Chapter 39 Jin Ling 39
"Have you met the virtuous concubine?"
In the dim room, Jin Ling leaned on the bed, the flickering candlelight illuminating her beautiful face.
Qian Feiyan only stole a glance and then lowered her head in panic. No matter how beautiful a face was, paired with such a pair of mysterious eyes, it would only make people feel fear, especially for her, a maid who was not very loyal.
"Yes, Your Majesty is very smart, and the virtuous concubine really values me." Qian Feiyan knelt on the ground with her eyes lowered, her voice respectful and tense.
"You must have received a lot of rewards, right?" Jin Ling fiddled with her newly done nails and glanced at the respectful Qian Feiyan with a half-smile, seeing through her little thoughts completely.
"You think you're so powerful, don't you? You've manipulated even the noble Consort Xian into your hands, and even spared no expense to win you over. You're feeling pretty proud, aren't you, Feiyan?"
Qian Feiyan trembled all over, her blood seemed to freeze, her violent heartbeat almost made her head explode, and her back was already sticky.
"No, no, Feiyan doesn't dare, Feiyan doesn't dare..." As she said this, she slammed her forehead hard on the floor, and she didn't dare to stop even when it was bruised.
"Okay, I was just joking." Jin Ling waved her hand lazily, calling her over like a puppy.
Qian Feiyan hurriedly crawled a few steps and knelt beside Jin Ling's bed.
"Poor thing, you hit your head on the first day you came to my place. What if you get a scar in the future?" Jin Ling pinched Qian Feiyan's chin with her slender fingers, forcing her to look at her, and saw the deep fear in her eyes with satisfaction.
His neatly trimmed nails gently scratched Qian Feiyan's cheek until she was about to faint, and then he let go.
"I don't like to repeat myself. This time I'm just teaching you a lesson. If you want to eat from both sides, you'll need to have the stomach for it. Be careful not to burst your belly."
"Yes, I understand." Qian Feiyan no longer dared to think otherwise and knelt there trembling with fear. She hadn't noticed when Yao Jinling was manipulating Concubine Xian at will, but now that she was facing her power, she remembered her methods.
How could he think he could hide it from Concubine Zhao and have it both ways? He was just a fool!
"Good girl." Jin Ling patted her rosy cheeks and pointed to her makeup box: "You did a good job this time. Pick one from the box and give it to you as a reward."
"It is my duty to do things for you, my lady, and I dare not ask for your reward."
"Don't make me say it a second time, just go." Jin Ling lay down on the bed. Seeing her pick out a plain silver hairpin obediently, she smiled, closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Qian Feiyan hesitated for a while, and when she saw that Concubine Zhao was really asleep, she quietly lowered the bed curtain and left quietly.
She came in on Qiuju's behalf, and as soon as she entered Chenghuan Palace, she became a first-class personal maid, so like Xiaoxiao, she had her own room.
The room was very clean, and everything was brand new. It was much more spacious than when she shared a room with others in the Shanggong Bureau. Qian Feiyan sat on the embroidered cushion in front of the dressing table and took out all the rewards she had received today.
She went to see Wanru and told her she was determined to be Consort Xian's spy. She was then given sixty taels of silver as payment. Later, Consort Xian summoned her again and gave her a hundred taels of silver as a parting gift. If she were just a female historian in the Shanggong Bureau, it would have taken her at least three to five years to save up this much.
And this plain silver hairpin, though ordinary in Jin Ling's eyes, was a rare treasure for servants like them. It was heavy and finely crafted, suitable for daily wear, and could be exchanged for money in case of an emergency.
Taking refuge with Concubine Zhao was indeed her wisest choice.
Qian Feiyan had completely forgotten her previous ambitions. She carefully locked the silver in a camphorwood box where she kept her clothes, put the key against her skin, and fell asleep happily.
Later, Jin Ling sent Xiao Wei to bring her some medicine, and fortunately, there was no scar on her head.
On the day of the flower viewing banquet, Jin Ling accompanied the Empress Dowager, but Consort Xian was nowhere to be seen. The ladies of the royal family exchanged glances, their eyes revealing a deep understanding between them.
Sun Jiabi sat between them, the polite smile on her face becoming increasingly unsustainable.
Those damn bitches actually dared to laugh at her. They had all forgotten how they had flattered her before. Now that the master and cousin were not in the capital, they couldn't help but show their true colors.
In reality, the ladies didn't dare to offend her, and the clan members were even less willing to get involved. But most people were just watching the show when she humiliated them.
This is not anyone else's fault. When the Wan family first came to Beijing, everyone was mostly trying to please and flatter them. After all, Ma Yuanwei and Wan Jianfeng were so powerful that no one dared to offend them.
However, Sun Jiabi was a person who would become arrogant when she was in power. She pretended to be arrogant at first, but later she became more and more arrogant and domineering, offending almost everyone who came up to her.
Now I don’t blame others and laugh at her.
Suddenly, there was a small commotion at the other side of the banquet. When Sun Jiabi looked over, she realized that Concubine Zhao's adoptive mother was sitting at that table.
"Oh, Madam Yao is so lucky."
The lady next to her sighed with envy.
Mrs. Yao, who was suddenly surrounded by people like the moon surrounded by stars, couldn't help but show a proud look and started chatting with those ladies of noble status.
"This adopted daughter's patience is truly worth it. Everyone knows how much Concubine Zhao is loved by the two palaces. The Empress Dowager's attitude just now made me believe that she was her biological daughter!"
The two ladies beside Sun Jiabi didn't know if they wanted her to hear it on purpose, but they didn't notice her gloomy face at all and continued chatting to themselves.
"That's right. The key is that Concubine Zhao is a person of noble character. Even if she is not a blood-related adoptive mother, she is willing to treat her as her biological mother and be filial to her. She even specially sent a senior palace maid to invite Madam Yao to the Chenghuan Palace."
"Besides, they also know the etiquette and specifically told Madam Yao that they were seeking the Empress Dowager's grace. Unlike some people, they treat the palace as their own home and come and go as they please."
Sun Jiabi was already uncomfortable listening to them, and when she heard the two people's words squeezing her, she couldn't help but shout at them, "Who are you talking about?!"
"Oh, we all know who we are talking about. We are all decent people, and the words are clear. How unpleasant it is."
Sun Jiabi had never been so angry before and was about to explode, but was interrupted by Wanhua, the senior palace maid beside Concubine Xian: "Madam, our queen is not feeling well. Please ask Madam to invite an imperial physician to treat her."
"What? Concubine Xian is not feeling well? Why didn't you say so earlier!" Sun Jiabi didn't bother to argue with these women and hurriedly pulled Wanhua away.
"Bah, this whole family has no manners. Even the palace maids are clueless." The lady who had just spoken couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I've never heard of a concubine who, when sick, would go to her own mother instead of the Empress Dowager or the Queen."
The other lady, who looked more gentle, also smiled: "After all, she is a newly rich upstart. What's more... she is General Ma's cousin."
But when it came to General Ma, everyone present shared a mocking expression. A rootless eunuch, destined for ruin, was a lost cause. By being so close to such a man, the Wan family was doomed from the start.
The Yao family, with such a smart adopted daughter, might be able to turn things around...
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