Chapter 26 Chapter 26 What does he want?

When Li Shuyao gets panicked, the language system will easily crash.

She stared at Qingyao blankly for a long time, until Qingyao couldn't help but reach out to touch the thin blanket around her waist and abdomen, and then she came to her senses.

Then he began to explain in a slurred voice, "I, I, I didn't tie you up. I was just worried you'd be cold, and I was afraid it would slip off again, so I thought of securing it."

"And I'm holding back. I'm not tying you. No, I'm saying it's a bow behind you. I'm not tying you up."

A bow? What is that?

Qingyao blinked her eyes, reached out to touch her waist, and felt a rough object and two soft strips of cloth hanging beside it.

She couldn't help but become interested. "What does a bow look like? Is it pretty?"

Li Shuyao nodded honestly: "It looks good."

Qingyao: "Let me see."

So Li Shuyao reached out and put her arms around Qingyao's slender waist again, fumbled to pull off the bow behind her, then took off the thin blanket, looked left and right, draped it over her shoulders, and tied a rough bow around her neck like a cloak.

Qingyao stared at it for a moment, frowning and shaking her head. "The blanket is still too thick. If it could be replaced with a cloak or cape, and tied with those two thin straps, it would look better."

As she spoke, she climbed down from the couch, walked to a locked cabinet at the back of the room, took out the key, and carried out a large wooden box.

When the wooden box was opened, there were several cloaks inside, which were neither thin nor thick. They were exquisitely embroidered and had a soft texture. They were probably only suitable for wearing in spring and autumn, so Lingluo put them away.

Qingyao brought all the cloaks inside to the couch and enthusiastically distributed them to Li Shuyao one by one. Sometimes she asked Li Shuyao to tie a bow, and sometimes she asked her if she had any other beautiful knots, such as a fairy knot or a beauty knot.

Li Shuyao thought for a long time and seemed a little embarrassed. Apart from the most commonly used knot like the bow, she only knew how to tie a red scarf. However, a red scarf cannot be tied with such a thin ribbon.

Fortunately, Qingyao's interest came and went quickly. After she learned how to tie a bow, she tried on several cloaks on the couch one by one, walked to the mirror to look at herself, and then solemnly separated two cloaks of light and bright colors, folded them hastily, and stuffed them into Li Shuyao's arms.

"These two are nice-looking and suitable for you, so I'll give them to you."

After saying this, he tilted his head and looked out at the courtyard through the window that was only a third open, calculating seriously with his fingers, "You'll probably be able to wear it around Mid-Autumn Festival."

Li Shuyao: "..."

She couldn't help but gently remind him, "But palace maids can't wear cloaks on duty."

Moreover, she was a palace maid serving tea, and when she was on duty, she had to stay next to the stove where water was boiled. In addition, the tea room was closed on all sides, without even a window, so it shouldn't be very cold in winter.

As for the rest of the time outside of her shift, Li Shuyao didn't think she would be foolish enough to leave her warm bed...

When she told him about her plan to hibernate, Qingyao pouted her bright red lips in dissatisfaction, "So what you're saying is, when winter comes, you won't come to play with me anymore?"

Li Shuyao didn't notice her little emotion, and was still thinking about the matter of conferring titles on the harem, so she nodded obediently.

According to the original novel, the harem will be conferred with titles at the end of August, and Qingyao will then be the real Concubine Yi in the harem. She will not stay in the back room all the time and be a government girl who is not even as good as a concubine. She will have to squat and salute any concubine she meets.

After becoming Concubine Yi, she would be granted the residence of Yikun Palace...

Does Yikun Palace have floor heating? Would it be more suitable for her to hibernate?

Li Shuyao's heart moved quietly, and she suddenly wanted to ask Qingyao to clean up a room for her in Yiku Palace.

——My best friend has become rich, how can I not support her?

The more Li Shuyao thought about it, the more she felt that the plan was feasible. There was only one thing that made it difficult. She was a palace maid in the Qianqing Palace. How could she not live in her own room and go to the harem to live with the concubines?

Will the emperor agree? What will others think? And if she does this, will it drag Qingyao down and make her looked down upon in the harem?

Qingyao's mother has always told her to keep a low profile. Would her frequent interactions with the palace maids in the Qianqing Palace be seen by others as a deliberate and high-profile act of showing off?

Thinking of this, Li Shuyao couldn't help feeling a little lost, her eyebrows drooped, and her eyes were dull.

In Qingyao's eyes, it was a sign that she was actually reluctant to play with him, so the dissatisfaction and grievance in her heart subsided a little, and she clenched her fists to make a concession, "Okay, if you don't want to come, then don't come. At worst, I'll come to play with you later!"

Li Shuyao blinked, not understanding what Qingyao meant.

Is she going to come from Yiku Palace to play with me? Wouldn’t that be even more high-profile?

Li Shuyao quickly released the hand holding the cloak and pulled Qingyao. A worry appeared on her fair and tender face. Her clear almond-shaped eyes looked at Qingyao moistly and asked, "How do you want to play with me?"

Qingyao was startled and pointed to a certain direction outside the window. "This place is not far from your residence."

Moreover, maybe even before winter comes, the Emperor will appoint Shu Yao as an official lady...

Then they can stay together every day to eat, drink and play!

There was a sparkle in Qingyao's eyes.

Li Shuyao tilted her head, becoming increasingly puzzled. "But, what if you went to the harem at the end of August?"

Qingyao: "..."

She quickly suppressed the joyful expression on her face, tugged at Li Shuyao's sleeve a few times, and nervously lowered her voice and said, "Are you crazy? How dare you say that?"

Trying to guess the emperor's intentions in private is a serious crime!

Li Shuyao was confused, but wasn't this the original plot?

It was recorded in the history books that Kangxi loved Concubine Yi, Guo Luoluo, so clearly that he wished that the whole world could see his love for her!

Having only been in the palace for six months, despite her limited experience and the difficult circumstances of never having borne an imperial heir, she was elevated to the position of imperial concubine, surpassing all the concubines who had been in the palace for many years. She was placed on equal footing with concubines like Huipin and Rongpin who had given birth to princes and princesses...

What else could this be but love?

When she was reading the book before, she really liked the couple Kangxi and Concubine Yi.

It wasn't until she became Qingyao's official best friend that she could no longer truly feel that way.

——After all, who would ship their best friend’s couple? Sometimes she even wishes Qingyao didn’t have a couple…

Ahem, I’ve gone off topic.

Li Shuyao held Qingyao's hand and smiled flatteringly, "I only said that in front of you."

She then asked, "You haven't told me yet, after you go to the harem, will you come to play with me again?"

Qingyao nodded solemnly, "Of course."

"It's just that it might not be that convenient. After all, the Qianqing Palace is separated from the harem. Unless there's an important matter or the emperor summons you, concubines are not allowed to set foot in the front court. I heard that even if the ancestor wants to come, he has to be informed of the emperor in advance..."

As she spoke, she began to think, "And we also have to see what kind of position the emperor would give me if he is interested..."

Li Shuyao pinched Qingyao's soft fingertips and asked, "Could it be the position of concubine?"

Qingyao paused for a moment, then suddenly widened her big black eyes, "No, that's impossible?"

"I mean, what if..."

"But this is too fake. What right do I have? I have been in the palace for such a short time, and my family background is average. Although I am pretty, which concubine in the palace is worse than her? Why should I be the main concubine? It's impossible." Qingyao shook her head decisively.

But even as she said this, she couldn't help but let her imagination run wild.

His thoughtful gaze remained on Li Shuyao's face without blinking, wondering if he really became a concubine, would the emperor be willing to send his concubines to play with her?

No, that's not right. Maybe by then, the emperor hasn't made Shu Yao an official concubine? Then, can she just take Shu Yao with her?

She would definitely not let Shu Yao serve her. Shu Yao just needed to play with her, play games now, and play with the children in the future.

But what if it’s not the position of concubine?

Forget it. If she is not the head lady of a palace, she will suffer if she follows me. It is better to be a head maid in the tea room of the Qianqing Palace and live comfortably.

"How is it impossible?" Li Shuyao couldn't help but say.

This is clearly written in novels and history!

Qingyao's eyes flickered, and she asked her, "Did you hear anything in the Palace of Heavenly Purity?"

Li Shuyao suddenly came to her senses, put her hand over her mouth, and said vaguely: "No, no."

She calmed her wavering mind for a moment and held Qingyao's hand again, "I really didn't hear anything. You know that, firstly, I can't enter the imperial study, secondly, I can't do such a thing as eavesdropping, and thirdly, there are very few palace maids in the Qianqing Palace who are on good terms with me."

"Besides, every day I'm either on duty in the tea room, or sleeping in my room, or I come to your place to eat and drink, play games and have fun..."

As she spoke, she suddenly realized that she was a little useless. Which palace maid was like this?

No ambition at all.

She seemed to describe herself as a big lazy bum.

So he couldn't help but make amends: "I still need to learn the rules from Nanny Lin, and learn how to govern from Nanny Gong."

"I also have serious things to do. I'm very busy, okay?"

Qingyao burst out laughing, "Okay, okay, you're the busiest."

"It's rare that you still remember me and know to come and play with me."

When she mentioned this, Li Shuyao suddenly remembered that she had come to nothing yesterday. She puffed up her cheeks and asked Qingyao angrily where she had been yesterday and whether she had made any new friends.

Will we still be the best in the world in the future?

Before she could even ask the last question, Qingyao had already hurriedly shaken her head and explained, "Yesterday, Concubine Nara from the Yanxi Palace invited me over for tea, and I couldn't refuse."

"Nara Concubine?" Is she the later Concubine Hui?

What did she want to do with Qingyao? Li Shuyao was a little confused.

Qingyao whispered, "Maybe she wants to win me over."

Li Shuyao:!

Qingyao continued, "Then Concubine Tong came. They talked a lot, either quoting from classics or playing riddles. On the surface, they seemed polite, but I always felt..." She leaned close to Li Shuyao's ear and whispered in a low voice, "There was murderous intent!"

She raised her hand and gestured twice. "Just like what's described in the storybook, there's flashing swords and blood, the atmosphere is intense, and a battle is about to break out..."

"Stop." Li Shuyao reached out and covered Qingyao's mouth, stopping her from continuing. "How can it be that serious?"

She thought for a moment, then said to Qingyao, "Even if it's really that serious, you should just pretend you don't see it. Remember what your mother said: to keep a low profile and hide your pearls..."

It was rare for her to come up with an idiom that she hadn't even thought of.

After he finished speaking, he was stunned for a moment, and then his little face suddenly became excited, "What did I just say?"

"You said you wanted to bide your time."

"Next word."

"Hidden Pearl in a Treasure Box, you want me to hide my light and pretend that I don't understand. I know it all, so don't worry about me." Qingyao waved her hand indifferently.

As his fingers fell, they touched the account book that was lying quietly on the couch, having been neglected for who knows how long.

Qingyao was stunned for a moment, then she remembered that Shuyao was still carrying a huge mess on her shoulders!

She hurriedly picked up the account book again and said in a panic, "I really need to look at the account book. You, you, go play by yourself and don't disturb me."

Why did Qingyao's words sound like Nanny Lin was referring to her?

Li Shuyao couldn't help but touch her nose, and looked at Qingyao several times with sparkling eyes. Seeing that she was very focused, she felt embarrassed to disturb her.

I could only sit there and think about the conversation just now, and suddenly I tasted some of the feelings when I chatted with my roommates in the past. Isn't it normal for girls to change the topic quickly?

I didn't do anything bad anyway!

After finishing her thoughts, Li Shuyao turned around, refolded the two cloaks Qingyao had stuffed into her, and put them aside, intending to take them away later.

She took the other cloaks back to the inner room and planned to fold them into a wooden box.

However, while she was still folding, Lingluo came in carrying a large wooden tray.

It was a very familiar scene - two cups of fragrant milk tea were placed on the tray, and there were several plates of exquisite snacks, as well as a plate of peach flesh that had been peeled, pitted, and cut into medium-sized pieces.

Li Shuyao pursed her lips, her eyes following the tray in Lingluo's hand.

Without caring about the cloak that had not been folded in his hand, he stood up and ran towards Lingluo, helping her to set the porcelain plates in place with an attentive attitude, and picked up a piece of white peach meat and put it into his mouth.

Immediately, his eyes lit up. It was so sweet and delicious!

She picked up another piece and put it to Lingluo's mouth. A smile flashed across Lingluo's eyes, and she lowered her head and ate it obediently.

*

The other side.

After coming out of Li Shuyao's residence, Wu Yalianchu returned to her own room with a heart full of anger.

I tossed and turned all night, but still couldn't figure out why Li Shuyao's transformation was so drastic. She was not as easy to control as before.

She recalled how she felt two months ago when she had just finished her shift and was caught off guard when she heard from a fellow palace servant that Li Shuyao had been transferred to the Qianqing Palace to be a tea-serving maid.

Jealousy, resentment, anger, and hatred.

I wish Li Shuyao was no longer in the world.

It took her more than a month to calm down.

He put aside all his negative emotions and started to make new plans. While coaxing Yue Shu, he also looked for other opportunities to get close to Li Shuyao.

During this period, whenever she went out to do something, she would deliberately pass through the territory of the Qianqing Palace in order to create an encounter.

However, his plans were always in vain, until half a month ago, when he suddenly heard that a tea-serving palace maid in the Palace of Heavenly Purity had committed a crime and was unceremoniously expelled by Chief Steward Liang.

She originally thought that the person would be the clumsy Li Shuyao, but after some inquiries, she found out that the person who was expelled was the palace maid in charge of the tea room. She didn't know what mistake she had made that made Chief Steward Liang treat her so ruthlessly.

After hearing what the young eunuch said, Wu Yalian was a little disappointed at first, but she cheered up in a moment and began to inquire about Li Shuyao's situation.

Unexpectedly, the young eunuch seemed to be stung by something, his expression suddenly became flustered, and he waved his hands repeatedly, saying that he didn't know.

She asked several people in a row and spent two taels of silver, but she couldn't find out any information about Li Shuyao in the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

I couldn't help but wonder, could it be that the young eunuchs really didn't know?

After all, given Li Shuyao's silly personality, she should have been scared the first time she was suddenly transferred to the Palace of Purity, right?

In addition, at that time she was still immersed in the loss of Guo Luoluo Qingyao's betrayal. Even when facing her and Yue Shu, she couldn't help but have a bit of vigilance on her face, let alone the palace maids in the Qianqing Palace?

Thinking of this, Wu Yalianchu's heart, which had been torn between jealousy and unwillingness, finally felt a little better.

Then she began to plan how to use Li Shuyao as a springboard so that she could also enter the Qianqing Palace and become a tea-serving maid.

She deliberately designed a lot of comforting words and countless words of advice based on the situation Li Shuyao might be in now.

The first thing he had to do was to calm her inner panic and confusion, then teach her how to gain a firm foothold in the Palace of Heavenly Purity. After that, he had to approach Chief Steward Liang and speak a few good words for him...

Everything was planned well, but she never expected that Li Shuyao, who she had always regarded as stupid, would thrive in the Palace of Heavenly Purity and even be entrusted with important tasks!

Whether it was the account book in Li Shuyao's arms yesterday, the decoration and jewelry in her room, or the respectful attitude of the palace servants towards her along the way, all of them showed that things are different now.

Li Shuyao is no longer the same Li Shuyao as before.

But even so, she still had a glimmer of hope and asked the question she wanted to ask the most, and then unsurprisingly received a rejection.

Li Shuyao...

Oh, she really stood up.

When one plan failed, Wu Yalianchu could only think of other strategies.

Unfortunately, it was her turn to be on duty the next day, and this time she had to go to a more remote place. Therefore, when she returned from her duty station, it was already late at night. The palace maids' quarters were silent and the lights in all the rooms had been turned off.

Thinking that she could rest the next day and go see Yue Shu again during the day, Wu Yalianchu leisurely returned to her room.

The next day, before she got up, she heard a lot of people chattering outside the house, and their tone sounded very excited.

It is also indirectly mixed with words such as "Li Shuyao", "Yue Shu", and "Ganqing Palace".

Wu Yalianchu quickly got out of bed, walked barefoot to the door, and eavesdropped, and heard them talking -

"Li Shuyao is so powerful now that she can even ask for someone from Aunt Jia!"

"Don't talk nonsense. It's not her turn to make the decision in the Qianqing Palace. It was clearly that Nanny Lin's idea."

"Why did I hear that it was Manager Liang who specifically asked Yueshu to leave?"

"Could it be that Li Shuyao said something to Manager Liang?"

"Oh, stop guessing, or we can go directly to Aunt Jia and ask her."

"Aunt Jia can also tell us..."

The voices gradually faded away.

Inside the house, Wu Yalianchu's eyes were almost bloodshot and her limbs were ice cold.

This time she was finally sure that what Li Shuyao said yesterday was obviously just to coax her.

Otherwise it wouldn't be such a coincidence. She had just said that she wanted to ask Li Shuyao to explain things to Manager Liang, and then Yue Shu was asked to leave.

When it comes to jobs in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, which department doesn’t fight to the death?

How is it possible that two palace maids serving tea were chosen from among the palace maids?

Li, Shu, Yao!

…

On this side, Li Shuyao didn't know that Wu Yalianchu had already hated her.

Even if she knew, she would probably be confused. After all, helping is a favor, and not helping is a duty.

Since she already knew that Wu Yalianchu's target was the emperor, why would she try to act as a matchmaker and deliberately destroy the relationship between the emperor and Qingyao?

That's too inhuman!

She stayed in Qingyao's room, eating snacks and fruits, waiting quietly for Qingyao to look at the account books, and feeding her from time to time.

After she finished feeding, Lingluo took out a handkerchief and gently wiped Qingyao's lips. Qingyao's attention was on the account book, and she unknowingly fed Li Shuyao several pieces of snacks, half a plate of peach meat, and four or five sips of milk tea.

Li Shuyao was about to feed some more with great interest, but Lingluo raised her hand to stop her.

Lingluo's tone was filled with helplessness. "That's about it. My young master's stomach has been a bit bad these past few days. If you eat too much, you won't be able to sleep at night."

After saying that, she looked at Li Shuyao's belly again, "How about you? Have you had a good appetite recently?"

Being looked at by her like this, Li Shuyao's stomach felt slightly hot for some reason.

She lowered her hands shyly to cover her belly and whispered, "Very good."

"If I eat too much, will I have indigestion and can't sleep?"

Li Shuyao obediently shook her head, "No, usually before going to bed, I walk around the room twice and it's almost digested."

"You have a better physique." Lingluo said, with a hint of envy in her tone.

Li Shuyao: "..."

She always felt that being envied by Lingluo was not a good thing.

But she didn't understand what was wrong, so after Lingluo finished speaking, she got up and went out to prepare some hawthorn juice to help digestion.

She sat there thinking for a while, and found that she couldn't figure it out, so she simply shook her head to shake off all her worries, and then happily continued to clean up the remaining snacks on the table.

Another half hour passed, and as night was about to fall, Qingyao finally finished reading the account book that Nanny Lin had handed her.

She put the two account books together and said to Li Shuyao in a serious tone, "This is the account book of the Imperial Household Department. I have never learned accounting, so I can't see anything wrong with it."

"This other one, however, has nothing to do with the account books. It only records some trivial things. I guess these are probably from the emperor's childhood..."

Isn't that a diary?

Li Shuyao thought thoughtfully.

Then Qingyao continued, "I suspect the Emperor is using Nanny Lin to deliberately find something for you to do."

Li Shuyao was dumbfounded: ...

ah?

So what does he want?

Do you think she isn't busy enough?