The next morning, there was a knock on the door of the Cold Palace! The eunuch guarding the door hadn't been woken up like this in a long time. He yawned and cursed as he went to open the door.
"You dog of a servant! Her Majesty is here, why are you opening the door so slowly?" Huijuan scolded the servant who opened the door, who looked drowsy.
The servant who opened the door was startled by the sudden scolding, and then saw Consort Hui in formal attire right in front of him. He was so frightened that he woke up instantly, and all his drowsiness vanished immediately.
"Your Majesty, this servant, this servant, is there something wrong, Your Majesty?" the gatekeeper asked in a panic.
"I've come today to see someone. Do you have this person here?" Consort Hui asked, somewhat impatiently.
"Please give your instructions, Your Highness!" The little eunuch immediately shrugged, lowered his head, and dared not look directly at Consort Hui.
"I'd like to ask you, is that old Qin nanny who used to work in the princes' quarters still in the Cold Palace?" Consort Hui asked.
The young eunuch thought for a moment, but couldn't recall such a person. However, fearing he might offend Consort Hui, he had to rack his brains to remember.
"What, nothing?" Consort Hui asked, seeing the little eunuch scratching his head in confusion.
"Well, Your Highness, I'll have to go in and ask our Chief Steward Zhou. I've only been here for a few years, and I'm afraid I don't recognize some of the older eunuchs," the young eunuch had no choice but to tell the truth.
"Yes, take me to see your chief steward," Consort Hui said.
The young eunuch was surprised that Consort Hui was coming in again, so he had to step aside in astonishment.
"Your Highness, please! This servant will go and report to Chief Eunuch Zhou immediately," the young eunuch said hurriedly, walking forward as he spoke. Chief Eunuch Zhou was still asleep. This Cold Palace was unlike other places; there was no money to be made, and nothing much to do. So those on duty here were just there to get by.
"Steward Zhou!" The little eunuch hurriedly ran to the door of the Cold Palace steward's room and called out.
"What are you yelling for? Who gave you the right to disturb my sleep!" A rough roar came from inside the room. The little eunuch was already used to it; this Steward Zhou hadn't originally been in the Cold Palace. He had been sent here for committing a crime.
"Steward Zhou, Consort Hui has arrived! Please get up and greet her!" the little eunuch said hurriedly.
At that moment, Consort Hui and her entourage had already arrived. Suddenly, the door was pulled open from the inside, and a man who looked to be in his forties was seen hurriedly putting on his clothes.
"This servant greets Consort Hui!" Chief Steward Gao hurriedly bowed to Consort Hui.
"Hurry up and fix your hat before you come to report to Her Majesty!" Huijuan said sternly.
"Yes, yes!" Steward Gao, looking embarrassed, quickly turned around and put on his clothes again.
Consort Hui and her entourage stood at the entrance but did not go in.
"How many people live in this cold palace?" Consort Hui asked the young eunuch who opened the door.
"Your Majesty, there are a total of 132 deposed concubines living here. They have been here since the Shunzhi reign," the young eunuch replied.
“I remember now, Consort Qiu, who was deposed in the thirty-third year of Kangxi’s reign, should have lived here for seventeen years,” Consort Hui said.
"Your Majesty, Consort Qiu died five years ago," the young eunuch reported. Consorts like these, deposed by the emperor for various reasons, had no dignity in the Cold Palace. Besides being starved and cold, some were even defiled by the palace guards. Many couldn't endure it and committed suicide. Even those who didn't go insane often did.
"Oh. Dead? What a pity, such a beautiful little thing, it's just a shame she wasn't very bright." Consort Hui seemed to be reminiscing about the past.
“What’s there to regret? Once you’re in here, you’re just waiting to die. There’s no chance of getting out,” Huijuan said.
"Was Consort Qi also recently deceased?" Consort Hui asked again.
"Yes, she died suddenly last year." The little eunuch glanced cautiously at Consort Hui, then quickly lowered his head and said, "It was after Consort De came to see her that she passed away a few days later."
"Oh, it's that one from Yonghe Palace. Humph!" Consort Hui snorted sarcastically.
At this moment, Chief Steward Zhou had already dressed and hurriedly came out to wait in front of Consort Hui.
"Zhou Ping, I ask you, do you have a Qin here? Not a deposed concubine, but a palace maid. Is she doing menial tasks in the Cold Palace?" When Consort Hui saw Chief Eunuch Zhou approaching, she put away her mocking expression and immediately asked.
Zhou Ping thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Your Highness, there is indeed an old nanny named Qin who does chores such as sweeping here."
"Bring her here immediately, I have questions for her!" Consort Hui said.
"Yes, yes. You, go over there and look for her, it's that old woman who doesn't usually talk," Zhou Ping instructed the young eunuch.
After the young eunuch ran away, Zhou Ping immediately bowed to Consort Hui and said, "Your Highness, why don't we go inside and wait for a while? How can we let you stand here?"
"Hmm. I have something to ask her. Find me a place where no one else can hear me," Consort Hui said.
“Yes, yes, Your Majesty, please!” Zhou Ping gestured for her to enter.
After leading Consort Hui and her entourage into the room where the chief steward of the Cold Palace lived, Zhou Ping chose the best seats and sat down. He then quickly poured tea for Consort Hui.
"Your tea is quite good!" Consort Hui picked up the teacup, used the lid to smooth the floating tea leaves, and was slightly surprised to see that it was the latest tea from the Imperial Household Department.
"Uh, this was bought with my own money. I don't have that kind of allowance. I don't have any hobbies, except for drinking tea," Zhou Ping said with a smile.
A moment later, the young eunuch led in an old woman whose clothes were rather tattered.
"Hurry up and pay your respects to Consort Hui!" Zhou Ping said immediately upon seeing the woman.
"This old servant greets Consort Hui!" The old woman hurriedly bowed, seemingly afraid of Zhou Ping.
"Alright, Zhou Ping, take your men and leave. I wish to speak with her alone," Consort Hui said to Zhou Ping.
Zhou Ping nodded repeatedly and led the little eunuch out.
"Huijuan, you all stand at the door and don't let anyone eavesdrop," Consort Hui instructed.
After Huijuan and two other young palace maids walked to the door, Consort Hui began to scrutinize the old woman in front of her.
She tried to compare the woman in front of her with Qin, who had taken care of her son back then.
"Are you Granny Qin, who was in charge of the princes' quarters in the 25th year of Kangxi's reign?" Consort Hui asked.
“Your Highness Consort Hui, this servant is Qin Shi from back then,” the old nanny said.
"Raise your head and let me take a good look at you!" Consort Hui said sternly.
When a wrinkled face appeared before her, Consort Hui felt that the face before her was both unfamiliar and somewhat familiar. It gradually overlapped with the image in her memory.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
