On the morning after her night of royal attendance, the steward from the Internal Affairs Bureau personally led Yinzhu across the threshold of the West Side Hall.
Yinzhu stood taller than ordinary palace maids, silently positioned in the hall. Her coarse hands tightly clutched a pitifully small bundle of rough cloth—the entirety of her meager possessions accumulated over three years in the palace.
After rewarding the steward and seeing him off, Shuixian dismissed the morning meal and sent away the other palace attendants, keeping only Yinzhu in the hall.
“Long time no see… Yinzhu!”
Shuixian spread her arms and stepped forward, enveloping the slightly gaunt Yinzhu in a full embrace.
Having witnessed Yinzhu’s death in her previous life, holding her now felt like reclaiming someone snatched back from the clutches of death—a profound sense of recovery.
Shuixian loosened her hold slightly but kept her hands firmly gripping Yinzhu’s arms, looking straight at her: “Why didn’t you come to me later? When we were in the Internal Affairs Bureau, we clearly… clearly could talk.”
Yinzhu instinctively lowered her head again.
After a moment of silence, her voice came out hoarse: “Changzai… your favor is too great, this humble maid doesn’t deserve it. I… I’m clumsy with words in the palace, often offending people without even realizing it.”
“I was afraid… afraid of bringing trouble upon you, Changzai. So I… didn’t dare approach you again.”
Though Shuixian didn’t know what had happened after Yinzhu left the Internal Affairs Bureau, seeing her this withdrawn clearly indicated she had suffered.
“Nonsense!” Shuixian declared resolutely.
“From now on, you’ll stay with me! As long as I have a bowl of rice to eat, I’ll never let you go hungry! While I’m here, no one will make you do those hardest, most exhausting tasks again!”
In her previous life, Yinzhu had thrown away her life to protect her!
This time, Shuixian could trust her enough to turn her back to her!
Yinzhu jerked her head up, her calm eyes rippling violently.
Moments later, a thin film of moisture welled up in them. Her lips trembled slightly before she finally nodded heavily: “Mm!”
Just as Shuixian was about to carefully inquire what hardships Yinzhu had endured in the palace over the years—
A sudden commotion erupted outside the hall as Attendant Song shouted her name, storming in aggressively to settle scores.
“Shuixian!” Attendant Song’s voice pierced sharply as she charged into the hall. “What impressive authority! What remarkable capability!”
“Fawning over His Majesty to compete for favor is one thing, but you even snatch away a lowly scrub maid from my side!”
Growing angrier with each word, Attendant Song unexpectedly raised her hand and swung fiercely toward Shuixian’s face—the very face she envied and resented.
“Smack!”
The crisp sound of flesh striking flesh rang out.
But it didn’t land on Shuixian’s face.
In the instant Attendant Song’s palm descended, a silent figure swiftly interposed itself before Shuixian.
Yinzhu used her left arm to solidly block the wind-whipping slap!
Attendant Song felt as if her hand had struck solid iron, her wrist aching from the impact.
She looked up in shock, meeting Yinzhu’s eyes.
Those eyes held no emotion—only a bottomless, profound stillness.
Attendant Song’s heart lurched violently. She instinctively retreated half a step before feeling she had shown cowardice, fueling her rage further:
“You… you wretched maid! How dare you block me? Get out of my way!”
Yinzhu stood unwavering, firmly shielding Shuixian.
As a servant, she could not retaliate, but she could endure these blows for Shuixian.
“Fine! Very fine!”
Attendant Song trembled with rage:
“Shuixian! Just you wait! I will remember today’s humiliation! Let’s see how long you, this lowly servant, can remain arrogant relying on the Emperor’s favor!”
After uttering these harsh words, she flung her sleeve violently and rushed out of the West Side Hall in disgrace.
Watching Attendant Song’s venomous retreating figure, Yinzhu slowly lowered her arms and turned around with concern:
“Miss… might Attendant Song… cause you harm?”
Shuixian observed the faint red marks left by fingernails on Yinzhu’s left arm. She rose and retrieved medicinal ointment for bruises from her dressing case, dipping her fingertip to gently apply it to Yinzhu’s wounds.
“Her?” Shuixian shook her head slowly. “Her arrogance won’t last much longer. She’s not worth worrying about.”
In her previous life, the Song family’s scandal had erupted around this very time.
Back then, she had been conscientiously resting during pregnancy in the West Side Hall when she overheard young palace maids gossiping:
During the grand sacrificial ceremony, a pure gold ritual vessel supervised by the Court of Imperial Sacrifices had accidentally fallen and broken in two, revealing that its interior wasn’t solid gold but largely mixed with inferior iron!
This incident had provoked the Emperor’s wrath. Upon thorough investigation, numerous crimes of corruption and dereliction of duty by Song Qingfeng, Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, were uncovered.
Calculating the timing, now… should be precisely when Attendant Song’s father Song Qingfeng had committed his offenses, while the news was being suppressed for careful investigation.
Surely, word of Father Song’s crimes would soon reach the palace.
Since her rebirth, Shuixian had been monitoring the movements in the East Side Hall.
Not long after Attendant Song entered the palace, Consort Yi’s financial situation had visibly improved.
On several occasions, Shuixian had personally witnessed Attendant Song’s trusted maid sneakily entering the main hall carrying brocade boxes, as if trying to conceal something.
Connecting the clues from both lifetimes, Shuixian vaguely surmised that the Yi and Song families must have private collusion!
The continuous stream of gold, silver, and valuables Attendant Song sent to the main hall were likely part of Song Qingfeng’s ill-gotten gains!
In her previous life, when the Song family’s scandal broke, Consort Yi had promptly poisoned this now-worthless pawn to protect herself, fearing Attendant Song might implicate her.
Now, watching Attendant Song running toward the main hall of Changxin Palace after suffering humiliation, a cold glint passed through Shuixian’s eyes.
Making pacts with tigers?
Attendant Song probably wouldn’t live much longer!
Not long after, Consort Yi summoned Shuixian to the main hall.
The hall was filled with warm fragrance as Consort Yi sat upright in the host position, looking down at Shuixian kneeling before her.
“Shuixian,” Consort Yi admonished in a low voice, “You are now a Changzai, your conduct should reflect the dignity and boundaries befitting a mistress.”
Shuixian knelt with bowed head, posture respectful: “Your instruction is correct, this humble one will remember carefully.”
“Remember?” Consort Yi’s voice turned slightly cold: “I ask you – why did you not first report to me, your presiding consort, about requesting Yinzhu to serve you, instead of directly seeking favor from His Majesty?”
Shuixian had overstepped her authority, thoroughly offending Consort Yi.
Attendant Song sat in the lower seat, her eyes filled with schadenfreude as she waited to see Shuixian’s downfall.
Shuixian said fearfully: “Please calm your anger, Your Highness! This humble one would never dare to disrespect you!”
“That day… after attending upon His Majesty that night, I merely mentioned it in passing. I never imagined His Majesty would directly issue an edict assigning her to me!”
She raised her tear-filled eyes, looking sincerely at Consort Yi:
“Your Ladyship has treated me like a younger sister, caring for me in every way. Each time I returned from attending upon His Majesty, I gratefully drank every last drop of the Fetus-Protecting Medicine Your Ladyship bestowed upon me.”
“Your Ladyship has been so kind to me, making arrangements for my benefit everywhere. How could I disregard Your Ladyship’s dignity and act over your head? This was truly an unintentional mistake. I beg Your Ladyship to see this clearly!”
Consort Yi’s surging anger paused.
Indeed, that medicine… she had been drinking it all along.
If she truly had ulterior motives, why would she be so obedient?
Perhaps it really was a misunderstanding?
This girl was still that foolish slave she controlled completely, knowing only gratitude.
Attendant Song nearby could no longer restrain herself. She complained: “Your Ladyship! Don’t be deceived by her pitiful appearance!”
“Unintentional mistake? I think she did it deliberately! Relying on her looks to bewitch His Majesty, she no longer regards you, the principal consort! Today she dares to go over your head to request a maid, tomorrow she’ll dare to climb over you to abuse power!”
Shuixian deeply bowed to Consort Yi:
“Your Ladyship, I acknowledge my fault and willingly accept punishment. Attendant Song is right – although this was unintentional on my part, it indeed breached propriety and caused Your Ladyship to lose face. I… I accept punishment.”
Her posture was extremely humble, her attitude of admitting fault sincere, making Attendant Song appear aggressive by contrast.
“Enough,” Consort Yi waved her hand.
“Since it was unintentional, and considering you’ve only recently been appointed Changzai and aren’t fully familiar with the rules yet, I shall punish lightly as warning. You are fined three months’ stipend to reflect on your mistakes. Do you accept?”
“I thank Your Ladyship for your leniency! I accept wholeheartedly!”
Shuixian immediately agreed with utmost deference.
She slowly straightened up and looked at the still resentful Attendant Song: “Sister Song, please calm your anger. I know that you share deep affection with Her Ladyship, have a close relationship, and are most protective of Her Ladyship’s dignity.”
“This matter today resulted from my inadequate consideration, making you angry. I offer my apologies here and hope you will be magnanimous and not hold it against me.”
Though her words were directed at Attendant Song, they were actually meant for Consort Yi’s ears.
Close relationship…
Consort Yi’s eyes darkened slightly. Did others now think she was getting close to Attendant Song?
She remembered the secret-coded letter from her father several days ago.
The letter stated that the case against Minister Song Qingfeng of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices was supported by conclusive evidence. He had been secretly detained by the Court of Judicial Review, and His Majesty was furious, waiting only for the investigation to conclude before meting out punishment.
Her father sternly warned her in the letter to immediately distance herself from Attendant Song to avoid getting burned!
Consort Yi pondered carefully, feeling secretly alarmed.
Indeed, she had been getting too close to Attendant Song recently!
Attendant Song kept running to her main hall every day… wouldn’t others perceive that Yi Guichun was aligned with the Song family?
Consort Yi’s gaze toward Attendant Song instantly became distant.
“Changzai Shuixian overstates the matter,” Consort Yi said officiously:
“As the principal consort of Changxin Palace, I recognize only palace regulations and principles, not personal relationships or favoritism. Today’s punishment is because your actions were improper, not because I was angered on anyone’s behalf. You may return and reflect carefully on your mistakes.”
These words, though ostensibly directed at Shuixian, were actually meant for all the palace servants present:
Yi Guichun handled affairs impartially and shared no special personal relationship with Attendant Song!
Attendant Song, still oblivious to the distancing intent in Consort Yi’s words, merely felt the punishment imposed on Shuixian was too lenient. She opened her mouth to protest further: “Your Highness, she…”
“Enough!” Consort Yi’s tone turned icy. “This consort is weary. All of you may withdraw.”
With a wave of her hand, she issued a clear dismissal.
Attendant Song’s pent-up fury lodged in her chest, her face flushing crimson. She could only shoot Shuixian a venomous glare before storming off in a flurry of sleeves.
Over the following days, Shuixian listened to the commotion outside from her window.
It seemed Attendant Song had finally received the message, repeatedly attempting to seek an audience with Consort Yi, only to be turned away at the door by Xuemei under various pretexts.
On the rare occasions she gained entry, suppressed arguments could be heard from within.
Seated by the window in the West Side Hall, Shuixian’s gaze fell upon the withering begonia on the windowsill.
She reached out, gently brushing the plant’s parched leaves.
In this deep palace, the cycles of decay and prosperity, life and death, could shift in the blink of an eye.
She understood Consort Yi’s cruelty better than anyone.
That very night, a heavy snow fell upon the palace.
The northern wind whipped snowflakes into a frenzy, howling over the palace roofs and rattling the tightly shut doors and windows with mournful wails.
Beyond this, the entire imperial palace lay submerged in the deep silence of midwinter.
Suddenly, a woman’s scream from the East Side Hall of Changxin Palace tore through the tranquil night.
“Changzai! Changzai!! What’s wrong with you… Someone, help…!!!”