Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 459 Assisting the Sixth Palace

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall fell silent for a moment, followed by the soft rustling of clothes.

The concubines' expressions varied; some were slightly surprised, while others lowered their eyes, seemingly having already guessed what was going on. But regardless of whether they were surprised or suspicious, their gazes invariably swept lightly across Meng Shu and the Empress's faces.

Consort Qi was the first to show a hint of joy on her face, and subconsciously glanced at Consort Qu out of the corner of her eye.

Qu Jieyu seemed to have expected this, and her face showed no change. However, if you looked closely, you could see a slight panic flash across her eyes.

The Empress sat quietly to the side, showing no displeasure whatsoever, but rather with her usual gentle demeanor: "His Majesty already mentioned to me yesterday that Consort Jin has made a contribution in bearing the imperial heir, and when she lived in Huining Palace, she also assisted Consort Chun in managing affairs. With her assisting in the management of the six palaces, His Majesty and I are both at ease."

The Emperor stared at Meng Shu for a long time until Jing Ming reminded him, then he said, "Announce the decree."

With the help of Green Willow, Meng Shu rose and walked into the hall, where she knelt to receive the imperial decree.

Jingming stepped forward, unfurled the bright yellow imperial edict, and read it aloud:

"...Consort Jin, of the Meng clan, is of virtuous and intelligent nature, and conducts herself with prudence and integrity. Since entering the palace, she has been adept at etiquette and has diligently and responsibly raised the eldest prince, and her virtuous conduct has spread throughout the harem. As the affairs of the harem are numerous and complex, Consort Jin is hereby appointed to assist in managing the six palaces."

All matters concerning the promotion and demotion of concubines, their allowances and stipends, and the maintenance of palace rules, except for major matters which shall be submitted to the Empress and the Emperor for decision, shall be handled by Consort Jin. All palaces must respectfully comply and must not disobey. It is hoped that Consort Jin will uphold justice and fairness, uphold the Empress's virtue, bring peace to the concubines, and ensure tranquility within the palace. This is the imperial decree.

Meng Shu kowtowed, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your trust. I will certainly do my duty diligently and dare not slack off in the slightest."

The Emperor rose and descended the jade steps, personally helping her to her feet. He then looked at the assembled concubines: "The news of the wet nurses falling ill one after another at the Crown Prince's full-month celebration has surely reached all the palaces. A thorough investigation by the Imperial Household Department has revealed that this matter originated from internal strife within the Clothing Department of the Imperial Clothing Bureau..."

As he spoke, his gaze slowly shifted downwards, landing on Qu Jieyu, who was seated at the very end.

"...During the subsequent investigation, Tong Bo discovered that the matter was related to Ruixue, the head maidservant of Consort Qu. Although Consort Qu was unaware of the situation, she failed in her duties of disciplining and managing her subordinates, and should be punished according to palace regulations. Considering that you are pregnant, I will temporarily refrain from pursuing the matter."

He paused, then raised his voice slightly, "In the embroidery workshop under the jurisdiction of the Clothing Department, more than ten people, including the Clothing Officers, Clothing Supervisors, Clothing Managers, and Female Historians, were punished by being sent to the Inner Palace as slaves. The ringleader, Clothing Manager Chen, along with the eunuchs Chen Fu and Zhang Quan, have been executed according to the law. This matter is now closed."

After speaking, he turned to Meng Shu and asked, "Does Consort Jin have any objections to this decision?"

The incense in the hall seemed to freeze at that moment, and all eyes instantly focused on Meng Shu.

Meng Shu was about to speak when Qu Jieyu moved first.

With the help of the palace maids behind her, she slowly rose and gave Meng Shuying a solemn kowtow, her posture as humble and respectful as ever. "This concubine begs forgiveness from Consort Jin."

Her voice carried a hint of timidity as she lowered her eyes and said, "I only learned about this yesterday. Ruixue... she actually spoke without thinking, causing such a disaster. I failed to discipline her properly, and I am truly to blame..."

"—I am unworthy of being called 'elder sister' by Consort Qu." Meng Shu's voice was not loud, but it clearly echoed throughout the hall. The Emperor had just granted her the power to assist in managing the six palaces, and now he was throwing the outcome of this case at her, asking for her opinion. This was appeasement, but it also concealed a deeper meaning: 'I have made my decision, what more do you want?'

She had originally intended to accept this offer,

But Qu Jieyu had to jump out at this moment, and in this timid manner.

Meng Shu raised her eyes, her gaze fixed on Consort Qu, her tone turning cold and heavy: "If, on the day of the full moon celebration, Yu Nu'er contracted even the slightest illness from her wet nurse, even if Rui Xue were to commit suicide, I would kneel and beg the Emperor to conduct a thorough investigation. Could a mere eunuch like Chen Fu possibly have obtained the perfume powder? Perhaps only Consort Qu..."

She paused before slowly continuing, "Only Ruixue by my side could know. She and Chen Fu are dead, and as His Majesty just said, the case is closed. Consort Qu is pregnant, and in front of everyone, why should she apologize to me in front of the Emperor? Do you think I would disobey the Emperor and blame you?"

Upon hearing this, everyone present, including the Emperor, couldn't help but look at Consort Qu.

Qu Jieyu maintained her bowed posture, her lips moved slightly as she said, "This concubine...this concubine has absolutely no such intention."

"Alright," the Empress said softly. "Now that the case is closed, and thankfully Yu Nu'er is safe and sound, Consort Jin need not be too nervous."

The Emperor then reached out and gently took Meng Shu's hand, his palm warm, and whispered a few intimate words, simply telling her to calm down and not get angry. Afterwards, he took Jingming to the Taiji Hall, and before leaving, he turned back and said, "I will have lunch at Lingcui Palace at noon."

The Empress led everyone to see the Emperor off. As soon as they returned to the palace, Consort Qing glanced at Meng Shu with a hint of jealousy in her voice: "Consort Jin is becoming more and more glamorous now. Giving birth to the eldest prince is not enough; she has also taken control of the six palaces. Just now, the Emperor only had eyes for you. It seems that no one else can enter His heart anymore."

Meng Shu said, "Instead of being so envious, Consort Qing should seek out the imperial physician to recuperate. If you conceive the emperor's child in the morning, the emperor will naturally only have eyes for you."

These words left Consort Qing speechless, her face turning pale, yet she had no way to refute them.

The Empress listened from the side, and couldn't help but raise the corners of her lips slightly. She said slowly, "What Consort Jin said is true. There have been many happy events in the harem this year. Consort Chun, who is far away in the imperial palace, goes without saying. Now, Consort Qu is also pregnant. You are all in the prime of your lives. You should serve the Emperor more diligently and help the royal family to have more children and produce more princes and princesses. That is the right thing to do."

"Speaking of which, Consort Chun is now over four months pregnant. Today, I had Granny Gui select some of the finest prenatal tonics to send to the imperial palace, and also asked her to convey my greetings to the Empress Dowager..."

"boom--"

As soon as Granny Gui disappeared outside the courtyard gate, Consort Chun slammed the celadon teacup in her hand onto the table, splashing tea everywhere and wetting the plain paper spread on the table.

She clutched her aching back and looked at Aunt Mei beside her, "Such a big thing happened! Why did you keep it from me, Aunt!"

Since Granny Gui was sent by the Empress, Aunt Mei hesitated to stop her earlier because she was concerned about the consequences.

At this moment, she hurriedly stepped forward and carefully checked that the tea had not scalded Consort Chun. She gently comforted her, "Your Highness, please calm down and be careful not to harm the fetus. Although Granny Gui had ill intentions, she did not lie. Although there were some twists and turns that day, Consort Jin and the First Prince are both safe and sound."

Consort Jin is meticulous; she not only planned ahead, but even the face powder was changed beforehand, ensuring the Crown Prince was not harmed in the slightest..."

Aunt Mei recounted all the details she knew, but Consort Chun still couldn't contain herself. Supporting her waist, she paced slowly in the hall, her brows furrowed with worry. "Shu'er's temperament is such that she's not one to suffer a loss. But the Empress and Consort Qing are both ruthless. Now that Consort Qu is pregnant, she dares to cause trouble. How can she manage all alone in the palace?"

......

Half an hour later, Green Willow hurriedly left the palace with Meng Shu's palace token and headed to Changchun Garden Palace under the protection of Dong Ming.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

That's just one update today. I'll use the rest of the time to organize the outline. There will be double updates tomorrow and the day after, the weekend. I'll try to write as much as possible! Have a great weekend!