“Consort Zhao, why haven’t we seen the Fifth Prince today?” Before Nara Shi could even speak, Li Shi across from her had already asked. The malice in her eyes was clear, even from a distance. Niohuru Shi turned her head expressionlessly: “The Fifth Prince is not yet three years old. Even the Emperor didn’t let him come to the palace to mourn the Empress. What are you worrying about, Li Shi?” Niohuru Shi was not at all polite to Li Shi. So what if Li Shi was the granddaughter of the Fuxi Efu? She was only brought into the palace to appease the Han people. Niohuru Shi was not afraid of her status!
“Consort Zhao, your words are becoming more and more imposing. Those who don’t know might think you’re the one in charge of the harem now,” Li Shi said, aware of her own status. As long as she didn’t cross the Emperor’s bottom line, she could play with words. The Emperor would turn a blind eye because she was crucial to the friendship between the Manchu and Han people. No one could touch her! This was the confidence she had to challenge Consort Zhao!
“Concubine Li, you should be careful with your words. The Empress has just passed away. Do you think the Emperor would like to hear such things?” Niohuru Shi didn’t take Li Shi seriously at all. Only a brainless person would care about such harmless words. Niohuru Shi’s goal was the main position, and such provocations were useless against her! Sure enough, as soon as she said this, Concubine Li’s face turned ugly. She had been so focused on playing with words that she forgot the current situation! If this got out, even if she wasn’t sent to the Cold Palace, she would fall out of favor for a while. The Emperor’s affection for her was already limited. Why did she speak so foolishly today?
But at this moment, no one in the hall spoke up for Li Shi. They weren’t that kind-hearted! After all, they were all competitors. If Li Shi fell out of favor, wouldn’t they have more opportunities? “I am magnanimous and won’t hold it against you, Li Shi, but you won’t be so lucky next time.” After waiting for a while, Niohuru Shi finally spoke slowly. She was just scaring Li Shi. Even if it reached the Emperor, no matter how justified she was, the Emperor wouldn’t be pleased at a time like this. Li Shi clenched the silk handkerchief in her hand and then replied with a particularly unpleasant expression: “Thank you, Consort Zhao, for your magnanimity.” In the end, she had to lower her head, which made Li Shi feel even more uncomfortable.
…
After sitting for about half an hour, the voice of a eunuch came from outside. Lanzhu stood up, tidied her sleeves, and then left with her mother’s hand, following the crowd. One hour in the morning, two hours in the afternoon. By the end of the day, even with knee pads, when she returned home, Lanzhu felt like her legs were no longer hers. They were numb and tingling, but not particularly painful. Hesheli Shi’s face was equally unpleasant. When they returned to the main courtyard, she didn’t keep her daughter for long: “Go back and soak well, then have Liu Chun apply some Jade Ointment on your legs, or you’ll be uncomfortable tomorrow.” “Mother, you too.” “Go back.”
When Lanzhu returned to Fuchun Courtyard, Liu Qiu and Liu Dong in the courtyard had already prepared hot water and a change of clothes. “Eldest Miss, please go soak. The servant just fetched the hot water, and the temperature is just right.” Liu Qiu took Liu Xia’s place and helped the young lady into the bathhouse. Lanzhu undressed and soaked in the water, relaxing completely. It was only then that she felt the fine, dense pain coming from her knees. For a moment, cold sweat appeared on her forehead. Liu Qiu and Liu Dong, who were attending her, quickly noticed the young lady’s condition: “Young Mistress, are your knees hurting?” “Wait, I’ll go get the Jade Ointment.” Without waiting for a response, Liu Chun hurriedly ran past the screen towards the door.
Seeing the young lady’s bruised knees under the water, Liu Dong didn’t dare to act rashly. The white, delicate skin was marred by two alarming bruises, even with knee pads. It showed how delicate the young lady’s body was. Before long, Liu Qiu returned with Liu Chun. It wasn’t that she wanted to trouble Liu Chun, but among the four maids, only Liu Chun had learned medicine from the young lady and knew massage techniques. Among the three of them, Liu Xia learned martial arts, Liu Qiu learned culinary skills, and Liu Dong learned commerce. When Liu Chun saw the young lady’s knee injury, her already furrowed brows deepened: “How did it get this serious?” “Young Mistress, are your knee pads not thick enough?” “No, my body has always been like this. A light bump takes a long time to heal. Don’t worry, it just looks scary, but it’s not serious.” Lanzhu endured the pain in her knees and said with her charming face raised.
“Young Mistress, don’t pretend to be strong. It’s this serious; how can it be nothing?” Even Liu Qiu, who didn’t study medicine, knew that the young lady’s knee injury wasn’t as painless as she claimed. After Lanzhu finished soaking, Liu Dong silently brought a fine cotton cloth and wiped the water droplets off the young lady’s body. After dressing the young lady in her nightgown, Liu Chun knelt on the ground and carefully applied medicine to the young lady. She first warmed her palms, then poured the ointment into her palm, and finally gritted her teeth and pressed it hard on the young lady’s knee. As soon as she touched it, Liu Chun clearly felt the young lady’s body tremble, and then fine beads of sweat began to seep from her forehead. But the young lady didn’t utter a single cry of pain. Although Liu Chun felt distressed, her hands didn’t slow down at all. If she didn’t disperse the bruise today, the young lady wouldn’t be able to walk tomorrow.
After massaging for more than half an hour, Liu Chun’s forehead was also covered in sweat, but her hands didn’t stop. Finally, Lanzhu couldn’t bear to watch any longer: “Liu Chun, that’s enough!” “It’s already fine. You don’t need to massage anymore.” Lanzhu could no longer feel the pain in her knees, only a warm swelling sensation. Hearing this, Liu Chun looked at the young lady’s knees and saw that the bruises had faded a bit, so she stopped. “You don’t need to serve here anymore. Go rest!” Lanzhu, who also studied medicine, naturally knew that massaging for so long would definitely make Liu Chun’s arms uncomfortable. “Liu Xia, you go too. Later, massage Liu Chun’s arms.” “I understand, Young Mistress.”
…
After kneeling in the palace for five consecutive days, most people were barely holding on. After the mourning ended, many ministers, ladies, and noble ladies fell ill. Hesheli Shi didn’t fall ill when she returned home, but she wasn’t much better off. If it weren’t for her daughter’s pills, she wouldn’t have been able to hold on. After the mourning, there was a twenty-seven-day period of wearing mourning clothes. By the time the white banners were gradually taken down in the capital, summer had passed, and it was September.
On this day, Lanzhu received an imperial edict from the Grand Empress Dowager, summoning her to the palace. Lanzhu accepted the edict, changed into a slightly less plain but still not ostentatious flag outfit, and then followed the eunuch who delivered the edict into the palace. At the entrance of the Tongjia Residence, Hesheli Shi watched her daughter’s carriage depart, unable to suppress the worry in her eyes. She knew exactly what the Grand Empress Dowager intended by summoning Yujin to the palace at this time and not allowing her to accompany her! It was time to discuss it with her husband. Plans should be made early, and she vaguely knew her elder brother’s thoughts. She just didn’t know if her husband shared the same thoughts.
Lanzhu rode the carriage to the palace gate, then switched to a soft sedan chair, and proceeded nonstop to the outside of Cining Palace. When Lanzhu got off the sedan chair, a nanny was already waiting at the entrance of Cining Palace. Lanzhu gave a slight smile and bowed slightly to the nanny in front of her: “Greetings, Nanny Xing.” Seeing this, Nanny Xing quickly stepped aside: “Oh dear!” “Tongjia Gege, you’re too kind to this servant.” “Please go in quickly. The Grand Empress Dowager is waiting for you.” Although Nanny Xing said she was too kind, her smile was much more genuine than before. Whether Tongjia Gege was sincere or not, at least she had the heart, which was much better than some others.
“Are there any other noble ladies in the Grand Empress Dowager’s palace today?” After taking a few steps, Lanzhu asked Nanny Xing softly. “Tongjia Gege, you asked just in time. Besides you, there’s Hesheli Gege, Niohuru Gege, and Guarjia Gege.” Lanzhu nodded after hearing this and then walked unhurriedly towards the main hall of Cining Palace. Before she even stepped through the door, she heard a lively voice from inside the hall. As she walked into the hall, the scene inside became clear to her.
Sitting high on the central low couch was an elderly woman in a deep purple flag outfit with white hair. Her well-maintained face still showed traces of wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. Although she didn’t wear much jewelry, her aura was still intimidating. This was the Grand Empress Dowager, who had lived through three reigns and held the highest position in the harem. Beside her sat a woman in an old-fashioned but youthful-looking flag outfit. She was the second Empress of the late Emperor, now the Empress Dowager, and also the Grand Empress Dowager’s niece. On either side of them stood three girls in plain but dignified flag outfits.
As soon as Lanzhu entered, she attracted all the attention inside. The Grand Empress Dowager looked at the newcomer and said with a smile, “Look who has come?” “With Lanzhu here, my Cining Palace seems two shades brighter.” As soon as she said this, Lanzhu noticed that the girl in the sky-blue flag outfit on the right looked a bit off, but Lanzhu’s smile didn’t change. Instead, her face blushed slightly with shyness: “This servant greets the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager.”
“Get up quickly, the floor is cold. We don’t want our little Lanzhu catching a chill.” The Grand Empress Dowager’s expression was kind and amiable. “Su Ma Lagu, bring a stool over to place in front of me.” “Yes, Master.” “Lanzhu, come over here. I haven’t seen you in a while. Let me have a look at you.” The Grand Empress Dowager beckoned Lanzhu over. Following the Grand Empress Dowager’s gesture, Lanzhu walked forward. Even the wide, plain flag outfit couldn’t hide Lanzhu’s elegant demeanor, like a lotus standing alone, exuding a unique charm.
“Lanzhu has become even more beautiful, don’t you think, Qiqige?” The Grand Empress Dowager held Lanzhu’s hand and, after a careful look, didn’t forget to turn and ask the Empress Dowager beside her. “You’re right,” the Empress Dowager replied, snapping out of her own world at the Grand Empress Dowager’s question. However, her expression remained listless, as if nothing could cheer her up. “I remember Lanzhu’s birthday is coming up, isn’t it?” Since Lanzhu entered, the Grand Empress Dowager seemed to have forgotten about the other noble ladies in the hall, holding Lanzhu’s hand and not speaking to the others. The perceptive Lanzhu naturally noticed the issue but didn’t act smart by talking to the others. “Grand Empress Dowager, you have a great memory. My birthday is less than a month away.”