Palace ladies
Xu Hanxiao was not angry. "Of course not. Madam Cao is in charge of the food, clothing and accommodation of the imperial concubines. If the imperial concubines travel for the Empress Dowager's birthday, Madam Cao will need to communicate with the Imperial Wardrobe and the Inner Palace. This is also to serve the imperial concubines well."
“She doesn’t manage anything normally. She always shirks her duties and is inconsistent in her work. What kind of instructions does she give?” One of the concubines grumbled, clearly dissatisfied with Cao Bai.
"Your Highness, Your Highness! This servant should know the whereabouts of Aunt Cao Bai." Not only were the four imperial concubines happy when they went out, but the servants below were also delighted.
Although they didn't live in seclusion in Xingqing Palace like the imperial concubines, the palace rules were strict, and they were not allowed to move around freely. In addition, since the imperial concubines ate vegetarian food year-round to pray for blessings, the meals left for them were extremely simple.
If the imperial concubines could attend the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration, they would at least get to enjoy a delicious meal, if not broaden their horizons.
“She has a lover who is a member of the Imperial Guard. She often goes to see him. I have only seen him occasionally. Aunt Cao Bai did not return last night. She must have gone to see him again.”
"Thank you." Sui Zhixu nodded and took out some silver to reward him.
"I kowtow to express my deepest gratitude to my wife. I kowtow to express my deepest gratitude to my wife."
Those around were green with envy, wishing they could ask Xu Zhixu again, but then the people from the Imperial Wardrobe arrived.
The female official from the Imperial Clothing Bureau bowed to Sui Zhixu and Cui Wan, saying, "Greetings, Lady Sui and Lady Cui. I have come to prepare new clothes for the four imperial concubines."
Xu then arranged for a eunuch to find Cao Bai, and gestured for the female official to step forward, while he and Cui Wan stepped aside.
"What do we do next?" Cui Wan leaned closer to Sui Zhixu and lowered her voice.
"Wait." Sui Zhixu's gaze fell on everyone in the courtyard.
"Today is the fourth day of the lunar month. According to Puyang Langjun's calculations, they should meet on the seventh day."
“Puyang Kai has only been in office for a short time, so the time frame is not very reliable. A-Lian can’t wait until the 17th or 27th. He will come this time, even if he doesn’t want to,” Sui Zhixu said in a low voice.
Cui Wan nodded. A-Lian was in Dali Temple prison. The thought of Minister Lu being in charge of this case filled her with panic, and she wished she could rescue her right now.
The female officials of the Imperial Clothing Bureau invited the imperial concubines into the room to choose fabrics, and the palace maids followed closely behind to remeasure them.
For the first time in many years, after living in seclusion and praying for the late emperor, they had smiles on their faces.
They chattered in small groups, "I never thought we'd be able to go out this year. Is it because it's the Empress Dowager's sixtieth birthday?"
The lady-in-waiting beside her shook her head slightly, which made the imperial concubine even more puzzled. "Then why were we allowed to leave?"
"Why worry so much? Just get out. You know what's going on in the palace. The less you know, the better." It was the Dowager Consort who spoke rather bluntly. Her voice was distinctive, and Sui Zhixu remembered it; she was easy to recognize.
"Oh, you're right. It's enough to be able to go out and see the world. I wonder if I'll be able to meet my family this time."
These words conveyed a subtle longing for home to the other concubines. They remained silent for a long time, trying to smooth things over with a tentative attitude. Perhaps, they thought.
"It's been so many years since we last met. I've been wanting to see you all this time, and maybe we'll finally get to meet this time."
...
As the group walked further and further away, the words of homesickness faded from her ears. Sui Zhixu's expression remained indifferent as her gaze swept over the dog hole in the corner of the wall. The hole wasn't large, and the woman who had been talking to Minister Lu must have been quite thin.
The sun was high in the sky. Sui Zhixu and Cui Wan hid in the shade and stopped talking. They remained silent. This place was not suitable for discussing the Pei family, but it seemed that they had no other topics to discuss at the moment.
Although Cui Wan and Pei Qinglian argued every day among the four, they were actually the closest. She spent most of her time with Ning Yan, having lived and eaten together at the Shan Hai Academy for a month. They got along well in all aspects of life and had more and more to talk about.
Although Ning Yan did most of the talking, Sui Zhixu acted as a patient listener.
But Xi Yushao is now positioned between them, and it's unclear what his exact place is. He's neither like Ning Yan and Pei Qingzhuo, who are deeply in love, nor like Pei Qinglian and Lu Songjin, who are husband and wife.
Neither here nor there, like a fishbone stuck in your throat—one man's poison is another man's honey.
Neither side was willing to back down.
The ladies-in-waiting of the Imperial Clothing Bureau walked out of the palace with smiles. The palace was sparsely populated, and they did little work. This time, they were able to make new clothes for the imperial concubines, which meant they were not receiving a salary from the court.
Only after doing the work can you feel at ease receiving the money in your hands.
The group and Sui Zhixu bid farewell to Cui Wan. Not long after they left, Chu Shiguan's shouts came from the gate of Xingqing Palace.
It sounded like a woman's voice was being spoken, and the two men exchanged glances before stepping out of the palace gate.
"Hey, get away from me! Ahhhh! Indecent assault!"
As soon as Xu stepped out of the palace gate, he saw Chu Shiguan jumping around Puyang Kai in the pavilion, occasionally letting out pig-slaughtering noises.
In the center of the pavilion, a woman with a beautiful figure looked at them with a worried expression.
"Why must you treat me like this, my love?"
"You ran over to me without a word and tried to bump into me, saying some nonsensical things. Now you're asking me why I treated you this way? Are you crazy?" Chu Shiguan jumped down from the stone table, deliberately choosing a spot on the stone table opposite Cao Bai.
“Indeed, although I am just a minor clerk in the Court of Judicial Review, it seems that Your Excellency has little right to tear off my clothes.” Puyang Kai brushed aside Chu Shiguan’s hand that was gripping his sleeve, silently stepped back, and slowly flattened the corners of his mouth that had been curling up.
"You two gentlemen are too kind. Why do you make it sound like I, a mere young lady, am disrespecting you?" Cao Bai laughed radiantly, lightly covering her mouth with a handkerchief in her hand.
Puyang Kai and Chu Shiguan both retreated simultaneously, making their stance clear.
Cao Bai's expression was somewhat awkward, and the little eunuch beside her was extremely anxious, "Aunt Cao, you should go back quickly, the princess has sent someone."
"Why are you rushing us? They're just a few people making their rounds. I have my own ways of dealing with them. Stop getting involved and go do what you're supposed to do."
Cao Bai glanced at him, and the little eunuch lowered his head and stopped talking, but did not leave. Cao Bai felt that he was a bit strange. Before he could think more about it, he saw two ladies, one in green and one in red, walk out of Xingqing Palace.
The lady wore a lotus-leaf green ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), its layers swaying in the wind like lotus blossoms. The fabric was exquisite, the stitching delicate, not to mention the lady in red beside her, whose gold chains and jewels hanging from her waist were clearly priceless treasures.
Why would such a noble lady come to Xingqing Palace? The female officials in the palace all wear the same clothes, so even a pretty young lady can only put on extra effort in inconspicuous places.
They were definitely not newly appointed female officials.
"May you be well, my lady." Cao Bai bowed respectfully.
"Lady Cao, is it? Come here, tell me, how do you plan to deal with me?" Cui Wan strode forward, first glancing at the two people huddled in the corner, her lips twitching.
"As the lady-in-waiting in charge of the Dowager Consort, you not only failed to take good care of her daily life, but also failed to report to the Inner Palace Bureau that Xingqing Palace had been in disrepair for a long time. Furthermore, you left your post without permission and went to the front lines?"
Sui Zhixu walked slowly, standing right behind Cui Wan after she finished speaking, her indifferent gaze falling on Cao Bai.
The gazes felt like fine needles piercing me, yet I received no response. This silent pressure is sometimes more unbearable than direct accusations.
Cao Bai chuckled awkwardly, "My lady is too kind. I misunderstood you because of a misunderstanding. My intention was to treat everyone well. As for the rest, I am truly wronged. The Dowager Consorts spend most of their time in seclusion, fasting and chanting Buddhist prayers for the late Emperor. I rarely see them. I usually rush to prepare whatever the Dowager Consorts' maids need. How could I dare to mistreat the Dowager Consorts?"
"I have reported this to the Bureau of Imperial Attendants, but no one has come yet. I have urged them three or four times, but it is no use. I really don't know what's going on."
Cao Bai's eyes darted around, and he lowered his head and blurted out, "Such behavior suggests she must be the princess's sister-in-law, the young lady of the Cui family."
"You!" Cui Wan was so angry that she was panting heavily, and she retorted with several words after saying just one.
"Go back first. She still has to take care of the Empress Dowager's trip to the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet." Sui Zhixu looked her up and down. The female official's clothes were loose, but hers were particularly fitted, revealing her smooth and slender waist.
Could this person be quick-witted?
Sui Zhixu calmly turned his gaze back to Xingqing Palace. The location was quiet and sparsely populated. People inside Xingqing Palace dared not cause trouble, and they probably wouldn't care about any commotion outside.
Lu Siqing and his entourage chose a good location.
Cao Bai's expression suddenly changed. He glared at the little eunuch beside him, but when he noticed Puyang Kai's gaze, he silently looked away and smiled seductively at him.
Pu Yangkai paused, then quickly moved behind Sui Zhixu to get away from her.
At noon, the scorching July sun surged along the palace road, making it seem to bend. Under such intense heat, Xu was getting restless. Thinking of the people in the prison, his brows gradually relaxed, and he resolved to finish the battle quickly.
Not far away, a lady dressed in purple official robes walked briskly, followed by two or three palace maids and eunuchs. Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, but she did not bother to wipe them away. When she arrived in front of Xingqing Palace, she cleared her throat and announced loudly: "By imperial decree of the Empress Dowager, Lady Sui is hereby summoned to an audience."
The crowd, each with a different expression, knelt down in turn.
Her official robes were embroidered with falcons carrying auspicious herbs, unlike Cao Bai's yellow silk with intertwined branches, indicating that the visitor was indeed a female official of the third rank or above in the palace.
"Your concubine obeys."
Before long, everyone stood up. Cui Wan grabbed Sui Zhixu and said to the female official, "I'll go with her."
"Madam Cui, the Empress Dowager only summoned Madam Sui." The female official had a kind face, and the few white hairs at her temples added to her experience and poise, exuding an air of authority with neither servility nor arrogance.
Seeing that she was hesitant, Xu gently patted her hand to reassure her.
Cui Wan shook her head and whispered in Sui Zhixu's ear, "The Empress Dowager is away most of the year and rarely comes back. Why did she suddenly summon you?"
Although Xu didn't understand either, she had no choice but to go.
She said to the female official who issued the decree, "Auntie, please wait a moment. The princess has ordered me to arrange palace affairs. Please allow me to give some instructions."
"Please proceed, my lady."
With permission, Sui Zhixu whispered instructions in Cui Wan's ear. Cui Wan was a little confused, but she still nodded.
She looked up at Sui Zhixu and said, "Don't worry, I will definitely do what you asked me to do."
"If there's anything you can't handle, go to Puyang Kai." Sui Zhixu took off the princess's token and handed it to Puyang Kai. "He's calm, cautious, and trustworthy."
Cui Wan nodded, though she knew Xu was still somewhat worried about her. The lady-in-waiting beside her waited with a smile, but since she was the Empress Dowager's person, she couldn't keep them waiting any longer. She gave her a few more instructions before leaving.
"This way, madam." The female official gave directions to Sui Zhixu with a respectful attitude and seemed very approachable.
"May I ask your honorable surname, madam?"
"My surname is Zhang, you can just call me Madam Zhang."
Sui Zhixu smiled faintly and agreed softly.
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