Because of their past friendship, she had visited Aunt Cui twice, and it was this young palace maid who had taken care of her at her bedside. Aunt Cui had briefly mentioned that she had a pitiful background, and she only remembered it now that she had met her.
Seeing the Empress Dowager frown, Ah Hao knew she was somewhat displeased. However, considering the young age of the palace maid and how diligently she had cared for Aunt Cui without any complaints, she thought the maid must be of good character. With such a frail body, if the beating had been too severe, she might have lost her life.
Ahao glanced at Xue Liangyue, nodded slightly, then smiled and knelt down in front of Empress Dowager Feng, kowtowing and saying, "Your Majesty, please allow me to say something, this matter is truly no one's fault."
Empress Shen glanced at Song Shuhao kneeling on the ground, understanding that she was pleading for the palace maid. She smiled and asked, "What do you mean by that, Aunt Song?" Empress Dowager Feng glanced at Empress Shen Wanru, her brows twitching slightly, then looked at the person kneeling in front of her and said, "I would also like to hear it."
Ah Hao bowed again before slowly speaking, "I have heard that the snow orchid usually grows on trees or cliffs. Now that it is in that beautiful porcelain basin, it must have been used to being high up and was not used to it, so its legs went weak and it fell down."
After saying this, she smiled shyly and said, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager is wise and discerning, and surely you know the heart of this Great Snow Orchid. If Your Majesty says that is not the case, then I must have made a mistake and should be punished."
Having received a hint earlier, Xue Liangyue responded immediately after Ahao spoke, "That snow orchid isn't a living thing, how could it know that it came down from the tree and the cliff? It's clear you're making it up. Your Majesty, in my opinion, Ahao is deliberately asking for a beating!"
After some teasing, Empress Dowager Feng's expression softened, and she chuckled twice. The others also laughed to some extent, and Ah Hao knew that the little palace maid was probably going to survive.
Before he could even catch his breath, a glimpse of a bright yellow figure suddenly appeared out of the corner of his eye, and his heart tightened again. The Empress Dowager was usually gentle and easier to talk to, but His Majesty the Emperor…
Everyone says that Emperor Yanjia is tyrannical and domineering, unpredictable, and indifferent to gossip. Having lived in the palace for so many years, Ahao has come to understand this to some extent. The palace servants' clumsiness is what he dislikes most. If you don't run into them, it's fine, but this is… Ahao feels insecure.
She wasn't one to meddle in everything, but the palace maid was still young and shouldn't have been assigned such a task in the first place. She couldn't just stand by and watch a life be lost. Having worked in the same servant's role, she felt a certain empathy. In such a position, every move, every word, every smile had to be made with utmost care.
Ahao bowed her head and, along with the others, greeted the emperor. The twenty-three-year-old emperor, in his deep, magnetic voice, told them to dispense with the formalities. Ahao had no choice but to rise and silently retreat to Xue Liangyue's side. She had done all she could; if she couldn't save the person, there was nothing she could do.
"Shouldn't Your Majesty be enjoying the flowers and the opera? Why did it seem to have stopped?" Zhang Yu's gaze swept lightly over the crowd. He gently helped Empress Dowager Feng to sit down again, then sat down beside her, asking this question. Shen Wanru, who was standing next to Zhang Yu, smiled and said, "That's how it was. A young palace maid accidentally knocked over a pot of snow orchids, so it stopped for a while."
Zhang Yu looked at Shen Wanru, a faint smile appearing on his face. "I was wondering what was going on when I heard what Aunt Song said. It turns out that what Aunt Song said was interesting and seemed to have a reason. Perhaps it is true, and it may not be the fault of that palace maid." After saying this, he added, "I have only disturbed the Empress Dowager's mood. She will still have to take a few lashes."
Hearing such biased words from the emperor, and receiving such a slap on the wrist, stirred something within everyone present. Those who couldn't contain their emotions immediately looked at Song Shuhao. Even Empress Dowager Feng couldn't help but show a hint of surprise, which quickly vanished, leaving only a smile.
Ah Hao felt the furtive gazes directed at her, and a chill ran down her spine. Never before had the Emperor so readily forgiven a palace servant who had erred before his very eyes. Even the Empress's pleas in the past might not have been of much use, yet now…
Suppressing the unease rising in her heart and restraining her panic, Ahao walked to Zhang Yu and Empress Dowager Feng and knelt down again. She prostrated herself on the ground and whispered, "Your Majesty flatters me. This servant dares not accept such praise."
Zhang Yu looked down at the person on the ground, but the image of her selflessly shielding him flashed through his mind. Noticing the change in everyone's expressions, he knew he had still overstepped his bounds. The person before him had jet-black hair, a slender waist that seemed impossible to encircle, and fair skin. She was graceful and elegant, but alas... After a moment, he looked away, his expression unchanged, but he said nothing more.
In this situation, no one else dared to speak up. Empress Dowager Feng smiled and said, "Even His Majesty has said so, so it must be so. Ah Hao, get up."
Ah Hao dared not say anything more, bowed her head to express her gratitude and stood up. Then she heard Empress Dowager Feng ask, "Is there anything Your Majesty would like to hear or see? Just pick one and have them change it." Zhang Yu only asked Empress Shen, and Empress Shen did not refuse. She made a suggestion, which he adopted directly.
Soon, the stage became lively again.
·
After accompanying Empress Dowager Feng to watch the play for half a day, and then serving her back to Changning Palace for lunch, the Empress Dowager finally rested, allowing Ahao a moment to catch her breath. She came out of the palace for some fresh air, and Xue Liangyue followed her out, walking with her and whispering, "Ahao, don't do this anymore."
Ah Hao turned to look at Xue Liangyue, frowned, and whispered, "Ah Yue, I didn't know things would turn out this way." She understood that the person in front of her wasn't referring to her pleading for the palace maid, but to something else entirely, something she hadn't anticipated either. She sighed and added, "Others may not know, but don't you know my heart?"
They were both already eighteen years old, and it was impossible for them to stay by the Empress Dowager's side forever. It was only natural for them to plan for their future. Even though they had never said it outright, they both knew very well that being kept by the Empress Dowager meant that although their food, clothing, and daily necessities were not as good as those of a princess, they were no worse than those of a young lady from a wealthy family. There was, of course, a deeper meaning behind this.
Even though she understood this, she still hesitated, unlike Xue Liangyue who was determined to stay in the palace. Having witnessed so much within the palace walls, she longed to leave one day, as her mother was growing old and had no one to care for her. Yet, this hope seemed too distant. Even though it was a somewhat extravagant wish, she still yearned to leave.
Xue Liangyue stared at Song Shuhao for a long while before her tense face relaxed slightly. She forced a smile and said softly with a hint of guilt, "Shuhao, I was wrong. I shouldn't have thought of you like that." Afraid of continuing the topic becoming awkward, she changed the subject and asked, "You haven't been home this month, probably in the last few days. Is there something on your mind?"
Ah Hao shook his head. "August is almost over, so it's about time. I was just thinking of discussing it with you to see which day would be better."
Xue Liangyue smiled and said, "Then let's do a good calculation later. Fortunately, nothing major has happened recently." Ahao nodded immediately, and then saw a little eunuch with a smile walk over, bow to the two of them, and say, "Aunt Song, Aunt Xue."
"At the base of the south wall, a young palace maid said she wanted to kowtow and thank Aunt Song. She insisted that I come in and pass on a message, asking Aunt Song to come a few steps. I originally said that Aunt Song was too busy, but she wouldn't let it go, so I had no choice."
This young eunuch, named Xiaodouzi, also worked in Changning Palace. He was a few years younger than them and usually quite clever. They were fairly familiar with each other. Xue Liangyue glanced at him, saw his roguish smile, and chuckled softly before returning to her palace without saying anything.
Ah Hao knew this was most likely the palace maid who had escaped that morning. Since the person had already come and meant well, she couldn't very well avoid seeing her. So she agreed to Xiao Douzi's suggestion and headed south to look for her.
Chapter 3 Thoughts
Ah Hao was somewhat concerned about Xue Liangyue's words.
She was always well aware of the current situation in the harem.
The Empress's position as Empress is secure, needless to say, and the two Consorts below her, Consort De and Consort Shu, are not to be underestimated. Consort Xie, having once shielded His Majesty from an arrow, suffered physical damage and developed a frail constitution, thus receiving extra attention from the Emperor. Consort Xie's younger sister entered the palace, partly because of this.
In addition, Consort Ye, Consort Gu, and Consort Su all have great ambitions. Currently, His Majesty has no heir, and everyone is eagerly awaiting the arrival of his first child. Although she is a female official, she is quite different from ordinary palace maids.
Back then, when she and Xue Liangyue entered the palace, thanks to the Empress Dowager's pity and care, they were even allowed to study at the royal academy, almost indistinguishable from princes, princesses, and noblewomen. Their treatment in other aspects was no less than theirs. If not for this, they wouldn't have the prestige they enjoy today.
If she were truly favored by His Majesty—though she didn't believe it was true, the significance would be entirely different, and it couldn't be considered a trivial matter. Even A-Yue shared this opinion regarding His Majesty's unusual behavior today, which meant he must have captured the hearts of many ladies; she couldn't afford to be negligent.
Ah Hao pondered deeply, yet she still couldn't fathom the Emperor's thoughts. In the past, the two had inevitably had considerable contact because of the Empress Dowager, but she had never harbored such intentions, so she had been careful not to overstep boundaries or do anything else. Recently, nothing unusual had happened…
As she pondered this, she slowly made her way south. Before she knew it, Ah Hao spotted a young palace maid standing with her head bowed under a magnolia tree. The two magnolia trees were close together, both with emerald green leaves and large white flowers. The flowers carried a slightly sweet fragrance, which became more and more intense the closer one got, making one unconsciously intoxicated.
The young palace maid was momentarily stunned and didn't notice Ah Hao until she approached. Perhaps she hadn't expected Ah Hao to arrive so quickly, because she immediately tried to kneel down and kowtow to her. However, due to her injuries, the movement inevitably aggravated her wounds, causing her to grimace. Ah Hao reached out and helped her up, preventing her from actually kneeling down.
"I came to say something to you, no need to thank me, I'm only doing this for Aunt Cui's sake. I will never get involved in such matters again." After making the little palace maid stand still, Ahao slowly said.
Upon hearing this, the young palace maid timidly looked up at her, biting her lip, hesitant to speak. Ah Hao asked again, "What's your name? Where do you work now?"
Song Shuhao's voice had a soft, gentle quality, and with her fair face and red lips, her relaxed tone made people less afraid. So, the initially nervous palace maid quickly answered in a soft voice, "My name is Cui'er, and I work in the laundry department."
She used to work in the Imperial Wardrobe, which had a certain level of prestige, far superior to the Laundry Department. It wasn't hard to guess why she was being ordered to move those precious potted plants today, but she couldn't offer much help in such matters. Relying on others to establish oneself in the harem was ultimately not a long-term solution. Ah Hao listened and quickly said, "Go back now. Be more careful in the future, and don't make the same mistake again."
Cui'er nodded timidly, but her gaze shifted slightly as she looked past A-Hao and landed on another person's face. She quickly knelt down to pay her respects. A-Hao turned around and saw Prince Ning, Zhang Ye, standing not far away with a smile. He was wearing a purple sandalwood robe with dark cloud patterns and a jade crown binding his hair. She then returned the greeting.
·
Prince Ning dismissed their formalities and strolled over leisurely.
He was nineteen years old, a year older than A-Hao. When they were younger, A-Hao and Xue Liangyue, who were still in the academy, received a lot of help from him. Now, their relationship was quite close, and they could be considered to have some personal connections.