The harem is too complicated; the empress, a lazy bum, wins by doing nothing.

Chapter 244 Scary
"This Xiao Cui?" Shen Qingwan asked in confusion.

“Your Majesty, this is Xiao Cui’s own idea,” Zhen’er said.

"Your own idea?" Shen Qingwan seemed a little surprised, and after a moment's thought, "When did she propose leaving the palace?"

"Your Majesty, Xiao Cui's decision to leave the palace comes about because the palace recently announced that palace maids who have reached the age of 18 can leave the palace, and she said she wanted to leave."

Why the rush?
It's clear she didn't want to stay in the palace for even a second longer.

She was increasingly convinced that Consort Xian's judgment was not very good; the people she had carefully selected and painstakingly placed here did not seem to be very loyal to her.

That's really tragic!

"Since they have decided to leave the palace, give them an extra month's salary and let them out in the next couple of days."

Shen Qingwan picked up the teacup in front of her and took a small sip of tea.

If she didn't have any special requests, Zhen'er usually brewed her osmanthus tea, but after taking a sip of today's tea, she felt that the taste was different from usual.

Shen Qingwan was taken aback and glanced down at the teacup in her hand.

What's floating in the teacup looks like... honeysuckle?

"Add some honeysuckle to the tea to clear heat and detoxify, and prevent colds and chills." Zhen'er paused and continued, "I saw that there was some in the palace, so I used green tea as the base and added some honeysuckle. Does Your Majesty like it? If Your Majesty doesn't like it, I'll go and change it to osmanthus tea for you right away."

Adding some honeysuckle to tea can clear heat and detoxify, and prevent colds and chills.

What Zhen'er said might not have been understood by others in Kunning Palace, but Shen Qingwan heard it clearly.

These were the words Prince Rui had told her that evening when she had a chance encounter with him in the Imperial Garden.

"No need. I'm tired of drinking osmanthus tea all the time. Green tea with some honeysuckle is much more refreshing. From now on, brew this tea for me." Shen Qingwan took another sip before placing the teacup on the food plate. "Bring me the list of palace maids leaving the palace again. Besides Xiao Cui, there seems to be another young one. Have you asked her why she wants to leave? Is she unhappy in Kunning Palace?"

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, this servant has already inquired. The other younger palace maid who is leaving the palace is Xiaoling, a maid from the small kitchen of Kunning Palace. Half a year ago, her mother contracted a cough, and the medicine did not help. Not long ago, the cough became more and more serious, to the point of vomiting blood. In fact, she did not want to leave the palace. Seeing that her mother was about to die, she was afraid that if she did not take this opportunity to leave the palace, she might not even be able to see her one last time."

So that’s it!
"Why didn't you let me know about this sooner?" Shen Qingwan frowned deeply. "Go and call Xiaoling over. I have something to ask her."

Xiao Ling had been serving Shen Qingwan since she moved into Kunning Palace. Unfortunately, due to her lowly status, she could only do some menial work in the small kitchen. Even though she could often see the Empress, she could only watch from afar and rarely had the opportunity to stand face to face with her like this.

"Your Majesty the Empress." Xiaoling's shoulders trembled slightly as she knelt on the ground, not daring to raise her head.

"Get up," Shen Qingwan said softly.

"This servant wouldn't dare." A fine layer of sweat covered Xiaoling's forehead. She still didn't dare to look up and shook her head. "Your Majesty, has this servant done something wrong? Please punish me, Your Majesty."

Punishment?

Shen Qingwan looked at her frightened expression with a mixture of amusement and exasperation, and couldn't help but think to herself, "Is she really that scary?"
She had always considered herself to be very kind and approachable. "Don't be afraid," Shen Qingwan said gently.

Her attempt to comfort Xiaoling only made her shoulders tremble more noticeably.

Shen Qingwan: ...

Ah this!

Shen Qingwan glanced at Zhen'er, who quickly said, "Don't be nervous or afraid. Her Majesty the Empress just has a few questions for you. Just answer truthfully."

Zhen'er's words did indeed have an effect. Xiao Cui visibly breathed a sigh of relief, and her expression softened a bit. "This servant will definitely answer truthfully."

Shen Qingwan: ? ? ?

Zhen'er's words were like a reassuring pill; they were surprisingly effective.

Could it be that she was a fearsome shrew in the harem?
The persona she had painstakingly cultivated for so long... has finally crumbled!
No!

Shen Qingwan took a deep breath and said softly, "What I want to ask you is whether your original intention in leaving the palace was because you were not doing well in Kunning Palace, or because of your mother's illness?"

This time, Xiaoling didn't hesitate at all and almost blurted out, "Your Majesty, I entered the palace to serve when I was twelve years old. I haven't seen my mother for seven years. Now that my mother is seriously ill, I cannot be by her bedside to fulfill my filial duty. If I can't even see my mother one last time, I will regret it for the rest of my life."

Before Xiaoling could finish speaking, tears were already streaming down her face.

At such a young age, when she should have been cared for, she left her parents to serve in the palace, living a life of constant anxiety and helplessness.

While it can't be said that this was fate, it seems that during this period, such women were neither rare nor uncommon.

Shen Qingwan sighed. "Is there anyone else in your family? What about your father?"

"Your Majesty," Xiaoling replied, "My father married a concubine when I was three years old. Later, the concubine gave birth to a younger sister and a younger brother. The concubine bullied my mother every day. My father disliked that my mother could not bear a son, and he also beat and scolded me incessantly. In order to stop me from being beaten, my mother asked someone to send me to the palace. Who knew that life in the palace would be so difficult? Later, I was assigned to Kunning Palace. Her Majesty the Empress is kind-hearted, so I am at least well-fed and warmly dressed."

Fortunately, I was assigned to Kunning Palace?

When she was first assigned to Kunning Palace to serve the original owner, she was probably one of the least popular palace maids and eunuchs. After all, at that time, Consort Xian was the only one in power in the harem, and the Empress was not favored by Emperor Yuanwu, which was common knowledge.

However, since her father was able to take a concubine, Xiaoling's family must not have been in dire straits. Her mother's decision to send her to the palace to serve others was certainly not for the sake of food.

If it wasn't about food, then it was about helping her find a way to survive.
Shen Qingwan had a vague idea of ​​what was going on. "Does your mother still live in your old house?"

"Your Majesty, my mother moved out of my father's house a year after I entered the palace, and now she lives alone in the old house in the countryside."

"So, what are your plans after you leave the palace?"

Xiaoling shook her head, "This servant doesn't know..."