T/N: I'm baaaaaaaaack I was nearly done with this chapter before I went on holiday so I thought I'd finish this first hehe

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It snowed for several days, Zhao Jin Yu stayed at home for

several days, she simply did not know, because of her thoughtless one move, the

whole imperial palace even the entire capital city were shaken up.

Five days later, after she finished eating the meagre

remaining food in the house the snow finally stopped.

Zhao Jin Yu put on thick cotton-padded clothes, and put on

gloves preparing to tidy up the courtyard of snow, afterwards pleased with

herself she made herself a meal, she remembered there was still a piece of

cured meat in the kitchen, putting on two potatoes, and adding several chillies

she stewed a pot, mixed with steaming hot rice, it was truly delicious on this

cold winter day.

Outside a thumping sound knocking on the door could be

heard, Zhoa Jin Yu put the broom to one side and quickly walked out, stopping

at the door she cautiously asked, “Who is it?”

“It’s me.”

Zhao Jin Yu hearing this voice then did she set forth to

open the door bolt, outside the doors stood a married woman around thirty years

old, she wore a small flower print cotton-padded jacket, gentle appearance, this

neighbouring Zhang Zhi s.h.i.+’s wife was Wen s.h.i.+, she showed a somewhat worried

expression, saying, “It snowed these past few days, I reckon you haven’t left

the house at all, luckily your Uncle Zhang brought back some radish and salted

duck eggs from outside yesterday asking me to come over and give you some.”

It wasn’t easy to get vegetables, on such cold winters it

was even more extremely precious, Zhao Jin Yu knew Zhang Zhi s.h.i.+ was born of a

poor and humble family, completely relying on that little bit of official’s

salary to live by, her life wasn’t that prosperous either, let alone at home

she had two growing youngsters who could eat a lot, “Auntie thank you. But I

still have food in my home.”

Wen s.h.i.+ is an extremely mild person, but at times she also

could be particularly stubborn, like now, hearing Zhao Jin Yu say this she

immediately looked serious, displeased she said, “My family and yours have been

neighbours for many years, how does auntie not know of your situation? Talking

like this aren’t you treating your auntie as an outsider?”

Because Zhang Zhi s.h.i.+ and Zhao Jin Yu’s father Zhao Chang

Chun were successful candidates in the highest imperial civil service exam in

the same year, and they were neighbours, the two families were especially

close.

The two people declined for quite a while, Zhao Jin Yu under

Wen s.h.i.+’s perseverance helplessly accepted that basket of food, the two of them

again gossiped for a while, like whose house has collapsed due to the snow, how

many people have come from outside the city to beg, after the snow how much the

price of rice will increase and so on, finally Wen s.h.i.+ again said, “Look after

yourself these few days, don’t open the door to strangers, your Uncle Zhang

said something big happened in the palace.”

“What?”

Zhang Zhi s.h.i.+ worked in the Tianfu office so he naturally

knew some internal news.

Wen s.h.i.+ vigilantly looked all around, seeing there was no

one around, she neared Zhao Jin Yu’s ears muttering, “The emperor is furious,

extremely angry, arresting a lot of people in the palace, saying they have lost

something very precious, now he’s looking for it in the entire capital, even

the left and right Embroidered Uniform Guards have rushed back to the capital, investigating

and handling this matter.”

“What exactly is this rare treasure that even the left and

right Embroidered Uniform Guards have been summoned back?”

Wen s.h.i.+ grudgingly shook her head, saying, “But everything

which is branded with an imperial symbol, which one isn’t invaluable? Anyhow it

merely has nothing to do with us, you only need to remember to be a bit more

careful these few days.” Wen s.h.i.+ said this and looked at Zhao Jin Yu’s

complexion, seeing her prominence was slightly reduced, gaze clear, thinking

about her situation, she still couldn’t help sigh.

Hesitating for quite a while she again said, “Jin Yu, you

plan on continuing to watch over the house by yourself?”

Zhao Jin Yu pursed her lips lowering her head not speaking.

Wen s.h.i.+ also wasn’t a person to nag, only when she had just

married into the family she became neighbours with the Zhao family, she almost

watched Zhao Jin Yu grow up, she watched over her quite a bit.

Zhao Jin Yu really wasn’t the Zhao family’s own child,

rather a child picked up nine years ago. Ever since Zhao Chang Chun was

implicated in a severe case of corrupt high official, the Zhao family almost

lost their family fortune to rescue him, afterwards their desires were truly

unclear, Zhao Chang Chun’s wife Xu s.h.i.+ took her son Zhao Jing Chuan back to her

native home Jinling, leaving Zhao Jin Yu by herself alone here, actually there

wasn’t much difference between abandoning.

Wen s.h.i.+ did not see Zhao Jin Yu respond, secretly sighing,

she herself found a way out of the awkward situation, changing subjects, “Jin

Yu, this radish is very sweet, you can eat it just peel it, Shu Bao, Shu Zhen

those two brats nibbled through half a basket in just half a day, and ate the

marinated beef your Uncle Zhang prepared for visitors, it angered your Uncle

Zhang so much he took a wooden club and chased them down a street…”

Zhao Jin Yu really liked the Zhang family’s twins, laughing

she said, “it’s the time when they’re growing, being gluttonous isn’t strange,

but uncle Zhang must be extremely angry.”

“Exactly…, even I was scolded, telling me to hurriedly put

them back into my stomach, and said it would be good if they were half as

obedient as you are.” Even though Wen s.h.i.+ sighed, but the distinctive devoting

smile of a mother was on her face, “if there’s nothing I’ll leave first, I

still need to go buy some marinated beef, ai, those two children are truly

troublesome.” Cows were ploughing oxen, strictly supervised in the ancient

times, therefore beef was also very precious, always expensive, Zhao Jin Yu

knew this was Wen s.h.i.+’s heart-ache money.

Zhao Jin Yu hearing this said, “Auntie, I still have some

dried meat…”

Wen s.h.i.+ pretended to be angry, “That dried meat of yours was

given by me last time, we still have a lot at home, can it be you still want to

return it?”

Zhao Jin Yu heart was touched, rubbing her somewhat cold

back of her hands, she thought of an idea for Wen s.h.i.+, “Auntie, radish really

taste very nice when made well, fresh vegetables are most scarce in winter,

shred the radish, sprinkle on some sesame oil, scallion, salt, mix it a little,

both crisp, and fresh, especially appetising, as for the cured meat…, put on a

hot pot, place some wood charcoal underneath, place dried mushrooms, bean

vermicelli, and cured meat and other such things to boil, holds heat, and does

not cool down, a dish that can quickly heat up.” Zhao Jin Yu was more and more

absorbed as she spoke, gleaming eyes, not at all sad as before.

Wen s.h.i.+ mood rolled for a time, if another young lady came

across this sort of situation, perhaps she would have earlier cried suffering

terribly, she however was fine, even though she was somewhat sad, but in a wink

she was fine like a normal person, and still speak to her in such high spirits

about food, it was clear she was completely generous and thoughtful, with these

thoughts her heart hurt even more, thinking when she returned she must discuss

with her husband no matter what they must find a way to look after her

completely, her face didn’t show this at all, happily she said, “Your method is

good, I will go back and make this, then I’ll go back first, you be careful in

everything, if there’s anything just shout over the wall, we will hear it.”

Waiting until Wen s.h.i.+ left, Zhao Jin Yu only felt her

stomach rumble in hunger, as it turns out talking to Wen s.h.i.+ for half a day she

was terribly hungry, she put more and more energy into tidying up the snow in

the courtyard, thinking the quicker she finished she could eat.

“Yi, what is this?”

Zhao Jin Yu looked at the white stone in the pile of snow,

with some puzzlement she muttered.

This stone was exceedingly beautiful, spotlessly white and

l.u.s.trous, beautifully round shape, under the bright suns.h.i.+ne it did not lose to

a white jade, with some admiration she stroked it, suddenly she thought of

something and slapped her thigh, this was the stone that could move a few days

ago, thinking about it at that time she was both sleepy and cold, her train of

thought was muddled, she simply did not think a stone which can move was so

strange, now looking at it again clearly it was more interesting than that

night.

“Didn’t you move a few days before?”

“Jump once for me to see!”

“Could it have been an illusion?”

“Why aren’t you reacting at all!”

“Ai, I must have only been half conscious from sleep!”

After Zhao Jin Yu spoke for quite a while and not see the

stone react, she then had no choice but to admit at that time she had been half

conscious, thinking like this again she felt relieved, how could there be so

many inconceivable things on earth? In the end when she had barely put the

stone down she immediately felt a violent hunger, it had been snowing for several

days before, Zhao Jin Yu had cooked a pot of congee, when she got hungry she

just heated it up, just like this she went through the motions for several

days, thinking today no matter what she must eat something good.

Zhao Jin Yu conveniently placed the stone into an unused

water jar in the veranda and turned to the kitchen to cook, = =.

As night arrived, the originally lifeless spotless white

stone slowly gained some spirit, however once it had realised it had been moved

from its original spot buried in the snow to a dusky place, his body filled

with a violent anger, what lousy place is this!

Who threw him in here? Could it be that girl again from

before?

Emperor Wuling’s nose was almost crooked from anger, gaze

gloomy, thinking of his supreme self once it was night would turn into a

disadvantaged stone, he felt that he had no way to vent his unhealthy anger, he

only wished all the people involved in this situation, of course including Zhao

Jin Yu who dared to throw him in here, would be put to death by thousand cuts

then could he ease a little of his anger, it was simply clear, now was not the

right opportunity.

All around was dark, the emperor wanted to go out no

resigned, in the end after jumping a few times he then discovered, he had been

thrown into a water jar this time, a sharp and clear sound produced from the

stone hitting the surface of the jar, after experiencing turning into a stone

for three days, the emperor more or less had already gotten somewhat used to it,

he helplessly thought, sleep, wake up from sleep, tomorrow he can once again

return to the palace, he had already instructed the Embroidered Uniform Guards

to go search for this body, wait until it’s found…, place it inside the palace,

even if he did change into a stone at night he would only be switching to

another method of sleeping nothing more, as for what great master Hui Zhen said

about ma.s.sacres?

Hehe, the emperor only felt it was extremely funny, how many

emperors didn’t step on corpses to get to this point, could it be every emperor

would meet such a calamity? He simply didn’t believe it!

Even more important was he didn’t believe in fate, if he

believed in fate he wouldn’t have gone from second prince to his current

status, he only believe in himself!

The emperor settled his state of mind, gradually closing his

eyes, and like before, he only needed to sleep then it’ll be fine, in the end

this time unaware from a place not too far came a strong fragrant which enticed

people, rippling at the tip of his nose, making people unable to stop

salivating again and again.

What is this smell?

It smells so appetising!

The smell of food became stronger and stronger, continuously

revolving around the tip of his nose, the emperor actually couldn’t sit still a

little, he did not discover himself, since before he changed to a stone, his

temper was somewhat more irritable, hard to control his anger and longing, just

like now, if he was in his normal body, he naturally would not feel food was so

appetising, however now he was however like a child very gluttonous, he almost

salivated.

The emperor looked up down, left right in the water jar, all

of a sudden he discovered, there was a small crack near the bottom left side of

the water jar, just happen to be the size of a walnut, it would allow him to

make his way through, this could at least be considered a glimmer of hope in

his darkest hour.