"Niang Niang, this servant will go fetch some congee from the kitchen. Niang Niang is forbidden to eat this type of food for a few days." Xiao Qu continued to plead with Ning Lou. It was a known matter that heavy dishes with oil and seafood and wine aren't good for sick people. Why is the Empress so hard to convince?
Ning Lou clicked her tongue, wanting to straighten this little girl's views. However, finding it worrisome, she only instructed the two to go fetch whatever congee they needed to fetch. "Alright, but Bengong only eats a particular congee. It must have shredded chicken and duck meat. It must be simmered inside a bamboo tube for 45 minutes. The congee must be seasoned in order: scallions, red pepper, radishes, potatoes, lemon grass, ginger, dates, and soy sauce."
Ning Lou clicked her tongue again, imagining the dishes being perfected inside her mind, before looking at the speechless maid in front of her.
Ning Lou's request overwhelmed Xiao Qu, who was currently crying inside. It appears Niang Niang's temperament didn't get any better; it seems to get worse.
So what can you do? You should blame fate for letting me transmigrate into your empress.
"It's either the congee or this meal." She gabbed the chopsticks and was about to pick up a dumpling when Xiao Qu chose to reply to this instance, "Nubi shall comply. Nubi shall also ask someone to send these dishes to the kitchen."
Xiao Qu immediately seized the closest dish, the stir-fried dumplings, to cut off Ning Lou's thoughts. However, a pale hand caught her wrist. "Yatou, I'm just kidding with you. Just leave them here. After the congee is done, you can have these instead. It's also troublesome to send these dishes back to the kitchen, right?" Ning Lou's magnanimity stunned Xiao Qu for a moment.
"Nubi can't possibly finish this much," Xiao replied while swallowing her saliva. The aroma coming from the dishes was very torturous.
Ning Lou let go of her hand and beckoned her to get closer.
"Yatou, Bengong is already hungry. Although I really want to eat these dishes, Bengong will prioritize my health and won't touch any of them. You can rest assured, it's just that since Bengong is sick, my taste buds are bland, and so, can Yatou make the congee to increase my appetite?" Ning Lou said, looking sad as if she really meant it. Poor little Xiao Qu.
Xiao Qu softened her expression and called a maid outside to attend to Ning Lou while she's gone to the kitchen. Yan'jie was still running an errand for Tang-Mama.
A maid came to greet Ning Lou.
Ning Lou waved her hand dispiritedly to dismiss them. "Yatou, go and make the congee already." The faster you disappear, the faster I can eat.
Xiao Qu made haste to the kitchen after giving Ning Lou and the maid another look. She ran through the halls and paths, finally arriving at her destination.
Seeing the busy kitchen and the cooks going all around making haste, Xiao Qu didn't tarry any further and went inside and grabbed the ingredients for the congee.
__________________
On the other hand, Ning Lou quietly observed the maid at the side, watching the table intensely, and beckoned her to pour water.
The little maid instantly went to grab the porcelains and filled up a cup. All her actions were noticed by Ning Lou, who was currently cooking up another plot in her mind.
Ning Lou silently calculated the maid's movements and secretly stretched her foot in an attempt to trip her, but who would have thought that the maid went to her other side to serve the water instead? Ning Lou was momentarily speechless and embarrassed.
"Niang Niang", the maid called out and offered the water in her hands.
Ning Lou yet again wouldn't give up and pretended to hold the porcelain. The little maid, who was oblivious to Ning Lou's plan, let go of the cup, which eventually fell on the floor. The little maid, Xiao Rou, was petrified at the sight of a shattered cup and Ning Lou's stained silk clothes and immediately knelt and kowtowed.
"Niang Niang, Nubi's hands slipped and I didn't mean it. Can Niang Niang spare Nubi's life?"
Everyone in this palace knew of the Empress' temper, which always minds every trivial matter, always finds faults, and is easily angered; therefore, the little maid knew her own predicament and hastily begged Ning Lou to spare her life. Quite a few maids and eunuchs had already gone missing, but nobody knew where they were.
Ning Lou sneakily put away the shards with her other foot to prevent the little maid from getting hurt, and afterwards she began reprimanding her, "How can you care less? Don't you know how much that cost? (I don't know either.) Can you pay that with your meager salary? Ugh, never mind, scram out of here. Bengong doesn't want you to serve me. Scram far away!" Ning Lou said, raising her pitch to be a little intimidating.
The stunned little maid, who received a general pardon, scurried to the door to escape the Empress' wrath. Her face was filled with tears, but inside she didn't expect to be spared.
Ning Lou, who was impatiently waiting, locked the door as quietly as possible before taking a seat.
Rubbing both of her hands, she had a difficult time choosing which one she should pick first.
Her chopsticks roamed above the dishes before stopping at the plate of dumplings. Picking a piece, she brought one to her mouth and took a bite. Who could have thought she would spit it out right away? She began tasting the other dishes, and all had the same taste: bland.
Ning Lou, who was lively a minute ago, was on the verge of crying. "I thought it wouldn't be the same."