Seeing that the Queen Mother seemed to have forgotten, Gao Xian asked one more question, "How will the Queen Mother reward Sister Zhu?"

The Queen Mother smiled a little coldly, "It's just a plate of tofu curd. In terms of skills, she is far inferior to these cooks. If she were to be rewarded heavily, I'm afraid it would chill the hearts of those master chefs, so let's forget it.

."

Gao Xian was a little puzzled, but he was not going to argue with his mother on the day of her birthday party over such a trivial matter, so he didn't say much. He just rewarded Fei Zhi generously and praised him for his ability in doing things.

Fei Zhi was overjoyed. He didn't have a close relationship with Nianfu. He was so overwhelmed by the emperor's reward that he couldn't think of anything else to strive for for Nianfu. He bowed his head and thanked him and quit, happily preparing to receive the reward and return to Beishi.

Let’s go see the scenery again.

But the courtiers outside could not see the situation here, and even Su Cheng, who came to the banquet, had no idea.

When Fei Zhi and Lu Ying came out, they didn't hear that the emperor and the queen mother were going to summon Nian Fu, and there wasn't even a special reward. Yu Sansheng was surprised. How could this be? They were obviously so moved by Nian Fu's dishes, how could anything happen?

None?

"Have they forgotten?"

Lu Ying was quite upset when her master said this. It was obvious that she had received the richest reward and should be considered the winner, but why did her master not even ask and only care about that girl?

She glanced at Nian Fu with a raised eyebrow, and said in a pretentious tone, "It's not easy for me to say this. Master, I'd better go and find out for myself."

She received her golden hairpin and went home very satisfied. She still despised Nianfu in her heart. What's the use of showing off her smallness? The only one who can really win is someone with real qualities like herself!

When Yu Sansheng heard the last words from the Queen Mother, Nianfu didn't know what to say.

The sun outside had reached mid-afternoon, which should be the warmest time of the day, but she felt like her heart was falling toward the bottomless ice cellar, which kept braving the cold.

Suddenly, she didn't want to say or do anything. It was like all the energy and energy in her body had been drained away. She just wanted to go home, go home immediately!

"Don't leave. Wait until I ask again!" Yu Sansheng was very angry and wanted to ask for an explanation at the risk of offending the Queen Mother.

But Nianfu held him back and comforted him, "It's okay. Master Yu, the Queen Mother is right. I just made a tofu cake, it's nothing."

"How can you say it's nothing?" Yu Sansheng felt even more distressed when he saw her being so sensible and considerate, and he sincerely defended her, "We cooks all know that the most difficult thing about cooking is innovation. For a plate like this

Tofu Hua, you know best how much effort you have put into it. I just want to give you the first place. Who dares to disapprove? Then let him innovate and let me see!"

But what's the use of talking about this now? Besides rubbing salt into the wound, what else can I do?

Nianfu suppressed his sadness and said, "Forget it, Master Yu, I... I am young after all, so it is not good to reward me... Don't I still have the same reward as everyone else? Please take me to get it quickly.

I want to go home..." She even forced herself to smile, "I haven't eaten since morning until now."

Yu Sansheng was stunned for a moment and then became furious. "Isn't there food provided in the palace? Isn't there anyone who can give it to you?"

Nianfu could hardly bear it anymore. If she stayed any longer, she felt that she would lose her temper and burst into tears, "Please, Master Yu! Please stop talking, I want to go home, let me go home!"

"

Seeing her tearful look, Yu Sansheng couldn't bear to say anything else. But when he took Nianfu to receive the reward in person, he was told——

"Not hers."

"How come there isn't? The Queen Mother clearly said that everyone has it?" Yu Sansheng was angry.

But the eunuch who handed out the things glanced at Nian Fu and took them aside, "Mr. Yu, you are also an old man in the palace. You should know some things by heart. We are just doing things according to orders. Whatever the superiors say, we will do it.

If you say no, then there is none. If you ask us, there is nothing we can do!"

But this is so unfair! Yu Sansheng wanted to say something else, but Nianfu had already turned around and walked quickly out of the palace gate.

She doesn't want to stay here any longer!

The grievances were rising like a rising tide, and I could only swallow them back by biting my lips and enduring them. A faint taste of rust spread in my mouth, salty and bitter.

Nianfu didn't know what he had done wrong, why should he give her such treatment?

But she also knows that she has no power to pursue the truth. She just wants to leave this bullying place as soon as possible. She wants to go home, go home!

"Hey, here!"

Outside the palace gate, Ouyang Kang was already waiting.

He waited outside for as long as he came to pray for blessings today, hoping to wait for her to come out so that he could celebrate with her as soon as possible. Regardless of whether he did well or not, and whether he was rewarded or not, this is a major event in his life.

, is also a major event for their family, and of course they should be taken seriously. He even said that there should be flowers for celebration in order to pray for blessings. He even went to the mountains outside the city to search for a long time, and finally picked two fresh plum blossoms.

.

He thought that Nianfu's dishes might end up being submerged in so many delicacies and not be taken seriously. He had even prepared words of comfort and encouragement. But he never expected that Nianfu would come out with such an expression.

, as if he had been severely frozen, his little face was pale and blue, and tears of grievance rolled into his eyes when he saw him.

When Nianfu ran over with the food box, she really wanted to throw herself into his arms and cry loudly. But she knew she couldn't. This was the entrance to the palace, and she couldn't cause trouble for Ouyang Kang. So she could only hold back her tears and quickly

Climbing into the car, he whispered two words, "Let's go!"

What's going on? Ouyang Kang's eyes darkened, but he didn't ask any questions in the public. He just said hello to Yu Sansheng who was chasing him, then turned around and got in the car.

Holding her cold little hand and looking at Nian Fu's uncomfortable expression, Ouyang Kang felt distressed and anxious at the same time, "Did someone bully you? Tell me, who is it?"

After being asked this question, Nianfu couldn't help but feel full of grievances. She fell on his lap and cried loudly, as if she wanted to cry out all the injustice and grievances in her heart.

After working so hard, why do you treat her like this? If you don’t even have the most basic respect, then who is she? Is it just a joke?

※

In the palace, Queen Mother Mu, who had returned to Renshou Palace from the banquet, was not in a good mood. Although she was sitting there with her eyes slightly closed and silent, the aura emanating from her whole body made her

A group of young palace maids and eunuchs were trembling with fear, lest they make even the slightest sound.

Only Aunt Shanyin walked in, quietly picked up a piece of lily incense that the Queen Mother had always liked, put it into the incense burner, and then stood silently where she could hear the Queen Mother's call.

After a long time, the Queen Mother slowly closed her eyes, without looking around, and shouted, "Shan Yin."

"My maid is here." Shanyin stepped forward and thoughtfully handed over a cup of hot ginseng tea. The Queen Mother took it. She took a sip and put it down. Suddenly she gave an order without thinking, "Go and get that piece of tea."

Bring the painting."

Shanyin hesitated for a moment, then opened a small box and took out a scroll about a foot wide. When he handed it to Empress Dowager Mu, he considered and advised. "Why bother looking at something that makes you angry just by looking at it?"

?”

Empress Dowager Mu did not answer. She only said, "Open it."

Shanyin couldn't help it, so she sighed secretly, pulled away the tie, unfolded the scroll, and hung it on the opposite wall.

This is an old painting, at least twenty or thirty years old. It depicts two bright-eyed girls, one sitting in a pavilion playing the piano, and the other standing among the flowers playing the flute.

The girl who plays the flute is extremely beautiful, and between her eyebrows, you can vaguely see the appearance of Empress Dowager Mu when she was young. Because she stands closer to the front, she should be the protagonist of the painting, but the girl playing the piano sitting in the pavilion behind her is not.

is more eye-catching.

She seemed to be a little older, looking sideways at the girl playing the flute with a smile. Her bright red eyes were so vivid and expressive that they caught everyone's attention in just an instant.

Queen Mother Mu only glanced at it and turned her face away without hiding her disgust.

After a long time, she asked, "Is it like that?"

Shanyin glanced at her helplessly and said awkwardly, "Just looking at the painting, there is a five-point similarity between the eyebrows."

Queen Mother Mu suddenly said, "Do you think the Ai family is too stingy? They are just two people who look somewhat similar and have nothing to do with each other, but the Ai family still wants to vent their anger on her and make her suffer."

Shanyin lowered her eyes and followed her thoughts and said, "The Queen Mother is the emperor's mother and the most noble woman in the world. If you don't like someone, you can only blame her for her own bad fate, and don't care whether she has been wronged or not.

."

"Well said!" Queen Mother Mu's eyes suddenly turned sharp, with a hint of pleasure after revenge, "The Ai family just hates those eyes, and they just don't like her!"

As she said these words, her eyes fell on the painting again, full of anger, "Since I was a child, how have I been inferior to you? But why do everyone like you and all eyes revolve around you?

My brother obviously promised to paint my portrait, but why did he include you and make it look so beautiful? My son, I only met you once when he was a child, but he actually likes you so much that he even specially accepted Concubine Zheng.

Just because she looks like you in two ways. And my husband, my husband even died for you in rebellion!"

"Meng Junyan!" She stood up and rushed to the painting. Her eyes were so bright that she pointed at the woman playing the piano and cursed angrily, "Why did I, Mu Xihua, offend you? You want to humiliate me like this?"

?You clearly know that Gao Ji only has you in his heart, why do you want him to marry me? Yes! I like him, but what does this have to do with you? "

She raised her face and tried her best to calm down for a while, swallowing the tears that were about to fall in her eyes, and then spoke again, "Meng Junyan, I have tolerated you for half my life, and I don't want to tolerate it anymore. Even that girl is a loser.

No matter how well you do it, what's the use of giving the gift with care? If she looks like you, I won't like her! It's all your fault that she has been wronged!"

The elegant and quiet fragrance of lilies was so weak that it was swallowed up in an instant amid such raging anger.

Aunt Shanyin watched from the side, seeing the always noble and elegant Queen Mother losing her temper and getting angry, but there was indescribable pity and sympathy in her eyes.

Her eyes fell on the painting on the wall again, and she sighed deeply in her heart, so what if she saw it? The Queen Mother would not like it, she would never like it...
Chapter completed!