Red Chamber 17
Contact… outside the palace?
A Yuan instantly grasped the core message from these words.
She was utterly astonished. In her impression, Chu Yunying was a remarkably open-minded woman. Previously, when chosen to serve the Retired Emperor, she had adopted a go-with-the-flow attitude, able to smile calmly and say, “Isn’t life just about living wherever you are?”
How could she, after such a short time, already want to contact the outside world?
“Miss Lin?” Seeing Noble Consort Lin remain silent for a long time, Chu Yunying called out again, unwilling to give up.
Moreover, she addressed her as “Miss Lin,” which truly indicated something important was afoot.
A Yuan immediately stopped being in a hurry to return to the palace. She took Chu Yunying’s hand and led her toward Fubi Pavilion. Fubi Pavilion was very open, with no trees around to provide cover, and it wasn’t located in the busiest central area, making it the most suitable place for conversation.
“Miss Chu, why are you so anxious to contact the outside world? You must know it’s a grave taboo for palace consorts to privately communicate externally.” Holding Chu Yunying’s hand, A Yuan’s expression was filled with concern.
Chu Yunying only felt the hand holding hers was so warm. Her nose tingled, and tears began to fall.
She hurriedly picked up a handkerchief to dab the corners of her eyes. “I’ve lost my composure. It’s just that I’m truly worried about my family.” She tightly grasped A Yuan’s hand in return, as if drawing courage from it. “You know, I entered the Imperial consort selection because I coveted those few dozen taels of Betrothal Gold to treat my mother’s illness. Now that I’ve entered the palace gates, there’s no chance of returning. I’m just worried…”
Worried about what?
Worried that her mother’s serious illness might require more money than they had, worried about her father’s heartlessness, worried about the futures of her three younger brothers… She had too many worries. She had thought she could accept it all calmly, but on the night she attended the bedchamber, seeing the Retired Emperor’s graying hair, his wrinkled face and body, and those deformed legs, filled her with fear, making it impossible to remain composed.
It was at that moment she realized she was already the Retired Emperor’s woman.
The Retired Emperor was old and would die.
Her future was already sealed.
“Don’t laugh at me, but ever since my mother fell ill, my father’s heart hasn’t been at home.”
Chu Yunying’s fingers tightened even more. Men in this world are all fickle and heartless. Her father was just a minor county magistrate, yet he was also capricious. As the eldest daughter in the family, even after entering this deep palace, she couldn’t rest easy about her home.
“What’s there to laugh at? My relationship with my father isn’t harmonious either.” A Yuan never minded revealing her own shortcomings.
She was equally blunt even with the Emperor.
Fortunately, the Emperor and the Retired Emperor didn’t have a close relationship either, so the two of them shared a strangely mutual understanding in this regard.
Chu Yunying was stunned for a moment, then smiled through her tears. “You must never say such things to others in the future.” There were many women in the palace. Besides the Emperor’s favor, one’s background mattered greatly. For Candidate Maidens like them from commoner families, their natal families already held little influence. If they were to gain a reputation for being unfilial, there would truly be no way to survive.
A Yuan neither agreed nor disagreed.
Changing the subject, she said, “Now that you’ve become a palace consort, I imagine your father wouldn’t dare go too far. You really don’t need to worry so much.”
Chu Yunying had originally thought the same.
But she was an imperial concubine (of previous emperor), not one of the Emperor’s consorts.
Given her father’s limited intellect, he might even consider her as good as dead.
Chu Yunying sighed, knowing she was asking too much. She had thought that unlike herself, who was suppressed by Consort Zhen in Ningshou Palace and unable to lift her head, Miss Lin, now favored by the emperor, would find it easier to contact the outside world. But she had forgotten that imperial consorts were not allowed to make private external connections.
Feeling increasingly that she was imposing on others and unable to stay any longer, she prepared to take her leave.
However, before leaving, after much deliberation, she still offered a reminder: “Miss Lin, if you trust me, when you go to Yihe Pavilion in the future, be sure not to touch the tea served in the imperial consort’s palace.”
A Yuan was truly taken aback this time.
Chu Yunying smiled bitterly. It was only a few days ago, during her menstrual period, when she suffered unbearable abdominal pain and continuous bleeding, that she summoned an Imperial Physician and learned she had mistakenly taken Cooling Medicine, which had harmed her body.
As a Candidate Maiden from a common background, her only hope for survival after the Retired Emperor’s passing was to bear a child. Yet, who could have imagined that less than a month after entering Ningshou Palace, she had already fallen victim to a scheme? Filled with resentment, she naturally sought the truth. In the end, it was Taipin Zhou, who lived in the same quarters, who informed her that the reason only Consort Dowager Zhen in Ningshou Palace had given birth to two sons over the years was because all of them had been made to drink Cooling Medicine upon entering Ningshou Palace.
And the Retired Emperor… had long been aware of it.
He simply didn’t care.
A Yuan was not surprised by Consort Dowager Zhen’s arrogance. The Retired Emperor’s favor was her capital for such behavior. What surprised her was that Chu Yunying would actually warn her. Although they had spent a few days together, their friendship… was not deep.
Yet, she had still offered the warning!
A Yuan felt touched, though not overwhelmingly so. Even this small amount of emotion was rare. She quickly took two steps forward, leaned close to Chu Yunying’s ear, and whispered swiftly and softly, “I have dowry shops outside the palace. The next time they deliver the accounts, I’ll have them check on your mother and younger brother.”
Chu Yunying’s fingers suddenly tightened.
Her eyes reddened intensely, but she dared not let tears fall, only nodding forcefully.
“I’m returning to my palace. We’ll talk again when there’s another chance.” With that, without waiting for Chu Yunying’s response, she hurriedly left Fubi Pavilion.
Aunt Jin and Bao Qin, who had been standing at the entrance the entire time, quickly followed her.
With the assurance she had received, the heavy stone in Chu Yunying’s heart finally lifted. Her steps were noticeably lighter on the way back. Sangye, her personal palace maid, seeing her mistress in good spirits, cleverly remarked, “I never imagined you were acquainted with Noble Consort Lin.”
“We’re from the same hometown, participated in the Imperial consort selection together, and even shared a room back then,” Chu Yunying replied with a gentle smile, her voice regaining its softness.
Still, compared to herself, Miss Lin’s situation was far better.
“Since Noble Consort Lin is so close to you, it would be good for you to grow closer to her in the future.”
Chu Yunying smiled without responding. As a Taiguiren and Miss Lin as a Noble Consort, their statuses were awkward and not easy to bridge. She only needed to keep today’s kindness in her heart. If an opportunity arose in the future, she would surely repay it.
A Yuan returned to Yongshou Palace with Aunt Jin and Bao Qin.
As soon as she entered, she called out, “Quickly, place everything in your hands on the kang. Remember to separate them and don’t mix them up.”
“Yes.”
The two responded and immediately set to work.
This was the first time Bao Qin had been entrusted with such an important task, and she performed it with great diligence. Although she was her mistress’s personal palace maid, these days, her mistress had clearly grown closer to Aunt Jin, which made her somewhat anxious.
Before long, the two had everything neatly arranged.
A Yuan began examining them one by one, while Bao Qin introduced each item from the side: “This is the gold-inlaid jade twining flower hairpin gifted by Noble Lady Wang.”
Hmm, the style is somewhat outdated, but the materials are substantial—it could be melted down or repurposed.
After setting it aside, she picked up the second item: “This is a solid gold bracelet from Noble Consort Niu.”
This bracelet was even plainer, without any patterns at all, and it was hollow. It seemed Noble Consort Niu was not living in prosperity.
The third, the fourth… up until the twelfth item: “This is a pair of pigeon-blood red jade sui bracelets gifted by Noble Lady Chu.”
Chu Yunying…
“I recall that Chu Yunying’s current rank and title does not permit her to use this shade of red,” A Yuan remarked. She wrapped the bracelet in a handkerchief, gently lifted it to examine it closely for a moment, then brought it to her nose and sniffed.
The scent was still somewhat overpowering.
“It must be an item bestowed by His Majesty,” Aunt Jin chimed in, realizing the bracelet might be problematic. She quickly extended her hand. “Your Highness, please let this servant hold the bracelet for you.”
After handing over the bracelet, A Yuan turned and walked to the table to wash her hands. “Unlikely. The Chu family is timid; if it were an imperial gift from His Majesty, she probably wouldn’t dare use it to curry favor.”
The bracelet was likely bestowed upon her by a high-ranking consort in Ningshou Palace, and she was merely passing it along as a gift.
However… it now seemed that by chance, she might have avoided disaster.
Recalling Chu Yunying’s warning in the Imperial Garden not long ago, A Yuan suspected that Chu Yunying might already have fallen victim to a scheme… Otherwise, why would she be so wary of the tea at Yihe Pavilion?
Of course, she hadn’t completely dismissed her suspicions of Chu Yunying.
After all, the Imperial harem was like a battlefield—no one could be fully trusted.
After identifying a pair of problematic bracelets, A Yuan remained vigilant and inspected all the remaining items. Sure enough, she found several more problematic pieces, all personal items worn close to the skin like jade pendants and earrings.
She didn’t discard them or store them in the regular inventory. Instead, she tossed them into the System Warehouse—these were perfect tools for causing harm, and she intended to save them for later.
She also kept a pair of earrings as props for the performance she planned to stage that evening.
Ru Hua carried two large trays of items to the storeroom for inventory, while A Yuan had someone set up a recliner under the shade of a tree in the courtyard. The morning had exhausted her, and as soon as she lay down, Si Qi arrived with several types of pastries.
Si Qi was diligent by nature. Since taking charge of the small kitchen, she had immersed herself in it daily, constantly devising new pastry recipes in the hopes that her mistress would enjoy a satisfying bite.
“Your Highness, I’ve made the white jade cakes you love.”
A Yuan had eaten little for breakfast and was now hungry. She picked up a piece and took a small bite. Si Qi hurried to brew tea, as white jade cakes could easily become cloying, and tea was needed to cleanse the palate.
Bao Qin stood nearby, fanning A Yuan. “Your Highness, since all these items are problematic, how should we handle them?”
Although Aunt Jin had hidden those few items, they were still problematic. What if they affected her mistress?
Bao Qin couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t a reliable solution.
Dai Shu suggested, “Your Highness, why not report this matter to His Majesty?”
A Yuan shook her head, took a sip of tea to wash down the pastry, and said, “A complaint will certainly be filed.” The question was how to file it.
Bao Qin and Dai Shu exchanged glances, both seeing confusion in each other’s eyes.
A Yuan offered no explanation. After finishing her snacks, she leaned back in her recliner to read, and after lunch, she even took a leisurely afternoon nap. It wasn’t until the Emperor arrived in the evening that Bao Qin noticed her mistress had switched her earrings to the problematic pair.
Shui Cong had been worried about A Yuan since morning.
In his mind, the women of Ningshou Palace were all man-eaters. Once targeted, one could easily end up with nothing left, not even bones.
Thus, as soon as he arrived, he took A Yuan by the hand and examined her from head to toe. Only after confirming she was truly unharmed did he breathe a sigh of relief: “In the future, avoid going to Ningshou Palace unless necessary.”
“If the imperial concubine summons me, how could I, a humble servant, disobey?” A Yuan sighed, thinking the Emperor’s words were nothing but nonsense.
Shui Cong frowned, his heart filled with frustration.
That Zhen Shi was merely an imperial concubine—did she truly think of herself as the Empress Dowager?
Seeing his displeasure, A Yuan tugged at his sleeve and swayed it gently, her tone sweet and coquettish: “Your Majesty, I will be careful in my service and will never anger the imperial consort. I don’t want to cause you any trouble either.”
Shui Cong saw her innocent expression, clearly unaware of how terrifying those women could be.
Suddenly, his gaze sharpened, locking onto A Yuan’s ears.
Her earlobes, originally as fair and smooth as jade, were now swollen and red. Moreover, the redness was visibly spreading to Noble Consort Lin’s neck.
Noble Consort Lin’s skin was pale, making the redness appear especially glaring.
“Someone, summon the Imperial Physician—”
Clearly, the appearance of this redness was far too suspicious.