Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 478 All-Around

After the greetings were over, the concubines took their leave one after another.

Han Shuyi walked slightly behind, and when she passed Meng Shu, she paused slightly, gave a slight curtsy, and said, "I am new here, and I will have to trouble Consort Jin to give me more guidance in the future."

Meng Shu smiled and replied, "You're too kind, sister. It's all part of my job. The people in your palace now were arranged by the Shanggong Bureau. If you feel they're not suitable, you can send someone to the Shanggong Bureau to choose again."

Han Shuyi smiled slightly, "The Shanggong Bureau's arrangements are certainly impeccable. Thank you for your thoughtful care, sister."

"Sister, are you going to Consort Chun's place? I met Consort Chun at the Imperial Palace earlier and was just thinking of paying her a visit." As she spoke, she turned to Xiaodie and instructed, "Hurry up and take the gifts I prepared to Huining Palace. I'll go ahead with Consort Jin."

Xiaodie looked troubled. "Your Majesty, this..."

"Go quickly, and bring along the gift that Grandmother prepared for Consort Jin as well," Han Shuyi urged.

Xiaodie dared not persuade her any further and quickly agreed to leave.

Looking at Han Shuyi's composed profile, Meng Shu's heart stirred slightly: "In that case, please, sister."

Huining Hall.

Han Shuyi lagged half a step behind Meng Shu, following her into the inner courtyard. Consort Chun, having heard Meng Zhu's report beforehand, was already waiting to greet them at the entrance of the flower hall.

"Sister Chunfei, I only had a brief meeting with you last time when I accompanied my grandmother to the imperial palace. I never imagined that we would meet again in the palace." Han Shuyi curtsied, her voice crisp and clear.

Consort Chun welcomed her and Meng Shu in, "Isn't that right? Consort Shun has just entered the palace. Did you find your stay yesterday comfortable?"

"Chenghui Hall is so square, it always feels a bit cramped," Han Shuyi said bluntly.

"When I saw that Consort Jin was coming to your place, I shamelessly followed along, just to relieve my boredom."

"It's normal when you first enter the palace. You'll get used to it after moving around a bit." Consort Chun led them to sit down in the flower hall and instructed Mengzhu, "Bring up some freshly brewed pre-Qingming Longjing tea."

The three had just exchanged a few words when Ruizhu led Suqin and Xiaodie in, each carrying a heavy, gilded brocade box.

Seeing this, Han Shuyi stood up, took the brocade box from Suqin, and went straight to Consort Chun: "Sister, you are pregnant, so I should send you some tonics such as ginseng and bird's nest. But I was thinking, what rare medicinal materials doesn't the palace have? You may not feel at ease if someone else sends them."

She raised her hand and lifted the brocade box, inside which was a layer of dark velvet cloth, holding a palm-sized jade unicorn. The jade was warm and translucent, faintly glowing with a soft light, and the unicorn's scales and claws were all carved lifelike.

“This was carved from a piece of warm jade that my adoptive father found near the desert battlefield many years ago.” Han Shuyi gently brushed her fingertips across the jade’s surface. “The elders in the northern frontier say that jade can nourish the spirit and calm the mind. I thought that since my sister is pregnant with the child of the dragon, this would be the most appropriate gift, and I also wish my sister a happy birth of a son.”

Consort Chun gazed at the jade unicorn. It was warm to the touch but not icy. The jade was so fine that not a single flaw could be found. It was clearly an extremely rare treasure.

She looked up and met Meng Shu's gaze. They both saw a hint of surprise in each other's eyes. She carefully chose her words and said, "Thank you for your trouble, sister. This gift is too precious."

"It's just a stubborn rock. I'm glad you don't mind its roughness, sister."

As Han Shuyi spoke, she took another brocade box and opened it when she turned to Meng Shu: "This is what Grandmother prepared for Consort Jin. She said that you work hard in managing the six palaces and you will definitely need some handy items."

Inside the box were a pair of jade paperweights, their white and lustrous color adorned with delicately carved orchids, their leaves glistening with dew and their petals half-closed, exuding an indescribable elegance.

These two gifts were exceptionally valuable, and Meng Shu and Consort Chun were secretly pondering how to politely decline them without being inappropriate. Just then, they heard Consort Han say, "Grandmother has prepared a gift for each of the sisters in the palace. Please, sisters, don't refuse the old lady's kindness."

As soon as he finished speaking, Suqin stepped forward and respectfully curtsied.

"Please, Your Highnesses, accept this. Our Madam has only one daughter, and she was spoiled quite a bit when we were in the Northern Frontier. She's a bit wild and doesn't understand the intricacies of the palace. Before leaving yesterday, the Madam specifically instructed me to pass on a message: she said that Your Highnesses are of noble character, and if you could offer her some guidance so that she could avoid making mistakes, the Madam would be eternally grateful."

These words were sincere and considerate; to refuse them would seem deliberate. Consort Chun and Meng Shu exchanged a glance and then accepted the gift.

Han Shuyi didn't linger, and chatted with her for a while longer, describing the scenery of the northern frontier as incredibly captivating. Then she rose to take her leave, departing Huining Palace with Suqin and Xiaodie.

"Shu'er, Old Madam Han's intentions are truly meticulous. But isn't she afraid of displeasing the Empress with such a grand display?" Consort Chun asked with a hint of doubt in her eyes.

Meng Shu pondered Madam Han's intentions, "Since she said 'gifts have been prepared for each palace,' it must be that Madam Han prepared them according to rank, temperament, and preferences. This way, she can be thorough and not stand out."

Consort Chun nodded thoughtfully, and after a while asked, "What did you think of her on your way here?"

“She seems straightforward, but she knows what she's doing.” Meng Shu continued the conversation.

......

In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed since Han Shuyi entered the palace.

The Emperor was able to summon her on the third day after she entered the palace, and that night he kept her at the Funing Palace.

The concubines originally thought this was the beginning of Consort Shun's gaining favor, but unexpectedly, in the following days, the emperor was so preoccupied with state affairs that he rarely set foot in the inner palace.

In the past two weeks, he only visited Consort Chun once at Huining Palace. Lingcui Palace, on the other hand, was always an exception; every two or three days, a bright yellow sedan chair could be seen heading there. Sometimes, when he was too busy, the Emperor would have Jingming carry Yu Nu'er to the Imperial Study. When he got tired of reviewing memorials, he would reach out and scoop Yu Nu'er into his arms to relieve some of the boredom from the tedium of his paperwork.

As autumn deepened, the imperial harem remained peaceful and undisturbed until the end of September.

Consort Chun was pregnant, so her birthday celebrations on the 29th were naturally kept simple.

Time flowed by like water, and as soon as October arrived, the atmosphere in Huining Palace changed.

Li Rui came every day with her medicine box to take the baby's pulse, saying that the fetus was strong enough and the baby could give birth at any time. The midwife had already moved in, and Empress Dowager Zhou sent the most experienced maid from Shou Kang Palace to help. The palace servants in the hall walked with light steps, and everywhere was filled with cautious tension.

Consort Chun remained calm, though she occasionally had trouble sleeping at night due to fetal movements.

When Meng Shu came to see her, she found her leaning against the soft couch, lost in thought, with sunlight streaming through the window onto her protruding belly.

"I've been feeling tired these past few days, I guess it's because the baby is eager to come out." Consort Chun chuckled softly, her voice filled with anticipation, but also with a hint of apprehension about childbirth.

Meng Shu tucked the cushion behind her back: "Relax, everything will go smoothly."