How much effort and scheming went into it (Part 3)
Zhiwei shook the divination tube in her hand, and a divination stick fell out and rolled to the red cloth under the table.
Zhu Liji squatted down to pick it up, and after reading the fortune slip, a rare smile appeared on his face: "It's a good fortune slip."
He stood up and handed the divination slip to Zhiwei: "You said you had nothing to ask for, but I asked for you. As long as you are obedient and serve as a good lady-in-waiting by my side, your future will be bright. I will protect you for the rest of my life."
Zhiwei took the fortune slip, which read, "Good fortune favors the virtuous, and noble people assist them." She twitched the corners of her mouth and said in a flattering tone, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty. This servant will serve you wholeheartedly."
That's what she said, but she knew perfectly well that her life was not determined by fate, but by the power held by the people in front of her.
Zhu Liji is like a wolf that can't be tamed; cruel and ruthless, he only cares about profit and has no sincerity. The tenderness we felt in the cave in Shu County years ago was nothing but a temporary illusion.
As for whether she still held any expectations for him, Zhi smiled. As for those expectations, they had been crushed along with her dignity the very day she knelt in the Hall of Mental Cultivation and begged for mercy.
After bowing to the Bodhisattva, everyone left the temple. No one noticed that, beneath the heavy red cloth curtain on the table, in the shadows, lay another bamboo stick, neglected and forgotten.
The fortune slip was cold, but the inscription was still faintly legible:
Jade and stone were burned together, and the flames of calamity spread like wildfire.
Those who repay kindness and those who wrong them will be avenged, and may they all perish together in the netherworld.
——
The inspection ended quickly, and Zhiwei officially took on the position of Zhu Liji's personal maid. Unlike before, she no longer got involved in the affairs of the Imperial Kitchen and focused solely on serving Zhu Liji. Her waist tag was also changed to a specially made waist tag from the Palace Attendants Department, which only close attendants could wear. In terms of status, she was no less than Pinghai.
Zhiwei didn't really care about these empty titles. The palace belonged to the emperor, and so did the palace servants. The so-called power of the servants was nothing more than watching their masters' moods; they didn't even have the right to come and go freely.
She simply drifted through her days, her face now bearing the solemnity befitting an imperial attendant.
Life was dull, but also relatively easy. Zhu Liji kept his word and was exceptionally lenient with her. Because of her hand injury, he neither allowed her to serve tea or water nor forced her to grind ink or lay out paper. He simply let her stand quietly to the side, occasionally glancing at her for a moment.
He reviewed his memorials, she stood at her post, and as time went on, a strange "harmony" began to emerge, like still water rippling gently.
Later, perhaps because Zhiwei was obedient and pleased Zhu Liji, he actually recalled Shao Yang. The master and servant, who thought they would never see each other again, met and should have been happy, but Shao Yang knelt down and kowtowed fiercely.
"It was this servant who leaked the story of General Li coming to see the master back then to the Emperor..." Shao Yang trembled all over. She didn't have to confess the past, but she had been by Zhiwei's side for a long time and had developed feelings for her. Over the years, she would always worry about Zhiwei's situation when she tossed and turned at night, so she had to confess, even if it was for some worthless conscience.
Zhiwei stared intently at Shaoyang's tearful eyes. Shaoyang was a maid given to her by Zhu Liji when she entered the palace. She had considered having Shaoyang as Zhu Liji's spy, but she never cared. What could she possibly learn from a female official like Zhiwei? Zhiwei never imagined that she would be used to set up a trap.
Zhiwei finally understood what happened to Li Mingjing back then, much later.
Zhu Liji's choice to believe Wang Miaoxiao wasn't necessarily due to being misled, but simply because it was the best option at the moment. Zhu Mingyu's death was a foregone conclusion, and what Zhu Liji needed to do was consolidate his power. The first step in consolidating power was to seize control.
Since Zhu Mingyu's death, Li Mingjing has been in decline. Naturally, Zhu Liji wanted to cultivate his own new power. His interest in Wang Miaoxiao was like his interest in a sharp knife. Although it was too sharp, he could still hold it in his own hands. Compared to Li Mingjing, who was difficult to confide in but held a large army, Zhu Liji's choice of Wang Miaoxiao was understandable.
The emperor, in collusion with his ministers, orchestrated a scheme to reclaim military power from a key minister in a manner that was almost humiliating. Zhiwei never expected Zhu Liji to be so ruthless.
The truth behind Ming Yu's death also pierced Zhiwei's heart. Since Zhu Liji had already chosen Wang Miaoxiao, it was no longer possible to investigate further.
Zhiwei lowered her eyes and slowly exhaled as her gaze refocused on Shao Yang.
If given a choice, Shao Yang probably wouldn't want to become a maid in the palace. They are all pitiful people, so why should anyone make things difficult for the other?
Zhiwei helped her up.
Shao Yang was transferred back, and remained taciturn, but became even more meticulous in his work, taking good care of Zhi Wei's limited daily life.
Zhiwei knew that this was Shaoyang's special way of resolving her inner conflicts, so she didn't stop her. She was afraid that Shaoyang would overthink things, so she would always ask her to help with anything.
——
That day, Zhiwei led Shaoyang to the Inner Palace to check the new season's expense list for the Hall of Mental Cultivation. When the Imperial Household Department saw Zhiwei coming, they quickly added some newly arrived silks to Zhiwei's hands, saying that the Emperor had ordered them to be prepared especially for Zhiwei. Zhiwei looked at them and saw that they were all bright colors that she did not often wear.
She thanked the head steward indifferently and then let Shao Yang choose a few bolts of silk.
The palace road was long and winding. As the two walked, they bumped into Jiang Qin coming from the direction of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Jiang Qin looked tired after a meeting and was holding several scrolls of memorials in his hand.
“Lord Jiang.” Zhiwei paused and nodded slightly.
Jiang Qin looked up and saw it was Zhiwei. He forced a smile despite his exhaustion: "Miss Yan." His gaze quickly fell on her right hand, which was hanging down, and then looked away. "Where are you going?"
"I just went to the Imperial Household Department to handle some trivial matters and was about to return to the Hall of Mental Cultivation." Suddenly remembering something, Zhiwei turned to Shaoyang and said, "Take some of the calming incense from our newly made box for Lord Jiang."
Yes, there's been so little to do these days. With nothing to do, Zhiwei picked up the incense-making technique that Shen Danxi had taught her again. When Zhu Liji heard that Zhiwei was making incense, he didn't say anything, but had Pinghai give her a storeroom token so that Zhiwei could use the incense as she pleased.
Zhiwei had been suffering from insomnia lately, so she made some calming incense sticks. Now that she saw Jiang Tan, she thought she would share some with him.
Shao Yang reached out to take it, but Jiang Tan waved his hand repeatedly: "No, that's not allowed. It's an item specially presented to the Emperor, how could I presume to overstep my bounds?"
“You flatter me, sir,” Zhiwei said with a slight smile. “These are all things I made myself in my spare time. His Majesty uses things like South China Sea agarwood and sandalwood ambergris. What I’ve been tinkering with are just some low-class wild plants and herbs. They’re good for refreshing the mind, but I dare not call them tribute.”
"If you don't mind, sir, you can use it to fumigate the study and repel mosquitoes." Zhiwei instructed Shaoyang to continue.
Jiang Qin had no choice but to accept the incense sticks, but did not open them immediately: "Actually, Miss Yan, you don't need to belittle yourself. Perhaps His Majesty is also looking forward to your work."
Upon hearing Jiang Qin's words, Zhiwei turned her eyes away and said, "Lord Jiang, please don't joke with me anymore." She didn't want to continue the topic, but Jiang Qin was unwilling to let it go, and he unusually lost his sense of propriety.
“I’m telling the truth.” Jiang Qin gazed at Zhiwei’s calm, expressionless face. “Why do you belittle yourself so much, young lady? His Majesty…”
Jiang Qin paused, then lowered his voice: "There's still a long way to go. Some things, once they're over, are best left in the past. You have to keep looking forward; better days are yet to come."
Zhiwei listened with growing anxiety. She thought Jiang Qin understood her, and for now, she lived a detached life, pretending to be a deaf and blind person who had forgotten the past, which was already Zhiwei's greatest "open-mindedness."
But what is Jiang Qin saying? Is she telling her to "go back," advising her to "go back," and telling her that better days are ahead?
Ah, all these years, hasn't she been living in the "past"?
"Good days?" As if she had heard a completely new term, Zhiwei's eyelashes trembled. "What kind of good days is Lord Jiang talking about? Is it living in fear, watching other people's faces, depending on their whims?"
Zhiwei thought her expression was already quite tolerant, but Jiang Qin was still stung by the sharp glint that flashed in her eyes.
He shook his head: "You still haven't let go after all."
“I haven’t let go of anything. What is there to let go of?” Zhiwei’s voice suddenly turned cold. “My lord, please be careful with your words. This servant has long since given up all desires, so what is there to talk about letting go of? You are overthinking things.”
"This servant has other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave first." Unable to find common ground, the two bowed in silence and passed each other.
——
Zhiwei eventually presented the box of incense to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Zhu Liji was resting with his eyes closed, leaning against a soft pillow. After hearing her report in a low voice, he opened his eyelids a crack, glanced at the box of incense sticks, and let out a soft "hmm" through his nose.
"It's rare that you still have this thought." He tapped his fingertips on the lid of the box, a rare moment of joy on his face. "You've finally remembered that you're still my lady-in-waiting, not just a block of wood that stands there doing nothing."
Zhiwei lowered her head: "It's my duty."
Zhu Liji needed a short rest, and Zhiwei bowed and withdrew.
Halfway there, she remembered that the windows of the Hall of Mental Cultivation were not closed. Zhu Liji liked to live in the Hall of Mental Cultivation and usually burned incense there. After burning incense for so long, it was good to open the windows to let in fresh air. But if the windows were open for too long, it would be easy to catch a cold. After thinking for a while, Zhiwei finally turned back and went to find the windows.
Just as the window closed, Zhiwei turned around and saw Pinghai quietly stepping forward, Zhu Liji whispering instructions.
"Go, summon the imperial physician and have him examine this incense." Zhu Liji's voice wasn't loud, but Zhiwei was at the connection between the side hall and the main hall, very close to the inner room. Zhiwei didn't even need to strain her ears to easily gather the information.
The curtains swayed slightly, concealing the emperor's inscrutable expression. Zhiwei, confirming the window was no longer drafty, walked straight out, her face completely expressionless, as if she had already expected it, or simply didn't care.
As Zhiwei stepped out of the hall, it was already afternoon. The sunlight was a bit dazzling, so she squinted slightly. Her crippled hand was curled up in her sleeve, then slowly relaxed.
In the Imperial Garden, several eunuchs were scolding a young palace maid who was kneeling on the ground.
There were too many such incidents. Zhiwei originally wanted to avoid them, but then she heard the palace maid's suppressed sobs mixed with a few words of "Please forgive me, Your Highness."
The sound was so pitiful that Zhiwei couldn't help but frown.
"What's going on?" Zhiwei approached and asked, her waist tag flashing, captivating the eyes of the eunuchs.
The story of the lady-in-waiting beside the Emperor had been circulating in the palace. Someone recognized Zhiwei by her waist tag and stepped forward to report: "Reporting to Aunt, this lowly servant accidentally broke the noble lady's newly acquired glass cup. I am disciplining her!"
"A lesson?" Before Zhiwei could finish speaking, a sweet, languid, and amused voice came from behind the flowers.
"Oh, I wondered who had the time to meddle in other people's business. It turns out to be one of the Emperor's favorites."
Wan Zhen'er, supported by Si Yu's hand, slowly turned around and came out. Her gaze swept over Zhi Wei, then fell on the kneeling palace maid. The corner of her lips curled up: "What, someone from my Chuxiu Palace made a mistake, yet you are so kind as to interfere in my affairs?"
Zhiwei bowed respectfully, saying, "This servant dares not."
Her eyes glanced at Wan Zhen'er's lower abdomen beneath her fine clothes: "But Your Highness's health is precious, why get upset over such a trivial matter? If you harm the imperial heir in your womb, wouldn't that be losing more than you gain?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
