Chapter 229 - 196: Auspicious News
Upon hearing this, the Emperor grew even more displeased.
That a dish served on his table was so foul it was inedible... This was surely the fault of the Imperial Kitchen’s head chef, and the little eunuchs who handled it were also negligent. All of them deserved to be punished.
It pained him even more to see that someone as unfussy about food as her couldn’t even swallow it. "Have all the fish dishes on the table removed."
Liang Yuyin knew without being told how the responsible parties would be punished after the dishes were removed.
By the Emperor’s usual custom, the entire spread would have been replaced.
He only had the fish dishes removed out of consideration for the Eldest Prince, who had just finished his lessons and was famished.
"Mother..."
Xie Zhao looked utterly baffled, feeling both guilty and confused.
He had tasted the dish himself and, finding the fish exceptionally delicious, had asked a palace maid to give a piece to his mother. ’Did my taste buds fail me? Or was part of the fish good and the rest spoiled? That’s just awful.’ "It’s my fault."
"It’s not your fault." Seeing Liang Yuyin come forward to clear the dishes, Jiang Xian stopped him. "Hold on, don’t take it away just yet."
She opened the status page on her system panel.
[Querying Host Status—]
Rank: Consort
Stipend: Consort Rank
Offspring: 1
Punishments: Kneeling, Copying Texts (108 Forms of Cruel Torture Not Yet Unlocked)
Status: Pregnant, Overly Active, Heightened Taste Sensitivity
System Evaluation: Blessed with a son and imperial favor; deeply trusted by the Emperor and Empress. (The Empress’s favorability toward the Host is higher than toward the Emperor. What have you done, Host?)]
Seeing her status, Jiang Xian felt reassured. "Perhaps it’s not that the Imperial Kitchen chef failed to prepare the fish properly," she said. "It may be that I’m unwell, causing my sense of taste to change."
This was cause for immediate alarm. The Emperor instantly summoned the Imperial Physician.
While waiting for the Imperial Physician to arrive, the Emperor was still anxious. He had the two fish dishes set down and ordered Liang Yuyin to taste them carefully. He also commanded that two new fish dishes be prepared to make it up to Zhao’er.
As if facing a great enemy, Liang Yuyin sampled every part of the fish, tasting it with intense concentration before reporting truthfully, "Your Majesty, this servant did not detect any off-flavors or foul smells in the fish. However, I fear my own palate is coarse and dull. We should still instruct the chefs of the Imperial Kitchen to prepare the food with utmost care, so as not to spoil Her Ladyship’s appetite."
Even if the fish was perfectly fine, a master’s sense of taste could never be at fault.
Whether the servants were to be punished or not depended entirely on the master’s disposition.
"In that case, my sense of taste must be the problem," she said. "There’s no need to frighten the chefs in the Imperial Kitchen. Just have them add a lighter dish. And I want the same chef who made these two fish dishes to prepare it for me."
’When dishes were sent back without explanation, word would surely get to the Imperial Kitchen.’
’Even if he wasn’t punished, the chef would be on edge for a long time. As a working person myself, I can empathize. Since it was my own problem, why make someone who depends on his monthly silver anxious and fearful? By specifically requesting that chef, I’m sending a signal, letting him know he hasn’t offended his superior and that his services are still needed.’
Before long, the Imperial Physician arrived along with the newly prepared dishes.
Braised Cabbage with Two Kinds of Mushrooms and Fine Noodles with Minced Meat. They looked simple, but one taste revealed the effort that had gone into them. The dishes were light but not bland, allowing the fresh flavor of the vegetables to shine. Jiang Xian offered a few words of simple praise, ordered a reward to be given, and then let the Imperial Physician take her pulse.
The Imperial Physician’s fingers rested on the pulse pillow for a moment, and his furrowed brow slowly relaxed.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! A joyous occasion! Lady Shufei has been with child for over a month. It’s quite common for a pregnant woman’s tastes to change. Her Ladyship’s pregnancy is stable and strong; I need only prescribe some fetus-preserving medicine for her to take."
Next, the Imperial Physician inquired about Lady Shufei’s menstrual cycle.
"That’s right. Her Ladyship’s menses are always very regular, but this month there was only a little spotting..."
The Imperial Physician explained that light spotting is normal in early pregnancy, but that it needs to be monitored. It would become a concern if it lasted for more than three days.
"They say a pregnant woman’s cravings are dictated by the child in her womb. It seems this time, Xian’er, you’re carrying a little one who doesn’t like fish." Hearing the Imperial Physician’s repeated assurances that Jiang Xian was fine, the Emperor finally recovered his good humor. The thought of his beloved woman bearing him another child made his face beam with unconcealable joy.
Xie Zhao, however, was full of worry. "Fish is so delicious, how could my little sister not like it? It must be that she doesn’t like it prepared this way. Next time, I’ll tell the Imperial Kitchen to cook it differently, and let my little sister try some fish soup."
He loved fish and considered it the most delicious food there was, so he wanted to share what he thought was best with his family.
The Emperor teased him, "How do you know it’s a sister and not a brother?"