Children of Loulan

Madam Zhao's words were so meaningful! On the surface, she seemed to have simply stated her position, but in fact, it contained two layers of meaning. First, she conveyed a message to Concubine Xian: she had no ambition to be the leader; second, and more importantly, she was determined not to have any secret dealings with Xilin.

The reason she expressed this was because Concubine Xian had just proposed that Xilin go to her palace. So the question was, why was Xilin going there? The answer was obvious - it was just like Madam Zhao coming to Concubine Xian's palace. Although Madam Zhao was not a servant, she was still under the control of Concubine Xian.

In addition, Madam Zhao had been following Concubine Xian for some years and had a deep understanding of her character. Concubine Xian had always been extremely suspicious, and many concubines had died in the past because of her groundless suspicion. Although Madam Zhao knew that these were all unjust cases, she did not dare to speak or express her attitude easily. After all, if she told the truth, she was afraid that she would follow the footsteps of those concubines. So, in order to protect her life, she had no choice but to remain silent.

It was after witnessing the innocent deaths of those concubines that Lady Zhao finally understood what kind of person Concubine Xian really was. From then on, she no longer treated Concubine Xian with any sincerity, but only perfunctorily and coping with her. The affection they once had for each other had long since vanished...

Fortunately, after those people died, the rest of the people in the palace were afraid of Concubine Xian and did not dare to approach her easily. Therefore, in recent years, Concubine Xian was the only one living in the palace, and her life was relatively smooth.

However, Mrs. Zhao couldn't help but sneer in her heart about what this new cousin would do. Seeing the two of them flattering and being humble to each other, Mrs. Zhao felt a sense of irony.

Concubine Xian nodded slightly, expressing her satisfaction: "That's very good." Then, she turned her gaze to Xilin beside her and said slowly: "My cousin sent me a letter earlier, mentioning that among the newcomers to the palace, there seems to be a woman who is very smart and clever. I wonder when you can bring her to me so that I can see her style?"

Hearing this, Xilin's expression suddenly changed. She immediately stood up and bowed to Concubine Xian, saying with a bit of helplessness in her tone:

"I'm sorry, cousin. It's all my fault. Please punish me."

Upon seeing this, Concubine Xian frowned slightly and asked, "What do you mean, cousin? Could it be..." However, before Concubine Xian could finish her words, her gaze had already fallen directly on Xilin, her eyes sharp and deep.

Xilin: "I was stupid. I didn't observe the young lady carefully at first. I saw that Madam Taji seemed to want to win her over, so I mistakenly thought she was a talent that could be used. Who would have thought that after I got to know her, I found out that she was actually a stupid person."

In just a moment, Xilin's change of address for herself - from "sister" to "concubine" - was enough to make Madam Zhao realize that Xilin had seen through Concubine Xian's temperament. Madam Zhao was sipping tea leisurely, thinking to herself: This Xilin is really extraordinary. It took me several years to figure out Concubine Xian's true temperament. Now, it seems that this Concubine Xian is unlikely to be Xilin's opponent. Perhaps, I should consider looking for a new master.

The virtuous concubine smiled slightly and said in a gentle tone: "My cousin, you are wrong. She is just a newcomer. There is no need to worry too much."

Xilin sat down again gracefully, while Concubine Xian took a sip of the fragrant tea slowly and leisurely.

Then, Concubine Xian asked thoughtfully, "So, cousin, do you know what position that beautiful lady holds now? And which palace does she live in?"

Xilin: "She was given the title of good wife..." Xilin's eyes fell on Madam Zhao again, and she said softly, "She was arranged to live in... Yunhe Palace."

Madam Zhao was stunned when she heard this: "In my palace?" She looked at Xilin in astonishment, as if she couldn't believe what she heard.

Xilin nodded slightly to confirm. Madam Zhao quickly turned to look at Concubine Xian, her eyes revealing a trace of fear and uneasiness: "Your Majesty, this... I don't know either..."

"Okay, I know you don't know the truth, so don't be nervous." Concubine Xian could naturally see that Madam Zhao was feeling uncomfortable, so she comforted her in a calm tone.

However, the meaning of these words was obvious - although Mrs. Zhao was not aware of this matter, now that it has happened, she has the responsibility to handle the follow-up matters.

Madam Zhao was so smart that she immediately understood the hidden meaning of Concubine Xian's words. Concubine Xian wanted her to set obstacles for the new lover! But what could she do? In this deep palace, no one could afford to offend Concubine Xian, who was narrow-minded and would take revenge if she had a grudge.

"Well, since it is in my palace, as the head of a palace, I should know more about the new sisters. But, Miss West, can you tell me the name of that good man?" Madam Zhao nodded helplessly and continued to speak according to Concubine Xian's meaning. She secretly complained in her heart, blaming that good man for his miserable fate, and getting into such a big trouble just after entering the palace.

Xilin: "Her name is Hanguli."

Xian Fei nodded slightly to show that she understood, then glanced at the sky outside the window and said softly, "It's getting late, Madam Zhao should go back early. I'm sure those newcomers to the palace are still waiting to pay their respects to you, the head of the palace."

Hearing Concubine Xian's words, Madam Zhao quickly stood up, bowed to Concubine Xian, and replied respectfully: "Then I will take my leave first. Sister Xilin has been traveling all the way, so you should also rest early!"

Xilin also stood up and bowed to Madam Zhao: "Thank you for your concern, Madam."

Madam Zhao turned around and slowly left the room. Concubine Xian watched Madam Zhao leave, her eyes falling on Xilin who had sat down again.

"You did a great job today." Concubine Xian nodded with satisfaction and continued, "Madam Zhao has been with me for many years. Although she is not particularly smart, she is barely employable. After all, her position is higher than yours, and her experience is richer than yours. You should learn more from her. With your talent and intelligence, I believe it won't take long for you to master the essentials. By then, I won't need her anymore."

At this moment, Concubine Xian no longer had any of the kindness of her cousin, and instead had an air of majesty that seemed to be superior and in control of everything.

Faced with such a change in Concubine Xian, Xilin was a little surprised, but on the surface she still behaved very obediently. She lowered her eyebrows and replied docilely: "Yes, I will follow my cousin's arrangements in everything."

When Xilin first entered the palace, she always addressed her cousin, and her every move seemed very well-behaved and sensible. However, in the eyes of Concubine Xian, this behavior was seen as cowardly and incompetent, and obedient. Although Concubine Xian looked down on such weak people in her heart, she thought, wouldn't it be easier to control them this way? After all, a smart person who knows what she means and dares not go against her will is simply a perfect stepping stone!

Thinking of this, Concubine Xian became more and more satisfied: "You have just entered the palace, and there are still many things you don't understand. I will teach you carefully in the future. Now you can go back to the palace to rest. Madam Zhao is right. This journey is long and tiring. It is really not easy. Tomorrow, I will allow you not to come to pay respects. You can come after thanking the queen the day after tomorrow."

Xilin responded, "Thank you for your concern, cousin. I will take my leave now."

The virtuous concubine nodded slightly to show her agreement.

When Xilin bowed and left, as she stepped out of the Summer Palace, she couldn't help but glance at the main hall from the corner of her eye and cursed in her heart: "What a stupid woman!"

After Madam Zhao returned to Yunhe Hall, she called several palace maids and asked them about the newlyweds. The palace maids stood in front of Madam Zhao in an orderly manner.

Madam Zhao asked, "Will you lead the way for the newcomers to the palace today?" Several palace maids answered in unison, "Yes, madam."

Then, Madam Zhao continued to ask: "So, what are their respective positions?"

One of the palace maids replied, "Madam, the person I brought is a concubine."

Another person immediately said: "The one I am leading is my beloved."

The third maid also echoed: "The man I lead is also a good man."

The last maid said: "The one I am leading is a beauty."

Madam Zhao nodded slightly, indicating that she had understood, and then asked, "Okay, then tell me, what did you talk about on the way to the side hall?"

At this time, among the four palace maids, there was the palace maid who had led Hanguli at the beginning. At first, she had almost forgotten what she had talked with that good man, but now when Madam Jing Zhao asked her this question, she was suddenly shocked, and at the same time she also remembered that the good man's personal maid had specifically instructed her not to reveal their conversation to anyone.

Now that Madam Zhao was asking, should she tell him? Madam Zhao was usually very kind to servants like them, so should she lie to her?

What should I do? Should I speak or not? She was extremely conflicted. She watched the three maids in front of her speak one after another, but she was still struggling nervously. At this moment, her fingers suddenly touched the pieces of silver. Yes! With these silvers... Thinking of this, she suddenly had an idea in her mind.

Finally it was her turn to speak. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nervousness, but this subtle movement did not escape Madam Zhao's sharp eyes.

Madam Zhao still looked calm and asked, "What's wrong? You seem very nervous. Don't be afraid, just speak your mind."

The little maid calmed herself down, took out some silver from her sleeve, carefully placed it in her palm, and handed it to Madam Zhao. Madam Zhao stared at the silver and asked softly, "Is this a reward from her?"

The little maid lowered her eyebrows and replied docilely, "Yes."

Madam Zhao continued to ask: "So, what did you talk about?"

The young maid hesitated for a moment, then mustered up the courage to say, "My dear husband asked if my wife was in the palace, saying that he wanted to come and see her. I replied that my wife was not in, and she told her to rest first and come back tomorrow.

So she asked, what kind of person is that lady? I confessed that the lady is kind-hearted and gentle, and never deliberately makes things difficult for us servants. She then asked, what does the lady like to eat and what kind of drinks does she prefer to drink? I was puzzled and asked, why does my dear ask about this? She smiled and explained that she had just entered the palace not long ago and did not understand many things yet, and hoped to learn more from the lady.

I told her not to worry, as the mistress, as the head of the palace, would teach her carefully. However, when I mentioned the mistress's personal likes and dislikes...I said that I was just a humble maid responsible for cleaning the courtyard, and I had no right to enter the mistress's inner palace, so I really had no way of knowing. At this moment, her personal maid came over and handed a few silver coins to me.

Seeing this, Madam Zhao raised her lips slightly and smiled softly, "I see, then why were you so nervous just now?"

The young maid was immediately panicked and quickly knelt down to beg for mercy: "I...I know very well that I shouldn't have accepted these small pieces of silver. Please forgive my sin, Madam."