Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 472 Consort Chun Returns to the Palace

Meng Shu never imagined that Han Shuyi's strange behavior would be related to Chen Lin.

In fact, even Chen Lin himself was probably kept in the dark.

After he arrived in the northern frontier, Song Chengrui, following Consort Chun's instructions, took him under his command as a personal guard. Afterwards, Chen Lin, harboring a fierce determination to not be outdone, was determined to earn some merit. After going to the battlefield twice, he volunteered to be a vanguard. He rolled around in the shadows of swords several times and gradually gained some fame in the army.

He and Han Shuyi had only met once. It was shortly after he arrived in the northern frontier, sometime before the battle. Following Song Chengrui's instructions, he and Shen Yichuan went to Han's residence on an errand. At that time, Han Shuyi was dressed in a neat moon-white brocade robe and a tall hat, still in men's clothing.

Closer to home.

Ruizhu chattered on about trivial matters in the palace until Granny Kong came from the back hall, at which point she stopped talking.

"This servant greets Consort Jin and pays respects to Your Highness." Granny Kong curtsied. "Just now, this servant was arranging the trunks in the back hall. Thanks to the capable young ladies Xia'er and Chun'er sent by Your Highness, the trunks are now properly arranged and the items have been checked."

Seeing the dark circles under her eyes, Meng Shu instructed, "The old woman doesn't look well. Green Willow, go to the Imperial Hospital and ask a physician to come and examine her."

Granny Kong quickly raised her hand to stop her, "Your Majesty is so considerate, I appreciate it. I couldn't sleep well last night because I was worried about something, I'll be fine after a rest today, there's no need to trouble the imperial physician."

Ruizhu hesitated, then, after seeing Meng Shu out of the palace gates, leaned closer and lowered her voice to explain, "Your Majesty, Granny Kong isn't tired; she's worried about the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager hasn't been well lately, and these past few months she's been fortunate to have a certain medicine prepared by Physician Zhen… The Emperor's insistence on bringing the Empress Dowager back to the palace this time is also because Physician He visited Yichun Palace a few days ago…"

Ruizhu's voice was very soft. Meng Shu stared at the palace lanterns hanging under the corridor of Huining Palace, swaying gently in the wind. She was lost in thought for a while.

So that's how it is.

No wonder the Emperor suddenly wanted to go to the imperial palace.

She turned to Ruizhu and asked, "If that's the case, why did Wan'er never mention it in her letters? If the Empress Dowager were unwell, the imperial physicians stationed at the temporary palace should have reported to the palace long ago, according to regulations."

Green Willow nodded in agreement: "Yes, when I went to the palace a few days ago, Aunt Rongxiu was chatting and laughing, and she didn't seem worried at all."

Ruizhu sniffed: "The Empress Dowager is stopping us. Although Mengzhu and I are not very clever, we can tell that Her Majesty the Empress Dowager... seems to have long since given up on it. These days, besides chanting sutras in the Buddhist hall, she has also summoned several younger members of the Zhou family."

Back at Lingcui Palace, Meng Shu summoned the people from the Shanggong Bureau and explained in detail the arrangements for welcoming the Empress Dowager back to the palace the next day.

He then went to the study.

Hongyu returned from outside in the evening.

"Your Majesty, not long after Consort Qu went to Renming Palace, Imperial Physician Cui went in with his medicine chest. When he came out, Imperial Physician Cui looked normal, just like when he was taking a pulse, and there was nothing unusual about him. But Consort Qu, from a distance, I saw that her steps were much lighter, and she had just changed her route to Funing Palace to see His Majesty."

After Hongyu finished speaking, she tactfully withdrew, leaving only Meng Shu and Lüliu in the study.

Green Willow stood by the desk and said softly, "Your Highness, judging from the situation, it seems that the result of this pulse diagnosis is most likely in line with Consort Qu's wishes."

Meng Shu gave a soft "hmm," then bent down to write and draw at the desk. After thinking it over carefully, a look of understanding gradually appeared on her face.

She casually remarked, "It's nothing. After this, she'll probably have little chance of regaining favor. Even if this baby is a boy, as she wishes, whether she can keep it safely is another matter."

She had barely finished speaking when she abruptly changed the subject, saying, "As for Miss Han, she'll probably be entering the palace after the Mid-Autumn Festival."

Green Willow was taken aback upon hearing this: "Although Governor Han has just made great contributions in the northern frontier, there has been no word from the Emperor, and even the Ministry of Rites has not made a move. How did Your Majesty make this judgment?"

Meng Shu tapped her fingertips lightly on the table. Instead of explaining directly, she lowered her eyes and pondered: "The Han family holds military power in the northern frontier. This great victory has stabilized the border defense. In terms of rewarding merit, it would not be an exaggeration to make Miss Han one of the four imperial concubines."

This harem is about to get even more lively.

Before nightfall, Dong Ming came to report: "Your Majesty, in the afternoon, Consort Qu apologized outside the Funing Palace, but the Emperor did not see her. He only sent a verbal order through Eunuch Jing, saying, 'Rest assured and take care of your pregnancy. If there is no need, do not leave the palace.' After that, Eunuch Jing sent someone to take her back to the Chunxi Palace in a sedan chair."

Meng Shu was examining the autumn clothing designs presented by the Imperial Clothing Bureau by candlelight when she heard this. Her fingertips paused on a piece of lake-blue Hangzhou silk, but she remained silent.

Dong Ming added, "At dusk, the Emperor went to Cining Palace and had dinner with the Empress Dowager. After leaving Cining Palace, he returned to Funing Palace. He did not summon any concubines to his bedchamber tonight."

He glanced at Meng Shu's expression and saw that she still had her eyes downcast. She gently pushed the lake-blue Hangzhou silk aside and replaced it with a light green fabric. He then added, "Zhaoqing Palace sent Granny Yu twice, but she was turned away by Jing Neiguan both times."

Meng Shu said calmly, "I know, you can go and rest."

Dong Ming acknowledged and withdrew.

Meng Shu gathered the fabrics together, then wrote a few words in the document. Looking up, she instructed Green Willow: "Tong Bo shouldn't have found anything yet, but the Emperor has clearly grown distant from Consort Qing. These days, you personally keep an eye on Zhaoqing Palace..."

......

August 12th.

Because the emperor was to welcome the Empress Dowager back to the palace, he decreed that court be suspended for a day. Just as dawn was breaking, the imperial carriage had already left the palace gates and headed for the Changchun Garden Palace.

Around 3 PM, apart from Consort Shen, who was still under house arrest and reflecting on her mistakes, and Consort Qu, who was ordered to rest during her pregnancy, the Empress, accompanied by Consort Meng and other concubines, slowly made their way to Cining Palace.

A quarter of an hour later, Empress Dowager Jiang, supported by palace maids, boarded the imperial carriage, and the crowd then turned and headed to the palace gate to welcome Empress Dowager Zhou.

Not long after arriving at Yanxi Gate, Meng Shu heard the eunuchs announcing their greetings, and ceremonial music began to play.

Empress Dowager Jiang's expression was complicated as she looked past the crowd towards the palace gate.

Meng Shu also looked up and gazed at the bright yellow imperial carriage at the front for a moment before turning her gaze straight to the ceremonial guard behind.

Sure enough, among the carriages, Aunt Mei and Mengzhu were flanking a sedan chair. She noticed that Aunt Mei was leaning slightly forward, as if she were talking to Consort Chun inside the sedan chair.