"... Hey, Wangzhi, do you feel... that Yupan is a little strange lately?"
Tomorrow is the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month, the real New Year's Eve, so there is a lot to do. Xie Wangzhi took advantage of the free time to embroider the purse in her hand. Her embroidery skills are average, so she has to be extra careful at the end, for fear that a wrong stitch would ruin all her previous work.
She had been staring at the needle tip until her eyes were blurry. When she heard Lou Hanyue approaching her and asking mysteriously, she hadn't recovered yet: "What happened to Yu Pan?"
"I'm wondering about you. Last time you came back, you were so eager to embroider a purse. You embroidered such a complicated pattern, and you embroidered it with a lamp at night." Xie Wangzhi was frank and did not hide the fact that he was embroidering a purse from his roommates. Lou Hanyue knew who the embroidery was for, so she deliberately said, "You don't really like that eunuch, do you?"
Xie Wang was startled, then a little embarrassed and annoyed. He stabbed the needle diagonally into his purse and pretended to hit Lou Hanyue: "What? Say something nonsense again, and try it."
"I don't dare, I don't dare." Lou Hanyue also felt that the little eunuch had no chance, it was just an embroidered purse, it was nothing, so she quickly pulled the subject back, "Stop making a fuss, let's talk about Yu Pan's matter. I want to ask you, maybe I am overthinking, but do you feel that..."
She frowned, turned her head and glanced at the doors and windows, seeing that they were all closed and no one was coming and going, then she came close to Xie Wangzhi and said hesitantly, "Yu Pan doesn't want to talk to us recently?"
"Really?" Xie Wangzhi had been so focused on his wallet these days that he really didn't notice it. "When do you think it started?"
"Just two days ago, she and I came back from Chu Fangyi's place, and I saw you cooking eight-treasure porridge. You said it was a thank-you gift for His Highness the Seventh Prince." Lou Hanyue recalled for a moment, "You cooked a lot, and I asked you for a bowl, but Yu Pan refused. From that day on, I felt that she was weird."
When she said that, Xie Wangzhi also had a vague impression. That day, Changsheng took the lunch box and left, looking very angry. When Xie Wangzhi came to her senses, he was already gone, and she couldn't catch up with him. She could only stare at Meiqiu in the small kitchen, feeling very anxious.
Later, Lou Hanyue and Yao Yupan came back, and the three chatted for a while. At first, everything was normal, but Lou Hanyue loved to drink something sweet, so she asked her what she cooked, and Xie Wangzhi answered truthfully. However, Yao Yupan's face changed slightly, and she said she was tired, and left the kitchen in silence.
It just so happened that the Imperial Food Bureau was very busy these two days, and Xie Wangzhi felt that her feet were tripping over each other when she walked. She spent her spare time embroidering purses and didn't pay much attention to Yao Yupan. When Lou Hanyue mentioned this, she vaguely remembered that it seemed to be the case. Since that day, Yao Yupan seemed to be deliberately avoiding her, and several times she even asked other young palace maids to pass messages in the kitchen.
Xie Wangzhi had no idea what Yao Yupan was thinking, so she could only guess. After guessing for a while, her heart sank and she put down her purse: "Yupan is almost fifteen years old. Whether she can be promoted or not will be revealed in the spring. She wouldn't think that I cooked Eight Treasure Porridge because I want to have some relationship with Qingsi Palace, right? But I don't."
"No! Yu Pan is not that petty." Lou Hanyue immediately denied, "Besides, Yu Pan received a reward from His Majesty the Seventh Prince, and will be promoted next year. Even if you really want to borrow his power, what is there to be angry about?"
“… Then I don’t know.”
"I don't know either." Lou Hanyue sighed, "I always feel that she is holding something in her heart, she is unhappy, and doesn't like to talk to people, but it's not easy to ask."
"Holding something back..." Xie Wangzhi made a guess, "Then tell me, is it possible that Yu Pan is thinking about her mother?"
Lou Hanyue looked at Xie Wangzhi and thought it was possible, but it was even harder to comfort her. After all, she was her mother. If others comforted her in a weak way, it would only make her more sad. She held it in for a while and said, "There's nothing I can do. I'll make fish soup tonight. It's hot and spicy. Drink it and sweat. Then cry for a while and everything will be fine."
This is a good idea. Xie Wangzhi nodded and picked up his purse.
Seeing that the purse was just a little short of being full, Lou Hanyue stopped arguing with her. She said something casually and went out to borrow the stove to make fish soup.
The door opened and closed, Xie Wangzhi looked at the purse in his hand, but the needle could not penetrate. The bottom of the purse was light green, with a cat face in the shape of a coal ball embroidered in black thread. He couldn't find a suitable color, so he could only use light yellow. Xie Wangzhi also embroidered dark green grass and trees on the edge, and now he was finishing with long leaves.
In fact, it was not necessary to embroider the leaves, but when she just finished embroidering the coal balls, she couldn't help but change to blue thread and dropped stitches on the edge.
This purse probably brought back her memories, always reminding her of the shadowy trees and grass outside the Qingning Palace, and a dark cat squatting on the road leading to the main hall. If she was brave enough and dared to walk into the main hall, there would be a young man in green clothes in the inner hall, with a cold and beautiful appearance and gold in the depths of his eyes.
――"You don't really like that eunuch, do you?"
Xie Wangzhi's hand trembled, the needle tip deviated, and pierced the side of her left index finger. Blood immediately oozed out, and she gasped in pain. Fortunately, the blood did not stain her purse. She put the things back into the small basket, held her index finger in her mouth, and sucked the blood.
The bleeding hadn't stopped yet when the door opened again. A familiar-looking maid appeared, who seemed to be from the next room. "Wangzhi? Is it Wangzhi? Go to the kitchen quickly. The chef is looking for you!"
"Got it, thank you!" Xie Wangzhi immediately jumped off the couch, straightened her skirt, and trotted to the kitchen.
The kitchen was not far from the maids' quarters, and Xie Wangzhi ran over without getting his breathing disordered. Zhang Dianshan was standing at the door of the kitchen, with Lou Hanyue and Yao Yupan standing on his left and right, each holding a food box.
"You go too." Zhang Dianshan handed another food box to Xie Wangzhi, "Your Majesty and the Imperial Concubine are by the Taiye Lake. Send someone to deliver the food."
Taiye Lake is not too far from the Shangshi Bureau, but it is still quite a distance away. Xie Wangzhi thought it would be better to call a eunuch with fast speed, but then he thought again and understood.
There was only one imperial concubine in the palace, and it was the imperial concubine Xiao who Haitang had previously offended. This time, no one else was called, and the three palace maids who lived in the same room with Shi Manqing were asked to deliver the food. I'm afraid she had other intentions. Imperial concubine Xiao might not make trouble, but she had to be careful. Xie Wangzhi took the food box and walked out in silence.
After stepping out of the Shangshi Bureau, the three of them were a little uneasy. Even Lou Hanyue was speechless. You followed me, I followed you, and we arrived at the Taiye Lake in fear and trepidation.
There is a pavilion beside Taiye Lake, which was originally a place to cool off in the summer. At present, four of the six bamboo curtains are put up, and there is a layer of cotton on the outside. The pavilion is also covered with velvet carpets. There are small "doors" on the two sides without curtains, and a charcoal stove is placed next to each, and smoke with the aroma of fruit wood slowly burns out.
The emperor and the imperial concubine were sitting in the pavilion. The three girls had never seen such a scene before, so no one dared to step forward. Xie Wangzhi had to bite the bullet and find a palace servant who looked kind: "Sister, these are snacks from the Imperial Food Bureau."
The palace maid took a look and smiled at her: "Since it's snacks, you can send them over. We won't handle them."
After she said that, the three of them had no choice but to follow Xie Wangzhi, followed by Lou Hanyue and Yao Yupan. The three girls carried food boxes and carefully moved to the front of the pavilion.
The more you say, the more mistakes you will make. The three of them just bowed and greeted each other. Xie Wangzhi said, "The Shangshi Bureau presents some snacks."
"Come here." Concubine Xiao spoke first.
Xie Wangzhi really didn't want to enter the pavilion, but she had no choice but to walk into the pavilion, put down the food box, take out the things inside one by one, bow and then step back a few steps, keeping her head down so that she could only see the corner of the imperial concubine's clothes. Lou Hanyue and Yao Yupan did the same.
Concubine Xiao did not say anything else. When the last dessert was on the table, Xie Wangzhi had not yet finished breathing a sigh of relief when another voice said, "Why did the Imperial Food Bureau send three little palace maids? I don't know what's so strange about that. Look up."
Hearing the words "raise your head", Xie Wangzhi almost choked. Last time in Lizheng Palace, the prince's words "raise your head" made her kneel outside the palace for a while. If it weren't for Changsheng, she would have crawled back to the Shangshi Bureau. But this time it was the emperor who spoke, even if Changsheng could see it again, he probably wouldn't have the courage to spread false news.
Xie Wangzhi swallowed, accepted his fate, and slowly raised his head.
As soon as she raised her head, even with her eyelids lowered, her gaze swept across the faces of Concubine Xiao and the Emperor.
Being from the same mother, Concubine Xiao and the Crown Princess actually look somewhat similar, but Concubine Xiao has a lively and graceful appearance, with a hint of unintentional charm in the corners of her eyes and eyebrows, worthy of the phrase "her smile is charming and her eyes are beautiful".
As for the emperor... Xie Wangzhi actually had no interest in him. He just saw him out of the corner of his eye and didn't pay attention to his face. He just thought he looked good, but he was old after all. If he was twenty years younger, he would probably be a handsome man who could attract the hearts of the noble ladies in Chang'an City.
The little palace maid didn't dare to look at people openly, but Li Chengjing did. He looked at the three people in front of him, from Xie Wangzhi to Yao Yupan.
The three little palace maids were still young. The shortest one hadn't grown up yet, she was skinny and small, and she would probably need to be raised for another two years before she could look good. The middle one was also still young, pretty, but nothing special. The oldest one was good, her figure had grown up, but she still had some childishness, she looked timid, her eyelashes drooped obediently, she looked like a lotus emerging from water or a pear blossom weeping.
Concubine Xiao felt something was wrong when she saw that he had been in the palace for so long, but she didn't show it on her face. She pretended to be angry and said, "Your Majesty, why are you only looking at the cakes and not at me?"
"Why would you be angry over a few plates of dim sum?" Li Chengjing knew what Concubine Xiao was thinking, but he was happy to play this game with her. He immediately retracted his gaze and reached out to touch Concubine Xiao's hand across the table.
Concubine Xiao threw away her scarf and turned to the other side. Li Chengjing grabbed the scarf and moved towards her, obviously trying to please Concubine Xiao.
The two of them were having fun in the pavilion. If it weren't for the 20-year age difference between the emperor and the imperial concubine, Xie Wangzhi would have thought the scene was quite romantic. No one said anything, so she couldn't leave. She could only stand there straight, watching with her eyes and her nose, pretending she didn't see anything.
After a while of commotion, Feng Yan came over with a message, it seemed that the Taoist priest who had recently entered the palace had something to say. Li Chengjin comforted Concubine Xiao with a few more words, then got up and left.
Xie Wangzhi thought he could finally leave, but Concubine Xiao slowly said, "What do you do in the Shangshi Bureau?"