Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 403 A Glimpse of Humanity in the Renming Hall

The so-called ancestral temple visits to the imperial tombs were a ritual system inherited by the Zhou Dynasty from the previous dynasty.

However, this year is different from previous years. According to the old system, the emperor should have personally offered sacrifices at the Circular Mound Altar in the southern suburbs three days before the winter solstice, but due to the affairs of the northern frontier, it was delayed until the end of the year.

During the seven days that followed, neither the Emperor nor the Empress were in the palace, and the affairs of the six palaces were temporarily entrusted to Consort Chun.

After the Empress finished speaking to everyone, she traced the regulations submitted by the Ministry of Rites with her fingertips and said unhurriedly, "We will set off at the beginning of the day on the 22nd of the twelfth lunar month and return to the palace on the 29th. All matters concerning the six palaces will be reported to the Huining Hall in full."

Consort Chun looked up upon hearing this and saw the Empress's phoenix eyes fixed on her.

"Consort Chun has been in charge of the administration for a long time, and the Emperor and I trust her very much. This time, you are in charge, and the most important thing is to prepare for the New Year's Eve banquet. From the court greetings to the exorcism ceremony, everything must be done in strict accordance with the rules and regulations, and no detail can be neglected."

Consort Chun rose to accept the order. She was in charge of this task, and the Ministry of Rites and the Shanggong Bureau had been preparing for it since mid-October. All the regulations were in place, but some minor details still needed to be considered.

For example, seating arrangements.

It is not true that the higher one's official rank, the closer one is to the Emperor's face. Now that there has been a change in the northern frontier, the military generals, led by the Marquis of Zhenbei, are more favored by the Emperor than the civil officials. As a result, their families will also receive more courtesy and attention from the empress and concubines, and the seating arrangement at banquets will need to be subtly adjusted.

Another example is bestowing rewards.

This was further divided into two categories. The first was "New Year's money" and "Emperor's bestowed meals," which also required the addition of cypress leaves and a five-spice dish to signify welcoming the new year. The second was a special favor granted to the wives of members of the imperial family, who were given "hairpins for adding a son," and presented with gold and silver banners, brocade banners, and other gifts, which were to bestow blessings on behalf of the emperor.

One more thing: the imperial meals bestowed upon the officials by the Emperor at the banquet were meant for the officials to take back to their residences and share in the Emperor's grace.

In addition, every single detail, such as the exorcism ceremony before the banquet, the selection of elegant music programs for the banquet, and the process of officials paying homage, requires careful attention.

The Queen then mentioned one of them.

"This winter is particularly cold, but the plum grove outside Zhaoqing Palace is blooming exceptionally well. Consort Chun might as well have the Imperial Kitchen prepare plum blossom soup dumplings, which would not only fulfill the auspicious omen of 'searching for plum blossoms in the snow,' but also help the ladies of the court to ward off the cold."

As soon as the Empress finished speaking, everyone in the hall seemed to glance at Consort Qing.

From the plum blossom hairpin in front of the palace to this cup of plum blossom tea, and now with the addition of plum blossom soup dumplings, everything seems to be a veiled criticism of Consort Qing for losing her title containing the character "plum"...

Consort Qing's face flushed red, and the anger in her eyes almost burned through the layer of dignity she was trying to maintain. Amber quickly reminded her in a low voice and just barely managed to stop her from losing her composure.

Consort Chun turned her head, smiled and looked at Meng Shu, saying, "Your Majesty's idea is brilliant, I will remember it."

The Empress gently stroked the teacup with her slender fingers, slowly took a sip of tea, and glanced at Consort Yi and Meng Shu below her.

First, she spoke slowly to Yi Xiuyuan: "Princess Ling'an was born delicate and needs to be well cared for. The poor child couldn't even hold a full moon celebration. The Emperor and I remember it. Next year, we will have the palace prepare a proper first birthday gift for Ling'an, so that the princess and Sister Shen can have the respect they deserve."

Yi Xiuyuan's brows relaxed instantly, and her eyes welled up with tears.

She rose and performed a full curtsy, her voice trembling slightly: "On behalf of Ling'an, I thank Her Majesty the Empress for her kindness. Ling'an is truly blessed to receive such love from Her Majesty."

"Children in the palace are rare and precious, so naturally they all need to be carefully protected."

Taking the opportunity, the Empress turned to look at Meng Shu, her eyes showing even more concern: "Although this trip away from the palace was only seven days, His Majesty is most worried about Sister Meng."

When all eyes were fixed on Meng Shu, the lady slowly said, "Among the ladies in the palace, only Sister Meng is pregnant with the emperor's child, making her the most precious. Sister Meng must be careful in her daily life; if she feels even slightly unwell, summon the imperial physician immediately..."

At this point, as if she had just remembered, "...It is true that Imperial Physician Jian will also be accompanying the Emperor these days, but Physician He and Imperial Physician Sun are both there, so Sister Meng can rest assured."

After saying that, she instructed Zhixue: "Bring some bird's nest from my palace storehouse to nourish Consort Jin and help her have a healthy pregnancy, so that she can give birth to a healthy baby for His Majesty."

Meng Shu helped herself up with Lv Liu's arm and only replied, "Your Majesty, I thank you."

Meng Shu and Consort Chun already knew about Jian Zhi's accompanying the emperor. This was not a deliberate arrangement by the Empress, but rather because Jian Zhi had rendered meritorious service in controlling the epidemic in Jinzhou, and the Minister of Rites had specifically mentioned it at the court meeting, which is why the Emperor granted his request.

After the official business was concluded, the Empress told everyone to make themselves at home and ordered the palace servants to replace the charcoal and add hot tea and snacks.

The concubines chatted idly in twos and threes, and even lower-ranking concubines like Yang Baolin could take advantage of the relaxed atmosphere to say a few words.

In this situation, the relationships between people in the palace are clearly reflected like a mirror. Who is on good terms with whom, who is an enemy of whom, and who harbors thoughts of currying favor are all revealed in these cheerful conversations.

However, this mirror ultimately reflects only those who cannot hide their true thoughts.

For example, Qu Baolin caused trouble in the warm pavilion of Cining Palace before. These days, she has been trying every means to get close to Yixiu Yuan, calling her "Yi Pin" affectionately.

Then there's Consort Yun. Last time, she offended Consort Chun with a little scheme, so she turned to trying to please Consort Chun's good friend Meng Shu, hoping to make amends...

Consort Qing sat alone in a corner, her face cold as she fiddled with her nail guards, completely out of place amidst the laughter and chatter around her.

After Consort Wu was confined to her quarters, Consort Pei's rank was moved to the very bottom, almost touching the palace gate.

A cold wind slipped in through the gap in the curtains, chilling her fingertips to the bone. Though she didn't show it on her face, she was actually filled with anxiety, fearing both Consort Qing's wrath and worrying about her current predicament.

Just as I was secretly suffering, I suddenly felt a warmth in my arms.

Looking up, she saw Yang Baolin smiling slightly, "Sister Pei didn't bring a hand warmer today, so warm your hands first."

Pei Yunu's eyes flickered slightly, her fingertips touched a trace of warmth, and she replied gently, "Thank you, Yang Baolin. I was in such a hurry today that I forgot to bring this important item."

Yang Baolin pushed the teacup closer to her, her almond-shaped eyes curving into crescents: "This snowy weather is the coldest, sister, please have some hot tea. Use the hand warmer for now, I'm all bundled up today, so I don't feel cold."

Yang Baolin had a somewhat charming and innocent appearance. When she spoke, her eyes sparkled, and dimples appeared and disappeared on her cheeks. In no time, the two of them were already chatting and laughing intimately.

Standing behind Consort Chun and Meng Shu, Green Willow witnessed this scene with Consort Yang and recalled Meng Shu's earlier instructions, which she secretly kept in mind.

As everyone was chatting and laughing, Consort Qing suddenly stood up and stiffly curtsied to the Empress: "Your Majesty, I still need to go to Cining Palace to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager. I will take my leave now."

Without waiting for the Empress's response, he turned and walked out.

The Empress twitched her lips, but there was no smile in her eyes: "After the snow melts, Consort Qing, watch your step."

Upon seeing this, Consort Pei quickly rose to apologize and followed Consort Qing out of Renming Palace.

Yang Baolin stared blankly at the departing figures for a while, her slender, pale fingers unconsciously twisting the handkerchief in her hand. She repeatedly twirled and untied the handkerchief between her fingers, much like the turmoil in her thoughts at that moment...