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Chapter 41: Entering the Palace
Chapter 41: Entering the Palace
It was Steward Qian who brought the message.
Meng Qianqian was perplexed and asked who had summoned her and Lin Wan'er, but even Steward Qian didn't know.
However, the messenger was dressed as an eunuch from the palace, similar in attire to those who had come in the past to deliver old grandmother her stipend and gifts of charcoal and ice, so it was unlikely to be a deception.
Meng Qianqian wasn't concerned about the messenger's origins, but she was curious about his identity and purpose.
She came from the Meng family in Youzhou and had no connections with the nobles in the palace. Moreover, the fact that she and Lin Wan'er were summoned together most likely had something to do with Lu Lingxiao.
"Miss, should we inform the Old Madam?" Li Mama suggested.
The Old Madam was the eldest member of the Lu family and the only one who had ever been summoned by the Grand Emperor.
During a time of turmoil in the royal family, when the throne was almost seized by relatives of the empress, it was Old Master Lu who assisted the Grand Emperor in reclaiming the empire. After Old Master Lu's passing, the Grand Emperor personally visited the Lu family to express his condolences and even performed the rites of a junior to the Old Madam.
Meng Qianqian shook her head. "If it's good fortune, it won't be a disaster, and if it's a disaster, we can't avoid it."
She couldn't involve her great-grandmother in everything, especially when it concerned the imperial palace and not the Lu family.
Li Mama sighed. "This old servant is just worried about you, Miss. If only you were summoned, it would be fine, but that one from Feng Yard..."
Banxia chimed in indignantly, "Yes! That vixen, what gives her the right to enter the palace?"
Banxia's thoughts were simple. The young master had achieved great merit at the border, and as his wife, Miss Meng might be summoned to the palace to receive a reward. But that vixen who had seduced a married man didn't deserve any accolades!
Meng Qianqian said, "Get ready. Banxia, come with me to the palace."
As the two of them arrived at the entrance, Lin Wan'er and Lu Luo also showed up.
This time, Lin Wan'er was not dressed in her usual plain attire. She wore an apricot-colored waist-cinched, butterfly-sleeved dress with a blue satin cloak. Her hair was tied up high, and instead of pearl hairpins, she had a blue headband, accentuating her dignified aura as a general's daughter.
Meng Qianqian, on the other hand, wore a red and white fur-trimmed jacket, revealing a hint of a peach-pink short jacket and a pure white Liuxian skirt. Li Mama was skilled with hair, styling it in a hanging bun adorned with a beautiful jade flower hairpin and a peach-blossom gold hairpin—elegant without being overly ostentatious.
Meng Qianqian approached with measured steps, neither too fast nor too slow, like the morning dew reflecting the dawn's glow.
Lin Wan'er's dignified aura paled in comparison to Meng Qianqian's vibrant youthfulness.
The servants dared not speak, but their eyes betrayed their thoughts.
Lu Luo rolled her eyes discreetly.
Banxia whispered, "If Tan'er were here, she would gouge out her eyes!"
An eunuch carrying a dust whisk glanced at Meng Qianqian and said to Lin Wan'er, "Mrs. Lu, please get on the carriage."
The servants were taken aback and looked at Meng Qianqian awkwardly.
Steward Qian quickly pointed at Meng Qianqian and said embarrassedly, "This is our eldest young mistress."
A hint of surprise flashed in the eunuch's eyes, and he smiled at Meng Qianqian. "My apologies for the mistake, Mrs. Lu. Please forgive my poor eyesight."
The servants exchanged glances, unsure of what to make of the situation.
The eldest young mistress exuded grace and nobility, her attire exquisite, and her every move befitting a young lady of a prestigious family. Even her maid, Banxia, carried herself more appropriately than Lu Luo.
How could they have mistaken her identity?
Meng Qianqian understood what was happening, and she knew that what she had expected would come to pass.
While others might not have noticed, an eunuch who had navigated the palace politics for many years wouldn't be so lacking in perception.
This was the first of many tests she would face today.
Meng Qianqian maintained her composure and replied, "It's quite all right. May I ask, honored sir, which noble has summoned us?"
Lu Luo whispered to Lin Wan'er, "Miss, it's not the eunuch we saw by His Majesty's side last time."
Lin Wan'er signaled for her to be quiet.
The eunuch glanced at Lin Wan'er and smiled, "It is Consort Li who has summoned you."
Six years ago, Chu the Great Marshal died in battle, and the Emperor of Chong'an fell ill and was unable to govern. The country could not go a day without a ruler, so the Emperor passed the throne to his crown prince.
Unexpectedly, the crown prince suddenly died, and several princes fought viciously for the throne. But no one expected that the one who would eventually ascend to the throne was the ninth prince, not yet ten years old.
And his birth mother was the number one beauty of the Great Zhou, Consort Li.
The Grand Emperor promoted Consort Li to Noble Consort Li, assisting in the management of the six palaces.
Now, Noble Consort Li holds the imperial seal and wields the power of the queen, though she does not bear the title.
There had been rumors in the past that Noble Consort Li was having an affair with the Grand Preceptor Lu, which was why he was willing to be a subject and devoted himself to assisting the young emperor. It was even said that it was the Grand Preceptor who killed the crown prince to pave the way for the young emperor.
In truth, the young emperor had long been dissatisfied with the Grand Preceptor, and the only reason he had not removed him yet was due to Noble Consort Li's intervention.
As long as Noble Consort Li was present, the relationship between the young emperor and the Grand Preceptor was as solid as gold.
The eunuch smiled and said, "Mrs. Lu, Miss Lin, please."
The four of them boarded the royal carriage.
Perhaps to accommodate Lin Wan'er's condition, the carriage moved at a slow pace, taking an hour to reach the palace.
Two palanquins had already been waiting for a long time.
The eunuch said with a pleasant expression, "Miss Lin is pregnant, so Consort Li has prepared a palanquin for her comfort."
Banxia felt indignant on behalf of her mistress. What was this eunuch implying? It was as if her mistress was benefiting from that fox spirit's presence! But despite her inner complaints, she did not show any displeasure on her face.
Lin Wan'er bowed slightly in the direction of the inner palace.
Lu Luo quickly followed suit, "Our young mistress thanks Consort Li for her thoughtfulness!"
The palace servants kept their eyes and noses busy, and the surroundings were silent.
From the moment they entered the palace gates, everyone felt a tangible sense of oppression.
Banxia took a deep breath, careful not to make any mistakes that would embarrass her mistress.
Meng Qianqian and Lin Wan'er sat in the palanquins.
Lu Luo noticed that the eunuch was more attentive to her mistress and chatted with him along the way, seemingly trying to showcase how favored she was.
The eunuch patiently answered each of her questions.
The accompanying palace servants, however, were not impressed by her behavior.
When someone gives you face, just accept it gracefully instead of acting arrogantly.
The other maid was much more sensible and at least knew how to be quiet and humble.
Lu Lingxiao's mother was a daughter of a prestigious clan, and her pre-marriage governess had served in the palace, teaching the rules to various consorts. After Meng Qianqian married into the Lu family, Lu Lingxiao's mother invited the governess to instruct Meng Qianqian as well.
Banxia's manners were also refined by this governess, and she had received her fair share of scoldings and punishments.
The contrast became even more apparent when they alighted from the palanquins.
As the main wife, Meng Qianqian did not get off the palanquin, but Lu Luo was quick to lift the curtain of Lin Wan'er's palanquin, letting it fall high and almost hitting the face of one of the accompanying palace servants.
"Miss! We're here!" Lu Luo said with a giggle.
Lin Wan'er held her hand and stepped down from the palanquin.
Meng Qianqian remained seated in the palanquin, and Banxia stood by her side without moving.
One of the accompanying palace servants gently lifted the curtain and said, "Mrs. Lu, please alight from the palanquin."
Only then did Banxia step forward to assist her mistress.
Meng Qianqian lifted her delicate wrist, her fingers slender like green onions, and gracefully stepped out of the palanquin. The golden tassels on her headdress shimmered with a dazzling glow, barely swaying with her movements.
The palace servants nodded in approval.
This was how a wife from a prestigious family should conduct herself.
(End of Chapter)
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