreams, her sleep was sweet. When she woke up early the next day, it was overcast and gloomy outside. The weather seemed pretty bad.

Xia Ruqing squinted and turned over. A rich scent of ambergris filled her nose.

Huh? This isn’t Qingya Residence; this is Zhaochen Palace!

She woke up with a start, and memories of the previous night instantly flooded her mind.

Xia Ruqing thought for a moment, and her face turned a bit somber.

So... from today onwards, do I have to serve him day and night?

”Sigh!”

Hearing some noise inside, Zi Yue and Sister Huang personally came in to serve her.

Xia Ruqing was very surprised to see them.

”How did you get here?”

Zi Yue smiled. ”The Emperor specifically ordered this servant and Sister Huang to come and attend to Your Highness! Besides, Your Highness isn’t accustomed to other people, after all!”

Xia Ruqing nodded thoughtfully. She turned to look at Sister Huang, her eyes brightening as if remembering something, then asked, ”Sister, were the two Imperial Sons alright yesterday?”

Sister Huang smiled. ”Your Highness, rest assured. The wetnurse nannies were all personally selected by the Emperor, and they are very dedicated and attentive! Nothing was amiss!”

Xia Ruqing thought about the temperaments of her own two boys and couldn’t quite believe it.

They... really didn’t make a fuss?

Sister Huang shook her head. ”Indeed not! Yesterday, after Your Highness left, both Little Princes went to sleep and woke up once before nightfall to have their feed! Seeing that you were not there, they slept again after eating! Throughout the night, for their feedings, they didn’t cry at all!”

It was as if... they knew that last night the Emperor and Your Highness were sharing a loving moment. The two little guys were so very cooperative!

Xia Ruqing was baffled.

Oh heavens, are these really the sons I gave birth to? Could it be they only fuss when they see me?

Uh... Xia Ruqing didn’t dare to continue the thought and indignantly muttered, These two little rascals, indeed... just like their Imperial Father, both dark-bellied and clingy!

With that thought, Xia Ruqing got out of bed. She freshened up and changed into a new set of clothes.

Originally, she intended to take advantage of the Emperor going to the early court to return to Qingya Residence to check things out. Who would have thought that the moment she stepped out, someone from the Small Imperial Kitchen came to summon her.

”Your Highness, the Emperor has ordered that after the court session is over, he wishes to have crab roe buns! And also Chinese yam soup, milk and bird’s nest soup... and more...”

Xia Ruqing was extremely impatient and hastily cut them off. ”I know, I got it!”

It’s just attending to some food. Her husband, the Emperor, was truly petty. Could he actually be worried that I might run away? Fine, fine, fine! I’m going, I’m going! That should satisfy His Majesty, shouldn’t it!

Xia Ruqing rolled up her sleeves and stormed off towards the Small Imperial Kitchen, fuming.

「One Shi Chen later」

Zhao Junyao returned from the court session. Xia Ruqing had just finished preparing the Emperor’s imperial meal. She hadn’t even had time to sit down for a sip of water when he returned.

And I still have to serve tea and water!

Xia Ruqing felt aches in her waist, legs, and back. The tips of her fingers had also been scalded by a splash of hot oil. It was so painful!

After attending to the morning meal and tea, Xia Ruqing was truly exhausted.

So it turns out, serving others is this hard! It looked quite easy before! It seems that from now on, I need to be even better to Zi Yue and the others!

As she sat down intending to rest, Zhao Junyao took her to the Imperial Study Room.

”I need to review the memorials. Grind the ink!”

”Yes!”

Xia Ruqing was so exasperated she rolled her eyes in fatigue! But inevitably, she had to continue. Who could she blame but herself for indulging in a moment of sharp-tongued satisfaction the night before? Truly, ’disaster issues from the mouth’—that saying is so true!

As she was grinding the ink, Xia Ruqing suddenly felt a piercing pain in her hand.

”OUCH!”

She immediately, instinctively, pulled her hand back. Upon closer inspection, it turned out that the ink stick had burst the blister on her hand. Blood and pus flowed out, mixed with streaks of blood!

”SSS...”

It looked painful, and indeed it was very painful. Xia Ruqing frowned, holding her fingertip, her face full of melancholy.

When had she become such a delicate lady? All she did was... make a meal. In her childhood... when living at her grandmother’s house in the countryside, up the mountain, at the stove, inside and outside, sweeping and wiping tables, she learned everything at a young age.

Now... Xia Ruqing stared at her fingertip for a while and came to a conclusion.

Being waited on so often really does make one’s limbs degenerate!

While she was contemplating, her fingertip was suddenly seized by someone.

”What happened?”

Xia Ruqing quickly tried to withdraw her hand but couldn’t pull it back. She felt a bit embarrassed.

”Emperor, I... was cooking in the Small Imperial Kitchen and carelessly got splashed with oil. It’s nothing serious!”

After saying this, she tried again to pull her hand back. In reality, it was nothing serious. She could just wipe off the blood with a handkerchief. Once the wound dried, it would heal with a few days of care. This kind of minor injury, though painful, healed quickly!

But Zhao Junyao had seen the blood on her fingertip. He immediately frowned and ordered, ”Li Shengan, call for the Imperial Physician!”

Outside, Li Shengan responded and hastily left.

Xia Ruqing looked at Zhao Junyao with a face full of disbelief.

He truly was born into the imperial family, she thought. No matter how manly he seems, he’s still so delicate when it comes down to it.

Sigh!

Seeing the rather sympathetic look in her eyes, Zhao Junyao glared at her. ”What is that expression for?”

Xia Ruqing sat down beside him and said, ”Emperor, actually... I think it’s a minor injury! It’s not necessary to make such a fuss over it!”

Although she really didn’t want to do any work... it really was a minor injury!

Zhao Junyao was very surprised. ”This is... a minor injury?”