Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 309 1 A gentle breeze brings a sense of intoxication

Chapter 309 A Gentle Breeze Makes One Feel Intoxicated

Upon entering the palace, Hua Yan regained her composure and saw Aunt Mei standing under an ancient cypress tree, seemingly waiting for her.

"Mother--"

Aunt Mei called out, and when her gaze settled on Hua Yan, she was momentarily stunned.

In her memory, since the day she first met Hua Yan, she seemed to have never appeared in public with such makeup. Even on two occasions, when the second young lady was eager to do her makeup herself, she was turned down.

To be precise, whether it was Meng Shu in the past or Hua Yan later, Aunt Mei always felt that she didn't look like a maid at all, even though her behavior was in accordance with the hierarchy and she voluntarily gave up her name and called herself Hua Yan.

But she only needs to stand there quietly, and she has a dazzling radiance that is hard to ignore.

Seeing that Aunt Mei was in a daze, Green Willow waved her handkerchief in front of her eyes. Aunt Mei quickly came to her senses and said with a smile, "Consort Chun asked me to come here to greet you."

Hua Yan raised her eyebrows slightly, a gentle smile appearing on her lips: "The palace is cool and the summer heat is relieved. It's much better than when we were in the palace, and Your Highness will feel more comfortable."

"Her Majesty is most intolerant of heat and becomes somewhat uncomfortable in the summer. We thought that things would be better after she came to the capital, but unfortunately the heat in the north is not much different from that in Lin'an."

As Aunt Mei spoke, she led Hua Yan into the hall.

Empress Dowager Zhou also made a rare appearance. The two empress dowagers sat side by side on the throne, while the emperor and empress sat on one side below.

Hua Yan moved gracefully to the center of the hall, knelt down slowly to pay her respects, and also expressed her gratitude to the Emperor.

The Empress had just peeled a grape and was about to hand it to the Emperor when she looked up and saw Hua Yan gracefully rise. She was wearing a light green dress, which gave her an indescribable elegance.

With a soft "plop," the grapes the Empress was holding slipped from her fingers and fell onto the table...

Jingming: "......"

Xingyu's breath hitched suddenly. She hurriedly and quietly stepped forward to quickly clean up the mess before anyone could notice.

The Emperor did not actually notice the Empress's rudeness. From the moment Hua Yan stepped into the hall, his gaze could not be taken off her.

Tonight, her beauty is far more dazzling than the day she served the emperor.

The carved doors and windows were open, and a gentle breeze happened to pass by, blowing the green skirt into a full shape, just like a lotus leaf.

The emerald canopy flutters gently in the soft breeze, dewdrops fall on the lotus heart, pearls and jade sway gracefully.

A breeze caresses the azure waves, a golden phoenix carries a pearl in its beak. There could be no more exquisite way to capture the essence of the theme.

Qu Baolin used every flowery word to describe it, but none of it could compare to this moment, this fleeting, intoxicatingly beautiful swaying motion.

The Emperor's heart seemed to be stirred by the wind.

Consort Mei's eyes seemed to spit poison as she silently cursed in her heart: "Vixen, she's used to using her beauty to bewitch the Emperor."

Qu Baolin frowned slightly, a chill rising from the bottom of her heart. How could she not know the intention behind Consort Meng's attire? The pride she felt from winning first place during the lake cruise vanished in an instant. She secretly regretted that she had been so hasty on her first day at the imperial palace.

The Empress noticed that the Emperor was momentarily lost in thought. She concealed her disappointment and slowly questioned him, "Consort Meng is a little late."

Just as Consort Chun was about to speak, Mengzhu stopped her by tugging at her sleeve.

Consort Mei scoffed, "Consort Meng must have put a lot of effort into changing her clothes, so Your Majesty should not take offense."

Qu Baolin sat at the end of the table, looking somewhat surprised, as if she had just witnessed Consort Mei's "sharpness".

Hua Yan had just reached her seat when she heard this and turned to curtsy to the Empress. Then she looked at Consort Mei and said, "Consort Mei's makeup tonight is stunning; it's clear she put in a lot of effort."

Empress Dowager Zhou smiled slightly, thinking to herself that Hua Yan was cunning.

The process of creating the "Flying Clouds Makeup" is particularly complex. After cleansing the face with water, it requires seven steps: applying lead powder, rouge, drawing eyebrows, attaching floral decorations, adding dimples, drawing slanted red lines, and applying lip rouge.

The Emperor then spoke coldly: "The banquet will begin at 7 PM. Consort Meng arrived just in time, so how can she be late? Besides, I have granted her special favor by allowing her to meet with her relatives. Even if she is a step late, what is wrong with that?"

No one dared to speak again. Empress Dowager Jiang had intended to say something to cover for Consort Mei, but for some reason, she didn't say anything either.

As dusk settled, musicians, holding sheng, xiao, qin, and se instruments, began to play melodious music. Jingming loudly announced, "Let the banquet begin!"

The palace maids, dressed in colorful clothes and carrying delicacies, filed in one after another.

With a kind smile, Jiang Tai raised her hand gently, signaling the start of the banquet.

The Empress rose and, together with Consort Chun and other concubines, bowed to the two Empress Dowagers, saying in unison, "Wishing the Empress Dowagers a long and peaceful life."

After settling down, Consort Chun could not hide her joy. She lowered her voice and said to Hua Yan, "Light makeup makes you look even more beautiful, Shu'er. There are a few balsam flowers in Xiefang Garden. How about we go to my place tomorrow and dye our nails together?"

Hua Yan nodded gently and whispered to Consort Chun, "It's a good opportunity to try Your Majesty's new recipe."

"What are Consort Chun and Lady Meng talking about that makes them so happy?" the Emperor suddenly asked.

Consort Chun and Hua Yan were speechless for a moment: "..."

Consort Chun slowly rose, her face flushed with embarrassment, and replied, "Just now, I made an appointment with Shu'er to... dye our nails together tomorrow."

Seeing this, Empress Dowager Jiang smiled and pointed to Consort Chun and Hua Yan, saying to Empress Dowager Zhou, "Consort Chun is usually dignified and solemn, it's rare to see her like this, it's quite interesting."

Empress Dowager Zhou responded with a smile: "They are at the age when they are like blooming flowers. It is a rare opportunity to come to the palace to escape the summer heat. This is how they can truly enjoy themselves."

When you get old, all that's left is boredom; living is just a matter of passing the time...

Empress Dowager Zhou's eyes were full of envy. If Yueming were still alive, the two of them might have been as close as Consort Chun and Consort Meng. Unfortunately, their old friends had already passed away.

(Yun Yueming, Madam Yun's aunt, was a close friend of Empress Dowager Zhou before she entered the palace.)

The Emperor, unaware of Empress Dowager Zhou's thoughts, simply echoed her words, saying, "What Your Majesty says is absolutely right. The temporary palace is not the same as the palace. I feel much more at ease here."

Empress Dowager Zhou remained silent for a moment, her expression unchanged, and nodded slightly in response.

Consort Chun, recalling the Empress Dowager's teachings, said somewhat awkwardly, "I recently obtained a recipe for dyeing fingernails from a book. If Your Majesty has some free time tomorrow, would you like to come to Xiefang Garden to take a look?"

The Emperor was genuinely surprised. Raising his eyebrows, he replied with great interest, "It's rare for Consort Chun to be in such a good mood. I must go and see her."

Consort Chun spent an hour with Empress Dowager Zhou today. Hua Yan hadn't had a chance to ask yet, and she was a little surprised. She then realized that Empress Dowager Zhou must have given Consort Chun some pointers.

That's good; one should always be clear-headed.

Qu Baolin sighed softly. Behind her, Ruixue tightly twisted the handkerchief in her hand. It seemed that her master would not be able to serve her tonight.

(Ruixue, the maidservant brought into the palace by Qu Qingge)

After the banquet, the Emperor respectfully escorted Empress Dowager Zhou back to Yichun Palace, and then waved for the concubines to return to their respective palaces. He then strolled side-by-side with Hua Yan towards Bilang Pavilion to rest.