Chapter 10
The stewardess had originally been kneeling, but upon hearing Wei Ling’s words, she quickly stood up and followed his gaze. When she saw the room he referred to, she was momentarily taken aback.
She had been so busy and confused these past days that she had forgotten there was still someone residing in Shouming Palace.
If she were truly the young lady the two grand eunuchs were seeking, it would be one thing. But unfortunately...
The stewardess withdrew her eyes and kowtowed: “Reporting to the two grand eunuchs, there is indeed someone living in that room.”
She cautiously raised her head, glanced at their expressions, swallowed hard, and spoke with a trembling voice, “But she is not one of the selected candidates.”
“Oh? Then who is she?” The young attendant behind Wei Ling suspected she was lying.
In the palace, from the empress dowager and imperial consorts to the female officials and palace maids, everyone had designated quarters.
Shouming Palace had been unused for some time. Two months ago, during the selection of the candidates, since the masters mostly stayed in the Western Garden, people were sent to clean and prepare it, and the candidates were arranged to reside there.
Who else in the palace could be living there besides them?
The stewardess feared taking responsibility and quickly said, “She is Miss Shen.”
Upon hearing this, both Wei Ling and Zhao Yan were indeed momentarily stunned.
It seemed there was such a person.
Last year, the scandal involving Prince Ning and a female official from the palace’s main department had caused quite an uproar, sparking endless gossip throughout the palace. The empress dowager had been so furious she was bedridden for several days. But within just over a month, it was heard that she had ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guards to bring a young girl from outside the palace to see Prince Ning.
Could that be the same Miss Shen now living in that room?
This matter had always been handled by the empress dowager’s palace staff. Neither the Directorate of Ceremonial nor the Imperial Stables Bureau was allowed to interfere.
No wonder they had little impression of Miss Shen.
Wei Ling pondered for a moment but decided he must verify the truth with his own eyes. “Please have Miss Shen come out and accompany me to the emperor’s presence. That is the most prudent course.”
The stewardess was alarmed and blurted out, “The young lady belongs to the empress dowager—”
Wei Ling interrupted, “We serve only the emperor’s orders. Nothing else concerns us.”
He was about to have someone knock on the door. The stewardess and the wardens could neither stop nor dare to stop him, only worrying about how they would explain this to the empress dowager later.
Just as they were in a panic, the door suddenly creaked open, and someone came out.
The person, seeing such a commotion outside, seemed startled but immediately made a deep bow to the stewardess, tears brimming in her eyes:
“Stewardess, our young lady did not sleep well last night and caught a chill. Now she is burning with fever and cannot get out of bed. I called her, but she did not respond. What should we do?”
The stewardess, already pale as a sheet, turned deathly white.
If anything happened to Miss Shen under her care, she would not need to wait for the Directorate of Ceremonial to punish her — the empress dowager would ensure her life was forfeit even sooner.
What kind of situation was this...
Hurriedly, she pushed open the door and went inside.
Wei Ling and Zhao Yan watched from outside, exchanged glances, and stopped at the threshold.
It seemed the occupant truly was Miss Shen — not a candidate at all.
Yao Zhu, seeing their expressions, stepped forward with a respectful greeting: “I overheard some of the conversation just now. The stewardess and others have not concealed anything. The candidates of Shouming Palace are all accounted for in the roster.”
Wei Ling pressed his lips, frowning ever more deeply, yet made no move to leave.
Yao Zhu returned inside and urged the flustered stewardess, “Luckily, the two grand eunuchs of the Directorate of Ceremonial are here. Stewardess, quickly ask them to send someone to summon the palace midwife. If you fear tiring the grand eunuchs, have her rest in Miss Sun’s room next door. Since she was punished and sent to the Crowned Hat Bureau, no one has been staying there.”
Before she finished speaking, the two outside stiffened and grabbed the stewardess’s collar, demanding, “Who is Miss Sun?”
The stewardess then explained the matter of the candidate who had committed an offense and was arrested.
Wei Ling suddenly released her and instructed, “Take her to the Crowned Hat Bureau.”
Only after the procession outside had departed and the noise died down did Yao Zhu finally exhale in relief, wiping the sweat from her temple with a handkerchief.
Fearing the stewardess might suspect something, she helped her up, “Stewardess, please hurry to summon the midwife.”
The stewardess, now thoroughly shaken, fearing something had gone wrong with Miss Shen, hurried away.
Only then did He Hui open her eyes, sit up, and push away the hot water bottle she had been clutching.
“Miss, you’re the one with the plan,” Yao Zhu said, fanning her. Had He Hui not pretended to be ill, those people outside might not have left anytime soon.
He Hui hugged her knees and sneezed loudly, louder than before.
Yao Zhu paused in mid-fan.
He Hui looked innocent and dazed, saying, “Sister Yao Zhu, I think I really am sick.”
—
He Hui remained ill for several days, oblivious to outside affairs, only knowing she slept heavily every day.
Because the emperor had not granted her the status of candidate, the empress dowager was overwhelmed and worried, too busy to care for He Hui, only sending a few nourishing medicines for her to recuperate.
He Hui held the supplements and, with a hoarse voice, asked, “Has the young master sent anything?”
Yao Zhu shook her head.
He Hui was somewhat disappointed and fiddled with the embroidered pouch in her hand.
The empress dowager knew she was ill. Prince Ning often visited her, so it was unlikely he hadn’t heard. Yet he showed no sign of concern, leaving her no chance to use this act of self-pity.
At their previous meetings, she thought Prince Ning might have liked her, but now all signs pointed otherwise.
But if he did not like her, why did he take her pouch that night and then give her that?
He Hui’s head was heavy and foggy; she could not figure it out.
There are so many things in this world that people cannot understand. For example, even the empress dowager did not understand what the emperor was doing.
In the warm chamber of Yuxi Palace’s Western Pavilion, she set down her tea bowl and, asking for the umpteenth time, said, “Among so many candidates, you have not taken a fancy to a single one?”
The emperor, bent over paperwork, looked up and said, “State affairs are heavy; my son does not think about that now.”
The empress dowager’s heart burned with anger.
If he did not think about it, why had he agreed so readily before? She had thought he had changed, but in the end, it was all a farce.
She did not hide her frustration and bluntly pointed out, “Isn’t it that you fancy one of the candidates? Why else do you keep going to the Taiye Pool? And now you say you don’t want to?”
The emperor’s hand suddenly stopped. Vermilion ink slowly dripped from his brush onto the memorial, blotting the words.
He put down the imperial brush and said, “That is not true.”
Seeing his stubbornness, the empress dowager was at a loss and left in anger.
The emperor followed to the door and instructed his attendants to see the empress dowager home safely.
The empress dowager had given up on her temper—she could no longer control her son, but perhaps she could manage her grandson: “Tomorrow, Lady Chengyi will enter the palace and hold a banquet in the Listening Rain Pavilion. It’s a good chance for you to see that Miss Shen. If the emperor wishes to come, so be it; if not, let Jing’er go instead. Don’t let him linger in front of you all day, not even allowing a moment’s nap.”
Recently, Prince Ning’s lessons had been light, so the emperor often had him listen in during meetings with ministers.
Whether the emperor was paying attention or not, he merely responded with a “yes.”
After the empress dowager left, the emperor gave Wang Zhi a knowing glance. Wang Zhi understood and sent someone to quietly take away the steward’s badge from Yuxi Palace.
“Master,” Wang Zhi said upon returning to the Western Pavilion, handing over the unfolded memorial, “Shall I take that pouch to find...”
Even the candidate who was punished and sent to the Crowned Hat Bureau had been summoned here. If this continued, while the emperor was fine, he himself would be frightened into illness.
Could it be that the emperor had not been seeing a person these past few nights, but a ghost?
But how to explain the embroidered mandarin duck pouch?
The rouge mark between the eyebrows—once the information was released, such an obvious feature would allow the staff to find this person within hours.
A few days ago, he had secretly asked Wei Ling if there was any female in the palace with this feature. At first, Wei Ling said no. Just now, he whispered that there really was such a person.
It was the Miss Shen the empress dowager had brought to see the young master.
Upon hearing this, Wang Zhi immediately tapped Wei Ling’s head with his whisk.
Looking for death, was he? Reporting anyone and everyone.
Though he had never seen Miss Shen, who was she?
She was the one the empress dowager had brought for the young master to see—the future daughter-in-law of the emperor!
Even if the marriage had not been officially arranged, everyone in the palace knew it well.
If the emperor had his eyes on her, he dared say it but dared not hear it himself, fearing he would immediately meet the Lord of the Underworld!
He could not rely on his subordinates; he had to figure it out himself.
The fabric issued in the palace was regulated. Once he knew the cloth of the pouch, he could check the records in the Armory and immediately find out everything.
The emperor remained silent, closed the memorial, and idly stirred the candlelight on the low table.
The flickering flames danced across his face, sharpening his features.
“Tell me,” after a long pause, the emperor finally spoke, a smile in his voice.
“Have I been played for a fool?”
Wang Zhi bluntly replied, “Only if that person does not care about her own life.”
However, the next day, standing behind the emperor, when he saw the familiar figure approaching from afar, he realized he had spoken too soon.
In this world, there truly are people who do not care about their own lives.
He fixed his gaze on the rouge mark between that young girl’s brows and thought:
It’s over.
Why is it her?!