Looking at Heshen, who spoke of her as if she were a panacea, Yan Ning finally understood why the Emperor liked him so much. Anyone would be pleased to hear such a silver tongue.
Startled, Fukang'an knelt beside Heshen before the Emperor could speak, saying, "Your Majesty, Yan Ning is unfamiliar with palace etiquette and may have offended the Empress Dowager, causing her distress!"
Heshen then laughed and said, "Perhaps the general can't bear to part with his beloved wife!"
Fukang'an coldly retorted to Heshen, "How dare you, Lord Heshen, interfere in other people's affairs?"
Seeing the two ministers arguing over her, the Empress Dowager's recently recovered illness worsened. "Let Yan Ning serve me! I will soon be gone!"
One sentence silenced both Fukang'an and Heshen.
Yan Ning begged the Empress Dowager to allow her to send Fukang'an out of the palace. Yan Ning dared not look Fukang'an in the eye, afraid that he would see that this was what she had asked for.
In the silent palace, Fukang'an's silence only deepened Yan Ning's worry. "Fukang'an, I've seen that painting!" Yan Ning whispered.
"Forget about it!"
With just three words, before reaching the palace gates, Fukang'an did not utter another word to Yan Ning.
Before leaving the palace, Fukang'an calmly instructed Yan Ning, "The Empress Dowager is kind-hearted. As long as you behave yourself, that's fine! I will go and plead with the Empress Dowager to let you leave the palace!"
Yan Ning nodded, her eyes filled with guilt.
Fukang'an wanted to reach out and smooth Yan Ning's jet-black hair, but the strict rules of the Forbidden City forced him to lower his hand again.
He took the reins from the guard, mounted his horse, and rode away.
Yan Ning knew that Fukang'an was most vulnerable at this time, but such an opportunity to enter the palace was rare and precious, and Yan Ning could not miss this chance.
The Cining Palace is brightly lit, with no sense of darkness, yet it cannot illuminate the depths of people's hearts.
Granny Zhuang led Yan Ning to a room in a side hall of the Cining Palace, where she would share a room with a palace maid named Zi Yu. Zi Yu's residence was not as grand and imposing as the Fucha Mansion's, but it was still part of the Empress Dowager's palace, and the furnishings were quite valuable.
Ziyu was a few years older than Yanning. She had an ordinary appearance but a sweet voice. She called out to Yanning sweetly, "Miss Yanning!"
Having grown accustomed to being addressed as "Madam" in the Fucha Manor, Yan Ning suddenly found herself being called "Miss," and without Zhu Xiang's personal attendants, she had to do everything herself, causing her slight discomfort. Inwardly, she resented being pampered like this herself.
The next day, Yan Ning was awakened by Zi Yu's movements. Remembering that she was already in the palace, she immediately sat up and quickly tidied herself up.
Palace maids were not allowed to apply makeup; they could only wash their faces with water each day, which saved Yan Ning a lot of trouble. Because it was summer, the palace maids had two sets of palace attire: one mint green and one peach pink. They changed every five days, and if they wore the wrong clothes, they would be immediately punished with a cane by the head eunuch.
Ziyu burned incense for the Empress Dowager every day, only needing to ensure that smoke constantly wafted from the golden censer. As for what kind of incense to burn, the head eunuch would tell her.
The daily routines of the servants in the Empress Dowager's palace were very clear: who did what, when to do it—the tasks were all clearly divided, making it quite easy. However, one thing had to be remembered: mistakes were unacceptable. If you made a mistake and troubled the Empress Dowager, not only would the head eunuch severely punish the offender, but if the matter reached the Emperor, that person would face certain death.
While busy with her work, Ziyu explained the rules to Yanning. From Ziyu's words, Yanning only understood two sentences: "In the palace, whatever you say today must be done according to the rules; whatever you step on, whether it's the first foot or the last foot, must also be done according to the rules."
Granny Zhuang hadn't told Yan Ning what she was going to do yet. Deep down, Yan Ning feared the Empress Dowager would make her dance the peacock every day; even if the Empress Dowager didn't mind, Yan Ning herself would get tired of it.
Yan Ning followed Zi Yu and wore a mint green palace maid's dress, imitating Zi Yu by tying her hair into two loose buns. To distinguish themselves from other palace maids, the palace maids in the Empress Dowager's palace all wore a purple palace flower on their buns, a symbol of good fortune for the ailing Empress Dowager.
As soon as Yan Ning stepped out of the room, her words proved true. A row of palace maids and eunuchs, carrying trays, walked in unison toward the Empress Dowager's bedroom.
Yan Ning looked up at the sky above the Forbidden City. It was square and upright, yet even in the summer, it made one feel constantly covered in cold sweat. And she would have to survive in this deep palace, like many other concubines, navigating every step with caution, to live on and find what she was looking for.
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