With the promise from Prime Minister Yun Sheng and the old madam, ten thousand taels of gold were quickly prepared. Before long, they were loaded onto the horses and sent to the palace.
Jiang watched longingly as the cart of gold was taken out of the mansion. Leaning on Mama Liu, she felt short of breath and had a sudden palpitation. It hurt so much that it felt like her liver was shattering!
The next day, the queen summoned Yun Xi to the palace. She had planned to go out after enjoying a delicious breakfast, but when she saw the food on the table, her appetite vanished immediately.
There was a bowl of plain porridge and two plates of stir - fried green vegetables that were so tough and colorless. Yun Xi stirred the diluted chicken soup in the porcelain bowl with a spoon. There was only a chicken bottom and two chicken necks, nothing else.
Yu Zhu saw the food in the food box clearly and got angry. "Cook Li is really going too far! Even if Madam Jiang is in charge, she can't be so fawning and mistreat the young lady like this!" It was a pity that the Su family had even sent the best chef in the Liuguo Kingdom for the young lady!
"Cook Li? She doesn't have the guts." Yun Xi waved her finger. Even if the old madam didn't like her, she wouldn't allow Madam Jiang to mistreat her openly. After all, the old madam was very protective of the Prime Minister's Mansion's reputation.
"It must be Yun Ni." Yun Ni couldn't stand her and wanted to vent anger for Madam Jiang. Yun Xi was already familiar with these petty tricks.
"What should we do then?" Yu Zhu frowned. The young lady was going to the palace soon. It was too late to ask the kitchen to cook again, and she didn't want the young lady to go out on an empty stomach.
A sly look flashed in Yun Xi's eyes. "It's easy. You put the food into the food box. I'll go to the old madam's courtyard to eat."
"Ah?" Yu Zhu opened her mouth, looking stunned. But Yun Xi had already quickly put away the plates and urged, "Hurry up. If it's too late, the old madam will have finished eating!" Then it would be meaningless for her to go.
On this side, the old madam of the Su family was being served to wipe her hands. Just as she sat in front of the dining table and picked up her chopsticks, Yun Xi rushed in with a food box in her hand. There was a sweet smile on her face.
"Grandmother, your granddaughter is here to have a meal with you! Grandmother, you didn't scold me even though I caused such a big trouble. After thinking about it, your granddaughter feels more and more that you dote on me! Your granddaughter feels deeply guilty and decides to have a meal with you every day from now on!"
Yun Ni dared to act recklessly because Madam Jiang gave her the green light. Did they want to make her suffer in terms of food? She wasn't going to let that happen!
When the old madam saw Yun Xi come in, she looked blank. After hearing what she said, her face instantly turned gloomy.
"Mama Qian, what's going on?" Didn't she tell them not to let this girl into her courtyard?
Mama Qian looked innocent. "Old madam, we tried to stop her, but we couldn't..." Who would have thought that the usually sickly young lady would have so much strength? Moreover, this young lady was the apple of the Prime Minister's eye. None of the maids and servants dared to really hurt her!
While they were talking, Yun Xi had quickly arranged her own food on the table. She picked up a chicken bottom from the porcelain bowl and put it into the old madam's bowl, saying considerately, "Grandmother, eat it while it's hot. It's not good for your stomach if it gets cold. Since your teeth aren't good, your granddaughter specially picked a boneless piece. Try it and see how it tastes."
Yun Xi was smiling and looking at the old madam expectantly. The old madam looked at the chicken bottom in her bowl, her face turning black instantly. She disdainfully picked it out and threw it away.
Seeing this, Yun Xi wasn't discouraged. She quickly picked up several chopsticks of green vegetables and piled them into the old madam's bowl. "Grandmother doesn't like meat? It doesn't matter! These green vegetables are stir - fried until soft and delicious. They're nutritious, and more importantly, they're good for an old person's digestion."
Looking at the mountain of green vegetables in her bowl, the old madam's face got even darker. She put down her chopsticks and glared at Yun Xi angrily. But Yun Xi seemed not to notice. Her eyes quickly scanned the food on the table.
Then she picked up a plate of sweet and sour fish and put it in front of herself, saying seriously, "There are too many fish bones in this! Last time, your granddaughter wasn't careful and got a bone stuck in her throat. She had to drink two small bowls of vinegar to get it down! For your safety, grandmother, let your granddaughter take the risk!" After saying that, she started to enjoy the food bravely.
Mama Qian and the others looked at the shameless eldest young lady in shock and secretly glanced at the old madam's face. As expected, the old madam threw down her chopsticks and roared angrily, "Mama Qian, take away the food!" The good mood in the morning had been ruined by this dead girl! Now she had a terrible headache and just wanted some peace.
"Grandmother, don't!" Seeing the maid taking away the plates, Yun Xi quickly spread out her arms to protect the food. "Grandmother always teaches her descendants to be diligent and thrifty. It's such a pity to waste these food. If you don't like it, your granddaughter will just take it back!" After saying that, she quickly put the old madam's food into her own food box.
Everyone looked at Yun Xi's actions in shock. Could this work? It felt like the eldest young lady was like a bandit, and her purpose was to rob the old madam's breakfast!
The old madam's hand holding the walking stick trembled slightly, but she couldn't think of a retort. She just wanted to send this dead girl away quickly so that she could go back to bed and lie down for a while.
"Grandmother, your granddaughter will leave the chicken soup for you. Drink it while it's hot."
"Get out..." The old madam gritted her teeth so as not to say the word "scram".
"Okay!" Yun Xi readily agreed. She picked up the food box and walked out. Just as everyone let out a sigh of relief, she suddenly stopped at the door.
Looking embarrassed, she said, "Grandmother, your granddaughter is going to the palace soon. It's not good to go empty - handed. It would seem that the Prime Minister's Mansion has no manners... Can your granddaughter go to the warehouse to choose something? I promise I won't choose anything too expensive!"
The old madam covered her forehead. It felt like the ground under her feet was shaking. For the sake of living a few more years, she said weakly, "Mama Qian, give her the key to the warehouse."
Mama Qian was stunned. "Yes."
So, Yun Xi put the key to the warehouse in her pocket, picked up the food box, and left the old madam's courtyard while humming a tune. After she left, the maids quickly closed the old madam's courtyard door and bolted it three times from the inside.
There were only two keys to the Prime Minister's Mansion's warehouse. One was in Madam Jiang's control, and the other was now in Yun Xi's hand.
After entering the door, looking at the dazzling array of things piled up in the warehouse, Yun Xi was suddenly attracted by a purple jade pendant under a corner of the cloth. She walked straight over, dusted off the long - accumulated ash on the cloth, and carefully lifted the covering cloth. A guqin emitting a flowing light suddenly appeared in front of her eyes.
"I remember, this is mother's 'Purple Moon'. I heard her play it when I was a child." In the vague memory, mother once held her and taught her to play the guqin, while she was concentrating on playing with that purple jade pendant...