Chapter 167 Why is it this old man again!
Shui Xiu and her mother entered the palace three days ahead of schedule.
Now that Emperor Zhaoheng has bestowed a surname upon them, Shui Xian and Shui Xiu's mother is known as Jiang.
Even though it was just a code name, Jiang Shi liked it quite a bit. After entering the palace, when she heard people call out this name, she would smile so much that her eyes could hardly see.
At one time, her greatest wish was to escape slavery and have her own name.
I tried to achieve this when I was young, but I still had to give in to reality.
Now that her daughter's dream has come true, Mrs. Jiang is naturally overjoyed.
The palace path was long, and it would take a long time to reach the slightly secluded Lihe Palace, but the mother and daughter did not feel tired. They were full of energy at the thought of seeing Shui Xian soon.
They finally arrived at Lihe Palace and saw Yinzhu, whom they knew. As they walked inside, Yinzhu whispered a word of advice to them.
Both Jiang and Shui Xiu thought they had misheard.
It wasn't until they stepped into the main hall of Lihe Palace and saw the bright yellow figure beside Shui Xian that they finally believed it.
Emperor Zhaoheng was actually waiting here in person!
Jiang and Shuixiu were startled and hurriedly tried to kneel down to perform a grand ceremony.
"This humble woman greets Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"
Emperor Zhaoheng slightly raised his hand to excuse them from kneeling, his tone quite gentle.
"No need for formalities... Madam Jiang, you must be tired from your journey, please rise."
His gaze slowly swept over Jiang Shi and Shui Xiu, without any disdain in his eyes. In fact, if you looked closely into the depths of his narrow eyes, you could even see a hint of friendliness.
"Xian'er is currently pregnant with twins, which is extremely difficult for me. I am very pleased and grateful to my wife for raising such a virtuous and intelligent daughter."
The Emperor… the Emperor actually thanked her?!
Jiang was flattered and almost couldn't believe her ears. She quickly bowed again, saying, "Your Majesty is too kind. It is my honor to serve Your Majesty. I dare not take credit for it..."
Emperor Zhaoheng gestured to Feng Shunxiang, who was standing to the side.
Feng Shunxiang immediately bowed and announced loudly, "His Majesty bestows upon Madam Jiang ten bolts of Yun brocade and two century-old ginseng roots! He also bestows upon Miss Shui Xiu five bolts of Suzhou embroidery, a pair of jade bracelets, and a string of coral beads!"
As this series of rewards was read out, not only were Jiang Shi and Shui Xiu stunned, but even the palace servants standing in the hall were secretly astonished.
The Emperor's favor towards Consort Jin's maternal family is so great that it's almost enviable!
This is both a boost to Consort Jin's reputation and a warning to certain people that Consort Jin's maternal family is not to be messed with!
Jiang was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes, and she repeatedly kowtowed to express her gratitude to Heaven.
Shui Xiu also expressed her gratitude along with her mother. She secretly looked up and saw her older sister Shui Xian sitting above her with a gentle and calm smile on her face.
When they met eyes, Narcissus blinked slightly, which put her at ease.
Emperor Zhaoheng spoke a few more words of casual conversation with Lady Jiang, asking if she was tired from the journey and how things were going at home. His attitude was friendly and he showed no airs of an emperor.
But his attention was clearly more focused on the daffodils.
The time came quickly. Although he only saw Shui Xian's family for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, it was already a great favor for the concubine.
Before leaving, Emperor Zhaoheng gave his instructions in a voice that only he and his consort could hear.
"I'm going to handle some official business. You can talk to your mother and sister to relieve your boredom, but don't sit for too long, and don't overexert yourself."
He gave the same instructions he would have given to Yongning, a young girl.
"If you're tired, go and rest, okay?"
Narcissus smiled and nodded gently, "Your Majesty, I understand."
Emperor Zhaoheng then turned to Shuixiu, his tone still gentle, but carrying a hint of entrustment.
"Take good care of your sister. She's heavily pregnant and can't travel freely for a long time. She needs someone to keep her company and talk to her."
Shui Xiu readily agreed, stood up, and bowed gracefully and considerately.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will take good care of my sister."
When she first entered the palace, she vaguely noticed the difference in etiquette between herself and the noble ladies. After leaving the palace, she put in extra effort to brush up on her manners.
Shui Xiu didn't want her sister to be unable to hold her head high in the palace because of them.
Now, even Emperor Zhaoheng could not find fault with his manners and etiquette.
Emperor Zhaoheng nodded and left with Feng Shunxiang and the others.
As he reached the palace entrance, he stopped and turned back to gaze deeply at Narcissus. In that glance, the tenderness in his eyes almost overflowed.
This scene was clearly seen by Jiang.
This finally put her mind at ease.
Knowing that my daughter is doing well is my greatest comfort.
Once the emperor's figure had completely disappeared, and only her own family and a few trusted confidants remained in the hall, the relaxed smile on Shui Xian's face faded slightly.
She gestured for Yinzhu and Tinglu to stand guard outside the hall, then took Shuixiu's hand and made her sit near her. Jiang Shi also nervously moved closer.
"Mother, Xiuer, let's skip the formalities."
Narcissus lowered her voice, her expression grave, "The Empress Dowager's sudden decree summoning you to the palace is certainly not well-intentioned. This birthday banquet is likely fraught with danger."
"Remember this: whether in the palace or at a banquet, be very careful with food and drinks. Even if they are served by palace maids and eunuchs, unless they are handled by our own people from the Lihe Palace, do not touch them at all!"
Upon hearing this, Shui Xiu was not afraid at all. Instead, her eyes lit up, and she immediately took out a small cloth bag from her sleeve. When she opened it, there were several slender silver needles inside!
She shook the silver needles and chuckled with a hint of smugness, "Sister, don't worry, I understood your note! I was prepared a long time ago!"
Hearing this from the side, Madam Jiang was terrified, her face turning pale: "You two sisters... you actually made these preparations behind my back? Is the palace... really this dangerous?"
Narcissus held her mother's trembling hand and gently comforted her, "Mother, don't panic."
"Some people don't want us to have an easy time. We're just taking precautions to protect ourselves."
She turned to Shuixiu and instructed her, "You are clever, but remember, if someone deliberately provokes you or pretends to be friendly with you, do not confront them directly, and do not immediately turn hostile."
"We need to retreat in order to lower their guard and make them slip up, understand?"
Shui Xiu nodded earnestly, keeping every word her sister said in mind: "Sister, I understand... I will act according to the circumstances!"
Shortly after, a palace maid led Jiang and Shuixiu to a separate courtyard in the palace where they were temporarily settled.
Although Liusu Courtyard is not as grand as Lihe Palace, it is small and exquisite, complete with pavilions and towers.
The furnishings in the courtyard were all of the finest quality, and the bedding on the beds was made of smooth and soft silk, with a faint fragrance.
Jiang touched the smooth satin surface and exclaimed repeatedly, "This...this is too extravagant. How can we get used to living in a place like this..."
As the mother and daughter were quickly packing their belongings, an announcement came from outside the courtyard: "Consort Yun has arrived—"
Consort Yun entered with two palace maids, smiling broadly. One of the maids was carrying an exquisite food box.
Consort Yun's face was full of warm smiles. "I heard that Madam and Miss entered the palace today, so I specially stewed some top-quality bird's nest to nourish Madam's body."
"A long journey is exhausting and mentally draining."
She gestured to the palace maid to place the food box on the table, and then briefly mentioned that she was on very good terms with Shui Xian, in order to gain the trust of Shui Xiu and Madam Jiang.
Remembering her sister's instructions, Shui Xiu's face instantly changed to one of flattery and surprise. She took the food box with both hands as if it were some rare treasure.
Her eyes widened, and her voice rose slightly, tinged with exaggerated surprise.
"My goodness! This...this is bird's nest? Thank you so much, Consort Yun! You have such a kind heart!"
"In all my life, I've only ever heard of such precious things, but I've never seen or tasted them in person! I... I can't bear to eat this!"
As she spoke, she deliberately acted flustered, her elbow knocking over an empty teacup on the table.
Shui Xiu immediately rushed to help, appearing even more clumsy and nervous.
Consort Yun looked at her undignified appearance and a flash of undisguised contempt crossed her eyes.
But her smile remained unchanged, even becoming more amiable: "I'm glad Miss Shuixiu likes them. They're just ordinary things, nothing special. Please settle in comfortably, and if you need anything, just send someone to let me know."
She exchanged a few more perfunctory pleasantries before getting up to take her leave.
As soon as she stepped out of the Liusu Courtyard, Consort Yun's smile immediately turned cold.
She sneered at her personal maid, her tone full of disdain: "As expected of someone from a humble family, so unsophisticated. So easily alarmed by a little bird's nest, truly uncouth!"
"It seems that Consort Wan and I were overthinking things. Dealing with such a fool is a piece of cake!"
Palace maid: "Your Highness is right. Such an ignorant girl will surely obediently drink the good stuff you have carefully prepared for her, and I guarantee she will make a complete fool of herself!"
Consort Yun gave a smug hum and quickened her pace, as if she could already see the comical scene of Shui Xiu making a fool of herself at the birthday banquet.
Inside the Liusu Courtyard, as soon as Consort Yun left, the bewildered expression on Shuixiu's face vanished instantly.
She calmly opened the food box, and inside was indeed a bowl of crystal-clear bird's nest stewed to perfection.
Shui Xiu neither ate it nor threw it away; she carefully covered it up, as if she intended to keep it.
Jiang said worriedly, "There's definitely something wrong with this stuff. Let's find a place to dump it quickly!"
Shui Xiu shook her head.
"Mother, we can't fall. My sister said that to lure the enemy in, we must preserve the evidence."
As she spoke, she carefully closed the food box and placed it in an inconspicuous, dark corner of the inner room.
"We'll decide how to handle this after we ask my sister."
The next morning, just as Shui Xian was being picked up by Emperor Zhaoheng to go boating on the Imperial Lake to relax, Liu Su Courtyard welcomed an uninvited guest.
A messenger from Cining Palace summoned Jiang Shi and Shui Xiu for a talk.
Jiang and Shuixiu were both alarmed and dared not delay. They quickly tidied their clothes and followed the eunuch to Cining Palace.
As soon as I arrived outside the Cining Palace, I saw a handsome man dressed in the everyday clothes of a prince.
The person leaning against the vermilion palace wall, looking up at the sky, is none other than Prince Duan.
He was clearly waiting for someone.
Upon seeing Shui Xiu helping her mother over, he immediately smiled, straightened his robes, and, waving a gold-flecked folding fan, greeted her with a dashing and debonair air.
"Isn't this Shui Xiu? What a coincidence..."
Prince Duan considered himself handsome, but when Shui Xian saw him, she suddenly took a step back.
What, it's that old man again!
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