After a few days, her mood stabilized a lot, but she still couldn't let it go. Xiaoman entered the palace to be a maid for the sake of her family. When she left, her family outside the palace didn't know the bad news yet.
That day, Fu Yuheng came to visit Shen Qingwan as usual, and felt relieved when he saw that her expression finally looked better.
"I'm relieved to see you're better." Fu Yuheng naturally took her hand. She had lost a lot of weight these days because of excessive sadness. He raised his hand and stroked her thin chin, "You've lost a little weight these days."
Such an intimate action startled Shen Qingwan. Her pretty face turned red and she couldn't help but shrink back. Seeing this, Fu Yuheng chuckled and put down his hand.
"I'm much better now. Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I have caused you a lot of trouble these days." He came to see her as soon as he left the imperial study, which made the people in the harem envious, but also made the concubines say that the emperor doted on Concubine Xian too much.
"It is their blessing to follow a master like you." If she were in an ordinary palace, it would be nothing more than the death of a palace maid, and she might not even be sad, but she treated Xiaoman as a relative.
Shen Qingwan remained silent. It was her blessing to have such loyal people like Xiao Man and Lian Yun serving her. Her eyes turned slightly, and she thought of the purpose of today. She opened her red lips and said, "Your Majesty, I have another favor to ask of you."
"you say."
Shen Qingwan thought about it for a few days and decided to go and comfort Xiaoman's family. After all, she died because of her, and her family should know about it.
Hearing this, Fu Yuheng frowned, but he was not displeased. He felt that this was necessary, so he nodded and said, "You want to go there in person?"
"My life was saved by Xiaoman, so I should handle it myself." She would feel uneasy if she let someone else do it.
Fu Yuheng also knew her temper, so he only reminded her to be careful when leaving the palace, and to send someone back to the palace to inform him immediately if she found anything wrong. Shen Qingwan agreed to all of his requests.
As before, she did not bring her guards or Lianyun with her. She changed into a light white dress and left the palace alone.
Xiaoman's home is on the outskirts of the city. The family is in financial difficulty and relies entirely on Xiaoman's meager salary. No one knows what they will do when they learn about her.
She was worried, her eyebrows were tightly knitted together, and she didn't pay attention to the people around her. When she bumped into someone, she quickly pushed him away and said, "Sorry, I bumped into you."
Before she could see who was coming, she just lowered her head slightly to apologize. The person who was hit did not say anything. As soon as she raised her head, she heard the man chuckle.
"What are you thinking about so absent-mindedly?" The man suppressed his smile, his gentle voice seemed to have some kind of magic that could make people forget their pain, his gentle eyebrows were as handsome as ever.
This person is not someone else, it is Quan!
She looked up into the deep black eyes, her eyes full of wonder and surprise, "Why are you here?"
"I came out to do something." He said it briefly and didn't say much about it. She didn't have the habit of prying into other people's private affairs, so she smiled and let him go.
Quan was wearing a white dress, which matched her perfectly and did not look out of place. He tilted his head to look at her beautiful face, "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to the outskirts of the city." He smiled faintly, and his pleasant voice with a deep voice sounded again, "I'm going to the outskirts of the city too, let's go together."
Shen Qingwan thought it was a coincidence, but she didn't doubt anything. After all, Quan was just a benefactor to her, and she didn't think he had any bad intentions towards her.
The young man and the beautiful woman walked together in harmony, attracting passers-by to look at them frequently. However, the two of them were also frank and did not think there was anything wrong.
"It seems like I always meet you." A soft voice brushed past her ears, and Quan's eyes were like a pool of water, full of affection and love.
But Shen Qingwan didn't raise her head, and missed the beautiful scenery. She raised the corners of her mouth, "Always let the young master help me."
"Didn't you save me once too?" She saved him when he was injured that time, and he always remembered it.
"All I did was a simple favor." She didn't feel that she had done anything. Compared with what he had done for her, it was really insignificant.
But he smiled, making people feel like they were bathed in spring breeze. She did not respond, but just smiled bitterly in her heart, that was our fate.
He didn't say this out loud because he didn't want to scare her. Their relationship was already very good now.
Although the two did not communicate much along the way, her mood was always good. However, the closer they got to the outskirts of the city, the lower her mood became. The purpose of her leaving the palace today was for Xiao Man.
The raised brows slowly drooped down. She changed so quickly that Quan couldn't help but frown, "Are you worried about something?"
She wanted to raise her head and shake her head at him as if she was nonchalant, but she couldn't be so indifferent. Even her smile was bitter, and her brows were filled with deep sadness.
"When I was out of the palace for a trip, an assassin tried to kill me, but my maid blocked the sword for me and died." Her voice was not loud but every word was clear. Quan couldn't help but frowned even more tightly when he heard it.
"I feel very guilty and sorry about this. There is no distinction between valuable and worthless human lives." She sighed helplessly.
Quan pursed his lips and spoke softly, "She is very loyal and thinks you are more important than herself." Seeing that she didn't say anything, he continued, "I think her original intention was not to blame herself for you, but just hope that you can live well."
"Maybe." Even so, she found it difficult to convince herself not to blame herself, but she felt better.
When they reached the outskirts of the city, Shen Qingwan said goodbye to him. Xiaoman's home was not far away, and it was time for him to go about his own business.
Before leaving, Quan advised her not to think too much and to live a good life.
She nodded in agreement, and after finding Xiaoman's home, she told them about Xiaoman's situation. Upon hearing the news, the couple couldn't bear the blow and started crying.
But once she enters the palace, her life is no longer hers, and it is right for her to sacrifice for her master.
Shen Qingwan was also distressed by the crying of the two elders, and her eyes were also red from the infection, "I have already buried Xiao Man, I am sorry for this matter..."
"Your Highness, please don't say that. Xiao Man told us that you treated her very well. Now that you have come to comfort us, my husband and I are already very grateful!"
If it were any other master, the best thing he could do would be to send him away casually. Why would he come to visit in person
"Xiao Man died because of me. The only thing I can do to compensate her is to take good care of the two elders for her. Here is some silver for you to use." As he said that, he handed them a purse of silver that he had prepared.
The two elders refused to take it at first, but they could not resist Shen Qingwan's persuasion and finally accepted the silver.
"My husband and I are really grateful for your care, Madam Queen. If Xiaoman knew about this, she would be relieved!"
When Shen Qingwan left, Xiaoman's younger sister, who looked about nine or ten years old, was lying behind the door, looking at her. She stepped forward and quietly handed the bracelet on her hand to her, then left and returned to the palace.