Find a way to contact Qin Lan and meet with her parents again.
Clutching the jade pendant engraved with orchids, I returned to my quarters and examined it for a long time, my fingertips repeatedly stroking the warm, smooth jade surface. Ya Huan leaned closer, looking at the delicate patterns on the pendant, and whispered, "Sister Zhao, this jade pendant is so beautiful. Consort Li must trust you very much to entrust such a precious item to you." I nodded, but my heart felt heavy—going to the Laundry Department to see Qin Lan was no easy task. The Laundry Department was the most arduous and exhausting place in the palace, and the guards were much stricter than those in the Cold Palace. Going there rashly might not only fail to see Qin Lan, but it could also bring trouble upon myself.
"Ya Huan, I need to go ask Granny Zhang." I carefully put away the jade pendant, stood up and said, "Granny Zhang has been in the palace for so long, maybe she can find a way for me to see Qin Lan." Ya Huan immediately nodded: "I'll go with you!" We quickly tidied up and headed towards Granny Zhang's residence.
Granny Zhang was drying herbs in the courtyard. When she saw us coming, she put down the bamboo sieve in her hand and said with a smile, "Why are you two girls here? Is there something you want to ask me again?" I stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and said softly, "Granny, I would like to ask you about the situation of Xin Zhe Ku, and also... could you find a way to let me see Qin Lan?"
Upon hearing the words "Xin Zhe Ku" (the Laundry Department), Zhang Mama's smile faded slightly. She sighed and pulled me to sit down on the stone bench. "Xin Zhe Ku is no good place. The palace maids and eunuchs there are all demoted for their mistakes. They have to do the hardest and most tiring work every day, and the guards are strict. Except for the maids responsible for delivering meals, no one else is allowed to get close." She paused, looked at me, and asked with a hint of doubt in her eyes, "What do you want with Qin Lan?"
I briefly recounted Consort Li's ordeal and Qin Lan's framed demotion to the Xin Zhe Ku (a place for palace maids), and finally took out the jade pendant: "Granny, Consort Li entrusted me to give this jade pendant to Qin Lan, saying she would find a way to save her. I'm worried about Qin Lan suffering in the Xin Zhe Ku and want to see her with my own eyes, and also convey Consort Li's words to her." Granny Zhang took the jade pendant, examined it carefully, and frowned slightly: "This jade pendant... it is indeed from Consort Li's palace. I even saw her wearing it when she first entered the palace."
She was silent for a moment, as if pondering something, before finally speaking: "The Imperial Laundry Department sends palace maids to the Laundry Bureau to collect new clothes on the first and fifteenth of each month. The maids responsible for collecting the clothes can stay at the Laundry Bureau for a while. I know Aunt Li from the Laundry Bureau; she's a kind person. Perhaps she can pass on a message for you, asking Qin Lan to come and see you when she collects her clothes." I was overjoyed and quickly said, "Thank you, Granny! As long as I can see Qin Lan, no matter how troublesome it is, it's fine."
Granny Zhang patted my hand with a smile: "You're such a kind-hearted child. I'll go and send a message to Aunt Li right now to see if we can arrange to meet on the fifteenth. Oh, and there's something else I need to tell you. Your parents asked someone to pass on a message that they'll be waiting for you at the usual place for the family visit this month. They said they want to bring you some summer clothes, and also news about your brother's imperial examination."
Hearing that my parents were coming to visit me, a warm feeling instantly welled up inside me, and the tension I had felt earlier because of worrying about Qin Lan gradually eased. Ever since I last saw my parents, I had been thinking about them constantly, wondering how they were doing and wanting to hear about my brother's exam results. "Really? That's wonderful!" I couldn't help but smile, my voice full of anticipation. Granny Zhang looked at me, her eyes full of affection: "See how happy you are? Go and get ready, don't keep your parents waiting."
As we left Zhang Mama's residence, Ya Huan grabbed my hand and exclaimed excitedly, "Sister Zhao, this is wonderful! Not only will we see Sister Qin Lan, but we'll also see Uncle and Aunt! This month is truly a lucky one!" I smiled and nodded, my heart filled with anticipation. Back at my residence, I shared the good news with Consort Xian and Consort Su. They were happy for me too, and Consort Su even prepared a small packet of her homemade candied fruit for me to take to my parents.
The day to meet my family arrived quickly, and I got up and dressed before dawn. Ya Huan helped me put my hair in a simple bun and carefully put the candied fruit Su Fei had given me into my cloth bag. "Sister Zhao, be careful on the road," Ya Huan said, straightening my clothes as she did so. I nodded, picked up the bag, and headed towards the moat.
Walking west along the south bank of the moat, the morning breeze, carrying moisture, felt exceptionally refreshing on my face. In the distance, I saw the two vermilion gates and the familiar figure standing there—my father, dressed in a long blue robe, carrying a cloth bag, and my mother standing beside him, constantly gazing into the distance. Seeing me approach, my mother immediately hurried forward, grasped my hand through the fence, her eyes reddening: "Zhaozhao, you've finally come! We've been waiting for you for so long."
My father joined me, smiling, and said, "Zhaozhao, how have you been in the palace lately? You look much better than last time, so we're relieved." Looking at my parents' familiar faces and feeling the warmth of my mother's hand, the tension I had felt earlier from worrying about being exposed instantly dissipated. I smiled and said, "Father, Mother, I'm doing very well in the palace. I have many people taking care of me. The Empress Dowager and Consort Su are both very kind to me, and Ya Huan is with me too. I'm not lonely at all."
My mother took out several newly made clothes from her cloth bag and handed them to me: "This is a summer dress I made for you. It's made of light and thin fabric, so it will be cool and comfortable to wear. And this is your brother. He's doing very well in his imperial examinations lately. His tutor says he has a good chance of passing. Once he passes, he can bring you out of the palace." Hearing that my brother had done well in his examinations, I was overjoyed: "That's wonderful! My brother works so hard; he'll definitely pass!"
My father took out a small box from his cloth bag, opened it, and inside was a small silver hairpin with a simple orchid pattern engraved on it. "I bought this for you. I heard that the palace maids all like to wear hairpins. Try it on and see if it looks good." I took the silver hairpin, feeling warm inside, and my eyes welled up with tears. "Thank you, Mom and Dad. I like it very much."
My mother looked at me and kept reminding me, "Zhaozhao, you must take good care of yourself in the palace. Don't overwork yourself. If you suffer any injustice, ask someone to send a message home, and we will try our best to help you." I nodded and handed the candied fruit that Consort Su had given me to my mother. "Mother, this is candied fruit made by Consort Su. Please try it, it's very sweet." My mother took the candied fruit and said with a smile, "You're such a good child, still thinking of us."
We chatted like that through the fence, from household chores to life in the palace, and then to my brother's imperial examinations. Before we knew it, an hour had passed. Seeing that it was time to go back, my father said reluctantly, "Zhaozhao, it's getting late. We should go back. You must take good care of yourself in the palace. We'll come to see you again next month." My mother wiped away her tears and whispered, "Zhaozhao, remember to take care of yourself. Don't worry us."
I nodded, watching my parents' retreating figures, my heart filled with reluctance. Only after their figures disappeared into the distance did I turn and walk towards the Cold Palace. Clutching the silver hairpin my father had given me, feeling my parents' concern and the anticipation of seeing Qin Lan soon, my heart was filled with strength. I knew that no matter what difficulties I encountered in the future, with the support of my family and friends, I would definitely be able to overcome them.
Back in the Cold Palace, Ya Huan immediately rushed to greet me, anxiously asking, "Sister Zhao, did you see Uncle and Aunt? How are they? How did Brother do on the imperial examination?" I smiled and told her what my parents had said, and even took out the silver hairpin my father had given me to show her. Ya Huan looked at the hairpin and said enviously, "It's so beautiful! Uncle and Aunt are so good to you." I nodded, my heart filled with happiness.
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