Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 213 Entering the Palace (Part 1)

August 29th.

At 1:15 AM, Consort Min arrived at Yunyi Courtyard, followed by several palace maids carrying hairpins, crowns, and imperial concubine attire.

Consort Min, as expected of a palace maid who had served the late emperor for decades, was not only meticulous in her work but also thoroughly familiar with all kinds of rituals.

"Although she is still in mourning, His Majesty has specially instructed me that Consort Chun shall temporarily assume the authority over the six palaces. After visiting her family, she may enter the palace in full regalia. The Empress and the other concubines entered the palace yesterday afternoon."

Consort Min explained softly and personally did Consort Chun's makeup.

Before entering the palace, Consort Chun was allowed to return to the Marquis of Lin'an's residence to visit her family. To outsiders, this was already an unparalleled favor.

Consort Song and Consort Shen Qu, whose families were all in the capital, did not receive this honor.

As for the Empress, she publicly stated that she was pregnant and unable to exert herself, so she did not return to the General's Mansion. However, Madam Jiang brought a group of relatives from the General's Mansion to the Prince of Jin's Mansion early yesterday morning to accompany her.

Consort Chun nodded slightly and sat upright before the mirror. Her hair was piled high in a cloud-like bun, and at the center of the bun stood a gold filigree phoenix-shaped hairpin inlaid with rubies, trembling slightly. A palace maid carried a tray, from which Consort Min took out a pair of jadeite and kingfisher feather butterfly hairpins.

Hua Yan raised her hand to stop her, and said with a smile, "Aunt Min, the young ladies in the manor were talking with Consort Chun yesterday, and the Consort rested quite late. The kingfisher feather hairpin might not suit the Consort's complexion today. How about using this pair of mutton fat jade openwork hairpins instead?"

Min Shangyi paused briefly and put down her hairpin.

“What you say is quite right, young lady. The texture of this pair of mutton fat jade is warm and smooth, which does indeed make it look more elegant and graceful.”

After dressing up, Consort Min and Hua Yan helped Consort Chun put on the gold-embroidered phoenix robe. Meng Zhu and Rui Zhu half-squatted to adjust the hem of the robe. Hua Yan took a nine-hole jade belt from the dressing table and tied it around Consort Chun's waist.

After a moment's thought, Hua Yan took out the Kunfeng pendant from her dressing case and tied it to the left side of her jade belt.

Seeing this, Consort Min nodded slightly, while Consort Chun's gaze swept over the jade pendant, her eyes remaining calm and undisturbed.

On the way to Fu'an Residence, Consort Min gently reminded her, "After entering the palace at Chenshi (7-9 AM), Consort Chun will have an hour to take her leave after having breakfast with her elders."

The front courtyard of the mansion was bustling with activity. Following the gift list prepared by Madam Yun and the old lady, Wei Mama was methodically directing the servants and old women to transport the prepared gifts to the front gate of the mansion.

Inside Fu'an Residence, the masters of the mansion were already waiting in front of the flower hall.

Consort Chun led Mengzhu and Ruizhu into Fu'an Residence, while Huayan and Lvliu went to the small kitchen to find winter melon.

Winter Melon nestled reluctantly in Steward An's arms. Steward An gently patted her shoulder, his face full of affection.

"Going to the palace to broaden your horizons would be good. You're not particularly beautiful anyway, only a little talented in noodle making. But the Imperial Kitchen is full of talented people, and your skills are nothing special. When you turn twenty-five and leave the palace, we, master and apprentice, can still meet..."

Donggua stared in disbelief: "...Master, please take care of yourself. Perhaps I will have good fortune. If I become a female official in the Imperial Kitchen, Meng Shu said that once I become a female official, I can leave the palace at will. At that time, I will bring you and Lady An to the capital, and we will be able to see each other often."

The security guard's expression changed drastically, and he slapped Donggua hard on the back.

"Never step forward lightly. Be especially careful with the food you eat, and beware of anyone secretly tampering with it. Although I am not very knowledgeable, I have lived in the capital with the old lady since I was a child. How many of the female officials in the Imperial Food Bureau have a good end?"

You just stay obediently in Consort Chun's palace and do your duty, lest your master's hair turn white... Bah! Bah! Bah! In short, you just stay by Hua Yan's side and listen to her in everything.

After Steward An retired, perhaps because she had spent a long time in Jinan, she had become quite relaxed and plump. Yesterday, when she was talking with the old lady, she was still very respectful, but her words were no longer as cautious as when she was a steward. The old lady was also very willing to chat with her and said several times that she wanted her to stay in the mansion for a while longer.

Hua Yan and Lü Liu couldn't help but chuckle as they listened to the master and disciple's back-and-forth banter.

Hua Yan said, "Don't worry, Steward An. With Consort Chun here, Donggua will definitely be safe in the palace."

Hearing Hua Yan's voice, Steward An turned around and held Hua Yan's hand tightly, saying, "My silly apprentice has never been very bright, but with you taking care of her, I am completely at ease."

Mingyue led Chen Lin to the small kitchen in a hurry, and then quickly stepped forward to Huayan's side.

"I never imagined that my junior brother and I came from the same place."

Mingyue then whispered, "If it weren't for Senior Sister picking out Xiao Linzi back then, he might have been sent to the palace..."

Hua Yan looked up at Chen Lin. Chen Lin had just turned fifteen, with a tall and straight figure. Even though he had practiced martial arts for many years, he still had a slightly effeminate appearance. Hua Yan had been vaguely worried about him when she was at Zheng's Pawnshop, but fortunately, Chen Lin's luck wasn't too bad.

Hua Yan smiled and said to Mingyue, "Thank you for bringing him here. Yesterday was rushed, but I haven't yet thanked Chen Lin and the others for their rescue."

The small kitchen was bustling with people, and the two stood facing each other.

Chen Lin dared not look directly at Hua Yan, his voice slightly hoarse, seemingly due to nervousness: "Sister Shu, the situation in the palace is complicated, please take good care of yourself."

Hua Yan bowed respectfully, "Thank you for your help with my uncle's matter. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, you can seek my uncle's assistance at Qinrenfang. Take good care of yourself after this farewell."

Chen Lin turned slightly to the side and nodded with a smile.

"The head of the family is preparing to send someone to accompany the eldest son-in-law to the border. Two guards will also be selected for the eldest young master. My master asked me to make the selection yesterday. Do you have any suggestions, Sister Shu?"

After considering for a moment, Hua Yan said, "Following the young master is about stability. The young master is very gentle, so it's a good place to go. If you go to the Northwest with the army, you may have a chance to make a name for yourself and rise above others. It all depends on your own needs."

Hua Yan was the first person to show kindness to Chen Lin, so he remembered her for many years. Now that Hua Yan has entered the palace, he fears that they will never see each other again, and Chen Lin feels a deep sense of loss.

After listening to Hua Yan's analysis, he nodded with a hint of bitterness and reluctantly turned to leave.

Green Willow helped Flower Face to the dining room for their meal. "Is this the boy you mentioned at Langya Courtyard, the one you met at the brokerage?"

Hua Yan nodded slightly, "Indeed, he has had quite a bit of luck these days."

Green Willow was used to Hua Yan's indifferent demeanor towards outsiders, and seeing her expression slightly fluctuate, she couldn't help but whisper a word of comfort: "Why didn't you persuade him to serve by the young master's side just now? If anything happens outside the palace while you're in the palace, you can entrust him with it..."

Hua Yan shook her head. "Everyone has their own path to walk. Whether he stays in the capital or goes to the border, we will no longer have any contact."