Opening a Tavern in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 284: The palace maids and eunuchs warmed the coal stove, and the guards also rushed to guard

In a winding corridor, there is a precious coal stove.

Several young eunuchs were gathered around the stove, stretching out their hands to keep warm, with satisfied smiles on their faces.

One of the pointed-faced eunuchs said with a grin, "This coal stove is a real asset. This corridor used to be as cold as an ice cellar, but now it's warm."

However, in the corridor not far away where there was no coal stove, the palace maids could only speed up their pace to minimize the time they stayed in the cold.

A palace maid in a pink palace gown clutched her sleeves tightly with both hands and exhaled white air as she said, "I really envy those corridors with coal stoves over there. It's still very cold here."

The old maid beside her whispered to comfort her, "Don't complain. This is the emperor's gift. Maybe in a while, there will be more places."

In the corridors without coal briquettes, the palace maids and eunuchs could only snuggle up to each other, trying to get a little warmth from each other's body temperature.

They wrapped their clothes tightly and walked hurriedly.

There were a few clever eunuchs who would slow down their pace when walking past a corridor with a coal stove, trying to feel as much of the heat as possible.

A young eunuch sneaked up to the entrance of the coal stove corridor. Just as he was about to stay a little longer, he was scolded by the eunuch in charge of guarding the coal stove: "Go away, don't block the way here. The coal stove must ensure that the corridor is unobstructed."

The young eunuch was so frightened that he ran away, muttering as he ran: "Really? I just wanted to warm up."

Some palace maids would stop at the palace gate where there was a coal stove while delivering things.

They didn't dare to approach openly, but just turned slightly sideways when passing by, letting the warmth brush against them a little.

One of the maids looked at the coal stove in the palace with sparkling eyes and said to her companion, "It would be nice if we could have one in our corridor, so we can warm our hands even for a while."

Some eunuchs and palace maids would find their own way. They collected some old cotton cloth and hay and piled them into a small "warm pile" in the corner of the corridor.

When you feel the cold is unbearable, hide behind and temporarily avoid the cold wind.

Although the effect is far inferior to that of a coal stove, it can still provide them with some comfort in this cold corridor.

The palace maids sat together in the rest room, talking about what happened with the coal stove today.

A pretty palace maid sighed softly and said, "Alas, the Emperor brought back twenty coal stoves and distributed them to Empress Changsun, Concubine Wei, Concubine Yang, Concubine Yin, Concubine Yande, Concubine Zhengxian, Xu Hui, and the Empress Dowager. In addition, there's one each for the Empress's three sons and three daughters, one for the Imperial Kitchen, one each for the maids and eunuchs, one for the guards' duty booth, and one in the corridor. The palace is so big, there wouldn't be enough to distribute them everywhere."

An older palace maid nodded in agreement, "Who says it's not? Our palace is so huge, and many places are still freezing cold. But having these few is a blessing from the Emperor. It's better than having to endure the winter all year round."

Another lively young palace maid blinked her big eyes and said expectantly, "Who knows, maybe Zuixianlou can send some more coal later. If we can get more coal for the stove, we can work a lot more easily and won't have to keep our hands and feet numb from the cold all the time."

Everyone's eyes lit up with longing after hearing this, but soon the pretty palace maid shook her head and said, "How can it be that easy? This coal stove looks rare, and it must be difficult to make. Let's cherish what we have now and just hope that this cold winter will pass quickly."

After hearing this, everyone nodded silently, then wrapped their clothes tightly and continued to rest in this slightly cold room, relying on each other's company and a little hope for warmth.

Beneath the towering walls of the imperial palace, the night was as thick as ink, and the guards on duty without coal stoves were sticking to their posts.

The biting cold wind whistled past, making their armor rattle, and the flags danced violently in the wind, as if emitting bursts of wailing.

One of the older guards had his ears red from the cold wind, and he couldn't help but frown when he heard about the coal stove.

His eyes revealed a hint of helplessness and loss as he said, "I heard there were coal stoves, but there are none when it comes to our assigned area. The guard booths with coal stoves are a blessing for us brothers. It will be much more comfortable to stand guard on these cold winter nights."

He raised his head slightly and looked towards the distant sentry box with a coal stove. The white air he exhaled was instantly blown away by the cold wind.

A young guard nearby, his face purple from the cold and his lips chapped, echoed with envy, "Yes, big brother, I heard it was sent from the Zuixian Tower. I wonder what kind of rare item it is that can actually warm up that place."

"We don't have a coal stove here, and in the second half of the night, the cold gets so cold it seeps right into our bones. It's really unbearable."

As he spoke, he stamped his numb feet, trying to warm himself up.

Another guard's eyes revealed a hint of reluctance. He tightened his armor, the metal gleaming coldly in the faint moonlight. He said, "Why don't we talk to the commander and see if we can have one of them assigned to us so we can both guard the palace."

"I want to warm up too. I'm shivering here. What if something goes wrong?"

The older guard quickly waved his hands and lowered his voice to scold, "Don't do anything rash. The distribution of coal stoves is determined by the higher-ups. How can we ask for it casually? We can't go and cause trouble for the commander over such a small matter. The real thing is to stand guard properly. If we can get through these few nights, maybe we'll get a chance when our shift starts."

After hearing this, although everyone was unwilling, they could only sigh helplessly, straighten their bodies, and hold the spears tightly in their hands. The tips of the spears flashed coldly in the night, and they continued to stick to their posts in the cold, but they looked towards the direction of the coal stove booth.

At this moment, one of the guards' eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had thought of something. He said, "We can only wait for it to be delivered, or we can buy one ourselves. I heard that Zuixianlou sells these items to the public. Although the money may not be cheap, it is better than suffering in this cold night."

The other guards nodded in agreement. One guard sighed, "I don't know why the coal stoves at Zuixianlou are so in short supply. If I were to buy one myself, how much of my monthly salary would it cost?"

In a corner of the palace, a dog was walking back and forth along the wall.

Its fur is gray and its body is thin, and it is obvious that it has experienced a lot of hardships in life in this palace.

Its ears drooped, its tail dangled limply behind it, and its steps were slow and hesitant, as if it was looking for something.

Maybe he was looking for a corner where he could shelter from the wind, or maybe he was hoping to find some leftovers to fill his stomach.

It stopped from time to time, sniffed the ground, and then raised its head to look around vigilantly. Against the backdrop of the majestic and solemn imperial palace, it looked particularly lonely and desolate, in contrast to the surrounding splendor and the conversation of the guards.