Ch 289: Imperial Concubine in the Cold Palace 3
The Eunuch quickly brought over what Lin Lang needed. First were some vegetable seeds, which weren’t worth much, and then some farm tools, like a hoe and a sickle.
Then came some kitchen utensils. Although most of the cookware had been used, they were at least usable. This included a copper kettle for boiling water, an iron pot for cooking, and a cleaver.
Lin Lang was so touched she was almost crying. This Eunuch was truly a good person. Although she had given him some silver, she knew that her silver couldn’t have bought so many things.
Lin Lang reorganized the things Empress sent. First, she cleaned the room she would be living in. Perhaps because it hadn’t been lived in for a long time, the corners were full of dust, and even the whole room was dusty. She found a tattered towel and wiped it clean with force, even using mugwort to fumigate it again.
She didn’t throw away the two tattered quilts she had covered herself with before. Instead, she put them in the sun to dry. Although the two quilts were stiff and thin, they were still usable.
After a whole day of work, the palace finally had a bit of life to it. She spread the two sun-dried quilts on the bed. Perhaps because they had been dried in the sun, the quilts smelled of sunshine.
As for the two thick quilts, she put them in the cabinet. These two thick quilts were her greatest hope, so she had to take good care of them.
Dinner was still vegetable congee, but this time the vegetable congee was at least a little better than before because this time the vegetable congee had a little bit of salt.
The next morning, Lin Lang chopped down the branches at the edges again, put them in the sun to dry, and then tied a broom to sweep the entire courtyard and the entire palace clean.
After doing all this, Lin Lang had two blood blisters on her hands, which hurt terribly, but she still couldn’t rest. She found two long strips of cloth, wrapped her hands, and began to cultivate the garden in the Cold Palace.
She planted some vegetables at the edge of the Cold Palace, mostly radishes and Chinese cabbage, which would be ready to eat soon. She even planted some scallions and garlic sprouts at the edge.
By the time she had finished everything, a month had passed. Lin Lang was so tired that she couldn’t even lift her hands. My goodness, the productivity of ancient times was really too low. Just cooking took up half the time.
The rice and grain that the Eunuch had sent before had also been eaten up. If she didn’t find a way to get more food, she would really have to go hungry.
Lin Lang also began to try to build good relationships with the surrounding palace maids and Eunuchs. She knew how to do embroidery, but this was too harmful to her eyes, and she was a Imperial Concubine Candidate. If she made tassels and asked someone to take them out to sell, it would easily leave a bad reputation in the future.
The only thing Lin Lang could do was to treat others’ illnesses. She couldn’t treat serious illnesses, but she could still treat minor illnesses. Mainly, she helped others with massage and even acupuncture. In addition, there were many remote gardens here, so there were always some medicinal herbs that could be used.
Palace maids and Eunuchs had low status. Even if they were sick, they had no way to find an Imperial Physician. At most, they would spend some money to buy some medicinal herbs, or they would grit their teeth and endure it.
Although Lin Lang didn’t have any medicinal herbs here, she could at least write prescriptions for them. The rest was up to them to buy the medicine themselves and then boil it to drink.
Lin Lang didn’t earn much money by treating other people’s illnesses, but she did accumulate a lot of connections. At the same time, she got a lot of good things from them, such as grain. She couldn’t afford white rice, but brown rice was cheap.
“I have a fellow villager who works in the Imperial Kitchen. He has a few catties of white flour in his hands. When the time comes, I’ll find someone to buy a few catties of pork, and we’ll make dumplings together.” After the palace maids became familiar with Lin Lang, they often brought things to Lin Lang’s small courtyard to cook, which could be considered a treat.
Lin Lang also tried to get them to bring some offal over, such as the common pig intestines and some sheep organs, which no one ate at all. Generally, they were thrown away. Some Eunuchs also wanted to eat them, but unfortunately, they didn’t have any cooking tools, so they could only give up.
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Lin Lang often bought some scraps that they didn’t want from the Imperial Kitchen and then processed them into various delicacies, and her palace became lively, no longer as deserted as before.
On Chinese New Year’s Eve, Lin Lang not only made a meal of dumplings but also stewed a large pot of ribs, feeling that the days were getting more and more hopeful. After spring, she would raise a few chicks and ducklings, and then she would have endless eggs and duck eggs to eat.
Several palace maids who didn’t have to work also came to her palace, holding some food in their hands. After everyone finished eating, they ate melon seeds while gossiping about the recent events in the palace.
“I heard that The Emperor favored an Imperial Concubine Candidate, but he only favored her once and then forgot about her. But this made Consort Gao very angry. You must know that in the entire Imperial Harem, she is the most favored. Before those Imperial Concubine Candidates entered the palace, The Emperor went to Consort Gao’s palace for the rest of the time, except for going to the Empress’s place on a regular basis.
Although Consort Gao is still the most favored in the palace, discerning people can see that The Emperor has begun to have an affair. But these are just words for us to say. We must not let them reach Consort Gao’s ears, otherwise, we won’t be able to handle it.”
Lin Lang raised her eyebrows when she heard this. Speaking of which, The Emperor also had some affection for Consort Gao. In this feudal era, ordinary families with a little money were thinking of having three wives and four concubines.
But The Emperor had three thousand beauties in his Imperial Harem, but he only favored Consort Gao, which could be considered affectionate and righteous to her. It’s just a pity that this is still a feudal society, and it’s impossible for The Emperor to only have one woman forever.
“Speaking of which, you’re the most miserable. You only saw The Emperor once, and you weren’t even favored, so you were sent to the Cold Palace.
We palace maids at least have a goal. When we reach the age of twenty-five, we can leave the palace, but what about you? I guess you can only stay in this Cold Palace for the rest of your life.” The palace maid said with some regret.
Lin Lang smiled calmly, “The world is not yet settled, you and I are all dark horses. Who can say for sure what will happen in the future?”
Besides, The Emperor wasn’t the kind of person who was pure and desireless. Although he loved Consort Gao, he was still an Emperor. She only needed to wait for an opportunity, but sometimes the opportunity was really hard to find.
Lin Lang wasn’t in a hurry and continued to live her own little life. After spring, a happy event was reported in the palace. The reason was that the Imperial Concubine Candidate who had been favored was pregnant.
“The Emperor has been on the throne for four or five years, but as a result, the Imperial Harem has been silent. This little Imperial Concubine Candidate is actually pregnant. This is a great happy event. I heard that Consort Gao changed a large batch of porcelain in her palace…” The palace maid covered her mouth and laughed when she said this.
Lin Lang also laughed, because the story was getting more and more interesting. Only when the water became more and more muddy would she have a chance to get ahead.
After Consort Gao learned that the little Imperial Concubine Candidate was pregnant, she not only smashed all the porcelain in her palace but even clamored to have the Imperial Concubine Candidate’s baby aborted, but the Wet Nurse stopped her.
“My Lady, The Emperor is not your Emperor alone. Sooner or later, Imperial Concubines in the Imperial Harem will become pregnant. Even if you can abort one, you can’t abort a hundred!” The Old Wet Nurse earnestly advised, “Moreover, this is the first pregnant Imperial Concubine since The Emperor ascended the throne. People in the imperial court and the Imperial Harem are watching. If you take action at this time, wouldn’t you be handing over the handle to others?”
