Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 568 The Lady no longer trusts me.

Surrounded by the warm and lively atmosphere, Meng Shu was suddenly struck by the image of Chen Lin, which made her heart feel heavy.

Chen Lin was supposed to be guarding the northern frontier, but the Marquis's mansion quietly placed him in the Palace Guard without revealing a word beforehand.

The lights were bright, and the sounds of music were faint. The laughter and chatter in the garden seemed to be veiled by a thin mist, indistinct and unreal.

Meng Shu suddenly felt a chill run through her body, and unconsciously tightened her grip on Yu Nu'er's hand, but fortunately, she maintained her usual calm demeanor.

Qionghua Garden features numerous pavilions and terraces, covering a considerable area. Because of the Mid-Autumn Festival and its full moon, Consort Chun specially designated the waterside open pavilion and front courtyard as the viewing area.

As the appointed time approached, the female members of the imperial family and the wives of officials, led by Consort Chun, went to the front hall to pay their respects to the Emperor.

The Emperor sat in the main hall, feasting with his ministers and delivering important pronouncements. The women, on the other hand, went to a separate open pavilion overlooking the water. The pavilion offered a wide view of the lake, allowing them to enjoy the moon and scenery, and was also close to the banquet hall in the main hall, symbolizing their participation in the celebration.

At this moment, the beaded curtain is slightly rolled up, a cool evening breeze is blowing, and the table and mat have already been set up.

When everyone arrived at the open pavilion, Consort Chun and other concubines took their seats first. Meng Shu's gaze passed through the shadows and lamplight and landed on Madam Yun, who was not far away.

Madam Yun, with her graceful demeanor, bowed and rose, her gaze meeting Meng Shu's.

A faint hint of inquiry flashed in Meng Shu's eyes, and Madam Yun, meeting her gaze, felt a complex and indescribable expression rise in her eyes. After a brief exchange of glances, their eyes almost simultaneously fell on Consort Chun.

Consort Chun was completely unaware.

As the birth mother of Consort Chun, Lady Yun held a noble status and her seat was second only to Consort Lin. She sat opposite Princess Yongping.

Behind her were two seats, where two young girls sat quietly and demurely; they were none other than the Fifth Miss and the Sixth Miss.

The Fifth Miss's marriage has been settled and will be finalized by the end of the year. Currently, the only eligible young lady in the Marquis's household is the Sixth Miss. Madam Yun's intention in bringing her to the palace this time is self-evident: to bring this illegitimate daughter before the assembled noble families and their spouses.

In the prominent families of the capital, the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children has always been like a chasm. For Madam Yun, as the legitimate mother, to be willing to pave the way for her illegitimate daughter in this way, and to personally take her to such palace banquets, is a rare act of generosity among the many high-ranking matriarchs.

The sixth young lady kept her eyes lowered, her posture respectful and quiet. The lamplight fell on her delicate profile, adding to her gentle charm. Several pairs of eyes had already been subtly drawn to her, carrying the usual scrutiny and assessment common among aristocratic families.

Aside from Consort Chun, among the young ladies of the Marquis's mansion, the Sixth Miss was slightly closer to Meng Shu. The Sixth Miss was honest and simple-minded. She had been the Fifth Miss's attendant since childhood. Influenced by her aunt, she devoted herself to making and blending incense, seemingly without any of her own ideas and rarely speaking.

Meng Shu watched quietly, a faint bitterness spreading silently over her heart in addition to the melancholy she felt.

Women in this world, whether confined within palace walls or trapped in high gates, are never truly free. Ultimately, they must rely on the pity and arrangements of others to find a foothold.

During the banquet, Consort Chun offered a few words of congratulations and raised her cup to drink with everyone.

As the music of string and wind instruments began, after the dancers from the Imperial Music Bureau gracefully performed, several more women from the Western Regions entered to the accompaniment of music. Their golden bells jingled, and their dances were unrestrained, drawing occasional low exclamations of admiration from the audience.

Taking advantage of the moment when Meng Shu raised her cup to cover her face, she turned to Green Willow and whispered a few words. In just a moment, Green Willow quietly withdrew from the open pavilion, her figure disappearing into the night outside the garden.

On the other side, Consort Shun sat upright, but her gaze kept drifting towards the outside of the garden, revealing a hint of absent-mindedness in her expression.

Xiaodie noticed and leaned down to ask softly, "Is Your Highness feeling stuffy?"

Consort Shun tapped her fingertips lightly on the table. Just as she was about to speak, she caught a glimpse of Green Willow leaving Consort Jin's side. Her gaze sharpened slightly, and she whispered, "Go and follow her quietly. Be careful not to be noticed."

Outside Qionghua Garden.

Chen Lin was still in a daze.

When he went to report to the Palace Guard, he hadn't been unaware that he might see Meng Shu again, but he never expected that day to come so suddenly. Yet, within the palace walls, though they were so close, it felt as if a lifetime had passed between them.

The palace banquet had begun, and the faint sounds of music drifted from within the garden. The guards stationed outside the garden also relaxed slightly, gathering in twos and threes in sheltered spots to chat quietly.

Most of the guards selected for the Palace Guard came from respectable backgrounds, either as sons of nobles or from military families, or at the very least, from well-to-do and respectable official families. The fact that they could serve in front of the emperor at such a young age was clear evidence of their families' efforts to cultivate and pave the way for their future.

For these young guards, serving at the Mid-Autumn Festival palace banquet was also a rare opportunity to make their debut.

During the banquet, many high-ranking ladies would openly or secretly observe and scout out potential suitors. Those with outstanding looks and composed demeanor were often chosen by other ladies as sons-in-law; such cases were not uncommon. After all, imperial guards held a prestigious position with promising futures, and marriage alliances were mutually beneficial for both families.

The night breeze was slightly cool. Someone nudged Chen Lin with their elbow and whispered jokingly, "Brother Chen, you'd better watch out tonight. With your looks, if you're on duty at the garden gate after the banquet, some lady might take a fancy to you and snatch you up to be her son-in-law."

A low chuckle rippled through the crowd.

Chen Lin forced a smile, his gaze involuntarily drifting towards the garden.

Just then, Green Willow emerged from the garden. As soon as she reached the gate, without even looking around, she saw a tall, handsome guard staring straight at her.

She had only heard Meng Shu and Dong Gua mention Chen Lin, but had never actually met him. However, by this point, she had already guessed seven or eight parts of what was going on.

A sharp-eyed guard recognized her as the head maidservant of Consort Jin and immediately whispered a warning to his companion. Green Willow showed no sign of it and walked straight towards the outer guard post.

She didn't go far. She greeted several palace servants from the Shanggong Bureau not far away and chatted quietly under the pretext of checking the lamps and candles and verifying the utensils.

Before long, Xiaodie also followed along as ordered.

She peered out from the shadows of the pillars and spotted Chen Lin immediately. She paused for a moment, then suddenly remembered... where she had seen this guard before.

Recalling her mistress's unspoken thoughts from years ago in the northern frontier, Xiaodie's heart tightened. She no longer cared about following Green Willow and instinctively turned to go back and report.

But after taking only a few steps, she suddenly stopped, lightly stamped her foot, and turned to hurry off in another direction. She needed to find Granny Suqin, her pillar of support, to discuss something...

The moon hangs high in the sky, its clear light like a ribbon.

Midway through the banquet in the open pavilion, the guests gradually rose and gathered in twos and threes by the waterside railing to admire the moon.

Consort Chun was surrounded by the mistresses of various households and older ladies, exchanging pleasantries and laughter, mostly about the future of their children.

On the other side, the young women gathered in another group, their gazes occasionally drifting to the moonlight, sometimes exchanging curious glances. For them, the palace banquet was both a rare opportunity to broaden their horizons and a silent contest.

Amidst the garden filled with jewels and fine clothes, Meng Shu composed herself and gave Madam Yun a calm look.

Madam Yun understood and slowly walked closer, giving a slight curtsy in accordance with etiquette.

Meng Shu had not seen Madam Yun for some time, nor had she seen her so closely. Although Madam Yun's makeup was still exquisite and perfect, the corners of her eyes had already subtly shown the marks of time.

"Madam... no longer trusts me."

Meng Shu looked at her and sighed softly.

This was also the first time she had referred to herself as "this palace" in front of Madam Yun.

Madam Yun's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this.

Suddenly, a commotion arose from the direction of the main hall of the front palace, not far away.

The Emperor had publicly announced that the Great Zhou would expand its maritime trade. The court officials held differing opinions, but most of the civil officials, led by the Marquis of Lin'an, seconded the proposal, which pleased the Emperor.

Seeing his opportunity, Minister Qu suddenly stepped forward and knelt, his voice filled with sorrow: "Your Majesty, the Third Prince recently caught a cold at Puji Temple and fell ill... Fortunately, he was protected by Buddha and recovered. However, the temple is ultimately austere, and the Third Prince is young and frail; staying in a Buddhist monastery for so long is not a sustainable plan. I humbly beg Your Majesty to grant the Third Prince temporary stay at the Imperial Palace to recuperate..."