Early that morning, in the Cold Palace, Suoxin was doing her master’s makeup.
Even though Ruyi lived in the Cold Palace, her grooming routine remained the same as when she was an esteemed consort, taking nearly an hour to finish combing Ruyi’s hair.
Ruyi cocked her pinky with the nail guard and picked out the finest golden tassel hairpin from a row of hairpins, handing it to Suoxin.
“I’ll wear this one today. Suoxin, go fetch that jujube-red fully embroidered dress. This palace will wear that today.”
Gold was the most vulgar, and Ruyi used to dislike it, but now she had no other choice.
Suoxin hurriedly took the hairpin, placed it in Ruyi’s hair, and softly assented while looking at her master, who was applying rouge.
After Suoxin found the dress and helped Ruyi change into it, she saw Ruyi still admiring herself in the mirror. Puzzled, Suoxin asked:
“Why has Master dressed up so grandly today? Is Noble Consort Hai coming to visit?”
When they came to the Cold Palace, they only brought a few simple clothes. Both this hairpin and this dress were sent by Noble Consort Hai.
Noble Consort Hai had outstanding embroidery skills. The embroidery on this Qipao was intricate and exquisite, clearly made by her own hands.
No wonder her master got up so early today. Noble Consort Hai always cared for her master, and perhaps her master wanted to reassure her. In this entire palace, Noble Consort Hai was the only one who was truly sincere to her master!
As Suoxin was guessing in her heart, she saw Ruyi shake her head and say with a peaceful expression:
“Hailan just came a few days ago. This palace has already instructed her not to come to the Cold Palace again. If she has any news, she can just fly a kite, and this palace will naturally see it. Today, Guard Ling’s cousin is coming to visit him. Guard Ling has already arranged it with this palace in advance, bringing his cousin to pay respects.”
Suoxin listened blankly. She looked at her master’s calm expression, her heart filled with confusion.
Her master’s abdomen was injured by Consort Dowager Ji a few days ago and hadn’t fully healed yet. She originally thought Noble Consort Hai was coming, which was why her master dressed up so meticulously. She didn’t expect it was just to meet Guard Ling’s cousin!
Was Guard Ling’s cousin really more important than Noble Consort Hai? Her master hadn’t even dressed this grandly when she met Noble Consort Hai before.
Suoxin opened her mouth, but looking at her master’s fair profile, she swallowed her words. Forget it, her master was in a rare good mood today and had finally emerged from the grief of the master’s passing. Why should she spoil the mood?
This Guard Ling really had helped them a lot!
In the Sizhiku, Yanwan and Aunt Yun were arranging the day’s tasks for the young maids. Just as they finished, a young maid from the Sizhiku came looking for her with a bundle.
“Sister Yanwan, I’ve finished the dress you asked for. Take a look and see if there’s anything that needs altering.”
Yanwan led the young maid to a secluded spot. The maid untied the bundle, revealing a light purple Qipao inside.
“Thank you, Ayue. The embroidery is really beautiful. Take this silver.”
Seeing that there were no issues with the dress, Yanwan handed the young maid a purse.
After the girl left, she examined it carefully before carefully putting it back into the bundle.
Since she was going to see Ruyi, she naturally couldn’t go empty-handed, so she simply asked this young maid with excellent embroidery skills to make this Qipao.
Although the original owner knew how to embroider, she had no intention of serving others with needle and thread.
If she could achieve her goal by spending a little money, why should she do it herself?
Speaking of which, this money was actually given to her by Ling Yunche a while ago. When Ruyi’s father passed away, she actually asked Ling Yunche to go home and check on things for her.
Over the past year, Ling Yunche had taken quite a bit of money from Noble Consort Hai, and his appetite had grown. Naturally, he wouldn’t hold back when visiting the Ulanara family.
Even while doing embroidery in the Cold Palace with Suoxin, making handkerchiefs and purses for Ling Yunche to sell, he would intercept a portion of the scattered silver!
Ling Yunche was really not stingy after getting money, buying her plenty of clothes and jewelry.
This was truly using Ruyi’s hard-earned money to support herself. Yanwan suddenly felt a bit touched and thought she should treat Ling Yunche better in the future.
However, wasn’t Ruyi supposed to be the smartest person in the palace? How come she couldn’t see the sinister side of human nature when it came to Ling Yunche?
“Of course she couldn’t see it. The deep palace is lonely. Having an enthusiastic Ling Yunche caring for her, Ruyi probably feels quite proud of her endless charm!”
The System couldn’t help but speak up. It didn’t think Ruyi was a perfect person, just that she hid her petty thoughts well, which was also her brilliance.
She spent many years creating a ‘persona’ of being as unbothered as a chrysanthemum, maintaining it year after year, and actually made the people around her believe it.
But while these ancient people might be easy to fool, Lin Qingqing and the System were from the modern world.
In the internet age, what kind of ‘persona’ hadn’t they seen? The fairy persona, the doting wife persona, the straightforward truth-teller persona.
In the modern world, everyone even had their own persona!
As long as the persona doesn’t collapse, you’re still a little fairy!
Yanwan actually thought Ruyi’s thinking was quite advanced. When out and about, identities are given by oneself. Nothing wrong with that!
With Ruyi’s successful case, Yanwan joked with the System:
“Predecessors plant trees, descendants enjoy the shade. Since Senior Ruyi succeeded, what kind of persona do you think I should create?”
The System quickly offered a suggestion:
“Why not create a persona of a female assassin opposing the Qing and restoring the Ming? Make up a story about being an orphan from the previous dynasty. When you’re in bed with the Emperor, you take the opportunity to assassinate him, but you don’t kill him. Then you play a game of cat and mouse, ultimately giving up your righteous cause for love. How about that?”
“Get lost, do I look like I have too much free time?!”
Yanwan snapped back in annoyance, carrying the bundle out of the Sizhiku towards the Cold Palace.
The System wasn’t angry and calmly explained:
“Ruyi is like a chrysanthemum, dignified and virtuous, loving her childhood sweetheart wholeheartedly, and always thinking of the Emperor—a mother-like girlfriend. You can let the Emperor be your father-like boyfriend. After all, the Emperor is sixteen years older than you, an uncle romance works too!”
Heh. Hearing the System’s explanation, Yanwan almost burst out laughing.
So in the Emperor’s eyes, Ruyi was a woman like a mother?
As the ruler of a nation, just how starved for affection was he?!
Mother-like girlfriend?
It was a bit funny, but thinking about it carefully, Ruyi did like to take on everything and share the Emperor’s burdens.
She constantly offered advice, and after becoming the Empress and turning into the official wife, her discipline became even stricter. She had never been so diligent in disciplining her own biological children!
Seeing her interest, the System continued explaining:
“The Emperor is not an ordinary man, after all. The degree to which one acts as a mother-like girlfriend must be carefully managed. Didn’t you see how rebellious this son, the Emperor, became in the later stages? The more he was told not to do something, the more he wanted to do it. He started deliberately opposing Ruyi and grew tired of her restrictions.”
“But if the Emperor becomes a father-like boyfriend, there’s no problem. Let the Emperor manage you, lead you on the path of life, and guide you. Why does the Emperor like to be a teacher? In reality, it’s his misplaced, perverted desire for control acting up. After all, this era respects teachers and values the Dao, and one cannot rebel against a teacher.”
The System earnestly advised. It had systematically analyzed the personality traits of these people. The reason the original owner could reach the position of Imperial Noble Consort was precisely because she catered to the Emperor.
But the original owner had her own limitations. As its host, she could do it perfectly. Anyway, the Emperor liked this kind, so just satisfying him would be enough.
Listening to the System’s nagging, Yanwan didn’t contradict it and said softly:
“What you said makes sense. The Emperor’s personality does lean in that direction. Fine, it’s just cultivating a father-like boyfriend. I can give it a try.”
Seeing that Yanwan agreed, the System said enthusiastically:
“Later, find a way to make this father-like boyfriend personally teach you how to make bird’s nest soup. If Ruyi still says bird’s nest soup is precious, the Emperor will probably rebel against his mother-like girlfriend again!”
Hearing this, Yanwan’s mouth twitched. The System really had a wicked sense of humor.
Could we just stop alternating between father and mother? It was too offensive!
At the entrance of the Cold Palace, Ling Yunche was waiting patiently, glancing towards the palace path from time to time. As soon as Yanwan walked onto the path, he immediately spotted her.
Turning to greet Zhao Jiuxiao, Ling Yunche hurried towards Yanwan. Seeing her carrying something, he couldn’t help but ask curiously:
“I was just waiting for you. What are you carrying? Is it for your cousin?”
As he spoke, he finally noticed that Yanwan was actually wearing a dark-colored maid outfit. Instantly, Ling Yunche realized that this little girl was probably doing it on purpose. This outfit was usually worn by older嬷嬷 (momo, elderly maids).
Looking closely, although the outfit was old-fashioned, it further accentuated her fair and delicate skin, and her stunningly beautiful face was even more conspicuous. No matter how you looked at it, this outfit didn’t suit her.
Seeing Ling Yunche looking at her clothes, Yanwan raised her hands to show them off and said playfully:
“How is it? Will this outfit steal the show? I specifically dug it out. I brought a dress for Your Highness Consort Xian, and there are pastries for you inside.”
Ling Yunche was somewhat surprised. He raised his hand to take the bundle from her and frowned:
“I’ve already arranged things with Consort Xian. You’re busy in the Sizhiku, why bother bringing her clothes?”
As he spoke, Ling Yunche took her right hand and looked at it carefully. He couldn’t bear to let Yanwan make clothes for others. He loved these soft, boneless little hands to death; how could he bear to see them ruined?
How could Consort Xian be worthy of Yanwan making clothes for her with her own hands? She was just a woman lacking feminine virtue.
He had heard that the Emperor used to dote heavily on such a woman. Ling Yunche didn’t want to offend the Emperor, but he truly didn’t understand.
Every time Consort Xian showed him that ambiguous attitude, it disgusted him even more. Although he hadn’t interacted with other concubines, he knew without thinking that no concubine would be this intimate with a guard.
Seeing that Ling Yunche genuinely cared for her, Yanwan softened her attitude and coaxed gently:
“I spent some silver to have someone make it. It’s not good to come empty-handed. Later, just say that you instructed me to make the dress. I’ll leave the rest to you.”
Coaxed by her, Ling Yunche tightened his grip on her slender, soft hands and naturally agreed to whatever Yanwan said.
After giving the pastries Yanwan brought for him to Zhao Jiuxiao and asking him to watch the door, the two walked into the Cold Palace.
As a modern person, Yanwan had only heard of the Cold Palace in various TV dramas. In reality, she didn’t know exactly what went on there.
Stepping into this desolate courtyard, she saw several older, seemingly abnormal women in worn-out clothes standing in the corners and among the bushes.
Only then did she truly feel the suffering of the Cold Palace.