Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 411 New Year's Eve Banquet (1)

The day before Lunar New Year's Eve.

The imperial carriage passed through Guangqumen and went to the altar of mountains and rivers in the city to offer sacrifices. It returned to the palace at the end of Chenshi (7-9 AM).

Before the emperor and empress could change their clothes, they went to Cining Palace to pay their respects.

At 3:45 AM, upon hearing of Consort Jin's perilous situation, the Emperor was furious and ordered Jingming to summon Tong Bo, the Director of the Inner Palace, to an audience.

Tong Bo investigated the case with trepidation for a day and a night, but ultimately failed to uncover the mastermind. He had no choice but to request to be flogged twenty times in court as an apology.

Two officials in charge of the Imperial Bedchamber Bureau were also implicated: the Imperial Bedchamber Bureau official in charge of curtains and sweeping was given twenty strokes of the cane and demoted to sweeping eunuch; the Imperial Bedchamber Bureau official in charge of garden lights and candles was demoted to the Department of Furnishings for negligence.

(Note: "Shangqin" is an official title.)

Afterwards, the Emperor personally visited Consort Jin at Lingcui Palace. The Empress stood outside the gates of Cining Palace, respectfully seeing off the Emperor.

"Your Majesty..."

Zhixue handed over a hand warmer and softly asked, "Shall we return to Renming Palace?"

The Empress reached out and adjusted her phoenix crown, remaining silent. She stared blankly at the Emperor's retreating figure until the bright yellow robes completely disappeared at the end of the palace path.

After a long pause, he finally uttered two words: "Let's go back."

Inside the Lingcui Palace, in the Cuiyu Hall.

Meng Shu leaned against the carved window, her gaze falling on the few flowering trees in the courtyard. The branches, covered with a thick layer of snow after winter, looked even more desolate.

Xia'er and Chun'er built an adorable snowman under the tree. Donggua made candied hawthorns today and stuck one on the snowman's arm. It was bright red, like a string of coral beads, and looked particularly vivid against the white sky.

Green Willow grew up in the countryside of Lin'an and only saw such a snow scene after going to Jinan.

She looked at it with great interest for a while, then picked up the embroidery hoop again.

Meng Shu turned around and said with a smile, "What are you doing staying cooped up in the house all the time? Go out and play with Donggua."

"This servant is practicing needlework." Green Willow didn't even look up, the needle tip poking a crooked knot in the satin. "Is Your Highness thirsty? I've made some ginger and jujube tea with winter melon, shall I bring you some?"

Meng Shu curiously leaned closer to examine the embroidery, and after a long while, she hesitantly asked, "Is it... a mandarin duck?"

The two colorful knots of thread on the embroidery hoop looked just like two plump house sparrows fighting.

Green Willow happily raised her embroidery frame: "Exactly! Once I've practiced enough, I can embroider seven or eight parts of the pouches for the New Year's gifts, and Your Highness can add a few more stitches."

Not all the concubines in the palace were skilled in needlework; Consort Chun and Consort Song were just making do.

Meng Shu found it somewhat amusing. Green Willow probably couldn't stand that she had only embroidered a cricket as a perfunctory task. No wonder she had been thinking about practicing embroidery since last night.

"In my opinion, instead of messing around with needle and thread, you might as well go to the small kitchen and help Donggua make candied hawthorns. If you can do it, you can also send some to Mengzhu and the others to try."

Green Willow let out a wail, her face contorted with grief, and said, "...Is it really that bad?"

Just then, Xia'er came in carrying a pot of ginger and jujube tea. Upon seeing this, she leaned closer to take a look and immediately burst into laughter.

Meng Shu couldn't help but chuckle. She looked at Lü Liu's flushed face but didn't offer any guidance. Lü Liu's embroidery skills, like her musical skills, were beyond teaching and she had absolutely no talent for them.

Amidst the laughter and banter of the master and servant, they heard Xu Jinxi's drawn-out announcement coming from outside the hall.

Meng Shu quickly suppressed her smile, tidied her appearance, and, supported by Lü Liu, moved to the flower hall to greet the emperor. Just as she was about to curtsy, the emperor strode forward and took her arm.

After seven days apart, the Emperor's brows showed signs of weariness, and the concern in his eyes was even greater than before.

"I just heard from the Empress Dowager that Shu'er almost fell on the palace road? Why didn't you or Consort Chun send anyone to inform me?"

Meng Shu still performed a polite curtsy.

"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager is kind and compassionate, and I was originally unharmed. Moreover, Consort Chun handled the matter appropriately, and has already dealt with the people in the Department of Ceremonial Affairs according to palace regulations. His Majesty is far away in the southern suburbs, and visiting the ancestral temple is a major national event. How could I possibly disturb him with such trivial matters?"

The Emperor carefully observed Meng Shu's face, his brows relaxing slightly. His palm was warm as he gently caressed Meng Shu's fingertips, his expression solemn. "Even without this child, let alone the fact that Shu'er is carrying my child, I would not wish to see you suffer the slightest grievance..."

Seeing this, Green Willow quickly led Xia'er out of the flower hall and looked at Jingming at the door, the two of them bowing slightly.

Seeing the Emperor helping Consort Jin into the inner room, Jingming whispered, "Miss Green Willow, we've been running around all morning. May we go to the tea room for a cup of tea?"

Green Willow knew Jingming had something to ask, and smiled as she replied, "I've already prepared fruit tea for the eunuchs, and Winter Melon has also prepared several tea snacks..."

......

New Year's Eve arrived quickly.

As dusk settled, the palace lanterns lit up one after another, making the red walls and golden tiles even more magnificent.

Meng Shu wore a crimson brocade palace dress with cloud patterns, over which was a cloak trimmed with snow fox fur. In her hair was a double phoenix hairpin with kingfisher feathers, a new gift from the Empress Dowager. As the palanquin swayed gently, it shimmered with tiny lights in the night.

The three matrons sent by Empress Dowager Jiang to accompany and escort her were all prominent elders in Cining Palace. At this moment, they walked steadily, one on the left, one on the right, and one in front, their eyes sharp, showing how much the Empress Dowager valued Consort Jin's pregnancy.

Wherever the palanquin passed, the palace servants stepped aside to pay their respects, even their breathing became soft and slow.

Such a grand procession is no more impressive than that of an imperial concubine.

What's even more eye-catching is that, in addition to the nannies from the Empress Dowager's palace, there were also imperial eunuchs leading the way. Jingming was personally holding a lantern and clearing the way for Consort Jin, which shows how much the emperor favored her.

A cold wind swept by, and Meng Shu pulled her cloak tighter. As she turned the corner, she raised her eyes slightly; the lights of Linde Palace were already shining brightly not far away, and the sounds of string and wind instruments could be faintly heard.

Suddenly the sedan chair paused slightly.

Not far ahead, Consort Qing's entourage was slowly approaching.

Consort Qing Zhao wore a magnificent peacock blue palace gown with gold trim, but she no longer wore any plum blossom-shaped jewelry in her hair.

She turned her head slightly, and her eyes briefly met Meng Shu's in mid-air.

Amber, with her sharp eyes, immediately spotted the double phoenix hairpin in Meng Shu's hair and couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

Upon hearing this, Consort Qing tightened her grip on the handkerchief in her hand. She was all too familiar with this double phoenix hairpin; it was originally promised to her by the Empress Dowager on New Year's Eve, but now it was already on Meng Shu's head.

Meng Shu was completely unaware of the complicated history behind this hairpin. Before leaving, she had casually put on a simple gold hairpin, but it was Zhao Mama, sent by the Empress Dowager, who insisted on persuading her: "Your Highness is now pregnant with the imperial heir, and it is New Year's Eve banquet, so you should be more dignified."

The two ceremonial guards gradually approached each other.

According to her rank, Meng Shu sat on the sedan chair, turned slightly to the side, and placed her hand on her waist in a curtsy. Consort Qing suddenly said, "Consort Jin's hair ornament today is quite unique."

Meng Shu smiled gently: "I am deeply grateful for the Empress Dowager's kindness. But why isn't Consort Qing wearing her favorite plum blossom hairpin today?"

Consort Qing's face was already pale, and upon hearing this, a hint of shame and anger appeared on her face. She slammed her hand on the armrest of the sedan chair, and the entourage moved forward first.

Linde Hall.

Consort Chun was in charge of the palace banquet, so she arrived early. Today, she wore a moon-white brocade phoenix-tail dress, exuding an elegant and refined air. At this moment, she was surrounded by a group of noblewomen, chatting with them.

Upon seeing Meng Shu arrive, she stepped forward gracefully and personally offered her a helping hand.

"Let Mengzhu lead you to the side hall to rest first. The exorcism ceremony will take at least half an hour and be very noisy. We don't want to disturb the dragon fetus in Shuer's womb."