TCCRMMAICSTA Chapter 22

Yu Wanwan looked utterly shocked, “Since when does someone of my status need to fight for food?”

 

“Let me go see which brat has the nerve to bully my Xiao Qing.”

 

With lightning speed, Yu Wanwan dashed toward the imperial kitchen. As it was mealtime, the kitchen bustled with people. High-ranking, favoured consorts had their food sent to their quarters by servants. The less favoured had to send their maids to fetch food themselves.

 

For palace eunuchs and maids like Yu Wanwan, they were only entitled to the common meals cooked in large pots, and the delicacies from the imperial kitchen were usually beyond their reach. However, thanks to the favour from the Empress Dowager and several consorts, Yu Wanwan’s status had skyrocketed, allowing her access to special meals from the imperial kitchen.

 

But to her dismay, the good days hadn’t lasted long—her food was now gone!

 

Before even entering the kitchen, Yu Wanwan overheard a loud string of curses.

 

“Hey, you little tramp! You think a lowly slave like you deserves food from the imperial kitchen? Keep dreaming!”

 

“Get lost! If you don’t, I’ll beat you until you regret being born!”

 

Then came the sound of pots and bowls crashing to the ground.

 

“You wretch! How dare you break Shufei’s lunch? Someone, drag this wretch out and give her a beating!”

 

T/N Shufei = Pure Consort (淑妃; shūfēi) which is one of the consort ranks. Here they didn’t mention her surname. 

 

Though Yu Wanwan hadn’t seen the scene inside yet, her imagination painted a clear picture of some old hag bullying Xiao Qing. And sure enough, she soon heard Xiao Qing’s voice:

 

“Granny Gui, you were the one who broke these dishes! How can you slander me like this?”

 

“Yu Gonggong is someone highly favoured by the Empress Dowager and the Empress. Aren’t you afraid he’ll make trouble for you?”

 

T/N: Also known as Eunuch Yu 

 

The old woman laughed maniacally, “Hahaha! A mere eunuch? Don’t make me laugh!”

 

“Let me tell you, old lady here is from Consort Shu’s family. That little eunuch wouldn’t dare touch me unless he’s eaten the heart of a bear and the guts of a leopard!”

 

“If you’ve got the guts, call him over! Let’s see what he can do!”

 

“Your daddy’s here!” Yu Wanwan answered back, dashing into the imperial kitchen at full sprint.

 

“Grandpa’s gonna send you flying!”

 

T/N The phrase is commonly used in Chinese slang humorously or sarcastically to position oneself as superior to the other person, implying, “I’m here to deal with you.” 

 

Bam! Yu Wanwan aimed and slammed straight into the old hag, sending her crashing to the ground where she landed on the same food she had shattered earlier.

 

Crunch crunch crunch…

 

That was the sound of ceramic shards sinking into her backside.

 

Yu Wanwan pulled Xiao Qing behind her, then smirked at Granny Gui, “Oh my, Granny Gui! Such dedication to frugality! Can’t eat with your mouth? So, you’ve started using your rear end instead, huh?”

 

【Granny Gui really is inventive. If you can’t use your mouth, well, improvise with another hole!】

 

“Aiyo, aiyo…” Granny Gui wailed in agony.

 

“You… you dare hit me? I’ll have your head!”

 

Enduring the sharp pain, Granny Gui struggled to stand. Then, she waved her hand at the servants in the imperial kitchen.

 

“Seize Yu Wanfu and take him to Shuyi Palace!”

 

Yu Wanwan’s eyes darkened.  Shufei was infamous in the palace for her scheming—she played people like a master, smooth as silk. And now, with her recent pregnancy diagnosis, she was the hottest favourite in the imperial harem.

 

But the emperor had spent last night at Jingren Palace, not paying Shufei a visit. All it would take was a little inquiry from her to realise that Yu Wanwan had been involved. The usually neglected empress had suddenly made a comeback thanks to her.

 

So… Shufei wasn’t targeting Xiao Qing, but her.

 

【Ah… poor Xiao Qing, I dragged her into this. I’ll make it up to her with a hundred taels of silver.】

 

【But debts have debtors. Of course, the hundred taels will come from that scheming b****!】

 

Hearing this, Xiao Qing clenched her fists tightly. Yu Gonggong truly was a rare and noble man. Clearly, it was she who had provoked Granny Gui, yet he took all the blame upon himself.

 

And… he’s even going to give me silver.

 

Boohoo… If I’m going to marry, it has to be to someone like Yu Gonggong! He’s the perfect man.

 

Yu Wanwan pointed at the eunuchs who were about to rush her.

 

“Back! Back! Back!”

 

“Your lordship will go to Shuyi Palace myself, no need for your rough hands.”

 

Granny Gui snorted coldly, “Hmph… you’d better behave. Don’t think that just because you’ve won favour with the Empress Dowager and the Empress, you can do as you please.”

 

“Our Shufei, now carrying the imperial heir, is the treasure of this palace!”

 

“Don’t think that just because you’re a lowly eunuch, even the imperial concubines… if my lady wants to deal with them, it’s just a flick of her finger.”

 

Yu Wanwan rolled her eyes. “Croaking in a mud pond—who knew a toad could lecture the world?”

 

With that, she headed alone toward Shuyi Palace. Xiao Qing wanted to follow, but Yu Wanwan gave her a glance, signalling her to be ready to summon the Empress Dowager at any moment.

 

If it really came down to it, the palace’s big boss would have to step in.

 

Shuyi Palace.

 

A woman with long, narrow eyes lounged on a soft chaise. Her cunning gleamed through those sharp eyes, as she gently caressed her barely showing belly.

 

“This child… must be a boy.”

 

“Tch, even if you give birth to a boy, it doesn’t guarantee he’ll inherit the throne,” a mocking voice suddenly rang out.

 

Who was that?

 

Shufei’s body tensed, and she immediately looked around, alert.

 

At that moment, Granny Gui entered the hall with Yu Wanwan in tow.

 

“Your Ladyship, Yu Wanfu is here.”

 

 Shufei didn’t have time to worry about the earlier voice, and instead turned her gaze to Yu Wanfu.

 

“Yu Gonggong, I’ve heard you have quite the talents…” Shufei said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

 

Yu Wanwan smiled politely. “Thank you for the praise, Your Ladyship.”

 

But inwardly, she thought: 【Oh, look at that sour chicken expression. My talents? Just so-so. But other places? Much bigger. Want to see?】

 

Shufei’s face turned livid as she shouted, “How dare you!”

 

Yu Wanwan quickly put on an expression of fear, “This servant is very timid, please don’t frighten me, Your Ladyship.”

 

【Timid? I eat across all directions! Eat so much I’ll get gallstones and crush you to death with them.】

 

【I like pretty sisters, not a scheming b**** with squinty eyes like you.】

 

Shufei’s face flushed red with rage, and now she was certain that all the mocking remarks she had heard earlier were from Yu Wanfu! But realising this, she became calm again.

 

Leaning lazily on her cushion, she said, “Breaking my lunch, leaving the imperial heir in my belly hungry, this is a crime punishable by death!”

 

“Guards! Beat Yu Wanfu to death!”

 

At her command, several eunuchs rushed forward to pin Yu Wanwan down for the beating.

 

Yu Wanwan struggled fiercely, her hands and feet flailing like a wild animal.

 

“Shufei, my masters are the Empress and the Empress Dowager!”

 

Shufei sneered. “Oh? Are you threatening me? What of the Empress Dowager? You deserve death for harming the imperial heir! You won’t be the first I’ve ordered killed!”

 

“Kill!”

 

With her order, the eunuchs pressed down harder.

 

Shufei’s face was icy cold. The Empress Dowager rarely left Cining Palace unless for significant events. Did Yu Wanfu really think he had the power to summon her?

 

Killing Yu Wanfu meant nothing. She was pregnant with the imperial heir—what could the Empress do to her?

 

In fact, if they tried to move against her, it would be even better… the child in her belly could be discarded at any time! As long as she could topple the Empress, it would be worth it.

 

Yu Wanwan cursed internally: 【Damn! I’ve trained in self-defense. If I jump up, I’m hitting someone with a slipper.】

 

And as she finished thinking that, she lashed out with a kick.

 

BAM! She kicked the eunuch who was about to press her head down, sending him flying.

 

【My head can’t be touched. Hair can’t be messed up. You touch my head, you must have a death wish!】

 

Shufei, seeing this, shrieked, “Yu Wanfu, you’ve gone too far!”

 

Yu Wanwan shot back, “I wasn’t allowed to act out? Too bad, already did. Might as well go for a full five!”

 

Shufei had made up her mind to kill her, so pretending any further was pointless.

 

“You insolent dog! Die for me!” Shufei roared as more and more people rushed at Yu Wanwan.

 

Shufei’s narrow eyes widened. When had it become this hard to kill a lowly eunuch?

 

At that moment, a stern voice cut through the chaos: “Who dares lay a hand on the Empress Dowager’s Yu Wanfu!”

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