Chapter 220: Silence and No News
As soon as the palace maid named Chunmei came out, Wen Mingqian recognized her as the same punished young palace maid she had met when she went to the hospital that day.
“Eunuch Zhou, Madam Wen,” Chunmei stepped forward to pay respects, “May I ask what you wish to instruct this servant?”
When she paid respects to Wen Mingqian, she deliberately smiled at her, a smile filled with gratitude.
“It’s about Princess Duanmin. You can tell Madam Wen slowly; I have something to attend to, so I’ll be leaving now,” Zhou Fu instructed and then departed.
He was indeed very busy; there were countless matters to attend to in the palace, from top to bottom.
“Madam Wen,” Chunmei called out, “Thank you so much that day.”
“You already thanked me, don’t dwell on such a small matter,” Wen Mingqian said. “Now, it’s I who need your help!”
“Madam, please speak freely,” Chunmei agreed repeatedly.
Wen Mingqian briefly explained to her, then added, “Why don’t you come to my residence? If you have any needlework, feel free to bring it along. We’ll just be talking anyway, and it’s idle hands that are idle.”
The young palace maid had already received Wen Mingqian’s kindness and knew she was a kind person, so she readily agreed. She went back to get her needlework and followed Wen Mingqian to her residence.
On the way, Wen Mingqian smiled and said to her, “I truly didn’t expect you to have served a princess; you look no older than seventeen or eighteen.”
“Madam praises me too much. In reality, I’m already twenty-five this year,” Chunmei’s face flushed. “I was nineteen when the princess married off.”
Chunmei, being petite and delicate, with a round face and single eyelids, appeared exceptionally young.
“Then why didn’t you leave the palace this year?” Wen Mingqian knew that a batch of palace maids over twenty-five had been sent away this spring.
Chunmei shook her head and said with a bitter smile, “My mother sold me into the palace just to welcome my sister-in-law into the family. I begged her and my brother not to send me to the palace, but to at least sell me to a wealthy family closer by.
However, my mother and brother, only greedy for more silver, sent me to this deep palace. Now, more than ten years have passed. Although my mother is still alive, my maternal home’s life remains desolate. If I were to leave, I would only be sold again.”
Wen Mingqian couldn’t help but sigh for her and comforted her, “Although you entered the palace, the masters you’ve encountered have all been good. This can be considered your good fortune.”
“Madam is right,” Chunmei nodded. “When I first entered the palace, I only did miscellaneous chores in the back. Gradually, I moved to the front.
That year, during the Hundred Flowers Banquet held in the Imperial Garden, I was assigned to pour tea. Unexpectedly, someone bumped into me, and I broke the teapot. Fortunately, the princess covered for me, so I wasn’t beaten.”
The princess was benevolent. Knowing that I wouldn’t be punished immediately but would still face consequences later, she took me to her palace.
The princess treated us servants exceptionally well, and we all thought that given her status, we would be able to follow her even after she married.
Who would have thought… the princess would ultimately marry and go to the frontier.
No princess in any dynasty or generation willingly married off, especially Princess Duanmin, who held such a noble status.
“The princess’s righteousness is admirable. At that time, the King of Fenye and Northern Wusun formed an alliance, which was unfavorable to our Great Zhou’s situation. The princess went to the frontier for the sake of the people; history books will surely record this,” Wen Mingqian said.
“I am illiterate, so whether history books remember me or not doesn’t matter much to me,” Chunmei said, speaking her true feelings, as she felt Wen Mingqian was trustworthy, despite their shallow acquaintance. “Although the princess is a daughter of heaven, she is truly pitiful. When she left the capital, we all wanted to go with her, but the princess said the frontier was harsh and cold, and far from her homeland, so she would feel more at ease with fewer people.
However, she was worried about those of us who remained and made arrangements for us before leaving the palace.
She asked the masters in the palace who were on good terms with her to select us. Consort Yun chose me because my name was a perfect match with Elder Sister Qiu Xing, who served her.”
There were tens of thousands of young palace maids like Chunmei in this palace; they were like moss at the foot of a wall, not even counting as grass.
Yet, even so, there were moving joys and sorrows within them.
“Speaking of which, it’s been two months since I entered the palace, and I haven’t seen Consort Yun even once,” Wen Mingqian mentioned Consort Yun deliberately.
“Our Ladyship is frail and often ill, so she doesn’t come out much. Moreover, the Empress has long exempted her from paying respects,” Chunmei lowered her gaze.
She knew Wen Mingqian was highly favored by the Empress, and the Empress disliked Consort Yun. She didn’t know if Wen Mingqian knew the details of this matter, but regardless, it was better to say less.
Just as Princess Duanmin was heartbroken by her distant marriage, the princess’s tears had long been drowned out by a chorus of praise.
No one mentioned that the princess had originally had someone she cared for, that she and her beloved were mutually in love and were about to get married.
As they spoke, they arrived at Wen Mingqian’s residence. The Empress had also assigned two young palace maids to serve her.
Upon entering, Wen Mingqian asked Chunmei to sit down and had the young palace maids bring tea.
Chunmei felt somewhat constrained. Wen Mingqian smiled and said, “Why are you being so polite with me? I invited you here to help me. Just sit down, have some tea, and then we’ll talk further.”
Only then did Chunmei reluctantly sit down.
Since Chang An had entered the palace, Wen Mingqian’s needlework had increased. She was currently making shoes for Chang An and picked up the sole, stitching it while chatting with Chunmei.
“The Empress has asked me to make some face cream and face powder for the princess. Does the princess have any preferences?”
“The princess loves orchids. Previously, her palace was filled with all sorts of orchids, and the face powder she used was mostly orchid-scented. Her favorite rouge was called ‘Flowing Water Red,’ but since the princess left the capital, this rouge hasn’t been made in the palace. Perhaps its color was too light, making it seem as if it wasn’t applied at all.”
“What colors does the princess favor?”
“The princess usually favored snow-blue and light sweat-purple the most, with autumn yellow coming next.”
“I heard the princess is skilled in painting. What does she like to paint the most?”
“It was also mainly orchids, interspersed with bamboo and rocks. Madam, may I ask one more question? Are these used for making face powder and rouge?”
“They aren’t directly used, but think about it, the face powder and rouge need containers. Whether it’s a box or a vase, the outside naturally needs patterns and colors.”
“Madam’s heart is truly meticulous. When the items are made, the princess will surely love them when she sees them.”
“If you’re not busy, feel free to be my helper here. It can also be considered contributing to the princess. What do you say?”
“Can I really? If I can, that would be wonderful!”
Chunmei was overjoyed upon hearing this, but what she didn’t know was that Wen Mingqian was fully aware of the princess’s preferences.
It was just that she couldn’t let others know, so she had to use Chunmei’s mouth to voice them, so as not to arouse suspicion.
