Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 370 inevitably compares the Empress to that one.

Granny Yu looked up abruptly and couldn't help but shiver.

She forced herself to remain calm and replied, "Your Majesty, I never saw this plum blossom hairpin when I served the young lady."

This wasn't exactly a lie, but she clearly remembered that the eldest young lady loved plum blossoms and also adored pink pearls. On the contrary, the second young lady had always been afraid of the cold and disliked plum blossoms the most.

Meng Shu knew that she was not being sincere, so she neither pointed it out nor made things difficult for her. She simply called out to the outside room, "Xia'er."

After Xia'er came in, she said gently, "Granny Yu has always treated you well. Take her downstairs for some tea and rest before returning to the palace."

Granny Yu felt as if she had been granted a pardon and quickly kowtowed to express her gratitude. Xia'er obediently curtsied and stepped forward to help her slowly leave the study.

After leaving Cuiyu Hall, Xia'er helped Granny Yu walk towards the duty room.

On the way, Granny Yu looked around Lingcui Palace and couldn't help but pat Xia'er's arm: "You and Chun'er are lucky. Serve well in front of Consort Jin Zhao. She is a kind lady and will not mistreat you."

Xia'er nodded, then noticed the strands of silver hair growing on Granny Yu's head. Remembering the care she had received in the slave quarters, her heart suddenly ached.

"Her Majesty has always treated us well."

She bit her lip: "Granny, you are getting old. If you were still in the old Duke's mansion, you should have retired long ago... Why don't you ask for a favor to leave the palace? Chun'er and I have saved up some money, enough for you to retire in the palace."

Granny Yu smiled kindly, her eyes slightly moist, and quickly took out a handkerchief from her sleeve to pat the corners of her eyes.

This handkerchief was a gift from Xia'er. The plum blossoms embroidered on it were passable, and it vaguely reminded her of when the young lady first learned embroidery, and her embroidery was almost the same.

“Silly children, we don’t need your personal savings. Not to mention that I’ve accumulated some wealth myself, even the Emperor gave us quite a bit of money when he brought us back to the Prince of Jin’s residence. But… it’s not as simple as just leaving as you wish…”

The conversation ended abruptly there.

Inside the study.

Consort Chun stared at the plum blossom hairpin next to the chessboard, her brows furrowed: "It seems to be Qing Zhitong's old item. She actually used her own sister's old item as a congratulatory gift for you. What bad luck!"

With that, she disgustedly threw the hairpin back into the brocade box and told Green Willow to take it away quickly.

"Take her to Physician Jian for a thorough examination, to see if she's contaminated with anything filthy. Qing Zhitong is known for her virtue, but her younger sister is a vicious person."

Seeing this, Meng Shu couldn't help but smile. Since the incident with the medicine comb, Consort Chun had become even more cautious.

She picked up a black jade chess piece and twirled it between her fingers. "That's unlikely. The Xie family's scandal has only just passed. She wouldn't be foolish enough to hand over any dirt on them now."

Just then, Donggua came in carrying a red lacquered tea tray. She gently placed the teacup on the table, her eyes sparkling: "Your Highness, Xia'er called Chun'er over, and the two of them are talking with Granny Yu. Should I go and eavesdrop?"

As he spoke, he made a gesture as if he were eavesdropping.

Ruizhu burst into laughter, pointing at Donggua and saying, "Only our Donggua can talk about eavesdropping so confidently. Don't worry, I just had Mingyue check, and she won't miss a single word."

Consort Chun lost interest in playing chess, so Meng Shu had Green Willow remove the chessboard.

"Consort Qing is quite cunning. She knows that our Emperor likes plum blossoms... but she can't possibly hope that the Emperor will see this hairpin from you and summon her back to the palace, can she? Why not just have Granny Yu present it to the Emperor directly?"

Aunt Mei glanced at Meng Shu cautiously and interjected, "In my opinion... if His Majesty really sees this hairpin on Your Highness's head, he will inevitably compare Your Highness to that other person."

Even if a living person has a thousand virtues, they will ultimately... be unable to compete with the weight that a deceased person holds in the Emperor's heart...

"That's roughly how Consort Qing planned it. But she miscalculated my preferences, and she shouldn't have sent Granny Yu, who still harbors feelings for her former master, to deliver it."

After agreeing with Aunt Mei, Meng Shu stopped thinking about it and casually instructed Green Willow, "Just put it in the storeroom. We won't use it anyway, so there's no need for Physician Jian to examine it."

Green Willow softly agreed and left the study carrying the brocade box.

Consort Chun suggested, "Although Madam Zhou's background is unlikely to be discovered easily, there must be something fishy about Granny Yu's sudden mention of it. Why don't I write a letter back to the manor and have Zheng Shan and Madam Zhou investigate it secretly?"

“Even if Wan’er doesn’t say it, I was thinking the same thing. My aunt’s ancestral home is Jiangning. Although her mother spent some time in the capital, she shouldn’t be the person that Granny Yu is talking about.”

Meng Shu naturally wouldn't stand on ceremony with Consort Chun. After briefly analyzing the situation, she and Consort Chun wrote a letter together.

Following her own thoughts, she also wrote a letter to Xiuyun.

Based on the dates, Xiuyun should be on the official ship heading to Yangzhou at this time. (Note: Zhou Bai was appointed as the Jianghuai Transport Commissioner, which was actually the Jianghuai Road Transport Commissioner, and his base was in Yangzhou.)

In the latter half of the day.

Xia'er came over to report that she had tried to subtly inquire, but it seemed to involve a secret, and Granny Yu was unwilling to speak.

Meng Shu didn't expect to discover anything so quickly, and instead asked, "When you saw Granny Yu this time, did you notice anything different?"

"Your Majesty, the old nanny is indeed a bit different from before. This time, she didn't ask a single question about Your Majesty and Consort Chun. She only instructed us to do our jobs well and serve Your Majesty attentively."

Listen carefully to the implication. At this point, Xia'er instantly understood why her mistress asked that question, and she also vaguely guessed that Granny Yu must have fallen out of love with the second young lady.

Thinking of how the old woman had taken care of her and Chun'er over the years, she couldn't help but worry about Granny Yu's situation.

Meng Shu took in her expression and tapped her fingertips lightly on the table: "I reckon the Emperor will summon Consort Qing back to the palace before the end of the year. You can secretly get closer to Granny Yu, and I won't suspect anything."

Xia'er knelt on the ground to express her gratitude, "This servant thanks Your Highness, and this servant would never dare to betray Your Highness's trust."

......

Renming Hall.

Ever since the imperial physician diagnosed Meng Shu as pregnant, and the emperor personally bestowed upon her the title "Jin," an inexplicable gloom has shrouded the palace day after day.

In the evening, the Empress had just finished drinking a bowl of dark brown medicinal soup, and a strong, bitter smell of medicine filled the flower hall.

She leaned against the soft pillow with its peony pattern, "Tonight...which concubine did the Emperor summon to his bedchamber?"

Xingyu approached with the box of candied fruit and replied softly, "Your Majesty, it is Consort Qu."

"It's her again?"

"It's only been seven or eight days this month, and this is already the third time."

The last rays of the setting sun shone through the window, casting a dim light on half of the Empress's face. A cold smile curled at the corner of her lips. "I underestimated this Consort Qu. She has quietly captivated the Emperor's soul."

No one in the hall dared to speak.

After a while, the Empress touched the kingfisher feather phoenix hairpin at her temple: "After the morning greetings tomorrow, I will keep her here for a private chat. I will have the kitchen prepare some nourishing food to help our Lady of the Palace recover."