It had been a while since the eunuchs delivering imperial edicts had been seen in Lin'an Palace. Even the palace servants who delivered the rewards had blurry faces, like passers-by from a previous life.
However, the palace, which had been shrouded in the shadow of a curse, made an exception today and welcomed a group of people.
"My lady, it seems to me that they are coming to our palace!" The maid frantically woke Concubine Xin up, "Is there anything wrong?"
"ah?!"
She was frightened and hurriedly got up from the couch, forgetting to put on her embroidered shoes, and ran barefoot to the window to look out.
Sure enough, the leading eunuch was heading towards Jiaofeng Palace!
Did the Empress Dowager not sleep well last night? So, she sent someone to question me?!
Xin Xuanshi closed the window and tried to calm her mind: "Quick, bring me my clothes, and go see me first!"
"Yes, my lady...shoes! You haven't put on shoes yet!"
The group approached, but no one dared to overstep their bounds. Instead, they bowed their heads respectfully and waited outside for instructions.
"Excuse me, has Miss Xin woken up yet?"
"To answer your question, my young lady is dressing up."
"Oh, there's no rush. Let Miss Xin take her time." The eunuch looked fierce, but spoke very politely. "The servants will wait here. It won't be a problem."
She couldn't hold it in any longer and asked loudly, "What's the matter, eunuch?"
"My Lady Xin has done a great service in curing the Empress Dowager's headache. I have come specially to give you a reward. When you are done dressing, you must accompany me to Shoukang Palace. The Empress Dowager has specifically requested to see you!"
So that's how it is, not a bad thing.
Consort Xin breathed a sigh of relief and beckoned to the maid: "Quick, go to Sangyuxuan to inform the news, and let the noble sister also go to pay respect to the Queen Mother."
"My lady, why don't you go by yourself? The Queen Mother wants to see you alone, that's..."
"What did mother say before I entered the palace? Since I'm the master, you must obey me. Don't ask too many questions, be good!"
——The main hall of Shoukang Palace.
The Queen Mother regained her spirits and finally had the strength to hold the little princess and tease her. Her voice became much louder: "My most adorable Zhaohua, you are truly a lucky star! With you here, the Imperial Grandmother will be in great health!"
When Concubine Xin walked out of the door and heard these words, she relaxed.
Wei Shuyi whispered to comfort her: "Sister, you are too nervous. You came here today to receive the reward. You don't have to worry about other things."
"Sister Noble, you are truly a prophet! Don't worry, after we get in, I will definitely convince the Empress Dowager to let those friends into the palace!"
Concubine Xin took a few deep breaths before stepping over the threshold.
"Hey, the great hero is here?"
"I dare not. Today, seeing that the Queen Mother is in good spirits, I am relieved."
The Queen Mother put the little princess down and specially arranged a chair for Concubine Xin. "This talisman of yours is more useful than any panacea! I finally slept soundly, thanks to you! Tell me, what reward do you want? Whether it's a promotion or precious treasures, I will satisfy you."
"I have only done my share of the work, and am not worthy enough to receive such a generous reward." Concubine Xin responded respectfully, then frowned and sighed in embarrassment, "But there is one thing I cannot help but express."
"Hmm? You say, I'll make the decision for you!"
"In fact, if my friends were here, they would definitely be able to discover the abnormality in the Empress Dowager's palace before the imperial physician. Removing the filth in time would also save the Empress Dowager from suffering. It's a pity..."
The Queen Mother asked in confusion, "Does your old friend know this kind of strange and unusual skill?"
"I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Your Majesty. Most of them are just ordinary people with no respect for their conduct," Concubine Xin emphasized. "Some of them are children, while the oldest are in their seventies. It's strange, isn't there an Imperial Observatory in the palace? Why haven't they come to relieve the Empress Dowager's worries?"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's expression changed slightly.
Everyone knew that the astronomical astrologers at Yonghua Palace all looked up to the Imperial Preceptor. Without his orders, his subordinates would not overstep their bounds. Concubine Xin's words seemed to imply that the Imperial Preceptor had deliberately allowed the Empress Dowager to become seriously ill.
"They...may be more concerned with state affairs. My health isn't that important..."
"Your Majesty the Queen Mother, this is wrong!" Wei Shuyi also joined in. "State affairs are certainly important, but you are the mother of the Son of Heaven. How can they be compared with your safety? In my opinion, some people are still slacking off."
Yin Zhu tapped the Empress Dowager's leg with a small wooden hammer, muttering to herself, "That's right! The past two days, this servant has wished she could suffer in her place. How could they, the people in the Imperial Observatory, not be able to tell the truth? They can tell at a glance that something in the distant palace is ominous!"
"Be careful with your words!"
Aunt Zijin quickly reminded her and carefully stole a glance at the empress dowager's expression.
The latter seemed to be thinking about something, with a bad look on his face: "That's the truth."
Seeing this, Concubine Xin took the initiative to suggest, "If Your Majesty trusts me, why not let those friends enter the palace? They may be of humble origins, but they all possess real abilities! Replacing those who are just sitting there doing nothing but eating and drinking is the grace I seek."
It is not an excessive request. On the contrary, it can clear up the unhealthy atmosphere in Yonghua Palace.
The Queen Mother nodded slightly, agreeing: "In that case, call those talented people from the people to the palace and let me see them. Those people who curry favor with the powerful must be eliminated!"
"I thank the Queen Mother for her grace!"
After some small talk and leaving Shoukang Palace, Consort Xin was no longer as nervous as before. On the contrary, she seemed overly excited because she would be able to see her fellow apprentices more often in the future.
"Sister Noble, if you hadn't come forward, I'm afraid I would never have seen them in my lifetime! We have a very powerful senior brother, about forty years old, with rich experience. Catching ghosts and exorcising evil spirits is no problem at all." She excitedly introduced to Wei Shuyi, "I learned all those skills from him. If you are interested, you can ask him when the time comes!"
"Okay, okay, hurry back to the palace to prepare the letters and have them arrive at the palace as soon as possible."
"clear!"
Consort Xin continued to trot away in a hurry, while Wei Shuyi stopped where he was, waiting for Yin Zhu's arrival.
"Things are going well. I was really scared before!"
"It's all my fault. I let you take this risk and almost got you into trouble." She sighed, "But Liang Cairen is really pitiful. In order to prevent her from giving birth in such an environment and having her child taken away, I had to do this."
"You are still the same as before. No matter if they are palace maids or concubines, you can throw away your grace and life for those who have cared for you, just to seek justice for them." Yin Zhu understood her. "I will always remember that when I was half-dead and no one cared about me, you sneaked out late at night to find herbs for me, and you were punished for it."
She was slightly startled: "They are all trivial matters, and they are over."
"How can I easily forget the grace of saving my life? I said I was frightened, not because I was worried about being implicated if the incident was exposed, but because I was worried about you. Everyone knows that Princess Zhaohua's biological mother has offended the emperor and is not favored. If the empress dowager punishes you, who can save you?"
The long-lost concern warmed Wei Shuyi's heart.
She should have understood long ago that the time of walking alone in this deep palace was over.
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