Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 234 Thank you, Shu'er, for taking care of me.

Hua Yan was astonished that the Emperor's congratulatory gift was exactly the same as hers. After witnessing this, she glanced deeply at the bright yellow figure and quietly left the main hall with Meng Zhu Rui Zhu.

Today, the old lady and Madam Yun entered the palace by imperial decree. After Ruizhu greeted Huayan, she called Xiaonianzi, who was on duty in the corridor, to come out of Huining Palace to greet them. Mengzhu and Huayan strolled towards the kitchen in the back hall.

"This servant should not presume to guess His Majesty's thoughts, but seeing how much effort he has put in this time, this servant is also very happy for the Second Miss."

Mengzhu spoke softly for a while, and for some reason, a trace of sorrow appeared on her face again. After a long while, she said to Huayan, "But our young lady is so affectionate and kind, and I am afraid that the second young lady will be let down."

Hua Yan patted Meng Zhu's arm and said reassuringly, "Don't worry. Since learning about the existence of the third young lady of the Duke's mansion, the second young lady's state of mind has changed a lot. She must be aware of this."

Inside the kitchen, Donggua, along with Chun'er and two other newly arrived maids, were preparing lunch.

Seeing that they were all in an orderly manner, Hua Yan only watched for a short while before pulling Meng Zhu out. The highlight of the kitchen was the evening meal, at which time the concubines from all the palaces would attend the banquet, and the Imperial Kitchen and Dong Gua's kitchen would work together to prepare the food.

Around noon, Madam Yun helped the old lady into the palace. They first went to pay their respects to Empress Dowager Zhou. Contrary to her usual behavior, Empress Dowager Zhou kept Madam Yun and her mother-in-law at Shou Kang Palace for about half an hour.

The old lady was flattered and somewhat apprehensive, until she heard Empress Dowager Zhou inquiring about the legendary daughter of the Yun family. Then she began to understand; it seemed that Madam Yun had anticipated this, and chatted freely with Empress Dowager Zhou.

Lady Yun's demeanor and bearing far surpassed those of noblewomen from aristocratic families, and now that she has already been granted an imperial title, she appears even more distinguished.

After a few words, even Rongxiu, who was by Empress Dowager Zhou's side, couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle. After Madam Yun and her party left, Empress Dowager Zhou said to Rongxiu, "If Consort Chun could acquire three-tenths of her mother's abilities, she would be safe in this harem."

Rongxiu looked admiring and said softly, "I've heard Chen Sibu mention some of Madam Yun's deeds. Madam Yun has made great contributions behind the scenes to the Tang family's current achievements."

Empress Dowager Zhou was lost in her memories and sighed sadly: "This world is especially unfair to women. Even if they are intelligent, they are still confined to the inner quarters. But Lady Yun has the title of 'Lady Yun' in front of others, which is quite similar to her aunt's spirit."

If Yun Yue were still alive, watching over and helping me in the palace, my two children might be able to survive...

When Rongxiu saw that Empress Dowager Zhou was reminded of her sad memories, she quickly changed the subject. However, Empress Dowager Zhou had no intention of responding and, with Rongxiu's help, got up and stepped back into the Buddhist hall.

Consort Chun and Hua Yan had been eagerly awaiting their arrival. The Old Madam and Madam Yun went to Cining Palace and Renming Hall to pay their respects one after another, and finally arrived at Huining Hall at noon.

After exchanging greetings and taking their seats, Madam Yun brought two pieces of news.

Firstly, the Duke of Qing's mansion sent a visiting card to the Marquis of Lin'an's mansion a few days ago. The Duke himself paid a visit, saying that his wife and daughter had behaved improperly and had offended Consort Chun in the palace, and presented a gift of apology.

Secondly, the old lady was preparing to return to Lin'an, and Madam Yun planned to send the fifth and sixth young ladies back to Lin'an together, leaving only the third and seventh young ladies with her.

The Duke's family's apology was nothing, but when Consort Chun heard that the old lady was going back to Lin'an, she was overwhelmed with emotion and buried her face in front of the old lady, her eyes full of reluctance.

The old lady gently stroked Consort Chun's back and said in a hoarse voice, "Your Highness, please don't cry. Your grandmother is really fed up with this trouble. I'm going to Lin'an to avoid it and also to keep those two good-for-nothing daughters in check."

After Hua Yan listened carefully to what the old lady said, she realized just how influential the Marquis of Lin'an's mansion was in the capital.

The old lady's two elder sisters-in-law would come to curry favor with her every few days. Although the gatekeeper stopped them, the old lady was very resentful when she found out. Now that the Marquis's mansion was powerful, she couldn't deal with them for the time being because of her reputation. In addition, her two aunts who lived far away in Lin'an were also a source of trouble. If the old lady hadn't given them a strict order not to return to the capital, they probably would have come to the mansion to beg for money when the second young lady married into the Prince of Jin's mansion.

It's not so bad to take advantage of others; the real problem is that these two young ladies are not very resolute. If they really come to Beijing to settle down, the old lady is afraid that they will be taken advantage of.

As for the Fifth and Sixth Misses going together, it was because there were waves of people coming to the Marquis's mansion to propose marriage every day, so they temporarily returned to Lin'an to find some peace and quiet. The two young ladies' spice business could only be restarted in Lin'an.

The third young lady is soft-hearted. Since Aunt Wen and the fourth young lady are on their estate in Lin'an, Madam Yun naturally wouldn't feel comfortable letting her return to Lin'an. Moreover, the third young lady has already come of age, and although her marriage is not urgent, it is on the agenda.

The old lady said, "Grandmother's health is still quite good, and besides, the Zhen family physician will be returning to Lin'an with me, so Your Highness can rest assured. After Your Highness gives birth to the little prince, Grandmother will return to the capital as soon as she receives the news."

Consort Chun blushed, and the old lady called Donggua to her side again, saying slowly, "Steward An is someone I'm used to working with. I really can't bear to leave her when I go back to Lin'an this time, so I'm summoning her and Lady An to return to Lin'an together to recuperate."

Donggua replied honestly, "Grandma, when I saw my master last time, she mentioned it to me. With you taking care of me, I feel at ease."

Madam Yun examined the layout of the hall and said, "Winter melon is a lucky star. After Manager Zhu learned that chili eggplant could be used in cooking, he brought Madam Zhu to the mansion to inquire about it that very day."

Upon hearing this, Donggua took out a few thin pages from his sleeve and respectfully presented them to Mother Wei.

"Madam, this is what I asked Huayan to write down. The spicy flavor can be mild or strong, the key is in the balance. It can be used as a condiment in ordinary dishes, or it can be used for other purposes. Our restaurant's master chefs have been cooking all their lives, they can tell at a glance."

Madam Yun took the document from Wei Mama and, just by examining the handwriting, knew it was written by Hua Yan. Her expression turned serious, and she said, "Now that Donggua has entered the palace, although the indenture is in Wan'er's hands, the Lin'an Marquis's Mansion cannot take advantage of you. From now on, for all dishes made with spicy eggplant at Yongxing Restaurant, half of the annual profit will be given to you."

I will give it to you when you leave the palace another day.

These words seemed more directed at Hua Yan, as Madam Yun had always kept her feelings for them out in the open.

Do not underestimate this half-year. Yongxing Restaurant is located in more than 300 prefectures and counties throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty, not to mention the wealthy county towns.

This is wealth that an ordinary merchant could not earn in a lifetime.

Donggua scratched his head and declined without thinking, saying, "Thank you, Madam. I have been serving the Second Miss in the palace for a long time, so I don't need any money or valuables."

Madam Yun neither agreed nor disagreed, but said, "I will draft a contract and send it to the palace later. Since it has been clearly stated that it belongs to you, no one can take it for themselves."

That would be considered a promise.

Winter Melon had no choice but to kneel down and express his gratitude.

Everyone had lunch together in Huining Palace. It was the first time that Hua Yan sat at the same table with her former mistresses. The old lady personally called her over to sit down and said a few words to her affectionately. The unconscious respect in her words made Hua Yan feel a little unfamiliar.

After lunch, the old lady chatted with Consort Chun, while Hua Yan took the opportunity to present several lists to Madam Yun. After reviewing them, Madam Yun handed them to Wei Mama and said, "You have handled things properly. The people on these lists will be identified within a month. There are not many concubines in the harem now. Although His Majesty is in mourning, we will still trouble Shu'er to look after Wan'er. Yu Chan should not be separated from her unless necessary."

When Hua Yan suddenly heard the affectionate address "Shu'er," she was momentarily stunned, but her heart was filled with joy, and she solemnly curtsied in response.