Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 419 Asking Madam Su to Perform a Divination

"There are a few silver ingots in the outer dressing case. Take them and send them over." Consort Rong weakly raised her hand and pointed towards the dressing table.

Jixiang lowered her head and obediently replied "Yes," then quietly went to the outer room.

The moment she opened the gilded makeup box, her pupils contracted slightly—twelve ingots of official silver were neatly stacked inside, their bright silver light making her eyes shine.

A rough calculation shows it must be at least two hundred taels.

"Your Majesty, this silver..." Jixiang turned around, holding the silver coins, her voice tinged with hesitation.

"Leave it to Lord Tong Bo, no need to say anything else." Consort Rong lay back in the brocade quilt, her eyes staring blankly at the hundred children picture on the ceiling, two lines of clear tears sliding down her thin cheeks.

With this money to bribe officials, Lianqiao shouldn't be made to suffer.

Jixiang's fingers tightened slightly as she gripped the package: "At this juncture, if Lord Tong refuses to accept it..."

"He will accept it." After Rong Jieyu finished speaking, there was no further movement from the bedchamber.

Jixiang carefully wrapped the silver ingots into a bundle. As she lifted the beaded curtain, she glanced at the middle of the room out of the corner of her eye before turning and leaving the main hall.

......

As dusk settled, Jian Zhi left the palace.

The carriage traveled through the streets and alleys for about half an hour before finally stopping in front of an inconspicuous courtyard house in Yanshoufang.

He strode into the inner room, changed into a coarse gray-brown cloth outfit, and swapped his imperial physician hat for an ordinary turban. Then he quietly went to the woodshed in the backyard and lifted a seemingly ordinary wooden board.

After walking several dozen steps through the tunnel, he emerged at the other end into the backyard of a general store. Jian Zhi dusted off his clothes, pretended to be a passerby buying goods, and mingled into the crowd of people in the market.

When he arrived at the Marquis of Lin'an's residence, the sound of the evening drum could be heard from afar; it was already three quarters past Shen time.

Servants were already waiting at the side gate. When they saw Jian Zhi arrive, they didn't say much, but just made a gesture and led him through several courtyards to Fu'an Residence.

At this time, Marquis Tang Xian of Lin'an was still at the Ministry of Revenue and had not yet returned. The old lady and Madam Yun were overjoyed to hear the news that Consort Chun was pregnant.

The old lady's previously haggard and sickly appearance now had a touch of rosy color. After Jian Zhi finished reporting, she said to Madam Yun, "We've been waiting for so many days, and now our wish has finally come true. Quickly send someone to invite the Marquis back, and then call Lin'er..."

Madam Yun quickly pressed down on the old lady's hand and gently advised, "It is not advisable to make this public for now. When the Marquis returns to the manor, your daughter-in-law will come with him to congratulate Mother."

In that instant, Madam Yun clearly thought things through more thoroughly. She inquired in detail about Consort Chun's recent medical records and daily life. When she heard Meng Shu suggest temporarily relocating to the imperial palace, the old lady pondered for a moment, then stood up with her cane.

“Wan’er is already a concubine, and now that she is pregnant, she will receive further rewards according to custom. She also holds the power to assist in managing the six palaces. Why should she have to leave the palace?” The old lady frowned and shook her head in opposition. “Even with the Empress Dowager’s care, she is pregnant for ten months. Does she really have to stay in Yichun Palace for more than half a year?”

Madam Yun's eyes flickered slightly, but she did not reply immediately. Instead, she instructed Granny Wei, "Take Physician Jian to the Zhen family hospital to rest, and then have someone invite the eldest young master to come and entertain him."

Once only the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were left in the room, Madam Yun personally poured a cup of calming tea for the old lady before softly saying, "Old lady, please calm down. Since this was Shu'er's suggestion, she must have given it some thought."

The palace seems peaceful on the surface, but neither the Empress nor Consort Qing... are they easy to get along with? Now that Shu'er is pregnant, if Wan'er stays in the palace, she might be left helpless in case of any unforeseen events. It would be better for her to temporarily retreat to the imperial palace... Mother, don't forget, Consort Rong's miscarriage might have some hidden story.”

Hearing this, the old lady's expression softened slightly. "This matter is of great importance. You and the Marquis should discuss it again. As for the Empress Dowager, although she has some affection for your aunt, we've already exhausted all our resources. Without the Emperor's approval, it's uncertain whether the Empress Dowager will agree."

Madam Yun said gently, "Mother is right, but the Empress Dowager has always doted on Wan'er, and Shu'er's excuse is quite appropriate..."

The old lady looked at her daughter-in-law, and after her joy, she couldn't help but worry. She said seriously, "Ajin has always been steady and reliable. How could she be so confused today? Even in private, she should address her as 'Consort Jin'."

Consort Jin is now six months pregnant, and it's still unknown whether it's a prince or a princess. Now that Wan'er is also pregnant, why don't you go to your in-laws' residence and ask Madam Su to do some divination?

The last rays of the setting sun shone through the window lattice, casting dappled light and shadow on the blue brick floor.

Madam Yun recalled what Madam Su had said earlier, and a complex look flashed in her eyes.

......

The following morning, inside the Lingcui Palace.

Meng Shu was having breakfast. In her jade bowl was a chicken porridge made with winter melon, accompanied by several seasonal side dishes, a dish of amber-colored pickled cucumbers, a bowl of tender bamboo shoots mixed with water shield, and a newly presented rose sugar cake.

As Green Willow served the dishes, she whispered, "Your Majesty, Aunt Mei left the palace at 3:45 AM."

Seeing that Meng Shu had a good appetite, Dong Gua pushed a plate of pickled cucumbers toward her and casually asked, "Shu Shu, will Madam agree to your suggestion?"

"Madam must understand the advantages and disadvantages involved, but the Marquis and the old lady may not think so."

Meng Shu rested her fingertips on the rim of the bowl, pondering, "The old lady has lived a peaceful life in the inner quarters her whole life, and the Marquis... in truth, most men are 'blind' to the intrigues of the inner quarters, and he may not be able to perceive the undercurrents within the palace. For this matter to succeed, firstly, it depends on how Madam Yun persuades the Marquis, and secondly..."

She looked up towards the direction of Funing Palace. "We need to find a suitable time so that the Emperor can ask for it himself. This trip is on the Emperor's orders to copy scriptures and pray for blessings at the Buddhist hall of Yichun Palace. This way, we can avoid suspicion from others."

Upon hearing this, Green Willow seemed to ponder for a moment before softly saying, "Your Highness has already done her best; it all depends on how the Madam and the Marquis react. This servant thinks that Consort Chun is unwilling to go."

Meng Shu finished the whole bowl of chicken porridge, then took the cloud-patterned handkerchief handed to her by Dong Gua and carefully wiped the corners of her lips.

"It's fine for her to stay in the palace, but we must be extra careful in everything we do. Wan'er is different from the other concubines. If the Empress and Consort Qing find out that she is pregnant, they will probably do whatever it takes to get her."

A gust of wind blew past the window, causing the newly placed peach blossoms on the study desk to rustle through the gaps in the window frame. Donggua hurriedly stepped forward to carefully close the window tightly.

Meng Shu rinsed her mouth with tea, then slowly rose, supported by Lv Liu's arm, and walked into the inner room.

As she leaned back on the soft couch, she lowered her voice and asked, "How was it? Did Jinxi make any noise last night?"

Green Willow's expression hardened, and she reported softly, "Your Majesty's prediction is correct. This servant only had Hongyu pretend to be chatting and mention to Xu Jinxi that she had seen Jixiang talking with Eunuch Chen behind the rockery. Sure enough, he slipped out last night while on night duty."

As she spoke, a cold glint appeared on Green Willow's lips. "It seems that this traitor is indeed a spy planted by Consort Rong."

Upon hearing this, Meng Shu lightly traced a faint mark on the table with her fingertips:

"Even my Cuiyu Hall cannot be perfect in everything, how could Wan'er's Huining Palace be without any oversights? Since Xu Jinxi is Rong Jieyu's man, now is the perfect time to use him to bring this up..."

Even if the empress commits a villainous act, the victims should be made aware of it.