Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 452 Meng Shu's Acting Skills

After the Emperor went to the Imperial Ancestral Temple, Meng Shu finally had some free time and, accompanied by Green Willow, went to a side hall to change into her concubine's everyday clothes.

The nine-flower hairpin crown was replaced with a lighter seven-tailed phoenix hairpin, and the heavy pheasant robe was replaced with a robe embroidered with intertwined branches. She took a sip of the cool tea handed to her by Green Willow and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Aunt Mei was originally going to go with the wet nurse to take care of Yu Nu'er, but Meng Shu stopped her from going. Two quarters of an hour ago, she bid farewell to Meng Shu with some lingering worry, and left the palace for Changchun Garden Palace with a plate of steamed winter melon and pomegranate dumplings.

Back in the main hall, Meng Shu was greeted by a steady stream of wives and relatives of officials, among whom Princess Yongping and Tang Yu'er were the most familiar.

Firstly, Princess Yongping and Madam Yun were old acquaintances; Meng Shu had met Princess Yongping at the poetry gathering at Lingxi Manor.

Secondly, Tang Yu'er, the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Huai'an, married into the Prince Rui's mansion. Tang Yu'er is gentle and sensible, and she had previously been on good terms with Consort Chun, which also made Meng Shu somewhat fond of her.

"Consort Jin is now the most watched person in the palace."

Princess Yongping sat with her sister-in-law Tang Yu'er, their voices filled with genuine emotion.

Not only her, but also the wives of the imperial clan and the wives of officials of the third rank and above sitting in the hall couldn't help but glance at Meng Shu. Who would have thought that Meng Shu, who entered the palace as a concubine, could rise step by step to the position of Consort Jin and become the birth mother of the eldest prince.

This situation is truly heartbreaking.

Before entering the palace today, Princess Yongping had already made up her mind to use this full moon banquet to strike up a conversation with the newly promoted Consort Jin. She was still wary of Madam Yun and was pondering how to strike the right balance without revealing her intentions before leaving the mansion.

Seeing Madam Yun and Meng Shu chatting and laughing, with no sign of any distance between them, she felt slightly relieved and got up to talk to Meng Shu.

After all, she has a young son who has just turned three. If he can become the eldest prince's study companion in the future, his future will be much more secure.

Princess Yongping was not the only one who wanted to pave a golden road for her child.

Even though Meng Shu had deep ties with the Marquis of Lin'an's family, given the Emperor's favor towards the eldest prince, even the slightest connection was an opportunity others couldn't hope for. Therefore, some people used the pretext of delivering congratulatory gifts to get closer, some accompanied by their personal maids and nannies, others even trying to strike up a conversation with Green Willow to ingratiate themselves. Each of them harbored anticipation, unwilling to easily let go of the opportunity presented by this full moon celebration.

However, the liveliness inside the hall was divided into two parts.

Meng Shu's side consisted mainly of women from civil official families and imperial relatives. Their conversations often revolved around topics like "children" and "enlightenment," revealing a lively and engaging nature.

On the Empress's side, although there were many people gathered around, they were mostly military officers and their wives. Although they were envious, they were more concerned about the Zhenbei Marquis's mansion, so they all watched coldly.

Just then, Lady Chen, the wife of the Duke of Qing, stepped forward, bowed to the Empress, and said, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects. This morning, the Duke's Mansion received a great favor, and I wish to visit Consort Qing at Zhaoqing Palace. I heard that she was not well last night, and I am truly worried about her."

The Empress said slowly, "Although it looked dangerous last night, fortunately the imperial physician arrived in time, and now Consort Qing's condition has stabilized, so Lady Qing need not worry."

As she spoke, she raised her eyes and gestured to Xingyu, "You accompany the Duchess to Zhaoqing Palace, and remember to bring her back for the banquet before noon."

"Yes." Xingyu bowed and respectfully led Madam Qing outside.

The Empress watched them walk away, her gaze sweeping around the palace once more.

Zhixue leaned forward and whispered, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, the investiture ceremony has gone smoothly, and the full moon banquet has been in preparation for many days. This servant and Granny Gui have been keeping a close eye on things, so there will be no mishaps..."

Before the words had even finished, a figure suddenly entered the hall. Although Chen Ling, the head eunuch of Renming Hall, maintained a calm demeanor, the panic in his eyes was impossible to hide. He didn't dare to go forward directly, but instead quickly walked to Granny Gui's side and whispered a few words to her.

Granny Gui was checking the table when she suddenly looked up, her eyes quickly sweeping over Meng Shu's side, and hurriedly reported to the Empress.

Meng Shu was chatting with Madam Yun and Princess Yongping, but she didn't miss the commotion on the Empress's side out of the corner of her eye.

Princess Yongping smiled and said, "The summer heat is too intense, so the cooks in the manor have come up with a new mint-flavored chilled cake. It's chilled with well water, and it's quite refreshing. I'll take the recipe to Your Majesty another day. If Your Majesty doesn't mind, perhaps the kitchen can give it a try."

Meng Shu nodded slightly, "Thank you for your trouble, Princess. Wan'er is always sensitive to heat. If this prescription works, we should thank you, Princess."

Princess Yongping smiled and agreed, then exchanged a few more pleasantries before taking her leave.

Seeing that Meng Shu thought of Consort Chun in everything, Madam Yun's expression softened even more.

She glanced cautiously at the Empress and saw that Granny Gui was still speaking in a low voice. The Empress's face had visibly darkened, so she leaned close to Meng Shu's ear and asked in a low voice, "Judging from this, could something have happened?"

Meng Shu smiled slightly, "It's alright, Madam, please sit and drink your tea..." As she spoke, her gaze casually swept around the hall, lingering briefly on Qu Jieyu's side.

Qu Jieyu was talking to Ruixue beside her with her head turned to the side, and everything on her face was normal. However, whether she was looking at the Empress or not could be seen at a glance from where Meng Shu was sitting.

Just as she expected, the trickery in the embroidery room was a scheme she had set up.

Green Willow said softly, "Qu Jieyu has no power or influence in the palace, yet she was able to do these things in secret. I underestimated her."

"—The Emperor has arrived."

The eunuch's voice announced his arrival. Behind the imperial desk, the Empress took a deep breath, rose, and descended the jade steps to greet him.

Meng Shu immediately stood up and was about to follow the Empress out of the hall when she saw the Emperor carrying Yu Nu'er striding into the hall. The swaddled baby in his arms was wrapped tightly, his arms slightly bent to protect her, and his steps were a little faster than usual.

The people in the hall knelt on the ground to pay their respects to the emperor, their eyes involuntarily glancing towards his chest, then quickly nudging the person next to them with their peripheral vision—

For an ordinary prince to receive a name personally bestowed by the emperor upon his one-month birthday is already an honor. How could anyone be so closely protected by the supreme ruler? Judging from this scene, the eldest prince's importance in the emperor's heart is probably much greater than everyone thinks.

Princess Yongping, for example, was quicker to think – could it be that the Emperor had carried her all the way back from the Imperial Ancestral Temple? Did he not even let the wet nurse or the eunuchs touch her?

She subtly shifted her knees towards her sister-in-law beside her, giving her a questioning look. Tang Yu'er returned the same shocked look.

The news that the wet nurses had also suddenly fallen ill did not spread, and the music for the full moon celebration started on time.

Just as Meng Shu received the swaddling clothes from the Emperor, he whispered in her ear, "The wet nurse has contracted a strange illness and has been sent to the Imperial Hospital for a thorough examination. Don't be afraid, Shu'er. Yu Nu'er is fine. I will definitely give you an explanation for this matter."

Meng Shu's acting skills were superb; as soon as the emperor finished speaking, most of the color drained from her face.

First, his pupils contracted slightly, then his lips tightened, and a thin layer of red appeared in his eyes. From the surprise of hearing the news to the anger and fear that followed, it all happened in the blink of an eye.

Adding to this, she carefully examined Yu Nu'er's neck and palms, her fingertips gently brushing the child's cheeks... The Emperor's heart, which had just calmed down, was thrown into turmoil again by her slightly flustered appearance.

He watched as Meng Shu pressed her ear close to the swaddling clothes to listen to the baby's breathing, and saw her fingertips turn white from the effort. His throat moved, but in the end he only said, "Don't worry, I'm here."

Such a thing happened just after the baby turned one month old, and the Emperor's anger, which he had just suppressed, resurfaced.

As the Empress sat down on her throne, she caught the Emperor's gaze out of the corner of her eye, and her back stiffened almost imperceptibly.

She thought about it carefully, but couldn't figure out where things went wrong. This was the first grand ceremony she presided over after regaining control of the palace. Even though her jealousy was overflowing, she didn't slack off at all!