A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace Chapter 1261: Honored Lady Luo

"Oh?"

Consort Cheng suddenly turned her head to look at Xiao Ge.

"You say your mistress is still favored? I haven’t heard of it!"

Xiao Ge sneered arrogantly, nose in the air.

"Our mistress is still ill, so naturally the Respectful Affairs Office hasn’t recorded it!"

"However... the Emperor has recently been visiting our mistress often, even came last night!"

Consort Hui almost spat out her tea.

"Went there??"

"Are you sure!"

Xiao Ge’s face was full of pride.

"Indeed, the Emperor even said he’d soon have our mistress move to a large palace!"

"Our mistress has to serve the Emperor and recover from her injuries, naturally needs more ice basins!"

"What’s in the allocation is insufficient, so naturally the Ladies will have to be inconvenienced!"

Saying this, she arrogantly glanced at those few Palace Maids.

A look of ’I’m bullying you, what could you possibly do about it’ showed on her face.

Those Palace Maids didn’t dare to lift their heads, only knelt down biting their teeth, seething with hatred and cursing internally.

’What nonsense!’

’An old woman deserving the Emperor’s favor? Dream on!’

’Boasting about past ties, lots of them have history with the Emperor, what rank does that old woman of yours hold?!’

Consort Cheng and Consort Hui kept their composure, exchanging glances.

After a pause, Consort Hui spoke.

"Regardless, the Emperor’s decree hasn’t been issued yet!"

"Attendant Luo, as a Ninth-Rank Selected Attendant, overstepped and improperly claimed the allocation meant for Ladies, it’s insubordination!"

"Considering it’s your mistress’s first offense, we’ll let it go for now!"

"But the Ministry of Internal Affairs..."

Consort Cheng continued coldly.

"The Ministry of Internal Affairs has worked in the palace for many years. Making such errors is unacceptable!"

"Guards, take the Chief Steward and Little Eunuch responsible for distribution, drag them out, and hit them ten times with a wooden plank, and reduce their salary for three months to serve as a warning to others!"

"Yes!"

"Thank you, Your Majesties!"

Everyone kowtowed to express their gratitude, including the arrogant Xiao Ge.

No matter how dissatisfied she was, those in front of her were royals, she dared not oppose.

Swiftly dealing with these affairs,

Consort Cheng and Consort Hui left together with their attendants.

Xiao Ge sneered as she glanced at a few Palace Maids, snorted coldly, and also left.

The remaining Palace Maids accompanying the Ladies were left fuming in place.

"Despicable!"

"Clearly hasn’t been disciplined!"

"Exactly, look at her attitude, tail wagging up to the sky!"

"Just because she serves an old woman, what’s there to be proud of!"

"The Emperor visiting doesn’t necessarily mean favor, get real!"

"Indeed! With that old woman’s appearance, she dares compare to the Empress!"

"Pfft! Couldn’t even match the Empress’s shoes!"

"Hahaha! Go on, curse her more!"

A few Palace Maids cursed freely for a while, then limped away on their numbed knees from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

...

Since that day,

The news of Attendant Luo being favored spread swiftly throughout the harem.

The concubines were instantly in an uproar.

One by one, braving the summer heat just to gather and chat.

"Really? Is she really favored?" everyone eagerly asked.

"It’s true! I saw with my own eyes, the Emperor went to Zhaohua Pavilion at night!"

"And only Eunuch Li accompanied him!"

One of them whispered mysteriously among the crowd.

This statement left everyone stunned.

"All these years, the Emperor rarely visited the harem!"

"Who would have thought upon entering the harem, he would..." favor an old woman!

"Ah, why are they different from us?"

"They have affection, what do we have?"

Another snidely remarked.

The others reacted, responding coldly.

"True, what do we have!"

"Ah! I think we better carry on our days wisely, offending no one."

"Hmm!"

They gossiped about other things for a while, then dispersed.

...

The news spread even wider.

Within days, it reached the ears of the Four Consorts.

Consort Zheng and Consort Yun discussed this matter while drinking tea.

Consort Zheng laughed and asked.

"Do you think this news is reliable?"

Consort Yun didn’t hesitate to shake her head.

"You believe this?"

"Not to mention Luo Manman is a person of the Empress Dowager, but by age... can she still be favored?"

"She’s older than us all, three years older than the Emperor, already in her thirties! Outside the palace, at this age, she’d be a grandmother!"

Consort Zheng covered her mouth and chuckled.

"Sister speaks too bluntly!"

"She’s always been the Emperor’s, back then and now, why couldn’t she be?"

"What if the Emperor still has lingering feelings for her?"

Consort Yun sipped her tea, quietly nodded.

"That’s true, but... I choose not to believe it!"

"I certainly don’t compare to the Empress!"

"But losing out to an old woman, I’m the first not to accept!"

Consort Zheng smiled.

"You, you! After all these years, I thought you’d changed!"

Consort Yun giggled.

"What? Haven’t I changed?"

"If unchanged, how have I spent these years peacefully?"

"I’ve long come to understand life in the palace!"

"The more you covet, the less you could have, but when you let go, just live life quietly!"

"Eventually when you turn around, oh, you realize you have everything!"

This rank wasn’t contested before,

She has given up fighting for it, yet it still came to her!

What’s the point in fighting if not fighting yields better results?!

Consort Zheng laughed heartily.

"Alright, you have changed, changed quite well, isn’t it great?!"

Consort Yun smiled contentedly.

"That’s more like it!"

Both were happily chatting.

Suddenly a Palace Maid rushed in, she was one of Consort Zheng’s.

Consort Zheng was somewhat impatient.

"What’s so urgent?"

The Palace Maid glanced at Consort Yun, with no intention to hide, spoke directly.

"Reporting, mistress, just now the palace news, the Emperor decreed to promote Attendant Luo to Honored Lady Luo!"

"Eunuch Li is already on his way to deliver the decree!"

Consort Zheng and Consort Yun exchanged a look, both eyes filled with shock.

Consort Yun paused before asking.

"What about the residence? Where’s it given?"

The Palace Maid spoke again.

"Yet to be decided, rumored..."

Consort Zheng couldn’t wait.

"Hurry up, say it!"

"Rumored to be according to Honored Lady Luo’s wishes!"

"Wherever she fancies, wherever she wants to live, the Emperor will arrange for her!"

Consort Zheng and Consort Yun were both taken aback.

After a long while, Consort Zheng waved her hand.

"Dismissed!"

"Yes!"

Once the Palace Maid left, Consort Yun fumed.

"Hmph! Despicable!"

Consort Zheng held her hand.

"Careful, the palace has ears everywhere!"

Consort Yun puffed in anger.

"I just can’t accept it, why an old woman, on what grounds?!"

Consort Zheng squinted her eyes, sighed.

"Could it be, another Empress?"

"Looks like... there’s drama to be seen again in the palace!"