In the following days, the two tried to avoid keeping watch at night as much as possible, but there were only a few people around all the time, and keeping watch at night was a tough job, so they couldn't always escape it.
Luqin had saved up some money over the years. She spent it to buy some information and then said to Hongmei, "I'm planning to find a job elsewhere, but life will be tough. Do you want to come with me?"
"Sister, I'll go with you."
Could any hardship be more terrifying than this constant anxiety?
Ever since the suspicion arose, whenever it was Hongmei's turn to keep watch at night, she couldn't sleep at all, let alone fall asleep, even though Shi Changzai lit incense to help her sleep before leaving.
Fortunately, Hongmei didn't show it, and Shi Changzai didn't notice anything amiss.
"Tomorrow, I will help you pack the mistress's things. The mistress will lose a piece of jewelry, and we will both be blamed for it and sent back to the Imperial Household Department for a while, and then go to the Jingyang Palace Library to work as cleaning maids."
Hongmei had no objection to Lüqin's arrangement. Jingyang Palace used to be a cold palace. After Youqing moved out of Jingyang Palace, it was transformed into a library after the epidemic ended, specifically for storing books.
Now that Emperor Kangxi is not in the palace, this library is notoriously deserted. Serving there can only be about finding peace and security; there is no possibility of a bright future.
"I'll listen to my sister."
The next day, Luqin and Hongmei went to tidy up the storeroom for Consort Shi, and then discovered that a red jade hairpin was missing from the storeroom. Consort Shi had no favored children and her family background was ordinary, so this red jade hairpin was a very precious item to her.
The hairpin was lost for no reason, so she had to ask for punishment. After questioning them several times, she finally focused her suspicions on Hongmei and Lüqin. However, since there was no evidence, she could only send the two back to the Imperial Household Department.
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