Chapter 37: Hesitation Leads to Defeat

Consort Tong was feeling unwell.

It was bad enough to have lost face in Ningshou Palace just now, and now she was even more enraged by the news that Lady Uya had been demoted to First Class Attendant.

As the saying goes, “Those below follow the example of those above.”

Having just left a bad impression on His Majesty and the Grand Empress Dowager, her favorability with them was likely to plummet once again. Consort Tong silently shed tears. Nanny Zhao and Nanny Xu also developed a strong dislike toward First Class Attendant Uya.

“Your Ladyship, at the very least, Miao Daying was promoted to First Class Attendant Miao. His Majesty is bound to realize it was Uya’s own idea,” Nanny Zhao said softly.

Consort Tong was slightly moved.

Nanny Xu echoed the sentiment but also offered another thought: “Your Ladyship, I heard that Wan Changzai of Xianfu Palace has been promoted to Noble Lady.”

Nanny Zhao grew anxious.

Why bring up Noble Lady Wan out of the blue? Had Nanny Xu forgotten that Noble Lady Wan was a thorn in their mistress’s side? She glared at Nanny Xu, who continued in a calm tone, “Your Ladyship, there were always rumors in Chengqian Palace that Wan Changzai was arrogant and often boasted about her ambitions. That’s why we decided to use the opportunity to have her removed from the palace. But…”

Nanny Xu furrowed her brows. “Now that I observe her, Noble Lady Wan doesn’t seem like that kind of person. It’s actually Uya who seems more like it.”

Consort Tong and Nanny Zhao were both stunned.

It was like a sudden revelation—clarity struck them all at once. Consort Tong frowned and pondered deeply. After a moment, she murmured, “Nanny Xu, you’re suggesting that someone in Chengqian Palace is stirring up trouble?”

Her words landed with heavy emphasis.

The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Wan Liuhashi had excellent looks but came from an unremarkable background. Ever since she entered Chengqian Palace, Consort Tong had wanted to use her to secure favor and perhaps have a child. But then rumors had surged unexpectedly, and Consort Tong’s attitude toward her changed. Instead, she favored the slightly less attractive but more obedient and gentle Uya.

Thinking back to all the times Uya had harmed her…

And now realizing that ever since Wan Liuhashi woke up, Xianfu Palace had frequently caught His Majesty’s attention. Putting all the pieces together, Consort Tong’s mind buzzed: “So I ended up keeping a snake in my sleeve!”

Nanny Zhao’s expression turned serious.

She thought for a moment. “No wonder ever since Your Ladyship removed the palace maids around First Class Attendant Uya, there have been fewer good words about her in the palace…”

The more they discussed it, the more convinced they were of Uya’s cunning nature. In the end, Consort Tong made a decisive ruling: “Move her to the side room and have her watched carefully. If anything suspicious happens, report it immediately.”

That was the real reason Uya was moved out of the main chamber.

Unfortunately, this time Uya truly had been wronged. Who could have guessed that after her serious illness, Noble Lady Wan was a completely different person inside? And who would’ve thought that with Noble Lady Wan gone as a point of comparison, Uya would suddenly seem ordinary—just another common palace consort, even a bit picky and willful?

In the rear courtyard, Uya was unaware of how Consort Tong and the others were evaluating her. Her brows and eyes were full of pent-up rage. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly to calm herself. “What are you all standing around for? Help this mistress pack!”

First Class Attendant Miao looked disappointed.

She had hoped Uya would throw a tantrum, which would give her mistress a reason to suppress her. She hadn’t expected Uya to retreat instead.

Chengqian Palace was in chaos.

Far away in Xianfu Palace, Wan Anran was still listening to gossip from Ju Bai.

“There’s more! First Class Attendant Xu—”

“Mhm, mhm!”

“I heard she’s been demoted to Second Class Attendant!” Ju Bai said with glee. “She said a lot of bad things about our mistress to the people in Yongshou Palace. Her demotion comes down to two words: serves her right!”

Back when they were all in Xianfu Palace, First Class Attendant Xu had been suppressed by Consort Xuan, so she couldn’t make trouble openly. Instead, she resorted to underhanded tactics and did all sorts of disgusting things behind their backs. Wan Anran and Haitao had been so annoyed at the time—now they were delighted to hear she had fallen from grace.

Today was packed with good news.

Wan Anran stretched with great satisfaction, energized. “Haitao, let’s order a few side dishes and have a little feast. Time to celebrate!”

“Mistress—you’ll get in trouble if you drink.”

“Alright, alright. No wine this time, just some food!” Wan Anran raised her hands in mock surrender, then rolled her eyes playfully. “Come on, come on, let’s ask Consort Xuan and Sister Nara what we should eat!”

Laughter rang out endlessly in Xianfu Palace.

After much deliberation, they settled on barbecue—it was the best choice for a casual gathering. Wan Anran, Consort Xuan, and Noble Lady Nara lounged leisurely under the veranda. To their surprise, there were over ten different kinds of barbecue sauces. Upon inquiry, they learned that both the Emperor and the Crown Prince had a fondness for cheese and egg yolk sauce, frequently ordering barbecue and fried chicken. Naturally, the Imperial Kitchen didn’t want to fall behind and had invented over a dozen varieties.

These sauces normally wouldn’t be served.

But because Noble Lady Wan had a reputation for being a discerning eater, the Imperial Kitchen hoped to get some feedback from her.

Wan Anran: …This routine is all too familiar!

In her previous life as a food vlogger, she had done countless food reviews. Before Consort Xuan could frown and scold her, Wan Anran rolled up her sleeves and signaled the palace staff to bring the barbecue forward, fully intent on conducting a royal barbecue sauce taste test.

To evaluate flavors properly, one had to use the same ingredients and equal amounts of sauce per test. Different sauces paired with different ingredients produced wildly different results, which also increased the number of combinations to test. Once everything was laid out as Noble Lady Wan instructed, a large spread of barbecued meats filled the table before her.

Imperial Kitchen chefs weren’t allowed to appear without a decree.

The young eunuchs they sent wore serious expressions, and the glances exchanged among them crackled with unspoken tension.

Consort Xuan was dumbfounded.

Noble Lady Nara couldn’t hide her laughter, while Wan Fu looked excitedly at the scene before him, glancing around unsure where to even begin.

Wan Anran instructed Haitao to bring water and hand basins.

She would take a bite of meat, offer a critique, then rinse her mouth before trying the next sauce. Her professional demeanor left the young eunuchs in a daze. Most of them were illiterate and had to memorize her commentary by heart, cold sweat dripping from their foreheads.

Consort Xuan pressed a hand to her forehead.

Noble Lady Nara was laughing so hard she nearly collapsed onto the veranda.

Seeing the young eunuchs working so hard—like students desperately memorizing notes before a surprise quiz—Wan Fu was so moved he almost cried. He called over several palace maids to help, and only then did they manage to record all of Noble Lady Wan’s evaluations.

Wan Anran spoke until her mouth was parched.

Zisu quickly brought over a cup of milk tea that had been prepared earlier. She gulped it down in one go, wiped her mouth, and said with great satisfaction, “Refreshing! Come on, let’s keep going!”

…Still more to go?

The young eunuchs were all dumbfounded. The one who could be considered their leader stammered, “Noble Lady Wan, Noble Lady Wan, let’s… let’s stop here for today, shall we?”

But they were only just getting started!

Wan Anran, righteous and resolute, declared, “Since everything’s been sent over, how could we favor some and neglect others?”

For some reason, her figure seemed to grow taller in that moment.

The young eunuchs looked at her with admiration, and behind them, it was as if flames of determination roared to life. If even Noble Lady Wan wasn’t calling for a stop, how could they? One after another, they answered affirmatively, focusing all their attention on the skewers in front of them.

Once the tasting round was complete, Wan Anran selected her top ten sauces. The problem, however, was that each sauce had a distinct flavor—some paired better with lamb, others with pork, and some even suited vegetables or other ingredients. Ranking them in a single order proved quite the challenge for her.

So what now?

Wan Anran turned her gaze to Consort Xuan and Noble Lady Nara. The two looked back at her with innocent eyes. They had already tasted plenty—how could they participate in more tastings? They shook their heads repeatedly and huddled together, chattering about reading insights… clearly not interested in the event anymore.

Wan Anran had no choice but to give up.

She shifted her gaze to Wan Fu. “Speaking of which, now that the Empress has been ill, you probably haven’t gathered with the Crown Prince or the Eldest Princess in a while, right? Ninth Prince, why don’t you invite them to come eat with us?”

Bringing the Crown Prince and the Eldest Princess over just to help eliminate leftover test items? Consort Xuan and Noble Lady Nara’s expressions immediately turned stern. Just as they were about to lecture Wan Anran, they saw Wan Fu’s eyes light up. Without waiting for them to speak, he let out a cheer and ran off. It was clear this suggestion was exactly to his liking.

Consort Xuan and Noble Lady Nara: “……Look what you’ve done!”

Unexpectedly, Wan Fu returned not long after.

Just as Noble Lady Nara was feeling touched—thinking the child had grown up and now understood what should or shouldn’t be done—she saw the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and the Eldest Princess walk out from behind Wan Fu.

The Crown Prince, Baocheng, looked particularly pleased with himself.

He surveyed the lively scene at Xianfu Palace and smiled cheerfully. “This time, I win! I told you Noble Lady Wan would definitely be celebrating!”

The Eldest Princess had never seen so much grilled meat before.

Her little mouth formed an O shape as she asked innocently, “Is this a grilled meat banquet?”

“…Yes, it is.”

“When Imperial Mother recovers, can we have one at Kunning Palace too?” she asked expectantly.

Kangxi reached out to ruffle her hair. “Of course.”

He let the Crown Prince and Eldest Princess go ahead and enjoy the food while he stood to the side, watching Noble Lady Wan with a half-smile. “To think I promoted you to Noble Lady, and yet you didn’t even think to invite me to your barbecue banquet.”

Wan Anran froze.

A chill ran down her spine, and goosebumps erupted all over her body. She was seriously unsettled by the Emperor’s overly familiar tone.

This man… was the top boss!!!

Wan Anran had to summon every ounce of her inner strength to suppress the discomfort in her heart. She had no more energy left to continue the tasting. Forcing a smile, she held out a skewer to Kangxi. “Your Majesty, please try this.”

Just hurry up and eat it.

After stuffing the unusually odd-acting Kangxi’s mouth with food to shut him up, Wan Anran turned her attention to the others. But Consort Xuan had already wandered off, chatting cheerfully with the Eldest Princess, while Noble Lady Nara gazed tenderly at the Ninth Prince and began enthusiastically explaining the different sauces to the Crown Prince, looking quite ready to take over the tasting session.

Wan Anran: …………

She lowered her head, composed herself, and silently gave herself a pep talk. Then, thinking of her recent promotion to Noble Lady and the corresponding increase in rations and perks, her mood lifted dramatically. When she looked at Kangxi again, her gaze was already three parts gentler.

This was the man who held her future in his hands!

Having adjusted her mindset, Wan Anran smiled sweetly at Kangxi. “What do you think of the flavor, Your Majesty?”

What he had just eaten was pork shoulder (also known as plum blossom meat). Each pig only produces five or six catties of this cut, with marbling that resembles marble. It has the perfect ratio of fat to lean, is tender and juicy, and needs minimal seasoning—just a bit of salt—to bring out its full flavor. The more you chew, the tastier it gets.

Kangxi nodded in satisfaction.

After the mild-flavored shoulder cut, Wan Anran next offered him pork belly. Wrapped in lettuce with shredded scallions and cucumber strips—and optionally a clove of garlic—it left a lasting impression with its flavor.

“That was just the base flavor,” Wan Anran said with a smile. “This is the sauce I just selected. Would Your Majesty like to try it?” One hand supported the plate, and with the other she held the chopsticks, lifting the meat toward the Emperor’s mouth.

Kangxi stared at the meat in a daze.

Earlier, he had taken a bite to give Noble Lady Wan some face. But now… as he hesitated, wavering between eating and not eating, the ever-perceptive Liang Jiugong stepped forward. “This servant will assist His Majesty…”

I’d be happier not being fed.

Since Liang Jiugong wanted to take over, Wan Anran gladly agreed. She halted her motion and, quite naturally, popped the meat into her own mouth. Cupping her cheeks, she let out a content hum—delicious!

Kangxi’s face darkened.

His eyes were sharp and blazing as he stared directly at Liang Jiugong. If looks could kill, Liang Jiugong might have been chopped into minced meat on the spot.

Liang Jiugong: …………