Chapter 5 — I'm as frugal as a chrysanthemum, but I'm raising a poor son? Eighteen years later, I became the queen mother

The emperor's edict was only effective for one day. The next day, the lunch brought by Ngu Thien Phong was different. A bowl of brown rice, a plate of green vegetables sauteed until golden, and a bowl of soup so thin that you can see the bottom of the bowl. Not to mention the prince's reward, even my usual reward, a Tinh concubine, is not as good as it is. No meat. Not even a little bit of grease can be seen. When Xuan Ha went to get a meal, he was so angry that he argued with the eunuch Ngu Thien Phong. As a result, the eunuch only threw one sentence at her: "It's good to have something to eat, so why be picky about what you choose?" Xuan Ha carried the food box back, her eyes red.

“Lady, they are too much!”

“This is not something for people to eat at all!”

“The third prince is still growing up, how can he eat these things!”

I opened the food box and looked at the items inside. My heart is as bright as a mirror. It's Hien Phi. She didn't dare show her face. Immediately started to get involved in these small things. The manager of Ngu Thien room is her cousin. If you want to oppress me, it's as easy as turning your hand. Trieu Hanh stood next to me, looking up at the food in the box. It said nothing. But his eyes darkened. It's very understanding. Understanding things to the point of making people feel sad.

“Niang Niang, let's go find Manager Vuong!”

Xuan Ha said impatiently.

“Let General Manager Vuong go tell the king, the king will definitely take care of us!”

I shook my head.

"Impossible."

Yesterday, General Manager Vuong indeed transmitted the emperor's edict. But the emperor has worked so hard, how can he remember such a small thing? Because of a few meals, I went to press charges. It only makes the emperor feel that I am incompetent and troublesome. This knife. Can only be used at the most critical times. It can't be because of this little thing that it dulls its tongue.

“So… what should we do?”

Xuan Ha was extremely confused.

“Should we just let the Third Prince eat these things?”

I looked towards Trieu Hanh. He was reaching out his small hand, intending to reach for that bowl of brown rice. I put my hand on his hand.

“This is not delicious.”

I told it.

“Let's wait a moment, eat something else.”

I opened my makeup case and took out a small package of cloth. When I opened it, inside was all the assets I had accumulated over the years. A few scraps of silver ingots, along with a few pieces of jewelry that weren't too valuable, but were still watchable. I gave the cloth package to Xuan Ha.

"You take these and go to the Internal Affairs Palace."

Xuan Ha was stunned.

“What are you doing at the Internal Affairs Palace?”

“Please open the kitchen.”

"Let's just say that the Third Prince's body is weak, his stomach is not good, and he is not used to eating the chef's food."

"The doctor has advised that private nursing is required."

"In order not to disturb Ngu Thien room, we want to open a small kitchen ourselves."

Xuan Ha's eyes lit up.

“This method is great!”

“But my lady, the people from the Internal Affairs Palace are all people who treat each other by sight.”

“We have no right, will they agree?”

“Will agree.”

My voice is extremely certain.

“They don't dare disagree.”

Because the reason for this request cannot be argued. The third prince's body is weak and needs special care. Who dares to say no? Whoever says no, doesn't value the prince's health. No one can bear that responsibility. The concubine can play tricks on the quality of the meal, because it is doing things in the dark. But I brought this matter to light, using "rules" and "the prince's well-being" as a shield. She had no other choice. In the afternoon, Xuan Ha returned. There was a look of joy on his face.

“My lady, I'm high!”

“As soon as the General Manager of Internal Affairs heard that it was for the Third Prince's body, he sealed the seal without saying a word.”

"He also said that the abandoned small courtyard behind Tuy Ngoc Hien belongs to Tuy Ngoc Hien and can be given to us to cook!"

I breathed a sigh of relief. This is our first counterattack. Although it is very small, it is extremely important. It means, we begin to take control of our lives. However, things are not that simple. That evening. Xuan Ha led two eunuchs to clean up that small courtyard. When she returned, her face became unsightly again.

"Miss, that stove... is completely unusable."

"There's nothing inside, the stove is broken, the pots, pans, bowls, and chopsticks are all torn."

"The scariest thing is, although the Internal Affairs Department approved us to open the kitchen, it did not provide any allowance for charcoal or food."

“I mean, we have to think of everything ourselves.”

Our hearts sank. I still thought they were too simple. On the outside, they respond to you, but in the dark, they act as obstacles. Give you an empty kitchen, let's see how you make a fire to cook rice. This method is even more disgusting than direct refusal. Tuy Ngoc Hien once again fell into dire straits. With a little silver in my hand, I can buy pots, pans, bowls, and chopsticks. But if you have to buy charcoal and food for a long time, it's basically unbearable. I looked at the pitch black night outside the window. I just feel like I'm being covered by an invisible net, tightening more and more.