The drama between Prince Yi of First Rank and Wei Yingluo, still caused quite a stir in the palace, the story was that the Changchun Palace outed out an inside man and the Chuxiu Palace, Noble Lady Jia, in collaboration with Prince Yi of First Rank, falsely accuses the Empress's personal maid they were punished of being unworthy of raising Fourth Prince and the Emperor ordered Fourth Prince to be handed over to Consort Xian to be raised by Consort Xian.
And Wei Yingluo... still practising the one hundred sheets of large characters, the emperor ordered the one hundred sheets, not just the ninety-nine sheets.
In the Changchun Palace, Wei Yingluo, hung up her wrist, lifted her brush and made a hook, finally finished the last word and let out a long breath. The Empress looked at the neat handwriting on the white paper and smiled: “You are a wise girl, you are getting better and better, the emperor has punished you right for practising your writing.”
Wei Yingluo put the brush on the stand, pursed her lips and asked: “A mistake should be punished, Niangniang, is it Yingluo's fault to be punished?”
The Empress was silent for a moment, sighed and said: “The Emperor is never wrong, if he said you are wrong, you are wrong, no matter what, Noble Lady Jia was dealt with, it was a justice to you from the Emperor.”
Justice? Wei Yingluo looked at the thick stack of white papers on the table and found it ironic, she shook her head and said: “If there is justice... This justice is not for me, it is for you, for the Changchun Palace, as always, you are punished for your mistakes, Noble Lady Jia is punished for her mistakes but what about Prince Yi of First Rank?”
The Empress looked out of the window, the daylight shone on the phoenix embroidered in gold thread on her crown, her tone was calm as she said: “Why do you have to take the bull by the horns? Prince Yi of First Rank is the Emperor's own cousin.”
The brilliantly coloured phoenix was almost blinding, Wei Yingluo said softly: “Yes, Prince Yi of First Rank is his Majesty's own cousin, this lowly servant is just a humble court lady, not to mention being wronged and the emperor would not have looked at her even if she had died on the spot! He was only angry at Prince Yi of First Rank for his involvement in the court dispute and for making a spectacle of himself and for disgracing the royal family! And so, Noble Lady Jia is still to be dealt with, Prince Yi of First Rank is left to make more mess!”
The Empress looked at the young girl before her and said in a softer tone: “Yingluo, Prince Yi of First Rank is after all the son of the Thirteenth Uncle, the Great Qing Dynasty, the rightful Iron-Cap Prince, the Emperor cannot to be overly harsh.”
Wei Yingluo looked back on the Empress, the Changchun Palace is her only foothold, the Empress Niangniang is the one thing she must hold on to in the thick of the court. The Changchun Palace and Prince Yi of First Rank have already formed a bond, instead of defending, she should be attacking. Her eyes turned cold, she thought to herself: the Iron-Cap Prince... What is so wrong, that even a man of the Iron-Cap Prince's esteem cannot be preserved?
The Empress, seeing the young girl before her suddenly lost in thought, asked curiously: “What are you thinking about?”
Wei Yingluo looked back, smiled at the Empress and said: “Nothing, just thinking, no matter what, I will protect you.”
The Empress was slightly stunned, her heart softened and she said in a loving tone: “Silly girl.”
Time passes easily and a few more days pass. The days in the palace, today are no different from yesterday, seeing the same people, seeing the same sights, doing the same things and such days, when there is a slight change, it is obvious.
On this day, after a delivery to the Yonghe Palace, Wei Yingluo returned to the Changchun Palace and pulled Erqing into a conversation and said: “Erqing, what is eating meat and sharing happiness?”
Erqing thought for a moment and asks in return: “Did you see Wu Shulai preparing the black pig?”
Wei Yingluo nodded and said: “I saw them on the way back to the palace and a group of men carrying two large whole pigs, so large that it was frightening.”
Erqing chuckled and said: “No wonder, we don't usually see those things, isn't it new? It's an old rule in the palace, the Kunning Palace has two sacrifices, every other month there's a big banquet, the emperor rewards the imperial guards and courtiers with meat to share in the blessings, the Concubines and Consorts of the harem get a share too, counting the days, tomorrow's the big banquet.”
At this point, Erqing was worried again: “It is said to be a blessing but the meat is cooked in plain water, it is tasteless, sometimes it is half raw, our lady had always hated that stuff, we have had bad stomachs, I only hope that this time we will eat it without harm.”
Wei Yingluo thought of the Empress's health, she too was worried and asked: “Can't you stop eating?
The drama between Prince Yi of First Rank and Wei Yingluo, still caused quite a stir in the palace, the story was that the Changchun Palace outed out an inside man and the Chuxiu Palace, Noble Lady Jia, in collaboration with Prince Yi of First Rank, falsely accuses the Empress's personal maid they were punished of being unworthy of raising Fourth Prince and the Emperor ordered Fourth Prince to be handed over to Consort Xian to be raised by Consort Xian.
And Wei Yingluo... still practising the one hundred sheets of large characters, the emperor ordered the one hundred sheets, not just the ninety-nine sheets.
In the Changchun Palace, Wei Yingluo, hung up her wrist, lifted her brush and made a hook, finally finished the last word and let out a long breath. The Empress looked at the neat handwriting on the white paper and smiled: “You are a wise girl, you are getting better and better, the emperor has punished you right for practising your writing.”
Wei Yingluo put the brush on the stand, pursed her lips and asked: “A mistake should be punished, Niangniang, is it Yingluo's fault to be punished?”
The Empress was silent for a moment, sighed and said: “The Emperor is never wrong, if he said you are wrong, you are wrong, no matter what, Noble Lady Jia was dealt with, it was a justice to you from the Emperor.”
Justice? Wei Yingluo looked at the thick stack of white papers on the table and found it ironic, she shook her head and said: “If there is justice... This justice is not for me, it is for you, for the Changchun Palace, as always, you are punished for your mistakes, Noble Lady Jia is punished for her mistakes but what about Prince Yi of First Rank?”
The Empress looked out of the window, the daylight shone on the phoenix embroidered in gold thread on her crown, her tone was calm as she said: “Why do you have to take the bull by the horns? Prince Yi of First Rank is the Emperor's own cousin.”
The brilliantly coloured phoenix was almost blinding, Wei Yingluo said softly: “Yes, Prince Yi of First Rank is his Majesty's own cousin, this lowly servant is just a humble court lady, not to mention being wronged and the emperor would not have looked at her even if she had died on the spot! He was only angry at Prince Yi of First Rank for his involvement in the court dispute and for making a spectacle of himself and for disgracing the royal family! And so, Noble Lady Jia is still to be dealt with, Prince Yi of First Rank is left to make more mess!”
The Empress looked at the young girl before her and said in a softer tone: “Yingluo, Prince Yi of First Rank is after all the son of the Thirteenth Uncle, the Great Qing Dynasty, the rightful Iron-Cap Prince, the Emperor cannot to be overly harsh.”
Wei Yingluo looked back on the Empress, the Changchun Palace is her only foothold, the Empress Niangniang is the one thing she must hold on to in the thick of the court. The Changchun Palace and Prince Yi of First Rank have already formed a bond, instead of defending, she should be attacking. Her eyes turned cold, she thought to herself: the Iron-Cap Prince... What is so wrong, that even a man of the Iron-Cap Prince's esteem cannot be preserved?
The Empress, seeing the young girl before her suddenly lost in thought, asked curiously: “What are you thinking about?”
Wei Yingluo looked back, smiled at the Empress and said: “Nothing, just thinking, no matter what, I will protect you.”
The Empress was slightly stunned, her heart softened and she said in a loving tone: “Silly girl.”
Time passes easily and a few more days pass. The days in the palace, today are no different from yesterday, seeing the same people, seeing the same sights, doing the same things and such days, when there is a slight change, it is obvious.
On this day, after a delivery to the Yonghe Palace, Wei Yingluo returned to the Changchun Palace and pulled Erqing into a conversation and said: “Erqing, what is eating meat and sharing happiness?”
Erqing thought for a moment and asks in return: “Did you see Wu Shulai preparing the black pig?”
Wei Yingluo nodded and said: “I saw them on the way back to the palace and a group of men carrying two large whole pigs, so large that it was frightening.”
Erqing chuckled and said: “No wonder, we don't usually see those things, isn't it new? It's an old rule in the palace, the Kunning Palace has two sacrifices, every other month there's a big banquet, the emperor rewards the imperial guards and courtiers with meat to share in the blessings, the Concubines and Consorts of the harem get a share too, counting the days, tomorrow's the big banquet.”
At this point, Erqing was worried again: “It is said to be a blessing but the meat is cooked in plain water, it is tasteless, sometimes it is half raw, our lady had always hated that stuff, we have had bad stomachs, I only hope that this time we will eat it without harm.”
Wei Yingluo thought of the Empress's health, she too was worried and asked: “Can't you stop eating?
