Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 240 Snowflakes in the Capital

Seeing that Ruizhu was being coy, Lvliu asked softly, "Did you get that parrot to speak?"

"That parrot can say a few auspicious words. The palace servants at Cining Palace said it was a tribute from the envoys of Linyi," Mengzhu explained, looking at Ruizhu.

Seeing that she had attracted everyone's attention, Ruizhu cleared her throat and said, "After Anu teased the parrot for a while, it ate some grains. The Empress Dowager has been worried about the parrot these days because it is quite spoiled, so she left Anu in Cining Palace. When the Emperor heard about this, he also went to Cining Palace to visit it. Now he has returned to Dieqiong Pavilion with Consort Guo."

Aunt Mei said, "The parrot was a gift from the late Emperor to the Empress Dowager when the Emperor was enfeoffed as the Prince of Jin. The Empress Dowager had it trained. Coincidentally, when the parrot first spoke, it called out the words 'Prince of Jin,' and the Empress Dowager became very fond of the parrot because of this."

“This palace maid named Anu, apart from knowing some animal taming techniques, seems to have no other problems based on the documents submitted by the clerk,” Hua Yan said after pondering for a while.

“When I was training in the Imperial Palace, I did exchange a few words with Anu. Her background is quite poignant.”

As everyone listened to Green Willow slowly recount her story, Anu was born into an ordinary family in the outskirts of the capital. Her ancestors had worked as animal trainers at Changchun Garden, but by her grandfather's generation, the family had fallen on hard times and could only make a living by judging horses at the stables. Anu's father loved cats and found a job in the household of a wealthy official.

The official's concubine hired three cats. After Anu's father took over their care, two of them went missing and the third one fell ill and died. Anu's family angered the official, and her father was severely beaten. He died less than half a month after returning home, leaving only her mother, Anu, and her two younger sisters. Helpless, she went to a brokerage to sell herself. Just then, the palace was recruiting a batch of palace maids, and the brokerage assigned her to the selection process, thus allowing her to enter the palace.

This was originally a trivial matter, but unexpectedly, at the end of the month, the Empress ordered people to hire two lion cats from Linqing and present them to Empress Dowager Jiang. The lion cats were pure white, with long fur and heterochromatic eyes, and were exceptionally handsome.

Hua Yan had seen them once when she accompanied Consort Chun to the Cining Palace to pay her respects. The two cats were taken very well in by Anu.

Empress Dowager Jiang was delighted and told Consort Chun about the goodness of the cat. Consort Chun, seeing it for the first time, also became interested and went forward to rub and stroke it. One of the cats jumped into Consort Chun's arms, exposing its snow-white belly and humming happily.

The aunt beside Empress Dowager Jiang, holding another cat named "Wu Cang", said in surprise, "Fan Xue is not as docile as Wu Cang. It is only when the Emperor comes to Cining Palace that Fan Xue clings to him so affectionately."

Upon hearing this, Consort Guo couldn't help but look at Fanxue in Consort Chun's arms.

Consort Shen stepped forward and said, "Consort Chun has been busy these days and rarely comes to Cining Palace. My concubines and I have come many times, but Fanxue has never been here before. It must be that Consort Chun and Fanxue are destined to meet."

"It's fate, it's fate."

Suddenly, a sound rang out. Everyone looked around and saw Guo Xiuyi pointing to a corner of the hall and chuckling. Only then did everyone realize that it was the parrot on the golden bird stand that made the sound. Consort Shen clapped her hands in praise and said to Empress Dowager Jiang, "Your Majesty, the parrot has learned quite a few words these past few days."

Empress Dowager Jiang smiled and said, "It is because Anu is fed well. It is kind of the Empress to think of me. After learning that Anu is good at taming cats, she went to great lengths to find Fanxue and Wucang. Now my Cining Palace is much more lively."

"It is this mischievous snowflake that often quarrels with the dance hall. Since you are all here today, if any of you wish to take it in, feel free to hire it. Just remember to give me a betrothal gift when the time comes."

When Empress Dowager Jiang said this, everyone found it amusing. Except for the Empress, who was resting in the Renming Palace and did not come, everyone present, as well as the palace maids and eunuchs of the Cining Palace, covered their mouths and laughed.

Qu Cairen said, "Now it seems that we don't need to argue anymore. It seems that Fanxue has already attached herself to Consort Chun."

Consort Chun immediately adopted a refusal posture, and Hua Yan reached out and took the cat from her arms. Consort Chun said bluntly, "My Huining Palace is filled with green chrysanthemums, I'm afraid I'm not fortunate enough to marry this cat."

Just as Consort Shen was about to speak, Consort Guo said, "When I was still in my boudoir, I did raise a tabby cat. If Consort Chun is not interested, I am willing to offer Fanxue to Dieqiong Pavilion."

As they left Cining Palace, the north wind grew stronger and the clouds grew heavy. Mengzhu and Lvliu draped Qinglian velvet gray squirrel cloaks over Chunfei and Huayan respectively.

Consort Shen bowed to Consort Chun to bid farewell, and sighed, "I heard that His Majesty also greatly enjoys 'Fanxue' (a type of snow-covered dessert), it's a pity that Your Highness didn't accept it."

Consort Chun, accompanied by Hua Yan, glanced at Consort Shen and said, "If Consort Shen likes them, why not hire two from outside the palace to pamper her? The Emperor might visit Qianying Pavilion more often then."

Consort Shen was slightly taken aback. Consort Chun ignored her and led Hua Yan toward Shou Kang Palace.

"The magnolia blossoms seem to dance, and the crows perch on the branches. It's been many days since I visited Shou Kang Palace; it's time to pay my respects."

When Hua Yan saw that Consort Chun had likened her to a crow, she smiled and replied, "The wind carries the scent of frost, and the world is about to turn white. I have recently caught a cold and I am afraid I will not be able to go out these days. It is a pity that the snow scene is about to arrive."

......

Two days before the winter solstice, snow fell in the capital, continuing for three days without stopping, covering the entire world in white.

The snow, sharp as blades, crushed countless houses, piling up over ten feet deep in the streets and alleys, trapping people indoors. Official roads were impassable, carriages and horses were blocked, and merchants were stranded. The elderly, children, and the sick, lacking food and clothing, cried out in the streets, a scene of utter devastation. The snow disaster affected the capital and five or six prefectures.

The Emperor worked tirelessly day and night, daring not to slacken in the slightest. Even on the winter solstice, when heavy snow prevented his access, he still wore his imperial robes and personally led all the officials in a sacrificial ceremony to Heaven at the Fengtian Hall. He issued an edict ordering the Ministry of Revenue to coordinate the relief efforts, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Prefect of the Capital to do their utmost to provide disaster relief and maintain order. He also ordered the Imperial Guards to lead troops to clear the official roads to ensure the passage of grain carts and other vehicles.

The Marquis of Lin'an's mansion, together with the Prince Rui's mansion, the Marquis of Huai'an's mansion, and the Yun mansion, set up numerous soup kitchens to provide relief to the disaster victims. Seeing this, officials of all ranks in the city followed suit.

Hua Yan fell ill and sent Xia'er to Renming Palace to ask for leave; Empress Dowager Jiang also summoned Consort Chun at the right time, saying that she had copied Buddhist scriptures to pray for the disaster victims before the first month, and Consort Chun requested that the emperor go to Shou Kang Palace every day to serve him with writing materials.

While the Emperor was diligently governing in the Funing Palace, he learned that Consort Chun had designated several of her dowry estates, including Lingxi Manor, as resettlement sites for disaster victims, which greatly pleased him.

In Renming Palace, upon hearing that Hua Yan had fallen ill, the Empress said with a half-smile, "The timing of Consort Meng's illness is so coincidental. Consort Chun has been staying in Shou Kang Palace since yesterday?"

Xia'er bowed respectfully and replied, "Your Majesty, the Consort Cai caught a cold a couple of days ago, which then developed a high fever. She has already taken a dose of medicine and should recover in a few days. Consort Chun has received the Empress Dowager's decree to serve as a tutor in the Buddhist hall of Shou Kang Palace before the end of January."

The Empress gently stroked her swollen belly, a cold glint flashing in her eyes, her brows throbbing with pain. She beckoned to Xingyu to accompany Xia'er back to Huining Palace to visit her.

Hua Yan was bedridden, her face haggard, while Lü Liu knelt before her bed to serve her medicine.

After bowing, Xingyu was about to step forward to examine Huayan more closely when she noticed several red spots on her face. Startled and filled with fear, she quickly covered her face with her handkerchief, pushed Hanfang behind her to the front, asked her to leave some medicinal herbs, and then bowed and left in a hurry.