After that day, Aruhan never came to pay her respects again. Every morning, she would send a palace maid to Yongshou Palace to apologize, always using the excuse that she couldn't get out of bed.
Geng was getting annoyed with her. When she received her request to see Qiqige, she sneered and said, "Consort Ru is in such poor health, she should not see any outsiders. She should rest and recover first. Don't forget the medicine Consort Ru is going to drink today. Make sure she drinks every last drop."
Aruhan gritted her teeth in hatred, but there was nothing she could do. As the head of Jingyang Palace, if Aruhan wanted anyone to come and see her, she would definitely need Aruhan's permission.
Aruhan finally gave up on the idea of pleasing Geng Shi; now she only wanted the emperor's favor and a promotion.
The distance between a Noble Lady and a Consort is only one step. If she were to advance one more rank, she could become a Principal Lady, possessing her own palace. At that time, she would not have to depend on others for anything she wanted to do, nor would she have to be restrained and controlled!
But how do I get promoted?
While Aruhan was racking her brains about how to take things further, Qian Shengyan also came up with a way to find the extra person in Changchun Palace before the Golden Festival.
"Your Majesty, it's just a count of the number of people serving in the palace. Why are you so resistant?"
Wanyan Wenliu, the deputy director of the Palace Administration Department and a female official promoted by Qian Shengyan, respectfully smiled at Ulanara and said, "This is also to better provide benefits to the staff of the various palaces."
"I don't need any benefits," Ulanara said firmly.
"Your Majesty is joking. Even if Your Majesty doesn't need it, the palace servants have worked hard all year. What other palaces have, they should have too," Wanyan Wenliu said with lowered eyebrows. "This is a benefit bestowed on the occasion of His Majesty's birthday. I hope Your Majesty will not let the palace servants in Changchun Palace feel disheartened, nor will you go against His Majesty's wishes."
Ulanara pursed her lips, her face calm, but she was actually quite at a loss inside.
Nowadays, apart from those who can enter the emperor's bedchamber to serve, everyone else in Changchun Palace is the emperor's person. She dares not win them over casually. That is why, if other palaces receive rewards for the emperor's birthday but not Changchun Palace, how should she explain it?
No, no, it's not time to use Granny Chang yet. Granny Chang can't be seen in public. Even if she emptied her private treasury to provide these benefits to the servants of Changchun Palace, we can't let Qian Shengyan find out about Granny Chang!
Having made up her mind, Ulanara was about to refuse again when Wanyan Wenliu said with a smile, "After all, it is the Emperor who wants this list... How about this, Your Majesty, I also have a list of palace servants from Changchun Palace that I recorded before. Why don't we take a look at the list and see who is on it? If there are no changes in the personnel, then there is no need to change the list. What do you think, Your Majesty?"
After pondering for a moment, Ulanara felt there seemed to be no problem, so she nodded in agreement. Wanyan Wenliu also promised to start by checking the palace servants in the outer courtyard, and while checking the list, the benefits would be distributed.
It was nothing more than a bolt of cloth and a gold melon seed for each person, but for the palace servants who served in Changchun Palace, which was like a cold palace, it was already a good reward.
Those whose names were called stepped forward to receive their rewards, while those whose names had not yet been called gradually became impatient. The crowd gradually gathered around Wanyan Wenliu in the courtyard. Wanyan Wenliu was not in a hurry and called out the rewards one by one, but at the same time, he did not forget to give a wink to the little envoy who had come with him.
Xiao Xuan nodded, gradually moving back to stand at the very back of the crowd. Those who had received their rewards were already chatting and comparing with each other, while those who hadn't received any had formed a circle and were waiting. Outside of these people, there were a few others who seemed unmoved.
Xiao Xuan carefully memorized the faces of those people. Finally, the benefits were distributed to the bedroom. Wanyan Wenliu called out the names, and Xiao Xuan looked at each person carefully.
After the list was checked and everyone received their reward, Wanyan Wenliu smiled and said, "That's good. Although the Empress still has to recuperate and can't go out for the Emperor's birthday celebration, at least everyone received the benefits and can celebrate with the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine."
These were harsh words, but Ulanara tolerated them, at least she saved Granny Chang. Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, she heard a young maid say:
"Sister, I just saw an old nanny who hasn't come to collect her benefits yet."
Xiao Xuan tugged at Wanyan Wenliu's sleeve and said in a clear voice, then, as everyone looked over, she pointed innocently at the Empress's palace: "I just saw that old nanny go inside, sister, go and call her out, let's get our perks together!"
For a moment, Ulanara could almost hear her own heartbeat.
She abruptly stood up and roared, "What lowly servants! How dare you spout such nonsense in front of me! No matter what, I am still the Empress. I will not tolerate your insolence. Come here! Throw them out of here!"
"Your Majesty!" Wanyan Wenliu called out, "Your Majesty, please don't be alarmed. Perhaps my younger sister has misread it. Why don't you allow me to take a look—"
"Get out!" Seeing that no one listened to her and dared to lay a hand on them, Ulanara was furious and wished she could kick them out herself. But Wanyan Wenliu smiled and took Ulanara's arm: "Xiao Xuan! Can't you see how anxious Her Majesty the Empress is? Go and see!"
"Yes!" Xiao Xuan ran as fast as she could. Ulanara almost cried out in surprise, but she didn't know how Wanyan Wenliu had grown up. He was quite strong. She struggled for a moment but couldn't break free. She couldn't help but sneer repeatedly: "Good, good Gongzhengsi, good Gongzhengsi deputy director, Qian Shi is very capable and has raised a bunch of good dogs like you!"
"Your Majesty flatters me, this humble subject is truly unworthy of such praise." Wanyan Wenliu smiled and stopped exerting force. Ulanara shoved her aside and ran towards the bedchamber at almost her fastest speed, but it was too late; Granny Chang had already been pulled out.
Xiao Xuan innocently and charmingly exclaimed, "Look, sister, we've really forgotten about a nanny!"
"It was indeed my fault. May I ask this old woman's name?" Wanyan Wenliu smiled, picked up his pen, and opened the register. "This register... seems to have no record of her?"
"The roster is wrong!" Ulanara shouted angrily, but she knew that she looked too ugly and fake and was hard to believe. She pursed her lips and pretended to be calm, saying, "Granny Chang used to serve in the laundry room. I thought she was good, so I transferred her to Changchun Palace."
"So that's how it is. It was my fault. I will go back and check the list of personnel in the laundry department before reporting back to Her Majesty the Empress." As Wanyan Wenliu spoke, her bright almond-shaped eyes had already carefully sized up Granny Chang.
She did not come here to openly confront the Empress. She gently inquired about the name of this Granny Chang, wrote it down in the register, and then quietly distributed cloth and gold melon seeds to Granny Chang. After that, she left Changchun Palace with Xiao Xuan and several palace servants from the Palace Administration Department.
The gatekeeper now is an elderly, thin eunuch surnamed Li. He was transferred from the Cold Palace to guard Changchun Palace by Lady Guo after the incident involving Eunuch Wang. Eunuch Li is very grateful to Lady Guo and the entire Palace Administration Department.
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