"With Her Majesty the Empress being so considerate, I am at ease. From now on, you must serve Consort Huo well." Huo Yiyun said these polite words, but in reality, she looked Wang up and down.
The Empress's arrangements were made far too quickly; it's really not appropriate for her to interfere any further right now.
Given Huo Qinghe's current rank, the number of people serving her is fixed.
"You may all leave now. I have some private matters to discuss with Lady Huo. You may all leave." She waved her hand.
Granny Wang glanced at Huo Qinghe first, but Huo Qinghe didn't look at her. She paused for a moment, then followed Cuiqiao and the others out.
With no one else in the hall, Huo Yiyun had Huo Qinghe sit opposite her on the soft couch. She pondered for a moment, "What happened yesterday? Why did Consort Zhou punish the golden cup for no reason?"
When she left home to marry into the Prince's residence, Jinzhan was just a child. In the past half month, Jinzhan had indeed been a bit impulsive when she came to talk to people, but she always felt that something was wrong.
Huo Qinghe, still sobbing with her face covered by a handkerchief, said, "I don't know... When I came back from Kunning Palace, I ran into Madam Zhou. Madam Zhou looked furious, so I didn't dare go near her and just bowed from a distance. But Madam Zhou came and asked me. If it weren't for Jinzhan, I'm afraid I would have been the one beaten yesterday... I would have been the one. Sister, I'm so scared, Madam Zhou was really..."
Yesterday, apart from the people serving Consort Zhou, there was no one else outside Yanxi Palace. The palace maids had already hidden far away on the palace road because of Consort Zhou's arrival with her entourage, so no one would have seen her.
Only then did Huo Qinghe dare to speak in a way that was half true and half false.
Huo Yiyun fell into deep thought again after hearing this.
She and Consort Zhou were not on good terms. After entering the palace, Consort Zhou often relied on the Empress Dowager's backing to compete for the Emperor's favor. She invited the Emperor over at night more than once or twice. Yesterday at Kunning Palace, she did not hold back either.
Could it be that Consort Zhou is after her this time?
She didn't believe that Consort Zhou only disliked Jinzhan; she could only dislike Huo Qinghe, or rather, the person behind Huo Qinghe.
However, seeing Huo Qinghe so terrified by what happened yesterday was exactly what Huo Yiyun wanted.
She offered a few perfunctory words of comfort: "Alright, you were wronged yesterday, but Consort Chi has already punished Consort Zhou. You can't keep crying like this when you go back. How can you be like this? Are you going to serve His Majesty like this in the future? Don't cry, I will stand up for you in the future."
In the end, it was just her way of fobbing off Huo Qinghe's words. The Empress Dowager had always favored Consort Zhou, so she naturally didn't dare to offend the Empress Dowager.
Huo Qinghe slowly stopped crying, her palms, which were already red from clutching the handkerchief, trembled with sobs as she said, "Sister, I'm so scared..."
Huo Yiyun grew impatient: "Cry, cry, cry, what's there to cry about? Consort Zhou is your superior, so you should avoid her. You've been in the palace for half a month and haven't been favored yet. If this continues, you can expect Consort Zhou to continue to trample you underfoot."
Huo Qinghe timidly raised her eyes at that moment: "Sister, what should I do? I can't see His Majesty..."
Seeing that most of the new concubines had been summoned, Huo Yiyun also felt that the time was about right: "What are you panicking for? Aren't there Consort Fu who hasn't been summoned yet, just like you? She's much more panicked than you. The scenery in the Imperial Garden is beautiful in spring, so don't stay cooped up all day. Go for walks in the Imperial Garden more often, understand?"
Huo Qinghe's dark eyelashes trembled slightly upon hearing this, but she did not immediately agree: "Elder sister, I can't do it well. I'm not capable... You are better than me in everything, how could I possibly compete for favor..."
She shook her head like a rattle-drum.
Huo Yiyun smiled slightly upon hearing this and personally handed Huo Qinghe a cup of tea: "This is this year's new tea. My dear sister, since I want you to enter the palace, it's because I believe you can succeed. The palace is treacherous, and I can't protect you forever. No matter what, you still have this face."
She was satisfied with Huo Qinghe's attitude, but she still looked at Huo Qinghe's delicate face with a scrutinizing and somewhat harsh gaze.
"In this palace, don't trust anyone except your sister. She'll figure out how to handle the people the Empress sent, so you don't need to worry too much."
Huo Yiyun naturally assumed that Huo Qinghe would be worried.
She naturally suspected that this was Empress Xue's attempt to win her over; she was the most hypocritical and treacherous of them all, and getting entangled with her would be a terrible thing.
Huo Qinghe agreed to all of them.
When Huo Qinghe came out of Xianfu Palace, her eyes were still slightly red. She did not try to hide it. She held Wang Mama's hand and there was no trace of crying in her voice when she spoke.
"Wang Mama, are you the Empress's person? No need to answer me, I don't care. My good sister already thinks this way. Do you think she wants you to continue serving me?"
Her expression had returned to calm.
Wang's mouth trembled uncontrollably. After a long while, she said, "This servant, this servant is the mistress's person."
“Very good. With Wang Mama’s words, I will not mistreat you.” Huo Qinghe did not return to Yanxi Palace.
“If this happens to my wife…” Granny Wang couldn’t help but speak up.
Having served in the palace for many years, how could she not know which way Huo Qinghe was headed after leaving Xianfu Palace?
"Lady Yi told me to go to the Imperial Garden more often to relax, and maybe I'll run into His Majesty."
Since Huo Yiyun had given her "instructions," she naturally had to follow them.
Wang Mama had not served in the main hall before, so she naturally did not know. She couldn't help but say, "I have heard that Consort Fu has been going to the Imperial Garden quite often lately."
If we were to run into them then, it would likely cause more trouble.
It was midday, and the sun was directly overhead. Huo Qinghe stared at the elongated shadows cast at her feet: "I have to go."
This was not something Huo Qinghe could choose. Huo Yiyun had already told her, so she had to come; otherwise, her feigned weakness would arouse Huo Yiyun's suspicion.
Seeing this, Wang said no more.
She had already discerned some things; the woman in front of her, Madam Huo, was shrewd and calculating. Following such a mistress, she had to keep all her little schemes to herself.
Having been in the palace for half a month, this was indeed Huo Qinghe's first time visiting the Imperial Garden. With lunchtime fast approaching, all she could see along the way were palace maids tending to the flowers and trees.
The Imperial Garden features many hexagonal pavilions, as well as artificial hills and flowing water; it would take at least half a day to explore it all.
Huo Qinghe was only there to make a formality. She only strolled around the eastern part of the Imperial Garden. The hexagonal pavilion was built by the water, and one could see the water from the pavilion. She watched the green waves shimmering with little interest, calculating the time in her mind.
Lady Wang breathed a sigh of relief when she realized she hadn't run into Consort Fu.
She was also silently calculating in her mind when she would return.
Sometimes, it's just that what people fear most often comes to pass.
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