Chapter 170 The Cannon Fodder Concubine in the Harem—An Encounter

The palace where Xu Yaoyao lived was not only in a remote location, but also small in size. Fortunately, it was an independent courtyard called Qinyuan Palace.

According to palace regulations, Xu Yaoyao was not qualified to be the head of a palace, but because the location was remote and uninhabited, and with Consort Shu interfering, it benefited Xu Yaoyao.

Although Qinyuan Palace is located in a remote area, it has one advantage: a path leads directly from the back door of Qinyuan Palace to the plum garden next to the Imperial Garden.

Taking the side path shortened the distance considerably. This side path was virtually unknown; how Xu Yaoyao found it was thanks to Hongguo.

When Hongguo first entered the palace, she was with an old nanny, and it was the nanny who told her about this path.

*

After finishing the unappetizing breakfast, Yaoyao looked at Hongguo and asked, "Hongguo, do you know how to bump into the Emperor?"

Hongguo shook her head sadly and said, "Your Majesty, I did not know. I have never served in front of a noble person before."

"Okay~" Yao Yao was a little disappointed and could only continue to think of other solutions.

In the palace, Yaoyao has no other choice for the time being except to win over the emperor in order to improve her life.

Yao Yao stared intently at a certain spot, her mind racing, trying to find a way out of the predicament. She couldn't just walk out openly; otherwise, if she didn't run into the Emperor but Consort Li did, things would be terrible!

Now that she is outnumbered and outmatched, she certainly cannot take any risks.

Suddenly, Hongguo exclaimed, "Master, I've thought of a place! It might be helpful!"

Hongguo wasn't stupid. She knew that only if her mistress gained the emperor's favor could their lives improve. Moreover, she believed that with her mistress's looks, she could definitely win the emperor's favor!

Hearing that there was hope, Yao Yao quickly asked, "What? Hong Guo, where are you talking about?"

Hongguo smiled and said, "Your Majesty, there is a path at the back gate of Qinyuan Palace that leads directly to the plum garden next to the Imperial Garden. The plum garden must be very beautiful in winter. I just wonder if His Majesty will go there!"

Yaoyao said hopefully, "It's okay, we can wait and see!"

"Hongguo, let's go check out that road now!"

Hongguo nodded repeatedly: "Mmm!"

"Master, Master, look! This is the path!" Hongguo said happily to her master.

"Wow! It really is a path, with red fruit. Let's go take a look!" Xu Yaoyao was very excited.

Hongguo: "Yes, Master, please follow behind me. It snowed a few days ago, so the road is slippery. Please walk slowly."

Yaoyao: "Okay."

After walking for about fifteen minutes, Xu Yaoyao's feet were aching from all the walking, before she finally reached the exit.

From afar, one can see the plum trees scattered in a well-organized manner, each tree covered with crystal-clear blossoms, like stars dotting the branches, a truly breathtaking sight.

A gentle breeze swept by, and petals fluttered down, creating a beautiful rain of blossoms. A sweet fragrance wafted through the air, intoxicating and captivating all who beheld it.

Looking at the beautiful scenery, Yaoyao's eyes sparkled, and she couldn't help but exclaim, "If the plum garden is blooming so beautifully, I wonder how beautiful the Imperial Garden, which combines the best of craftsmanship in the world, must be! I really want to see it with my own eyes!"

Seeing her mistress's excited expression, and remembering that she hadn't left that courtyard since entering the palace, Hongguo gritted her teeth and said firmly to Xu Yaoyao, "My lady, I'll take you there to see her now!"

Although the palace is fraught with danger and one might encounter a high-ranking concubine, Hongguo intends to bear the consequences herself if anything goes wrong. She only wants her master to fulfill her wish!

Looking at Hongguo, who seemed to be bravely going to her death, Xu Yaoyao was deeply moved. She gently pinched Hongguo's round cheek and said with a smile, "We won't go this time. We have important business to attend to. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future!"

Seeing her beautiful master so close to her, Hongguo's heart raced, and she obediently said, "I will obey my master."

"Come on, let's go inside and admire the plum blossoms' solitary and proud beauty." Faced with such a beautiful scene, Yaoyao naturally wanted to enjoy it with a happy heart.

Hongguo obediently followed Yaoyao inside.

The mistress and servant entered the plum garden together, chatting and laughing. Their laughter was pure and captivating, but little did they know that someone had already entered before them.

When Emperor Jingping heard the commotion outside, he and his personal eunuch hid in a corner, so that they would not be easily discovered and could keep an eye on what was happening in the plum garden.

The original owner was a famous talented woman in Yangzhou City who loved reading books and had a vast amount of knowledge, while Hongguo was illiterate.

The two, master and servant, started by chatting, and later Yaoyao explained to Hongguo the poems about plum blossoms and their uses.

"Master, do you really think there are miraculous medicines in this world that can cure all diseases?" Hongguo asked curiously when Yaoyao mentioned that plum blossoms could even be used as medicinal materials.

Xu Yaoyao was taken aback, not expecting Hongguo to ask this question. She first asked in return, "Hongguo, why do you ask that?"

“Because my father and mother both died of illness, my father asked someone to sell me into the palace before he died, because only in the palace could I have any hope of survival and avoid ending up in a brothel.” Hongguo looked up at the sky and said sadly.

Xu Yaoyao stopped and looked at Hongguo with tenderness in her eyes. She said softly, "You are doing very well now. You are very good at taking care of yourself. Your parents must be very proud of you now."

Hongguo wiped away her tears and said happily, "Yes, it must be my parents protecting me from the afterlife that allowed me to meet such a good master."

Xu Yaoyao was both amused and exasperated, and teased, "Flattery."

After teasing Hongguo, Xu Yaoyao answered her initial question: "I don't know if there is any medicine that can cure all diseases, but I do know of a pill that can detoxify all poisons."

Hongguo's eyes widened as she looked at Xu Yaoyao in surprise and admiration, exclaiming, "Master is so amazing! You even know about this kind of medicine!"

Seeing Hongguo's innocent eyes, Xu Yaoyao also decided to share her secret with this person she depended on for survival. She first cautiously looked around, and Emperor Jingping quickly slipped inside.

After confirming that no one was around, Yao Yao said mysteriously, "Your master not only knows about this medicine, but also has two pills. Do you want to see them?"

Hongguo covered her mouth in shock, afraid that she would cry out. She quickly looked around to see if there were any outsiders. How could she just casually talk about something so precious?

Hongguo felt that her master was too ambitious.

Seeing the little girl's flustered appearance, Xu Yaoyao couldn't help but laugh out loud, and said playfully:

"Don't worry, don't be afraid. There are no outsiders here. This medicine is very precious. My grandfather once saved a monk on the mountain, and the monk gave it to me, saying that it can cure all poisons. So this time when I went to the palace, my father made me bring the only two of these pills for my safety. He told me to carry them with me at all times, but no one has ever used them before, so I don't know if they are real or not. Here they are in this sachet."

"The secret of this medicine is known only to me and my family!"

Hongguo was deeply moved after hearing her master's words. She had never imagined that she was so important to her master that he would be willing to share such an important secret with her!

At this moment, Hongguo's gratitude to her master was overflowing, and she secretly resolved that she would never betray her master again!

After a few seconds, Hongguo felt uneasy again and asked anxiously, "Master, is it alright to put such precious medicine in a sachet? Won't it be stolen?"

Xu Yaoyao shook her head and said confidently, "I put some floral fragrance in it. Most people would think it's just a regular, lightly scented sachet. The most dangerous place is the safest place!"

Hongguo: "Oh, Master is so clever!"

Yao Yao tapped her nose with her finger and said with a smile, "Little Guo'er speaks so sweetly!"

Hongguo's face turned red again.

The master and servant strolled around the plum garden for a while longer. As the sun grew stronger, they decided to head back, as even in winter, the sun was quite intense.

Returning the way they came, the two walked out of the plum garden, unaware that two people had appeared behind them. The person in front of them was tall and wore a brocade robe with a five-clawed dragon, which was Emperor Jingping. His face was serious, and his tightly furrowed brows showed his inner turmoil.

Behind the emperor was a man around forty years old, Wang Bao, the chief eunuch of the palace. Looking at the woman's slender back, Wang Bao felt that the situation in the harem was about to change.

Just from that clear, slightly seductive voice, one could tell that her appearance must be quite beautiful. Add to that the fact that she possessed an antidote, something the Emperor desperately needed, and if this elixir was truly as miraculous as the legends said…

That's quite a stroke of luck!

"Go and conduct a full investigation." The order was given in the usual few words, delivered in a serious and clear voice.

“Yes.” Wang Bao instantly understood the emperor’s meaning.

Fortunately, I had been by the emperor's side for more than ten years and understood his thoughts. If it were someone else, they would not have understood the meaning behind the emperor's words, who did not like to talk much.

In the afternoon, the emperor was handling affairs in his study when Wang Bao came in and informed him of the investigation's progress.

The emperor put down the memorial in his hand, leaned back on the dragon throne, closed his eyes to rest, and listened to the investigation results.

It must be said that the Grand Eunuch was very meticulous. He not only found out that Consort Xu's father's family was the Marquis of Dingyuan's family, but he also found out about the secret schemes between the Marquis of Dingyuan's father and Consort Shu.

Not to mention the fact that Consort Shu secretly ordered people to make things difficult for Consort Xu. Wang Bao informed the emperor of everything he had found out.

Wang Bao knew that there was only one person he was loyal to, and that was the current emperor.

In Wang Bao's view, this Consort Xu has a clean reputation. At least in Consort Xu's mind, she should not know about Consort Shu's plans, or even if she did know, she did not submit, otherwise she would have already begged Consort Shu for mercy.

Life in the palace was not easy.

After Wang Bao finished his report, the Emperor remained silent, only staring at him with sharp eyes. Wang Bao felt sweat begin to break out on his back, his heart pounding, as if he could hear his own heartbeat.

With a thud, Wang Bao knelt down, his knees hitting the ground heavily. His upper body leaned forward, his forehead touching the ground, and his entire body almost pressed against the ground.

"It was my negligence, Your Majesty, please forgive me." Wang Bao's voice was filled with fear and self-reproach; he knew this mistake could have serious consequences for him.

The Emperor listened without any expression, and when he heard about Consort Shu and the Marquis of Dingyuan's plans, he didn't seem particularly angry.

But Wang Bao knew that the emperor didn't care about the intrigues and backstabbing in the harem. After all, such things were unstoppable, and as long as they didn't cross the emperor's bottom line, he generally didn't pay much attention to them.

However, the emperor could not tolerate such embezzlement, as it was a grave taboo for those who lined their own pockets.

In fact, Wang Bao was somewhat wronged. Although he held the position of Grand Steward of the Palace and was also the head of the six palace departments, he usually did not personally oversee affairs. Each department had its own steward responsible for managing and handling specific matters.

The emperor looked at Wang Bao's trembling body and said calmly, "Alright, get up. Although this is not your fault, you are the Grand Eunuch. Go down and give the stewards of the various prefectures a warning, and let them remember who the master really is."

"Yes, sir," Wang Bao replied respectfully.

After Wang Bao left, he immediately ordered the eunuchs accompanying him to summon the eunuchs in charge of various places and gave them a stern reprimand.

Before evening, Xu Yaoyao received the winter allowance from the Imperial Household Department. Xu Yaoyao instructed Hongguo to give her a reward, and then learned from the eunuch that the head of the Imperial Household Department had ordered a strict investigation into any embezzlement and timely rectification of any omissions, which led to the current supplementary allowance.

*

At the appointed time, Xu Li, the chief eunuch of the Imperial Household Department, arrived again.

Xu Li lowered his head, holding the plate with both hands, and waited respectfully for the emperor's choice. Xu Wei thought that today would be another fruitless trip, just like usual.

The emperor looked at the plaques on the plate. The first ones were those of the older concubines, such as Consort Li and Consort Shu, while the dozen or so behind them were probably newly made.

The emperor had no impression of the new concubines because he had not visited the harem since the selection of the new concubines. The selection of the new concubines coincided with the invasion of the Turks on the border, and he had no time to attend to them.

The Emperor was in a bad mood today because of the news of Wu Feng's injury, but when he thought of the chance encounter in the plum garden this morning and the antidote he heard about, even though it has now been confirmed that the woman was harmless, the imperial physician also said that there are many powerful people in the common people, so perhaps it will be effective.

Wu Feng was an exceptional general, outstanding in both character and ability, and the emperor greatly valued his talent.

Well, I can't just rob it.

"Let's say it's the newly arrived Consort Xu." Xu Wei was momentarily stunned upon hearing the calm, deep voice above him. Consort Xu? Who is that?

Fortunately, Xu Wei was experienced and didn't make any mistakes. He quickly regained his composure and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."

The emperor seemed to suddenly remember something and said, "There's no need for him to wash and dress in advance. Let him come directly to my bedchamber and wait."

"This servant obeys the decree." Although Xu Wei was still confused and didn't know how this Consort Xu had caught the emperor's eye, he still couldn't be negligent. This was the first time the emperor had entered the inner palace in three months, a cause for celebration!