A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace Chapter 670: Return to the Palace

On the table in the inner chamber, there was a small box. It wasn’t very large, but the patterns on it looked exquisite. Upon opening it, she saw that wrapped in red velvet cloth inside were many incredibly delicate little bottles. There were all kinds, neatly arranged and very dainty and cute. They looked like Ru Kiln porcelain, with a fine and smooth texture that shimmered like polished pearls.

Xia Ruqing curiously picked one out and opened it. Inside was a white jade cream, like congealed fat, sealed with a layer of fine, semi-transparent wax. Before she could even speak, a subtle fragrance wafted out. Faint, serene, and profound, the scent was very pleasant.

"What is this?"

"And what is this?"

Zhao Junyao actually didn’t understand either.

"These are all things beloved by the women in the places I passed through!" he explained. "I thought... since they all like them, you would like them too, so I bought them all!" After saying this, he looked at Xia Ruqing, practically begging for praise. "Qingqing! Do you like them?"

Xia Ruqing was speechless.

On the surface, however, Xia Ruqing smiled joyfully. "I like them! They smell so fragrant!"

Zhao Junyao, seeing her apparent delight, felt even happier. He waved his hand grandly and said, "As long as you like them. I remember there are quite a few more in the storeroom similar to these. If you like them, I’ll give them all to you!"

With that, he ordered Li Shengan to fetch them.

Li Shengan hurriedly agreed, taking Little Zhuzi and others to open the storeroom and retrieve the items. The storeroom was naturally Zhaochen Palace’s private treasury, not one belonging to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It contained all the finest tributes sent from outside the palace. Most were unique items, one of a kind in the world. These didn’t need to be sent to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and were presented directly to the Emperor himself. But, as you might expect, there were some things the Emperor had no use for, so they all ended up with Xia Ruqing.

There were so many items that Li Shengan had people carry them over directly. There were twelve boxes in total, each extremely refined. There were boxes made of huanghuali wood, agarwood, and red sandalwood.

Xia Ruqing was deeply shocked as she looked at them.

Upon opening them, she found that inside were indeed more jars and pots, similar to the first one.

Li Shengan smiled and said, "Consort Xian Pin, here is the inventory list. Everything is accounted for here!" With that, he handed over a red-covered booklet with black characters, which was the list.

Xia Ruqing took it and looked it over.

"Emperor, these things!" Xia Ruqing was shocked. "They are too precious! I dare not accept them!"

Zhao Junyao embraced her and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "There’s nothing you daren’t accept. As long as you like them, that’s all that matters!"

Apart from gifting these items, he really couldn’t think of any other way to express the longing in his heart or to please the woman who occupied his thoughts.

Xia Ruqing still felt a little apprehensive, but she couldn’t bring herself to refuse again. So she could only express her thanks.

Zhao Junyao didn’t leave until just before the evening meal. He had stayed the entire day. If he remained any longer, his presence couldn’t be concealed, and there was no need for that.

「Over at Jiaofang Hall.」

They knew the Emperor was returning but had received no specific news of his arrival. The Empress lay ill in bed. With a wry smile, she said, "Why inquire about him? If he returns and sees me in this state, wouldn’t it only make him despise me more?"

Sister Ji tried to persuade her. "As the saying goes, ’It takes a hundred years of cultivation to share a boat ride, and one day as husband and wife earns a hundred days of grace!’ No matter what, you and the Emperor are husband and wife, and His Majesty has always valued..."

"Say no more!" Before Sister Ji could finish, the Empress interrupted her.

She had heard such words so often her ears were practically growing calluses.

The Empress closed her eyes, a wave of despair washing over her. Memories of the year she married him surfaced in her mind. Back then, she was in the bloom of youth, and the Empress Dowager was solely devoted to looking out for Noble Concubine Shih.

The Emperor only released the news of his return after he had arrived at Zhaochen Palace. As soon as word got out that the Emperor had returned, the long-dormant Harem began to stir with excitement. Everyone wondered where the Emperor would choose to rest on his first night back. However, to their disappointment, the Emperor didn’t go anywhere; he stayed in Zhaochen Palace.

「The next morning,」 before Zhao Junyao went to the morning court session, he heard that the Empress was ill. After careful consideration, he decided to go and see her.

The servants outside Jiaofang Hall were kneeling everywhere. Zhao Junyao didn’t spare them a glance and went straight into the inner chamber.

The Empress, her face pale, struggled to rise.

Zhao Junyao immediately frowned. "There’s no need. You may remain lying down."

The Empress, who always strictly adhered to etiquette, was somewhat stunned by his words. After hesitating for a moment, she still rose to her feet. "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

But in Zhao Junyao’s eyes, all of this appeared quite different.

A sense of impatience welled up within him. Any trace of pity he might have felt earlier vanished completely.

He sat in Jiaofang Hall for a brief while. He offered a few perfunctory words of concern, bestowed some gifts, and then strode away. His departing figure was resolute, as if... he would never willingly return.

Watching him leave, the Empress felt another surge of bitterness in her heart.

「Zhao Junyao left Jiaofang Hall and went to Ningshou Palace.」

The Empress Dowager, on the other hand, seemed to be in good spirits. Smiling, she held his hand and chattered away, asking about this and that, discussing trivial household matters for quite a while. Only then did she reluctantly release his hand, her face suddenly filled with worry.

"My Imperial Son, how have you lost weight again!"

This was both a truth and a pleasantry. But regardless of how it was said, the words were pleasant to hear. A single sentence could convey the deepest, most earnest concern!

Zhao Junyao smiled and said, "This isn’t called being thin; this is called being robust! Being robust is much better than being thin!"