Palace maid Shuoning

(Up)

Jiang Shuoning walked out of the house and saw Eunuch Xin shivering at the door, pacing back and forth with his neck hunched. He took out a few pieces of silver from his sleeve and stuffed them into Eunuch Xin's hand.

Eunuch Xin was taken aback and lowered his head to push.

"Thank you for your hard work, Father-in-law."

After saying that, she adjusted her cloak, pulled the hood down lower, and walked away, disappearing behind the moon gate.

Eunuch Xin opened his palm, looking at the few pieces of silver, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

Jiang Shuo Ning stepped out of Changmen Palace and walked quickly towards Yihua Palace.

Those eyes kept replaying in her mind, looking pitiful and aggrieved, as if they were afraid of being abandoned.

She became inexplicably irritable.

Suddenly, an arm pulled her into the shadows around the corner. She looked up sharply, and Baozhong gestured for her to be quiet.

As the patrolling guards walked along the palace road, Jiang Shuoning took two steps back without making a sound, and the sound of their footsteps gradually faded away.

"You're following me?"

Bao Zhong didn't answer. He took out a flat ointment from his pocket, opened it, picked up a little ointment with his index finger, and reached out to grab Jiang Shuoning's left hand.

Jiang Shuoning shrank back, but Bao Zhong didn't let go; he was very strong and pried her palm open.

There is a split wound on it.

He gently applied it with the pad of his index finger, the movement neither too strong nor too weak.

Jiang Shuoning pursed his lips but did not pull his hand away.

"Suihe has fallen. The Emperor remembers you. The head maid is yours too." Bao Zhong's lips curled up, his voice low, neither pleased nor sarcastic. "You've been a useful pawn. You took a hit for me at the crucial moment, allowing me to escape unscathed."

Jiang Shuoning tried to pull her hand away. Bao Zhong held on tightly, his fingertips continuing to slowly circle in her palm, his jaw taut.

"Are you trying to take down Suihe, or is it for that mute girl? Do you know you're throwing your life away?"

Jiang Shuoning's lips curved slightly, a hint of coolness in them:

"Baozhong, we've all risked our lives to get to this point. You recognized Feng Xi as your godfather for your own future. I mentioned that good-for-nothing to the Emperor, and he didn't get angry. That's what I got for my gamble. Enough."

Her voice lowered, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in her eyes: "As for Suihe, I've wanted to deal with her for a long time. This time, she's going to die."

Bao Zhong's chest heaved slightly. He looked up at her, slowly bent down, and leaned closer to her, his voice low:

"It was Consort Rong who wanted to marry you off to Feng Xi, but you chose to eliminate Sui He. This way, Consort Rong would lose her confidante and give up on the idea. By involving Consort Rong this time, even if Feng Xi is interested in you, he wouldn't dare to take you. So that's your real purpose, and that's why you had no choice but to come to me. Isn't that right?"

Jiang Shuoning looked directly at him, his gaze frank: "Yes."

Bao Zhong's fingers tightened in her palm for a moment.

Jiang Shuoning did not back down and continued:

"Feng Xi is going along with this because he has long disliked Consort Rong. He is willing to join forces with us only to use this matter to suppress Consort Rong's power."

Bao Zhong's pupils contracted sharply, and he tightened his grip on her palm as if he wanted to squeeze her wound until it bled again.

"Going with the flow? Why don't you ask him why he's going with the flow?" His voice was extremely low, so low that only she could hear it. "Shuoning, you've taken a huge gamble this time. Is it worth it for that useless prince?"

Jiang Shuoning abruptly pulled her hand back, clenching her stiff fingers. She looked up at him, her gaze calm.

"I didn't know before. But today I think it might be worth betting on."

Bao Zhong's brows furrowed.

Jiang Shuoning looked at his surging anger and spoke calmly:

"I know you're eyeing Feng Xi's position. But what good would it do to sit in that position? Why not broaden your horizons? If this good-for-nothing whom everyone despises were to be helped up by us one day, or even sit in that position, we would be his saviors. Just think how he would treat us; he might even bestow upon us a title of king or prime minister."

Bao Zhong's forehead vein throbbed. He stared at her for a long time, then suddenly chuckled, his voice carrying an indescribable meaning.

"Jiang Shuoning, how come I didn't realize you were so ambitious before! To be made a king or prime minister? And what about you? What, do you want him to make you empress dowager?"

Jiang Shuoning did not respond. She withdrew her gaze, adjusted her cloak, and her voice softened:

"Alright, that's enough for tonight. Go back and rethink your future."

She turned to leave.

Bao Zhong tilted his head back, took a deep breath as if suppressing something, and his voice was squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying an inexplicable anger:

"But he's mute."

Jiang Shuoning paused, but didn't turn around. Snow fell on her shoulder, but she didn't move.

"Then let him speak."

After saying that, she pulled her cloak tighter around herself, her figure disappearing into the snow, walking away step by step.

Bao Zhong stood there, his chest heaving, gazing at her receding figure. He slowly clenched the hand that had just held hers; his palm was already cold.

The fragrance of sage lingered on the tip of her nose, but it slowly dissipated.

(under)

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Lantern Festival.

The next morning, Jiang Shuoning took a pair of gilded hairpins adorned with flowers and pearls from the gilded tray held by Qing'er and gently inserted them into Rongfei's hair.

The person in the mirror is stunningly beautiful.

Looking at Consort Rong through the mirror, Qing'er couldn't help but admire her:

"These hair ornaments truly make the Empress look like a celestial being. In the end, the person the Emperor cherishes most is still our Empress. The Emperor has been coming every day recently, and the gifts of pearls and jade ornaments have never stopped."

A smile played on Consort Rong's lips as she raised a hand to adjust the hair ornament in her hair, her gaze, however, fell upon Jiang Shuoning, who stood with his head bowed in service, through the mirror. She spoke slowly:

"In the end, I should also thank our head maid of Yihua Palace, Shuoning. After all, she was personally promoted by His Majesty. Those who know say that His Majesty favors me; those who don't might think that His Majesty has ulterior motives."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shuoning immediately knelt down, his body touching the ground, his voice trembling slightly:

"Your Majesty is wise. I owe my current position entirely to Your Majesty's grace, and I would never dare to have any other thoughts. His Majesty's favor towards Your Majesty is not a recent development, but has always been consistent. It's just that His Majesty is concerned about Your Majesty's cold constitution, so he naturally visits more frequently after winter begins."

Consort Rong glanced at her and said indifferently:

"Shuoning, you should know what I fear most. Don't let your good looks lead you to harbor inappropriate thoughts. This palace is never short of beauties. The fact that the Emperor remembers you and made an exception to promote you to be my head maid is not because you are capable, but because the Emperor is doing it for my sake. Otherwise, you would have been beheaded long ago."

Jiang Shuo Ning kowtowed three times, his fingertips digging tightly into the cracks in the brickwork:

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. I will always remember your kindness and would never dare to have any improper thoughts. I only wish to serve Your Majesty with all my heart."

"It's good that you understand." Consort Rong withdrew her gaze and said calmly, "Get up."

Jiang Shuoning slowly rose to his feet. Consort Rong took a gold-inlaid jade bracelet from her jewelry box, casually putting it on her wrist, her tone relaxing:

"Last time you said that none of the maids around Feng Xi lasted more than half a year. After thinking it over, I've decided to drop that matter for now. I'll find you a better one later."

Jiang Shuoning lowered his head, his expression unreadable, and whispered, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."

Just then, Fengchun bowed and came in to report:

"Your Majesty, the Emperor has ordered the Imperial Household Department to send you a new charcoal stove and antique calligraphy and paintings. He said that Your Majesty is sensitive to the cold, so he specially ordered people to make a new stove, which is larger than the old one."

Consort Rong smiled slightly, unable to hide her smugness: "Your Majesty has gone to great lengths. Shuoning, go and put those antique paintings and calligraphy into the storeroom."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Jiang Shuoning bowed and withdrew.

After Fengchun saw her walk away, he approached her and lowered his voice:

"Your Highness, after Sister Suihe was released from the Imperial Prison, she was transferred to the flower room. I heard... Sister Suihe suffered a lot, but she always said she didn't know anything. Now... she's lame in one leg. Xiao Shunzi didn't last two days either, and then he passed away."

Upon hearing this, Consort Rong closed her eyes briefly: "Poor Suihe. Tell her that once this period is over, I will find a way to bring her back. Tell her to bear with it for now."

She paused, opened her eyes, and her gaze suddenly sharpened: "Investigate this matter thoroughly. If it is indeed Consort Liu, I will not let her off lightly. If it is not her, but someone else... then I will not let her live past tomorrow."

Feng Chun bowed his head and replied, "This servant will certainly investigate secretly and bring justice to Your Highness and Sister Suihe."