"Someone's coming? Who is it?"
The woman, perhaps noticing the noise from the palace servants outside, hurried out of the hall. She only calmed down slightly after seeing Wei Shuyi and his group.
Jing An was the first to introduce himself: "Our young lady is the selected concubine of Sang Yuxuan next door. Today I heard that..."
"Oh, I see." The man interrupted Jing'an impatiently and replied casually, "This master is used to being disliked by thousands of people. The position given by the emperor is Changzai, without a title. You can just call me Wang Changzai."
According to palace etiquette, when meeting someone of high status, one would use the word "sister" to show respect.
As soon as Wei Shuyi called out, Wang Changzai rolled his eyes and said, "Don't do that! It's still unclear who's older between us! If you call me old, that would be even more displeasing to the Lord!"
After saying this, she ordered her men to pull out the flowers and plants in the courtyard. Even the wisteria swing frame that He Chang had specially built before his death was destroyed.
"Are you curious why I destroyed that criminal's belongings?" Wang Changzai busied herself with thought and returned to her thoughts. "Because I'm so angry! Why did they gang up on me, and in the end, it was my fault? Rather than living in this hellish place, the emperor might as well banish me to Eternal Lane!"
She had forgotten to call herself "Benzhu" and had also forgotten that she was in the imperial palace, where walls had ears. If anyone deliberately told the emperor these words, they would be charged with the crime of disrespect and might not even be allowed into the Eternal Lane!
Wei Shuyi nodded in understanding, but at the same time asked curiously, "I wonder which palace Changzai originally lived in? And who bullied you like this?"
If it were someone else, they would cover up or make excuses for various factors.
But she is so different!
Wang Changzai seemed to have been holding it in for a long time, and finally had someone to confide in. "Yong'an Palace! This name is unlucky for me. These little rascals came crying and complaining, saying that it's because of me that the palace can't be peaceful forever! Can you tell me, is this reasonable? I don't know who has infected the Empress, but she stays in her room all day and doesn't care about anything. They've teamed up to deal with me. I can't just let them control me, can I?"
"So, what did you do?"
"It's just that if someone slips and falls, I'll bring it up and make fun of them from time to time. If someone gets sick from eating, I'll point it out in public and make them feel embarrassed. Oh, and there was also a maid who met me on the way and slipped and broke a vase, but she insisted on blaming it on me! I guess they originally wanted to kill me or banish me to the cold palace! Who would have thought that the emperor just asked me to move to another palace? After all, he is a man who can do great things——"
If you didn't know Wang Changzai's tone and actions, you would think she was a country woman discussing family matters.
After listening to her complaints, Wei Shuyi had been standing for a long time and his legs were sore.
Satisfied, she came over and patted his shoulder. "Min Xuanshi, right? I'll remember you! Just because you listened to my story in its entirety, I'll acknowledge you as my friend! If anyone dares to bully you in the future, tell me first! I'll stand up for you! Uh...if she's higher in rank than me, I can only curse her behind your back."
"Hahaha! Great—"
Wang Changzai's behavior and manners don't seem like those of a lady from the capital.
It was also because of this that Wei Shuyi saw the long-lost vitality, making her realize that the person standing in front of her was not a puppet bound by rules and regulations, but a living woman.
After returning to Sangyuxuan, Jingning was the first to express her opinion: "My lady, I don't think Concubine Wang is as difficult to get along with as the rumors say. On the contrary, I think as long as people don't gossip about her behind her back or form cliques to bully her, we should be good friends!"
"You can know a person's face, but not his heart." Jing An disagreed. "The Emperor ordered the concubines to move to a palace that is known to everyone as a haunted house. I'm afraid... it's not just a simple bickering and argument. On the surface, he is protecting Concubine Wang and not derogating her, but in reality, it's almost like a condemnation!"
yes.
The empty house with no plaque and the birthplace of a convicted concubine would seem unlucky to anyone.
Would Xie Yanci do this just because of a verbal dispute?
Wei Shuyi nodded and instructed them, "Don't say anything unnecessary. Find an opportunity to find out the details of the situation over there. Knowing yourself and the enemy is always better than being deceived by appearances."
"Yes." It was late at night.
On the rice paper, she used her fingertips to trace the words that she knew by heart.
The only new addition is the four big characters "常在王氏".
The Empress Dowager had a capable old maid by her side, but she died early due to illness and incurable medical treatment. Before her death, the maid made a wish: that her granddaughter could escape the hardships of the countryside, learn to read and write, and enter the palace to enjoy the comforts of life, even if it meant continuing to be a respectable maid.
The Queen Mother, mindful of their past relationship, took the old nanny's granddaughter in. Unexpectedly, the naughty girl entered Shoukang Palace and acted recklessly, nearly making serious mistakes several times!
After a few days, Wang became a concubine in the harem and was granted residence in Yong'an Palace.
As expected, she was born into a commoner family and could not stand the constraints of palace rules, which was why she had many conflicts with other noble ladies.
Wei Shuyi recalled the whispers of He Changzai before his death——
"Noble Concubine Jin?"
Why did he mention this person? Was he deliberately framing her, or was she truly the one who harmed him?
There was no grudge between him and Concubine Jin. It was even she who helped him out when he first met the Queen. Why would she slander him secretly?
The Empress, Imperial Concubine Jin, and the forces behind them were like two tangled threads that made it difficult for her to unravel.
Revenge is a matter that needs to be taken slowly and not rushed.
After all, those two are considered the masters of the harem, and there is still a long way to go before I can officially approach them.
The consequence of thinking deeply all night is a dark shadow the next day.
"My lady, I will cover it up with powder again. The marks under my eyes are too obvious!"
Before officially going out, Jingning was still thinking about how to hide her fatigue.
Fortunately, Song Wanyi's focus today wasn't on her, but on Wang Changzai. It was a common tactic to intimidate new concubines in the palace.
Who would have thought that it wouldn't work on Concubine Wang!
"Wanyi, I'm still kneeling here! You can't just drink tea and not let me get up!"
"The Emperor asked you to come to Lin'an Palace just to calm your impatience!" Song Wanyi sipped her tea leisurely and didn't ask her to get up. "When the Master is giving you a lecture, you should listen attentively. Yelling and yelling from below is unbecoming!"
"I usually speak in this voice, not shouting. The reason I interrupted is because my knees are sore! Having someone kneel down to chat not only doesn't help me calm down, but it makes me even more angry! If I accidentally say a few more words in front of the emperor in the future, this..."
Wei Shuyi listened to Wang Chang's nagging complaints and stole a glance at the host's gradually cold expression, and couldn't help laughing.
Evil will be punished by evil, Song Wanyi probably never thought that this day would come?
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