tallest building

Chapter 325 A Joyful Reunion

Wen Mingqian's room was small, but very cool.

Moreover, because incense is made year-round, the moment you enter, you feel refreshed.

Moreover, spices such as agarwood and camphor have the effect of relieving summer heat and calming the mind.

Wen Mingqian wore a moon-white dress and a light lake-green shirt, with his hair tied up in a high bun and adorned with a white jade hairpin.

With a smile on his face and bright eyes, he said to Zhang Ma, "I really didn't expect to see you so soon. Please sit down and rest. It's so hot. The bath water is ready."

"I hope you've been well, young lady!" Zhang Ma looked at Wen Mingqian with a relieved smile. "You're even more charming than before."

Then came the sound of footsteps, pattering softly. Gong Chang'an had just finished showering and was still wearing a robe, his face and head wet. He mumbled incoherently, "Is Zhang Ma here?!"

He then rushed into the house.

Upon seeing that it was Aunt Zhang, he jumped up happily and rushed into her arms.

"Zhang Ma, you've finally arrived! I've missed you so much!" Gong Chang'an clung to Zhang Ma's plump body like a water monkey.

"Oh, my little darling! I've missed you so much! Come down first! I've been sweating all this way, I don't want to smell you bad." Zhang Ma coaxed him, "I'll take a shower later, and then I'll give you a good hug."

Gong Chang'an refused to let go and continued to cling to Zhang Ma, saying, "I only heard from my mother last night that you were coming to the palace today, and I was so happy. You have no idea how much I miss your cooking; I dream about it all the time."

"My darling, don't worry, now that Zhang Ma is in the palace, she can prepare your meals every day just like before, and I promise I won't rely on anyone else." Zhang Ma's love for Gong Chang'an was genuine.

He delivered the child and cared for him every day as the child grew up. You could say that she had given him all her heart and soul.

"Chang'an, come down! You've grown taller and heavier now, don't tire Zhang Ma out." Wen Mingqian said to his son with a smile, "There's some mint tea over there, go and have some. Just don't be greedy for cold things, don't touch anything like crispy mountain or iced water."

The Empress loved cold things, and in the summer when she had a poor appetite, she would always eat iced foods. The imperial kitchen catered to her tastes and prepared many iced dumplings, iced drinks, and other similar items every summer.

Even the fruit they eat is chilled.

This is actually not in line with health preservation.

“What the girl said is right. Children should avoid eating cold food. Once their spleen and stomach are damaged, their vital energy will be insufficient,” Zhang Ma said.

Gong Chang'an was their precious treasure, and they paid extra attention to his diet and sleep from childhood to adulthood, for fear that he would get sick.

Gong Chang'an was also sensible, unlike most children who were willful. Although he was also greedy, he knew that these things were bad for his health, so he didn't eat them.

"Madam, Zhang Mama, please sit down. I'll take the clothes to be washed to the back." Xiaoyue brought in another pot of tea. She knew that Wen Mingqian and Zhang Mama hadn't seen each other for a long time and must have some private things to say. It wasn't convenient for her to be there, so she made an excuse to leave.

Gong Chang'an went to play in the outer room and also kept watch.

"That little girl is quite clever!" Zhang Ma said after Xiaoyue left. "Dong Gang's matter owes a lot to her help," Wen Mingqian said. "She is indeed very helpful."

Zhang Ma knew that Dong Gang was in trouble and also knew the general plan of Wen Mingqian and his group, but she didn't know the details.

Therefore, Wen Mingqian explained the situation to him in detail.

"When I arrived, the Princess told me that Consort Hui would definitely not let this go. She brought me into the palace with no good intentions," Zhang Ma said with a sneer.

“This was expected. She will definitely try to make the Empress suspicious of us. We should also make the Empress suspicious of her,” Wen Mingqian had already planned it out. “She wants your Empress to become suspicious of you through the food you cook, so you need to be careful and not leave any evidence.”

“I know it’s just a matter of adding more or less ingredients, and adjusting the heat and seasonings,” Zhang Ma said. “It’s not a difficult thing.”

“Consort Hui is a very greedy person, and so is her family. Now that the Dong family has suffered a great loss, they are both alarmed and even more greedy. They don’t realize that this is a taboo,” Wen Mingqian said. “Moreover, I feel that the eldest princess was not very sad after divorcing Dong Gang, but rather seemed to feel relieved.”

“Dong Gang won’t touch her, so of course she’s resentful. She might already be planning to marry someone else. How could she possibly reconcile with Dong Gang?” Zhang Ma sneered. “I’ve been watching her closely these past few days on the mountain. She’s all talk and no action, not even as good as her mother.”

"Consort Hui says to the outside world that she has been devastated and is crying all day long, unable to get out of bed. When you come to the palace, you must do your best to take care of her diet and make sure that the eldest princess looks radiant." Wen Mingqian knew that he had to get rid of Consort Hui and the others next.

Consort Hui wanted to use the Empress to get rid of them, and they could also use the Empress's power to get rid of Consort Hui. It all came down to whose methods were more clever.

“Zhang Ma, why don’t you go to the back and take a bath? I didn’t know you were coming to the palace. I only found some fabric last night to make you two new outfits. Please be patient and wait a couple more days,” Wen Mingqian said.

"Oh dear, young lady, you're busy enough in the palace all day. You don't need to handle such a small matter." Zhang Ma felt sorry for Wen Mingqian. "This time when I come to the palace, I can help you out a bit and do less needlework. Don't ruin your eyes."

Zhang Ma and Wen Mingqian have been together for ten years, their relationship resembling that of master and servant, but also more like family.

Over the past ten years, they have relied on each other for survival and supported one another, becoming closer than family.

"Here are some snacks. If you haven't eaten, have a bite to eat first," Wen Mingqian said, pointing to the snacks on the table. "They were brought over for lunch."

“I ate a lot when I came, so I’m not hungry right now,” Zhang Ma said. “I’m going to take a shower first. The weather is so hot, it’ll stink if I don’t shower for half a day.”

To avoid being recognized, Zhang's mother deliberately ate herself into a very fat person, which was really tough on her in the summer.

At this moment, Chief Eunuch Hu walked into Consort Hui's palace.

Consort Hui was resting with her eyes closed on the couch when Chief Steward Hu, knowing she was not asleep, stepped forward and whispered, "Your Majesty, that Zhang Ma has entered the palace."

Upon hearing this, Consort Hui opened her eyes and smiled, "That's wonderful! The ladies of the palace are truly blessed."

“Now that he’s in the palace, I don’t believe he won’t slip up. After all, there are plenty of people in the palace who have dealt with him before,” said Granny Xia from the side. “It’s just a pity that all the people who worked with him back then are dead, otherwise they could have pointed him out.”

"The truth will out, and falsehood will out." Consort Hui didn't think much of it. "Although everyone in Shen Fu's palace is gone, there are still many people in this palace who know him. There's no need to worry."