Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 506 Schemes

Half an incense stick's time passed.

Shuang'er whispered to Consort Wu, "Reporting to Consort Wu, Consort Yang went to Consort Shun's place in Chenghui Palace, but he didn't go in. Xiao Die politely stopped him."

Upon hearing this, Consort Wu scoffed, "So, now that Consort Qing has fallen, she's hoping to climb up to Consort Shun? Too bad Consort Shun is just as aloof as Consort Mu, she'd never even look at her."

"When I came back just now, I even saw Pei Baolin."

"Oh? She's going to Chenghui Palace too?" Lady Wu immediately asked.

Shuang'er shook her head. "No, judging from the direction Pei Baolin went, it seems she went towards Consort Qi's place."

"What about Consort Qi? Consort Pei is thinking further ahead than Consort Yang." As she spoke, Consort Wu stepped down the stairs, her original intention to go to Huining Palace suddenly changing.

Cuiyu Hall.

Meng Shu sat behind her desk, her brows furrowed, her fingers clutching a secret letter.

Seeing this, Aunt Mei also composed herself, her usually smiling eyes now filled with solemnity.

After a long while, Meng Shu slowly raised her eyes, brought the secret letter to the candle flame, and watched the sparks at the bottom of the basin burn through completely. Only after confirming that there was no residue left did she speak, her voice carrying a hint of calm: "This matter is of great importance. Madam must have put in a lot of effort to find out all this."

Aunt Mei lowered her voice and replied, "This servant knows nothing. Madam asked me to pass on a message saying that there is currently no concrete evidence for the matter mentioned in the letter. She was just giving Her Highness a heads-up and also instructed that this matter should not be discussed further for the time being..."

Meng Shu nodded upon hearing this, "Don't worry, Aunt."

Green Willow entered quietly: "Your Majesty, Consort Wu is requesting an audience outside the palace."

"Then this servant will go back first," Aunt Mei said hurriedly, curtsied, and withdrew.

Wu Yunu came only to deliver a message, and after only a short while, she said she was going to Consort Chun's place. "I also come from a poor family and know how difficult it is for people to live under natural disasters. Over the years, I have saved up some money, though it is not much, but I want to do my part."

Meng Shu listened, a hint of gentleness appearing in her eyes. “Regardless of the weight of the intention, the kindness shown by the Imperial Concubine is most precious. You and Concubine Yu from the Prince’s Mansion were among the first to serve the Emperor and are now veterans in the palace. In a few days, I will find an opportunity to mention to the Emperor that you have been well-behaved in the palace for so many years, and it is time to promote you to a higher rank.”

As she assisted in managing the six palaces, she did indeed have the authority to promote lower-ranking concubines.

Upon hearing this, Lady Wu couldn't hold back any longer. Her eyes reddened, and she knelt on the ground, saying, "I'm not afraid of Your Majesty's ridicule. I am uncouth and have no support in the palace. I did harbor thoughts of climbing up to the ranks of high-ranking concubines. But... but I come from a humble background, and the only skills I possess are some vulgar singing and dancing, things that are not worthy of being presented in public..."

"You're too modest, Miss." Meng Shu raised her hand to gesture for her to stand up. "In this palace, everyone has their own charm, and everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. Your straightforward nature and your well-behaved behavior over the years are your strengths."

After sending her away, Meng Shu immediately summoned Green Willow to bring Red Jade inside.

Hongyu, who had been keeping a close eye on Zhaoqing Palace, said upon entering, "Your Highness, the information delivered by Consort Wu is correct. Consort Shun did not see Consort Yang. After leaving Chenghui Palace, she did not return to Zhaoqing Palace along the same route, but instead took a longer detour..."

Meng Shu tapped her fingertips lightly on the table and interrupted, "Did you go to Consort Shen's place?"

Hongyu nodded emphatically, "Yes, Yang Baolin did go to Shujing Hall and stayed there for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before coming out."

"You don't need to keep an eye on Yang Baolin anymore. Keep a close eye on Shen Jieyu. If she has any contact with the people from Renming Palace, then report back."

Meng Shu sorted through the information gathered from various sources and fell into deep thought.

Consort Chun sent someone ahead of time to deliver a message to the Princess's residence outside the palace that Princess Yongping would be entering the palace today. Meng Shu composed herself and headed to Huining Palace with Green Willow.

After discussing it, the three decided to take the lead simultaneously in two days.

Princess Yongping took this very seriously. On the one hand, she was kind-hearted and charitable, always donating large sums of money for incense oil to Guangci Temple outside Longshou Canal every year. On the other hand, Madam Yun had promised her some benefits, and she naturally wanted to accept this favor.

Two days later, just after Chenshi (7-9 AM), a large number of people had already gathered in the flower hall in front of Huining Palace. Consort Chun summoned all the concubines of the harem to discuss matters, and the concubines naturally dared not neglect their duties.

Consort Shun arrived early as well, and her seat was right next to Consort Mu's.

Consort Chun, supported by Mengzhu, entered the flower hall, and everyone rose to pay their respects.

After everyone was seated again, Consort Chun spoke directly, her tone somewhat solemn: "I'm sure you've all heard the reason I've summoned you all here for this meeting: the unprecedented drought in the Yan and Yu prefectures. My maternal family, the Tang family, has branches in various counties of Yu Prefecture. A few days ago, the managers of each branch sent a letter to the capital, detailing the situation in the disaster area. I specifically sought it out."

As soon as she finished speaking, Ruizhu came out carrying a sandalwood tray with more than ten letters neatly stacked on it. She presented the letters to the concubines in order of their rank.

These letters, unlike the formal reports submitted to the imperial court, were written in a very specific and realistic manner about the disaster area.

One shopkeeper from eastern Henan wrote in a letter: "The ground is cracked three feet deep, the soil is as hard as iron, and the people have dug wells over thirty feet deep but haven't found a single drop of living water. Every day, people collapse from hunger by the roadside and never rise again." Another shopkeeper mentioned, "The grain shops in town have been empty for five days. Yesterday, I saw an old woman sitting in front of the shop, holding her emaciated grandson and crying. She said that she only had half a bag of bran left at home, and once that was gone, she would only be able to wait to starve to death." Another shopkeeper who took in refugees recorded: "The refugees fled south, and those who starved to death along the way were simply buried in a pit. They couldn't even afford to put up a wooden plaque with their names engraved on it. When the wind blew through the mounds of earth, even the cries could not be heard..."

The concubines held the thin letter paper, yet their fingertips felt as if it weighed a ton.

The hall gradually fell silent. Even those who had been whispering to each other earlier now composed themselves, some pursing their lips, others lowering their eyes, their eyes filled with emotion.

Looking at everyone's expressions, Consort Chun spoke slowly: "These words are even more heartbreaking than those in the reports. Although we are in the deep palace, we can still do our part. I wonder what you sisters think?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Consort Shun stood up first. "Your Highness's act is kind and benevolent. I am willing to donate two thousand taels of silver to do my part."

Consort Mu also rose to her feet: "This concubine is the same as Consort Shun."

Consort Chun's gaze swept across the hall, and she made a quiet eye contact with Meng Shu, who was sitting at the lower end of the table. A glint of light appeared in her eyes, and she nodded slightly to Aunt Mei.

Before long, Aunt Mei led several palace maids in carrying some items. Consort Chun said gently, "I have petitioned His Majesty to have the hairpins and jewelry I have acquired over the years repaired by craftsmen. No matter how much effort each of you sisters puts in, you can choose one item from them."

These words startled everyone slightly. Everyone knew that the jewelry on the tray was mostly a precious gift that the Emperor had bestowed upon Consort Chun in the past, and that ordinary concubines rarely saw it.

Seeing this, Consort Qi also wanted to break the silence in the hall, so she smiled and said, "This is truly a win-win situation! The sisters not only did good deeds for the people, but also received such exquisite rewards from the Noble Consort. It will be a wonderful thing to talk about in the future."

As soon as she said this, the atmosphere in the hall immediately relaxed, and the concubines all showed smiles.

Yang Baolin sat at the last seat, her fingers tightly gripping her handkerchief. After a moment's hesitation, she rose and knelt on the ground: "Your Highness, despite my humble origins, I am willing to do my part..."

Before she could finish speaking, Consort Shen, who was sitting in the middle, suddenly stood up and said, "I have something to say."

Meng Shu held her teacup, her expression unchanged, and followed everyone's gaze toward Shen Jieyu.

Consort Shen raised her voice and said, "Your Highness the Imperial Concubine's initiative to lead disaster relief is commendable, and I should naturally respond. However, there is another matter to report. Her Majesty the Empress has always been concerned about the people. Although she is currently under house arrest and faces many inconveniences, upon hearing that the palace is going to hold a 'prayer donation' event, she specifically asked Miss Zhixue to convey to me that she would take 100,000 taels of silver from her private treasury to donate to disaster relief. I would like Your Highness to register this as well, so that it can be considered as Her Majesty the Empress doing her part for the people."