Pei Tingyue was lost in thought.
For now, finding a trusted confidant could wait—what urgently concerned her was the lack of silver.
Living in the palace, having silver to spend and having none were two entirely different matters.
If she had money to bribe the eunuchs and palace maids, she could have resolved the earlier troubles with the imperial kitchen without waiting for Empress Cui to step in and enforce order. A bit of silver would have settled it.
Moreover, some expenses were unavoidable.
For instance, giving rewards to Eunuch An.
She could skip it once or twice, but not indefinitely.
She couldn’t afford to offend a eunuch of his status.
The monthly allowance for a Cairen was far from sufficient. She needed to find a way to get her hands on some silver.
Pei Tingyue’s gaze refocused as she reached out and closed the box of pearls. “Enough of the long faces. Haven’t I just been promoted? The edict will arrive soon, and His Majesty might bestow some silver as a reward.”
If not, she would find another way to extract some from the emperor.
Yun Shu perked up immediately and nodded eagerly. “You’re right! Perhaps His Majesty will reward you, Mistress.”
“Put these things away for now. We’ll discuss them when we have silver.”
“Yes.”
After tidying up, Yun Shu took a young palace maid to deliver the scriptures to Lin Zhaorong. Pei Tingyue reclined on the daybed and continued embroidering the sachet.
As dusk fell, Pei Tingyue had a palace lantern lit and placed on the small table, working at a leisurely pace.
Before long, Yun Shu pushed open the door, bringing in a chill. “Cairen, it’s snowing!”
Hearing this, Pei Tingyue set down her work and looked out the window. A thick, swirling snowfall filled the outside.
Yun Shu brushed off the snow and entered, muttering, “Spring began days ago, and the noon sun was so bright earlier. How could it suddenly snow? It’s rather strange.”
She quickly fetched some silver-thread charcoal and lit it in the brazier.
The moment Pei Tingyue drew near, warmth seeped into her heart. She squinted contentedly. “This is spring snow—an auspicious sign. The common people rejoice when it snows after the start of spring. The melted snow soaks into the earth, ensuring a bountiful harvest this year.”
Yun Shu’s eyes shone with admiration. “You know so much, Cairen.”
Pei Tingyue smiled faintly but then grew serious. “When you delivered the scriptures, did Lin Zhaorong say anything?”
Yun Shu shook her head. “She didn’t say a word, just had me leave the items and go. However, I felt Zhaorong Niangniang’s gaze was odd—as if she were searching me with some hidden meaning.”
Pei Tingyue lowered her eyes. “Pay it no mind.”
She had anticipated that Lin Zhaorong would be wary of her.
But wariness was one thing—Lin Zhaorong wouldn’t take action against her.
Yun Shu complied. “I understand, Mistress.”
With the snowfall preventing outings, Pei Tingyue had a simple dinner and sat by the brazier to sew the sachet.
By the end of the day, she had finished embroidering the pattern and attached the cords and tassels. All that remained was to fill it with fragrance.
Pei Tingyue sighed repeatedly as she examined the incense box in her quarters.
To the Emperor and Empress, this incense was far too cheap and low-quality.
It would be better to fill the sachet with something else.
After a moment’s thought, she asked Yun Shu to fetch some dried flower petals. The mistress and maid sorted through them carefully and finally filled the sachets.
“Done. Set them aside.”
Following instructions, Yun Shu placed the two sachets away.
Exhausted from the day, Pei Tingyue rubbed her temples and decided to retire early.
Just as she finished washing her face, a young palace maid announced that Eunuch Liang had arrived.
Pei Tingyue hastily set down the warm towel and hurried to the door to greet him.
She teased, “I thought Chief Steward Liang wouldn’t come today.”
Liang Yao smiled and bowed to her. “Your Ladyship, the Emperor’s discussion with the ministers lasted longer today and has just concluded. But His Majesty has been thinking of you, and as soon as he had a moment, he ordered this servant to deliver the decree.”
Pei Tingyue smiled faintly. “It’s freezing outside, Chief Steward. Please come inside to announce the decree.”
Liang Yao bent even lower. “Thank you, Your Ladyship.”
The group moved into the hall.
Pei Tingyue knelt in the main chamber to receive the edict promoting her rank, then had someone accept the rewards.
After reading the decree, Liang Yao noticed the washbasin in the side chamber and asked cheerfully, “Is Your Ladyship preparing to retire for the night?”
Pei Tingyue nodded. “Indeed.”
Liang Yao’s smile widened. “I’m afraid Your Ladyship won’t be able to rest early tonight. His Majesty has summoned you to attend him again.”
Pei Tingyue: “…”
Hearing she still had to work, her vision went dark.
After quickly giving herself a mental pep talk, Pei Tingyue put on a delighted smile. “Really?”
Still having to pretend—truly exhausting.
Liang Yao replied respectfully, “This servant wouldn’t dare misrepresent His Majesty’s decree. The Luan Carriage should be here to fetch you soon.”
With a smile in her eyes, Pei Tingyue subtly slipped off a bracelet from her wrist and handed it over. “Thank you for informing me, Chief Steward. A small token of appreciation.”
Liang Yao repeatedly declined, but ultimately couldn’t resist her warm gesture and had to accept it with gratitude.
After he left, Pei Tingyue had Yun Shu put the decree away safely and hurried over to examine the rewards.
A pair of sparkling green jade bracelets, a set of gold and gemstone hair ornaments, and a jade carving.
No silver—exactly what she wanted.
Pei Tingyue sighed and began pondering how to tactfully ask the Emperor for silver.
Liang Yao braved the wind and snow on his return journey. As he reached the palace gate, a eunuch hurried up to him anxiously. “Chief Steward, something’s happened.”
Liang Yao’s expression sharpened. This eunuch was his trusted aide, normally very composed. He wouldn’t be in such a state unless something extremely urgent had occurred.
Liang Yao’s voice deepened. “What happened?”
The eunuch spoke rapidly. “After you left Chengming Hall, An Zi was serving inside. Somehow, he angered His Majesty.”
“His Majesty ordered him beaten with boards, but didn’t specify how many strokes.”
“Now An Zi is kneeling outside the hall, saying nothing except to have us find you quickly.”
“By my estimate, the punishment detail will arrive soon.”
Liang Yao’s heart sank like a stone. The wind and snow felt like knives against his face. His voice sounded hoarse in the snowy night. “Not specifying the number means… until he’s dead.”
The eunuch paled, his lips moving soundlessly, unable to form any words.
Arriving at the hall entrance, Liang Yao saw the thin figure kneeling there. He approached and lowered his voice. “What exactly happened?”
Liang An’s face was ashen, breathing heavily. Despite the bitter cold, bean-sized sweat droplets rolled down his temples from his forehead.
Only when he heard the familiar voice did his pupils slowly focus, but he still hadn’t recovered from the terror and couldn’t speak.
Seeing his adopted son like this, Liang Yao slapped him hard across the face, then grabbed his collar and pulled him close. “If you don’t speak now, you’ll lose your life.”
Only when a burning pain spread across his face did Liang An snap out of the shadow of death. Frantically grabbing Liang Yao’s arm, he stammered, “Just now… I asked His Majesty… that Liang Yao… whether it won’t be administered anymore…”