Chapter 167 Willing to Share the Queen's Worries
Pei Shu and Dong Yue stood at the gate of Yifeng Palace for more than an hour.
The wind was strong and the snow was heavy.
Dongyue rubbed the tip of her cold nose, feeling lucky that there was a roof above her head, otherwise they would have been buried in the snow.
Dongyue was even more fortunate that Pei Shu had anticipated this and was afraid that she would suffer some hardships when it came to Yifeng Palace.
Both the master and the servant were dressed warmly, with several layers of clothing underneath, and knee pads wrapped inside their outer trousers.
Before going out, Dongyue took two hand warmers that she had found from some corner, filled them with charcoal ash, wrapped them in cloth, and stuffed them into Pei Shu's cloak.
Pei Shu turned around, helped Dongyue, and handed the hand warmer to Dongyue.
Dong Yue wanted to refuse and said in a mosquito-like voice:
"Hold it, ma'am. Don't let it get cold."
Pei Shu, with a slightly red cheek, said: "Hold it, I'm almost sweating."
Dongyue: “Oh, okay.”
Pei Shu gave the hand warmer to Dongyue, and she felt much better.
The charcoal fire in Yifeng Palace was burning so brightly that warmth seeped into the house. Although wind and snow blew in from the corridor, it wasn't that cold.
Dongyue, that silly girl, insisted on giving her two hand warmers because she was really hot.
The door opened from the inside and Aunt Dong came out:
"Concubine Hui, please follow me in. The others are waiting outside."
Pei Shu followed Nanny Dong in, and Dong Yue continued to wait outside.
Dongyue was holding two heaters in her arms and now felt a little hot.
A gust of winter wind blew, and Dongyue squinted her eyes.
Well, it’s much cooler now.
Inside the hall.
The queen, wearing her outer robe, sat beside the couch and smiled kindly at Pei Shu:
"It has been a long time since Concubine Hui has come to my place. I just took a nap, and these ignorant servants didn't come to report, leaving Concubine Hui waiting outside for so long."
Pei Shu bowed respectfully to the Queen:
"I have nothing to do. I was just standing there for a moment. Your Majesty is in charge of the six palaces and is very busy and tired. How could I disturb your rest?"
"Hui Jieyu is still as talkative as ever."
The queen leaned back on the table and looked at Pei Shu all over.
She was wearing the most inconspicuous clothes, which made her look a bit bloated. There was a silver hairpin on her head that was so old that it looked dull.
But that face is still very beautiful and full of charm.
When she was favored, she was not as ostentatious as Concubine Shu, but was calm and noncompetitive.
But the queen at that time couldn't stand her nonchalant appearance. She had clearly obtained the emperor's favor that the entire harem had dreamed of, but she pretended to be noble.
At that time, the queen would rather see Pei Shu being domineering and flamboyant than seeing her cold and distant face.
However, after many years, that was Du Ru's idea when she was young.
Now that she saw that Concubine Shu was really becoming more ostentatious, the Queen felt that Concubine Shu's behavior was more annoying.
I heard that Concubine Shu asked about the emperor's authority to assist in managing the six palaces a few days ago.
If the emperor really gave Concubine Shu the power to assist, then the Yifeng Palace would probably not have a moment of peace.
"Concubine Hui seldom leaves the palace on weekdays. What brings you to my palace today?" the Queen asked calmly.
Pei Shu glanced at the palace maids serving in the hall, opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
The Queen: "Everyone in this palace is my people, you can speak freely."
Pei Shu clenched her frayed cuffs with both hands, pursed her pale lips, and knelt before the Queen:
"Please, Queen, help me once. I will definitely share your worries."
"What is Hui Jieyu doing? If you have something to say, please talk to her nicely. Get up quickly, the ground is cold."
The queen tried to dissuade him, but her body was still leaning firmly on the couch. She did not reach out to help, and Nanny Dong, who was serving beside her, did not help either.
Pei Shu knelt on the ground, tears rolling down her eyes:
"Your Majesty, I am truly alone now. For the past ten years, I have lived in the palace with Di'er, always keeping to my duty. But now Di'er is gone. Di'er is stupid and lacks the Emperor's favor. Last year, the Emperor sent him to such a remote place as Lingnan. I don't know if he will be sent there again in the future."
"I am alone and helpless in the palace, with no place to go for the rest of my life. Your Majesty is kind-hearted, and I only hope to rely on you."
It is so pitiful to see a beautiful woman crying, even her crying looks beautiful.
The queen glanced at Nanny Dong.
Nanny Dong asked all the palace servants to leave, leaving only the three of them.
The Queen sat up straighter and sneered:
"The King of Yue has already returned from Lingnan. When he left, I didn't see you coming to me for help, but you're here now?"
Pei Shu paused in her tears, as if she knew she couldn't hide it anymore. She hesitated for a while before saying:
"I...I saw that the Queen seemed to be interested in helping the sisters in the harem...so I became interested."
"Concubine Hui is truly a very clever person. She stays in Minghui Palace all day long, yet she still inquires about news from outside."
The queen sneered, with a hint of contempt in her tone that exposed the other party.
Pei Shu lowered her head and continued, "I dare not lie to your majesty. Since Di'er left, I have no hope in the palace. I am truly afraid, so I come here to ask for your help."
Pei Shu was humble and spoke in a soft tone.
Nanny Dong saw this and thought to herself: I have to let go of all the hardships I have endured for more than ten years just by looking at that fairy-like person.
When the queen saw Pei Shu like this, her complexion looked better and she even felt better.
She looked at Pei Shu, her mind slightly moved.
It’s not that you can’t try.
The people selected a while ago were not up to standard. It would be useless to send them to the emperor. He must choose someone else.
Pei Shu now has no mother to support her, and her only son is stupid and useless, making him the easiest person to control.
In the future, they will try to drive Murong Di to Lingnan, and Pei Shu will be completely alone in the capital, with no other hope.
The queen looked at Pei Shu's face carefully.
Like jade and porcelain, it is beautiful, but it is no longer the same as when it was young.
"You're thirty-two now, right? Even if I give you a hand, can you still compare to the you of more than ten years ago?"
Pei Shu wiped away her tears and looked up and said:
"I know my youth is gone, but I am the same age as Concubine Shu. I am here to help the Empress. There is no need to compare myself with the past, only with the current Concubine Shu."
After Pei Shu said this, the queen remembered.
Concubine Shu used to have a rather flamboyant personality, and when Pei Shu was in favor, she often got angry about this.
Concubine Shu had won over others, but she had never won over Pei Shu.
The Queen smiled wryly and said:
"Yes, now that you mention it, I remember that you two also had a duel when you were young. One time, the emperor was over there, and Concubine Shu pretended to have a headache and invited the emperor over, but in the end, the emperor still went back to your place that night."
Pei Shu: "I don't remember much about the past. From now on, I am only willing to serve the Empress."
The Queen: "I will help you. Even if you have the ability to win the favor from Concubine Shu, who knows if you will become the second Concubine Shu?"
Pei Shu pondered for a moment and said, "Forgive me for speaking frankly, but if the Empress promotes any of the sisters in the harem, they could be the next Shufei, but I alone won't do that."
The Queen raised her eyebrows: "Hmm?"
"I was injured during childbirth, and I'm afraid I won't be able to have children for the royal family in the future." Pei Shu's voice was very low.
"If Her Majesty the Queen doesn't believe me, you can ask the Imperial Physician."
The Queen looked at Pei Shu silently for a while, and her eyes had changed:
"No need to ask the doctor."
The queen asked Nanny Dong to bring a small black porcelain bottle and pour out a pill for Pei Shu.
"Prove it to me, you won't have to suffer the pain of childbirth in the future."
Pei Shu calmly took the medicine and swallowed it with a cup of cold tea.
The Queen nodded with satisfaction:
"Don't blame me, sister. I did this so that you won't have to suffer so much in the future."
The Queen finally asked Nanny Dong to help Pei Shu up:
"Look at what you're wearing. It's made of last year's material, isn't it? Go back to the palace and rest for a few days. I'll have someone send you some bright clothes."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Pei Shu retreated respectfully.
Nanny Dong watched Pei Shu and Dong Yue walk out of Yifeng Palace before asking:
"My Lady, do you really want to use her?"
The Queen stood up and walked to the desk, her steps becoming more leisurely and relaxed.
"She's the best candidate."
Her mother's family was in decline and she was unable to have children. Her only son was mentally retarded and not around.
Nanny Dong followed the Queen's instructions and went to work.
The queen picked up the pen and continued copying Buddhist scriptures.
The ink on the paper continues:
[…Seeing that the five aggregates are empty, one can transcend all suffering.]
When the queen wrote the word "bitterness", the amulet on her body suddenly fell off.
When the palace maids in the hall saw this, they hurried forward, picked up the amulet and wanted to put it on the queen.
The palace maid lowered her head and glanced inside, only to see a round bead.
As gray as the gloomy sky outside the window.
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