The Virtuous Concubine

Malu's heart skipped a beat. She covered Wen Xian's mouth awkwardly, "Why don't you think about what you just said?"

Wen Xian stuck out her tongue helplessly: "My daughter is confused. My daughter was just thinking, this is too unfair, men can have three wives and four concubines, but women must be polite and chaste, doesn't anyone think it's wrong?"

Malu smiled knowingly, isn't it?

She tapped Wen Xian's forehead and said, "Some things should be said clearly. And don't forget that, except for your father, your brothers and even your future husband, no one can accept your way of thinking. At least for now, don't let yourself be isolated and helpless."

Wen Xian pouted slightly: "Fourth brother, it's definitely impossible. My future sister-in-law is said to be virtuous, generous and tolerant... This is Fourth brother's blessing, but also her curse!"

Malu smiled and pinched her mouth to stop her from talking nonsense.

If he continued talking, Wen Xian might as well ascend the throne and become the emperor. She smiled and asked Bai Xia to go to the imperial kitchen to order food: "I didn't eat much after serving the emperor today. Bring some more dishes. I want to drink mutton soup. Ask them to cook a hot mutton soup pot with more side dishes, but don't put any random chicken, duck, fish, abalone, etc. to enhance the flavor."

Wen Xian also stood on tiptoe and stuck his head out, shouting, "Put more fresh and sweet vegetables and bean curd skin in it. I love this."

Bai Xia agreed with a smile. On the way, she met Xue Lan, the maid of Concubine Wenxi. She was also going to deliver the meal. The medicinal food that the Concubine used to nourish her body was too complicated. The imperial physician said that she should eat small meals frequently and take a lot of tonic, so it was all prepared in the kitchen.

Imperial Concubine Wenxi also had a small kitchen, but there were always various Chinese medicines sitting on it, and there wasn't even an extra stove.

Bai Xia and Xue Lan greeted each other and prepared to leave quickly. Although they were going in the same direction, they in Yonghe Palace never had any unnecessary interactions with other people.

Unexpectedly, when he was about to pass by Xue Lan, Bai Xia smelled the smell of medicine on Xue Lan.

Bai Xia was startled and could not help but slow down his pace. When Xue Lan came forward, he simply invited her directly, and the two of them walked to the imperial kitchen together.

This is... the smell of ginseng and ganoderma, and it's so strong that it hits your nose! If you use ginseng and ganoderma at this dosage, you'll be on your deathbed, right?

Bai Xia had some thoughts in her mind, but she still smiled and chatted with Xue Lan: "Your mistress also wants extra food? It seems that the Imperial Concubine Wenxi is getting better soon."

Xue Lan was very cautious, she just smiled and didn't say anything. Bai Xia didn't take it as an offense, and continued with a smile: "The princess came over today and said she wanted to eat mutton soup, the queen had no choice but to urge me to go over. The princess is really... precious, she has eaten all kinds of delicacies, but she still wants to eat mutton. Mutton is so dry, and if she gets a sore throat after eating it, the queen will be distressed."

Xue Lan then relaxed a little: "Maybe the princess is just a child and likes fresh food. In the future, she will naturally eat some precious food like the concubine to maintain herself."

The two chatted all the way to the dining room, and Xue Lan tactfully let Bai Xia order first.

Bai Xia was not polite and directly told the master's instructions in detail, and then prepared a few other cold and hot dishes - he couldn't really let the master just eat from the pot!

That is a dereliction of duty for a slave.

Xue Lan, who was standing next to him, watched and listened carefully. Seeing that Bai Xia needed to wait for a while for what he mentioned, and that what he said on the way was consistent with what he had just said, she felt that Bai Xia was indeed an open-minded person.

A middle-aged eunuch behind the chief steward of the imperial kitchen turned around and told the imperial chef to make soup and blanch the vegetables. Bai Fu stepped back a few steps to let Xue Lan come forward, and she waited by the side.

The Imperial Kitchen prepares what Xuelan wants every day, so just take it. Although Xuelan's voice of checking the list and dishes was low, Bai Fu next to her still heard it.

These porridges contain ginseng, ganoderma lucidum, cordyceps, donkey-hide gelatin... How could a living person need such a tonic!

Bai Xia had the answer in her mind. After she took the things and asked the little palace maid beside her to carry them away, she was still worried and felt that she still needed to confirm it.

She asked the maid to give her the food, and then put the heavy and hot soup pot directly on the maid's arm, burning her so much that she almost screamed.

She winked at the little maid, and then scolded loudly: "Look at you! You are so clumsy, how can you work?"

The little palace maid was about to cry, but she held back and lowered her head. Bai Xia quickly stuffed a silver ingot into her hand and said, "Go to the Imperial Hospital and find a familiar pharmacist to prescribe some ointment for the burn."

The little palace maid was about to say that she was fine, that the heat was coming through her clothes and she was just a little hot, but she was more frightened.

But as soon as she looked up, she received Aunt Bai Xia's gaze, and she knew that she was being sent to work.

She pursed her lips, and pulled Bai Xia's sleeve to beg for mercy, half crying.

Bai Xia frowned slightly and pretended to be angry and said, "Don't bother here, hurry to the Imperial Hospital. If you delay, you will be in trouble." The little palace maid had no choice but to let go of her hand and walked quickly to the Imperial Hospital with the silver.

In fact, he took this opportunity to write the word "Lan" on the little palace maid's hand.

The little palace maid has always been by Bai Xia's side. This Lan must be Xue Lan - Aunt Bai Xia is going to the Imperial Hospital herself to ask about the true condition of Concubine Wenxi.

The pulse records of high-ranking concubines were naturally kept confidential. After Rong Ji became the imperial physician to Kangxi, it was even more impossible for him to inquire about the pulse records of concubines. Concubine Wenxi herself kept it a secret, so most people really didn't know what her current physical condition was like.

All we know is that although she was ill, she was still in control of all the palace affairs she could, and she never relaxed even when Concubine De Zhao took over later.

So what the little palace maid could ask and see was about the use of medicine.

When Bai Xia saw the little palace maid leave, she carried her things and walked back by herself. She and Bai Fu and a few others worked together to serve Malu and Wen Xian for this extra meal.

Malu and Wen Xian were not pretentious and let them go to rest: "You must be tired today, Wen Xian and I will eat by ourselves, go down."

After a long time, the little palace maid came back from the Imperial Hospital with a burn ointment in her hand. Bai Xia, who had time, pulled her aside and asked in a low voice, "Did you find anything?"

The young maid proudly boasted to Bai Xia: "Aunt, this is not easy! But I managed to complete the task you asked me to do."

As he spoke, he began to look for opportunities to stay close to the medicine boy and get close to him. Then, while waiting to get the medicine, he heard that the imperial physician in charge of Imperial Concubine Wenxi looked very worried and as if he had lost his parents. He also told him all the small details of the layers of trouble he encountered when asking the medicine boy for the herbs.