PDLP Chapter 67 The Empress Dowager is burned
Chapter 67 The Empress Dowager is burned
Jiang Qingyan patted the package and said mysteriously, "Tonight I'll treat you to something different. Let's have a picnic by the sea!"
Mo Ting's eyes were full of anticipation. Her husband always managed to conjure up some strange and wonderful things, and the food tonight was sure to be delicious!
Jiang Qingyan looked up and shouted, "Ling Feng, there are two more packages in the kitchen. Help me take them to the beach, and call Lv Yao too!"
"Yes." Ling Feng appeared in front of the two of them instantly, bowed, and strode into the kitchen.
Mo Ting glanced at Ling Feng, frowned, and whispered, "Husband, should we bring him along for our picnic?"
Jiang Qingyan, carrying her bag, casually said, "Yes, picnics are more fun with lots of people!"
Mo Ting didn't say anything more, but simply snatched the package from Jiang Qingyan's hand, pursed his lips, and walked towards the sea.
Watching Mo Ting's retreating figure, Jiang Qingyan found him rather endearing. Who would have thought that a powerful regent who once dominated the court would now act like a timid little wife, getting angry at the drop of a hat...
Summer nights are always unbearably hot, but the seaside is different; the cool sea breeze can easily blow away the heat.
Jiang Qingyan opened the package and carefully set up the barbecue grill. She waited for Ling Feng and Lvyao to arrive before starting the fire.
Seeing that the charcoal fire was almost lit, Jiang Qingyan placed the skewered meat and vegetables on top, brushed on some secret sauce, and soon the aroma wafted out.
Green Medicine swallowed hard and exclaimed, "Your Majesty, this tastes even better than what General Lu roasted the other day!"
Mo Ting frowned: "Who is General Lu? My husband also had a picnic with General Lu?"
Green Medicine realized she had said the wrong thing and quickly covered her mouth, turning her head away...
Jiang Qingyan was speechless. How was she supposed to explain this? After all, she and Lu Nian did have an affair…
Seeing Jiang Qingyan's guilty expression, Mo Ting already knew what was going on. He smiled wryly and said, "It seems that General Lu is also my husband's man."
Jiang Qingyan didn't say anything, but just kept her head down and silently grilled the meat.
Seeing that all the meat on the rack was cooked through, Jiang Qingyan took a few skewers and handed them to Mo Ting, saying softly, "Eat them while they're hot."
Then he turned to look at Lvyao and Lingfeng, who were drooling, and said, "You two can take some from the shelf and eat them yourselves. You can grill more after you're done. There's plenty more, enough for us to eat until we're stuffed!"
Mo Ting took the meat skewers but didn't eat them right away. Instead, he took one and held it to Jiang Qingyan's lips.
Jiang Qingyan gently bit off a piece of meat and nodded in satisfaction: "Delicious! Mo Ting fed it to you, and it tasted especially good!"
Mo Ting smiled and took a bite of meat, his eyes wide with amazement. "Husband, this roast meat is delicious!"
Jiang Qingyan patted Mo Ting's head affectionately and said, "Eat more if you like it. I'll go grill some more."
Just then, an explosion suddenly rang out in the sky. It was the sound of fireworks coming from the Empress Dowager's bedroom. Everyone looked up at the same time.
Green Medicine exclaimed, "How beautiful!"
Ling Feng also looked amazed. He had been feeling down last night and hadn't been able to properly watch the fireworks, but he hadn't expected them to be so spectacular.
Mo Ting, however, felt a strange sensation. He took a bite of meat, chewing and frowning. Why did today's fireworks seem different from yesterday's? Yet he couldn't quite put his finger on why…
A wicked smile crept across Jiang Qingyan's lips; the real show was about to begin...
The second batch of meat skewers had just been grilled when a cacophony of mocking voices from a large group of palace maids and eunuchs could be heard.
"Quickly, go to the Empress Dowager's palace to put out the fire!"
"Remember to summon the imperial physician!"
Jiang Qingyan gently put her arm around Mo Ting's waist, wiped the smudges from his face from the bamboo skewers, and said softly, "What else do you want to eat? I'll grill it for you."
Mo Ting stared at the food box and carefully picked through it, then pointed to the chicken wings and said, "Husband, I want to eat that."
Jiang Qingyan smiled and said, "Alright, husband will bake you a 'No Escape' dish right now!"
After a long while, the palace gradually quieted down, and the four of them had eaten and drunk their fill.
Ling Feng and Lv Yao volunteered to stay and clean, while Jiang Qingyan took Mo Ting's arm and returned to the bedroom.
Mo Ting poured a cup of tea and handed it to Jiang Qingyan, asking in confusion, "Husband, why are today's fireworks different from yesterday's?"
Jiang Qingyan took the teacup and exclaimed in surprise, "My Mo Ting is indeed a genius; he actually noticed something different."
Mo Ting pursed her lips, her cheeks flushing slightly. "It's not as exaggerated as my husband makes it out to be. I just thought there was an extra color in today's fireworks... and that color didn't look good together, so it looked a bit strange..."
Jiang Qingyan tilted her head back and drank the tea in one gulp, then said with a mischievous smile, "Of course it doesn't look good, it's just excrement!"
Mo Ting scratched his head: "What is excrement?"
Jiang Qingyan pinched Mo Ting's cheek and said with a light smile, "We should go to sleep. I have a lot to do tomorrow morning."
Mo Ting didn't ask any more questions. He gently took off Jiang Qingyan's outer garment, held her in his arms, and they quickly fell asleep.
Just as Jiang Qingyan had guessed, before dawn, Ginkgo knocked on the door of the main hall.
Jiang Qingyan yawned, kissed the sleepy Mo Ting beside her, signaling him to sleep a little longer, then got up, dressed, and left the main hall alone.
Ginkgo peeked through the crack in the door and saw Mo Ting on the bed. She frowned and said, "Your Majesty is in quite a good mood. Didn't you hear the commotion in the Empress Dowager's palace last night?"
Jiang Qingyan slapped Yinxing across the face and said sternly, "You, a mere servant, have quite the audacity! Not only do you not kneel and pay your respects to me, but you even dare to question me!"
Upon hearing this, Yinxing was stunned for a moment, then quickly knelt down to pay her respects.
Having not seen him for many days, the Emperor seemed like a completely different person; his aura... inexplicably instilled a sense of fear in her...
Seeing that Yinxing obediently knelt down, Jiang Qingyan's tone softened slightly: "Is there something wrong with Mother?"
Yinxing quickly replied, "Your Majesty, a fire broke out in the Empress Dowager's palace last night. The eunuchs and maids worked all night to extinguish it. The Empress Dowager also suffered several burns, and the imperial physicians are treating her..."
Jiang Qingyan narrowed her eyes, feigning concern, and said, "How could such a thing happen? Quickly take me to see the Empress Dowager!"
Yinxing hurriedly led the way, unaware that Jiang Qingyan behind her was curling up a faint, mischievous smile.
Outside the Hai Chao Palace, Jiang Qingyan could hear the Empress Dowager's painful groans from a great distance.
Yinxing hurriedly ran into the hall, grabbed the imperial physician, and asked anxiously, "How is the Empress Dowager's injury?"
The imperial physician, wiping the sweat from his brow, stammered, "There's dirt on the Empress Dowager's wound... so... I'm afraid it will leave a scar..."
Yinxing's eyes were red with pain. She grabbed the imperial physician by the neck and said sternly, "If you can't cure the Empress Dowager, then you can all wash your necks and wait to die!"
After saying this, she knelt down in front of the Empress Dowager's bed with a pained expression and said with concern, "Your Majesty, please don't worry. This servant will go to the countryside and bring all the doctors there. They will surely heal your injuries!"
Jiang Qingyan curled her lips. Birds of a feather flock together. How dare a pair of worthless scoundrels put on a show of deep master-servant affection in front of her?
The Empress Dowager lay on the bed, her eyes catching sight of Jiang Qingyan standing in the doorway. She pointed a trembling finger at her, gritting her teeth fiercely, "You unfilial son! I'm in so much pain, why did you take so long to come?"