Palace maid Shuoning

(Up)

The night was dark.

In the courtyard of the greenhouse, Suihe was limping as she carried pots of green plants from the yard back to the greenhouse.

The wind is strong tonight, and Granny Sun said it might rain, so she told her to move all the plants in the yard inside.

She carried a pot of flowers toward the greenhouse. Her legs were already weak, and when the wind blew, she stumbled and fell.

The flowerpot slipped from my hand and shattered on the ground, scattering soil everywhere.

Suihe hurriedly looked up at Granny Sun's room, where she heard sounds of someone turning over. She mumbled something indistinctly:

"Two ounces for a pot of flowers, remember to pay me back tomorrow."

Then there was silence inside the room.

Suihe squatted down, dug her fingers into the broken soil, and scooped the soil back into the broken pieces of the flowerpot.

The flower had already broken, its roots exposed, drooping listlessly.

She stared at it for a moment, then gathered the broken tiles to the corner of the wall and went to move the next basin.

A gust of wind blew into the corridor, making her skirt flutter loudly. She gritted her teeth and carried potted plants into the greenhouse.

As the last pot was being carried in, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and a torrential downpour began.

Rainwater pounded on the greenhouse roof and then flowed down the eaves in streams of water.

Suihe stood at the doorway, gazing at the rain outside the corridor, then slowly squatted down and sat down on the threshold.

Rain was blown in by the wind, hitting her face and shoulders, and her muddy skirt clung wetly to her legs.

She recalled how, when Fengchun handed over the silver earlier that day, she pretended to slip and drop the bag of silver on the ground, and as she watched Fengchun bend down to pick it up one by one, she couldn't help but mock her.

Fengchun used to follow behind her, calling her "elder sister" repeatedly. She was the one who had been promoted to serve Consort Rong.

People in the palace have always been obsequious to the powerful and domineering towards the weak. Everyone is like that, without exception.

Qing'er's words kept echoing in my mind: "You're not coming back. The Empress doesn't want you anymore."

Suihe sat on the threshold, the sound of rain filling her ears.

She began to recall the time when she was thirteen and followed Consort Rong into the palace, when Consort Rong was still a young concubine.

To please the Emperor, she practiced the pipa night after night. She stayed by her side, handing her water and handkerchiefs. When Consort Rong's fingers were cut by the strings, she applied medicine bit by bit.

Later, when Consort Rong was bullied by other concubines, she was beaten and forced to kneel. When she returned to the palace kneeling in the snow, her knees were worn out and the bones were exposed. It was she who knelt beside her and applied medicine little by little.

Consort Rong held her hand, her eyes filled with tears, her voice trembling: "Suihe, once we get through this, you'll have everything I have."

She believed it, she truly believed it.

Later, Consort Rong gave birth to a daughter for the Emperor. That was five years ago.

The Emperor was overjoyed and immediately promoted her to the rank of Consort.

But the child died before reaching 100 days old.

She remembered that the snowstorm that night was incredibly heavy. Consort Rong knelt in the snow, holding her daughter, and wept in despair. She knelt with her for three days and three nights.

From that time on, Consort Rong developed a chronic illness. Every winter, her hands and feet would be cold, she would be weak and have many dreams, and she would have difficulty falling asleep.

It was after that incident that the emperor bestowed upon her the title of concubine, entrusting her with the management of the six palaces.

After experiencing the pain of losing her daughter, Consort Rong was like a different person. She would try every means to get rid of whoever was favored in the palace.

But she always felt that she was different. Fifteen years had passed, from a lowly concubine to a favored imperial consort, she had been there for her through it all.

She thought that Consort Rong wouldn't abandon her.

But Consort Rong simply didn't want her anymore.

Consort Rong kept saying she would find out the truth for her, but even if she did, what then?

Her leg was already lame.

Even if a palace maid with a limp is exonerated and her innocence is restored, she can no longer stand by her side.

She can't go back.

The rain was getting heavier and heavier, and the water dripping from the eaves was like an endless thread.

Suihe slowly stood up, her skirt soaked through and hanging heavily.

Looking at the blurred palace walls through the rain, she recalled Jiang Shuo standing calmly behind Consort Rong; she recalled Bao Zhong's expressionless face as he tortured her in the Imperial Prison; she recalled the scene of the mute slave from Changmen Palace identifying her in the Imperial Prison.

Suihe clenched her sleeves, her fingertips digging into her palms.

Then nobody will have an easy time.

(under)

The next morning, the rain was still falling and showed no signs of stopping. The entire palace was shrouded in rain and mist, and the water on the palace roads was ankle-deep.

A palace maid went to wake Granny Sun, but after calling out twice at the door without response, she pushed the door open and went in. Immediately afterwards, a scream came from inside the room.

On the palace path, palace maids and eunuchs hurried by, holding umbrellas. Suihe, soaked by the rain, was pushing a small cart with a limp, with several potted plants on it.

The palace maids and eunuchs who passed by all turned to look at her, but she didn't look at anyone. She just kept pushing herself step by step toward Yihua Palace.

Yihua Palace.

Consort Rong was helping the Emperor change his clothes, her voice sweet and charming: "Your Majesty came last night without even informing me."

The Emperor glanced down at her, his deep eyes devoid of any warmth.

"I have no choice but to come, and now that I'm here, you don't like it?"

"Not at all." Consort Rong smiled as she fastened her gilded belt, turning her head to look at him. "At noon, I had the kitchen prepare orchid-stuffed glutinous rice chicken. Would Your Majesty like to come?"

The Emperor did not respond, but raised his hand and brushed it against her cheek before stepping out of the bedchamber.

Jiang Shuo Ning was standing guard at the door, kneeling and bowing: "This servant greets Your Majesty."

The Emperor stepped out of the doorway, then paused. The rain hit his face, mixed with a very faint scent of eucommia.

He glanced at her sideways, as if recognizing the scent, or perhaps just glancing at it casually, and instructed, "Take good care of Her Majesty."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Jiang Shuoning replied, his eyes lowered.

Consort Rong stood beside the Emperor, glanced at Jiang Shuoning following his gaze, then looked away, smiled, and walked to the Emperor's side:

"It rained all night, and it looks like it's going to rain all day. The roads are slippery, Your Majesty, please drive carefully on your way back."

After she finished speaking, she looked at Bao Zhong, glanced at him, and then her gaze fell on Feng Xi: "Please trouble Eunuch Feng to tell the sedan chair bearers to walk more steadily."

Feng Xi nodded slightly: "Yes, Your Majesty."

Jiang Shuoning's lips twitched, and he glanced up at Bao Zhong. Bao Zhong was also looking over, and their eyes met briefly before they both lowered their gazes again without making a sound.

After Suihe left last night, Qing'er went to Consort Rong crying and handed over the story of being beaten and the bag of silver.

Consort Rong didn't react much, only offering a few perfunctory words of comfort, saying that it was normal for Suihe to have some resentment after being wronged in the flower room.

Then, he turned to ask Fengchun how the investigation was going.

Fengchun said that he had privately inquired with Eunuch Qiao and the palace maids and eunuchs of Changmen Palace, and they all said that they had personally witnessed Suihe frequently meeting with Xiaoshunzi in secret.

After listening, Consort Rong remained silent for a while, then said with certainty, "I know Suihe. She wouldn't do such a thing behind my back. It seems that someone is deliberately trying to hide it from me."

Jiang Shuoning stood aside and listened without saying a word. She could tell that Consort Rong was still speaking up for Suihe, and she also knew that Consort Rong had probably already guessed what had happened to Baozhong.

So last night she had someone pass a message to Baozhong, telling him to spend more time with Feng Xi lately.

Feng Xi is his godfather. Even if Consort Rong really wants to harm Bao Zhong, she has to get past Feng Xi first.

The Emperor turned to look at Consort Rong and said softly:

"Go inside and sleep a little longer. It's chilly today, and you're not feeling well to begin with, so don't catch a cold."

After saying that, he stepped out onto the veranda. Bao Zhong and Feng Xi followed him, one on each side holding an umbrella.

Consort Rong smiled gently and curtsied slightly: "Your Majesty, this concubine respectfully sees you off."

As I straightened up, I suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar figure in the courtyard.

Several eunuchs were unloading green plants from a cart. Suihe stood beside them, head bowed, her soaked skirt clinging to her legs.

Consort Rong's smile froze, and she glanced quickly at the Emperor. He had already reached the palace gate and didn't turn back.

She finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Suihe kept her head down. A pair of scissors was hidden in her sleeve, the blade still stained with blood that hadn't dried.

Eunuchs carried green plants back and forth. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, she limped towards the corridor, rainwater mixed with mud dripping from her skirt.

Just as Consort Rong was about to turn around and return to the palace, the figure in her peripheral vision suddenly moved.

Suddenly, Suihe raised her head, grabbed the scissors, and lunged at her, letting out a scream. The rain was too loud to hear what she was saying, but all that could be seen was her eyes filled with blood-red hatred.

Consort Rong's face turned pale instantly, and she staggered back a step.

"Your Majesty!"

Jiang Shuoning shouted and rushed to Rongfei's side without hesitation.

At the same time, the Emperor suddenly turned around at the palace gate. Bao Zhong and Feng Xi also looked over in a panic and saw Sui He rushing towards Consort Rong with scissors in hand, as if she had gone mad.

"Outrageous!" the Emperor roared in fury. "Protect Consort Rong! Seize her!"