After everyone left, Fude asked Xiao Li, "Do they often hang out together in this cold palace?"
Little Li explained, "The concubines in the Cold Palace live in such poverty that some of them have to share a place to live. The one you just saw was Consort He, the late emperor's concubine. She lives with another concubine, Consort Yu, whose mind is already..."
As he spoke, Little Li pointed to his head, the meaning of which was self-evident, and Fude instantly understood what he meant.
After the first person appeared, the other figures gradually emerged one by one.
Even so, Fude's hands were still cold when he served the food, and his whole body was stiff. The more he felt this way, the more he felt sorry for these ladies who had come from afar just to collect their food.
"Pah!" Fu De rubbed his palms together and straightened his stiff body. Honestly, he wasn't doing so well himself, yet he was worried about these masters who had enjoyed a life of luxury.
He didn't notice, but the little eunuch next to him suddenly lit up with excitement when he saw a figure. "Song An! Miss Song An!"
The surprised sound and excited tone were something Ford hadn't noticed before, but now he did, and he turned to look at Little Li.
At this moment, Little Li did not notice the look in the eyes of his new boss, Eunuch Fude. He looked at Song An with surprise, but his eyes flashed with disappointment as he looked at the empty back behind her. He quickly covered it up and said with a smile, "Miss Song An, you came to get your own food."
"Mmm." The little palace maid's voice was clear and loud.
Fude thought it was Xiao Li Zi who liked this palace maid. He looked over and saw that the palace maid was not particularly outstanding in appearance. The only thing that stood out was her pair of clear and bright eyes. You could tell at a glance that she was a girl with a strong sense of right and wrong. Fude nodded to himself. It was not surprising that she would be interested in such a girl with good character.
"This must be the new head eunuch! Greetings, sir. I am Song An, a palace maid from Dongguan Palace. My mistress is Consort Wan." Song An said generously, with a cheerful smile on her face.
Fude relaxed at the smile on her face, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his lips as well. Hearing those familiar words, he felt for a moment that he was still outside the Cold Palace, which made him momentarily stunned.
He would be very familiar with these words outside the Cold Palace, but it was strange that someone would say them here. Fude subconsciously greeted her, "Hello, Miss Song An."
"May my father-in-law have good fortune every year."
"Ahem, yes, Miss Song An too." Everyone loves to hear auspicious words, including Fu De, because this polite and sensible little palace maid has also developed a faint fondness for the mistress behind her.
However, listening to her words, Fude also realized that the mistress she was serving was the only concubine of the new emperor who had been banished to the cold palace. Looking at the little palace maid's mental state, Fude thought that it seemed that Consort Wan should be in good spirits and had not given up on herself.
After getting his food, Fude watched Song An walk away and teased Xiao Li, who was still staring intently into the distance, "He's gone, why are you still looking?"
“Eunuch Fu, I didn’t mean to…” Little Li knew that Eunuch Fu had misunderstood, but he didn’t know how to explain it for a moment. Looking at Eunuch Fu’s teasing eyes and the name that he was destined not to say, he finally swallowed his words.
Dongguan Palace.
If Xiao Li Zi and Fu De were to come and see this, they would surely shatter their prejudice against the Cold Palace. The Dongguan Palace is no longer the dilapidated place it was when they first arrived.
The snow from the neighboring yard to Dongguan Palace had been swept clean, and several clean stone slabs were laid in the yard. The trees that were about to die had come back to life, and a white cloth covered the trees, through which green vegetables could be faintly seen.
The house was also renovated, especially the kitchen, where a simple hole was dug to connect to the bed. Modern people would probably recognize it as a simple heated kang (a traditional heated platform bed).
This warm bed is now crowded with a group of women who are not very old.
Several people, some curious and some puzzled, stared at the girl sitting below, knitting a sweater, while covered by blankets. The woman sitting on the bed looked significantly older than the girl, but her eyes were exceptionally innocent, like those of a baby.
Qingyin smiled gently and slapped away a small hand that was trying to reach out and cause trouble. "Ayu, be good. I'll knit you some clothes so you won't be cold on the boat."
"Aren't you cold?" The one causing the disturbance was a woman wearing a pink overcoat, who mumbled Qingyin's words.
“Yes, it’s not cold!” Qingyin coaxed her.
"You have quite the patience, don't you find them annoying?" A slender woman in a blue cotton-padded jacket walked in. She had a dignified appearance and a cold gaze. She carried a wooden box, which was actually just a chipped wooden box that she had found somewhere, and placed it on the table.
"Isn't Alan the same? I can't compare to Alan in terms of patience."
"Alan, come and try on this dress. If it's too big, I can alter it." Qingyin waved to the woman in the distance and smiled.
The woman named Alan, also known as Consort He of the late emperor, was originally named He Zhulan. Her family was considered a prominent family, but after she was banished to the cold palace, the entire family quietly withdrew. Although their power was not as great as before, it did not mean that they had completely fallen into obscurity.
This is also why she was able to keep some spare money while she was in the cold palace.
"Wasn't it made for that idiot Chen Xiuyu?"
Qingyin looked helplessly at He Zhulan, whose expression seemed indifferent. "Ayu doesn't go out much, and it's not cold in my room. You go out every day and can't get cold. I'll knit Ayu's later."
As she spoke, Qingyin gently took He Zhulan's hand and helped her try on the sweater.
During the fitting process, He Zhulan did not resist at all; on the contrary, she cooperated very well.
Ayu, her bright eyes fixed on the two of them, clapped her hands and laughed, "Hehe, Alan wears it, Alan wears it!"
The women around her were led by her to chant together: "Alan, Alan wears, Alan wears, hehe..."
He Zhulan was annoyed by what she heard. She glared at the little fool who was laughing happily and said fiercely, "Idiot, you don't even know your clothes were stolen!"
Qingyin looked tenderly at the people playing around. The sweater was suitable; He Zhulan had already taken it off and neatly folded it in front of Qingyin.
Ayu, also known as Chen Xiuyu, was a concubine of the late emperor, just like He Zhulan. The two knew each other before. He Zhulan was ten years older than her and married the late emperor earlier. Chen Xiuyu's mother and He Zhulan's mother were once best friends, but they separated later due to marriage and discord between their fathers. However, their relationship was still good at the beginning. According to He Zhulan, she even hugged her when she was twelve years old.
However, unexpectedly, the baby in her arms also entered the palace. She became increasingly stubborn and was disliked by the late emperor for making a mistake. She was thrown into the cold palace along with her, and then Chen Xiuyu went mad.
He Zhulan, for reasons unknown, continued to secretly care for the insane Chen Xiuyu for ten years.
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