Chapter 33 033 Carrying her shoes would be a decent job. ...
Amidst the scuffle, Qingli angrily retorted, "Hindsight is 20/20! Since it's my business, why are you being so nosy?"
Qing Li chuckled briefly, but her expression immediately darkened, her aura rising sharply. She continued, "Meng Qingshan, what are you pretending to be? Just look at the three things you promised before, which one has come to fruition? Where are you? Have you found the person? You even sent people to follow me, how could they possibly find my trail?"
"Regardless of the past, I won't even look at you now!"
"Who do you think you are! You're just an illiterate brute."
You're not even worthy to carry my shoes!
...
Meng Qingshan's face grew darker and darker as he listened, his jawline taut. He gritted his teeth and finally convinced himself that he shouldn't argue with someone who had such a bad temper when drunk.
He looked at the two blushes that had landed on her cheeks, his eyes filled with a misty haze, making it impossible to tell whether it was her true face or the backlash from suppressing her emotions too much.
Illiterate? A boorish brute? A shoe carrier? Meng Qingshan pondered to himself what he had done wrong. The money had been spent like water, but the effect was still not obvious. He leaned back slightly, his gaze shifting downwards to the hem of his pea-green embroidered pleated skirt, revealing the tips of soft-soled pearl-embroidered shoes.
Carrying her shoes would be a good job.
After a moment's hesitation, he suddenly chuckled and straightened up to listen to her comments.
He wanted to show her whether he was even worthy of carrying her shoes.
After a good night's sleep, Qingli was awakened by Granny Huaying. Just as she was about to lazily turn over, the thought of entering the palace today suddenly jolted her awake. "What time is it?"
It's the hour of Mao (5-7 AM).
With Hua Ying's help, Qing Li stood up, looked around blankly, and asked, "How did I fall asleep last night?"
She glanced around, but no one answered. She frowned and pondered, still unable to find a solution.
It felt as if a great weight had been lifted from my heart, and I felt much more relaxed than before.
It was still gray outside, with only a sliver of light appearing in the east. A strong wind swept the lanterns under the eaves, causing them to sway and the flickering light to fall on the windows, making them appear somewhat elusive.
Thinking about entering the palace, Qingli sighed softly to relieve her reverie about the unknown. She straightened her mind and let Granny Huaying tidy her up. Entering the palace was different from being outside. Her hair had to be tightly tied into a bun and no stray hairs could cover her face, otherwise it would be against the rules. Even the hairpins and earrings had rules, not to mention the color of her clothes today.
The noble ladies in the palace each had their own preferred colors, and it was essential that these colors not clash.
Granny Qiu and Jiang Zhao, hiding to the side and wiping away their tears, saw their young lady get up, wearing a light blue brocade dress embroidered with cloud patterns. Her waist was slender, her eyebrows were like distant mountains, and her cheeks were like peach blossoms. She was dignified yet lively, elegant yet noble. They were speechless with astonishment and were completely convinced of Granny Hua Ying's virtues.
Meng Qingshan sat in the hall, feigning sleep. He heard rustling sounds from the east side room, and as the footsteps drew closer, he opened his eyes. A glint flashed in his eyes, but he paused for a moment before continuing, "Is everything ready?"
Qingli nodded.
"Let's go." Meng Qingshan walked forward with his hands behind his back.
When officials' wives entered the palace, they were escorted to the palace gate by their elders, which saved them a lot of trouble.
Qingli had no elders in the Meng family, and she never expected Meng Qingshan to escort her, so she silently followed.
The ground was covered with a layer of frost, and walking on it made a rustling sound.
The roads leading to the Meng residence were straight, with lanterns casting circular halos of light on the ground. Meng Qingshan's tall figure entered, the orange light softening his coldness and adding a touch of gentleness and humility.
He had long, slender legs and walked at a leisurely pace. When he reached the door, he mounted his horse and looked back at her.
The light from the east had already formed a halo, and the dawn pierced through the darkness, falling on the sparse branches and withered leaves, shimmering and dappling in his brown eyes.
Qingli nodded, naturally stepped aside, and leaned forward to get into the carriage.
The carriage clattered forward until the sound of hooves was loud and clear. Qingli's heart tightened; the sound came from the bluestone pavement, indicating that they had entered the palace road.
After walking for about half a cup of tea's time, a shout came from outside to stop them.
The carriage curtain swayed from side to side twice until the aftershocks subsided and everything returned to calm.
Qingli became somewhat tense due to the muffled, rhythmic sounds from afar. She took a deep breath and was about to get up when the carriage curtain was lifted, revealing his resolute face.
He reached out his hand to her, his tone calm, "Get out of the car."
Qingli hesitated for a moment, then placed her hand in his palm. He used his strength to easily help her land, then let go naturally. She gracefully turned and walked through the crowd toward the eunuch in charge who was waiting there.
Qingli looked around and found that most of them were familiar faces: Feng Yuchan, the eldest daughter of the Feng family; Feng Yuping, the illegitimate daughter of the Feng family; An Shulan, the younger sister of An Pingtai, the commander of the Imperial Guards; Chen Lihui and Chen Lie, the daughters of the Minister of Personnel; and three other young ladies she didn't recognize.
At this moment, they gathered in twos and threes, staring at her. She was a poor girl from a remote village, yet she was able to sit and stand with them.
Everyone wore a degree of disdain on their faces, but because Meng Qingshan personally led her out of the carriage, their eyes also showed some resentment and jealousy, especially since Meng Qingshan was already chatting and laughing with the waiting eunuchs, and they secretly envied him.
The eunuchs in front of the nobles were the most arrogant. They didn't take the money they were given seriously, and even if they did accept it, they wouldn't give them a kind look. Everyone just hoped that they wouldn't deliberately harass them.
Unexpectedly, the arrogant eunuch smiled and flattered Meng Qingshan, and for a moment no one dared to underestimate Qingli.
Tang Shuqing arrived close to the appointed time, looking anxious but with joy in her eyes. She squeezed Qingli's hand from behind, and Qingli nodded with a smile. Presumably, there was news about her brother. Qingli was genuinely happy for her.
The eunuch stood at the palace gate, frowned as he looked at the chaotic crowd, and said in a high-pitched voice, "My lords, it's time to enter the palace. I'd like to give the young ladies a few words of advice: the palace is not your home. You must not be rash or lose your composure, lest you disgrace your respective families. Now that you've finished speaking, please line up and follow me into the palace."
The young ladies dispersed, walked to their respective carriages, bowed their heads and listened attentively to their elders' admonitions. Each of them had a solemn expression, knowing that this trip to the palace was a good opportunity to enhance their reputation. They all hoped to become the princess's playmate, which would be a great help in their future marriages. If they could develop a relationship with the princess, the benefits would be immeasurable.
From then on, a subtle power struggle began to emerge in everyone, gradually distancing them from the previous gentleness.
The maids and nannies were going to another place to put their belongings away, so only the young ladies went to Xun Dao Courtyard alone.
The name alone is intimidating enough.
Qingli walked towards Meng Qingshan, her eyelashes fluttering as she looked at him intently.
Meng Qingshan paused for a moment, looking at her eager expression, pondered for a couple of breaths as if racking his brains, and finally said in a low voice, "Do what you should do."
...
It was truly concise and to the point. Qingli listened intently to the long-winded speech of others, thinking that it wouldn't be bad if she could cram at the last minute.
Not far away, a heavy sound rang out, and the vermilion palace gates slowly opened. Instantly, the whispering stopped abruptly, and the anxiety reached its peak.
The young ladies from each household lost their smiles and their anxious expressions, and lined up in a calm and composed manner.
Standing at the end of the line, Qingli subconsciously turned her head to look at Meng Qingshan as she stepped into the palace gate. She saw him standing upright beside the carriage, relaxed, with a calm expression that revealed nothing unusual. His eyes were cold and calm, like a thick layer of ice, awe-inspiring, and revealing no turbulent emotions beneath. The chaotic thoughts in Qingli's heart slowly calmed down.
She lowered her eyelashes and began to reconsider the matter.
The door closed behind her, and Qingli glanced ahead through the gap. The deep palace path stretched as far as the eye could see, with straight palace walls on both sides, seemingly clashing and leaning in the distance, exuding a sharp and fierce aura.
The palace walls were solemn and imposing, exuding an aura that forbade any desecration. With each step forward, the oppressive force intensified, causing one to abandon all other thoughts and focus solely on survival.
Their breathing was erratic, but the eunuch ignored them and led them into a courtyard, handing them over to a thin-faced old woman. The old woman then led the eunuch inside to complete the handover, leaving them alone in the courtyard.
After a while, still no one came out. The group slowly began to stir, and everyone was secretly looking around, curious about where they were.
Qingli also took the opportunity to stretch her cold and sore legs. The warmth she had gained from walking all the way had left her completely frozen after being exposed to the cold winds from both north and south for so long.
Qingli didn't dare to make any big moves. She thought that the old woman and the eunuch were probably hiding somewhere, spying on them. Although she didn't necessarily have to stay in the palace, she would be more confident in staying so that she could see her aunt.
Qingli gestured to Tang Shuqing behind her, a secret signal left by Granny Huaying to the two of them, indicating that they should remain calm.
Before long, the door in the distance opened, and the old woman was exchanging pleasantries with the eunuch. "Thank you for your hard work, Eunuch. Please inform the master that this servant will treat these young ladies well."
That eunuch, Deqi, tilted his head back and lowered his eyes, displaying a very authoritative demeanor.
Feng Yuchan, who was in the lead, scoffed and disappeared into the wind in an instant. Since entering the palace, she had not even seen the faces of the noble ladies. No matter how angry she was, she had to swallow it down. Otherwise, her reputation for arrogance and tyranny would be fabricated by these lackeys.
The old woman respectfully saw the eunuch out of the courtyard gate. With a wave of her hand, two palace maids in green robes appeared behind the gate and quickly closed it.
The old woman walked slowly in front of everyone, her eyes sweeping over them. Her words were respectful, "This old servant greets all the young ladies. I am here to greet you and explain some rules before the selection. It will only be for two days, so please rest assured."
A collective sigh of relief rippled through the crowd, and everyone's faces lit up with joy. The palace rules had been explained clearly and thoroughly by palace matrons they had consulted at home, and now a great weight had been lifted from their hearts.
The old woman waited patiently for the young ladies to finish asking their strange and unusual questions, then answered them one by one. Her slender eyes fell on the two who had remained silent. The one in front had fair skin and a stunningly beautiful face, while the one behind was quiet, dignified, gentle, and reserved. Each had her own beauty, but the old woman had a sharp eye, and her gaze always unconsciously fell on the one in front.
Meanwhile, during the break while the nanny was speaking, Qingli saw Feng Yuchan, Chen Lihui, and Chen Lie approaching the nanny. An Shulan moved her feet slightly, then sat back down.
The four of them always stayed together, but An Shulan looked dejected, and no one knew what had happened.
Qingli paused for a moment, then turned her thoughts around and heard Tang Shuqing say, "My father gave me silver notes before I left. Should we send them to him as well?"
They were at a disadvantage, and sending it would only be a waste of time. They whispered, "Forget it, it's not just us who didn't send it."
Others, with their eyes closed and their minds focused, simply pretended not to see it.
A palace maid brought over teacups, fresh tea, and hot water; it wasn't considered too harsh a treatment.
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