HBWnovel Chapter 380 The Empress Dowager is in trouble!
Chapter 380 The Empress Dowager is in trouble!
(*A heavily modified version of Zhen Huan*)
Side hall of Ningshou Palace.
A young palace maid looked around curiously.
Only after confirming that no other concubines would suddenly appear beside their master did they carefully take out candied fruit, pastries, and ice bowls, and arrange them one by one on the small table in front of their master.
The master and servant must have often engaged in this very illicit act.
People's movements are fluid and graceful these days.
The master's expression remained calm and composed.
Consort An simply wiped her hands lightly before savoring the new flavor of dessert.
In order to avoid out-of-character (OOC) and affecting the original character's personality.
Jiang Ping, who was a palace maid for the first time, swallowed hard, then blushed so much that her face and ears turned red...
The original owner was Miaoping.
She was an ordinary palace maid in the harem of the Fat Orange Dynasty.
I was fortunate enough to be assigned to serve the late emperor's concubines.
They didn't have to suffer the hardship of palace maids and eunuchs pulling each other down to climb the ranks.
There's no need to enter the complex harem network of the current emperor, to become a pawn, cannon fodder, spy, or a pawn destined to die in the bloodshed.
However, the late emperor's departure did not mean that his concubines could truly retire in peace.
For a concubine or imperial consort to enjoy a comfortable retirement, at least one of her family background or children must be present in front of others.
Those people just don't want to play with Consort An and the others.
The generation of Consort An.
There was a concubine who had been at the table and won, and even had a son, but she lost the contest and is now living in seclusion in the mountains outside the palace.
I wonder if I'll be able to eat lots of meat and fish.
The original owner often heard his master talking about it in his previous life.
They kept saying that Consort Shu had never suffered any hardship throughout her life.
She was a favored concubine of the late emperor and had given birth to children.
Now that the late emperor is gone, there's no need for them to suffer from poor food and clothing while sharing a palace with these imperial concubines and consorts.
He was tormented by being surrounded by imperial concubines and consorts.
You want to spend money to improve your standard of living, right?
There are always those short-sighted, stingy "colleagues" who snatch the opportunity to come over, freeload, and then leave without a trace. It's infuriating!
There was someone who ate your food and then pretended to give you a sachet made by a palace maid.
It was so good that even Empress Dowager De would applaud it.
Isn't that just one good show after another?
None of Consort An's brothers were capable of holding office or running a business.
The amount of money that could be sent to the palace as tribute was really not much.
This led Consort An to feel that her life was only slightly better than that of the Cold Palace.
In order not to be ignored.
The palace servants tailored their dishes accordingly.
Whenever Empress Dowager De and her son had a disagreement, or when Empress Dowager De was angered by the concubine-born empress, the concubines of the late emperor who had no children and no powerful backing had to find ways to share Empress Dowager De's burdens.
How do you say that?
The emperor wasn't worried, but the eunuchs were; the empress dowager wasn't worried, but the imperial concubines were. This could be seen as another way for them to show their loyalty.
Who could blame Empress Dowager De for not only being a powerful lady but also having a influential family that meddles in the inner palace?
The original owner's master must naturally be one of them.
The kind who shows up but doesn't put in the effort.
With no capable men in her household and no connections in the court, Consort An lived a life confined to her small quarters. Whether due to inner turmoil or unbearable hunger, she passed away after only a few years as a consort.
The original owner was just a lowly palace maid, and no one paid her any attention.
She soon became cannon fodder in the harem and died of illness.
The reason for asking the fairy Jiang Ping to come is to ask the fairy to help their mistress, Consort An, have a few days of peace and quiet, so that she doesn't have to constantly "think about" praying for the Emperor's birth mother, Empress Dowager De, and copying scriptures.
I want to live a few more years with my master.
He must outlive Empress Dowager De.
Are all fictional harems ending up like this?
Where are you, you filial son, Fatty Orange? You've become this frugal?
......
This stupid kid.
He didn't mention a word about seeking revenge.
Miaoping took small, quick steps to the door, intending to guard it for her not-so-old Consort An.
It's unclear whether the staff allocation at Ning Shou Palace was deliberately arranged by Empress Dowager De.
It's quite sad to think that her mistress, Consort An, wasn't the one who suffered the worst.
"My darling Tongtong, quickly give Empress Dowager De some headache medicine, the kind that causes blisters on the lips."
If someone has blisters on their lips and is ashamed to be seen, they won't want to see imperial concubines and consorts setting rules.
As for why I have a headache...
It's all because Empress Dowager De spends all her time accompanying Fat Orange's illegitimate empress in causing trouble.
The original owner's death was somewhat indirectly related to them.
This end.
The pain is definitely not undeserved.
Consort An was unaware that her wonderful life was about to begin.
She stopped eating when there were only two pastries and one candied fruit left. She called Miaoping over to take them away so she could eat what she wanted. She also told Miaoping to go and rest when she was sleepy, saying that she was young and that sleeping more would help her grow taller.
"Alright, I'm going to read a storybook for a bit. Call me when lunch is ready..."
All in all.
He's a good master.
However, he definitely didn't read the storybook; he was taking a nap instead.
Miaoping separated a piece of water chestnut cake.
She handed it to Xiangyun, another palace maid who served Consort An at the door.
The candied fruit is divided in half.
While the two girls were exchanging winks, a young eunuch squeezed in as well.
This eunuch, Xiao Linzi, can be ordered around by even the ladies of Ning Shou Palace.
She had a good relationship with the original owner of the body.
"Ouch, Sister Miaoping's horse's hooves..."
"Shh!"
Without a second thought, Xiangyun shut Xiaolinzi up with a shoe sole she had on hand.
"Well..."
Xiao Linzi easily pulled the shoe sole out of his mouth.
He pointed to the palaces of the other concubines and whispered, "No one's here."
MiaoPing adds.
"It's the Dowager Consort's birthday...I'm going to the banquet...I won't be back until dark."
Xiangyun understood.
I stopped asking questions about my masters.
Xiao Linzi shifted her conversation from water chestnut cake to the food feast.
"Our Ning Shou Palace is so peaceful, hehe, no need to hold a small banquet."
That's right.
Each one of them is more incorruptible than the last.
It's just a small banquet.
"Don't let your masters hear this, or they'll skin you alive."
Xiangyun is older after all.
His words were mostly stern and admonitory.
Xiao Linzi scratched his head and finally remembered why he had come.
"Sister Miaoping, Aunt Yi asked me to pass on a message..."
Xiao Linzi pinched his fingers and mimicked Aunt Yi's tone of voice perfectly.
The gist is that he has met a good master.
I'll take you to enjoy a life of luxury and delicious food from now on.
Miaoping and Xiangyun reorganized their thoughts and decided to inform Consort An at lunchtime.
Aunt Yi—ta-da! It's Xiao Yi again.
Miaoping, being new to the area, couldn't easily fool Consort An, so she entrusted Xiao Yi to impersonate a palace maid and stage an accident involving her and her two servants.
Then, Aunt Yi, having no way to repay the favor, wanted to come and serve Consort An, but was persuaded not to.
Consort An met with Aunt Yi several times.
He persuaded her to go to the place she truly loved.
Aunt Yi expressed her understanding and finally accepted, stating frankly that she wanted to become a member of Consort An's harem network.
It's possible that Aunt Yi is somewhat similar to Consort An's relatives outside the palace.
I was skeptical.
Consort An then accepted Aunt Yi's request to repay her kindness every day.
Today's water chestnut cake and ice bowl were something Aunt Yi found in some kitchen.
The fact that they didn't avoid Xiao Linzi means that Xiao Linzi has been given a psychological suggestion.
Thinking that he and Aunt Yi were from the same hometown, he ate a few big steamed buns from Aunt Yi and burst into tears, wanting to call Aunt Yi his godmother.