Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 237 Nonsensical

Ruizhu kept talking and didn't realize that Aunt Mei had stepped into the bedroom. Mengzhu couldn't help but facepalm and mourn for Ruizhu. However, instead of saying anything to remind her, she secretly placed something in Aunt Mei's palm.

Aunt Mei's face darkened slightly, and she was about to reprimand someone when suddenly a ruler appeared in her hand.

Hua Yan saw it all and couldn't help but smile.

Aunt Mei stepped forward, pinched Ruizhu's ear with her left hand, and gently slapped her buttocks with a ruler in her right hand, saying, "You have no manners. In the past, when Miss indulged you in the manor, you became arrogant and ignorant. Now that you've entered the palace, you still don't know how to behave. How dare you speak so presumptuously about noble ladies?"

Consort Chun, who was admiring the painting, waved her hand to stop her, saying, "Aunt Mei, let Ruizhu speak."

Ruizhu had just spoken her mind freely, but now she was shrinking her neck, covering her ears and crying out in pain, muttering:

“Aunt Mei, I’m not wrong. Just now on the way, Consort Qu asked about Hua Yan’s background and said that she is not only beautiful but also clever. At this banquet, she caught the Emperor’s eye with just one painting.”

Aunt Mei asked urgently, "And how did you respond?"

"As this servant says, whether a gift is given with sincerity depends on whether the person giving the gift has put their heart into it."

"You sharp-tongued rascal."

Consort Chun laughed and scolded.

The birthday gift that Consort Qu sent was a gold filigree hairpin inlaid with pearls and jade flowers and butterflies. Although it was quite valuable, it was rather ordinary and showed a bit of perfunctoriness. Moreover, Consort Chun had given Consort Qu at least five or six similar gold and jade jewelry pieces in the past.

"I escorted her all the way to Qianying Pavilion. When I was about to take my leave, Consort Qu pulled me aside, feigning concern, and said, 'Consort Chun is kind and virtuous. These are words I, as her younger sister, should not speak of, but since Consort Chun is currently favored by the Emperor, such praise of Consort Meng would only invite criticism from outsiders...'"

The pearls were lively and vivid, perfectly mimicking the tone of the talented musician.

Before she could finish speaking, Consort Chun's face turned as cold as frost. "She really doesn't know what's good for her. In the past, when she came to Huining Palace, I was very tolerant of her because of the relationship between our two households. I never expected her to be like this... so utterly clueless."

Aunt Mei grabbed Ruizhu's arm, stopping her from continuing, and gently advised, "It's not worth making Her Majesty angry. Just keep your distance from her in the future and treat her like an ordinary concubine."

Hua Yan poured a cup of hot tea and handed it to Consort Chun, saying, "Consort Qu has always been sensitive and thoughtful. She might have kept these words to herself in the past, but she couldn't help but speak them out this time. I'm afraid it's because the Emperor will be holding an additional imperial examination next year, and Consort Qu is being valued by the Emperor as a result."

Qu Cairen's father was originally a lecturer in the Hanlin Academy and now also serves as the director of studies at the Imperial Academy. Only then did Consort Chun realize this, and said disdainfully, "The Qu family has been noble for generations, and Lord Qu may not think anything of it. It is she who has lost her composure first."

Donggua carried a bowl of chicken soup wontons into the palace and noticed that Consort Chun's expression was strange, so he quickly looked at Huayan.

Hua Yan nodded slightly, and Dong Gua said softly, "Your Majesty didn't eat much at the banquet, so I cooked a few wontons in chicken broth. You might as well have some."

The soup was clear and the wontons were white with a hint of pink, which was very pleasing to the eye.

Mengzhu Ruizhu hadn't eaten dinner yet. She sniffed and exclaimed, "It smells so good! Winter melon is the most comforting."

Consort Chun loved spicy food, and there was a small dish of chili oil on the plate, which was made by mixing sesame oil with chili peppers.

Donggua smiled and said, "I've saved some for you too. There's not only wontons, but also roasted mutton, milk-stuffed fish, scallion and vinegar chicken, mixed spicy soup, eggplant with chive blossoms, and plum ginger."

Donggua rattled off a long list of dishes, making Mengzhu Ruizhu's mouth water.

Consort Chun's appetite was whetted by the news, and she actually started to have a better taste of the soup. She then ignored Consort Qu's matter, took a few sips of soup with a spoon, and Mengzhu served her some tea.

The group crowded together in the bedroom, just like before. Aunt Mei punished Ruizhu by not allowing her to eat dinner and made her kneel in the back hall to reflect on her mistakes. Ruizhu begged for mercy with a bitter face. Before Consort Chun could even speak to persuade her, Aunt Mei took her away.

A eunuch from the Funing Palace came to deliver a message, saying that the Emperor would be arriving shortly.

While Hua Yan and Meng Zhu were helping Consort Chun with her toilette, Ming Yue nimbly entered the palace. There were three imperial physicians on duty in the Imperial Hospital, but when they heard that Consort Qu was ill, they were not very proactive and in the end, they pushed Jian Zhi to go instead.

Consort Chun nodded, telling Mingyue to go and have her meal first. After washing up, Consort Chun took out the Four Seasons Painting given to her by Huayan and looked at it for a long time. With a look of reminiscence, she sighed to Huayan, "In the past, on every birthday, it was always the three of you who kept me company and talked late into the night. Huayan, do you still remember the last time we were in the bathhouse..."

Hua Yan was tidying up her dressing case when she heard this and said mischievously, "Why don't I send Xiao Yuanzi to Funing Palace and tell him that you are tired and that Your Majesty should rest somewhere else tonight?"

Mengzhu: "......"

Consort Chun chuckled, pinched Hua Yan, and jokingly said, "Then why not let the Emperor go to Qianying Pavilion? Consort Qu's illness will surely get better quickly, and there's no need to trouble Imperial Physician Jian to make the trip."

The emperor had just arrived outside the palace gates when he thought, "I just gave you a generous gift and promoted Consort Meng to a higher rank. Now they're all trying to push me away."

Jingming was also stunned, focusing his gaze on his nose and his mind, immediately entering a meditative state.

Little Yuanzi was terrified, but the Emperor had explicitly forbidden him from reporting it. Fearing that his master might say something "offensive" again, he had no choice but to muster his courage and cough lightly. The Emperor turned and looked at him coldly, and Little Yuanzi knelt down on the ground with a thud to beg for forgiveness.

Hearing the sound, Mengzhu looked outside and her face turned deathly pale. Inside the bedchamber, Consort Chun and Huayan exchanged a glance and exclaimed inwardly, "Oh no, oh no!"

A voice was heard: "Wan'er accepted my gift just this morning, but she turned her back on me before nightfall. I might as well arrange a trip to Qianying Pavilion to fulfill Wan'er's wishes."

After saying this, he pretended to turn around and leave. Consort Chun, disregarding her formalities, stepped forward and took the Emperor's hands with a soft "hmm".

Seeing that the Emperor was not angry, Hua Yan felt relieved but also secretly realized her mistake. She knelt down first to beg for forgiveness, "Your Majesty, you were just recalling the past. I was momentarily carried away and spoke carelessly. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

When Consort Chun blocked his way, the Emperor smiled slightly and took her fingertips. He saw that Hua Yan was kneeling on the ground, surrounded by candlelight. She was thin but looked very charming. He then said gently, "I was just joking. Consort Meng does not need to apologize."

Hua Yan breathed a sigh of relief and, finding an excuse, slipped out of the bedchamber as if fleeing.

......

As soon as Hua Yan reached the side hall, she saw Dong Gua holding a palace lantern and waiting for her. "Have Green Willow and the others left?"

Donggua stepped forward and took Huayan's arm. "Aunt Mei only kept Dou'er and Guiqiu, who were helping out in the kitchen. The other six, including Lvliu, were sent back to the Yeting Palace first."

Hua Yan hummed in agreement and entered the side hall side by side with Dong Gua. Xia'er and Dong'er were waiting outside the hall. When Hua Yan approached, they both knelt down to offer their congratulations: "This servant congratulates our mistress."

Donggua took out two purses from his sleeve and gave them to them. Huayan instructed, "I'll talk to Donggua for a bit. You two go ahead and do your work."

After a while, Mingyue quietly entered the bedchamber. "At the banquet just now, Dong'er did indeed strike up a conversation with the palace maid next to Consort Guo. I listened from the side and didn't notice anything unusual."

Winter Melon asked, "What did the two of them talk about?"

Mingyue scratched her head, and after a long pause, finally said, "It was all very babbling and mumbling, sounded like a local dialect, I didn't understand it..."

Winter Melon was taken aback. "You're so stupid. You've been keeping watch for nothing."

"It looks like they're exchanging pleasantries. In any case, they're probably both from the same place in Jinzhou." Mingyue said helplessly; she really couldn't understand.

Hua Yan comforted her, "Confirming this is enough."