Nanny Jian looked at Lin Anran suspiciously.
At that moment, Lin Anran was smiling warmly as she used a bamboo skewer to feed Luo Li a piece of Shanshan melon.
Her eyes were filled with motherly affection, and the carefree smile on her stunningly beautiful face resembled the warm sun of early spring—gentle rather than dazzling, yet enough to warm the heart.
Was this really the same mad and temperamental Empress everyone talked about?
Nanny Jian had not interacted with the Empress much before. In fact, she had only met her a handful of times. Everything she knew about the Empress came from rumors spread by masters and palace servants alike.
Everyone said the Empress was volatile and irrational, easily enraged, constantly beating and scolding palace servants at the slightest provocation. They said she was extremely strict with Princess Shengshi, often punishing the child harshly before clutching her and sobbing apologies afterward.
Even before the Emperor and Empress Dowager, the Empress supposedly behaved like a shrew—shouting, crying, and throwing tantrums without the slightest dignity expected of a queen.
So when Nanny Jian learned she was being assigned to serve in Fengyi Palace, her heart had rejected the idea immediately.
She had long prepared herself to be tormented by the Empress.
Yet the woman before her now was completely different from the rumors.
Just the calm, detached composure Lin Anran displayed—as though nothing in the world could disturb her peace—was enough to inspire respect in Nanny Jian.
Unassuming, restrained, never showing off…
Was that not exactly how an Empress ought to be?
Could all the rumors have been wrong?
Nanny Jian decided she would continue observing carefully.
…
After dinner, Luo Li had intended to go practice the qin, but Lin Anran stopped her.
“Little A’Li, would you accompany Mother Empress on a walk through the imperial garden to digest our meal?”
Luo Li hesitated at first, but seeing the hopeful expression on Lin Anran’s face, she ultimately could not bear to refuse.
“Hehe, Mother Empress knew Little A’Li would definitely accompany me.”
Lin Anran grinned like a child who had just received candy.
Being around Luo Li really gave Lin Anran the feeling of spending time with a tiny grown-up, which made her unconsciously childish as well.
Rather than riding in a sedan chair, Lin Anran held Luo Li’s hand and strolled leisurely through the palace corridors lined with red walls and green tiles toward the imperial garden.
Ancient people ate dinner rather early. By the time they arrived at the garden, the evening sunset was at its most brilliant.
The autumn breeze carried a faint chill.
Lin Anran carefully adjusted Luo Li’s cloak and softly reminded her,
“If you feel cold or hot, you must tell Mother Empress right away, understand?”
Luo Li obediently nodded.
In her previous life, Lin Anran had been a true homebody. One of her life principles was practically “movement is forbidden for survival.” The walk from Fengyi Palace to the imperial garden had already fulfilled her exercise quota for the day.
So the moment they arrived, she immediately found a pavilion to sit and rest in while Xia Mo accompanied Luo Li to play.
Nanny Jian had intended to follow them as well, but Lin Anran kept her behind.
Nanny Jian immediately became nervous.
Could the Empress be planning to make trouble for her?
Would she beat her?
Just as Nanny Jian was becoming increasingly anxious, Chunhua suddenly stepped forward and handed her a money pouch.
“Nanny Jian, you’ve worked hard caring for Princess Shengshi these past two months. This is a reward from Her Majesty. Please accept it for tea and small comforts.”
Nanny Jian froze and looked at Lin Anran in surprise.
Lin Anran merely smiled faintly without speaking. That inscrutable expression made Nanny Jian instinctively wary.
The refusal she had prepared became lodged in her throat.
If she accepted, the Empress Dowager might grow suspicious of her.
But if she refused, she might offend the Empress and invite disaster upon herself.
Naturally, Lin Anran noticed her concerns and smiled.
“Nanny Jian, there’s no one around here. You may accept it without worry. In the future, I will still need to trouble you to look after Little A’Li. With an experienced palace elder like you guiding her etiquette, this palace can relax a little.”
Lin Anran gave Nanny Jian ample respect and affirmation.
Chunhua also smiled.
“Nanny Jian, you should just accept it. Otherwise, someone may arrive shortly.”
With those words, Nanny Jian had no choice but to take the pouch.
But she accepted it wholeheartedly.
At this point, she was already convinced that the Empress was absolutely not the madwoman described in the rumors, but rather someone meticulous and extraordinarily perceptive.
The reason the Empress had not attempted to win her over inside Fengyi Palace was likely because she understood that not everyone there was truly loyal to her. There were too many eyes and ears.
But in the imperial garden, where nobody else was around, she had chosen to reward her instead.
First, because the area was secluded.
Second, because it subtly conveyed that if Nanny Jian refused to cooperate, the Empress had plenty of ways to make the Empress Dowager suspicious of her. At that point, she would be trapped between both sides.
This blend of kindness and intimidation—the art of winning hearts while applying pressure—was executed perfectly by the Empress.
For Nanny Jian to rise to the rank of nanny within the imperial harem was no accident. She excelled at reading situations and avoiding danger.
If the Empress truly was as capable as she appeared, then remaining by her side might not be a bad choice.
And even if the Empress eventually acted foolishly, Nanny Jian could always return to serving the Empress Dowager. She would lose nothing.
After sorting out her thoughts, Nanny Jian quickly tucked away the money pouch, her smile becoming much more genuine.
“Your Majesty speaks too modestly. Being able to serve Princess Shengshi is this old servant’s honor. I will naturally devote myself wholeheartedly and never disappoint Your Majesty’s trust.”
Lin Anran nodded with a smile, inwardly thinking that Nanny Jian was indeed a sensible person.
Gradually, the sky darkened.
Seeing this, Lin Anran rose, intending to search for Luo Li, who still had not returned. Yet Nanny Jian immediately understood her thoughts and smiled.
“Your Majesty, it’s getting late. This old servant shall go fetch Princess Shengshi.”
After accepting the Empress’s favor, it was only natural to help shoulder her burdens.
“Very well. Thank you for your trouble, Nanny Jian.”
As soon as Nanny Jian left, Chunhua could not help but complain:
“Your Majesty, that Nanny Jian is obviously a fence-sitter, and she isn’t sincerely loyal to you either. Why treat her so politely and even reward her so generously?”
In Chunhua’s opinion, it would have been better to humor Nanny Jian for a few days before finding an excuse to send her back to Cining Palace.
Keeping someone with divided loyalties nearby was like hanging a blade above one’s head—it could fall at any moment.
Yet Lin Anran only smiled meaningfully.
“Chunhua, do you know what it means when people say, ‘The King of Hell is easy to meet, but the little demons are difficult to deal with’?”
The leaders might be reasonable, but the underlings were often troublesome.
No matter how dissatisfied the Empress Dowager might be with her, she still had concerns to consider and would not make matters too ugly.
But Nanny Jian was another story.
Although Nanny Jian could not inflict serious harm, the trouble she could cause would still be exhausting.
Lin Anran had no desire to become entangled in endless petty conflicts.
Chunhua was intelligent and understood immediately.
“Your Majesty, Chunhua understands now. I will definitely help stabilize Nanny Jian.”
Just as Lin Anran and Chunhua were speaking, Xia Mo’s terrified scream suddenly rang out from the distance.
Immediately afterward came Nanny Jian’s panicked cries.
“Quick! Quick! Help! Somebody save Princess Shengshi! Princess Shengshi has fallen into the water!”
The moment Lin Anran heard that Luo Li had fallen into the water, panic shattered her calm.
She hurried toward the source of the screams.
The sounds of frantic splashing and rushing footsteps echoed throughout the imperial garden, followed by even more terrified shouting that instantly threw the once-quiet garden into chaos.
“Your Majesty, don’t jump in!”
“This is bad! The Empress has fallen into the water too!”
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Please don’t jump—!”
“Oh no! Oh no! The Emperor has fallen into the water too!”