Shocking! The entire court was drooling with envy because of me.

Consort Li hurriedly went to the Imperial Kitchen.

Upon asking, good heavens, Shen Qing had already returned to the Treasure Pavilion.

With her mind set on the braised pork intestine noodles, she strode over to the Delightful Pavilion.

Xiao Lan was even happier when she saw this.

The Imperial Concubine is so impatient; she's determined to kill Shen Qing.

Shen Qing is doomed; her mission is finally about to be completed!

The group then stormed into the Treasure Pavilion.

Shen Qing was lying on a recliner, eating fruit and drinking tea. She had just returned and was looking forward to a good rest.

I looked up and saw a group of people.

The leading Consort Li looked anxious, with a thin layer of sweat on her forehead, but she was still extremely beautiful.

Before she could even get up, Consort Li said anxiously, "Make me a bowl of braised pork intestine noodles!"

Xiaolan: "???"

Is that correct?

"Your Majesty, you didn't come here just for the braised pork intestine noodles, did you?"

That's right.

Consort Li seemed to suddenly come to her senses, and embarrassment crept onto her face.

Although she did want to eat it, her actions were a bit too obvious.

The braised pork intestine noodles were just a side dish; the real purpose was to find fault.

She puffed out her chest, raised her head, and said arrogantly, "You, now make me a bowl of braised pork intestine noodles."

Xiaolan: "..."

Isn't this still just braised pork intestine noodles?

Just now he was frantically ordering braised pork intestine noodles like a starving ghost, but now he's arrogantly ordering braised pork intestine noodles.

Is there a difference?

"Sorry, I can't make braised pork intestine noodles today," Shen Qing said calmly.

"You're rejecting me?" Consort Li was stunned. "What right do you have to reject me?"

Seeing an opportunity, Xiao Lan immediately barked like a dog, "You, a mere head of the imperial kitchen, dare to refuse the Imperial Concubine! You deserve to die!"

"Your Highness, at your command, this servant will immediately step forward and slap her!"

"Guards, slap him!" Consort Li's voice rang out.

Xiao Lan rolled up her sleeves, ready to charge forward and get ready to make a big splash.

The next moment, Consort Li's voice rang out again: "This lowly servant is too talkative and deserves to be punished."

Xiaolan: "...Huh?"

Instantly, she felt a sharp pain on her face.

Snapped--

Snapped--

Snapped--

With a few quick strokes, Xiaolan's face was swollen high.

Consort Li was finally satisfied and said to Shen Qing, "Madam Shen, I have already had this ignorant and lowly maid taught a lesson. Please trouble yourself to make me a bowl of braised pork intestine noodles."

After much thought, I decided that eating the braised pork intestine noodles was more important.

She was craving it, so craving it, she was so hungry, it felt like ants were crawling all over her.

Shen Qing's expression remained unchanged: "I really can't do it anymore."

"His Majesty wants to implement a random stall system, selling only five portions of all delicacies per day. Even if His Majesty himself came, it wouldn't be possible now, let alone you."

Consort Li's face instantly fell, and she felt extremely distressed.

Oh, braised pork intestine noodles! I really want to eat them.

Madam Shen is deliberately whetting her appetite so she won't cook it for her.

I want to break her heart to death.

Consort Li was extremely conflicted, twisting the handkerchief in her hand repeatedly. After a long while, she said with a pained expression, "Madam Shen, please make me one."

"At worst, I won't argue with you about the peacock feather gauze."

"I'll share a little bit of His Majesty's favor with you, but only a little bit," Consort Li said, her face full of reluctance.

Everyone was stunned by these words.

Xiao Lan, in particular, covered her swollen cheek, her eyes wide open.

This is unbelievable! Consort Li is actually offering to share some of the Emperor's favor? She must be crazy.

Consort Li only thrived in the palace because of His Majesty's favor. Has she lost her mind?

Hearing this, Shen Qing was taken aback, then smiled: "You like that peacock feather gauze?"

Consort Li nodded subconsciously: "...I like it."

"Then I'll give you that peacock feather gauze," Shen Qing said calmly.

Consort Li: "???!!!"

"You're going to give it to me?" Her beautiful eyes widened, her face full of disbelief.

Peacock feather gauze, that's peacock feather gauze! It's something that many concubines in the palace coveted but couldn't obtain. And Madam Shen just gave it away like that?

Shen Qing turned around and took out the peacock feather gauze, saying, "I don't need it, you can have it if you like."

She often has to cook, and this kind of luxurious fabric is not suitable for her, nor is she used to wearing it.

The peacock feather gauze is dazzling and luxurious, a perfect match for a beautiful woman like Consort Li.

The whole thing is a feast for the eyes.

Consort Li raised her hand to stroke the peacock feather gauze, still somewhat incredulous: "Do you know what this represents?"

"Isn't it just a beautiful piece of fabric?"

"More than that, it's His Majesty's favor that matters most."

Shen Qing looked speechless: "So you're vying for the emperor's favor?"

"Otherwise what? Didn't you see it, Madam Shen?"

Shen Qing: "..."

The emperor is old and ugly, what's there to fight over?

He couldn't help but sigh, "What a pity, what a pity."

"What's a pity?" Consort Li asked, stunned.

Everything that happened today was beyond her expectations and completely unexpected.

"It's a pity that the Imperial Concubine is so beautiful, with a face that could make fish sink and geese fall from the sky, a beauty that could shame the moon and put the flowers to shame, a beauty that could topple kingdoms, yet..."

Consort Li blushed slightly at the praise, and upon hearing the word "but," she couldn't help but ask, "But what?"

"But she set her sights on the emperor."

Consort Li pondered for a long time before she finally understood that Lady Shen was saying that the Emperor was not good enough for her.

Her expression instantly turned serious, and she turned around and shouted, "You are not allowed to divulge a single word of the conversation between me and Lady Shen today. Now all of you, go outside and wait."

"Your Majesty—" Xiao Lan called out, covering her face.

For some reason, she felt that something was wrong.

Under normal circumstances, Consort Li should have seized upon Shen Qing's words and accused him of treason.

But now, Consort Li is telling them to wait outside.

"By the way, keep an eye on Xiaolan," she added.

Xiao Lan was completely stunned, but she had no choice but to be dragged out of the Treasure Pavilion.

In an instant, only Consort Li and Shen Qing remained in the Treasure Pavilion.

Shen Qing was now somewhat confused, wondering what Consort Li was up to.

Just as she was about to ask a question, Consort Li suddenly stepped forward and grabbed her hand.

Suddenly she started wailing.

She cried like a little child.

Shen Qing was truly stunned. She couldn't stand seeing beautiful women cry, and suddenly she was at a loss for what to do.

"You, you, you..."

"I, I, I really can't make braised pork intestine noodles anymore..."

"No, no, I'll make you something else to eat."

Consort Li cried even harder, and then threw herself into Shen Qing's arms.

"Waaaaah, I think so too. The emperor is old and ugly, and he's not good enough for me at all."

"Although he is the emperor, he is old enough to be my father. I have no desire to be his concubine."

"If it weren't for the fact that it would be easier to live in the palace, I wouldn't bother with that old man."

"..."

————————————————————

Consort Li's original name was Su Jiao'er, and she was only twenty-three years old this year.

She was born beautiful and was selected to enter the palace seven years ago, becoming the emperor's concubine.

She had no intention of vying for the emperor's favor, but everyone in the palace fawned over the powerful and bullied the weak, so the unfavored concubines lived worse lives than the servants.

So she used her beauty to actively compete for the emperor's favor.

Later, she remained a favorite of the emperor, and even the empress regarded her as a major threat, fearing that she might give birth to a prince one day.

The emperor's favor became her only means of survival in the palace.

Therefore, she was more afraid of losing favor than anyone else.

But this did not change the fact that she felt disgusted by the emperor from the bottom of her heart.

Su Jiao'er hugged Shen Qing and cried for a long time. When she had cried enough and regained her senses, she suddenly felt a little embarrassed.

And a little bit awkward.

"I...I..." Her face was flushed, and her eyes were still wet.

Shen Qing patted her back and said, "I understand everything. It's all that dog emperor's fault. If it weren't for that dog emperor, you would be living a very happy life outside the palace."

"Didn't you want to eat my cooking? Come on, let's go to the small kitchen in the Delicacies Pavilion."

"Although I can't make braised pork intestine noodles, I can make some home-style dishes. Let's eat together and chat as we eat."

At the mention of food, Su Jiao'er's moist eyes lit up.

She licked her lips slightly and couldn't help but ask, "Is it really impossible to make braised pork intestine noodles anymore?"

"My other dishes are just as delicious. You should try them if you don't believe me," Shen Qing chuckled.

Su Jiao'er nodded: "Okay."

He added, "Thank you."

Having been cooped up in the palace for so many years, everyone thought she was head over heels in love with the emperor, but only Shen Qing said the emperor was not good enough for her.

She simply couldn't control her emotions just now.

Shen Qing told Su Jiao'er to rest in the room, and went to the small kitchen of Zhenxiu Pavilion.

Actually, she hadn't eaten the braised pork intestine noodles long ago, so she wasn't very hungry. Su Jiao'er probably hadn't eaten lunch.

So she prepared to cook some simple dishes.

Slice ripe tomatoes, sprinkle with white sugar, and enjoy their sweet and sour flavor – perfect for summer.

Cut the lettuce into thin strips, marinate it with salt for a while to draw out the moisture, then add seasonings and make a cold salad.

Finally, Shen Qing made a cold noodle dish with shredded chicken.

Cook the chicken breast until tender and cut it into strips. Cook the noodles and rinse them in cold water. Top with the chicken strips, cucumber strips, and mung bean sprouts, and drizzle with sesame sauce and chili oil.

Soon, the three dishes were served.

They are all cold dishes, easy to make, and refreshing to eat in the summer.

Su Jiao'er's eyes lit up instantly when she saw it.

These three dishes are simple and plain, but they look very appealing.

Light red tomatoes were neatly arranged, one on top of the other, on a white porcelain plate. A thin layer of pale red juice gathered at the bottom of the plate, making the whole plate of tomatoes look moist and plump.

The pale green lettuce shreds were piled into a small spire on the plate, garnished with a few red chili threads, making it look simple yet not bland.

The most tempting dish was the shredded chicken noodles. Shredded chicken, cucumber, cilantro, and other ingredients were mixed with the noodles, and a light brown sauce coated the noodles, seeping into the shredded chicken, making it look exceptionally enticing.

"Want to try some?" Shen Qing handed the chopsticks to Su Jiao'er.

This cold chicken noodle dish was made especially for Su Jiao'er.

Su Jiao'er swallowed hard: "Then I won't be polite."

She couldn't resist eating as soon as the dishes were served.

He picked up a large mouthful of shredded chicken cold noodles with his chopsticks.

The shredded chicken is extremely tender, and the cucumber shreds are crisp and refreshing. When mixed with the noodles, the sour, spicy, salty, and savory flavors of the sauce burst forth with every bite.

After swallowing it in one gulp, the aroma of cilantro and minced garlic lingered in my mouth, leaving a delightful aftertaste.

"These noodles are so refreshing and delicious!" Su Jiao'er couldn't help but exclaim.

Although the shredded chicken cold noodles and the braised pork intestine noodles are two different types of noodles, she thinks they are equally delicious.

So he ate one chopstick after another, completely forgetting his usual elegance.

Shen Qing smiled and said, "Don't just focus on eating noodles, try the candied tomatoes and the cold lettuce salad too."

"Okay, okay, okay." Su Jiao'er nodded repeatedly.

A bite of cold lettuce salad is crisp and sweet, leaving you feeling clean and refreshed afterward.

A bite of candied tomato, sweet and sour, the juice bursts in your mouth as you bite down, cool and refreshing, instantly dispelling the summer heat.

Su Jiao'er ate bite after bite until her belly was round and she couldn't eat anymore before she stopped.

She covered her mouth with her handkerchief, let out a burp, and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Madam Shen, I was thinking of deliberately finding fault to kick you out of the palace..."

"No need to apologize, it's just a misunderstanding," Shen Qing said with a smile.

In her eyes, Su Jiao'er was rather adorable.

Perhaps because she's good-looking, everything she does exudes a cute charm.

"That......"

Su Jiao'er's expression suddenly turned slightly tense: "Then, are we friends now?"

There was a hint of expectation in her eyes.

In the harem, she has allies, but no friends yet.

Shen Qing smiled and said, "Of course it counts."

Su Jiao'er immediately perked up: "If we're talking about age, I'm a few years older than you. If we're alone in a quiet place, just call me Sister Su!"

As she spoke, she slightly raised her head, looking very honored.

"Okay, Sister Su~" Shen Qing called out with a smile.

She had met many women before, and they either called her Madam Shen or Sister Shen. This was the first time she had ever called someone "sister".

"Don't worry!" Su Jiao'er patted her chest proudly, "From now on, I'll protect you in the palace!"

"I'll let you in on a secret: everyone in the palace thinks I'm stupid and dumb, but I'm actually not stupid at all."

"I'm just slow to react, but I'll figure it out later."

"I've known for a long time that Xiao Lan, who's next to me, is the Empress's person, but I just didn't want to alert her."

"Xiao Lan has been urging me to deal with you, A Qing. You'd better be careful, the Empress will definitely make a move against you!"

"But don't be afraid, I'll protect you!" Su Jiao'er said, as if she had her back.

Shen Qing smiled helplessly and nodded: "Then I will rely on Sister Su for care from now on."

Su Jiao'er may not be stupid, but she is definitely not smart.

However, being able to tell that the people around you have ill intentions is not bad.

"Don't worry, leave it to me. I will absolutely not let the Emperor or the Empress bully you!" Su Jiao'er said with utmost seriousness.

"Okay, I won't let them bully you either," Shen Qing said with a smile.

Su Jiao'er is so genuine; she's very willing to be friends with her.

If she could successfully bring down the emperor, Su Jiao'er could leave the palace and live happily and freely.