tallest building

Chapter 225 Shang Food Supervisor

The Empress's headaches returned, and the atmosphere in the palace became tense.

"He's been fine these past few days, how come it suddenly flared up again?"

"Who knows? God help us get better soon! Then our lives will be a little easier."

Wen Mingqian overheard two palace maids gossiping privately, and she suspected that the Empress's headache was related to the green tangerines from yesterday.

She came over to pay her respects, and the Empress looked dejected.

"My headache has flared up again, it's so frustrating." The Empress rubbed her forehead, her frustration palpable. "I've been sleeping soundly these past few days with the incense you made. Yesterday I thought that since there were green tangerines in the room, it would be fine not to burn incense, but who would have thought it would turn out like this."

Wen Mingqian glanced at the green tangerines on the table and said casually, "If I may add something, although the fragrance of citrus fruits is pleasant, it actually has the effect of refreshing the mind. Your Highness, why don't you have someone take these green tangerines away for now, and then burn the incense I made, and see what happens?"

Hearing Wen Mingqian's words, the Empress had no suspicions and waved her hand, saying, "Then take it away first!"

They then burned the incense that Wen Mingqian had offered.

"I wonder if Your Majesty would allow me to massage some acupoints on your head and neck? That might alleviate some of your discomfort," Wen Mingqian said.

"Then let's give it a try!" The Queen was really feeling unwell at the moment.

Wen Mingqian stepped forward to give her a massage; this technique was one she had specially prepared for the Empress.

She went to great lengths to please the Empress, simply to gain her increasing trust.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the Empress finally fell asleep.

Wen Mingqian quietly rubbed his sore wrist and exchanged a glance with Yu Lu beside him.

The two quietly came out, and Yu Lu said, "Madam Wen, we really owe you a lot today. If Her Majesty the Empress doesn't sleep well, she will inevitably be anxious. Not only will it harm Yu Feng's health, but we servants will also be on tenterhooks."

"Steward Yu, you're too kind. We're all here to serve Her Majesty. Her Majesty's well-being is everyone's well-being, and the harem's well-being is paramount." Wen Mingqian smiled. "I wonder where you put the green tangerines that were just taken down? Could you give them to me? I'll use them to make spices and then bring them over for Her Majesty to use. Her Majesty likes the taste of green tangerines, but they're not suitable to be placed directly in the room."

“You’re so thoughtful, Madam Wen. I’ll have them send it over to you right away.” Yu Lu didn’t think of anything else at all.

There were many palace maids and eunuchs in the Empress's palace, but they all had their own duties. Everyone's tasks were assigned and could not be done haphazardly.

Qiu Yan was the one putting the fruit into the house. Wen Mingqian walked with her and naturally chatted for a while.

"Sister Qiuyan, may I ask which region these oranges came from as tribute?"

"I heard it's from Meizhou, where the green tangerines are harvested earliest, and every year the best ones are selected and sent to the palace."

"Should these tribute fruits be sent to the Imperial Kitchen first? Who's in charge of that?"

"It was Aunt Bai. She and her people carefully selected the fruits and then sent them to various parts of the palace," Qiu Yan said. "The fruits in the Empress's palace naturally received extra care."

"Oh? But I wonder how exactly you plan to do it?" Wen Mingqian asked with great interest.

“The Empress’s food and drink are not only carefully selected every day, but also inspected by the imperial physicians. I’m afraid these things might interfere with each other, which is a rule that has been passed down from the previous dynasty.” Qiu Yan found Wen Mingqian’s inquiry quite helpful. “The things that the masters eat must be handled with utmost care.”

Although Wen Mingqian was favored, she was still relatively inexperienced and didn't know much about palace affairs.

Wen Mingqian kept these words in mind.

Upon arriving at her residence, Qiu Yan put down the green tangerine and left. Wen Mingqian picked up the tangerine and examined it closely; sure enough, it had been poisoned.

The person who could poison this must be someone who had handled it along the way.

She wanted to find out who this person was, but she couldn't let anyone else find out.

The best way is to lure the snake out of its hole.

Wen Mingqian then put the oranges back into the box and locked it.

After the Empress took a nap and woke up, she felt much better.

Chunying quickly served tea. The Empress took a sip and said quietly, "Mingqian's incense really works. Tell the people below that from today onwards, there's no need to send over anything like Buddha's Hand or green tangerines. She said that these things have an invigorating effect. Although I like them, I can't use them anymore."

"Yes, this servant will give the order right away," Chunying replied quickly.

The Empress recovered much better afterward, and the servants who were attending to her couldn't help but feel relieved.

Wen Mingqian was rewarded for this.

"If you hadn't reminded me, I would never have imagined that my poor sleep was related to Qingju. It's clear that you are thoughtful and knowledgeable. No wonder my sister keeps recommending you to me."

"Your Majesty is too kind. This servant is merely speculating," Wen Mingqian said. "Whether it is true or not remains to be seen."

“That’s true,” the Empress nodded. “There are many things to do in the palace right now. In less than half a month, the princess and the prince will be coming to the capital. I can’t afford to fall ill at this time.”

“Your Majesty, I do know a little about medicinal cuisine. If you don’t mind, you might want to try my calming soup,” Wen Mingqian volunteered. “Although it may not be very effective, it won’t hurt to give it a try.”

The Empress smiled upon hearing this: "Yes, I've heard my sister mention it. When you were at their residence, you prepared medicinal meals for her and Song'er, which were quite good."

You are so skillful; the same thing, you do it better than anyone else. And it's rare to see you so dedicated to me. Just go and do it!

If Wen Mingqian wanted to prepare medicinal cuisine for the Empress, he had to go to the small kitchen in the Imperial Kitchen.

This is a place she doesn't usually go to. To find out who poisoned the Empress, she has to investigate here.

Wen Mingqian was a favorite in the palace, and even though the people here had never seen her before, they were all very enthusiastic when they met her.

"Madam Wen, just tell me what you need," said Aunt Bai, who was in charge. "If you need help, just tell me. We don't have much else here, but we do have a few freelancers."

"Auntie, you're too kind. I'm the one who's bothered everyone by coming here." Wen Mingqian also smiled apologetically. "I'll be troubling you all again in the future."

Everyone was pleased to see her being so polite, which showed that she was easygoing and approachable and would not abuse her power.

Wen Mingqian began selecting ingredients. He noticed a basket of green tangerines under the kitchen counter, picked one up, and examined it closely. It was not poisonous.

It is clear that only the poison was sent to the Empress, and the person who poisoned her was only targeting the Empress.

She selected several ingredients and then said, "Besides these, we also need two medicinal herbs."

Aunt Bai immediately said, "Let Qing'er run it! She's fast on her feet."

Then she called to Qing'er: "Go to the Imperial Hospital and tell them that Lady Wen wants to make medicinal food for Her Majesty the Empress and needs Albizia bark and lily bulbs. Go and get some."