frightfiction Chapter 263 Your Shuer Didn't Suffer a Loss
Chapter 263 Your Shuer Didn't Suffer a Loss
Regarding the matter of serving the emperor, Hua Yan knew that she would eventually face such a situation when she entered the palace with the second young lady.
But when that day might really come soon, a little panic inevitably welled up in her heart. Aunt Mei noticed Hua Yan's unusual state, and a trace of pity flashed in her eyes.
Hua Yan quickly concealed her panic and pulled Aunt Mei to sit down.
"Do you still remember, young lady, when I first came to work at Yunyi Courtyard in Lin'an? You, with Donggua and Mengzhu, knocked on my door in the middle of the night. You not only brought gifts but also pen and ink, saying you wanted to learn from me. When I saw the three of you young ladies standing there so obediently in a row, my heart melted." (Chapter 80)
Aunt Mei's eyes welled up with tears as she recounted old stories of Lin'an.
Although only five or six years have passed, the scenes of my life in Lin'an seem like a long time ago.
Hua Yan recalled, "How could I not remember? At that time, you were still the head of the household. Madam ordered the maids of Yunyi Courtyard to prepare for the Second Miss's birthday banquet. Fortunately, you gave us guidance, otherwise we might have made many mistakes."
Aunt Mei smiled and said with emotion, "You are the most thoughtful. Mengzhu's gift was prepared in advance by you, wasn't it?"
"I knew I couldn't hide it from you." Hua Yan smiled and nodded.
"Among you, only Mengzhu is a servant born into a family. She has always been well-behaved and disciplined, but she is steady and reliable. Ruizhu is impatient and loves to gossip, and she can't keep things to herself."
There's no need to elaborate on Mingyue and Donggua. As for you, you are intelligent, quick-witted, and the most considerate and thoughtful person.
Before meeting you, the old lady had intended for Mengzhu to be the second young lady's concubine. It was shortly after that banquet that the madam privately mentioned to me that she had decided to have you as the second young lady's concubine.
Hua Yan was about to say something when Aunt Mei grabbed her arm and continued:
"Please allow me to finish what I have to say. At that time, I felt that your appearance was too good and I was afraid that you would steal the favor of the second young lady. But the madam said something to me."
The lady said, "The favor bestowed upon us in the palace is the most unreliable thing. I only hope that one day, if Meng Shuruo rises to a higher social status, she and Wan'er can support each other, and that will be enough."
Hua Yan had always admired Madam Yun, and upon hearing these words, she was filled with mixed emotions.
"Don't worry, Aunt Mei. I had already made preparations for serving you in bed before I even entered the Prince's residence."
Aunt Mei was relieved. Before leaving, she said to Hua Yan, "You are already a talented woman. To be honest, whether it is appearance or temperament, the second young lady... is actually no match for you."
Now that Consort Xiu is pregnant, and Consort Mei has a past relationship with the Emperor, and new concubines will soon enter the palace, it would be quite opportune for a talented woman to serve the Emperor and gain his favor.
"Aunt Mei, you flatter me."
Hua Yan comforted me, saying, "The Marquis's mansion saved me from danger and also saved my uncle's life. Putting these reasons aside, the Second Miss is very kind and treats me like a sister. How could we just support each other? To me, the Second Miss has always been my mistress."
Upon hearing this, Aunt Mei nearly burst into tears. She took two steps back, knelt on the ground, and wept, saying, "On behalf of the Marquis's Mansion and the Madam, this servant thanks the Lady."
Hua Yan sighed softly, helped Aunt Mei up, and the two chatted for a while before Aunt Mei took her leave.
Green Willow carried the tea into the bedroom and saw that Flower Face was in a daze. She asked worriedly what Aunt Mei had come for.
After listening, Green Willow's eyes reddened. "Life is cruel. If Lord Zhou had returned sooner, you wouldn't have needed to be a concubine, and you wouldn't have to waste your days in the harem. With Shu'er's beauty and talent, you could live freely anywhere."
Hua Yan forced a smile and took the teacup from Lv Liu's hand.
"Look at what you're saying. After being sold to Zheng's brokerage firm, her future was unpredictable. If it were you, could you just stand by and watch the Second Miss walk on thin ice in the harem?"
There were reports of vipers while she was still in the Prince's residence. Given Consort Chun's naivety, if she entered the palace without anyone's help, her fate would be unimaginable...
"I was upset and saddened for you, but you just thought nothing of it."
"Alright, alright, it's just serving the Emperor for one night. The Emperor is young and strong, and handsome and extraordinary. Your Shuer isn't at a disadvantage."
Green Willow was shocked and hurriedly covered Flower Face's mouth, "Heavens above! You should really let Madam Yun see your mouth."
Hua Yan chuckled. After Lü Liu's antics, her annoyance had dissipated considerably.
"Do we still need to go to the Empress's place?" Green Willow asked cautiously.
Hua Yan shook her head. "There's no need to go for now."
Green Willow cared most about Flower Face. With no one else in the hall, she held Flower Face's arm tightly and whispered, "Your Highness has taken away all the pills that Sister Huanyun gave you and has strictly forbidden Doctor Jian from providing them again. I think Your Highness not only doesn't care about your bedchamber affair, but also wants to push for it."
"There's no reason why a talented woman shouldn't serve the emperor. Your Majesty is only thinking of me."
The news of Hua Yan receiving a reward spread throughout the palace in less than half an hour. Inside Zhaoqing Palace, Consort Mei seemed to be deep in thought.
When the Empress learned of this, she remained calm. Granny Gui said, "Consort Meng is very beautiful, so it is only natural that she is favored. I wonder what Consort Chun will think."
......
Funing Hall.
A full incense stick's time had passed, yet the Emperor remained lost in thought, pen in hand, a single drop of bright red ink already congealed on the memorial he was writing. Jingming stood to the side, his eye twitching slightly, wondering which official had been so unlucky...
After Dong Ming returned with the rewards, the Emperor finally came to his senses. He casually drew a circle on the memorial to indicate his approval and then tossed it aside.
"Your Majesty, I have delivered the reward to Huining Palace."
The Emperor nodded slightly, signaling Dong Ming to continue his report. Dong Ming, puzzled, cautiously looked at Jing Ming, who could only whisper a prompt: "Did Consort Meng say anything?"
Dong Ming replied, "The lady says she thanks His Majesty for the reward."
That's all?
Jingming thought to himself, "This shouldn't be happening. Didn't the lady say when she'd come to express her gratitude?"
Seeing Dong Ming shake his head, the Emperor was not angry. Dong Ming felt relieved and retreated nervously. He patted his head and hurriedly headed towards Huining Palace.
The Emperor turned and glanced at Jingming, who immediately lowered his eyes and focused on his mind, like an old monk in deep meditation.
Having lost interest in reviewing memorials, the Emperor was about to put down his pen and get up when a palace attendant announced that Consort Mei was requesting an audience.
The Emperor raised his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Let her in."
Consort Mei was dressed in a pale yellow palace gown today. Behind her, Liuli carried a food box. After bowing to the Emperor, Consort Mei took the food box from Liuli and walked gracefully to the imperial desk. She said softly, "Your Majesty, I have personally prepared a pot of lily and lotus seed soup. It is good for the heart and calms the mind. Please have some."
Jingming stepped forward and took it. The Emperor said calmly, "Consort Mei is very kind. You are in poor health and need not worry about this. You should focus on recuperating."
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I recently acquired a copy of the Hua Family Genealogy, which contains the lost score of the Xunyang Night Moon Melody. I wonder if Your Majesty is free tonight?"
After saying this, Consort Mei looked at the Emperor with anticipation, her eyes seemingly filled with a hint of seeking confirmation.
Her elder sister, Qing Zhitong, was extremely skilled at the pipa and had long sought the lost score of the "Xunyang Night Moon" melody before her death; the Emperor himself had searched for it for a long time. She wanted to use this score to gauge the Emperor's reaction. If the Emperor cared for her sister, he would surely come to Zhaoqing Palace tonight.
"The moonlit night in Xunyang?" the Emperor asked, frowning.
Just as Consort Mei was about to reply, she heard the Emperor say, "There's no need to rush the matter of the musical score today."
Consort Mei was filled with mixed emotions and didn't know how to respond. She could only curtsy to the Emperor and take her leave.
As I was leaving Funing Palace, I bumped into Hua Yan. Looking at her, who was not wearing any makeup but was as beautiful as a peach blossom in spring, I felt a slight pang in my heart.
Hua Yan bowed to Consort Mei, who chuckled and said, "Your beauty and charm surpass Consort Chun's by a hundredfold."
Hua Yan also chuckled and replied, "I've heard that Consort Mei's elder sister is incredibly beautiful. I wonder how much Consort Mei resembles the eldest daughter of the Duke's mansion?"