In the Court of the Crimson King

Chapter IV: 星星之火,可以燎原 (A single sparks can start a prairie fire)

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basketball and Legend of Zhen Huan. I do not make money from writing this fanfiction. The story contains a spoiler for both Kuroko no Basketball and Legend of Zhen Huan and other palace dramas. Also, there are quotes from manga, anime, wiki and other sources. This chapter is edited by AokazuSei. Thank you so much for her help.

In the Court of the Crimson King

Chapter IV: 星星之火,可以燎原 (A single sparks can start a prairie fire)

"It's chicken again," complained Haizaki Shiina when she viewed shipment of food ingredients provided by the palace kitchen. "Why do they not provide some other food? Like, bird nests, sea cucumbers, abalone, crab or shark fin perhaps?"

"Mistress," said Ai, the maid provided for her from the palace, "Sumptuous meals such as those are only presented at a celebration. On a normal day, there is only chicken, pork, and fish."

"I did not know the palace had rules like that," Shiina said surprised.

"It's an order from the Imperial Empress to reduce spending in the inner palace."

Shiina was annoyed to hear that. To reduce spending in inner palace? Ridiculous! What did Empress Tetsuya know about delicious food anyway? Shiina even dared to bet that before he became an empress, Kuroko Tetsuya had never taste such delicacies.

Teiko Empire was very prosperous and wealthy. All the people in the palace could eat shark fin or bird's nest or abalone for every meal of the day, and there would be no dent in the treasury. Why the imperial palace bothered with this rule was beyond her.

"But Imperial Empress drinks vanilla milk, and vanilla is very expensive," she said.

"Vanilla is the offering of a Seirin governor," Ai explained.

Within a year, there were three important events, namely the Spring Festival or New Year, Winter Solstice, and the Emperor's Birthday. In the three events, officials would gift an offering for Emperor Seijuro. Governors of the 23 provinces of Teiko Empire would usually give the best agricultural products typical of each region. Although the offerings were only required to be given to the emperor, officials typically included a gift for the Empress as well.

"Leave!" she commanded.

"I shall take my leave, Mistress." Ai replied.

Not just food, even a monthly allowance from imperial palace was also a very little amount. Fortunately, her father was a minister, an influential government official, so it was easy for her to send a letter home. With the money given from her father every month, Shiina ordered her servant to buy a wide variety of her favorite foods. It had never occurred in her mind, that her father salary as a minister wasn't enough to finance her family's grand life style.

"Second Class Female Attendant Tomomi has arrived! Second Class Female Attendant Hiroko has arrived!" The eunuch who guarded the pavilion announced.

Moments later, the thick curtain lifted, and Moriyama Tomomi and Fukuda Hiroko stepped inside. Tomomi was wearing a pink silk kimono, plum blossom adorning her sides, while Hiroko was wearing a green silk kimono decorated with a bamboo leaves pattern. They also wore a winter coat made of two layers of silk, the contents filled with goose feathers for warmth. Aside of that, they had a muff to protect their hands.

Both Tomomi and Fukuda's families were assisted by the Haizaki family, so they both obeyed Shiina in the palace. Of the two, Hiroko was much smarter. She also was not so talkative, while Tomomi was the opposite.