"Wanwan, Wanwan! There's a treasure!" Seeing Qingyin arrive, Chen Xiuyu stopped focusing on the box in front of her and ran happily to Qingyin's side, pointing at the box with one hand and Lin Hai with the other.
"He's bad, he pulled me."
Qingyin helplessly patted Ayu's head to soothe her emotions, and roughly guessed the reason for the current chaos.
Lin Hai and his group stood there dumbfounded. Even if they were stupid, they realized they had mistaken the person for someone else. The woman in the distance, whose black hair was so beautiful that she could be described as stunning with just a slight tuck, was none other than Consort Wan.
Lin Hai's mind was in utter chaos. He had rarely seen the imperial concubines when he was with his master, so he had never seen Consort Wan before. But no one had ever said that Consort Wan was as beautiful as a fairy. No, why hadn't such a stunning beauty become known throughout the palace? How could the Emperor be so wasteful as to banish the fairy-like Consort Wan to the Cold Palace?
...
After a while, Qingyin explained to Lin Hai, "Please don't be offended, Eunuch Lin. Ayu is the late Emperor's Consort Yu, and her mental state is not very good, so she has disturbed you, Eunuch Lin."
Hearing Qingyin's words, Lin Hai felt ashamed: "Your Majesty, please don't apologize. It's my fault for being stupid and clumsy. Consort Yu is naive. Since Consort Wan has already received it, then this servant will take his leave now."
"Thank you for your understanding, Father-in-law."
Qingyin watched Lin Hai's departing figure; it seemed her time to leave was almost up.
The group of Lin Hai and his companions had a different emotional journey on their way back than when they came. They were filled with reluctance and a sense of disorientation as they left, and Lin Hai was also reflecting on his own thoughts.
Consort Wan will not be confined to the Cold Palace. As long as the Emperor sees her, he will surely take her out.
Since that's the case, adding flowers to brocade is fine, but providing charcoal in the snow would definitely be better. So when he gets back, he'll have to talk to his master about it.
Lin Hai, with a heart full of thoughts, returned to the palace and first spoke with his master, Wu Liangfu.
Is she really that beautiful? Wu Liangfu had seen Consort Wan before. He only remembered her as a youthful and fairly attractive woman. After pondering for a while, he knew his apprentice; he would never lie to him about these things. Consort Wan entered the palace early, only sixteen years old at the time. Compared to now, she must have blossomed. Wu Liangfu asked, "How does Consort Wan compare to the Emperor's Consort Dong'e?"
Lin Hai said without hesitation, "How can a firefly compete with the bright moon? I personally believe that Consort Wan and Consort Dong'e are worlds apart."
Since that's the case, then Consort Wan will have to change her attitude. Wu Liangfu pondered, his calculating gaze flickering in the candlelight, while Lin Hai stood quietly to the side, waiting for his master's deep thought.
"Go back and give some instructions to those in the Cold Palace, and tell them to protect that person there."
Sure enough, when his master chose Consort Wan, Lin Hai's eyes lit up. Just as Wu Liangfu understood his disciple, Lin Hai also understood his master. Based on his master's personality, he learned from his master that Consort Wan was a huge potential asset, and with his ambition, he would definitely not miss this opportunity presented to him.
Lin Hai walked out of Wu Liangfu's house with ease and returned to his own room in the night.
In the Hall of Preserving Harmony, the candlelight was still burning, and the bright lamplight shone on the still-asleep yellow figure in the hall. Wu Liangfu appeared quietly behind the emperor.
"Your Majesty, Consort Wan has been delivered."
Fu Lin paused in reading the memorial, and without turning his head, asked, "What was her attitude?"
Wu Liangfu answered respectfully, but hesitated for a moment before finishing his sentence: "Your Majesty is very pleased, but..."
Sure enough, the emperor asked, "What is it?"
Wu Liangfu observed the Emperor's expression, deliberately ignoring the fact that Lin Hai and the others had mistaken him for someone else, and said, "The person who delivered the gift said that the Cold Palace is very dilapidated, and you can easily get in if the wind blows in. The Empress was dressed very thinly, just a summer dress. Moreover, the Empress seemed to be taking care of the late Emperor's Consort Yu. That Consort was already mentally unstable, but she had a close relationship with the Empress. Her clothes and face were all clean."
Fu Lin remained silent for a long time. Just when Wu Liangfu thought he would never receive a reply from His Majesty, the Emperor spoke: "Have the people below repair the Cold Palace again. Wu Liangfu, you send someone to keep an eye on it."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Wu Liangfu's face lit up with joy. It seemed that His Majesty still had some affection for Consort Wan. If that was the case, things would be much easier from now on.
— — — — — — — — — — — —
In the cold palace, Song An looked at the boxes in the courtyard and excitedly opened them one by one.
"Sister has so many beautiful clothes, and a whole chest of silver!"
Qingyin smiled and said, "Okay, take some warm clothes and distribute them to Ayu and the others, and give some silver to Alan as well."
"Yes, sister." Song An, who was in high spirits, was busy until midnight before she could fall asleep.
The next morning, the diligent birds, as usual, woke Qingyin and the others.
"Princess, where are we going?" Wu Yu, who had been punished for losing the princess that day, has recovered and returned to the princess's side.
Because she was a maid who came with Consort Yang's maternal clan, she still held a certain place in the Consort's heart. Wu Yu was grateful that the Consort could forgive her and allow her to return to the Princess's side, so she served her young mistress even more diligently.
The little princess walked ahead excitedly and said in her childish voice, "I'm going to find Father Emperor. I miss Father Emperor."
Upon hearing that it wasn't the princess going somewhere for fun, Wu Yu subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. Since it was to see the emperor, then... then it would be fine—but no!
"Princess, no, His Majesty is very busy with state affairs this morning. He must be discussing politics with other ministers. We cannot disturb him."
Cuiyue pouted: "What's there to be afraid of? I'll just wait in the side courtyard until Father Emperor finishes dealing with this, and then I'll go see him."
Wu Yu gave up after trying to persuade the princess several times without success. He figured the emperor probably wouldn't mind the princess bothering him anyway.
Wu Yu felt her career was about to end.
No matter how far away the Hall of Preserving Harmony was, it was getting closer and closer thanks to Cuiyue's persistence.
Seeing the familiar palace, Cuiyue excitedly ran forward and said to the familiar eunuch, "I want to see Father Emperor. Is Father Emperor busy right now? If not, I'll wait."
The little princess spoke quickly and urgently, but the eunuch, who was very professional, still had a smile on his face. After listening to the princess's words clearly, he smiled and said, "Princess Cuiyue, please come with me to the side courtyard for a while. His Majesty is discussing state affairs with Minister Sony. I will come to report to Your Highness when His Majesty is free."
"Okay, fine." Cuiyue took her kind-looking father-in-law's warm little hand and led him inside.
The father-in-law, being led by the hand, instinctively revealed a kind smile and followed the little princess to the side courtyard.
After settling the little princess in, the eunuch headed towards the inner palace.
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