Chapter 2: If I stop trying to please him, I'll save up money and leave the palace.
Chapter Two: Never again will I please him; I'll save up money and leave the palace.
Although I have been demoted, fortunately there is still a chance for a turnaround. My family is safe and sound, and my only wish in this life is for those around me to be well and healthy. That would be enough. As for myself, now that I am confined to my quarters and of low rank, even though I know there are many suspicious points surrounding the death of Prince Ning's youngest son, I am powerless to find the real culprit. I only hope to find a glimmer of hope to escape this palace, so that my rebirth will not have been in vain. If I am ultimately unable to leave this deep palace, I will become a quiet and unassuming person, waiting for the years to pass. If I can survive until His Majesty's death and obtain the title of Dowager Consort to live out my remaining years in peace, that would be a good end.
Seeing that she was stunned and silent, Qiuju said softly, "Your Highness has been asleep for so long, do you feel hungry? There is some porridge and vegetables warming on the stove, please have some."
Before she could finish speaking, Chunlan came in carrying a food tray and said happily, "Your Highness has finally woken up! We servants have been watching over you all day, our hearts were pounding with worry."
Looking at the two maids who had been with her since childhood, and remembering how they had given their lives for her in her past life, it felt like a lifetime had passed since they were reunited. In this life, she was determined to protect them.
On the table sat a thin bowl of porridge, its pale beige tinged with the morning light, and two shriveled, hard steamed buns. Though demoted to a lowly concubine, the Imperial Household Department, out of respect for the Empress Dowager, dared not serve her spoiled, cold food. Recalling the days in her previous life in the cold palace, digging up tree roots and chewing on grass, this bowl of thin porridge before her was a rare treat.
She grabbed the still-warm steamed bun and swallowed it whole with the congee. The aroma of wheat lingered on her teeth, but her thoughts had already drifted far away—her father and brother had treated her so well. Could it be that in her past life, they were framed and falsely accused of treason while trying to save her? There must be something fishy about this. Although things were calm now, there were bound to be disloyal people in the household. She needed to contact her father as soon as possible and urge them to remain calm and cautious in everything they did.
As for the matter of Mu Hanyan's miscarriage in the future, it is necessary to stay far away from it. From now on, I wish to be like a spider web under the eaves, avoiding wind and rain, and staying away from trouble. When the time is right, I will then devise a plan to leave the palace.
Seeing that she was willing to eat, Qiuju and Chunlan breathed a sigh of relief and said softly, "Please take your time eating, my lady."
The most pressing matter now is raising money, both to bribe palace servants to deliver letters home and to prepare for leaving the palace in the future. She has no other skills, except for needlework, which is one way to make a living by exchanging embroidery for money. In her previous life, when she was a noble concubine, she distributed all her rewards to her servants and never saved a penny. Now that she has been demoted to a lowly concubine, she can't even afford to send messages, which is truly lamentable.
Feeling a bit better after her meal, she asked Qiuju to bring her silk thread and embroidery needle. Seeing her pick up the needle and thread, Qiuju couldn't help but ask, "Is Your Highness going to embroider a sachet for His Majesty? Last time His Majesty saw the ones you embroidered for the Master and Young Master, he even asked for them." She thought to herself: If she sent him a sachet, perhaps it would attract His Majesty's attention.
Yes, back then, when Li Qianche saw her embroidering sachets for her father and brothers, he even asked for one. At the time, I thought he was jealous. Now I realize I was just being presumptuous. Soon he will return to the palace with Mu Hanyan, and the favored Consort Wan will sew one for him.
She gently stroked the silk and said slowly to the two of them, "These embroideries are not for His Majesty. From now on, I will no longer do anything to please him. These handkerchiefs are to be sent to the Silk and Brocade Shop for sale. Given the current situation, there will be many places to spend money in the future, so we must make plans as soon as possible."
Qiuju and Chunlan exchanged a glance. Although they didn't understand why their mistress had suddenly changed her mind, seeing her resolute expression, they didn't ask any further questions. The two sat down together: "We'll help our mistress with the embroidery."
Chunlan's silver needles flew across the plain silk as she spoke firmly: "Although my embroidery skills are not as exquisite as yours, my lady, they are still good enough to sell."
Qiuju quickly threaded a needle, saying, "This servant can do it too."
Her long black hair fell down, obscuring half her face, but it couldn't hide the light dancing in her eyes. Seeing that their young mistress was no longer depressed, the two men worked even more nimbly, and the twin lotus patterns gradually bloomed on the embroidery frame.
A day passed, and dozens of silk handkerchiefs were piled up on the desk. As Su Su slowly rose, Qiu Ju looked up and saw that although her mistress was dressed in plain white dress, her skin appeared even whiter than snow. Her smooth, alabaster neck arched slightly with her movements, and her delicate body beneath the fabric was supple and boneless, like a willow branch sprouting in the spring breeze. When she raised her hand to gather her hair, the snow-white brocade peeking out from the neckline rose and fell with her breath, like a peony bud about to bloom. Qiu Ju was captivated by her beauty.
From a young age, the young lady was so beautiful and charming, her eyes always exuding allure. No wonder His Majesty was so fond of her when he favored her, and whenever he summoned her to his bedchamber, they would linger until dawn, the bed creaking all night long. This caused the maids on night watch to blush and dare not utter a sound, only enduring the burning sensation in their ears as they listened to all the enchanting sounds.
Thinking of this, Qiuju involuntarily clenched the silk handkerchief in her hand, her nails digging deeply into her palm. She pondered: What are His Majesty's true intentions? The young mistress's devoted heart has been so cruelly betrayed; it's truly heartbreaking. That day, when the young mistress was unconscious, His Majesty did not even come…
Qiu Ju was filled with resentment, but Su Su had no idea. At this moment, all she cared about was how to escape from this prison of the palace. After a moment's thought, she suddenly spoke up and ordered, "Qiu Ju, go and prepare some paper, ink, brush, and inkstone. I want to copy Buddhist scriptures."
Su Su recalled this time in her past life: the Southwest Kingdom was frequently provoking and invading her territory, and the Emperor was secretly preparing for a campaign against them, leaving him no time to attend to the inner palace. In a few months, General Pei Xuan would lead his troops in a decisive victory. When the Empress Dowager's birthday arrived, coinciding with the soldiers' triumphant return, a general amnesty would be granted, releasing older palace maids. At that time, she could then plead with the Empress Dowager to allow her to leave the palace under the pretext of praying for the nation's fortune and for the Empress Dowager's health at Puguang Temple. As time passed and the Emperor and Empress Dowager gradually forgot about her, she would be free to roam as she pleased…
Inside the Imperial Study, the Emperor was bent over his desk reviewing memorials, while the Grand Eunuch Shen Gaoyi stood respectfully to his side, head bowed, his expression cautious and apprehensive. Since Consort Su—now known as Lady Su—was demoted, the Emperor's mood had become increasingly gloomy and unpredictable. Not only were the palace servants holding their breath, but even the officials in the court noticed the Emperor's displeasure and acted with extra caution.
Others might not see through it, but Shen Gaoyi, who had served the Emperor since childhood, vaguely understood a few things. Although the Emperor appeared cold and indifferent to everyone, he treated Consort Su differently. Although he sometimes kept her at arm's length because she was the Empress Dowager's niece, since his ascension to the throne, Consort Su was the only one in the harem he had summoned to his bedchamber. She would call for water several times each night, only stopping at dawn; the favor she received was self-evident. It seemed that Consort Su ultimately held a special place in the Emperor's heart.
"Your Majesty, please rest a while and have some tea," Shen Gaoyi gently advised. Since Consort Su was demoted, the Emperor had not only been investigating the events of that day day and night, but also dealing with the war planning in the Southwest Kingdom. He had hardly had a proper night's sleep, let alone set foot in the inner palace. In the past, Consort Su often came to the Imperial Study. Although she was occasionally willful and would even smash cups to compete for favor, she added a bit of liveliness to this deep palace. Now, however, it was all deserted, and the Emperor had issued an edict forbidding any concubines from disturbing her.
"What has she been doing lately?" the Emperor suddenly asked, his voice low and unreadable.
Shen Gaoyi paused for a moment, knowing without asking who "she" referred to.
"Your Majesty—uh, Consort Su has been staying at home copying Buddhist scriptures lately, presumably to reflect on her mistakes." He bowed and replied cautiously, realizing that she was no longer a Noble Consort and had inadvertently used the wrong title.
The emperor's hand, holding the pen, suddenly stopped. A drop of thick ink fell onto the memorial, leaving a dark mark. He frowned, his knuckles pressing against his temple, feeling a sharp pain—copying scriptures? When had she become so obedient? Every time she was confined, she would find ways to send messages and gifts, determined to soften his heart.
Seeing the Emperor remain silent, Shen Gaoyi dared not say more, but secretly thought to himself: This time, Consort Su is indeed behaving strangely. Confined for these past few days, she hasn't sent any messages, hasn't cried out for justice, and hasn't even had a bowl of soup brought to her. Instead, she's quietly copying Buddhist scriptures… Could it be that after this incident, she has truly learned her lesson, realizing this matter is no small thing, and has finally learned to restrain herself?
Li Qian rescinded the order to confine her for a month, ordering her to reflect on her actions behind closed doors. Since entering the palace, her behavior had been arrogant and unruly, which had led to today's trouble. Although he had dispatched secret guards to investigate, there had been no response yet. At the moment, the border war was more pressing. Pei Xuan was about to go to war, and he had already promised to bring Mu Hanyan into the palace to care for her, to put her mind at ease. This matter concerned the stability of the border, and Pei Xuan could not be distracted. In a few days, he would personally arrange this matter under the pretext of an inspection tour. Therefore, confining her to the palace was actually the best policy; keeping her locked up would prevent further trouble.
Su Su had already embroidered a stack of handkerchiefs, waiting for Qiu Ju to find a reliable eunuch so that she could take advantage of the opportunity to go out of the palace to buy things and sell them for some money to prepare for an emergency.
That day, as she was quietly copying Buddhist scriptures, Chunlan entered the palace and whispered, "Your Highness, I have found the purchasing eunuch Xiao Anzi and handed the handkerchief to him. He is grateful for Your Highness's past kindness and promised to handle it properly."
Xiao Anzi? Su Su paused slightly, recalling the incident when she first entered the palace. Back then, Xiao Anzi had accidentally soiled the dress the Emperor had bestowed upon Consort Zhuang. She was dragged away and flogged, and by the time Su Su passed by, Xiao Anzi was already on the verge of death. Further beatings would likely have been fatal. Su Su immediately intervened, but the executioner knew she had the Empress Dowager's backing and dared not disobey, so he had no choice but to return dejectedly to report. It was from that day on that Zhuang Shuning looked at her with eyes like knives, and the two formed a deep grudge, their open and covert struggles never ceasing.
After Xiao Anzi recovered from his injuries, Su Su helped him get a transfer to the Imperial Kitchen. He lived up to her expectations and gradually secured a purchasing position. In her previous life, when she was stranded in the Cold Palace, he had risked his life to bring her food and help her. He was a grateful person, so she trusted him with any task now.
More than a month has quietly passed since she was confined to her quarters. This month has finally brought some gains, and her diet has been able to improve slightly. Today, she specially asked Xiao Anzi to secretly prepare the ingredients from the imperial kitchen so that she could make dumplings to celebrate.
Qiuju laid out the ingredients on the table. Seeing her mistress's relaxed expression, she felt a sense of ease in her heart. Since entering the palace, her mistress had been constantly worried about the Emperor and caught up in jealousy and rivalry. When had she ever had such a relaxed and carefree moment? Although she was now confined to her quarters, the smiles in her eyes were becoming more and more frequent.
The mistress and servant were making dumplings around the table, chatting and laughing, when Chunlan rushed in from outside, her face pale and her voice urgent: "My lady, something terrible has happened! The Emperor has returned from his tour... and brought back a woman, whom he has already decreed will be made Consort Wan!"
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