After three rounds of drinking.
Xie Yanqing found an excuse to temporarily leave the main hall of Penglai Palace and took Wei Shuyi to a more secluded villa.
"You've been preparing for a long time, and your target is Shoukang Palace?"
"Exactly."
He frowned in displeasure: "If you hadn't stopped me just now, the imperial decree would have been issued. Isn't it good to be the emperor's concubine? Why do you have to be a servant after all the hard work?"
Wei Shuyi put away the fire stick in her sleeve and said, "He is the emperor. What kind of beauty has he not seen? Or perhaps he has not been able to obtain it? This arrangement of mine is only to leave a deeper impression in his heart and pave the way for the future, not to avoid his favor."
"It's good that you are aware of your own status." Xie Yanqing lowered her voice, with a hint of warning, "You are no longer the legitimate daughter of the Wei family. You are no longer qualified to act noble. Climbing onto the dragon bed is your only way out."
"I know."
After a brief silence, he took out a piece of folded paper from somewhere and motioned for her to open it.
The wrinkles in the book record the causes and consequences of the Wei family's rebellion, including the respective sides of the court officials.
"The current Empress's maternal family has always been loyal to the Emperor and patriotic, eager to eliminate the Wei family immediately. The only one who dared to dissent and demanded a thorough investigation by the Emperor was a minor official."
She looked at the words between the cracks: "Fifth-rank Imperial Court Doctor Qu Wenhe..."
"That was the official position at that time. Now, when one of the Qu family members succeeds, all the family members will rise to great heights. He has been promoted to the rank of Second Rank Secretary!"
Wei Shuyi looked at him puzzled, and received a simple explanation: "The Imperial Brother's most beloved Concubine Jin is his daughter."
The complicated relationships between the characters and the high-ranking concubines in the harem from the previous dynasty appeared in her mind like a revolving lantern.
At this moment, a slight sound came from the grass outside the villa!
Xie Yanqing tilted his head alertly and shouted, "Your selection into the palace is a stroke of luck! Shoukang Palace is not like a royal palace where you can be tolerated for your mistakes. You must always be vigilant and serve your mother well. Do you understand?"
"I will follow the prince's orders and serve the Empress Dowager wholeheartedly and will not fail in my mission!"
She responded naturally, also raising her voice.
Since it's a show, we can't be sneaky and we have to make sure that person hears everything!
He didn't flick his sleeves until the rustling sound faded away. "I have to go back now. The road ahead is entirely up to you. If necessary, the people I have planted in the palace will help you."
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness."
Wei Shuyi watched him leave, hid in the shadows again, and quickly lit the paper with a tinder.
The fireworks flickered, and when the house was ransacked, the pavilions and towers were also engulfed in flames.
The screams from her nightmare echoed in her ears again, and she watched the paper turn to ash and fall. She stepped on it again, grinding it finely, her heart longing for redress for her entire clan torn apart, and she screamed again—
"Dad, Mom, I will not let anyone die in vain! I will try to find out the truth about this unjust case of treason and restore your innocence!"
A side hall of Penglai Palace.
The shadow guard bowed and saluted. "Your Majesty, there's nothing unusual about the maid who was conferred today. Prince Lian summoned her for a lecture, and it was only about the Queen Mother."
The emperor played with the earrings in his palm and said, "Eighth brother used to only give rare treasures to please others, but today he sent this extraordinary maid. This is very suspicious."
"I understand and will continue to keep a close eye on her every move!"
"Go down."
Putting aside his doubts about her identity, he inexplicably felt that this woman was somewhat...
look familiar?
The day after the banquet, Aunt Zijin from Shoukang Palace took Wei Shuyi to a side hall.
"The Empress Dowager is kindhearted and has specially upgraded the standard of food, clothing, housing, and transportation for the servants. This palace will be your future residence." After a pause, she explained, "You are currently a third-class palace maid, new to the palace, only one rank higher than the maids who clean the palace. If you gain the Empress Dowager's favor and continue to advance, you can also change your residence."
"Thank you for the advice, Auntie."
Wei Shuyi traveled light and walked into the house carrying a package.
There were three palace maids living with her. The one who was dressing up was the prettiest, but her features were a little harsh. "New here? Just call me Qingluo."
"This sister is so beautiful—" the one who took the initiative to greet her had a lovely round face and said in a sweet and innocent tone, "I'm Huaping!"
The remaining one bowed and said calmly, "I have served the Queen Mother the longest. Call me Yinzhu."
She put down her package and introduced herself, "I'm older, so I'll just call you Sister. My humble name is Ah Shu, and I'm new to Shoukang Palace. I hope you all will give me your guidance."
"Didn't the Queen Mother give you a name?"
“No.”
"Tsk..." Qing Luo snorted coldly, "I thought a highly praised figure had come to the palace, but it turns out to be just that—"
The atmosphere suddenly became awkward, but fortunately Aunt Zijin lifted the curtain and walked over, stuffing a wooden sign into her hand.
"I was so busy today that I almost forgot to give you this. From now on, this will be your name, so be careful not to lose it."
"Liu, Ying."
Wei Shuyi held up the wooden sign and read it word by word.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could still seem to see Qing Luo's indignant expression, and Hua Ping covering her mouth and laughing.
The days ahead are destined to be turbulent.
"Hey, the vase in the bedroom isn't cleaned, go!"
"Hey, why haven't you brought the jewelry that the Empress Dowager wanted? Go and get it!"
"Well, you did the least work today, so I won't leave any food for you. Just bear with it for one night."
…
Qingluo never called her by her name and tried every possible way to cause trouble for her. Compared to the suffering she had endured in the laundry department, it was already much better.
So Wei Shuyi didn't care. He just completed his job honestly and didn't complain to anyone.
Until one cloudy afternoon, Qing Luo was giving orders again: "Yin Zhu has caught a cold, go get someone to come and take a look!"
Are you sick?
The person she most wanted to get closer to was Yin Zhu, the taciturn and longest-serving harem attendant. This was a godsend, a chance for her to close the gap. Before officially entering the harem, she needed to learn more about the situation.
Wei Shuyi hurried out of the door. In order to save time, she followed the path she remembered, but was blocked by a sudden rainstorm!
Not far away was a palace she had never seen before. Groups of palace maids were waiting outside the door. Only when led by different eunuchs could they dare to enter one after another, carrying brocade boxes.
"hiss!"
She planned to find another place to take shelter from the rain, fearing to disturb the nobleman. As soon as she turned around, she bumped into someone's chest, causing severe pain in the tip of her nose.
Wei Shuyi looked up in surprise, only to see the handsome emperor standing in front of him holding an umbrella. There was a smile in his cold eyes, and his sleeves were filled with the fragrance of ambergris, blocking out the bitter wind and rain.
"Your Majesty?! I pay my respects to the Emperor..."
Only then did she realize that she was too close to him, with her whole body pressed against him. She quickly took a step back and stood outside the umbrella to greet him.
The rain quickly soaked her clothes. The maids' clothes in Shoukang Palace were made of smooth and thin fabrics. At this moment, they were tightly fitting her body, outlining her graceful curves and faintly revealing a layer of snow-like luster.
"I'm not familiar with the palace routes yet, and I got lost for a moment. I beg Your Majesty to punish me!"
A bony hand stopped her from kneeling in time. The emperor spoke in the same lazy voice: "Follow me."
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