After kowtowing to the Dowager Consort, Jiang Shuwan helped the old lady prepare to leave the palace. As they passed through the Imperial Garden, it suddenly started to rain.
It's already early September, and the weather is already autumnal. The old lady is already sick, so she can't get wet in the rain.
Jiang Shuwan let the old lady take shelter from the rain in the pavilion and ran to borrow an umbrella.
She walked for quite a while without encountering any palace maids or eunuchs. The palace was vast, and she became somewhat lost. She couldn't even find her way back, let alone look for anyone.
Just as she was getting a little anxious, an old woman beckoned her over.
The old woman was dressed simply and was standing in a place called "Jinggong".
Before entering the palace, Jiang Shuwan had done her homework.
Jinggong was not the residence of the Empress or Consort Gao. It was overgrown with weeds, some of which were taller than a person.
It was a courtyard that had been abandoned for many years, a third-rate, deserted house. When Jiang Shuwan was doing her homework, no one had even mentioned this courtyard.
Looking at the old nanny's attire, she didn't seem like a powerful palace servant.
A retired old woman living in a destitute household, out of favor with the emperor, should not have been able to have any contact with the empress or Consort Gao.
The Empress and Consort Gao are currently very powerful, and she really doesn't want to have anything to do with them.
"Thank you, Granny."
Jiang Shuwan quickly ran over to take shelter from the rain.
"I dare not accept your thanks, sir. Are you having trouble finding your way? There is a funeral in the palace today, and many palace maids and eunuchs have been transferred away. I will send a maid to guide you in a moment."
The old nanny spoke gently, and then invited Jiang Shuwan into the house.
"Please come in, Your Excellency. Jing Palace has been abandoned for many years and is a bit messy, but it is still possible for Your Excellency to rest here for a while."
Jiang Shuwan dared not go in. Not only was the place remote and she was alone and weak, but the old lady was still waiting for her in the Imperial Garden.
The palace is a place rife with trouble; it's best to leave early if there's nothing to do.
“I am the daughter-in-law of the Marquis of Wenyuan. I was originally accompanying my grandmother to the palace to see off the Dowager Consort on her final journey, but we encountered heavy rain on the way and it became difficult to continue.”
"So you're from the Marquis's residence. I'm sorry for my rudeness."
The old nanny bowed hurriedly as she spoke. Seeing that Jiang Shuwan was standing warily under the eaves and wouldn't come in, she didn't invite her in again, but instead instructed a maid to bring her ginger tea.
After serving Jiang Shuwan hot tea, the old nanny noticed that rainwater had fallen on her head and took a clean handkerchief to wipe it off for her.
"Your clothes are wet, Your Highness. My master does have some old clothes that you can lend. However, the women who enter the palace do not go back and change their clothes. Please make do with them."
He quickly wiped the water off Jiang Shuwan's body.
Then he had a palace maid bring two umbrellas, and after many twists and turns, he personally escorted Jiang Shuwan out of this desolate area.
Jiang Shuwan had already spotted the old lady in the distance, and she took out the purse containing the tip from her person.
"Thank you, Granny."
"How can this be allowed?"
The old nanny waved her hand in a panic, but Jiang Shuwan still forcefully stuffed it into her hand.
After thanking her again, she picked up her umbrella and hurried toward the old lady.
When the old nanny was serving tea, she took a closer look. The old nanny's hands were rough and weathered, and she certainly didn't seem like a favored head nanny.
and.
She also mentioned that her prince had some old clothes he could lend her...
It seems he was a close attendant of a princess, and had no relation to the Empress or Consort Gao.
Yes.
These two ladies are taking advantage of the Empress Dowager's funeral to get close to the wives of officials they've been wooing; they have no time to bother her.
Thinking this, Jiang Shuwan quickened her pace.
The old lady saw her from afar, but her eyesight wasn't very good, and she could only vaguely make out who was bringing her over.
Who was that person next to you just now?
"Just a kind-hearted nanny."
Jiang Shuwan smiled, finished speaking, and helped the old lady walk outside while holding an umbrella.
On the other side.
The old nanny quickly returned to the Jing Palace, and upon entering, she saw that the main room, which had been tightly closed, was wide open.
The jade-carved screen depicting lakes and mountains, the purple-lacquered and gold-painted tea table in the shape of a begonia with landscape patterns, and the gilded incense burners with lion-shaped ornaments at the four corners burning ambergris incense all exude royal nobility.
The courtyard was abandoned, but the interior was luxurious and exquisite.
Incense smoke curled from the incense burner, and a man dressed in mourning clothes sat behind the tea table.
Four or five palace maids attended to him, some lighting incense, others serving tea. The dozen or so servants in the room held their breath and remained completely silent.
From the outside it looks like an abandoned, deserted courtyard, but so many people are hiding inside.
If the young mistress of the Marquis's mansion were to actually push open the door and enter, she would be terrified to death upon seeing this scene.
Suddenly, a guard walked in.
"How did it go?" the man who had been silent behind the coffee table asked.
"Your Highness, the people who were guarding the Imperial Garden trying to lure the young mistress there have all been dealt with. As Your Highness instructed, the Empress and Consort Gao will only assume that it was the other party who did it."
"good."
The man nodded, and when he saw the old nanny come in, he put down the blue and white porcelain cup with dragon pattern.
"Thank you for your hard work, Granny."
"It's nothing much trouble to just give an umbrella. It's just that the young mistress was very wary. She didn't come in even when she reached the door. She was quite generous."
"When distinguished guests enter the palace, it is inevitable to reward the palace servants. However, everyone treats people differently based on their status. I never expected that an ordinary old nanny like me would receive such a generous reward."
As she spoke, the old woman took out the purse from her sleeve and weighed it in her hand; its weight was astonishing.
Recalling the news from the Marquis's residence, the man smiled and said, "She never seems to be petty."
The old nanny crawled to the man's side, poured him tea, and said with emotion, "Young Master used to praise her a lot, but I didn't believe it at first. Now that I've seen her, she is indeed different from ordinary women. Her words and actions are very proper, and she is no less than those noble ladies. Moreover, she did not look down on me because of my simple clothes. She is so cautious and careful. She is a very thoughtful person."
"Really? She seems pretty ordinary to me."
An arrogant and spoiled female voice suddenly rang out. The woman was also dressed in mourning clothes, and had no other jewelry except for a hairpin in her hair.
However, this hairpin alone was worth ten thousand taels of silver.
The woman was of high rank and great power. As soon as she entered, all the palace maids knelt down, and even the old nanny who had a lot of influence with the man bowed to her.
"Greetings, Princess Nan'an."
Under the respectful gazes of the crowd, Princess Li Yuyan of Nan'an sat down in front of the man, flicking her sleeves, and said disdainfully, "Just an ordinary woman from the inner quarters, yet you all speak of me as if I'm something special."
The man's lips curled into a smile. "Indeed, she just accidentally married your beloved Prince Wenyuan."
"...You're talking nonsense!"
Li Yuyan's face flushed red with anger, but the man continued, "I don't know who it is, but I heard that Prince Wenyuan married her and he's been making voodoo dolls at her every day."
"...No, I just found it strange that she and the prince didn't know each other. Why would the prince marry her? Today I see that she is indeed a scheming woman."
"..."
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