"His Majesty specially ordered these to be put away. We servants dare not touch them. Please ask the maids serving you to put them away," the palace maids whispered as they helped Huo Qinghe with her toilette.
They had heard the story of Consort Huo's ruby earrings while in the Emperor's presence, so naturally they dared not touch them.
Huo Qinghe yawned lazily, her sleepy tears adding a touch of allure to her eyes, and Huo Qinghe just laughed at the sound.
"Although it is His Majesty's gift, I would still appreciate it if you sisters could keep an eye on it." Her tone was gentle, and the words of a beautiful woman were always pleasant and comforting.
Several palace maids quickly said they dared not, thinking to themselves that it was rare to see Consort Huo act so arrogantly after coming here so many times.
Seeing this, the green locust tree next to it stepped forward and put it away.
It was nearly noon by the time Huo Qinghe finished dressing.
The palace maid saw Huo Qinghe off for a while: "His Majesty said that you served me well last night, so he specially ordered a sedan chair to be prepared to send you back."
Hearing this, Huo Qinghe felt a flush of embarrassment, but she didn't refuse.
"Then I'll have to trouble you."
Normally she might not have refused, but after all the commotion last night, she really didn't have the strength or energy.
When Huo Qinghe returned to Yanliang Pavilion in a sedan chair, Jin Yang had already personally delivered Bai Zilian and specially selected a young eunuch from the Imperial Household Department to serve Bai Zilian.
"This is He Yunzhong from the Imperial Household Department. He is quite capable in tending flowers and plants, and I hope that you will not find it distasteful. After the Emperor left court earlier, he said that this lotus is not easy to grow, so he had some peonies brought from the flower room for you to enjoy."
Pei Yuanhui had seen Huo Qinghe picking locust flowers behind the Chuigong Hall last time, and then had someone send lotus flowers to him. Since she had quite a few flower baskets in her room, he simply had someone send some seasonal flowers as well.
Otherwise, simply having someone send over a gazavane would be too monotonous and shabby.
Pei Yuanhui always gave gifts in pairs.
"This is... white peony? I've never seen it before!" Green Cloud beside her looked on with great curiosity.
Jin Yang smiled without saying a word, while He Yunzhong, who was standing beside him, cleverly chimed in.
"Yes, this is a new variety cultivated in the greenhouse. It's called 'Yang Guifei's Bath.' The peony's snow-white petals, along with the occasional red spots, are just like the skin of Yang Guifei after her bath."
He Yunzhong was handsome, but he spoke fluently and looked mature.
As Huo Qinghe listened to him, she naturally thought of something else, such as the hot spring last night...
Several maids nearby exclaimed in admiration, "These flowers are so beautiful! We bought four pots right away. We're really benefiting from our mistress's beauty."
Seeing this, Jin Yang didn't linger any longer, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then left.
After all, the emperor cannot be without someone to serve him.
Baosheng and the others then went to see Jinyang off, and naturally, Wang Mama slipped a purse into his hand.
He Zhongyun then added, "My lady, you may not know this, but these were only cultivated in the flower room this year. There are only about ten pots in total."
Huo Qinghe received four pots, which is quite a lot.
Huo Qinghe had never seen peonies resembling Yang Guifei emerging from her bath before. Indeed, just as the maids said, these peonies were not the usual peach-pink variety; they were pure white like snow, truly beautiful.
"Since you specialize in tending flowers and plants, then all these flowers and plants in my pavilion will be entrusted to you. Since these were bestowed by the Emperor, they need to be taken even closer care of. If anything goes wrong, I will not let you off easily."
"Since you're serving me, you'll be treated the same as Green Locust and the others. You won't be left out of any rewards or punishments."
He Yunzhong was naturally a smart man.
He originally worked in the flower room and had a somewhat distant relationship with Jin Yang. When he learned that Huo Meiren needed someone to tend to the flowers and trees, he scraped together enough silver overnight to serve Huo Meiren.
Although Consort Huo's rank is not very high now and her favor is only occasional, she still has Consort Yi behind her, so she still has someone to rely on.
He quickly agreed, saying, "This servant will certainly follow your lead, Madam. I will devote myself wholeheartedly to tending to the flowers and trees, without any disloyalty."
Huo Qinghe stared at him, not caring about He Yunzhong's little scheme.
"Move a potted Yang Guifei pot to the flower window inside the room, and open the window. Let me see."
He Zhongyun was indeed quick-witted. Upon hearing Huo Qinghe's instructions, he immediately grabbed the flowers and went inside.
He walked quickly, but he carried the baby carefully, as if he were holding a child.
Green Cloud, standing nearby, said sourly, "He's quite clever."
She felt that her reaction was quick enough, but not as quick as He Yunzhong's.
Huo Qinghe smiled and said, "Alright, there are still a few pots left. Pick one and find a good spot for it so I can see it. Keep an eye on it from time to time."
"Yes, this servant will go right away." Green Cloud was the quickest to agree.
When it comes to work, this girl is definitely the most enthusiastic one.
Originally, it was to gain Huo Qinghe's trust, but now it has truly become a habit.
...
Meanwhile, the Yanliang Pavilion was bustling with activity, and everyone knew that Xiao Huo had been summoned to the six palaces last night.
Most people, such as Consort Cao, couldn't help but mutter to themselves.
"It's strange that this happened out of the blue. I thought that with Consort Yi under house arrest, Huo wouldn't be able to cause any trouble. But Huo was remembered by the Emperor without anyone noticing. What kind of luck did he have?"
Just as they were muttering to themselves, they heard Zhu Shi come in to say that the Emperor had granted Consort Yi a special pardon and exempted her from confinement on the Empress Dowager's birthday.
Consort Cao rolled her eyes repeatedly: "Yesterday, Xiao Huo was summoned by the Emperor, and today the Emperor has released that lowly Consort Yi from her confinement. Who would have thought that it was Xiao Huo who was whispering in the Emperor's ear yesterday? Those two sisters are putting on a show in the palace. It's really like one act ends and another begins."
Zhu Shi quickly advised, "My lady, please don't be angry. Be careful not to harm your health. The imperial physician said last time he came to check your pulse that you mustn't get angry right now, lest you harm the fetus. Besides, Consort Yi is a former servant of yours from the Prince's residence, and there's an old bond between them. Even if Consort Huo isn't around, the Emperor will always remember her. Furthermore, Consort Huo is entirely dependent on Consort Yi..."
Upon hearing this, Consort Cao immediately scoffed.
"That's right. If it weren't for that vile Consort Yi, would Xiao Huo have ever entered the palace? What could she have accomplished? Looking at how timid Xiao Huo is, it must have been Consort Yi who made Xiao Huo plead with the Emperor. In the end, it's that vile Huo Yiyun who just won't give up."
"It's just a one-day exemption from confinement. Her confinement will last until after the Mid-Autumn Festival, and who knows what the situation will be like then."
Consort Cao's words were entirely gloating.
However, Cao Shanlu is definitely not alone in thinking this way.
Then there's Xianfu Palace, which received the news.
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