Could it be that the emperor would allow the empress dowager to do such a thing?
However, he didn't voice these thoughts. Instead, he just stared intently at Yun Heng's actions. After watching him take the first bite, he couldn't help but ask.
"How do you feel, young master?"
Before Yun Heng could answer, the imperial chefs began to sneer.
"What we cook is surely the most delicious in the world. There's no need to ask such a question. Lord Liang, look at how young he is. He definitely won't be able to answer your question. We still have to prepare meals for the noble people in the palace. Don't waste our time here. Just go and explain it clearly to the empress dowager."
Saying so, several imperial chefs were about to leave, but Yun Heng remained unhurried.
"Is this all you can do?"
The imperial chefs stopped in their tracks. His words made their expressions change.
"What do you mean? Do you think what we cook is not good enough? It's a joke! Even imperial chefs from other countries have come to compete with us and all of them were defeated miserably. We've never met anyone as ungrateful as you. You should thank the heavens for being able to eat our food today."
Hearing this, Yun Heng just found it extremely funny.
"I wonder how poor the cooking skills of the imperial chefs from other countries are that they can't even compare with you."
Those who were always confident in their cooking skills couldn't tolerate anyone finding fault with them.
Before Lord Liang could stop them, several of them began to sneer.
"What do you think you are? At most, it's just that the empress dowager took a fancy to your good looks and brought you back. Do you really think you have extraordinary abilities? Our cooking skills are widely praised. Don't you think what you said is ridiculous?"
"Yeah, we don't even care about your status. You're just relying on your good looks and trying to find a powerful backer. It's just wishful thinking. When the empress dowager loses interest in you completely, you'll still end up in our hands."
So these people thought he was the empress dowager's lover. They were really bold. Didn't they know there were always ears everywhere?
However, it wasn't his concern that they were seeking their own doom. For now, he just wanted to complete these days' exchanges as soon as possible so that the empress dowager would lead people to rescue the common people in the south of the Yangtze River.
Pulling his thoughts back, Yun Heng pointed at the dishes. "Don't you ever taste how unpalatable your cooking is? You can't even clean the meat with a bloody smell properly. What's wrong? Do you want to eat these things raw? Is this what you call cooking skills? And what a mess these dishes are! I've never even heard of them."
Hearing this, Lord Liang was the first to change his expression. He had long known the problems with these dishes, but he didn't expect someone to point them out so incisively. As the person in charge of the Food Bureau, he felt a bit embarrassed.
"If you have any good ideas, young master Yun, you might as well just say it. The empress dowager shouldn't have sent you here to beat around the bush, right?"
Yun Heng raised his eyebrows. As expected of an official, he had some insight.
"Take me to the imperial kitchen right away. Today I'll show you what real delicious food is."
The other imperial chefs were already dissatisfied. Since he had said so, they surely had no objections.
"Okay, we'll lead the way."
The group marched in a mighty way towards the imperial kitchen, attracting a lot of attention, even from the concubines in the harem.
When she heard that the empress dowager had brought a man back, she almost gritted her silver teeth.
"Humph, she really has some skills. After going out for a while, she not only toppled my mother's family, but now she even brings a man back openly. Does she think I'm dead? Well, since she dares to do this, don't blame me."
Zhu'er beside her quickly tried to soothe her.
"He's just a person who can't be put on the stage. How can he compare with the virtuous and chaste imperial concubine? You've never had too much contact with men. I think as long as we spread this matter, many people in the palace will cause trouble for the empress dowager. Then you don't have to do anything yourself."
What she said was exactly what she was thinking. Moreover, Concubine Rui already had someone in mind.
"Let's go. It seems we haven't visited the one in the cold palace for a long time."
"Yes."
Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, Concubine Rui quietly slipped into the cold palace. When she saw the mess around, a look of disgust flashed across her eyes.
"Shouldn't more people be sent to clean this place? Look how dirty and messy it is. It's really hard to even step down."
As soon as she finished speaking, a figure walked out.
"Concubine Rui can choose not to come. I don't have anything to entertain you here. By the way, I heard that in the places you just stepped on, I just collected some dead mice this morning."
After hearing this, Concubine Rui immediately let out a scream. The next moment, she heard someone laughing.
If she still didn't know she had been tricked, she would probably be a fool.
Seeing that her imperial concubine was about to get angry, Zhu'er quickly tried to soothe her. "Your ladyship, don't forget the purpose of today's visit. Don't argue with her."
That's right. Concubine Rui's expression returned to normal. "Sister is really good at joking. Sister actually came here today to tell you something important."
Bai Su'er didn't even want to listen. "You should know that I've ignored things outside the cold palace for many years. Besides, I'm quite comfortable here in the cold palace. The late emperor said that you shouldn't bother me too much. Can't you hear that?"
She directly brought up the late emperor. Concubine Rui quickly said, "If it weren't for something very important happening, sister wouldn't have come here rashly to bother you. This matter concerns the late emperor. Sister doesn't dare to be careless, so she came here."
"Oh? You said something big happened in the palace? I think there's nothing more important than the emperor's ascension to the throne some time ago, right?"
"No no no. It's even more incredible than that. The empress dowager plans to keep a male favorite in the palace. Now she has already brought the person into the palace under another name. If sister doesn't take care of it, that male favorite may really become her lover."
After hearing this, Bai Su'er obviously didn't quite believe it.
Although the people of the Shi family were ambitious, Shi Muyuan paid great attention to rules. What she said was not very credible.
"Humph, the empress dowager pays more attention to propriety, righteousness, integrity and shame than you, the daughter of the Prince of Li. Now you come in front of me and say these things. You just want to sow discord and let me help you deal with the empress dowager. I've heard that the Prince's Mansion is gone. I know you're angry, but pay attention to your methods. Don't forget your status as a concubine."
The most shameful and at the same time the most proud thing in Concubine Rui's life might be her current status. She hated most when people said she was a concubine. If it weren't for the fact that the person in front of her was still useful, she would never have tolerated it again and again.