Palace maid Shuoning

(Up)

At the entrance of Yihua Palace.

"Go inside quickly."

Bao Zhong released her hand, but his fingertips gently brushed against her palm before withdrawing, a warm smile playing on his lips.

"You've only recently recovered, so take good care of yourself and don't overwork yourself."

Jiang Shuoning nodded slightly, the corners of his lips unconsciously curving into a smile, and turned to leave.

"Shuoning".

She turned around.

Bao Zhong stood in the moonlight, his gaze soft and deep as he looked at her, and whispered:

"Leave the arrangements for sending him to the library to me. The Changmen Palace is undergoing renovations anyway, so we can use that as a pretext. No one can find fault with it if they come to investigate. I'm the most suitable person to handle this matter; you must not get involved."

The moonlight quietly fell between the two of them.

Bao Zhong paused, his gaze filled with a mixture of unease and an indescribable tenderness:

"From now on, whatever you encounter, be careful. If you really run into difficulties, look back, I'll be right here."

Jiang Shuoning looked up at him, the corners of her mouth curving slightly deeper:

"Then you should too. From now on, whatever happens, the three of us will discuss and resolve it together."

Bao Zhong was slightly taken aback, then smiled and looked into her eyes, saying gently, "Okay, I promise you."

Jiang Shuoning smiled faintly, said nothing more, turned around and strode into the palace gate.

Bao Zhong stood there, watching the door close gently, and didn't move for a long time.

The warmth of her touch still lingered in his palm. He subconsciously clenched his fingers, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.

The night breeze brushed against the hem of his clothes. He chuckled softly, turned around, and walked back, his steps much lighter than when he came.

In the shadows at the corner of the palace road, a figure stood quietly against the wall, watching Bao Zhong's back recede into the distance, then silently turned and disappeared into the deeper night.

As Jiang Shuoning stepped into the courtyard, Feng Chun stood under the eaves, gazing at her with a captivating expression.

"Her Majesty has been awake for quite some time and is waiting for Sister Shuoning."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shuoning's smile vanished instantly, and he walked quickly toward the bedchamber without making a sound.

"Has Sister Shuoning found Xiahe yet?" Fengchun asked slowly from behind her.

Jiang Shuoning paused, but didn't turn around: "No."

When Fengchun saw her enter the bedchamber, lean against a pillar, tilt her head, and spit out a curse in a voice that was neither loud nor soft:

"Hmph, lying through your teeth. You went to Changmen Palace to meet that mute servant again. Sooner or later someone will find something on you, and even the Empress won't be able to protect you then. Let's see how arrogant you'll be then."

After saying that, he patted the dust off his sleeves, turned around, and left.

The bedchamber was dimly lit, with only a lone lamp lit in a corner. Ice cubes were contained in a gilded ice mirror, from which wisps of cool air emanated.

The lingering smoke in the incense burner was about to dissipate.

Jiang Shuoning lowered his head and walked slightly to the canopy bed. From inside the curtains came Consort Rong's weary voice: "Where did you go?"

"Your Majesty, I went to look for Xia He. I searched every corner of the palace, but I still couldn't find her. That girl is stubborn. She was scolded today, and I was afraid she would get stuck on her own thoughts and not think straight, which is why I was delayed for a while."

As soon as he finished speaking, silence fell inside the curtained room.

After a moment, Consort Rong slowly spoke: "Then let's not look for her anymore. Let her die outside, so I won't have to collect her body."

After a pause, her voice turned even colder: "The maids of our Yihua Palace are truly all incredibly capable, their minds are all wandering outside."

Jiang Shuoning's heart tightened slightly, and he lowered his head even further, his voice tinged with shame:

"Your Majesty is right. It was my oversight that caused you trouble by failing to manage your subordinates properly. I will handle Xiahe's matter properly and will never let her tarnish the reputation of Yihua Palace again."

There was no more sound from inside the curtain.

Jiang Shuoning's mind raced, and she said softly, "Your Majesty, it's late. Let me give you a massage to relax your head so you can sleep more soundly."

Consort Rong then slowly hummed in agreement, as if she had finally caught her breath, and turned over.

(under)

Jiang Shuoning lifted one side of the curtain, gently hung it on the golden hook, then knelt down, raised his hand and gently placed it on Rongfei's temples, massaging them with his fingertips.

After a while, Consort Rong closed her eyes, her breathing gradually became even, and her tense shoulders and neck visibly relaxed a bit.

The moment Jiang Shuoning noticed her body go limp, he lightened the pressure on his hands and continued pressing her down slowly.

The hall was quiet, with only the occasional drip of water from the ice mirror.

Jiang Shuoning pursed his lips and spoke softly:

"Your Majesty, the Dragon Boat Festival is just around the corner. In previous years, all the palaces would gather at the Empress's palace to celebrate. Why don't we at Yihua Palace also organize something this year? Firstly, the palace has been quiet for quite some time, so we can take this opportunity to liven things up. Secondly, His Majesty has mentioned before that he hopes Your Majesty will interact more with the other palaces. After all, Your Majesty manages the six palaces, so it's time to let those below you see the prestige of Yihua Palace."

Consort Rong didn't even lift her eyelids, her voice turning cold:

"Make arrangements? Why should I make arrangements for them? Let those people sit in my palace eating and drinking, and then gossip about me behind my back? I don't have the time for that."

Jiang Shuoning continued working with his hands, but his tone softened even more:

"Your Majesty is right. It's inevitable that those people will cause trouble when they gather together. Why give them that opportunity? But think about it from another perspective: the Dragon Boat Festival banquet is being held at Yihua Palace. The invitations were sent out by Your Majesty, and the people are sitting right in front of Your Majesty. Who came and who didn't come is all under Your Majesty's watchful eye."

If the Emperor arrives, the first place he'll step through is the gate of Yihua Palace; others will naturally understand. The spectacle is for outsiders; the decorum inside truly belongs to the Empress.

Upon hearing this, Consort Rong paused her finger by the bedside.

Jiang Shuoning's voice softened even further:

"It also lets them know that in this palace, the Emperor still favors Your Highness the most. I'm not asking Your Highness to entertain them, but rather for them to come and pay their respects to Your Highness. I'll prepare the list first, and the writing of the invitations, who to invite and who not to invite, is entirely up to Your Highness. I'll take care of the trivial matters, so you won't have to worry about anything."

The hall remained quiet for a while.

Consort Rong opened her eyes, turned her head to look at her, her gaze carrying a hint of scrutiny, as if weighing how much sincerity and how much scheming was in those words.

Jiang Shuoning met her gaze calmly, his warm palm pressing steadily on her temple without flinching.

In the end, Consort Rong said nothing, turned her face back, closed her eyes, and said in a muffled voice:

"Let's get the roster sorted out first."

Jiang Shuoning smiled slightly and answered softly, "Yes," while his hand continued to press down, the force even and sustained.

Rongfei's breathing gradually became shallow and rapid, then deep and steady. Her shoulders and neck relaxed completely, and even the hand that was resting on the edge of the bed drooped down softly.

Jiang Shuoning then gently withdrew his hand, took the curtain off the golden hook, and slowly lowered it to block out the light inside.

When she stood up, her knees and waist ached. She took two steps back, turned around, and quietly left the bedchamber.

A night breeze swept over me, carrying the sultry heat and scent of grass and trees characteristic of early summer.

She stood under the eaves, took a deep breath, and the tension she had been maintaining inside the hall slowly eased.

The courtyard was empty, with only moonlight covering the ground. Jiang Shuoning looked up at the moon in the sky, then looked down and clenched his fingertips.

The warmth of Bao Zhong's palm was gone. She remembered what Bao Zhong had said: "Look back, I'm right here."

The corners of her mouth unconsciously curved up, then she suppressed them again.

Never mind, I'll stop thinking about that for now.

The Dragon Boat Festival banquet was the most important thing right now. She quickened her pace and headed towards the backyard.