Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 400 Consort Chun's Straightforwardness

Meng Shu held the letter between her fingers, a growing look of doubt forming between her brows. Xiu Yun's letter was written in a very cryptic manner, yet it unraveled the threads of an old story, subtly pointing to a chilling possibility.

"That's interesting."

She casually held the letter close to the candlelight, waiting for it to turn to ashes before asking, "Did Aunt Mei send any other message? And what about Madam...?"

Green Willow whispered, "My aunt said there's something fishy about this, and Madam has already sent capable people to investigate secretly."

Green Willow added, grinding the ashes in the copper basin even finer, "There's one more thing. Consort Chun has punished Du Juan, who serves Consort Yun, and she's currently being held in Huining Palace. Ruizhu specifically came to say that she'll be sent out of the palace whole first thing tomorrow morning."

Meng Shu picked up the silver hairpin and adjusted the candle wick, the flame suddenly brightening and reflecting a cold glint in her eyes: "Dujuan... has something happened to Yun Baolin?"

Green Willow recounted the events in general, concluding, "How could a mere servant have such audacity? In my opinion, someone is clearly using her to speak ill of others. Otherwise, with Aunt Mei's magnanimous nature, she would never have allowed Her Majesty to punish her for a few wrong words. Consort Chun has treated Consort Yun well... This woman is certainly cunning."

"'...She's closer to him than others,'" Meng Shu said coldly when she heard Green Willow mimicking Azalea's tone. "Her words have completely exposed Yun Baolin's thoughts."

Green Willow said, "Who says otherwise?"

Seeing Meng Shu reach out and pound her shoulder, she immediately turned around and skillfully massaged her shoulders and neck.

"Your Highness is no 'other person.' Consort Chun's feelings for you are much closer than those for her cousin. In my opinion, even the daughters of the concubines in the mansion do not hold the same weight in Consort Chun's heart as Your Highness."

Meng Shu smiled and patted Lvliu's hand. "I've put you through a few years of training in Jinnan, and you've developed a sweet tongue. Who would have thought that our Lvliu used to be such a soft-hearted crybaby?"

Green Willow's ears turned slightly red: "Back then, thanks to Your Highness and Winter Melon protecting me, I... I felt like I was reborn."

"Since you've put so much thought into this, you should prepare a proper gift for Donggua. Now that Miss Dong is a proper head cook, Miss Liu should also earn the prestige of being a lady-in-waiting..."

The master and servant chatted for a while until the night watchman's drum sounded at 7 PM, at which point Meng Shu went to bed.

In the still of the night at Cuiyu Hall, Donggua couldn't fall asleep.

She usually shares a room with Green Willow, but tonight it happens to be Green Willow's turn to be on night duty.

Moonlight streamed through the window, casting dappled shadows on the floor. She sat up, wrapped in her blanket, her round, almond-shaped eyes unusually bright.

Unable to sleep, Donggua got up, put on his clothes, and fumbled for pen and ink. He wanted to write a letter to Master An to share the good news.

But when she picked up a pen, she realized that not only was her literacy limited, but she also didn't know how to put her many thoughts into words.

He chewed on his pen, racking his brains for half an hour, and twenty childish characters crawled crookedly onto the rice paper:

"Master, your disciple is now a sixth-rank official in charge of food preparations. Meng Shu says that's higher than a magistrate."

The ink was uneven in density, and the magistrate really didn't know how to write the character for "county," so he just made a dot.

After finishing writing, he enthusiastically drew a chubby girl wearing an official's hat in the blank space, holding an iron ladle in a very serious manner. She looked exactly like a servant boy under the Kitchen God. After finishing, he chuckled to himself, then dipped his brush in ink and added a few dark cloud patterns...

Not long after the Emperor left Lingcui Palace, Consort Qing received the news.

She leaned against the embroidered pillow with peony branches, casually took off the red-gold plum blossom hairpin from her temple, and twirled it in her palm.

The candlelight made the smile on her lips appear even brighter: "It seems Fuyan's trick really worked; it's so late, and the Emperor still hasn't retired for the Cuiyu Hall..."

To everyone's surprise, at dawn the next day, Jingming stepped into Zhaoqing Palace with an imperial edict.

The Emperor decreed that during Consort Qing's confinement, no one except the imperial physicians was allowed to visit her—now even the Empress Dowager could no longer send people over frequently.

Upon hearing the news, Consort Pei did not step out of the courtyard of Hanxiang Pavilion for three consecutive days, except for visiting Renming Palace in the morning.

Meng Shu ignored the commotion from Consort Qing's side and waited for the results of Madam Yun's investigation.

......

As the year drew to a close, Consort Chun began to busy herself with the palace affairs once again.

Although Meng Shu was no longer there to help her at all times, she still managed to handle things in an orderly manner. With the guidance of Aunt Mei and Granny Kong Lian, who came from the Empress Dowager Zhou's palace, she generally did not make any mistakes.

The day after Dujuan was sent out of the palace, Yun Baolin went to Huining Palace to apologize, her words filled with self-reproach for her poor discipline: "It's all my fault for being so foolish, letting that girl run wild..."

Consort Chun picked up her teacup and took a small sip, remaining silent throughout.

Aunt Mei gave a wink, and Mengzhu immediately led the palace servants away.

After the palace doors closed, Aunt Mei said, "Yun Baolin is Madam's own niece. This servant should not overstep her bounds, but out of consideration for Your Highness and Madam, this servant will daring to say a few words."

"When that girl Dujuan made a mistake before, Her Majesty reminded Baolin. If she had been dealt with then, things wouldn't have turned out this way..."

Consort Chun slammed the teacup down on the table, the crisp sound startling Yun Baolin.

Consort Chun's gaze was as cold as frost, piercing straight at her. "Why does my cousin look so aggrieved? Weren't those words of Dujuan's, taught to her word by word by you?"

Yun Baolin's face turned ashen. She wanted to argue, but Consort Chun didn't give her the chance.

"Although we are cousins, we have not known each other since childhood. Even though we have gotten along fairly well these days, you are not even a fraction of Shu'er in my heart."

"I will make my words clear to you today. If you want to vie for favor and seek personal gain through the power of the Marquis of Lin'an's residence and my own, I will tolerate it and will not stop you. But you must not harbor any ulterior motives."

"That's all I have to say. You may go back now."

Yun Baolin was both ashamed and timid. She staggered back two steps and forgot to be polite, almost fleeing in panic.

Aunt Mei watched her hurried departure and sighed softly.

"Auntie, please forgive me for speaking too harshly."

Consort Chun rose and walked slowly toward the study.

Aunt Mei followed behind, shaking her head hurriedly, "Your Majesty's words are just like your manner before you got married, straightforward and you hate all those roundabout ways."

Consort Chun stopped in front of the study door, turned around and smiled, "Then I must have been quite annoying in the past."

Aunt Mei smiled and lifted the beaded curtain for her, her voice softening slightly: "Consort Yun is sensitive and perceptive; Your Highness's straightforwardness is actually quite suitable. I'll go to Ganlu Palace later and then discuss the matter with her..."

"After all, she's a blood relative. If she can understand, Your Highness will have another close confidante in the palace. Then, please don't become estranged from her."

Consort Chun picked up a chess manual from the table and sighed softly, "I hope so. Aunt, you might as well speak frankly with my cousin again and tell her not to get too close to Consort Rong, lest she be sold out and implicate me and Shu'er."

Aunt Mei agreed and was about to turn around and leave when she heard Consort Chun instruct: "It's a joyous occasion that Donggua has become the head of the kitchen. Aunt, please have Mengzhu prepare a presentable gift and include the pair of jade bracelets from my dressing case. Send them over after lunch."