A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace

Chapter 1251: Chapter 1251: Leave to Their Own Devices

Xia Ruqing finally couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.

"Hahaha..."

"Emperor, what are you saying?!"

"What do you mean any woman will do?! Hahaha!"

She laughed so hard she clutched her stomach and rolled back and forth on the bed.

Zhao Junyao: "..."

Awkward!

The situation was really awkward.

But being able to make his beloved laugh seemed worth it.

So he kept a straight face and remained silent, letting her mock him.

Fortunately, Xia Ruqing knew her limits.

After a moment of laughter, she stopped and lay on the bed, rubbing her stomach.

Zhao Junyao quickly stepped forward to massage her while smiling and asking.

"Qingqing, you’re not angry anymore?"

Xia Ruqing gave him a sidelong glance.

"I didn’t say anything!"

Zhao Junyao: "..."

"Then, what should I do to make sure you’re not angry?"

Xia Ruqing gave him another sidelong glance, secretly cursing ’fool, of course, just be sweet!’

Considering that he was never a man of fancy words,

and given those things many years ago, it really wasn’t worth dwelling on now.

She basically calmed down.

"Then... just tell me about this Lady Manman!"

Zhao Junyao twitched the corners of his mouth.

"Just this?"

Xia Ruqing nodded.

"Just this! I just want to know."

Zhao Junyao rubbed his temples reluctantly and began to recount the events of those years, much like he had recalled earlier.

After finishing, he sighed deeply.

"I didn’t expect that after so many years apart, she’d end up so weary!"

Xia Ruqing’s heart was stirred with jealousy again.

"Oh my!"

"Emperor, you really do feel for her!"

"Otherwise, how about I upgrade her rank tomorrow, and you keep her by your side to cherish?"

Zhao Junyao gave her a sidelong glance.

"I only said one sentence, and you churn out all this!"

"Honestly, I’ve long forgotten whether I treated her as a sister or as my woman back then!"

Back then, gender awareness was too vague.

The early blush of youthful love had long faded away in his memories, and besides, he wasn’t one to lust after beauty.

Now, to him, Luo Manman was just an old acquaintance.

There was not a hint of romantic affection, just a couple of shades of sympathy.

Xia Ruqing was persistent.

"Really just sympathy?"

Zhao Junyao nodded, assuring.

"Absolutely!"

Only then did Xia Ruqing breathe a sigh of relief, content.

"That’s more like it!"

She took off her clothes and burrowed into the covers, skillfully snuggling into Zhao Junyao’s arms, resting on his arm, sighed, and seriously asked.

"Emperor!"

"Then what do you plan to do with this Attendant Luo?!"

"She’s been out of the palace for so many years, didn’t she get married?"

"If she did marry, then aren’t you..."

Zhao Junyao wearily wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Forget it!"

"Let’s not talk about her, I don’t want to mention her!"

"With so many women in the harem, if they can live well, she surely can too!"

"Anyway, whatever happens in the harem won’t spread outside, let her be!"

Zhao Junyao’s meaning was clear.

Leave her in the harem, let her be!

Xia Ruqing, upon hearing this, felt a bit wistful but said no more.

She responded with a yes.

The two slept embraced.

For Zhao Junyao, the women he had favored, even after many years, he still bore the responsibility.

As long as they are willing, it’s just an extra mouth to feed, not a big deal.

For Xia Ruqing.

In the harem, so many women, one more or less makes no difference.

Things from years past she cannot pursue, and now Zhao Junyao has no interest in that woman, there’s no need to pursue it.

The most important thing is, that woman is so old.

(Three years older than Zhao Junyao, a woman almost forty, she could be a child’s grandmother! Tsk tsk!)

Therefore.

This matter was tossed aside by her, and she didn’t think much more.

...

The next day.

The news about the addition of one woman in the harem was successfully leaked by the Empress Dowager.

Upon hearing it was someone from the Emperor’s past, the palace consorts were all a bit panicked.

The Empress was favored, that was the deep affection between Emperor and Empress, which they couldn’t comment on.

But who is this Attendant Luo?

Brazenly dared to come and compete for favor, absolutely shameless!

Upon receiving the news, a few Ladies immediately went to trouble Attendant Luo.

Going back and forth, arguing and fighting, the harem got chaotic.

When Xiao Xizi reported the news to her.

Xia Ruqing was still having breakfast.

Zi Yue frowned and blamed Xiao Xizi.

"Master is still having breakfast, how insensitive you are!"

Xiao Xizi was also very innocent.

"Do you think I don’t know? But harem affairs are urgent!"

"I dared not hide, Empress, you should hurry and have a look!"

Xia Ruqing rubbed her temples.

"Just say I’m feeling unwell, let Consort Cheng have a look!"

Xiao Xizi responded and quickly called someone to fetch Consort Cheng.

Consort Cheng hurriedly took people over upon hearing.

It turned out...

A few young Ladies had gotten into a fight with Attendant Luo.

Of course, the latter definitely dared not fight back, only to lay on the ground, enduring the bullying.

When Consort Cheng arrived, the Sisters had long since stopped the crowd.

They were prudently kneeling on the ground.

Upon her arrival, everyone knelt down and kowtowed. freewebnovёl.ƈom

After paying respects, Consort Cheng looked at the messy scene with a cold eye and frowned.

"Who is Attendant Luo?"

The woman, limp and injured, answered tearfully.

"Reporting to Empress, it is I!"

Consort Cheng coldly scanned her up and down, seeing that she was already so old yet still pretending to be pitifully delicate, felt nauseated.

But on the surface, she hid it well.

"Someone, help her up, summon the Imperial Physician!"

"Yes!"

After the Palace Maid relayed the message.

Consort Cheng slowly walked before her, inspected the wounds without speaking.

Then walked over to the Ladies and scolded them harshly.

"You are simply too unruly!"

"With the Emperor and Empress in the palace, aren’t you afraid of punishment from the Empress?"

"Even if the Empress is good-tempered, you disregard the rules like this?"

The Ladies felt wronged.

"Consort Cheng, that woman was insubordinate and mocked us!!"

"Indeed! Consort Cheng, you must help us get justice!"

Consort Cheng’s eyes twitched.

"Nonsense, you are all sisters..."

Before she finished, a fiery-tempered Lady jumped.

"What kind of sister is she to us?"

"Which batch of Fine Ladies entered the palace? Why don’t I know?!"

"Exactly, look at this face, she could be our aunt! How does she have the face to call herself our sister?!"

The Ladies chattered away.

Consort Cheng’s ears were in pain.

"Alright alright!"

"She is from the Emperor’s past, conferred last night as Attendant Luo by the Emperor!"

"Now do you understand?"

Upon hearing this, the Ladies responded mockingly.

"Yes! We understand now!"

"In the future, we shall simply call her aunt!"

"In the future, please, aunt, guide us well!"

At these words, the scene immediately erupted into chaos.