Chapter 20 Let’s get started right away?
Wei Zhaorong came back to her senses from her astonishment.
Thinking of the Queen's words that they were equally matched, he gritted his teeth and nodded casually.
"Sister Su Zhaorong, I'm not trying to be funny, but you've just arrived in the palace and you've already moved into the main hall. If others see you, I'm worried there might be some bad rumors."
Hey, are you going to start right away?
Su Ci blinked in surprise and looked at Aunt Xue: "Aunt..."
Nanny Xue was calm and composed: "The Empress Dowager personally bestowed the Jade Lotus Palace upon Su Zhaorong, so of course you can live in the main hall."
"oh."
Su Ci looked at the stiff-faced person innocently, and said with regret: "Thank you, Sister Wei, for thinking of me. However, the Queen Mother's order cannot be disobeyed, so I can only live here."
"But don't worry, Sister Wei. I just went to see the side hall. It's very beautiful. You lived in the side hall of Ganquan Palace for two years. Moving to the side hall of Yufu Palace shouldn't be difficult for you, right?"
“…”
Wei Zhaorong almost couldn't hold back her expression. She squinted her eyes and looked at the girl with an innocent smile, gritting her teeth secretly.
"Sister Su is loved by the Empress Dowager. I am worried too much. We will live in the same palace in the future. I hope you will take good care of her."
Su Ci nodded happily: "Of course, Sister Wei, I just finished setting up, would you like to stay and have some tea?"
"No, I still have to go clean up the house."
"Then I won't force you to stay. Please do as you please, Sister Wei."
Nanny Xue watched the person leave in disappointment and looked at Su Ci with admiration.
I was also very surprised.
She was worried that she would have to block Wei Zhaorong's power, but she didn't expect the little girl to fight back with just a few words.
"Then please rest, Su Zhaorong. I will take my leave now."
Su Ci smiled and nodded: "Thank you, Ma'am. Please come here more often when you are free. I would like to learn more from you how to serve the Empress Dowager."
"yes."
**
After Nanny Xue left, Yanyu somewhat stiffly ordered Shaoyao, Zhuang Lu and others to get busy, and then returned to her master, looking a little nervous.
"Girl, don't you need to go and see His Majesty?"
"How can a concubine rush to see the emperor right after entering the palace?"
Su Ci laughed: "If this decree came from His Majesty, I could still find an excuse to go and express my gratitude, but I was recruited into the palace by the Empress Dowager. If I'm so eager to flirt with the Emperor, I'll be caught by the feet later."
Besides, if she wants to seduce the emperor, she can do it in private...
Guyu carefully poured her a cup of tea.
"Master is right. This servant sees that Wei Zhaorong is the person sent by the Empress to keep an eye on you. We must all be careful."
"And Yanyu, you should be careful with your address, lest someone with ulterior motives overhears and causes trouble for the master."
Yanyu nodded quickly: "I, uh, this servant understands. I have to call you master from now on."
Su Ci tilted her head and looked at the calm Guyu.
"Guyu, you've been so cautious today. Is it because you're scared?"
"Yes, I am very scared."
Gu Yu nodded calmly: "As soon as this servant arrived at the master's side, she followed him into the palace. This is something this servant never dreamed of. Of course, I am very scared and nervous."
"But I only remember one thing: I am the master's personal servant. I cannot show my weakness and make mistakes that would embarrass the master."
Su Ci asked the matchmaker and learned that Guyu was originally a maid in a wealthy family, but because she was unwilling to be a concubine, she angered the master and was beaten with a stick and sold off.
The reason why Su Ci decided to accept her at that time was because of her very frank words.
If a girl buys a slave, the slave will have you as his master for his entire life and will never marry.
The fate of maids and servants is mostly the same. They are either taken as concubines by the man of the master's family, or married to a steward or servant trusted by the master. The children they give birth to are also house-born slaves. In the rare case that they meet a kind-hearted master, they can cancel their indentures and go home to get married.
But Guyu was born in a brothel, her father was unknown, and she was secretly sold to a matchmaker by her mother when she was seven or eight years old, thus escaping the fate of becoming a prostitute.
"Well, you did a great job."
Su Ci took a sip of tea, her expression calm: "But you have to remember one thing, the past is not important, you are my Guyu now, don't underestimate yourself anymore."
Guyu was slightly stunned, and a glimmer of water flashed in his eyes.
"Yes, thank you, Master."
"Reporting to Zhaorong."
Shaoyao walked to the door and nodded, "Zhaoyi Yan, Zhaoyi Song, and several other young ladies are here."
"Um."
Su Ci stood up, smoothed her sleeves, and put on a very friendly smile.
"Please come in, Shaoyao, prepare some snacks. Guyu, get out the Yueshan Cloud Mist gift from His Majesty."
"yes."
…
Funing Hall
Xuan Yi rarely looked at the memorial, but instead stared at the paper in his hand.
I searched for him everywhere, and when I turned around, he was there, standing in the dim light.
Four small words below: Any progress? A small smiley face in a circle.
“…”
Xuan Yi stared at it for a moment, then reached out, picked up a pen, dipped it in cinnabar, and made some annotations. He then put it back into the small wooden box and pushed it forward.
"Go down."
"yes."
Qin Zheng picked up the wooden box and bent her knees slightly. She turned and walked to the door of the hall. She heard His Majesty calling Zhuang Yu to come in, and a smile flashed in her eyes.
This is the first time I see Your Majesty being so patient.
I even wrote back, which is rare...
As soon as she entered the Yufu Palace, Qin Zheng saw two rows of palace maids and eunuchs standing in front of the main hall door, and frowned slightly.
Shaoyao walked over quickly and bowed, "Madam is here. Zhaorong is entertaining Zhaoyi Yan and Zhaoyi Song inside."
"Well, I'm here to deliver a letter to Su Zhaorong."
Qin Zheng said this as she entered the main hall, her eyes quickly scanning the expressions of the people inside.
Except for Su Zhaorong who had a bright smile, everyone else looked deflated and stiff.
"Greetings to Consort Yan, Consort Song, and all the ladies."
"Mammy, are you here?"
Su Ci stood up happily, staring at the small wooden box.
Qin Zheng smiled and walked forward, handing the box to Yanyu: "Zhaorong, this is what your Majesty ordered me to deliver."
"Thank you for your trip, Ma'am. Ma'am, would you please follow Guyu to the back room to have some tea and rest for a while?"
"Thank you, Zhaorong. However, Your Majesty is about to have dinner, so I will take my leave now."
"Then I won't stay any longer. Take care, Ma'am."
Su Ci smiled and sat down again, looking at the people who were staring at the wooden box: "What were we talking about just now?"
Yan Zhaoyi retracted her gaze, lowered her eyes, and took a sip of tribute tea. "Su Zhaorong just entered the palace today, and not only did she receive tribute tea personally bestowed by His Majesty, but she also received a reward. This is truly enviable."
"Hmm? It's not a reward."
Su Ci nodded to the white porcelain teapot beside her and shook her head innocently: "His Majesty said this was just a small gift and didn't ask me to express my gratitude properly. It doesn't count as an imperial gift, so I dared to take it out to entertain my sisters."
“…”
Several people had stiff smiles, and Wu Chongyuan couldn't help but point at the wooden box in Yanyu's hand.
"Then what is this? His Majesty asked Nanny Qin to deliver it personally. Doesn't this count as a gift from the Emperor?"
"Well, that doesn't count either."
Su Ci lowered her head shyly, her eyes watering: "It's the letter His Majesty sent me..."
Song Zhaoyi secretly clenched her cup and feigned surprise, "A letter from His Majesty? But didn't you just enter the palace today? Could it be that you and His Majesty have been exchanging letters before?"
"Ouch~"
Su Ci rubbed her handkerchief and said shyly: "Sister, don't ask me, it's embarrassing..."
…
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