Little Palace Maid Desires a Higher Seat of Honor - Chapter 94

Chapter 94: Managing Household Affairs

Yun Si noticed Su Jieyu’s gaze and felt a bit puzzled. Why did Su Jieyu seem as if she had gone mad? 

Had she truly been driven to insanity by the miscarriage? 

Yun Si was suspicious, feeling that Su Jieyu’s condition couldn’t be solely due to the miscarriage. 

After the morning greetings concluded, Yun Si had just reached the entrance of Kuning Palace when a palace maid suddenly hurried over and stopped her, bowing respectfully as she whispered,

“Yun Jieyu, please wait. Her Majesty mentioned that she has a gift for you but forgot to have you take it with you. She sent me to ask you to return for a moment.” 

Yun Si raised an eyebrow.
Was there something that couldn’t simply be handed over by a servant? 

Exchanging a glance with Qiu Yuan, she had a guess in mind and turned back toward Kuning Palace. 

Behind her, Su Jieyu remained standing in place. Bai Shao looked at her with a trace of concealed worry and whispered, “Mistress, it’s time for us to return.” 

Consort De, who had already boarded her palanquin, noticed the scene and faintly smirked. She beckoned Gui Qiu over and murmured a few words. 

Gui Qiu looked surprised but quickly composed herself and bowed. 

The palanquin was then lifted again. 

******** 

When Yun Si returned, the hall was quiet. She was led by a palace maid into the inner chamber. Before she entered, she heard a fit of coughing. 

The bead curtain was lifted by a servant, and Her Majesty the Empress was sitting inside, waiting for her.
The Empress pressed a handkerchief to her lips, and upon hearing the movement, she immediately looked up, her face wearing a gentle smile. 

Yun Si couldn’t help but blink lightly. If she hadn’t misheard, was Her Highness unwell? 

But why had there been no rumors about it? 

Though hesitant inwardly, Yun Si showed no outward signs of doubt and performed a proper bow. Before she could fully lower herself, the Empress stopped her.

“There’s no need for such formalities.” 

Once Yun Si was seated, Bai Zhi respectfully served tea. 

Yun Si glanced around. The inner chamber of Kuning Palace was filled with the scent of burning incense, a thick fragrance that resembled gardenia but wasn’t quite the same.
Yet, beneath the overpowering aroma, Yun Si seemed to catch a faint, concealed medicinal bitterness.

During her time at the retreat palace, Yun Si had never gone a day without medicine, making her particularly sensitive to the smell of herbs. The faint medicinal scent now gave her a headache. 

Because of this, she grew even more certain, there was definitely something wrong with the Empress’s health. Yet, for some reason, the news had never leaked outside. 

What kind of illness could be so unspeakable? 

A sudden realization flashed in Yun Si’s eyes. 

Baizhi stepped out briefly and soon returned, carrying an ornate brocade box. 

Yun Si was surprised. She had assumed the “gift” was just an excuse, was there really something for her? 

The box was opened, revealing an entire set of jadeite jewelry. Having spent two years in the Central Province Hall, Yun Si had seen all kinds of rare treasures. With just one glance, she knew this set was priceless. 

Yet, she couldn’t help but exchange a look with Qiu Yuan, a strange feeling rising in her chest. 

Whether intentional or not, just like the previous coral ornament, this jadeite set also had traces of bright red, rubies inlaid into the jade, strikingly eye-catching. 

This had nothing to do with personal preference. Yun Si even instinctively felt it was a test. 

Without hesitation, she declined.

“One who has done no merit does not deserve reward. This concubine is unworthy of Your Highness’s excessive favor.” 

The Empress cut her off. “This palace simply thinks this set suits you. There’s no question of worthiness. You’re at the prime of your youth, you ought to dress more vibrantly.” 

Yun Si choked back her words. 

Unlike the other imperial consorts, she had no influential background. All her jewelry and ornaments were bestowed upon her by Tan Yuanchu. 

Tan Yuanchu had never been stingy with her. When she moved into Panju Hall, its private treasury was nearly overflowing with silks, satins, jade, and jewelry. 

But she couldn’t very well use the Emperor’s generosity as an excuse to refuse the Empress. 

Yun Si frowned slightly. She could see it now, once the Empress decided to gift something, there was no taking it back. With a hesitant and uneasy expression, she accepted the brocade box. 

Though she had taken the box, Yun Si didn’t rush to leave. Seeing this, the Empress’s smile deepened slightly. 

Bai Zhi glanced around, and soon, all the other palace servants withdrew, leaving only the four of them, master and attendants, in the now-silent hall. 

Yun Si pressed her lips together, letting out a quiet, bitter laugh.

“Your Highness, why waste your time on this concubine? I have no power or influence. In this palace, I survive only by clinging to His Majesty’s fleeting favor, how could I possibly be of any help to you?”

The Empress looked up. “In this palace, gaining even a sliver of the Emperor’s favor is already extraordinary.” 

Yun Si couldn’t refute that. 

She wasn’t in a hurry to speak either. After all, it was the Empress who was eager to collaborate with her, otherwise, she wouldn’t be sitting here now. 

The hall fell silent for a moment before the Empress suddenly spoke, her words straightforward.

“What does Yun Jieyu think of Consort De?” 

Yun Si wasn’t surprised at all. She took a sip of tea and replied softly, “Consort De is meticulous in her schemes. This concubine is no match for her.” 

Hearing this, the Empress raised an eyebrow. Speaking with someone intelligent was always easier, there was no need to spell things out, as the other party would naturally understand. 

It seemed Yun Si also suspected Consort De’s involvement in the incident where she fell into the water at the Temporary Palace. 

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have described Consort De in such a way. 

The Empress’s tone was indifferent, “Everything has two sides. Being overly meticulous isn’t always a good thing.” 

After a pause, Yun Si lifted her almond-shaped eyes and asked hesitantly, “Does Your Highness have past grievances with Consort De?” 

The Empress’s bluntness startled Yun Si.
“The hatred of losing a child, how do you think it should be avenged?” 

Having her suspicions confirmed didn’t bring Yun Si any joy. She couldn’t help but glance at the Empress. 

Her interactions with the Empress had been few, why would the Empress trust her enough to reveal such palace secrets? 

Perhaps it wasn’t trust. Perhaps the Empress simply no longer cared about secrecy as long as Consort De was brought down. 

Yun Si, however, found those blinded by vengeance to be somewhat obsessive. She grew more cautious internally but couldn’t help voicing her confusion:.

“You are Her Highness the Empress. Could you truly do nothing about her?” 

Her genuine bewilderment drew a self-deprecating chuckle from the Empress. “This palace is the Empress. She is the birth mother of the Emperor’s eldest son. What do you think separates her from this palace?” 

Yun Si was momentarily speechless. 

Yet she also felt the Empress’s reasoning was flawed, the distinction between the legitimate heir and a concubine-born child was not so easily erased. 

The Empress took a deep breath and said,

“This palace only realized later, the Emperor would never allow the eldest prince to have a birth mother tainted by infamy.” 

Yun Si wasn’t surprised, but she wanted to ask, if the Emperor feared that Consort De’s crimes would taint the prince, would he also forbid the prince from losing his mother?

Yun Si certainly didn’t want to end up like Su Jieyu, confused and devastated, when she eventually became pregnant. 

The Empress met Yun Si’s gaze and, after a long moment, gave a faint, wry smile and shook her head.

“He didn’t know.” 

“Though His Majesty has conflicting feelings about heirs, he has always wanted a legitimate son. If he had known it was Consort De who caused this palace to miscarry, no matter how much he considered the Eldest Prince, he would never have allowed her to oversee the Mid-Autumn Banquet that year.” 

The Empress paused, then let out a self-mocking laugh.

“It was only much later that this palace realized it was Consort De who harmed me.”

Yun Si thought to herself—As expected.
Her Majesty had Consort De oversee the Mid-Autumn Banquet every year simply to remind herself not to forget the hatred of losing her child. 

Yet she had to admit that the Empress’s answer still eased her mind somewhat. 

Yun Silowered her eyelids slightly and said,

“This concubine’s parents passed away early, but in my memory, I recall very clearly one thing my mother once said.” 

The Empress looked at her in surprise. 

Yun Si raised her eyes to meet her gaze, her voice soft and her tone indifferent. “When you can’t solve a problem, make it bigger. Then, someone who can solve it will naturally appear.”

The Empress’s breath hitched. After a long moment, she chuckled softly.

“Your mother was wise.” 

Yun Si smiled faintly and moved past the topic. Before making any “problem” bigger, there was still the matter of Lu Song mentioning something happening seven days later. 

Though Yun Si didn’t know what scheme Lu Song was plotting, she still intended to test it out. 

But she didn’t mention this to the Empress. 

She disliked being seen as transparent in others’ eyes and didn’t want any leverage held over her, it made her feel deeply insecure. 

When Yun Si was about to take her leave, the Empress suddenly called out to her and asked,

“I heard that at the temporary palace, His Majesty had you manage household affairs, but you were somewhat unaccustomed to it?” 

“Unaccustomed” was putting it mildly, it had been utter chaos. 

Yun Si turned back, puzzled by the Empress’s meaning. 

The Empress smiled gently, her voice calm,”If you wish to learn, you may stay in Kuning Palace after the morning greetings to converse with this palace.” 

Yun Si could no longer suppress her astonishment.