Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Palace Maid's Thirty-two Days
By the time the new concubine was carried into the palace in a sedan chair and everything was settled, another ten days had passed.
The palace was exceptionally lively that day, with people coming and going, as if the deep palace was also infused with a breath of fairy air.
The empress showed her favor to the concubines and sent rewards to all the new concubines who entered the palace, especially to Concubine Xuan who lived in Nanchun Pavilion, who received twice the generous gift.
It made people understand that she valued Concubine Xuan very much, and those groundless rumors of fear in the harem were self-defeating.
As for Zheng Cairen, she is no different from other concubines. If someone is unwilling to serve her just because the reward is not outstanding, it will be troublesome to use her in the future.
All the senior palace maids in Kunning Palace were mobilized to receive these rewards.
Shen Qing went to Yan Meiren's Jiang'e Xuan and He Cairen's Ninghui Garden.
Jiang'e Xuan is located in Jingyang Palace. The familiar Zhiyun Palace has been occupied by Lan Jieyu. Compared with the Zhiyun Palace in the same palace, Jiang'e Xuan seems particularly cramped.
Shen Qing brought palace maids holding gifts into Jiang'e Pavilion, bowed to Lady Yan, and explained the purpose of their visit.
When she looked up, Lady Yan was looking at her with a faint smile: "Thank you, Queen, for the reward." The humble room seemed a little brighter.
As usual, Shen Qing showed concern for Lady Yan on behalf of the Queen, saying, "Lady Yan has been through a lot of hardship. If you feel uncomfortable in the palace, you can ask the Queen for help. The Queen knows that Lady Yan is extremely beautiful, so she has asked someone to prepare some cloth and jewelry. I hope you like them."
Lady Yan said, "What the queen sent is something I have never seen before at home. It is naturally excellent. Please thank the queen for her concern on my behalf."
"You are too polite, my lady." Shen Qing saw that there was nothing wrong and prepared to leave. "I still have to give a reward to Mr. He from Ninghui Garden, so I will not stay here for long."
Concubine Yan signaled to the maid beside her, and the maid handed the reward of silver to Shen Qing. Shen Qing accepted it, then took his leave from Concubine Yan again and left Ninghui Garden with the palace maids.
The palace maids who deliver rewards in the palace earn the most reward silver. Usually, those who can get rewards are concubines who are favored by the emperor and empress, which means they have a bright future, so they are particularly generous.
However, according to convention, the reward money Shen Qing received had to be shared with the palace maids who also delivered the reward. But since she was the leader, she would get the biggest share.
Feeling the weight of the silver in his hand, Shen Qing estimated that it was at least ten taels.
It seems that Miss Yan’s wealth is not too bad.
Money is important to concubines who have just entered the palace, but it is not important. If they can directly win the emperor's favor, then money will be useless. In order to prevent the concubine from being wronged and whispering in the emperor's ears, the various departments in the palace give the concubine the best things, and often even exceed the concubine's daily quota.
If a concubine is not favored when entering the palace, the importance of money will be revealed. Although the concubines have a fixed quota, that quota is only enough to maintain their dignity. If they want to eat well, dress well, and wear good clothes, they have to use money to bribe them. In addition, the appearance of the concubines is maintained by money, so that they can always be radiant. Otherwise, if they are dull, the emperor will not see them, and there will be no way for them to rise.
Not long after leaving Jingyang Palace, the maidservant beside Concubine Yan chased out.
Shen Qing remembered that Miss Yan called her Xingluo. She looked a little unhappy in Jiang'exuan just now, and could only force a smile when she saw her.
It seemed like he was already dissatisfied before she came. If he was a talkative person, he would have complained to Miss Yan.
This time, the pursuit must have been prompted by the beautiful lady Yan.
Shen Qing stopped and looked at Xing Luo: "But what do you want, Lady Yan?"
Xing Luo shook her head and stuffed another ten taels of silver into Shen Qing's hand: "I want to know why our girl lives in Jiang'e Pavilion. Not only is the palace small, but there are also lush green plants growing next to it. I'm afraid it will attract mosquitoes in the summer."
Shen Qing accepted the silver and said generously, "Noble Concubine Hui favors Lady Yan. As the head of Jingyang Palace, she naturally wants to be nearby to take care of her."
Shen Qing looked at the plaque of Jingyang Palace. The three words were shining brightly in the sun.
Xing Luo also looked over there. Her eyes were stung by the direct sunlight and she couldn't help but squint, making it impossible to see her expression clearly.
Without waiting for Xing Luo to react, Shen Qing took people to He Cairen.
In Ninghui Hall, He Cairen was wearing green clothes. When she saw Shen Qing coming, she stood up quickly. Seeing this, Shen Qing helped He Cairen sit down and greeted her.
Then, she expressed the Queen's concern for the new concubine in the same way as she did in Jiang'e Xuan.
Although He Cairen's appearance is not as good as Yan Meiren, she can make people feel comfortable just by smiling stiffly.
"If you feel unwell, you can go to the Queen..."
"Of course, of course." He Cairen couldn't wait to agree, and then he remembered the polite words, "Thank you for the gift, Her Majesty the Queen. If Her Majesty doesn't mind, I can go and accompany Her Majesty often."
She said embarrassedly: "I haven't had time to make tea here, I'm afraid I can't keep you for tea."
Shen Qing laughed: "We have a mission to complete, how can we stay for tea? I would like to thank you for your kindness, but I need to take my leave first."
He Cairen had someone hand the reward silver to Shen Qing. Shen Qing bowed again and then withdrew from Ninghui Hall.
Only when the Queen's men disappeared did He Cairen withdraw his head from looking.
Her maid Ying Chun asked, "What does the master mean?"
He Cairen said, "It has been less than a year since the Queen was appointed, and she is in need of people. If I serve her, I will surely stand out from the concubines in the harem."
The Queen is pregnant and cannot serve the Emperor. If the Emperor is willing to recommend her, he might choose her first for the Queen's sake.
By then, she will be ahead of the new concubine.
He Cairen looked at the empty room and said, "This Ninghui Hall is big, but if nothing is put in it, it will look empty. Let's put the reward sent by the Queen on the table first."
Ying Chun said yes, feeling relieved, knowing that he had followed the right master. He Cairen was a man with plans and a fighting mind.
If you don't enter the palace to compete for favor, then why enter? Do you want the stability of a stagnant place?
After returning to Kunning Palace, Shen Qing distributed the silver to the palace servants and then went into the hall to report to the queen.
"The beautiful lady Yan from Jiang'e Pavilion is obviously smart, but the maid Xing Luo who came with her from home seems to be dissatisfied with her living place. She chased out to ask the reason. I told her a thing or two. The talented lady He from Ninghui Hall is very close to the queen."
The Queen thought, "The maidservant and the master have been together for a long time, and their hearts are aligned. Lady Yan must be a little dissatisfied. As for He Cairen, she is the daughter of a minor official. You can meet her when you pay your respects tomorrow. If she has ambitions, I will use her. If she just wants to live a stable life, I will not accept anyone who is not ambitious."
The queen touched her bulging belly, her brows dim and her eyes dull, looking uninterested.
Shen Qing keenly sensed the change in the queen's mentality and used everything she could. Although she did not resort to any means necessary, it was different from when she was a concubine.
Shen Qing could only comfort himself that the Queen did this for the sake of the royal heir. After all, a mother must be strong. However, he felt a little confused in his heart.
The Queen's transformation was not without signs. Originally, the Queen liked Xuancao the most because of her lively personality, but now, the Queen is closer to her and Qingyu.
The Queen no longer likes naive people.
Shen Qing is favored by the Queen, but not arrogant. He acts with propriety and speaks with consideration. Unlike Hemerocallis, who is noisy, Shen Qing is quiet most of the time and never argues with the Queen.
Xuancao and Shen Qing both did things for the good of the Queen, but the Queen preferred Shen Qing's coaxing attitude, which was just right, rather than Xuancao's overly closeness that blurred the hierarchy. Sometimes the Queen became impatient, but Xuancao still smiled to herself.
It's annoying to watch.
After piecing together the Queen's thoughts from various places, Shen Qing became even more confused.
She seemed to be tactful in her actions, but in fact, she relied entirely on her heart. When the Queen was in a good mood, she would be happy too. When the Queen was in a bad mood, she would not say much and would quietly pretend that she did not exist until the Queen adjusted herself, or she would coax the Queen according to her wishes.
Hemerocallis is not as good as her, it's all about the golden finger. Hemerocallis is not without tact, but the problem is that the queen has now stopped showing her emotions, so how can Hemerocallis act according to her mood?
In Shen Qing's opinion, Xuancao died unjustly, and she probably still doesn't know that the queen dislikes her a little.
As for Qingyu, she has always been respectful to the Queen and has never overstepped her boundaries at any time. Her abilities are a plus as she has handled the affairs of the six bureaus very well, saving the Queen a lot of energy.
Who doesn’t like capable subordinates?
After leaving the palace, Xuancao came back with a smile. She went to Wangshui Pavilion of Concubine Chu and Fuxiang Tower of Concubine Zheng.
Although the Queen had somewhat distanced herself from Hemerocallis, she still valued her on the surface. She was given the position of one of the two noble ladies among the new concubines and Zheng Cairen, whom the Queen temporarily favored.
Shen Qing smiled at her and watched Xuancao enter the hall.
She originally wanted to pull Hemerocallis and tell her that the Queen was in a bad mood, but according to Hemerocallis's personality, she would definitely ask the Queen what was wrong. Saying more would only make more mistakes and would only increase the Queen's annoyance with Hemerocallis.
So Shen Qing had to give up this method and went outside Xuancao's house to wait for her to come back after finishing her work.
When Xuancao and Shen Qing met, she still had a smile on her face, as if she had not been scolded by the Queen.
Shen Qing looked at her carefully and felt relieved. Even if the queen was annoyed with someone now, she would not show it and lose the hearts of her subordinates. What's more, she used to like daylily very much and would not embarrass her.
When Xuancao saw Shen Qing, she hugged Shen Qing into her arms, feeling how soft she was, and then she let go: "What's wrong?"
Shen Qing was pulled into the house by Xuancao: "The Queen seems a little tired today."
Xuancao realized it later and said worriedly, "It seems so. Why didn't I notice it just now? Although I am happy that the queen is pregnant, it is really hard for her."
"Yes! Your Majesty is pregnant, so her patience for trivial matters must be reduced. We should be more concise in reporting in the future to save Her Majesty from worrying too much."
Shen Qing got in front of Xuancao and asked, "How is it?"
Since Hemerocallis couldn't tell the queen's attitude, it was better for her to say less. If the queen's attitude towards Hemerocallis changed again later, she would do the same thing, under the banner of doing good for the queen, and let Hemerocallis change accordingly.
If the mountain does not come to me, I will come to the mountain.
Since the queen cannot change, let Daylily be more considerate.
Xuancao particularly agreed: "The Queen always feels sleepy, maybe she didn't get enough sleep. We really shouldn't bother the Queen."
Shen Qing smiled instantly, her brows relaxed. She was very reluctant to see Hemerocallis alienated by the Queen, and it was best for Hemerocallis to behave this way.
But in his heart, Shen Qing responded to Xuancao coldly and arrogantly, No, only you.
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