Relying on Food Chapter 3: Greetings

After talking about the child, Xuan Pin changed the subject and started talking about New Year plans.

In five days it will be the New Year's banquet.

Xu Changzai didn't have time to sulk. She looked at Xuan Pin with expectation and longing on her face.

Wan Anran was her opposite.

Since she came to the Qing dynasty Palace, she realized that not everyone could attend the inner court banquets. For example, she and Xu Changzai were not eligible to attend banquets other than family banquets strictly for Qing Palace - unless they had the permission of the Grand Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, the Empress, or the concubine who owned their palace.

Wan Anran has nothing to do with any of the four big guys (Grand Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager, Emperor, Empress).

Xuan Pin niangniang, please forget about me because I am not interested. Lady Xuan looked up at Wan Daying and said, "Wan Daying."

"Here."

"You have just recovered, so don't attend this year's palace banquet. Just recuperate in the palace." Xuan Pin said in a gentle voice, observing carefully as she spoke.

Xu Changzai raised her hand and covered her mouth with a handkerchief.

There was a look of gloating in her eyes, and she covered the upturned corners of her lips with a handkerchief.

Xianfu Palace was never favored.

Xu Changzai had long had other thoughts and wanted to use the banquet to try to attract the emperor's attention... or find a better way out.

Wan Daying is really pitiful.

She is healthy now. But what’s the use of her name plate? Staying in this unloved Xianfu Palace, she will only waste her life until she grows old!

*Emperors usually chose where to spend the night by flipping one of his concubines’ name plates.

How could Xuan Pin not know what Xu Changzai was thinking?

It was for this reason that she had never liked Xu Changzai. Her eyes swept over her indifferently, and the moment they landed on Wan Anran's face, Xuan Pin froze.

En? En?? En???

There was clearly... joy on Wan Anran's face?

Xuan Pin opened her eyes slightly.

Looking at her more carefully, she did not find any dissatisfaction on Wan Daying's face. Instead, she saw that she was forcing the corners of her mouth downwards to suppress her joy.

Xuan Pin was a little confused.

Wan Daying was transferred from Chengqian Palace, and she had people inquire about it. The news she heard was that Wan Daying was competitive and ambitious.

Xuan Pin didn't like it.

She had already made plans. If Wan Daying showed any dissatisfaction on her face, she would definitely work on her temper, or find another place for her to move to. However, she didn't expect that everything would be so different from what she expected!

Wan Anran was just about to heartily agree.

She didn't have to attend the banquet, which meant that except for the family dinner in the Qing Palace on New Year's Eve, she only had to stay in the Xianfu Palace. Thinking about what Xuan Pin had just said, Wan Anran was secretly grateful.

It's really comfortable to stay in Xianfu Palace!

Wan Anran, feeling at ease, sat upright in a chair, drinking the salty milk tea with both hands and enjoying it, occasionally picking up a piece of kidney bean roll and putting it into her mouth.

It’s worthy of being Xuan Pin’s snack.

The soft and sweet kidney bean paste and date paste are perfectly blended together, and the soft and sweet taste makes Wan Anran unable to stop.

One, two, three...

Seeing that the plate was already half empty, Haitao pinched her lady's back anxiously.

Wan Anran was shocked.

She barely managed to control her strong appetite and struggled to stop eating, but her eyes were still fixed on the green bean rolls, and her eyes were full of desire.

This scene was seen by Xuan Pin.

After seeing off Nala Guiren and Wan Daying, she looked at the plate that was mostly empty, with only three kidney bean rolls barely left, and burst out laughing.

"Ask the kitchen to send an extra portion of kidney bean rolls to the east wing later - forget it, just ask the kitchen to send a few more snacks over." Xuan Pin had a smile on her face and instructed the palace servants happily.

It’s also time for Wan Daying to take eat more to supplement her body.

Xia mama responded respectfully, and in her heart, she couldn't help but sigh that Wan Daying had caught the master's eye, and she should treat her better in the future.

Palace Maid Tana pouted

She murmured quietly, "What good is it if you don't strive for progress? I think Xu Changzai’s ambition is more useful!"

Xia mama twisted her ears and said, "How stupid!"

If there was another one with Xu Changzai’s temper, the lady will be annoyed to death! And if Wan Daying had that this kind of temper, she would be kicked out of Xianfu Palace. After recovering from illness and being kicked out of Xianfu Palace again, where else could Wan Daying go? Even if there is a place to stay, I am afraid it will be a waste of time.

　　---

Xu Changzai was in a good mood when she returned to her room.

She glanced across the window, no longer trying to hide the contempt on her face: "What a hopeless person! Still want to regain favor? I'm afraid you'll be a Daying for the rest of your life."

It’s a waste of time that I used to think of her as an enemy!

When Xu Changzai thought about Wan Daying's outstanding appearance, she felt waves of joy and pride in his heart.

Of course, that was not the point.

Xu Changzai's heart was burning with excitement when she thought of the palace banquet a few days later. She quickly ordered the palace maids to take out various palace powders and decided to take good care of her facial skin in order to win first place!

On the other side, Wan Anran, who had returned to the east wing, was also undergoing a test. As soon as he entered the room, Haitao kept muttering, "My lady, my lady, you can’t just stay quiet in the main hall, why do you have to eat all the time? If you leave a bad impression on Xuan Pin, our lives will be even more difficult."

"Don't make it sound so serious."

"Of course it's serious! As long as Master Xuan says one word, the young lady won't even be qualified to leave the palace! Earlier, the palace people were talking about how Yi Pin niangniang of Yikun Palace confined Zhang Changzai and Qing Daying in the backyard. They used to be able to get a day of favor occasionally, but now they are gone completely."

Haitao looked serious.

As she spoke, she carefully untied Wan Anran's hair, combed it smooth with scented hair oil, and then braided it into a big braid.

Wan Anran was not worried.

She held a mirror and looked left and right: "I think it's good to stay in the palace."

How come it's good?

Haitao frowned - if the lady's ambitions were a little high before, then now her ambitions have been completely reduced to zero, and her attitude of lying down and being a salted fish is also worrying. She said earnestly: "Young lady, if you can't leave the palace, it's hard to meet the emperor. If you can't meet the emperor, how can you get favored? How can you get promoted? How can you get pregnant and have a child?"

Haitao didn’t mean to nag, but she was anxious.

Xianfu Palace is the palace that is least favored by the emperor. Not to mention Xuan Pin, who is the emperor's cousin but ranked last among the eight pins, and is in sharp contrast with Tong Guifei, who is also his cousin. There is also Nala Guiren, who has a son but is only given the title of a guiren and is mocked for relying entirely on luck.

If the young lady didn't make progress, she would probably be forgotten in the blink of an eye. With such deep concern, Haitao tried her best to persuade her earnestly.

Fight for favor? Status?

Kangxi was an emperor who was very particular about qualifications. In short, one either had to give birth to many children or had to climb up step by step. Few people were promoted directly, so the problem came back to giving birth to children.

Pregnancy? Childbirth?

Giving birth in this era where there were only natural births and no caesarean sections, and even no hospitals? Pregnancy was a death trap, it is like jumping back and forth on the edge of hell, and your life could be lost in a matter of minutes.

Wan Anran didn't want to have a baby.

She just wanted to live peacefully until she is ninety-seven.

Since she couldn't give birth to a child, why would she still vie for favor?

Everything was back to square one. Wan Anran touched her rumbling stomach, then nudged Haitao who was still nagging: "Okay, okay, I know, Haitao, stop talking and go get breakfast!"

Haitao could see her lady's perfunctory attitude.

But as a slave, she was helpless against the master. Haitao looked depressed and walked out with her head hung, looking back every few steps, hoping that her lady would give some other reaction.

Wan Anran pretended not to notice Haitao's reaction.

Haitao's ambition to succeed was much stronger than hers. If she lived in modern times, she might be able to make a career out of it. It was a pity that at the moment, she could only devote all her passion to a useless person like her that had no intention of changing for the better.

Haitao would be able to think things through after a while, right?

Wan Anran was lost in thought while holding the tea. On the other hand, Haitao was startled by the situation outside as soon as she opened the door.

She saw several people standing outside the door of the east wing.

The one who took the lead was Xia mama. As the mama in charge of Xianfu Palace, she usually had a serious look on her face, but today she had a kind and gentle smile on her face, looking particularly kind and peaceful.

The kind expression made Haitao hold her breath in her throat, and she didn't dare to speak. She was a little uneasy, twisting her handkerchief and smiling, "Xia, Xia mama."

Xia mama nodded towards Haitao.

She stepped aside to let Haitao out, and then walked into the room with a group of palace servants: "This servant greets Lady Wan."

Wan Anran secretly exchanged glances with Haitao.

It was unknown how long Xia mama had been eavesdropping outside. Only a palace maid would occasionally have such troubles. However, after thinking carefully, Wan Anran, who did not feel that she had done anything wrong, quickly regained her composure: "Xia mama, please stand up."

Xia mama respectfully conveyed Xuan Pin's instructions.

Wan Anran's eyes lit up just by hearing about kidney bean rolls, not to mention the other snacks. Her cheeks flushed, and she cheered a little, and she wanted to run to the main hall and kiss Xuan Pin!

After Xia mama left, Wan Anran looked at Haitao with a proud look on her face: "Look! Xuan Pin is happy that I eat like this!"

Haitao: …………

Looking at the table full of food and snacks, she really couldn't say anything!

Not to mention Xu Changzai who lives in the room opposite.

Staring at the smiling Xia mama, she tore the handkerchief in her hand with a tearing sound, and her pretty face twisted into a ball, staring outside with anger.

The maid next to her whispered, “Young lady..."

Before she could finish her words, she felt a burning pain on her face: "How many times have I told you to call me Lady!"

*The maid called her 小主 (literal translation: small master). Xu Changzai told the maid to call her 主子 (literal translation: master).

"Lady, lady..."

"Get out! You clumsy maid, stand outside and be punished by your master!"

The maid had a bitter taste in her mouth.

She lowered her head and responded softly, then couldn't help sobbing after leaving the room.

Another palace maid felt sympathetic.

The two of them stood there holding hands, listening to the laughter coming from the east wing, and felt their bodies getting colder.

The snow was getting heavier.

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