Once you enter the gates of the palace, itâs as deep as the ocean. Being able to correspond with oneâs family is truly a great grace!
But what about the other piece of good news?
Xia Ruqing stopped her silly smile, sat up straight, and asked.
"The affairs of the Harem have always been managed by the Empress. If I lack anything, I should naturally ask the Empress for it!"
"But the Emperor said I should go directly to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to ask for it. Do you understand?"
Zi Yue, smart and quick-witted, got the point right away! After listening for a moment, she couldnât contain her joy. "Exactly! The Emperor wants to protect the Master in secret!"
The head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Steward Hai, is the Emperorâs man.
The true master of the Harem is, after all, the Emperor!
âIf you lack something, ask meâ and âIf you lack something, ask my wifeââthose are simply not the same concept!
So, isnât this also considered a piece of good news?
Xia Ruqing said with a smile, "I guess I donât have to worry about expenses for this winter!"
"Master, we didnât have to worry in the first place. The charcoal delivered by the Ministry of Internal Affairs yesterday was all top-quality."
Xia Ruqing smiled, not saying anything more.
After the meal, she returned to her desk and opened the envelope.
The handwriting on the letter was familiar. It spanned two pages.
It described the situation at home and the books he liked to read!
It also said that once he was capable, he would come to the Capital City to find his Elder Sister!
And it mentioned that Uncle Imperial Censor had arranged for a good teacher, and he would surely study hard!
After reading the letter, Xia Ruqing felt a sourness in her heart.
In my memory, Xia Jingfeng was as thin as paper, with a waxen complexion, yet he was very bright and loved reading! Unfortunately, Lady Yao, citing his frailty, always refused to hire a teacher for him! Sigh... Such a good child! He had suffered so much abuse but never complained about others, focusing only on striving hard!
Perhaps because they were born of the same mother, closely related by blood, Xia Ruqing actually felt a dull pain in her heart.
Xia Ruqing touched her heart, murmuring to herself, "Donât worry, since Iâve taken your body, your brother is now my brother! I will do my best to protect him!"
She folded the letter neatly and had Zi Yue store it in a box.
Not wanting to go out in the cold, Xia Ruqing propped herself up at the desk and practiced her calligraphy.
She was copying from the model letters given to her by the Emperor, all of which were excellent.
At noon, just as the meal had been set, Xiao Xizi came in from outside with an invitation.
"Master! Itâs an invitation from Lady Zhang and Lady Zhu of Xihuai Palace, saying they wish to invite the Master to reminisce and have tea together!" Xiao Xizi said, presenting the invitation.
"Reminisce?" Xia Ruqing frowned.
Who were Lady Zhang and Lady Zhu anyway, and what reminiscing? Were we close? I donât even recognize them!
Zi Yue reminded, "Master, these two ladies entered the palace at the same time as you!"
Xia Ruqing squinted her eyes and thought for a while, then suddenly realized, "Oh..."
In my vague memory, there had been Talent Zhang and Talent Zhu, but I hardly had any impression of them! This just shows that we really didnât have much of a relationship!
"Master, let me decline for you," Zi Yue offered.
After speaking, she chided Xiao Xizi, "And you, accepting every invitation. The Master hasnât been well!"
The Master has only âjust recoveredâ a few days ago! And itâs so cold, how could she possibly go out!
"Donât rush," Xia Ruqing suddenly said.
"The main seat in Xihuai Palace belongs to Consort Zheng Pin, and itâs close to Consort Yunâs Yaoyue Palace. That is to say, they could be people from Noble Concubine Shih!"
"Ah?" Xiao Xizi also looked somewhat worried.
That one should not be provoked! Even though our Master is favored a bit, itâs still like an egg striking a rock. The last time, our Master feigned illness for half a month to avoid trouble! How has she attracted their attention again? Sigh... Itâs all my fault!
Xia Ruqing glanced at him and couldnât help but smile. "Itâs not necessarily a bad thing; donât be afraid just yet!"
"Could it be that Little Zhuzi paid a visit and was seen by Noble Concubine Shihâs people?" Zi Yue started to worry as well.
Xia Ruqing shook her head. "I donât think so. Noble Concubine Shih suffered a setback for âpeeping at the Emperorâs carriageâ last time. She wouldnât be so foolish this time!"
Even if she really had seen him, she wouldnât make trouble so openly!
"Could it be that the Noble Consort is trying to win over our Master?" Xiao Xizi asked again.
Xia Ruqing was even more speechless. "Who do you take her for?" she said, glancing in the direction of Jiaofang Hall. "Noble Concubine Shih has favor and status, and the Empress Dowager to rely on; she has no need to win anyone over!"
"Moreover, I am just an out-of-favor Honored Lady; thereâs nothing about me worth winning over!"
"Then..." Xiao Xizi and Zi Yue became even more worried.
"Enough, letâs accept it! Itâs not a solution to keep avoiding it anyway!" Xia Ruqing sighed.
Avoiding? Until when can I actually avoid it? Once in the Harem, these issues are unavoidable! Iâve recovered from my illness, and my nameplate has been hung out. To say I canât go out because of poor health would seem too deliberate! It would be better to go out openly and confidently. I havenât done anything wrong, nor provoked anyone. Even if it were Consort Zheng Pin, what could she do to me!
"Yes!" Zi Yue accepted the note, and Xiao Xizi went out to reply.
ăThree days later.ă
The weather cleared up, and the sun made the Imperial Garden feel warm and cozy.
October was the perfect season to enjoy the hibiscus flowers. In the Imperial Garden, clusters of large hibiscus bloomed in competition, creating a lively scene.
Lady Xia, Lady Zhang, and Lady Zhu sat in a pavilion in the Imperial Garden, admiring the flowers and sipping tea.
Lady Zhang wore a light green palace dress adorned with a few hairpins that were neither new nor old.
Lady Zhuâs attire was similar; her clothing looked a bit fresher but was still essentially worn.
This made it evident that both were out of favor and not having the best of times.
Xia Ruqingâs clothes were all new, but the colors were plain. Her entire outfit was off-white, embroidered with delicate fragments of osmanthus, looking fresh and charming.
Apart from two pearl-studded Zhu Hua hair ornaments, she wore only a white jade double-fish Bu Yao hairpin. Beneath the silver hairpin dangled two thumb-sized fish made of white jade, particularly distinctive and cute.
"Elder Sister Xia really knows how to dress. This look gives you the fresh and elegant charm of a young lady from a modest family!" Lady Zhu said with a laugh.
"After all, you are someone who has been favored by the Emperor. Itâs only natural that you know how to dress up. Unlike us, ever since entering the Harem, the Emperor hasnât even given us a proper glance!" Lady Zhang said, her eyes brimming with tears, as she began to dab at them with a handkerchief.
Xia Ruqing picked up her teacup and moistened her lips, silently watching the two women perform.
What kind of joke is this? Are they trying to ingratiate themselves with me? But the compliment doesnât even make sense. Who compliments someone as being a âyoung lady from a modest familyâ? My background might not be illustrious, but thatâs not how one should speak of it! If theyâre not trying to ingratiate themselves... then what is Lady Zhang up to? And that remark about âsomeone who has been favored by the Emperorââis that a joke about me falling out of favor?
Xia Ruqing initially gave an awkward smile, then her expression turned to one of concern.
"Whatâs the matter with you, Sister Zhang? Have you encountered some difficulty!?"
As she spoke, Xia Ruqing went to sip her tea again, and Zi Yue hurriedly stepped forward to stop her.
"Honored Lady, youâve only just recovered. The Imperial Physician has advised against drinking tea. It would be better to have some sweet soup instead!"
With these words, she brought out a bowl of silver ear and lotus seed soup from a cloth-wrapped food box behind her, uncovering the lid to reveal steaming hot vapors escaping eagerly.
"This girl! I barely had a couple of extra sips of tea, and she starts fussing like this!" Xia Ruqing complained a bit.