Chapter 293: Coming to Inform
The day before Consort Hui and her party were to leave the palace.
Hua Momo came to find Xia Momo again. She had pleaded with several people, and finally, a young palace maid took pity on her and agreed to deliver a message.
Xia Momo thought she was there about the previous matter again, so she came out and said to her, “I’m very busy right now. Let’s talk about it when you return from Bowang Mountain!”
Who knew Hua Momo would shake her head and say, “I’m not here for that. I have something more important to discuss.”
Xia Momo couldn’t help but ask, “What’s so important?”
Hua Momo looked around and lowered her voice, saying, “Elder Sister, there are too many people here, it’s not convenient to talk. Can we find a quiet place? It’s truly a very important matter.”
Seeing how serious she was, Xia Momo led her to the side room of the side hall.
“What is this important matter? You’re being so secretive,” Xia Momo asked.
“Elder Sister, I know you are a capable person in Consort Hui’s service, which is why I’m telling you this. This matter concerns Consort Hui, and I’m actually taking a risk of offending someone. If I say this, I fear I won’t be able to stay in my current position…” Hua Momo didn’t get to the point but first stated her conditions.
Humans die for wealth, birds die for food. She, in order to find a high branch to retire on, had to pass on the message.
“What is it? Tell me, and if it’s truly important, I won’t ignore you,” Xia Momo promised her vaguely.
“It’s like this,” Hua Momo blinked her small eyes. “Do you know who Imperial Son-in-law Dong has taken a liking to?”
“You mean our Eldest Princess’s Imperial Son-in-law?” Xia Momo couldn’t help but frown upon hearing this. They knew Dong Gang’s temper and disposition, and they also knew he was lecherous.
“Exactly. Didn’t I meet you a few days ago? After that, I accidentally overheard an eunuch from the Imperial Stable Bureau, Xiao Shunzi, talking with Imperial Son-in-law Dong.” Hua Momo spoke with some animation. “Imperial Son-in-law Dong asked Xiao Shunzi if the item he sent to that person had been delivered. Xiao Shunzi said it had. The Prince Consort was very happy and rewarded him with a bag of gold leaves. Oh my! A whole bag of gold leaves!”
Mentioning the bag of gold leaves, Hua Momo wished it had been for herself.
“And then?” Xia Momo urged her to continue.
“Then the Prince Consort asked Xiao Shunzi to retrieve something from that person as a token, a handkerchief or a sweat towel would do.” Hua Momo’s sparse teeth leaked air as she spoke, her hissing sound like a snake.
“Having Xiao Shunzi deliver something… the person the Prince Consort fancies is someone in the palace?” Xia Momo didn’t doubt Hua Momo’s words; she wouldn’t dare to spread rumors about Dong Gang.
But this matter was indeed not trivial. This was the palace, after all. If any trouble were to arise…
Xia Momo couldn’t help but think of what happened two years ago, which had taken a great deal of effort to cover up.
That palace maid was also unlucky. Why did she have to go to that secluded place for no reason? She was asking for death!
“It’s truly a coincidence that I also know who that person is. Elder Sister, you don’t need to waste your effort trying to find out.” Hua Momo couldn’t help but feel smug. This could be considered a fortune sent to her by heaven.
She was already worried about how to curry favor with Consort Hui, and now this excellent opportunity to show her loyalty had arrived.
This matter could not be seen by others. Since it couldn’t be seen, she had to get something to seal their mouths.
“Who is it? Tell me quickly,” Xia Momo urged her.
“It’s that Wen Mingqian! I saw Xiao Shunzi catch up to her and hand her a sachet with my own eyes. She initially refused! Xiao Shunzi begged her to accept it, saying it was from someone who cared about her.”
“Wen Mingqian? You mean that Madam Wen from before the Empress? It’s her!” Xia Momo was incredulous at first, but then she felt it was very likely.
Dong Gang had a penchant for married women. Although Madam Wen was divorced, she was still a beautiful woman.
She also often served the Empress. When Dong Gang came to the palace to pay respects to the Empress, he would naturally encounter her…
“Elder Sister, I wouldn’t lie to you. How would I dare? So this is absolutely true. My intention is to tell you so that you can tell Consort Hui and find a way to stop this matter. Wouldn’t that be good?” Hua Momo said.
Xia Momo thought for a moment and said, “Alright, thank you for telling me. Don’t worry, you won’t be treated unfairly.”
As she spoke, she took a hairpin from her head and gave it to her. “Take this for now. We’ll discuss the rest later. But you must not tell anyone else about this. Do you understand?”
Hua Momo took the item, her heart blooming with joy, and said repeatedly, “Don’t worry, don’t worry, I’ll keep it absolutely secret. Elder Sister, you must take this matter to heart.”
Just then, someone called out to Xia Momo, “Elder Momo Xia, where are you? Consort Hui is looking for you.”
Xia Momo quickly responded, “I’m here!”
She then said to Hua Momo, “You can go now! I need to serve my Master.”
Consort Hui’s fingernail had split, and a palace maid was holding scissors to trim it.
Xia Momo entered, and Consort Hui said to her, “Go and open those boxes in the back room and take out some fabric that isn’t used often, preferably in plain colors, to reward the people at Yuzhen Temple.”
Xia Momo was a managing Momo, and she had many keys.
After watching them take the fabric and lock the boxes, she went to the front again.
“Her Ladyship is free now. This old servant has something to say,” Xia Momo said in a low voice as she approached Consort Hui.
“You all go down,” Consort Hui said to the others.
Xia Momo was her confidante, so if she said this, there must be something.
“Your Ladyship, this old servant heard it from someone else…” Xia Momo briefly recounted what Hua Momo had told her.
Consort Hui, who had been feeling a bit drowsy, immediately perked up after hearing this. “Is this true?”
“This old servant thinks it’s mostly true,” Xia Momo said. “Who would dare to make up such a story and bring it to us?”
“Why is it Wen Mingqian?” Consort Hui frowned. “If it were someone else, we could just tell the Empress and have her dealt with. But her… you know, the Empress can’t do without her right now!”
In Consort Hui’s mind, no matter who Dong Gang fancied, there was nothing that could be done about Dong Gang himself. Only the person he fancied would be punished.
If it were a palace maid, there was no doubt; they would find a way to kill her and be done with it. They would just say she died of illness, and who would investigate?
But Wen Mingqian was difficult. She was appointed as the incense maker by the Empress and was not a slave.
Moreover, she was a favorite of the Empress and could not be easily offended. She certainly couldn’t rashly tell the Empress about this.
Seeing Consort Hui in a dilemma, Xia Momo said, “We are leaving the palace tomorrow and will be gone for dozens of days. If we don’t come up with a proper method, what if…”
“I’ve also thought of what you said,” Consort Hui sighed with worry. “I was already troubled by Pei’er’s matter, and now this has added another layer of difficulty.”
