Shi Lan settled down at Qingxi Pavilion, and her daily routine became more disciplined. In the morning, she would go to the old woman's place to watch Pan Jinyue act silly and cute with Pan Jinxuan and others. After breakfast, she would go to Lady Wang's place to learn the etiquette and palace rules that noble ladies from high-ranking families must possess. In the evening, she would either read a few lines of difficult and obscure classics or, at the rare invitations of Madam Sun and Madam Han, go to their places to play with Pan Jinxuan and Pan Jinjing for a while. She would turn off the lights and go to bed on time at night.
Half a month passed in a flash, and the palace remained quiet. The commotion that Shi Lan had hoped for did not occur. Instead, Han Shi could not hold back and intercepted Pan Jinyue's belongings that exceeded her allotted allowance, which made her go to the old lady to complain. However, Han Shi was not someone to be trifled with, and went directly to the second master of the Pan family. Before the next day, news came that a new tea set and a plum vase had been added to Xixiang Courtyard.
Needless to say, Pan Jinyue, who had already been scolded, smashed the original set of clothes.
When this first happened, Shi Lan was happy for a while, but then her father became distant towards her, which made her feel extremely bad, and she even started to wonder if she should stay here.
After all, her mission had already been completed in the North. She was doing all this because she felt that the original owner had been taken away before she even opened her eyes, and she wanted to see her family. So, she acted out of kindness and created this mess. Now it seems that it was really unnecessary.
As the weather outside grew colder, Shi Lan grew impatient. So, on the winter solstice, while the men of her household and the women of rank went to the palace for a banquet, Shi Lan packed a few things and prepared to leave.
Quietly climbing over the wall, Shi Lan looked up at the gray sky through the falling snowflakes, adjusted the bundle on her shoulder, and headed towards the path she had scouted out beforehand.
In the distance, several people dressed in cloaks and holding oil-paper umbrellas walked towards this place along the white path.
Shi Lan squinted and watched for a while. She had a feeling that these people were looking for her. After thinking for a moment, she jumped back inside the wall, nimbly slipped into the half-open window, and quickly returned to the second floor. She opened the window a crack and looked out.
Soon, the brass knocker on the courtyard gate was knocked, and the maid on the first floor opened the door, and a group of people walked in.
The person put away the oil-paper umbrella and shook off the snowflakes. Only then did Shi Lan realize who it was.
The young maidservant curtsied and addressed her as Lady Wang.
Ms. Wang gave a faint "hmm" and then asked about Shi Lan.
The maidservant said that the young lady was resting upstairs. Green Jade, who had been sent by Shi Lan to tidy up the writing brushes and ink, came out of the main hall. When she saw Lady Wang, she hurriedly went to greet her. The two exchanged a few words and then Green Jade led her upstairs.
Shi Lan frowned as she looked at the two unfamiliar maids following behind Lady Wang, whose gait was particularly elegant.
Where did this come from?
She heard the sound of wooden planks being stepped on. Shi Lan twitched her ears, quickly closed the window, straightened her clothes, grabbed a book that had been carelessly tossed aside, and began to read it with feigned seriousness.
When Ms. Wang entered, she saw wisps of smoke and a faint fragrance wafting through the air. A graceful figure leaned against the bed railing, engrossed in reading.
Green Jade stepped forward and deliberately raised her voice, saying, "My lady, Lady Wang has come to see you."
Shi Lan pretended to be interrupted from her reverie, opened her hazy eyes, and looked at the person who came in.
Ms. Wang quickly swept her hand over her thin cotton skirt, her gaze landing on her slightly dark embroidered shoes.
Shi Lan noticed her gaze and quickly tugged at her skirt to hide her snow-covered shoes.
Lady Wang's eyes flickered slightly, as if she hadn't seen anything, and she said, "The weather has turned cold recently, and the Imperial Concubine felt that Fengzao Palace was too deserted, so she requested the Emperor's decree to invite the First Lady and the Fourth Lady to the palace to keep her company."
Shi Lan stood up and looked at her in surprise.
Lady Wang smiled reassuringly at her, then instructed Lüyu to quickly pack some of Shilan's usual items so as not to keep the palace ladies waiting.
Shi Lan held the book in her hand, silently watching everyone busy at work.
Lady Wang quietly walked up to her, a smile playing on her lips. She stared at the palace maids and whispered, “The Imperial Concubine knows you’ve been wronged and is extremely anxious in the palace, but she has to suppress her anxiety due to palace rules.” She glanced at the calm Shi Lan and said, “Don’t blame the Imperial Concubine; she’s in a dilemma too.”
Shi Lan smiled silently.
Ms. Wang was helpless. Shi Lan was stubborn and strong-willed. She knew that she could not change Shi Lan's mind with just a few words, but she still wanted to try.
The palace maids quickly got ready. Lvyu draped a cloak with a plum blossom pattern over Shilan's shoulders, covered the brim of the hat, and instructed the maids to guard the gate before she opened an oil-paper umbrella and followed her out.
The group walked slowly along the path. In the distance, another group came. As they approached, Pan Jinxuan, wearing an elegant lilac-purple cloak, quickened her pace through the fluttering snowflakes and walked up to Shi Lan, smiling at her.
Before she could speak, Li Mama, who was serving her, said, "The wind and snow are strong outside. If you two ladies want to talk, please wait until you are inside the sedan chair."
Pan Jinyue obediently closed her mouth, smiled gently at Shi Lan, reached out to take Shi Lan's hand, and the two sisters walked out of the hanging flower gate side by side and got into the sedan chair that had been waiting for them.
Inside the sedan chair, a brazier was burning, making it warm. Green Jade swept the snow off Shi Lan's shoulders and back, and then took off her tightly covered hat, revealing her round and rosy face. Li Mama and Pink Cherry were also helping Pan Jinxuan remove her hat and hand guards.
The two sisters were teased and played with for a while. They looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh.
The sedan chair swayed and soon arrived at a side gate. There were two eunuchs guarding the gate. When they saw the palace maids following beside them, they hurriedly ran over obsequiously, opened the gate, and held up oil-paper umbrellas to shield the maids from the snow.
The palace maid who had come to fetch Shi Lan earlier took the oil-paper umbrella from their hands with a cold expression, pushed the two aside, and then the maid who had come to fetch Pan Jinyue lifted the sedan curtain.
The two women then helped Li Mama and Lüyu out of the sedan chair. A palace maid held up a large oil-paper umbrella over their heads and turned around to say coldly, "Alright, you can go back now."
Green Jade was taken aback. Shi Lan turned to Green Jade and smiled reassuringly, saying, "When my elder sister and I came, there were no adults in the mansion. You should go back and tell Grandmother and Aunt so they won't worry."
Green Jade nodded, while Li's mother looked at Pan Jinxuan anxiously, as if she was worried.
Seeing that Shi Lan, who was younger than her, had so readily dismissed the person, Pan Jinxuan said to Li Mama, "You should go back too, otherwise who will report to Mother when she returns?"
Since she started nursing Pan Jinxuan, Li Mama had never left her side. Now, seeing that the eldest daughter-in-law was going to stay in the palace permanently, and that she herself could not go with her, and that the eldest madam did not know about it, she was so anxious that she broke out in a sweat.
Seeing her like this, Pan Jinxuan knew she was reluctant to part with her, but that's how it is in the palace; you can't just bring your servants in as you please. Helpless, she could only grit her teeth and step inside. ...Readers, you can search for "" to find this site immediately.
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