The Empress had told Li Mu not to bring food from home, but to cook in the imperial kitchen, which reminded Li Mu of something.
The taste of takeout couldn't be compared to the food in the kitchen. The food box could only keep the food warm, but it couldn't preserve the taste. The best time to appreciate most of the food was when it was just out of the pot.
Fortunately, the Ancestral Temple was in the palace. It was only a few steps away, so the taste of the food wouldn't change too much.
Compared to the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court, the Imperial Prison of the Ancestral Temple was of a much higher standard.
The prisoners here were either rich or noble. They were either relatives of the emperor or high-ranking officials. Especially in the past, the Ancestral Temple was a shelter for the descendants of the imperial family after they committed crimes. The facilities and treatment inside were far from what the other government offices could compare to.
Especially after Zhang Chun's special arrangement, if the prison of the Ministry of Justice was a standard single room for seven days, then the one Li Qing of the Ancestral Temple was now living in the Hilton Hotel's presidential suite.
The food in the Ancestral Temple should be good, but Li Mu was still worried that she wouldn't be used to it.
Inside the Ancestral Temple.
The morning sun was just right. Zhang Chun and Prince Shou sat in the courtyard of the Ancestral Temple, basking in the sun while drinking tea.
Zhang Chun personally brewed a cup for Prince Shou and asked with a smile, "Your Highness, this is a good tea that I've collected. Try it."
Prince Shou took a small sip and said, "Not bad. I didn't expect you to be a tea lover. Do you have any more of this tea? Give me eight to ten catties. I'll take it back and drink it slowly …"
Zhang Chun said regretfully, "Unfortunately, this is the last pinch …"
Prince Shou looked at him with disdain. He suddenly sniffed and said, "What's this smell? It's so fragrant …"
Zhang Chun's nose also sniffed. After recalling the aftertaste, he murmured, "This smell, why is it so similar to the smell of the noodle stall on the street outside the county office when I was in Yangqiu County …"
He couldn't help but gulp and said, "That old woman's noodles are really amazing. I really want to try it again …"
Li Mu carried the food box and walked into the Ancestral Temple. He greeted Zhang Chun and said, "I'm going to deliver the food to the boss."
Zhang Chun had already warned the officers of the Imperial Prison of the Zongzheng Temple. When they saw Li Mu coming in from afar, the guard in charge of the Imperial Prison opened the door.
Before Li Mu entered the prison, Zhang Chun walked over and asked, "You cooked noodles?"
Li Mu nodded and said, "The boss used to like eating noodles from that restaurant the most."
Zhang Chun rubbed his hands and said, "This official also likes this. Do you have any more? Give this official a bowl."
Mr. Zhang had helped him a lot this time, and Li Mu was too embarrassed to refuse. He said, "If you want to eat, come to the imperial kitchen later."
"Alright …" Zhang Chun nodded before asking in astonishment, "Did you cook these noodles in the imperial kitchen?"
"What else?"
"Cough, cough …"
Zhang Chun covered his mouth and coughed a few times. Suddenly, he said, "This official suddenly doesn't want to eat so much. I'll go home and eat what my wife cooks. Quickly go and deliver it to Constable Li. It won't taste good if you're late …"
Watching Li Mu walk into the prison, Zhang Chun sighed and said, "Li Mu, Li Mu, you have to be careful …"
Li Mu walked into the prison and faintly heard Zhang Chun talking about snacks.
Mr. Zhang reminded him again to take two boxes of snacks from the imperial kitchen tomorrow. The imperial chef in the palace specialized in making pastries, and his skills could be said to be superb. When he went back in the afternoon, he would also bring a box for Liu Hanyan.
In the past, Li Mu couldn't take things from the imperial kitchen, but it was different now.
The Empress gave him permission to enter the imperial kitchen and use all the ingredients. Although this was suspected of abusing power for personal gain, Li Mu did it deliberately.
What the Empress needed was not an imperial chef. If he followed the rules and did what an imperial chef should do, wouldn't he really become an imperial chef?
Li Mu learned from palace dramas that the most favored concubine of the Emperor was definitely not the kind of concubine who was obedient and had no personality at all. Within the limits, occasionally doing something out of line, sometimes maintaining a sense of novelty and mystery, would be able to obtain the Emperor's favor for a long time.
Of course, he wasn't the Empress's concubine, but he could infer many things from one example. It was the same as being a friend or an official.
He asked the jailer to open the prison door and walked in. He opened the food box and said, "I don't know if the food of the Zongzheng Temple is to your liking. I've cooked a bowl of noodles for you."
Li Qing picked up the chopsticks and tasted it. She said in surprise, "The taste of this noodles …"
Li Mu smiled and said, "I learned it from the old woman who sold noodles. The taste is about the same as the one she made, right?"
Li Qing said softly, "Later on, I went back to Yangqiu County once and learned that the old woman had passed away. Her son and daughter-in-law continued to run the noodle stall, but the noodles they cooked were different from before. I thought that I would never be able to taste the same taste as before in this life."
Li Mu smiled and said, "Whenever you want to eat it, just tell me. I'll make it for you."
After watching Li Qing finish the noodles, Li Mu sat for a while longer. He packed up the food box and walked to the imperial kitchen.
In the imperial kitchen, there was still the soup he made for the Empress.
Using the Empress's kitchen to cook noodles for someone else and leaving her aside, even if Li Mu was really stupid, he wouldn't do such a stupid thing.
It was just that the Empress's soup took a little longer to cook. Li Mu went to the Imperial Clan Temple and waited for a little while before the soup was ready.
It was said that he relied on women to make a living. After Li Mu's unremitting efforts, now the Empress and Li Qing both relied on him to make a living.
Li Mu carried the soup and came to the entrance of Changle Palace.
Shangguan Li stood at the entrance of the palace and glanced at him. "Her Majesty is not here. You can go back."
Li Mu said regretfully, "What a pity. I boiled this soup for Her Majesty for more than four hours. It won't taste good after a while. I'll bring it back to the Secretariat and drink it myself."
Just as he turned around, Shangguan Li's ears twitched and said, "Her Majesty has returned."
Li Mu handed the soup in his hand to him and said, "I have to go back to the Secretariat. I'll have to trouble Commander Shangguan to bring it in for Her Majesty."
Shangguan Li carried the soup into Changle Palace and placed it on the table in front of Zhou Yi. After opening the lid of the soup, a fresh and rich aroma floated out.
Mr. Mei's throat moved and he smiled. "I knew it. How could he forget Her Majesty? This soup has been simmering for so long. He must have put in a lot of effort. I just went to the imperial kitchen and asked. He only sent a bowl of noodles to the Imperial Clan Temple …"
Zhou Yi drank a mouthful of soup and suddenly felt a little embarrassed. It seemed that she had misunderstood Li Mu just now.
She thought that he was using her imperial kitchen to curry favor with others. She was angry for a while, but at this moment, the anger in her heart immediately disappeared. She said, "Mei Wei, send two boxes of southern tribute oranges to him …"
Mr. Mei said, "Didn't Her Majesty say that the oranges were very sour and she didn't want to send them?"
Zhou Yi said, "Now that I think about it, the oranges don't seem so sour anymore …"
Mr. Mei nodded and said, "I'll go now."
Zhou Yi suddenly said, "Wait …"
The Secretariat.
Li Mu sat in the duty room for a while. After dealing with the official business for the day, he sat quietly for a while and began to write an official document.
This official document ordered the Ministry of Justice to reinvestigate the case of Li Yi from 14 years ago.
Li Mu had asked the Empress about this matter, but he couldn't let the Empress give the order directly.
As the ruler of a country, she should have the concept of the overall situation. If she overturned half of the court just because of Li Mu's words, then what would the court officials think?
They would think that this was a treacherous courtier trying to overthrow the government.
When an emperor ignored the overall situation of the court and the people of the Great Zhou because of a certain courtier or concubine, the courtiers would unite to oppose her because this was a sign of the collapse of the country. The courtiers would not allow it, and the four academies would not sit idly by.
In fact, compared to this matter, whether or not Li Yi was wronged or not was not that important anymore.
Therefore, Li Mu had to show that although the Empress doted on him, there was a limit. Once he exceeded that limit, he was afraid that he would be removed in the name of "cleaning up the emperor's side".
Before he finished writing the official document in his hand, Mr. Mei came.
She placed two boxes of oranges on the table in front of Li Mu and said, "These are the tribute oranges from South Commandery. Her Majesty asked me to give you two boxes to try."
Li Mu said, "Thank Her Majesty for me."
Mr. Mei said, "Her Majesty doesn't want your thanks."
Li Mu was stunned and asked, "What else does Her Majesty want?"
He had already given the Empress everything he could. She could not reward Li Mu with two boxes of oranges and ask for too much from him …
Mr. Mei glanced at him and said, "In the future, no matter if you make soup or noodles in the imperial kitchen, send it to Changle Palace first."
Li Mu was stunned and asked, "This … is Her Majesty's idea?"
Mr. Mei knocked him on the head and said, "Her Majesty is so broad-minded. Would she be angry because you sent her soup later?"
Only she believed this sentence. No one knew how stingy the Empress was better than Li Mu.
Li Mu nodded helplessly and said, "I know. No matter what I do in the future, I will think of Her Majesty first. Is that okay?"
After that, he was knocked on the head again. Mr. Mei glanced at him and asked, "What's with your tone? It sounds like Her Majesty is forcing you to send the soup first …"
Li Mu promised her that he was willing to give priority to the Empress. Only then did Mr. Mei leave with satisfaction.
Li Mu looked at her back and felt that she was getting more and more strange these days. If this continued, it would be really difficult for her to get married.
But Li Mu had more important things to do and did not have time to give her psychological counseling.
He finished writing the official document, took two tribute oranges, and went to the assistant minister's office.
Liu Yi was reading the booklet. Li Mu walked over and put the two oranges on his table. He said, "Mr. Liu, take a rest and eat an orange."
Liu Yi looked at the two oranges and said in surprise, "It's not the season for oranges yet. There are a few mother trees in Nanjun that will bear fruit a month or two earlier, but the spiritual oranges on the mother trees are used as tributes …"
Li Mu smiled and said, "This is the tribute oranges given by Her Majesty."
Liu Yi looked at Li Mu with envy and said, "Mr. Li, you are really enviable. There are not many spiritual oranges, and there is not enough for the palace every year. It is difficult for the officials outside to get one. In the time of the former emperor, only the empress and the imperial noble concubines could get a box …"
He only picked up one orange and said, "I only need one of these treasures. I didn't expect to taste spiritual oranges from my hometown in Luoyang."
Li Mu said, "So Mr. Liu's hometown is Nanjun. It's okay. Mr. Liu, you can eat as much as you want. If it's not enough, I have more. Her Majesty gave me two boxes …"
Liu Yi was not only envious, but also shocked.
Back then, the Empress Dowager and Imperial Concubine Dowager were so favored by the previous Emperor, but they only received two chests in total. His Majesty actually rewarded Li Mu with two chests. It was true that she only favored one person in all the court officials …
He peeled an orange and ate a few pieces. He praised, "It is indeed a carefully cultivated tribute. If a mortal can eat one, they will not be invaded by diseases for three years …"
The two chatted for a while. Li Mu took out the document and said, "By the way, there is another document here that needs your signature."
"It's a small matter."
Liu Yi picked up the document. She picked up the pen and was about to sign her name.
Then his body trembled. The pen in his hand did not fall. He looked at the document and fell into a long silence.
After a while, he looked up at Li Mu and said with some bitterness, "Mr. Li, I only ate half of your orange …"
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