Chapter 232 World Ten (Three)

These young women from the common people were selected to enter the palace and trained as palace maids. However, before they were assigned to various palaces, they were first taught the rules by specialized palace servants. Their behavior was then evaluated and their assigned place was determined.

The young girls, strangers to each other before entering the palace, quickly gathered in groups of five, each displaying a familiarity. Baoshan was gentle, her words unhurried and unhurried, yet with a soothing warmth. Many sought to befriend her, but Yinhua took the initiative, linking her arm. Witnessing Yinhua's unruly nature, the others reluctantly retreated and sought other companionship.

Because Yinhua monopolized Baoshan, no one dared to approach her. Seeing this, Baoshan wasn't annoyed. With a gentle tone, she followed Yinhua as they went to choose their own residence. It was called a residence, but in reality, it was just a large bunk bed where a dozen people could rest together. Compared to the rooms outside the palace, however, the rooms here were spacious and bright, and there was a faint fragrance of flowers.

Every day, a nanny would teach Baoshan and the others who lived in the palace and where, what the taboos were, and how to behave when meeting an important person.

The young girls were all confused by what they heard, but they still didn't dare to relax or get distracted, for fear that they would miss something and offend the important person, which would result in them losing their lives.

What everyone eats every day is food cooked in a big iron pot, a plate of fried green vegetables, and a bowl full of rice.

Most of those sent to the palace came from poor families, and having such a filling meal was already a rare honor.

Yinhua eats fast. She is tall and has a big appetite, so she often doesn't feel full when she is at home.

If Yinhua's father hadn't seen that Yinhua was young and no one was willing to marry her, he would have promised Yinhua to someone else early on and not let her eat for free at home.

That is why Yinhua did not dislike entering the palace and receiving money every month.

If she received a reward from a noble person, she would buy whatever she wanted.

Yinhua had already made up her mind. When she received the reward, she would first buy the pearl flower that she had been thinking about for a whole year, and then order a meal of delicious dishes.

For Yinhua, between having a full stomach and black hair, she cares more about the latter.

Baoshan put down her chopsticks. She had only emptied half of the rice in her porcelain bowl. She looked at Yinhua and said, "I can't eat anymore. What should I do?"

Baoshan's eyes were soft and glowed with amber light.

Yinhua looked at the bowl of rice and murmured, "No wonder you are so thin, it turns out you don't eat enough."

Bao Shan lowered her eyelids slightly and softened her voice: "Please help me. If I don't finish the food, the nanny will scold me."

Yinhua stared at the rice, her throat rolling slightly. She made sure that Baoshan really didn't want to use it, then poured the half bowl of rice into her porcelain bowl and started eating.

After a while, Yinhua put down the clean porcelain bowl, her face full of satisfaction: "Since I can remember, this is the fullest I've ever eaten."

Looking at Baoshan's pretty face, Yinhua had another plan in mind for rewarding her with silver.

——Buy pearl flowers, have a full meal, and buy a new dress for Baoshan.

Yinhua cherished her black hair and combed it hundreds of times every day with a wooden comb. When she saw that Baoshan still needed that faded silk ribbon, she thought it was a waste of such a gift.

Yinhua took out a willow-green silk ribbon from her small sachet and put it on Baoshan's bun with her own hands.

The silk ribbons fluttering in the wind are as slender as willow branches, which makes the precious fan look even more beautiful.

On the day when the destination was decided, the musicians from the Music Bureau picked out Baoshan and several other attractive girls, while Yinhua went to serve in the palace of Empress Dowager Zhong.

Although the two were not in the same place, when Yinhua was on duty, she would wait by the Jiaofangsi for half an hour and then return to the palace maids' quarters with Baoshan.

On the way, the two would talk about some interesting things, such as the requirement that the musicians of the Jiaofang Bureau should carry a porcelain jar filled with water on their heads, and after the dance, the water must not splash onto the ground.

Yinhua would talk about what she saw and heard while being with Empress Dowager Zhong. Because of her humble status, she could not enter the inner palace, so she could only serve outside the palace.

But when the flowing jewels were carried into Empress Dowager Zhong's bedroom, Yinhua would raise her eyes slightly and look at them quietly.

The two have a very deep relationship.

As she grew older, Yinhua gradually began to understand things and became much calmer.

Naturally, she also knew that when they were in the palace maid's quarters, Baoshan asked her to help with meals, actually because he wanted Yinhua to eat more.

Yinhua, who had just learned about these things, hugged Baoshan's waist and cried bitterly.

"My parents both dislike me for eating too much, but you, Baoshan, don't dislike me and even leave food for me on purpose."

Baoshan stroked Yinhua's hair, her voice soft, as if she didn't take the matter to heart: "I really don't need it, and having you around, Yinhua, really helps me."

Yinhua held the fan even tighter.

A few years later.

Empress Dowager Zhong threw a stack of memorials on the ground, her tone filled with suppressed anger: "Fake minister!"

General Zhong walked into the hall, picked up the memorial, and examined it for a long time. He said softly, "Lord Wu is an old minister, and his words are well-intentioned. It's just that his words are not very pleasing..."

And a little too upright.

As everyone in the court knew, memorials had to pass through Zhong Xianghan's hands. Yet Lord Wu had the audacity to write: "Your Majesty can rule the country, and the Queen Mother must return power. It is inappropriate for you to act as your agent in the court."

Zhong Xianghan's temper has never changed. When he saw the memorial, he wanted to order someone to put Lord Wu in prison.

General Zhong tried his best to persuade Zhong Xianghan to give up his thoughts.

Zhong Xianghan frowned slightly and asked the palace attendant, "Where is Bo Yu?"

The palace attendant stammered, "Your Majesty is in the Imperial Hospital."

Zhong Xianghan's eyebrows slightly tightened: "Bo Yu is injured?"

The palace attendant shook his head: "Yes... the civet cat that Your Majesty raised injured its paw a few days ago, and it hasn't healed for a long time. Your Majesty is very anxious, so he went to the Imperial Hospital for treatment..."

Zhong Xianghan's eyebrows immediately raised slightly, and he slapped the incense table, "Nonsense! He's the emperor, but he spends all day hanging out with those animals. How can this be allowed?"

The palace servants serving in the hall all knelt down and apologized.

A single move can affect the whole body.

Seeing what was happening inside the hall, Yinhua, who was serving outside the hall, also knelt down. She was curious and wondered what Empress Dowager Zhong was angry about this time.

Yinhua was just thinking about it when she saw a man slowly coming towards her pushing a wooden wheelchair.

The young eunuch who was supposed to go in and deliver the message didn't dare to do so at this time.

The young eunuch rolled his eyes and pointed at Yinhua who was kneeling on the ground.

"Go in and tell the Empress Dowager that Prince Gong wants to see you."

Yinhua's heart skipped a beat, realizing how dangerous this matter was - Empress Dowager Zhong was furious, and the Prince Gong who came to pay her respects was the person Empress Dowager Zhong hated the most, the sixth prince born to the late emperor's concubine.

It is said that in order to save the life of the Sixth Prince, Concubine Shu personally broke his legs. As a disabled person, there would never be a possibility for him to covet the throne.

After this, Concubine Shu committed suicide, leaving behind a blood letter before her death, claiming that she had done many wrong things. As Empress Dowager Zhong had once said, she was a double-faced person.

But Concubine Shu knew that her sins were grave and she could not redeem them in this life. Only death could barely atone for her sins.

Empress Dowager Zhong read the blood letter and then looked at the blood-soaked Sixth Prince. She left only one sentence: "If he can survive for half a month, I will send someone to treat him."

The Sixth Prince survived, but his legs were completely disabled. Even if the legendary doctor Hua Tuo were alive, no one could cure him.

Empress Dowager Zhong was kind enough to release the Sixth Prince and grant him the title of "Gong", but she did not grant him any fiefdom. Thus, the Sixth Prince Chu Shi became a prince in name only.

But even so, Chu Shi never showed any resentment towards Empress Dowager Zhong, nor did he express his dissatisfaction with not having a fiefdom in front of others.

Chu Shi was just like his title, extremely respectful.

Chu Shi came to visit Empress Dowager Zhong every month. Even though Empress Dowager Zhong only saw him very rarely, Chu Shi never slacked off.

When she first heard these rumors, Yinhua felt sorry for Prince Gong Chu Shi, who had crippled legs.

It's not just these experiences, Chu Shisheng is also gentle and handsome.

In addition, his legs were crippled, which made Liuli look even more fragile.

Not only Yinhua, but many palace maids in the palace sympathized with Chu Shixin.

But now, Yinhua looked at Chu Shi’s fragile profile, but she couldn’t feel any heartache in her heart.

She felt sorry for Chu Shi, but she didn't want to go into the palace to report it. She even secretly resented Chu Shi in her heart, asking why he had to come to pay his respects when Empress Dowager Zhong was angry.

But the young eunuch's status and position were much higher than Yinhua's, so Yinhua dared not disobey.

She could only enter the inner hall tremblingly, trying to keep her tone calm.

"Prince Gong is requesting an audience outside the palace."

Zhong Xianghan frowned, Yinhua's heart was pounding, and she only heard Zhong Xianghan say, "Let him in."

It was not until she walked out of the inner hall that Yinhua felt relieved.

Chu Shi paid a visit to Zhong Xianghan. He spoke calmly, talked about some trivial matters, and presented the birthday painting he had drawn to Zhong Xianghan.

Zhong Xianghan didn't even look at it and ordered the palace servants to put it away.

Chu Shi looked normal, but seeing that Zhong Xianghan looked tired, he offered to leave.

General Zhong walked out from behind the screen and couldn't help but sigh, if he had such a temperament... it would be better than it is now.

Zhong Xianghan's brows were stern, and he ordered in a cold voice, "Burn the painting."

She had no interest in what Chu Shi was planning.

Because she had never taken Concubine Shu seriously, she treated Chu Shi the same way now.

Yinhua got off work early today. When the young eunuch saw Yinhua coming out safely, he hurriedly asked her what method she used to prevent Empress Dowager Zhong from getting angry.

You know, every time the young eunuch went to deliver a message, if Empress Dowager Zhong was angry, he would inevitably be beaten.

Yinhua didn't say anything, so the young eunuch took the initiative to take over her duty and gave Yinhua the jade bean cake that Empress Dowager Zhong had given her as a reward, which he had not yet been willing to eat.

Yinhua then slowly spoke: "Pretend to be calm and everything will be fine as usual."

After saying that, Yinhua went to the Jiaofangsi to look for the treasure fan.

At this time, Baoshan was still practicing dancing in the water pavilion, with light gauze tied around it, fluttering in the wind.

The slender and delicate beauty is hidden behind the gauze. Even without seeing her face, her figure is enough to move people's hearts.

Without the accompaniment of stringed instruments, the precious fan slightly lifts the long sleeves, the skirt flutters, and layers of round ripples are created.

Yinhua didn't understand the dance, she only knew it was extremely beautiful.

Whether it is her cascading black hair or her slender and graceful figure, it is impossible to take your eyes off her.

But Yinhua opened her eyes wide and stared at the waist that was so thin and soft that it could be held in one hand.

As her toes move slightly, her waist sways gently, and her eyes are charming, people can't help but want to play with her.

If you hold this willow-like waist in your palm, it will be so beautiful.

The dance is over.

Baoshan turned around, revealing a face as white as jade. For a moment, it was unclear which one was better, her appearance or figure. Or maybe it could only be said that they complemented each other and were equally matched.

She saw the silver flowers at a glance, and a smile appeared on her face, just like a blooming spring flower.

"Yinhua, you're here."