Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 183 Newcomers enter the house

Consort Zhen once mentioned to Hua Yan that once Mengzhu and the others helped her gain a foothold in the Prince's mansion, she would release their indentures and force them out of the mansion.

Hua Yan also mentioned it to Dong Gua, hoping that Dong Gua could leave the manor in style at the age of twenty, so that he would not delay his marriage and would have Huan Yun, Ding Xiang, Lv Liu and Ying Chun to rely on after leaving the manor. Whether in the capital or Jin Nan, he would have a place to stay.

Maybe it can even fulfill Donggua's dream of opening a shop and becoming a shopkeeper.

Hua Yan rested her head on Dong Gua's shoulder. After all, it was her fault that Dong Gua had been brought into the Prince's mansion. If it weren't for discovering Dong Gua's talent for smell, the Madam and the Old Madam might not have placed her by the young lady's side.

If Donggua can leave the mansion smoothly, she will definitely save up a lot of dowry for her.

'Good winter melon, live the rest of your life freely for me.'

Hua Yan curled her lips into a smile, thinking to herself, and patted Dong Gua's chubby hand.

A pang of heartache flashed in Donggua's eyes. These past few days, she had witnessed firsthand the Princess's manipulative tactics, the tragic death of Concubine Yu, and Concubine Wu's timid demeanor before the Princess. But she also knew that Huayan and her mistress couldn't escape their fate, which was why she urged Huayan to fight for her own future...

In truth, Donggua was simple-minded and wouldn't have thought so deeply. It was her master, Steward An, who, before leaving, meticulously explained to her the future prospects of the Second Miss and her dowry maids. Steward An's exact words were:

“The selection of maids to accompany the second young lady began when she was five years old and continued until she met Hua Yan. (In fact, after Hua Yan and Dong Gua, the Zheng family's maidservants never sent any more to Lin'an.) Hua Yan entered the Prince's mansion as a concubine, and her future depended entirely on herself.”

In other words, at least in Steward An's opinion, with Hua Yan's talent, she could thrive in the Prince's mansion if she wanted to.

As for Donggua, Steward An was quite at ease. Even if Prince Jin ascended the throne and Donggua took the opportunity to enter the palace as a maid, given the Second Miss's kind nature, he would arrange for her and Mengzhu to leave the palace by the age of twenty-five at the latest.

When that time came, Donggua returned to Jinnan, and the master and disciple were reunited, able to continue their bond once more.

The two sisters were thinking of each other, and just as things were peaceful and serene, Ruizhu happily opened the door:

"Winter Melon! I have good news for you. The Prince just sent Jing, the eunuch, to deliver a message that a small kitchen needs to be prepared in our Yunyi Palace!"

Upon hearing this, Donggua's eyes crinkled into a smile, and she giggled, "Really? Why is that?"

It turned out that Prince Jin and Consort Zhen had just been painting and had also tasted tea pastries made from winter melon. Given the endless variety of snacks and drinks available in Yunyi Palace, he casually asked Jingming to pass on a message that the craftsmen from the Gongzheng Office should come to the side hall to renovate a small kitchen.

“Now Eunuch Jing has taken Aunt Mei there, and he will also take Aunt Mei to meet with the steward in charge of purchasing in the kitchen. From now on, Yunyi Palace can just hand the purchasing list to the steward.”

Hua Yan hurriedly stood up and asked, "What do you think about this, Miss? How can you agree so easily?"

Only the Princess's Ruyi Hall in the rear hall of the Prince's Mansion has a small kitchen, which is a special privilege of the Princess. It would be too conspicuous for Yunyi Hall to do so.

Ruizhu chuckled: "Huayan, there's no need to worry. The small kitchen is just for Donggua to make snacks and drinks on a daily basis. Miss has already thanked the Prince and said that it will be paid from Miss's private account, and all expenses will be covered by her dowry."

Donggua suddenly realized and murmured, "Miss's dowry money, even if we eat delicacies every day, it would probably take us thirty to fifty years to spend it all, hehe."

Hua Yan was relieved. In this way, even if the princess had some complaints, she could not say anything based on the rules and etiquette of the household.

......

In mid-April, the newlyweds moved into the house.

Inside the Yunyi Palace, Mengzhu and Mingyue took out several bolts of brocade from the storeroom, while Ruizhu followed behind carrying four brocade boxes.

"Yesterday the new bride entered the manor. After the greetings are finished, you should escort her to the Red Calyx Courtyard and the Ronghe Courtyard in order," Consort Zhen instructed Mengzhu after finishing her makeup.

Today, Hua Yan styled the concubine's hair into a double-heart bun, secured with a white jade lotus hairpin. On either side of the bun, a gold hairpin adorned with twin begonia blossoms hung down.

Since it was her first meeting with the new bride, she wore the palace attire befitting a concubine, as required by custom. She wore a cross-collared, wide-sleeved robe made of sky-blue silk, embroidered with intricate cloud and water patterns, and a light-colored pleated skirt with a long, trailing hem. A wide silk belt was tied around her waist.

After giving her instructions, Consort Zhen, accompanied by Hua Yan and Ming Yue, left the palace and, with He Nian leading the way, headed towards Ruyi Palace.

There are four newcomers: Guo Zhaoxun, Song Chenghui, Shen Liangdi, and Qu Liangyuan.

Hua Yan secretly analyzed the situation with Consort Zhen, concluding that the princess's intentions were quite in line with Prince Jin's wishes. Song and Shen both lived in Ronghe Courtyard, and their families were both military men. At a time of turmoil in the northwest, their fathers and brothers were all stationed on the border.

Guo Zhaoxun, whose maiden name was Jia, was the second daughter of the Tongzhi of Jinzhou. Because her father had made meritorious contributions to disaster relief and because Jinzhou was the fiefdom of the Prince of Jin, she was granted the title of Zhaoxun, a fourth-rank official.

As for Qu Liangyuan, she was the daughter of a civil official; her father was a lecturer in the Hanlin Academy.

The two lived together in the Red Calyx Courtyard.

The positions of Consort and Imperial Concubine remain vacant. The reason, as Hua Yan explained to Dong Gua in a simple way, is that the power struggle within the court is still ongoing. Once Prince Jin ascends the throne, the Imperial Concubine, a third-rank official, will be the head of the palace—a position of immense prestige and naturally highly sought after…

After entering the Ruyi Palace, Consort Zhen gracefully stepped into the central hall as announced by the eunuch.

The four newlyweds were already standing in the flower hall paying their respects to the Princess. After Consort Zhen and the Princess exchanged greetings, they were about to take their seats when the Princess said, "I imagine Consort Zhen must have been quite tired from serving the Prince last night, and she got up early this morning to pay her respects. She looks rather haggard."

Hua Yan and Ming Yue walked around the left-hand seats and stood behind Consort Zhen. Consort Zhen hadn't been sleeping well these past two nights, and her complexion did look rather unwell this morning.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I am perfectly fine," Consort Zhen replied slowly after a pause.

The princess sat upright at the head of the table, her heart suddenly sinking, but her face still showed a gentle smile.

"The newlyweds shall kneel and pay homage to the Princess," Chen Ling announced loudly, holding a whisk.

The four newlyweds, led by Guo Zhaoxun, immediately straightened their clothes and bowed slowly, saying, "Greetings to the Princess."

After rising, he bowed to Consort Zhen according to custom.

During the pause in the greetings, Consort Zhen and her maid Hua Yan observed them. Apart from Guo Zhaoxun, who had lived in Jinzhou since childhood and was not very familiar with her, Hua Yan had heard about the other three through Di Si Ge.

Song Chenghui possessed a certain heroic spirit and was a rare, true daughter of a military family in the capital. She was rumored to be skilled in whip fighting. However, Hua Yan had learned a secret while visiting Huanyun: the son of a suspected Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review had, after getting drunk, begged his father to propose marriage to the Song family...

Shen Liangdi came from the Shen family, which had been dependent on the Jiang family for many years. She was Jiang Jie's follower when she was young. She had also met him at the hot spring poetry gathering. She was charming, but not as beautiful as Concubine Wu.

Qu Liangyuan was fifteen years old, petite and delicate, with a gentle and kind nature. Her manner of bowing showed that she was well-educated in the Qu family.

In contrast, Guo Zhaoxun, though beautiful, gives people a sickly feeling of "long frowns and waning beauty, thin and pale".