Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 526 Vanished into thin air

Jian Zhi was on duty that evening at the Marquis of Lin'an's residence.

Inside the courtyard, the lights were on.

Madam Yun sat motionless at her desk in the flickering candlelight. She gazed intently at the secret letter Meng Shu had written, lost in thought for a long time, her fingertips tapping unconsciously.

Beside the desk lay a booklet with dark bloodstains along its edges.

Standing quietly at the lower end, awaiting orders, was Mu Feng, Tang Lin's trusted servant, who had traveled day and night from Lin'an back to the capital.

Madam Yun tossed the letter into the copper charcoal basin in front of her. The embers still flickered with a red light, illuminating her indistinct profile, as if rising and falling with the thoughts in her heart.

"How is Miss Baolian doing these days?"

Mu Feng bowed and reported, "Madam, it was fortunate and also a coincidence. The group that Miss Qin found was Manager Fan's grain transport team. Manager Fan acted decisively and safely escorted Miss Qin to Lin'an. However..."

"Prefect Qin probably still doesn't know that his daughter is still alive."

Madam Yun interrupted him, her tone firm rather than questioning.

"Madam, you are wise," Mu Feng said. "Prefect Qin's residence... has not made a big fuss by sending people to search for her. It is Young Master Qin who has secretly sent out many trusted men. Miss Qin the Third insists that she does not want to return to the Qin residence, saying... that she is afraid of implicating her family again. At present, the Young Madam has settled her in a manor outside the city. Although Miss Qin the Third suffered some injuries, after treatment, she is temporarily out of danger, so please rest assured, Madam."

Upon hearing this, Madam Yun sighed softly.

Her gaze returned to the booklet on the table. Her fingertips didn't immediately open it, but instead gently brushed over the dried, dark bloodstains on the cover. The rough touch made it almost impossible for her to imagine what kind of willpower the delicate Baolian, who had once been a guest in the mansion, had possessed to protect this booklet, and how much hardship and danger she had endured in the process.

Mu Feng reported, "The Marquis instructed me to inform the Madam that although the accounts recorded in the register have clues pointing to the Zhenbei Marquis's residence's involvement, the current evidence is insufficient to compel the Marquis to personally travel to Yuzhou. To be on the safe side, the Marquis has already dispatched additional capable personnel to conduct a thorough investigation..."

Marquis Tang Xian of Lin'an is currently observing the mourning period and has been staying at his ancestral home in Lin'an for several months. Although he is in mourning and far from the court, he has not truly been living a life of leisure. After completing the funeral arrangements, he began to reorganize the properties in his household. After some planning, he finally divided the large business he had built up over many years into two, retaining only a portion of the properties for his trusted confidants to manage, while selling the rest or entrusting them to reliable individuals.

The severe drought in Yanzhou and Henan provinces caused widespread speculation among the court officials that the Emperor might recall the Marquis of Lin'an to oversee disaster relief efforts. After all, the Marquis of Lin'an had extensive experience in managing grain routes between the north and south, as well as trade routes, and possessed considerable experience in disaster relief in the past. However, the Emperor's intentions remained uncertain, and no imperial decree of recall arrived from the capital even after the drought had ended.

Madam Yun pulled her wandering thoughts back and focused intently on carefully reading the blood-stained booklet several times. After a long while, she finally raised her hand, signaling Mu Feng to step back for the time being.

Another half hour passed, and the candlelight gradually dimmed. Mother Wei quietly stepped forward and trimmed the wick.

Seeing that Madam Yun was still deep in thought at her desk, Wei Mama gently advised, "Madam, it's late, you should rest. Be careful not to hurt your eyes."

Madam Yun seemed not to hear, carefully put away the booklet, and looked at the ashes in the charcoal brazier. "Go and invite Madam Zhou here immediately."

Upon hearing this, Madam Wei was taken aback. She glanced instinctively at the dark night outside the window and hesitated before saying, "Madam, it's already late Hai Shi (9-11 PM)..."

Madam Yun suddenly stood up. "Consort Jin wouldn't speak without reason. You come with me to the guest courtyard to invite Madam Zhou."

......

The next day, early in the morning.

Inside the Lingcui Palace, in the Cuiyu Hall, the light was dim, exuding the tranquility of the morning sun.

Meng Shu was sitting upright in front of the mirror, Xia'er was gently combing her hair with a jade comb in her hand, while Lü Liu was holding a makeup box and carefully selecting the hairpins and rings to be used today.

At that moment, Hongyu stepped lightly into the inner room, walked to Meng Shu's side, and bowed down to report in a low voice: "Your Majesty, last night, the Emperor favored Consort Ye. The Empress just sent someone to tell Consort Ye to rest well today and not to rush to Renming Palace to pay her respects."

Upon hearing this, Meng Shu's gaze briefly met Green Willow's in the mirror before she nodded without speaking. Hong Yu understood, quietly curtsied, and withdrew.

After finishing her makeup, Meng Shu was about to go out with Green Willow to pay her respects at Renming Hall. When they reached the front hall, she paused slightly, then turned around and instructed, "Go and see what Donggua is busy with, and have her come along too."

Before long, a series of slightly hurried footsteps came from under the corridor. Donggua ran over, wearing a light green palace dress that matched the color of the willow branches. Her neatly combed double buns made her face look even rounder, and her cheeks were flushed from running.

Since learning of Jian Zhi's straightforward feelings yesterday, her heart was filled with joy, yet also tinged with a hint of melancholy. If they were to marry, she would have to leave the palace and Meng Shu. However, she was always a broad-minded person, and that melancholy only lingered for a short while before being cast aside. Instead, she enthusiastically plunged into the small kitchen, throwing herself into making icing sugar and candied hawthorns...

Meng Shu and her two servants stepped into the Renming Palace and were led by palace maids to the front hall. Upon seeing Consort Shun, Meng Shu couldn't help but narrow her eyes slightly, as Consort Shun's attire today was quite different from usual.

Consort Shun had always disliked elaborate makeup. Except for the first few days after entering the palace, when she wore simple, unadorned makeup—her eyebrows were never drawn, her hair never styled—she usually dressed in plain palace attire, looking as sharp as if she were ready to mount a horse and fight at any moment. Today, however, she wore a gilded hairpin in her hair, a pale red floral adornment on her forehead, her eyebrows slightly upturned, and her lips a vibrant cherry color. A long, pomegranate-red dress trailed on the ground, embroidered with cloud patterns and lotus blossoms, and a tasseled sash was tied at her waist, making her appear somewhat more graceful.

Yet she looked no different from any other concubine. In Meng Shu's opinion, this kind of makeup and clothing actually made her lose her original heroic spirit and true nature.

Seeing Meng Shu's gaze fall on her, Consort Shun fidgeted with her sleeves uncomfortably, then turned around and quickly glared at Xiao Die.

"I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Consort Jin. I just changed my makeup, and you didn't recognize me at all." Consort Shun's voice was still somewhat cheerful.

The two exchanged greetings. Meng Shu remained expressionless and said with a smile, "Sister Shunfei looks very well today."

Palace servants served tea and snacks, and incense wafted through the hall.

The Empress then arrived leisurely, and the concubines rose to pay their respects. The Empress glanced down and saw that Consort Ye had not only come, but was also dressed in a flamboyant peach-pink outfit. She sneered inwardly, but said outwardly, "Consort Ye has not served the Emperor in a long time; there was no need for her to come here today."

Lady Ye, her face beaming, rose and curtsied, her voice soft and sweet: "Your Majesty, I have longed to share your burdens every day. As a concubine, I should pay my respects to Your Majesty. I can also chat with my fellow ladies and relieve some of my boredom."

As she spoke, her eyes flickered, glancing at Meng Shu almost imperceptibly. Although the Emperor often visited Lingcui Palace, he hadn't stayed there overnight for quite some time.

Wu Baolin was at the very end of the line. She had completely given up on the idea and coldly watched Ye Meiren's affected manner. While watching the show, she rolled her eyes without any attempt to hide it.

The Empress smiled slightly and gestured for Consort Ye to sit down. "It's kind of you to have such a thoughtful mind. Please sit down and let's talk."

This morning, there was nothing of great importance to discuss, so the concubines gathered in twos and threes to chat. Since the last donation, several newly promoted beauties and Baolin had received a lot of "unnecessary" jewelry as a reward from Consort Chun, and what they were talking about now was nothing more than the latest clothing fabrics and exquisite gold and jade hairpins.

Meng Shu and Consort Chun sat facing each other, at a distance that was neither too close nor too far, making it inconvenient to talk in hushed tones. Both of them felt somewhat bored.

Outside the palace, Donggua, along with several palace maids including Huajin and Guiqiu, stood guard under the corridor. Xingyu smiled and led them to a side room to rest. Donggua walked at the back, her nose unable to detect any other scents, only the fragrance of cosmetics in the air.

Meanwhile, in a remote village on the outskirts of the capital.

The sky was overcast, the gates of the manor were tightly shut, and an unusual stillness pervaded the air.

The head steward of the Zhenbei Marquis's mansion had a grim face, his gaze sweeping over the trembling crowd in the courtyard like a blade. He demanded in a deep voice, "Have you seen a ghost?! Doctor Chu was here yesterday, and in just one night, a living person could just vanish into thin air from this heavily guarded estate?!"

The servants and laborers in the courtyard were all silent, not one daring to utter a sound.