Chapter 502: Chapter 502: I Misunderstood You
Thinking about the young lady bitten by a poisonous snake who might need a blood transfusion... So, without needing to guess, Xia Tingfeng must have first sucked the venomous blood and then transfused his own blood into her, right? Although I didn’t see it myself, it probably wasn’t far off. For a man to put so much effort into a young lady, his motives... one couldn’t help but be suspicious. Was it really just about saving her and nothing more?
Noticing the Emperor’s gaze, Xia Tingfeng glanced at the bandage on his wrist and explained, "The young lady needed a blood transfusion, and it happened that my blood was a match, so..."
Zhao Junyao’s lips curved into a smile as he interrupted, "You really are a knight with a tender heart! They say heroes have a weakness for beauty, but in my opinion, that young lady isn’t even as pretty as Miss Ni!" Zhao Junyao teased him with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile.
Actually, if it were anyone else, even if his subordinate married ten or eight concubines, I wouldn’t bother to say a word. Looking around at all the civil and military officials, who among them doesn’t have a gaggle of concubines? Even I myself have three thousand beauties in my harem. Having a pile of wives and concubines is nothing unusual—three wives and four concubines, as they say! However, Xia Tingfeng’s situation is a bit special. Miss Ni has shown such deep affection for him, ignoring worldly gossip and slander, traveling a hundred li to save him herself. How much courage must it take for a young woman to travel to such a distant place and venture into such deep woods? Yet, before she could even formally enter his household, he seems to have given his heart to another young lady. This... this seems a bit improper. It wouldn’t sound too good if word got out!
Zhao Junyao then advised him, "If you really like that girl, at least wait a while! Wait until Miss Ni becos your wife, and after a year or so, then you can bring the other girl into your ho as a concubine. Wouldn’t that work? Do you have to do it now?!"
Zhao Junyao definitely had strong opinions on this; after all, it was a marriage he had decreed. Xia Tingfeng’s actions were making him lose face too. It was as if he were forcing Xia Tingfeng to marry Miss Ni.
This barrage of questions, like a series of bombs, completely stunned Xia Tingfeng. He was astonished for a long mont before he realized the Emperor was talking about him. The young lady... the one he had saved today.
Xia Tingfeng remained stunned for a good while before he finally exclaid in surprise, "Your Majesty, when did I ever say I wanted to marry that young lady? How are these things even related?" He felt utterly wronged!
Zhao Junyao stood up, walked slowly over to him, and whispered aningfully in his ear, "You don’t have to be afraid. I will definitely keep this secret for you!"
After saying that, he patted Xia Tingfeng on the shoulder. "Pull yourself together. Don’t make
lose face!"
Xia Tingfeng was speechless. After a mont of shock, his expression suddenly turned solemn. He knelt on one knee and cupped his fists. "Your Majesty! I saved that young lady because she greatly resembles my benefactor, the one who saved my life! Manxue described such a young lady in her letter! I don’t know if it’s her, but I could not stand by and let her die!"
He spoke these words with clear, resonant conviction and utmost integrity.
By Heaven and Earth, he was just saving soone! How did it lead to all this talk of marriage? The Emperor had completely misunderstood!
Now it was Zhao Junyao’s turn to be stunned. He asked in amazent, "The hunter you went searching for in the mountains... was a woman?"
Xia Tingfeng quickly nodded. "Yes, a woman! Manxue said the young lady had a hard life, orphaned and living alone, supporting herself by hunting!"
Zhao Junyao paused for a mont, then rubbed his nose. He then... cleared his throat twice before speaking. "Alright, it seems I misunderstood you! I never would have imagined the hunter you spoke of was a woman!"
In my mind, hunters were always bearded, rough n dressed in animal skins, right? I’m innocent in this too! Why didn’t he make it clear from the start?
Fortunately, the misunderstanding was cleared up.
"You may rise," said the Emperor.
"Yes!" replied Xia Tingfeng, finally breathing a sigh of relief as he stood up.
Zhao Junyao also relaxed, his suspicions dispelled. "I had thought you were truly so heartless," he remarked.
Having multiple wives and concubines wasn’t uncommon. But if he had truly taken a fancy to that girl at this particular ti, it would indeed have been heartless. At the very least, it would have betrayed Miss Ni’s profound affection.
Xia Tingfeng quickly bowed his head. "Your Majesty, I wouldn’t dare!"
Zhao Junyao took a sip of tea and waved his hand dismissively. "Enough of that. Let’s not speak of this any longer! How is the young lady’s injury?"
Thankfully, her tily appearance prevented them from wandering into the venomous snake territory; who knows what trouble they might have encountered otherwise. In a way, the young lady had saved them.
Xia Tingfeng reported, "She has had a partial blood transfusion and is no longer in mortal danger! The Imperial Physician has prescribed dication, and she is still recuperating."
Zhao Junyao nodded. "Then all is well. We will stay here for ten days to half a month. She should be recovered by then, and it won’t be too late to send her on her way!"
"Yes!" Xia Tingfeng bowed his head in agreent.
「Later that evening」
It was getting late, and the dinner preparations were nearly complete. The spread consisted of fresh mountain produce and ga from the day’s hunt. Being outside the palace, they weren’t strictly bound by traditional recipes. The Imperial Kitchen showcased its skills, transforming a single wild pheasant into several dishes, each boasting enticing colors, aromas, and flavors. There were at dishes and vegetarian options, this and that, adding up to easily a hundred different dishes. While not as visually stunning or lavish as the imperial banquets in the palace, the enticing fragrance wafted from afar. The taste was excellent!
That evening, Zhao Junyao joined the Civil and Military Officials at The Sumr Resort for drinks and moon-gazing. Although the Mid-Autumn Festival was still half a month away, the moonlight in the mountains was already beautiful. If the moon wasn’t enough, there were bonfires to illuminate the night, ensuring a lively gathering.
「anwhile, in the back courtyards」
The consorts in the back courtyards also received dishes sent from the front. There was ga and vegetarian fare, all exquisitely prepared. The Empress received twelve dishes, and Consort Ning received ten. Consort Xian Pin and Consort Hui Pin each had eight dishes, while Consort Zheng Pin and Consort Yun Pin both had six. Shih Jieyu was allotted four dishes, and the remaining Honored Ladies received two each. The distribution was strictly according to rank, leaving no room for dispute. However, two dishes for the Honored Ladies seed rather ager. Therefore, the Imperial Kitchen later added a few more pastries to make their portions more presentable.
「In Xia Ruqing’s courtyard」
Little Zhuzi was the one who delivered the dishes to Xia Ruqing’s courtyard.
Zi Yue smiled. "Why is it you delivering the dishes? Why not soone from the Imperial Kitchen?"
Little Zhuzi chuckled. "How should this servant answer such a question, Miss?"
Isn’t it because the Emperor is concerned about Consort Xian Pin and the Little Prince that he sent
to check on them? Besides, this food box supposedly contains eight dishes, but who would actually open it to check? The fattest rabbit and the largest wild pheasant the Emperor hunted today were specially reserved for Consort Xian Pin. The rabbit was roasted to perfection; the Imperial Kitchen chefs made it sll absolutely heavenly! I could sll it through the sealed food box all the way here. The wild pheasant was too large to send over entirely, but the Imperial Kitchen prepared a dish of pheasant stewed with mushrooms. They used the tenderest mushrooms and the choicest, fattest pheasant thigh at. I personally watched the head chef ticulously skim off all the fat before ladling the stew into the soup tureen.
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