Chen Wei rubbed her brows and told Liu Ruyan: "Floating Light Brocade is worth a thousand gold coins. According to regulations, it will not be sent to your palace. You like silver white fabrics, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs has white satin fabrics every year."
Liu Ruyan said unhappily, "How can ordinary white satin be used to make clothes?"
Shen Wei: ...
Liu Ruyan said coldly, "Your Majesty is virtuous and kind, why don't you give me your floating brocade to preserve your good reputation?"
In Liu Ruyan's opinion, the floating brocade is precious and it would be a waste to wear it on Shen Wei.
Chen Wei looked up at the sky in silence. What kind of brain does Liu Ruyan have? Only then can you say such words with confidence.
It seemed as if the whole world had to revolve around Liu Ruyan, and everyone had to love and care for her unconditionally.
Seeing that Chen Wei remained silent for a long time, Liu Ruyan sneered in her beautiful eyes: "It seems that the reputation of the imperial concubine is just a figment of her imagination."
Shen Wei closed her eyes, not knowing how to communicate with Liu Ruyan.
What a beautiful girl, but she has a big mouth.
"You'd better stay in Yuxiu Palace." Chen Wei prided herself on her eloquence, but she really didn't know how to confront Liu Ruyan, so she simply walked away.
Before Cai Ping left, she pulled the four palace maids from Yuxiu Palace to a corner and said earnestly, "Just serve Meipin and do your job well. If you really don't do your job well, be careful to be expelled from Yuxiu Palace."
An eunuch's eyes sparkled, and he said in surprise, "Aunt Caiping, are you serious? I am not doing my job well, so please, Aunt Caiping, expel me from Yuxiu Palace!"
Another maid also complained: "I still have two years to leave the palace, and I don't want to stay in Yuxiu Palace. I am really crazy."
Caiping smiled awkwardly, also feeling a headache.
——
——
The spring weather was warm, there were long steps at the palace gate, and hundreds of palace maids standing in the courtyard.
According to palace regulations, today is the day when palace maids who are 25 years old or above must leave the palace. A small number of palace maids chose to stay in the palace as female officials, while most of them chose to leave the palace and return to their hometowns.
"The Imperial Concubine has ordered that silver and silk be distributed according to your ranks in the palace. Please come forward in turn to receive them."
"If you can't find a way to make a living after leaving the palace, you can go to the Yanjing Palace Staff Office, and someone will arrange a new job for you."
Aunt Rong sat at the desk, taking notes with a brush in hand.
The palace maids collected the money and property that was to be taken out of the palace in an orderly manner, each of them unable to hide the smile on their face.
The retired maids in the palace have a bright future, and each of them can receive a generous reward. Some palace maids would marry and have children after leaving the palace; some would enter the homes of officials and serve as tutors in the officials' homes; and some would use the money to do business.
"Aunt Xuemei." Li Nanzhi ran over quickly and looked at Xuemei, who was leaning on a cane, with tears in her eyes. "I'll take you out of the palace."
Xuemei smiled with relief and said, "Thank you, Princess."
Xuemei had difficulty walking, so Li Nanzhi and a palace maid supported her and slowly left the palace.
On the long palace road, Li Nanzhi, wearing a pink spring gown, carefully supported Xuemei and asked with a choked voice: "Aunt Xuemei, are you going to go home after you leave the palace? Or will you continue to stay in Yanjing City? Will Nanzhi be able to see you in the future? Are you going to get married after you leave the palace?"
Xuemei smiled and answered patiently, "I only have an elderly mother at home. I have rented a yard outside Yanjing, and will live outside Yanjing with my mother in the future. If the princess wants to see me, please send someone to summon me."
Many years ago, Xuemei's father was heavily in debt and abandoned his wife and daughter and disappeared. Debt collectors came to his house every day to ask for money. Xuemei had no choice but to work as a maid in Prince Yan's mansion. She heard that the nobles in the palace could just give her a little money, which was enough for the maid to live for half her life.
Unfortunately, Xuemei was unlucky and met her master Liu Ruyan. After serving Liu Ruyan for many years, Xuemei's family's debts have not been repaid yet, and she herself is often ill.
Fortunately, Shen Wei later took over, and Xuemei, who worked hard, received a lot of bonuses and rewards, and paid off the family's debts.
Now that she has left the palace, she has received a generous remuneration. With this money, plus her savings over the years, she can live a good life for more than ten years.
As for getting married?
Xuemei never expected to get married.
Firstly, she had two disabled legs, and no man would marry a disabled person;
Secondly, after following Liu Ruyan for many years and listening to her lamenting about the indifference of men, Xuemei secretly abhorred getting married, fearing that she would become a woman like Liu Ruyan after marriage.
She doesn't have too many pursuits now and just wants to spend her mother's old age with her. As for how she would spend the rest of her life alone after her mother passed away, Xuemei didn't want to think about it for the time being.
Li Nanzhi's eyes turned red, and she took Xuemei's hand: "Aunt Xuemei, please come with me."
Li Nanzhi supported Xuemei and brought her to the corner of the palace gate. There, there was a gray carriage with the "Liu" family's crest engraved on the door.
Seeing this, the two servants waiting by the carriage hurried over to greet Li Nanzhi.
"Princess, what are you doing?" Xuemei was stunned and didn't understand what Li Nanzhi wanted to do.
Li Nanzhi wiped her tears and told Xuemei: "Aunt Xuemei, it's remote outside the city and there is no clinic. Doctor Mo said that your legs need frequent acupuncture and hot compresses, and it's not convenient for you to live outside the city. I wrote to my grandparents and asked them to buy you a house in the city, and you will live in the city from now on."
Xuemei refused again and again: "Princess, no. It is my duty to take care of you."
Li Nanzhi's eyes fell on Xuemei's disabled legs, and she choked up and said, "Aunt Xuemei, besides Empress Chen and Empress Yu in the palace, you are the only one who treats me the best. When Nanzhi leaves the palace and gets married in the future, I will definitely take you in to live with me and take care of you until the end of your life."
A surge of warmth surged in Xuemei's heart.
Li Nanzhi threw herself into Xuemei's arms and the two hugged each other tightly. The spring breeze blew, and the curtains of the carriage swayed in the wind.
After a long time, Xuemei and Li Nanzhi separated and left in a carriage. The carriage was running smoothly. Xuemei lifted the curtain again and looked towards the towering imperial city in the distance. She saw the little girl in pink standing at the palace gate.
Xuemei actually doesn't remember very clearly the past events of her years as a slave. I vaguely remember the day when my father abandoned his wife and daughter, when the white plum blossoms in the broken yard were blooming in the snow; I seem to remember the first time I entered Prince Yan's Mansion and was chosen by Liu Ruyan among all the maids; I also remember my arms being covered with mosquito bites on a summer night; I also vaguely remember when I was kneeling in the snow in the Imperial Garden, feeling resentful and sad.
Xuemei leaned against the wooden wall of the carriage and looked down at her broken legs.
She was just an ordinary palace maid, inconspicuous in the imperial city, and it seemed that she had already lived half her life. After a long time, Xuemei let out a sigh full of vicissitudes of life.
...
...
A few days later, spring was in full swing, and the Southern Chu delegation entered the city of Yanjing with great fanfare.
Li Yuanjing hosted a banquet in Qinghua Hall, and all the concubines in the harem were required to attend the banquet.
It was approaching dusk.
In Yongning Palace, Shen Wei, who had just changed into the imperial concubine's auspicious dress, suddenly sneezed again: "A-choo——"
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