Receiving Rewards

It was Qiu Die's first time seeing Hua Meng lose her temper. Ling Cui had seen it before, but when their young mistress's betrothal had been broken off last time, Ling Cui had felt she wasn't truly angry.

Today, however, their young mistress was truly angry.

When Hua Meng began referring to herself as "this consort" instead of "I," not only Qiu Die and Ling Cui inside the room but even the palace maid guarding the door outside were startled.

Others might not know it, but those who attended Consort Hua closely knew that her temperament could not have been better.

That Consort Hua had lost her temper so badly today showed that she was truly angry.

Hua Meng's outburst even alarmed Consort Wan, who also lived in Sparrow Plume Palace.

Upon hearing the news, Consort Wan, who had only just settled into her own chambers, hurried to the right side hall without even having time for a sip of water.

Seeing Hua Meng sitting there, sobbing so hard she could scarcely speak, she hurriedly said with concern, "Don't cry, Mengmeng. Tell your elder sister what grievance you've suffered, and I'll stand up for you."

When Consort Wan finished, Hua Meng looked up at her. "Elder sister, today His Majesty took me out of the palace to visit home so I could fulfill my filial duty. Mother is gravely ill and unconscious. As her daughter, I'm already unfilial for being unable to attend her bedside. Am I not even allowed to go back and see her once?"

Hearing this, Consort Wan immediately clutched her handkerchief in distress. "Nonsense. If you're unfilial, then what is filial piety?" With that, she sighed and comforted her. "Little sister, you mustn't make yourself ill with anger. His Majesty must already know about this."

Consort Wan meant that Emperor Jing'an surely already knew, and since he was the one who had taken Hua Meng out of the palace today, the rumors in the palace seemed very much intended to implicate him as well.

That being the case, His Majesty could not possibly ignore it.

Emperor Jing'an did indeed already know about the matter, and he had indeed never intended to ignore it.

Emperor Jing'an had already been in a bad mood these past few days. Today, he had finally obtained the pills and the prescription for the Grass-Insect Decoction, and he was just thinking about how to deal with the Elder Princess's family when, unexpectedly, he heard these rumors.

"Find out where these words came from! When did my harem become like this?" At Emperor Jing'an's command, Wei Fugui immediately assigned people to investigate.

Emperor Jing'an's meaning was clear: they were to find out who was responsible. If it was an imperial consort, she would be demoted for a lesser offense or banished to the cold palace for a serious one.

He would absolutely not allow such a thing to happen in his harem now.

If someone at court was behind it, he would not spare them either.

In that instant, Emperor Jing'an even wondered whether the Elder Princess's people had stirred this up in the palace.

He had reason for such a suspicion: the Elder Princess had fanned the flames among the imperial consorts more than once. Previously, since the matter had not involved his offspring, Emperor Jing'an had not looked into it further.

But now, even though he still had not found out what drug he had been given, Emperor Jing'an was certain that the matter had to be connected to the Elder Princess, and perhaps even to the deceased Noble Grand Consort.

He also thought today's rumors might be the Elder Princess's handiwork.

After all, he had no offspring at all in his harem now, so there was no point in those women competing for his favor.

Suppressing the anger in his heart, Emperor Jing'an recalled Hua Meng's cooperation today and instructed Wei Fugui, "Go to the outer storeroom yourself and choose some things to send to Consort Hua. And don't forget those things either." Before Wei Fugui could bow and withdraw, Emperor Jing'an called him back. "I remember there's a set of ruby jewelry in my private treasury. Send it to Consort Hua as well."

Hearing this, Wei Fugui immediately raised Consort Hua's standing another notch in his mind. So when he went to Emperor Jing'an's outer storeroom to choose gifts, he selected some exquisite and rare things.

The entire harem waited for Emperor Jing'an to respond to the matter, until Wei Fugui personally delivered the rewards to the right side hall of Sparrow Plume Palace.

"Your Highness, His Majesty has an oral decree."

As soon as Wei Fugui spoke, Consort Wan and Hua Meng knelt and bowed, one after the other.

Once the two had knelt and bowed, Wei Fugui continued with His Majesty's oral decree. "I will come see you again tomorrow. Rest and recover well. In a few days, I will take you out of the palace again."

With those words Wei Fugui had brought, the rumors in the harem about Hua Meng being "spoiled by favor" today vanished without a trace, like a gust of wind.

Some were unwilling to accept it and wanted to make another move, but the Empress Dowager, having heard that Hua Meng's mother, Lu Shi, was gravely ill, bestowed medicinal herbs on the Hua Family and had the most capable momo at her side personally deliver them outside the palace.

The rewards from Emperor Jing'an and the Empress Dowager, one after the other, meant that although some in the harem still said Consort Hua was favored too much, no one dared discuss it openly anymore.

Besides delivering the rewards, Wei Fugui had also brought people to Sparrow Plume Palace's right side hall to tidy up the small kitchen.

The right side hall already had a small kitchen; it had simply never been used. This time, it only needed a thorough cleaning before it could be put to use.

Once the small kitchen was ready, Hua Meng also found the grass insects and honey needed for the Grass-Insect Decoction among the rewards Wei Fugui had brought.

Seeing the small quantities of grass insects and honey, Hua Meng immediately ordered Qiu Die to put them away safely and told her to send someone to summon an imperial physician.

Qiu Die had yet to understand why Eunuch Wei Fugui had brought grass insects and honey when she heard Hua Meng tell her to send for an imperial physician.

Whatever came to mind, Qiu Die asked worriedly, "Mistress, are you feeling unwell?"

"It isn't me." After some hesitation, Hua Meng decided to heed her grandmaster's words and tell Qiu Die about the matter.

As for Ling Cui, if she noticed in the future, that would mean she was clever. If she did not, Hua Meng would not take the initiative to tell her.

It was not that Ling Cui was any less loyal than Qiu Die, but that Ling Cui was younger and less steady than Qiu Die, who had been in the palace for nearly ten years.

Qiu Die was someone Lin Ming had arranged to attend Hua Meng, and after observing her these past few days, Hua Meng naturally had no reason to doubt her loyalty.

Qiu Die had spent nearly ten years in the palace, after all. Hua Meng revealed only a little, and she understood what to do.

"Rest assured, Mistress. This servant will make the proper arrangements."

Qiu Die spoke with great confidence, as though the matter would not be difficult for her.

Seeing her like this, Hua Meng naturally said no more.

She could have delivered the medicine to Phoenix Approaches Palace herself under the pretext of bringing soup, but before they returned to the palace today, her grandmaster had told her that if the matter proved difficult, she could have Qiu Die handle it.

Hua Meng did not stop to think why Lin Ming had given her those instructions, but since he had said so, presumably Qiu Die could certainly manage it.

After discussing it with Qiu Die, Hua Meng pretended to be badly upset and sent the young eunuch Yang Jiu to the Imperial Medical Academy to summon a physician.

Hua Meng was currently in favor, and plenty of imperial physicians wanted to take her pulse, but in the end, it was Imperial Physician Jiang who came to Sparrow Plume Palace.

After taking her pulse, Imperial Physician Jiang wrote a prescription. Naturally, it included asparagus root, dwarf lilyturf root, and glossy privet fruit.

Once Imperial Physician Jiang had withdrawn, Hua Meng looked at Qiu Die. "Go and gather all the medicinal ingredients. From now on, I'll brew the medicine myself every day."

As soon as Hua Meng finished speaking, Qiu Die nodded. "Rest assured, Mistress. This servant has already made the arrangements."

Hua Meng did not concern herself with how Qiu Die would handle it. After brewing today's Grass-Insect Decoction and adding a drop of Spirit Spring to nourish the body, she watched Qiu Die place the earthenware pot containing the medicine in a food box and carry it away.

When Qiu Die returned a quarter of an hour later, Hua Meng did not press her about how she had delivered the medicine. She simply waited for news from Phoenix Approaches Palace.

An hour later, news finally came from Phoenix Approaches Palace: Emperor Jing'an had not summoned anyone that night, choosing instead to rest at Phoenix Approaches Palace.

Only when she heard this did Hua Meng breathe a sigh of relief.

On the way back to the palace earlier, Hua Meng and Emperor Jing'an had agreed that if he took the medicine successfully, he would not summon anyone. If he could not take it successfully, he would go rest with one of the imperial consorts.

Now that she had confirmed Emperor Jing'an had taken the medicine successfully, Hua Meng felt so tired that she had no strength left in her body and wanted only to sleep.

"Mistress, no matter how tired you are, you should eat something before going to sleep."

Qiu Die had just finished saying this to Hua Meng when Ling Cui promptly added, "That's right, Mistress. The imperial kitchen sent your favorite pickled mustard greens hot pot tonight, as well as shredded chicken with white fungus and four happiness meatballs."

At Ling Cui's words, Hua Meng, who had felt too tired to do anything but sleep, suddenly found some strength.

But it was only enough to last until she finished dinner.

Just as Hua Meng drifted off to sleep in the bath, Elder Princess Yue Shu was staring at Cen Yongning, the Head of the Imperial Medical Academy, who sat below her in the Princess Royal's Residence outside the palace. "That Consort Hua summoned an imperial physician today. Did you arrange for someone to put the drug in her prescription?"

"Today, it was Jiang Xin who went to Sparrow Plume Palace." Cen Yongning looked at the Elder Princess as he finished speaking. Seeing her displeased expression, he hurriedly continued, "I hear His Majesty granted her the use of a small kitchen. You could make arrangements as you did before."