Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 316 Under Control

A sense of urgency unconsciously arose in Hua Yan's heart.

Granny Yu had only seen Xiuyun once by chance, so why was she so distracted? She pondered the matter repeatedly, but still couldn't piece together a possible truth.

Hua Yan had misunderstood from the very beginning.

She assumed from the outset that Granny Yu had lost her composure because she had seen Xiuyun, but that wasn't actually the case...

If you can't figure it out, put it aside for now. After thinking for a moment, Hua Yan instructed, "Since Granny Yu wants to win you and Chun'er over, take this opportunity to investigate. Remember to be cautious and don't cause any trouble. You should know what to say and what not to say."

Xia'er lowered her head and replied, "Yes, this servant understands."

“I previously promised that when you and Chun’er turn twenty-five, I would give you a sum of money and allow you to leave the palace. If you wish, I can also arrange for you to leave the capital and live in Lin’an.”

Xia'er was taken aback at first, then knelt down and kowtowed heavily: "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty! This servant is willing to serve Your Majesty. This servant does not ask for anything else. If we can go to Lin'an, this servant and I are willing to work for the Tang family business."

"I will keep a close eye on Granny Yu's side and will not dare to make a mistake."

"Chun'er..."

Xia'er seemed to have already made up her mind, and at this moment she cleverly said, "Chun'er has been stupid since she was a child. I am afraid that she will be taken advantage of. I beg Your Majesty to transfer her to work in the small kitchen, so that Sister Donggua can keep an eye on her at all times."

Hua Yan was slightly surprised and glanced at her again: "That's good, it's kind of you to think of her like this."

Xia'er is intelligent and knows how to adapt to changing circumstances.

After Granny Yu entered the palace, she found Xia'er and, upon her return, seized the opportunity to tell Hua Yan everything. Coupled with the fact that she often saw a reflection of herself from her days in Langya Courtyard in Xia'er, Hua Yan readily accepted her surrender and was willing to give her a chance. Xia'er's request was for herself and for Chun'er; she wanted her freedom.

.......

In the blink of an eye, Hua Yan had been staying at the palace for seven or eight days.

The Emperor was busy with state affairs, so she spent her days either boating on the lake with Consort Chun or paying her respects to Empress Dowager Zhou. Her days were quite leisurely.

Qu Qingge never actively sought the emperor's favor again, but the empress often spoke to her privately after everyone else had paid their morning greetings. Perhaps due to the empress's support, on the fifth day after arriving at the imperial palace, Qu Qingge received the emperor's favor and was promoted to the rank of sixth-grade lady the following day, as was customary.

Consort Mei went to Huaqing Palace every day without fail to report for duty, and spent most of her time by Empress Dowager Jiang's side.

Xia'er met with Granny Yu a few times, and Hua Yan learned that the Duchess of Qingguo had brought several recipes for folk snacks to the palace, and Granny Yu was making snacks and dishes according to the recipes every day. Consort Mei, under the pretext of showing respect to the Empress Dowager, also managed to meet the Emperor a few times.

Madam Yun sent a letter home, mentioning in her letter to Hua Yan that Zhou Bai had left the capital to take up his post. Xiu Yun had not yet accompanied him, and was waiting for Zhou Bai to settle down in his post before the Marquis's mansion would send someone to escort her there after the New Year.

Along with the letter came two boxes of ointment, which Madam Yun had specially instructed the Zhen family physician to prepare for Donggua.

Such meticulous care warmed the hearts of both Hua Yan and Dong Gua.

.......

On this day, inside Yingzhou Hall.

The rustling sound of the vermilion brush reviewing memorials abruptly stopped. The Emperor rubbed his temples and suddenly asked, "What has Consort Meng been doing these past two days?"

Since Zhou Bai took office, the Emperor has been busy with the follow-up matters of the Grand Canal transport case and has not set foot in the inner palace for several days.

Jingming bowed and reported, "Your Majesty, two days ago, Consort Jieyu and Consort Chun went to the island in the middle of the lake together. I heard from Xiao Nianzi that the two consorts played chess for half a day at Cuiwei Pavilion and had lunch on a painted boat."

It was still early outside, so the Emperor put down his memorials and took Jingming to Bilangxuan.

Green Willow received bamboo, tung oil, and fish glue from the Imperial Household Department early this morning, and is currently working with Winter Melon to make a kite frame. Winter Melon is patiently working according to the blueprints given to him by Flower Beauty.

Unfortunately, Green Willow took one look and shook her head, saying, "Wrong, wrong."

Donggua tossed aside the thin bamboo stick and stared at his chubby little hands: "I'm not doing it anymore, I'm not doing it anymore. My hands are fine for kneading dough and making pomegranates, but I really can't do such delicate work."

Hua Yan was painting in the study when she heard this and smiled, "You can rest. Leave these tasks to Lvliu and Xiaonianzi."

The young man tended the charcoal fire, roasting bamboo strips until they were hot, then bent them into an arc shape and meticulously shaped them.

"Your Majesty doesn't know, but Xiao Yuanzi did a much better job. It's a pity that his brother didn't come along. He can also make intricate cicada-shaped kites, which are truly beautiful."

Green Willow raised her eyebrows, giving a look that said, "You don't understand." She said, "Cicadas are nowhere near as pretty as swallows. Girls all prefer the graceful and elegant ones like these."

"That's because you haven't seen one before, sister. When we get to the palace, we'll have Xiao Yuanzi make one. Then, in the autumn, we'll go to the Imperial Garden to fly kites. Eunuch Dong told me there's an open space in the northwest corner of the Imperial Garden that's perfect for flying kites..."

There were no other palace servants attending to the Emperor in Bilangxuan. His arrival was once again silent, and Green Willow and the others did not notice him until he reached the front of the hall.

Hua Yan, having finished painting the kite, was still focused even when she was idle. She saw a bright yellow figure through the window and quickly got up to greet him.

"Is Shu'er making a kite?"

The emperor stepped into the hall, his gaze sweeping over the bamboo materials scattered throughout the room.

Hua Yan performed a curtsy and said softly, "I have some free time these past two days, and the weather is nice, so I thought I'd make a kite to play with."

"Just have the Imperial Household Department bring in a few; there's no need for Shuer to do it herself."

The Emperor led her into the study and saw a fine silk cloth with auspicious patterns painted on it on the upturned desk.

Hua Yan said, "Xiao Nianzi has the skill of making kites, but I think it would be more interesting if I painted them myself."

The Emperor was intrigued by this and said, "I will also paint two myself, and fly kites with Shu'er tomorrow."

Green Willow quickly brought over a fine silk cloth. Flower Face paused for a moment, then went to the desk to prepare the paints and brushes. She had been thinking of flying kites with Consort Chun outside the estate years ago, and this was just a spur-of-the-moment thing; she had never thought of doing it with the Emperor.

As if the Emperor knew what Hua Yan was thinking, he thought about what to paint while saying, "Summon Consort Chun and go to Yujin Lake tomorrow afternoon. It's rare for me to have some free time, so I'll join in the fun."

Hua Yan remained composed, calmly grinding ink and mixing colors, preparing more than a dozen pigments. She then saw the Emperor pick up his brush and sketch a pair of swallows flying wing to wing.

The male and female swallows intertwined their wings. The upper swallow raised its head and flapped its wings, its tail like scissors; the lower swallow bent down and looked back, its feather tips slightly raised, as if responding to its mate. One cold and one warm, one yang and one yin, in less than half an hour, the scene was already outlined.

"How is the coloring of this painting for me, Shu'er?" The Emperor looked up at Hua Yan with gentle eyes.

Hua Yan nodded slightly and sat beside the Emperor. She picked up her brush, dipped it in ink, and used thick ink to paint the swallow's back, gradually tinting the wings with indigo, while leaving the underside naturally blank.

After the coloring was finished, Hua Yan was somewhat dissatisfied: "The wing surface is a bit monotonous, how about adding some intertwined vine patterns?"

The Emperor readily agreed, clapping his hands in praise: "From afar, it looks like a pair of real swallows swooping down from the sky. Shu'er's painting skills are exquisite."

"It is Your Majesty's skill in depicting the subject so vividly that I could not have captured its spirit." These words came from the bottom of my heart. Your Majesty's painting skills are superb, and he must have put in a lot of effort in his childhood.

The Emperor chuckled softly upon hearing this, a hint of loneliness appearing in his eyes. He had known since childhood that calligraphy and painting were excellent ways to conceal one's true nature.

When the late emperor was alive, during examinations, the Grand Tutor's gaze would always linger on his elder brothers. Their strategies were brilliant, their archery and horsemanship were skillful, and their conversations were full of political wisdom. But he—he only needed to lower his head, write his characters a little crookedly, miss a couple of lines when reciting poetry, or miss the target once when shooting an arrow, to earn a sigh from the Grand Tutor and a faint glance from the late emperor.

No one knew that beneath the stack of Xuan paper on his desk lay another world.

Hua Yan keenly sensed the Emperor's emotional fluctuations and suddenly remembered what Lady Yun had said: that the Emperor had once considered himself a "recluse" and concealed his talents in calligraphy and painting. Seeing the Emperor's expression now, she understood.

Just then, Green Willow entered to serve tea and refreshments. Freshly brewed Junshan Silver Needle tea was placed on the corner of the table, and wisps of steam rose up the emperor's sleeves.

Hua Yan had a sudden inspiration and said softly, "When I was young, I heard Madam say that swallows always linger under the beams hundreds of times before carrying mud." As she spoke, she dipped her brush in crimson, lightly touched the tea twice, and then splashed a few dots of peach red on the swallow's tail.

Such a stroke of genius! The two swallows seem to be carrying fallen petals as they fly by, adding a touch of spring.

The emperor stared at the watermarks spreading gradually, his heart trembling slightly.

He had thought that only Zhitong's clear, cold eyes could see through the hidden feelings he concealed in his calligraphy and paintings. But now, the person before him had smoothed over all the obscure, tortuous, and even nearly forgotten grievances he had harbored in his youth.

"Shu'er".

He reached out and pulled Hua Yan into his arms, calling her name in a voice so low it was almost inaudible.

Hua Yan rested her head on the Emperor's shoulder, experiencing for the first time an almost intense, unyielding affection.

She was slightly stunned for a moment, blinked, and wanted to applaud herself—it was just a quick wit that happened subconsciously, but the effect was far too good to be true!

(Inner monologue: "A tiny" emperor, I'm really getting him!)