Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 199 Confinement

Madam Yun could not stay long. After Huanyun learned the details of Zhou Bai's situation, she excused herself and went to the outer room to talk to Donggua, and then tactfully took her leave of the flower hall.

Only Consort Zhen and Empress Hua Yan remained in the flower hall. Madam Yun gently advised, "The princess's pregnancy is unstable. When you two go to the Ruyi Palace to pay your respects in the future, you must be careful."

Consort Zhen's pupils suddenly contracted, and she nodded in agreement with Hua Yan.

"My daughter will be more vigilant."

If the princess knew that this pregnancy was unlikely to be successful, she might use the unborn child to scheme against the concubine.

"With Hua Yan here, I feel much more at ease. The old lady prepared many things when I left this morning, and there are also some for you all," Madam Yun said to Hua Yan with a smile.

Hua Yan smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Madam and Old Madam. I must go and check on them quickly, lest those two greedy children, Donggua and Mingyue, take them all."

Madam Yun smiled and said, "Go ahead, and have Donggua make some milk tea while he's at it. Bring it back to the old lady and that girl Xiaoqi later."

Hua Yan also had much to say to Huan Yun. She curtsied to her master and left the flower hall. When Wei Mama saw Hua Yan come out, she brought Xiang Ru inside.

Inside the bedroom, Donggua's bed was covered with two piles of things.

One pile was clearly brought by Madam Yun, mostly cosmetics and a few inconspicuous pieces of jewelry; the other pile was Donggua's private stash.

"My master's birthday is at the end of July. There are some materials here that we don't need in the manor. I'd like to trouble Sister Huanyun to take them out of the manor and have someone deliver them to Jinnan." Donggua pointed to a small pile of things.

Both pieces of cloth were suitable for Steward An to wear. They were obtained by Donggua in advance by exchanging new cloth with Granny Gong in the Prince's Mansion. Next to the cloth were two small wooden boxes, which Huayan knew were bird's nest and donkey-hide gelatin given to Donggua by the concubine.

When Donggua saw Huayan come in, he bent down and took out a small package from beside his pillow.

"When Aunt Mei left the manor last time, I specially asked her to go to Yongbao Tower and exchange it for a few tourmaline beads and a turquoise. Green Willow is also born in July, so Sister Huanyun helped me give it to Sister Dingxiang and Green Willow Yingchun."

Three pairs of shimmering gold earrings, each featuring a different floral pattern: lilac, willow leaf, and forsythia.

Even though Yongbaolou would give the servants of the Tang family a considerable discount, these three pairs of earrings were still quite valuable. However, Donggua received the most rewards and accumulated a lot of wealth.

Huanyun was surprised to find that even lilacs were included, and she was unsure whether to accept them.

Winter Melon had an innocent and harmless appearance, which naturally made people want to be close to her. Although she and Dingxiang had only met a few times, they were already very good friends. Moreover, Winter Melon got along very well with the servants in the mansion, and the gluttonous Bright Moon followed her around all day long.

Donggua was thinking about Lvliu and the others, and Huayan was happy to see it happen. Donggua couldn't stay in the inner quarters as a cook forever. Lvliu and Yingchun were in Jinnan, and they could rely on each other in the future.

Moreover, Green Willow always remembered Winter Melon's kindness. Yingchun once wrote a letter jokingly saying that Green Willow often stared blankly at a pile of various candies... Whenever Master Zheng sent people to the capital, Green Willow and Yingchun would always bring back many local products or various gifts for Huayan and her companion.

The bond between sisters deepens with each passing moment of interaction.

Hua Yan pulled herself back to reality and exaggeratedly poked the winter melon.

"What a biased house! Why didn't Sister Huanyun and I get one?"

Donggua chuckled and magically produced three hairpins from his sleeve. "I have them all, I have them all, I just want to congratulate Sister Huanyun on her good fortune in getting through this difficult time."

Huanyun's cheeks flushed crimson, and she smiled slightly as she thanked him. She took out two amulets from her bosom. Over the years, Huanyun had often gone to worship Buddha and offer incense to pray for Zhou Bai's well-being, and she hadn't forgotten to ask for a amulet for Huayan and Donggua as well.

"Being in the inner quarters, peace is a blessing," Huanyun said, pulling the two of them aside.

The three of them talked for a while before Donggua went to the small kitchen to get busy.

"Sister Huanyun, are you a little nervous? If Uncle changes his mind, then I will..."

Huanyun slowly shook her head, her eyes unusually firm. "I believe in Zhou Lang, but I'm worried about his condition after his injury. I can only imagine how much hardship Zhou Lang has endured on the grasslands over the years."

Hua Yan's expression was blank. Although she was also worried about her uncle, she ultimately couldn't empathize with Huan Yun. Huan Yun and the second young lady were similar in temperament, both easily troubled by love.

"With the head of the family here, Sister Huanyun doesn't need to worry. All doubts will be resolved once Uncle returns to the capital."

Inside the flower hall, Xiangru had just finished taking the pulse of the concubine.

"Your Majesty, the concubine's pulse is wiry, thready, and rapid, a sign of liver stagnation transforming into fire. Judging from her expression, she seems to be overly worried. Excessive thinking, if prolonged, leads to liver stagnation. The liver is a rigid organ, responsible for regulating the flow of qi; when the liver is stagnant, this function is impaired, and the stagnant qi transforms into fire. Have you been feeling hot and restless lately, making it difficult for you to sleep?"

Consort Zhen was stunned for a moment, her cheeks began to burn, and she was a little at a loss.

Madam Yun, fully aware of her daughter's thoughts, said in a deep voice, "Xiangru, continue."

"...If the mind is disturbed by fire, one will feel anxious and restless, unable to sleep at night, or have many dreams and wake up easily. Over time, this will lead to poor blood circulation and malnourishment of the mind. This servant dares not prescribe medicine on my own. I will discuss it with my master after returning to the manor."

Madam Yun waved her hand, and Wei Mama, along with Xiangru, bowed and withdrew.

"If Hua Yan hadn't written to me beforehand asking me to bring Xiangru, how long would you have kept this from me?"

Consort Zhen opened her mouth and stammered, "I have always been sensitive to heat and have not noticed anything amiss."

Madam Yun sighed helplessly, pondered for a long time, and pulled the concubine to sit down beside her. She had no choice but to reveal Hua Yan's speculations about the Duke of Qing's mansion in advance.

"The fact that the Prince of Jin sent Wei Ying to lead a team to the Northwest shows how much he values ​​the Duke of Qing's mansion."

While Consort Zhen was distracted, Madam Yun carefully advised her:

“Wan’er has loved poetry and literature since childhood, and should know the principle that ‘a man’s infatuation can be explained, but a woman’s infatuation cannot be explained.’”

Lady Yun had anticipated that her daughter might not be adept at the intrigues of the inner court, so she had chosen her dowry maids early on. Little did she expect that her daughter would display such childish sentiments. Lady Yun had always believed in the principle of "one who loves others should first love oneself," and thus she was quite disappointed in the concubine.

Her eyelashes trembled suddenly, and Consort Zhen was truly filled with mixed feelings.

Outside the Ciming Hall of the Imperial Palace.

The men sent by the Prince of Jin had investigated the situation outside the gate of Guangci Temple. The Princess's order to close the temple had aroused dissatisfaction among the people. When they left the temple by carriage, the guards of the Jiang family even injured an old woman. Half of the people who had gathered were the families of soldiers. In the heat of the moment, a conflict broke out, which caused the horses to run away. Fortunately, Song Chenghui was in the carriage and managed to control the horses in time, otherwise the consequences would have been much worse.

"Foolish woman."

The Prince of Jin's voice was icy cold: "Has the wounded received any treatment?"

"Your Highness, when I arrived yesterday, the injured civilians had already been taken to the temple by the monks of Guangci Temple for treatment. Madam Jiang has also made proper arrangements for the aftermath, not only compensating them with silver but also leaving people to escort the injured civilians home."

"By order of the King, Princess Consort Jiang has acted improperly and is morally deficient. She is hereby confined to her quarters for three months to repent and reform. The affairs of the inner quarters of the royal residence shall be temporarily managed by Consort Zhen."