The Legend of Zhen Huan Reborn: Overthrowing Zhen Huan to Become the Queen Mother

In addition to the wolfberry and ginseng soup, there's also the "Imperial Fragrance Dragon and Phoenix Breast," featuring carefully selected tender chicken and duck breasts marinated in a proprietary sauce, resulting in an alluring, bright red color. The rich, mellow aroma of the sauce instantly permeates the mouth, a dish Jiang Ruyin particularly delighted with.

There was also a dish called "Gold Foil Jade Dew Soup," made with precious fish maw and fresh shrimp. The broth was as smooth as silk and had a faint golden sheen. Jiang Ruyin used a bowl of chicken soup and a bowl of imperial rice, leaving the rest of her stomach for the Jade Dew Soup.

Jiang Ruyin closed her eyes in satisfaction, which made the emperor laugh.

Jiang Ruyin did not forget the emperor either, and picked up a piece of "Jade Flower Fish" for him with chopsticks. The skin had a glass-like luster and was crispy but not burnt.

The emperor put the fish fillet into his mouth. The fish meat inside was as white and tender as mutton-fat jade, with a blend of sour, sweet, salty and fresh flavors, melting in his mouth.

The emperor nodded approvingly, "Yin'er's taste has always been different from mine. This is a unique flavor."

Jiang Ruyin picked up another piece of choy sum with her chopsticks and brought it to the emperor's plate, explaining slowly, "I'm just bored, so I wanted to try something new. I saw that Your Majesty didn't eat much, so this jade fish is sweet and sour and appetizing. Please have some, Your Majesty."

As she spoke, a cunning glint flashed in her eyes, "So as to prevent the Emperor from getting tired."

There were palace maids serving beside him. The emperor pointed at her and pinched her waist under the table. He only picked up the chopsticks proudly after seeing her bend forward.

While the emperor was having a meal, Jiang Ruyin picked up a booklet on the table and read it carefully to the emperor.

"...All of the above are daughters of prominent and meritorious officials. The three most outstanding are the daughter of Emin, Deputy Censor of the Metropolitan Censorate; the next is Li Ying, sister of Li Bin, Deputy Commander of the Cavalry Battalion; and... Zhen Yuyao, the second daughter of Zhen Yuandao, Minister of Personnel. She's a little young, though, at only fourteen."

Jiang Ruyin looked at the emperor's expression.

The emperor reached out his chopsticks to the roasted lamb again, then smacked his lips and took them back.

Jiang Ruyin picked up the food with her chopsticks and placed it on the emperor's plate. "This is mine."

The emperor smiled and took a delicious bite.

"Does Zhen Yuandao still want to send his daughter to the palace?"

Jiang Ruyin thought for a moment, "The Emperor has ordered a beauty pageant. I don't think Lord Zhen would dare to leave his daughter at home without permission."

"You are quite generous." The emperor also served a bowl of gold foil and jade dew soup.

The emperor did not express his opinion, so Jiang Ruyin picked up those whose names had not been mentioned yet and spoke.

The next name that appeared made Jiang Ruyin stunned.

Then she frowned and muttered:

"How come the Guo Luoluo clan reported that only one concubine's daughter was participating in the selection...Linxiang, the daughter of the Junior Secretary of the Honglu Temple..."

As expected, the emperor interrupted, "Linxiang? I only know of Guo Luoluo from the Ministry of Revenue. Are there any other women from the Guo Luoluo family?"

Jiang Ruyin looked at him and deliberately kept him in suspense. "Of course there is only this one, but this one alone is a famous and proud beauty. It seems that the Guo Luoluo family is a beautiful woman, and the emperor is obsessed with her."

Jiang Ruyin's eyes were filled with a smile and anger, which made the emperor feel as if he was dreaming of the past.

"I only asked this question because I know that Minister Jing'e has a daughter who enjoys traveling."

Only after Jiang Ruyin's mouth was dry and dry did the emperor leisurely put down his chopsticks.

"Yin'er has been particularly fond of river seafood lately. If I didn't know you like fresh food, I would have thought you were pregnant and that's why you're so greedy."

Jiang Ruyin ignored him and glared at him. When she looked back at her hands, she realized that she had read most of the list of concubines.

Jiang Ruyin tilted her head and looked at him doubtfully, "Did the Emperor listen to a word or two?"

The emperor wiped his mouth and threw the handkerchief back on the table.

"I feel that having you chattering beside me while I eat is like being at home with ordinary people."

Jiang Ruyin raised her eyebrows and raised the book in her hand, "Ordinary people don't have the ladies from noble families lining up to wait for the emperor."

The emperor was not annoyed, but laughed heartily, saying, "You are so preoccupied with palace affairs that you have neglected me."

He reached out and took Jiang Ruyin's arm. "I just want to avoid holding a grand beauty pageant. It's not only a waste of money and manpower, but also delays the ladies."

Jiang Ruyin nodded in agreement, "I thought so too, so I picked out the best ones and ordered the painter to draw their portraits. Your Majesty, I hope you will see them."

On normal days, at this time, the emperor would probably be holding a book and preparing to fall asleep.

But when he was with Jiang Ruyin, he was willing to do something else with her, not to mention painting a portrait of his future concubine.

He lazily leaned his head on Jiang Ruyin's neck and held her in his arms. His hot breath made Jiang Ruyin tremble all over.

Tilting her head, Jiang Ruyin snorted in annoyance and whispered, "Silang, stop messing with me."

The emperor then calmed down, but still refused to let her go.

Jiang Ruyin had no choice but to ask Jiang Zhongmin to stay outside the hall and asked Shu Dong to hold up the portraits one by one for them to look at.

The first one is Emin's daughter, Guarjia Wenyuan: The person in the painting has skin as white as snow, and cheeks like freshly peeled lychees, with a hint of pink in the smooth white. Her cherry lips are slightly raised, and she is smiling softly, with dimples slightly visible, and she looks vivid as if she has walked out of the painting.

The second beauty was Li Ying, the sister of Li Bin, the deputy commander of the Cavalry Battalion. She was slender, and her plain silk dress only accentuated her graceful figure. Her face, however, was as cold as frost, her brows as black as distant clouds, and her lips slightly pursed. She exuded an aloof and unapproachable air.

Perhaps it was because Zhen Yuandao already had a daughter in the palace, so even though he was a second-rank official, his second daughter was still arranged to be in third place.

The third portrait was remarkably familiar. She wasn't as stunningly beautiful as Jiang Ruyin, nor as elegant and graceful as Zhen Huan. Her eyes revealed a hint of innocent charm as she built a snowman in a plum forest covered in falling snow, gazing obliviously at this direction. It didn't seem like she was painted specifically for the artist, but rather a casual moment captured and preserved.

Jiang Ruyin was silent for a moment, then the emperor said, "The painter who drew this picture will be given twenty strokes of the cane and expelled from the palace."

Jiang Ruyin turned around and looked at him, "Your Majesty, is there anything that makes you unhappy?"

The emperor pinched the soft flesh on her waist and said, "Whether he wanted to paint like this himself or accepted money from others, when working for the royal family, he should follow the royal rules and regulations. He cannot be allowed to do things freely."

Jiang Ruyin felt a warm current in her heart and pretended to agree, "Suochun, you heard it, go report it to Jiang Zhongmin."

With these three pearls in front, all the beauties behind them seemed to be vulgar. Not to mention the emperor, even Jiang Ruyin felt sleepy.

Fortunately, these were all noble ladies from prominent families selected by Jiang Ruyin who had made contributions in suppressing the Yun'e Rebellion.

The rest were those who had reported their names. Jiang Ruyin, remembering the Empress Dowager's words about not favoring the Han while neglecting the Manchus and the Mongols, had chosen six Manchu military banners to make up the total of twelve.