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墨書 Inktalez
Dou Mama knew that since she had followed the young lady, she should serve her well. This was what the Emperor had instructed from the beginning.
But she had committed a grave mistake.
The worst thing she could do was to casually reveal the private matters of Liu Residence to Huo Yun'ai.
Who would like their family to be watched by others at all times?
Surely, Qing Wu cared most about this.
Dou Mama, aware of her wrongdoing, knelt down with a thud and pleaded, "I beg for the young lady's forgiveness just this once!"
Qing Wu paused, realizing that Dou Mama was preparing to choose loyalty to Huo Yun'ai, and nodded, saying, "I understand."
With a low sigh, she glanced at Dou Mama and slowly stood up, heading towards the door.
Dou Mama was startled by her disappointed gaze and felt somewhat confused.
On ordinary days, if someone made a mistake, the young lady would not be so angry.
Especially not with her.
Given their years of affection and the fact that this incident concerned her lifelong matters, it actually had a good outcome with the Emperor afterward.
Why was the young lady so concerned?
What exactly… was it for?
Looking at the girl's frail and thin figure, Dou Mama pondered deeply.
Upon hearing the palace maid greet with "Lord Liu," she suddenly understood.
She had misunderstood.
She initially thought that the girl merely wanted to reprimand her, warning her not to act on her own in the future. Therefore, she did not take the girl's words too seriously, only thinking about asking for forgiveness.
However, the reality was different.
In this palace, she was the only person, aside from His Majesty, whom the girl trusted and could rely on.
Since the girl had taken on the responsibility of managing the palace maids, she needed her own people—those who would not go through His Majesty's ears and eyes.
Only in this way could she truly support the affairs of the harem.
Having served the girl for many years, she was the one most trusted by her. Over the years, even when there were matters she did not want to share with the He Family, the girl would quietly discuss them with her, seeking advice on what to do.
If she had not secretly disclosed Liu Residence's privacy to Huo Yun'ai this time, perhaps the girl would have entrusted everything to her without hesitation. But at this critical moment, she had done such a thing...
Realizing this, Dou Mama understood what she had let down and was immediately filled with sorrow. With a thud, she knelt down.
The sound was so loud that it startled those outside.
The palace maids peeked in curiously; upon seeing that it was the stern Dou Mama kneeling, no one dared to look longer. They quickly dispersed and busied themselves elsewhere.
Qing Wu stood silently for a long time. Seeing Dou Mama firmly kneeling there without moving for quite a while, she finally walked in quietly again.
After the sound of the door closing, a heavy sound of bowing followed.
"The old servant is willing to wholeheartedly plan for the young lady from now on."
Qing Wu stood at the door, speechless for a moment.
Dou Mama knew that her words sounded too vague, and she added, "The young lady can rest assured. Since I have made a promise, I will not go back on it. I have served His Majesty for three or four years, but I have been with the young lady for a full six years. Now, I only ask the young lady to consider my service to His Majesty and allow me to settle the matter regarding Liu Fangshi."
As if afraid that Qing Wu would doubt her again, Dou Mama hurriedly said, "That matter was only because I took it on initially, which is why I have continued until now. However, after six years in the Northwest, my connections are no longer what they used to be, and there is very little I can participate in. I will soon be able to hand this matter over to Uncle Yu."
Seeing her mention this matter, Qing Wu understood that Dou Mama truly intended to follow her sincerely. Even the last bit of connection with Huo Yun'ai had been brought up.
She gently nodded and stepped forward to help Dou Mama up. She then pressed Dou Mama down onto a chair while she glanced at Dou Mama's reddened forehead before returning to her bedroom. After a while, she took out a box of ointment and placed it into Dou Mama's hands.
Dou Mama knew that the ointment was specifically for treating injuries. The young lady was not one to speak much; as usual, she cared for her but did not express it clearly.
Thus, she did not refuse. She held the ointment in her palm and solemnly thanked her.
Qing Wu paused for a moment and smiled, saying, "Mama, please don't thank me. When you hear what I need you to do later, you might get angry with me."
With this change of topic and her relaxed tone, the heavy atmosphere from earlier lightened significantly.
Dou Mama replied, "The young lady need not worry. Whatever you ask of me, even if I have to grit my teeth, I will do it."
"Really?" Qing Wu smiled as she sat down beside Dou Mama and looked at her with amusement. "What if I ask you to help win over Yen Mama?"
"Her?"
Upon hearing this, Dou Mama was momentarily taken aback, her face turning ashen. After a while, she forced a smile and said, "Miss, your idea may be difficult to implement. She and I have never gotten along; we argue every time we meet. If you want me to persuade her... I'm afraid the more I try, the further apart we'll become!"
Both of them were stubborn by nature. When it came to significant matters, they could argue for quite a while as long as they disagreed. Even after that, when they met again, they would continue to bicker over those same topics.
Over the years, it seemed they had developed a habit of quarreling as soon as they saw each other.
Even Granny Lu would let either of them say soft words or simply remain silent; once the matter passed, it would be over, right?
But these two would not have it.
They remained the same.
Qing Wu already knew Dou Mama would react this way. She also understood that leaving this matter to Dou Mama was too much of a burden for her.
However, as a female official herself, if she interacted too much with Yen Mama, it would inevitably raise suspicions. In this palace, she had no one else she could trust...
After thinking for a moment, Qing Wu straightforwardly asked, "Do you know where the Brewery is?"
"The Brewery?" Dou Mama pondered for a moment. "It's between the Sewing Workshop and the Dining Hall... the Sewing Workshop?"
She paused mid-sentence.
She knew that Jade Orchid was in the Sewing Workshop.
And Jade Orchid was Zheng An's person.
Dou Mama began to understand that although the young lady wanted to do some things in secret, her ultimate goal was still for His Majesty.
In an instant, her mind was filled with countless thoughts.
She had taken care of two children growing up. Now one was a graceful young man standing tall, and the other was a charming and obedient girl who was endearing. Each of them had feelings for the other, and for each other, they had exhausted all means.
Thinking of the bond between them, even if she was no longer on good terms with Yen Mama, Dou Mama felt that it was settled.
"Miss, rest assured. I will definitely handle this matter seriously for you," she solemnly promised.
Seeing Dou Mama's tense demeanor, Qing Wu couldn't help but laugh.
"Actually, Yen Mama is a very understanding person," she said. "If you have a good talk with her, perhaps the misunderstandings can be resolved."
"Her? Understanding others?" Dou Mama snorted, clearly in strong disagreement.
However, Qing Wu recalled her own experience with Yen Mama.
At that time, she had come out of the brewing room, drenched in sweat. Standing in the cold wind made her shiver uncontrollably.
When Yen Mama noticed, she switched tasks with a palace maid who was sorting grains inside and came in to talk to her.
Although she might have seemed a bit fierce, Yen Mama was actually a very nice person.
Qing Wu knew that Dou Mama would not accept her words immediately, so she did not press further and instead said, "Regardless of what Yen Mama is like—whether arguing with you or reconciling—anything related to the Sewing Workshop and Dining Hall should be reported back to me."
Because Qing Wu intended to manage the female officials well. Hearing that matters concerning the Dining Hall also needed to be reported back, Dou Mama did not think much of it and agreed immediately.
By this time, the light had already begun to dim.
Qing Wu had promised Huo Yun'ai at home yesterday that she would accompany him for the New Year's Eve dinner tonight. Now that her tasks were completed, she hurried over.
As she was on her way, she saw Li Zi rushing towards her. If it weren't for Dou Mama calling out to him, he might not have noticed Qing Wu approaching.
Upon catching sight of Qing Wu, his eyes lit up, and he ran over, asking, "Where is Lord Liu going?"
Dou Mama answered for Qing Wu, "To Zhaoning Palace. Is His Majesty in the palace?"
"Yes! Yes!" Li Zi wiped his forehead with his sleeve. In the cold weather, he was surprisingly sweating profusely. "His Majesty has been waiting for the young lady for quite a while. Seeing that she hasn't arrived, he is somewhat displeased and sent me to check."
Seeing the startled expression on his face, Qing Wu smiled.
Noticing Li Zi's worried demeanor, she didn't delay any longer and hurried towards the palace.
When she reached the entrance of the hall and pushed open the door, what greeted her was a table full of dishes, and there was also...
A jug of wine placed by the table.
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