Gathering information
On my way back to the Cold Palace from the moat, I repeatedly ran my fingers along the rough stitches of the cloth bag, thinking that I should first visit Granny Zhang. Firstly, to thank her for telling me the details of seeing my relatives, and secondly, to take the opportunity to find out about her past with my mother—yesterday, the way she stared at the silver bracelet was too strange, making me feel that there was an unknown connection between the two of them.
As soon as I reached the courtyard gate of Granny Zhang's residence, I heard a loud crash from inside, like the sound of a porcelain bowl shattering. I paused, raised my hand, and gently knocked on the wooden door: "Granny, it's me, Tian Zhao."
The door was quickly pulled open, and Zhang Mama was holding half a piece of unfinished fabric in her hand, with a few pieces of porcelain shards stuck to her apron. When she saw me, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her usual gentleness: "Zhao'er is back? Did you see your parents?"
I nodded, stepped into the courtyard, placed the cloth bag on the stone table, and carefully opened it, revealing jujube paste cake and osmanthus pastry wrapped in oiled paper. The sweet aroma of the pastries instantly filled the air, adding a touch of warmth to the quiet courtyard. "Mother specially made some pastries. I thought of how kind Granny usually is to me, so I brought some for you." I picked up a large piece of jujube paste cake wrapped in oiled paper and handed it to her, secretly observing her reaction.
Granny Zhang paused as she took the pastries, her fingertips gently tracing the oiled paper. Her eyes were somewhat unfocused, as if she were recalling something from the past. She remained silent for a moment before sighing softly, "Your mother's skills are still so good. Back then, her jujube paste cakes were the most popular in our household."
"The manor?" I caught this crucial information and feigned confusion, asking, "Which manor are you referring to, Granny? Did my mother used to work in the palace?"
Granny Zhang then came to her senses, realizing her slip of the tongue, and quickly changed the subject: "It's all in the past, let's not talk about it. How are your parents? How are your brother's preparations for the imperial examination?"
I knew she didn't want to say more, but I didn't press her for details. I continued, "Father and Mother are still in good health, but they're always worried about me suffering in the palace. My brother has been studying hard lately, saying he wants to pass the exams soon so he can bring me out of the palace." I paused deliberately, my tone casual, "By the way, Granny, you seemed quite interested in the silver bracelet on my wrist yesterday. Mother gave it to me, saying it was one she wore when she was young. Do you recognize it?"
Granny Zhang's gaze fell on the silver bracelet on my wrist. The bracelet was antique in style, with delicate intertwined floral patterns carved into its surface. Years of wear had given it a warm, lustrous sheen. Her eyes held a complex mix of emotions: nostalgia, regret, and an unspeakable heaviness. After a long pause, she slowly spoke, "This bracelet was a dowry gift from your maternal grandfather to your mother. I often saw her wearing it when we were both serving in the palace." "You used to serve with my mother?" I was overjoyed; I had finally found a clue. "Then how did you end up as the head nanny in the Cold Palace?"
Granny Zhang sighed, sat down on the stone bench, and slowly began to recount the past: "Twenty years ago, your mother and I were both bondservantes in the Imperial Household Department, serving together in the palace. Later, when we reached the age to leave the palace, your mother left, while I was left destitute and orphaned outside the palace. Having witnessed so much intrigue and power struggles in the palace over the years, I longed for a peaceful place, so I voluntarily came to serve in the Cold Palace. Back then, she always liked to help others; even the lowly eunuchs who did the sweeping would receive half a snack from her. Later, a sudden change occurred in the palace, and after many twists and turns, I finally ended up in the Cold Palace."
I was shocked. I hadn't expected "Tian Zhao's" mother to have such a past. No wonder Granny Zhang was so familiar with the silver bracelet; they had a connection long ago. "Then why haven't you contacted my mother all these years, Granny?"
“The palace rules are very strict. How could a lowly palace maid like me contact the outside world so easily?” Zhang Mama’s tone was full of helplessness. “Later, I heard that your father passed the imperial examination and your mother’s life became a little better, so I was relieved. This time, I was able to get you a job in the Cold Palace because I pulled some strings. I thought it would be peaceful here and you could avoid the intrigues of the inner palace. It would be a way of repaying the kindness your mother showed me back then.”
Only then did I realize that Zhang Mama's special care for me was not only because my father had pulled some strings, but also because of her old affection for my mother. A feeling of gratitude welled up in my heart, and I solemnly bowed to Zhang Mama: "Thank you for your trouble, Mama. Tian Zhao will remember it."
Granny Zhang quickly helped me up, smiling as she said, "It's all my duty. Your well-being in the palace is the best way to repay me. It's getting late, you should go back to your room and rest, you still have work to do tomorrow."
I nodded, exchanged a few more pleasantries with Granny Zhang, and then left with the remaining snacks. As I stepped out of the courtyard, sunlight streamed through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. A weight lifted from my heart—at least now I knew Granny Zhang was someone I could trust.
When I returned to the room where Ya Huan and I were staying, Ya Huan was sitting at the table organizing the food boxes we were going to deliver tomorrow. When she saw me come back, she immediately put down what she was doing and came to greet me: "Sister Zhao, you're back! Did you see Uncle and Aunt? Are they still in good health?"
"Yes, all is well." I smiled and handed over the cloth bag. "Mother made some snacks, let's try them together."
Ya Huan's eyes lit up. She took the cloth bag, opened it, picked up a piece of osmanthus pastry, put it in her mouth, and squinted her eyes with satisfaction: "Wow, it smells so good! It's even better than what the imperial kitchen makes!" She ate with a happy expression, with a few crumbs of osmanthus on the corner of her mouth, like a little squirrel stealing a bite.
Looking at her adorable face, I couldn't help but smile. I picked up a piece of jujube cake and handed it to her, saying, "Eat slowly, no one will take it from you." Ya Huan took the jujube cake and ate it while mumbling, "Sister Zhao, your parents are so kind. They even made you a special treat. I've never seen my parents since I was little. I grew up in an orphanage. Later, I was selected to enter the palace as a maid and have been staying there ever since."
"A sales home?" I frowned, my fingertips unconsciously tracing the rim of the rough pottery bowl. "Is it a place like an orphanage?"
Ya Huan nodded, her eyes dimming slightly: "It's an orphanage outside the city, full of children without parents. The headmistress was very kind; she taught me sewing and literacy, and said that girls need to learn to be independent in order to survive in this world. Later, when the palace was selecting maids, the headmistress thought it was an opportunity and recommended me."
My heart ached, and I reached out and gently patted her shoulder: "Ya Huan, you are very strong. I'm here for you, we'll take care of each other, and things will definitely get better."
Ya Huan looked up, her eyes glistening with tears, but she smiled and said, "Yes! With Sister Zhao here, I'm not scared at all. By the way, Sister Zhao, after you saw your relatives today, did you hear any news from the palace? Like about Consort Li, everyone's been secretly talking about it lately."
Mentioning Consort Li immediately put me on alert. I leaned forward slightly and asked, "What are people talking about? Do you know why Consort Li was banished to the Cold Palace?"
Ya Huan put down the pastry in her hand and lowered her voice, saying, "I heard it from a eunuch in the Imperial Kitchen. He said that Consort Li was banished to the Cold Palace for plotting to harm the imperial heir. I heard that a maid in Consort Li's palace secretly reported to the Empress that Consort Li had put safflower in the medicine to prevent miscarriage, intending to harm the unborn child. The Empress sent people to investigate, and they indeed found dried safflower and a porcelain bottle containing safflower juice in Consort Li's palace. The Emperor was furious and banished Consort Li to the Cold Palace."
"Who was the palace maid who reported it?" I pressed, my intuition telling me that this matter was not so simple.
Ya Huan shook her head: "I don't know. I heard that the palace maid disappeared later. Some people say that she was silenced by the Empress, while others say that she left the palace. Some people also say that Consort Li was not pregnant at all, but faked a pregnancy to compete for the Emperor's favor. As a result, she was discovered and then fabricated a charge of plotting to harm the imperial heir."
I frowned. These rumors were hard to verify, but one thing was certain: there was a complex power struggle within the harem behind Consort Li's affair. And Qin Lan, as a maid under Consort Li, being sent to the laundry department was probably not just a matter of being implicated.
"Have you heard anything about Qin Lan?" I asked again, feeling very worried about the girl who grew up with "Tian Zhao".
Ya Huan thought for a moment and said, "A few days ago, when I went to the Imperial Kitchen to get my meal, I heard from the palace maids in the Laundry Department that Qin Lan was having a hard time there. The head maid was always making trouble for her, making her wash the dirtiest and most tiring clothes, and sometimes not even giving her food. Some people said that it was because Qin Lan knew too much about Consort Li that she was being deliberately harassed in an attempt to shut her up."
My heart sank. It seemed Qin Lan's situation was more dangerous than I had imagined. If she truly knew some secret, her life could be in grave danger. I had to find a way to help her, firstly because she was "Tian Zhao's" friend, and secondly because perhaps I could get more clues about the Consort Li incident from her, which would also help my survival in the palace.
"Ya Huan, could you help me find out about the laundry department? For example, where Qin Lan lives, who the head maid is, and when is it easiest to visit her?" I looked at Ya Huan, my tone pleading.
Although Ya Huan hesitated for a moment, she nodded and said, "I will do my best. But Sister Zhao, you have to be careful. The Laundry Bureau is very strict, and things related to Consort Li are very sensitive. If we are discovered, we will all be in trouble."
"I know, I'll be careful." I looked at Ya Huan gratefully. "Thank you, Ya Huan."
Ya Huan smiled, picked up a pastry and handed it to me: "We're good sisters, it's only right that we help each other. Eat your pastry, it'll get cold if you don't."
I took the pastry, put it in my mouth, and slowly chewed it. The sweet taste spread on my tongue, but my heart felt heavy. The matter of Consort Li, Qin Lan's situation, my mother's past, and the countless secrets hidden in this deep palace were like an invisible net, tightly binding me. I knew the road ahead would be even more difficult, but I would not back down—for myself, for Tian Zhao's family, and for Ya Huan who trusted me, I had to find a way to survive in this deep palace.
After finishing our snacks, Ya Huan and I packed up the food box together and chatted about some trivial matters in the palace. Ya Huan told me that besides Consort Li and Consort Rong, there was also an elderly Consort Xian in the Cold Palace. I heard that she was a concubine of the late emperor, but because she had no children and was not favored, she was sent to the Cold Palace. She rarely went out and never interacted with anyone.
I silently noted down this information, planning to pay closer attention to the Empress Dowager's movements in the future, as she might also know some palace secrets. Night deepened, the moonlight outside the window grew brighter, and I lay in bed, wide awake, my mind replaying the day's events and analyzing every possible clue.
Suddenly, I heard a faint footstep outside the window, so light it was almost imperceptible, unlike the footsteps of palace patrolling guards. I immediately held my breath, quietly got up, walked to the window, and looked out through the paper crack. I saw a dark shadow flash across the courtyard and disappear into the darkness.
My heart leaped into my throat—who could be wandering the Cold Palace at this hour? Was it after Consort Li? Or was there some other conspiracy? I clenched my fists, my eyes sharpening. It seemed the Cold Palace wasn't as peaceful as it appeared; danger could strike at any moment.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
