Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Qing Wu slowly turned around and looked at the tightly closed door.
She had roughly seen the residence of Twelve Workshops. The living conditions of the Brewery maids were considered quite poor in the district.
Although Yen Mama held considerable authority in the Brewery and had been in the palace for many years, the wooden door before her, while appearing decent, revealed slight wear and tear upon closer inspection. It was evident that it had not been maintained for a long time.
If she remembered correctly, the conditions in the Sewing Workshop were much better than here, especially the room where Jade Orchid lived. Qing Wu had seen it from a distance and it was clearly more splendid than others. The lacquer had a slight sheen, indicating it had recently been repainted.
“Mama is an old hand in the palace. She sees more and understands better than I do. Even though Jade Orchid and I have met, I believe Mama can discern the rights and wrongs if she thinks carefully.” She continued, “Even if I have intentions to win Mama over, when have I ever done anything to harm you? Dou Mama has not done so either.”
After speaking to the wooden door, Qing Wu slowly walked outside. Just as she was about to leave the area of Twelve Workshops, she paused slightly and suddenly turned back toward a nearby courtyard.
It was now midday, a time for rest. Jade Orchid was idly chatting with the maids from the Sewing Workshop while they shelled sunflower seeds.
The courtyard where the maids lived was mostly cleaned by themselves. After a tiring day of work, they were even more exhausted from having to clean their living space. Therefore, most people would hold onto their sunflower seed shells or put them in a bowl to dispose of later, making it much easier.
Only Jade Orchid seemed unconcerned. She casually scattered sunflower seed shells all over the ground. Occasionally getting up to move around, she paid no mind to where she tossed the shells.
One maid could not stand it and whispered to an older colleague beside her, “Why is Jade Orchid so annoying? It will be troublesome to clean up later.” She glanced at her own hand holding sunflower seed shells and grumbled, “I might as well throw mine on the ground too. That would be simpler.”
“Not everyone thinks like you. Wouldn’t that make cleaning up even more troublesome? Less trouble is still trouble. If you keep counting these things, in the end, you’ll only suffer yourself. Besides, she can get away with it. If you did that, you’d be scolded by her.”
The older maid replied while casting a sidelong glance at Jade Orchid, “She has someone backing her; we can’t compare.”
“But isn’t Sister Cai Ping also an old hand in the palace? She’s not far behind her in years. Moreover, your looks and figure are better than hers; you also win the Emperor's favor more often. Why should you care about her?”
Upon hearing this, Cai Ping recalled how Jade Orchid had slapped her before. She felt both angry and pleased—no matter how capable Jade Orchid was, she could not surpass her!
She remembered that day when several of them from the Sewing Workshop went to collect newly arrived fabrics and happened to encounter His Majesty along the way.
At that time, His Majesty was accompanied by over ten Eunuch Yu and other attendants. From a distance, they saw him looking handsome, valiant, and imposing; none of the men around could compare to him.
Usually, His Majesty would measure himself without allowing young women to approach; only Granny Lu or Uncle Yu were permitted to assist him closely before relaying those measurements to those in the Sewing Workshop.
They had never looked at His Majesty this closely before. Now that they had the chance, they couldn't help but steal glances. Even a single look was worth it.
Who would have thought that at that moment, His Majesty cast a glance in their direction? Cai Ping felt that gaze was directed at her. The other palace maids beside her felt the same. But Jade Orchid spoiled her good fortune. Pretending to be kind, she pulled her away from Granny Lu, who was attending to her in Zhaoning Palace, and then made things difficult for her at every turn...
"Hey? Sister Cai Ping, isn't that Lord Liu?"
Cai Ping was jolted back to reality by someone nudging her elbow.
Because there were many sunflower seed shells in the courtyard and she didn't want to see Jade Orchid's arrogant demeanor, she stood at the entrance of the courtyard. The palace maid, who had a good relationship with her, also stood with her.
From where they were standing, they could see a delicate and graceful figure walking toward them. Without needing to look closely, they knew it was the new Lady-in-Waiting.
Usually, whenever this female official was mentioned, Jade Orchid would wear a face of disdain, claiming that this lady was very flirtatious and had caught His Majesty's eye to gain entry into the palace. They should keep their distance from her; otherwise, if they were tainted by that flirtatious aura, it would be impossible to wash off.
Cai Ping didn't think so.
That female official was so close to His Majesty every day; if she were truly flirtatious, why didn't His Majesty treat her with familiarity?
Every time she went out, Lord Liu was always alone. Occasionally he would come out with His Majesty, but they walked one behind the other and rarely exchanged words. A few days ago at the New Year's Eve luncheon, Lord Liu had spoken; it was only after hearing her insights on managing the harem that His Majesty allowed her to enter the palace as an official.
If that were the case, wouldn't they all be under Lord Liu's jurisdiction in the future?
What was this about keeping their distance?
In Cai Ping's view, they should get closer quickly. That way, when they fell under Lord Liu's command later on, having established a rapport would ensure their lives wouldn't be difficult!
Since they couldn't win over His Majesty, winning over Lord Liu would also work.
With her mind made up, Cai Ping disregarded Jade Orchid's disdainful gaze and walked toward that delicate figure.
When Qing Wu arrived at the Sewing Workshop, she certainly did not expect such a scene inside.
From a distance, she could hear bursts of hearty laughter. As she got closer, she heard rustling sounds as if something was being cracked open. Moving further in, she saw the ground littered with sunflower seed shells.
Qing Wu stopped at the entrance of the courtyard, standing in the shade under a tree, frowning as she looked inside.
Such a large place, yet there was not even a spot to stand.
Meanwhile, Jade Orchid was laughing heartily, her head tilted back amidst a crowd of people.
"Greetings to Lord Liu. May Lord Liu have peace and good health."
A lively voice rang out, and Qing Wu turned to see two palace maids approaching her, properly bowing in greeting.
Qing Wu nodded slightly and asked, "Is the Sewing Workshop always like this?"
The leading palace maid replied, "It's mostly like this. As long as Jade Orchid is around, even if it’s not exactly like this, it’s pretty close."
Her words revealed a strong dissatisfaction with Jade Orchid.
Upon hearing this, Qing Wu smiled lightly, "Oh?"
"If you wish to check on the Sewing Workshop, it would be better to come back later in the afternoon. By then, she will be busy, which would be more appropriate. However, don’t come too late. She likes to return early; if you come a bit later, she’ll be back in the courtyard."
This statement was practically an open betrayal of Jade Orchid's whereabouts.
Qing Wu felt puzzled and scrutinized her for a moment before nodding, "You are quite thoughtful."
The palace maid before her was not bad-looking; she vaguely seemed familiar.
"You are..."
"In response to Lord Liu's inquiry, I am Cai Ping, from the Sewing Workshop." The maid spoke gently, quickly glancing at Qing Wu before hastily lowering her gaze.
Suddenly, Qing Wu remembered that this was the person who had been lingering outside Huo Yun'ai's chamber and had been caught by Granny Lu. It seemed she was indeed the one who had been slapped by Jade Orchid.
Qing Wu smiled softly and dismissed the idea of seeing Jade Orchid immediately. She said to Cai Ping, "In that case, I will come back later."
When they returned to Zhaoning Palace, Huo Yun'ai had just finished reviewing the last memorial. Seeing Qing Wu enter the room, she casually stacked the documents and asked, "The Lantern Festival is approaching. How do you plan to celebrate?"
Qing Wu was still thinking about Cai Ping's earlier actions and replied, "Just looking at the lanterns."
"Is that all?" Huo Yun'ai stepped closer, gently caressing her cheek. After a brief pause, she asked, "I heard that Wen Qingyue has not been well lately. If you have time, would you like to visit him?"
"Of course," Qing Wu said. "Aside from that, he saved me last time, so I want to check on him. Moreover..."
She intended to say that Wen Qingyue's condition worsened after he saw her mole. However, upon reflection, she wasn't sure if his current situation was truly caused by that. If she told Huo Yun'ai about her uncertainty, it would likely lead to her investigating further.
It would be better to ask Wen Qingyue directly when she saw him. If it turned out to be true, then she could discuss it with Huo Yun'ai later.
With her decision made, when Huo Yun'ai inquired about "moreover what," Qing Wu smiled and replied, "Wen Heir is all alone in Capital City, with no family around. With the festival approaching, I thought I should visit him."
Huo Yun'ai felt a bit uncomfortable hearing that Qing Wu was concerned about Wen Qingyue being "all alone in Capital City."
After all, he was just a stranger they had met by chance; why should she care so much?
Comment 0 Comment Count