Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 256 Title Conferment

Hua Yan, along with Lv Liu and Xia Er, left the study and walked back to the side hall.

"You looked a little off in the study just now. Is there something you want to say?" Hua Yan stopped and turned to look at Xia'er.

Xia'er hesitated for a moment, then stammered, "No...no."

"Is it related to the title with the character 'Mei'?"

Xia'er took a deep breath, not daring to look directly at Hua Yan, "Replying to Lady, this servant...this servant does not know if the two are related."

Hua Yan waited quietly for her to speak, while Lü Liu took Xia'er's arm. "Sister Xia'er, you are now a member of Huining Palace. Is there anything you're still worried about?"

These words seemed to solidify Xia'er's resolve, and she said slowly:

"When Granny Yu was in the Duke's mansion, she was the eldest young lady's wet nurse. I remember when we were in the official slave quarters, every year when the plum blossoms were in bloom, Granny Yu would pick a few branches of red plum blossoms as an offering, and she would call out the eldest young lady's childhood name, Mei Jie'er."

The eldest young lady was born in the twelfth lunar month and also passed away in the twelfth lunar month. Granny Yu would weep constantly whenever she thought of her.

Green Willow was taken aback and whispered, "It's such a coincidence that the young lady's younger sister has been named 'Plum' Consort by the Emperor."

After saying this, Xia'er said hesitantly, "Perhaps I'm overthinking it..."

"I heard that the eldest daughter of the Duke's mansion died of illness?" Hua Yan thought to herself, and sure enough, this title had a deeper meaning.

"Yes, but the young lady has always been in good health. The servants in the manor have been gossiping in private... saying that the young lady is both beautiful and talented, and that it was only because the heavens were jealous of her beauty that she suffered this calamity."

Hua Yan offered no comment and sent Xia'er away. After Xia'er took her leave, she went to the tea room to find Chun'er.

After Xia'er walked away, Lüliu gasped, as if possessed by Ruizhu, "Shushu, is Consort Mei's title really related to her sister? Does the Emperor favor Miss Qing?"

Hua Yan walked towards the side hall and said thoughtfully, "Perhaps, or perhaps not entirely."

How could the emperor be a ruler who is solely devoted to love?

"If Consort Mei hadn't brought out plum blossoms at the New Year's Eve banquet, would the Emperor have thought of bestowing this title upon her? It seems she's made a fool of herself?"

Hua Yan sneered: "It's more like they've created their own trap."

Given the Emperor's exceptional treatment of the Duke of Qing's family, coupled with the Empress Dowager's enthusiastic and dedicated support, it's entirely possible that they could be ranked among the Four Consorts.

Hua Yan said with a playful tone, "I wonder how Miss Qing will feel when she learns of this title..."

......

On the seventh day of the first lunar month, the ceremony for bestowing the title of imperial concubine went smoothly, and the emperor naturally stayed overnight at Zhaoqing Palace.

The day after being conferred the title of Imperial Concubine, Consort Mei went to Renming Hall to pay her respects to the Empress. She wore a scarlet Shu brocade palace dress with a white fox fur cloak over it. Her hair was styled in a high bun, resembling a cloud in the shape of a half-turned bun, adorned with a crown in the center with phoenix and mandarin duck holding flower branches, and the edges were decorated with gold plum blossom patterns.

However, the most eye-catching item was the string of jeweled crystal beads adorning her chest, which shimmered and was extremely gorgeous, making Shen Meiren stare in disbelief.

Consort Mei stepped forward gracefully and knelt in a gesture of respect. "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy good health and longevity."

The Empress said, "Get up," and Granny Gui stepped forward to help Consort Mei up. Then, Consort Mei and Consort Chun sat facing each other in the front seats.

After all the concubines were seated, the Empress, seeing that Consort Mei looked radiant and showed no signs of illness, was slightly surprised and said with a smile:

"Consort Mei looks radiant today, even more energetic than usual. It seems that the Emperor's favor is truly a good medicine, allowing my sister to recover from her illness."

After speaking, his eyes seemed to linger meaningfully on Consort Mei, and he casually stroked his fingertips with the handkerchief in his hand.

Consort Mei remained calm and said softly, "Your Majesty is humbled. Your Majesty's majesty is beyond compare, while I am but a willow branch, unable to even begin to match her."

Consort Chun watched the two of them chatting away and couldn't help but yawn. The Empress asked with concern, "Consort Chun doesn't seem to be in good spirits today. Did you not sleep well last night?"

After she finished speaking, everyone present looked at Consort Chun, with Consort Shen showing the most interest.

Consort Chun rose and curtsied, "Your Majesty, I had some rare free time last night and played a few more games of chess with Consort Meng, so I went to bed late."

The Empress was taken aback, a barely perceptible smile curving her lips. She assumed that Consort Chun was trying to cover something up, and her gaze returned to Consort Mei. "Consort Mei should serve His Majesty wholeheartedly and not fail to live up to His Majesty's favor."

Consort Mei bowed respectfully, saying, "Your Majesty's teachings will be followed without question."

Subsequently, the Empress bestowed gifts upon the new concubines who were serving the Emperor for the first time, as was customary. She said, “Now that Consort Mei has entered the palace, many more new concubines will be joining the harem. They should support each other in the harem and must not become jealous or scheme against each other because of temporary competition for favor. Only when the harem is harmonious can the Emperor have no worries.”

Everyone rose: "Your Majesty, we will follow Your Majesty's teachings."

The Empress sat upright on her phoenix throne, scrutinizing the concubines before her. She slightly raised her hand, keeping Consort Song behind while the others dispersed.

According to custom, a concubine of the rank of Consort Mei was entitled to two eunuchs and eight personal maids to attend to her daily needs, including grooming and dressing. In addition, there were more than ten palace servants responsible for cleaning, meals, and clothing. Consort Mei was provided with all of these according to custom. The Empress Dowager also assigned two experienced matrons to serve her, which shows her affection for Consort Mei.

For the next three days, the Emperor stayed in Zhaoqing Palace, showing favor that subtly surpassed that shown to Consort Chun. Various treasures and gifts from his private treasury flowed into Zhaoqing Palace like a river.

......

In the days leading up to the Lantern Festival, the Emperor was unusually free from official duties. On this day, before lunch, he finally arrived at Huining Palace.

Having not seen the Emperor for many days, Consort Chun's eyes showed joy upon his arrival, yet a trace of sorrow was also undeniable. Therefore, after performing her greetings, she did not speak. The Emperor seemed oblivious, and after lunch, he invited Consort Chun to play chess as usual.

Consort Chun was no match for the Emperor, and she had no interest in playing chess at the moment. After losing two games in a row, she beckoned Mengzhu to come over and said, "Mengzhu, go to the side hall and see if Consort Meng is free. Tell her to come over."

The Emperor raised an eyebrow slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips: "Wan'er, are you going to request reinforcements?"

"Consort Meng is a skilled chess player; Your Majesty should be careful later."