Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 345 The Emperor's Return

Although the summer retreat at Changchun Garden Palace lasted only a little over two months, many things happened during that time.

First, Meng Shu was promoted to the rank of Jieyu, a fourth-grade official. A few days later, she was removed from the list of selected concubines by special decree of the emperor. However, she also fell ill and was found to have taken contraceptive soup when Doctor He took her pulse. Fortunately, Meng Shu cleverly resolved the situation.

Qu Baolin won first place at the lake tour banquet, winning the emperor's favor. After serving the emperor, she was promoted to the rank of talented woman. Unfortunately, she contracted tinea capitis a few days later and had to recuperate in a clean room.

Afterwards, Consort Song, Consort Yun, and Imperial Concubine Pei were specially summoned to serve the Emperor, but the timing was unfortunate. The Emperor was preoccupied with state affairs such as the Grand Canal transport day and night, and Consort Yun and Imperial Concubine Pei ultimately failed to receive the Emperor's favor.

Finally, Consort Mei fell from grace due to charges of "fabricating witchcraft, slandering the Empress, and misleading the Emperor." Not only was she stripped of her title and demoted to the rank of Zhaoyi, but she was also confined to her residence and ordered to reflect on her actions in a temporary palace, with no indication of when she would be allowed to return to the palace.

During this time, Zhou Bai and his wife, as well as people from the Marquis of Lin'an's mansion, came and went to the imperial palace, either to report on their duties or to visit relatives, creating ripples in this small area.

The day before returning to the palace, Meng Shu accompanied Consort Chun to Huaqing Palace to bid farewell to Empress Dowager Zhou.

Empress Dowager Zhou showed signs of aging, but her spirits were high. This time, although she invited the two of them to dine, she did not give them as many long and tedious instructions as before.

Consort Chun looked reluctant to part with her. She was always concerned and grateful to the old woman who had taken care of her like a grandmother.

Aunt Rongxiu saw the two of them off at the palace gate, gave them a graceful curtsy, and said:

"Your Majesties, please rest assured. The Empress Dowager is enjoying her remaining years in this palace. The Emperor treats her with great respect and filial piety, sending people to inquire about her well-being every day. She recites scriptures, worships Buddha, and strolls through the gardens, just like an ordinary grandmother. She has found great peace and contentment."

Upon hearing this, Consort Chun held her hand and said, "No matter who comes, no one can be as good as Aunt Rongxiu who is with me day and night."

Rongxiu covered her mouth and laughed, "This servant is already very fortunate to be able to follow Your Majesty the Empress Dowager. I don't deserve such praise from Your Majesty."

Rongxiu was to Empress Dowager Zhou what Mengzhu and Ruizhu were to Consort Chun.

Meng Shu stopped and looked around, her thoughts drifting. She couldn't help but think that if she hadn't been selected as a concubine, perhaps she would have served Consort Chun like Rong Xiu served Empress Dowager Zhou, accompanying her through thick and thin, whether in a remote palace or a deep palace... That would have been a completely different story.

Back at Bilangxuan, Donggua was helping Xia'er pack her trunks.

The Emperor has sent many gifts these days, and Zhou Bai and Madam Yun each brought gifts and valuables with them. Meng Shu looked up and saw that there were seven or eight sandalwood chests on the carpet in the flower hall.

Green Willow stepped forward to help, and Meng Shu, without any sense of being the master, also stepped forward to gather the things together.

Inventorying, verifying, transcribing the two volumes, sorting and classifying, affixing seals and signatures—these were all tasks she was very familiar with before. However, this time, she was stopped by Green Willow as soon as she started:

"Go and look around the entire palace. Which other lady does things as personally as you? Your Highness can just watch us do it."

Donggua, who was used to working in the small kitchen, had never done such chores before. She casually instructed, "Shushu, go to the study and arrange your books. We don't know many characters, so we don't want to mess them up."

Green Willow: "...That makes sense."

As the master and servants were tidying up, Mengzhu led Xiaonianzi in.

After exchanging greetings with Meng Shu, Meng Zhu said, "Cheng Guan Zhai is managed by Aunt Mei, and Consort Chun specially sent this servant and Xiao Nianzi to help."

Seeing this, Meng Shu immediately smiled and said, "With Meng Zhu here, I'll have to take a break."

Mengzhu blushed slightly. Usually, she and Mengshu would work together to do these tasks; Ruizhu and Mingyue were both useless.

Perhaps recalling the many lessons Meng Shu had taught her in the past, Mengzhu sincerely said, "Your Majesty is very meticulous. Please check it again after we have completed the task."

......

Wutong Pavilion.

Several small porcelain shards were scattered on the brocade carpet. A beautiful lacquer box was smashed into pieces, and the deer placenta ointment inside had rolled all over the floor. The dark, shiny pills were covered in dust and stood out starkly against the brocade pattern.

A few pills rolled to the edge of the incense burner, softened slightly by the residual heat of the charcoal fire, and the sweet and fishy medicinal smell mixed with the spilled agarwood slowly diffused in the stuffy room.

Consort Qing looked utterly defeated, all traces of her former pride and arrogance gone, and now she truly appeared sickly.

Hearing the commotion outside the palace, she guessed that everyone in the palace was busy packing their belongings to return to the capital. She gave a bitter smile, a thousand emotions converging into resentment.

"Liuli, what time is it?"

Her voice was hoarse as she asked, "Has the petition I wrote been sent? Could it be... that His Majesty doesn't even want to see me one last time before returning to the palace?"

Hearing the commotion, Amber, who was guarding outside, entered and knelt down with red-rimmed eyes: "Your Majesty, Sister Liuli...she passed away last night."

Consort Qing, expressionless and barefoot on the floor, said sternly, "Go to Yingzhou Hall and deliver a message! I am going to see the Emperor."

Pei Yunu had just returned from Fengyi Palace to apologize and had just reached the corridor when she heard this. She stopped and held her breath, not daring to go in for a moment.

Last night, she tried to persuade her to no avail. Fortunately, Consort Qing did not allow her to accompany her to the Phoenix Palace, thus escaping a disaster.

"Hurry up and clean up the mess, lest you hurt Her Highness." Pei Yunu said as she entered the flower hall, only to find the room in a complete mess. She quickly told Amber and her maid Xiangxiu to clean up.

"How did you come."

"I was sent to the palace by the Duke, so naturally I will not leave Your Highness's side," Pei Yunu said gently, helping Consort Qing into the inner room.

Last night, in a moment of impulsiveness, Consort Qing first went to find the Empress Dowager, and then, estimating the time when the Empress would take her medicine, went to Yingzhou Hall to meet the Emperor ahead of schedule.

The search of Fengyi Palace lasted for half an hour. Not only was the medicine room found to be completely intact, but Physician He also personally confirmed that there was no indication that the Empress had taken any forbidden drugs.

The strange smell that had previously emanated from the medicine shed was actually the fishy odor of deer placenta from the decoction being prepared according to the "Deer Placenta Nourishing Formula".

If things had ended there, there would still have been room for redemption. However, Consort Qing had Liuli prepare witchcraft items beforehand to frame her on the spot... Only after the scheme was exposed did she end up in this tragic situation.

Even if the Empress Dowager wanted to, she couldn't show too much favoritism.

"Your Majesty, please allow me to say a few words. Your Majesty's temperament needs to be changed." Consort Pei originally thought that Consort Qing should be warned after this incident.

Unexpectedly, Consort Qing interrupted, "Liuli couldn't be mistaken; she saw it with her own eyes... There must be a secret hidden in the Empress's palace..."

Consort Pei shook her head and sighed softly, not wanting to waste any more words, and said directly, "No matter what, Your Majesty should not have committed such a fabricated act of framing someone; this is the root of your downfall. With this precedent, no matter how many letters you write to plead your case, the Emperor will not believe you."

In this situation, there is only one option...

......

As night fell, Meng Shu rode in a royal carriage to the Emperor's palace.

Jingming was already waiting outside the palace. When he saw the imperial carriage arrive, he hurriedly bowed and stepped forward to greet it. Just as he was about to lead Meng Shu inside, a palace maid rushed over carrying a long sandalwood box inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

"Your Excellency, Consort Zhaoyi has sent this item, saying it was a gift from the Emperor in the past. Should we report this to her?"