Yu Shu came out of Perching Wu Palace. The little eunuch led the way. She followed behind with her hands behind her back, thinking about the "instructions" she had just received from Empress Rui.
She was in Kun Ling Bureau and was a female official. She had to interact with the consorts in the hougong. She couldn't just stay out of it, she couldn't curry favor from all sides, so she had to choose a good teammate.
Of the four heavyweights of the hougong, Consort Lu Xian had been implicated in the imperial envoy's headless case and had lost. Liu Yi, that boy, had no hope of inheriting the throne. Shu Fei didn't need to be said. Her lao qi, Ning Wang, was a good son, but Yu Shu had been ambushed by him multiple times. He was an enemy and not a friend. In the future, it could be a life and death situation. The possibility of turning an enemy into a friend was almost zero.
As for Empress Rui, even though she was the mother of the world, she pitifully had no children. Seeing that Emperor Zhaoqing was getting old, she was forced to think of using someone else's womb to have a child. Even more, that Sun Gui might not even be able to have a son. It was very risky to stand with her.
As for Imperial Consort Xue, she had the support of her maternal family, the Xue family. Liu Tan was a good boy, unlike Liu Yi who was a pile of mud that couldn't be helped. Most importantly, there was the unspeakable relationship between Yu Shu and Xue Rui. All in all, there was the possibility of being on the same side as Imperial Consort Xue.
So Empress Rui's speech to her in Perching Wu Palace was a waste of words.
Yu Shu thought it over again and felt that it was best to be on the same side as Imperial Consort Xue. Once she stepped out of the palace gates, she threw Empress Rui's "instructions" to the back of her mind.
She wasn't afraid of threats, she didn't care for rewards. Since Empress Rui hadn't taken advantage of her, why should she listen to her orders?
.....
The consorts with status in the hougong learned that Yu Shu had been summoned into the palace by Empress Rui on the same day.
When Shu Fei heard the news, she immediately sneered. She hadn't seen the Book of Great Earth in August. Seeing the Empress' actions, she must be unhappy. Fengshui changed with time. Could it be Xue shi who could influence the intentions of the Kun Ling Bureau? She didn't like to join in on the commotion. She just wanted to watch as the two of Perching Phoenix Palace and Zhong Cui Palace fought.
Consort Lu listened to her trusted palace maid and said worriedly, "I don't know what the arrangements are for this month. Even the empress has been alerted. Could it be that Official Yu accepted the empress's bribe and didn't do a good job?"
Concubine Lu, on the other hand, was able to keep her composure. She rested her embroidery on her knees, and the needle and thread in her hands did not tremble at all. She raised her head and said, "What's the hurry? Didn't my family's little grandaunt enter the palace a few days ago to have her fortune told?"
Compared to the other palaces, the atmosphere at Noble Consort Xue's side was obviously much better. Early in the morning on the second day of the New Year, Zhong Cui Palace had received the green token from the Bureau of Palace Affairs. It was Noble Consort Xue's turn to serve the emperor tonight.
As soon as Yu Shu stepped into Phoenix Perching Palace, a spy reported to Zhong Cui Palace.
Noble Consort Xue was standing in front of a large bronze mirror with the head of a beast. She was trying on the newly tailored clothes for this season. Two palace maids knelt by her feet and tidied up the hem. When she heard the report, she smiled at the figure in the mirror with a rosy face and waved her hand to dismiss them.
Granny Tao was slightly worried, "How can Miss Yu remain unmoved if the empress intervenes? Why don't we send someone to wait in front of the passageway? Later, we'll intercept her and Master can give her a few words."
"That's unnecessary." Noble Consort Xue turned around and said, "Anything that is tempting must have the power to incite people. It's nothing more than fame and fortune, love and hatred. This Yu Shu is currently at a time when she has both fame and fortune. She doesn't lack anything, so it's not good for her to be threatened or tempted. Nanny, why do you think she would be used by us?"
Granny Tao lowered her head and thought for a while, but couldn't say anything.
"Haha, since it's not hatred, then it's friendship. Dalang has a good relationship with her and the two of them claim to be siblings. When she was poor, he helped her a lot. She's not an ungrateful person. People have close and distant relationships. Now that she wants to talk about friendship with us, if we try to take advantage of her weakness and use some kind of carrot-and-stick tactic, wouldn't that make things worse?" Noble Consort Xue was very clear about why Yu Shu would stand on her side and help her do things.
Granny Tao revealed a look of shame, "As expected, Your Highness is good at reading people and has thought things through."
She hesitated again and then asked curiously, "What was in the pouch that Your Highness gave Miss Yu the last time she entered the palace?"
Only she would dare to ask about it in detail.
Noble Consort Xue stroked the corner of her lips and lightly smiled, "Ah, it's just a small gift."
It was a small pouch that couldn't hold many pieces of gold and silver. It was just a piece of paper with a few birthdays written on it.
It had been half a month since Yu Shu moved to Baochang Street. Her family had settled down, so she was ready to bring Aunt Cui over.
Aunt Cui had already separated herself from the Ji family, so there was no need for her to hide anymore. Yu Shu took a horse carriage and went to the east side of the city with Yu Xiaoxiu to bring her back.
Speaking of which, after Aunt Cui and Yu Shu opened their hearts that day, she had more or less figured out some things. After waiting for a long time, Yu Shu finally came to pick her up. There wasn't much to pack, so she had her maidservant take two bags and left with Yu Shu.
The horse carriage went through the main gate. Although Yu Shu didn't want to take Aunt Cui back with great fanfare, there were people watching her all day outside. If people found out that she didn't go through the main gate after taking her mother, they would criticize her again.
Aunt Cui got off the carriage and looked at the large courtyard. It was even more luxurious than the one in front of the Ji family's ancestral home. She was immediately stunned. For the past two months, she had been confined to the small courtyard by Yu Shu and didn't go out at all. Thus, she had never heard of Yu Shu's reputation and thought that Yu Shu was just a female disguise master who had passed the exams. She didn't know that Yu Shu had become an official in the imperial court and had even received a title from the emperor.
After entering the main gate, there was a row of neat and tidy maidservants and manservants. Two rows of people stood on the flat stone paved path and bowed to greet her, "Welcome Furen back to the fu. May Furen have good luck and good luck."
Aunt Cui's legs turned to jelly. Even when she was helped into the hall and sat on a completely new armchair with a soft mat under her butt and fragrant tea in front of her, she still couldn't come back to her senses.
Yu Shu glanced at the crowd of servants outside and frowned. This lineup wasn't arranged by her in advance. She didn't know whose idea it was.
"Son, son ah." Aunt Cui took a long time to say these two words. She grabbed Yu Xiaoxiu's hand and stuttered, "Is, is this our home? Those people outside, are they all our servants? I heard them call me husband and Furen just now? Don't tell me I'm dreaming. Quickly pinch me and see if it hurts. "
When Aunt Cui was young, her dream was to be the wife of the second master of the Yin family's concubine. Later on, she got married to Yu Xiaoxiu's father and became a pitiful scholar's wife. When Yu Xiaoxiu's father died, she was chosen by Ji Laosan. He didn't mind that she was a widow and brought her back to be a concubine. From beginning to end, she never dreamed of becoming a proper wife one day.
She didn't expect that after so many twists and turns, she would be blessed by her children. She sat in the main seat of the hall and was respectfully called Furen.
Yu Xiaoxiu, on the other hand, had a mother-son relationship with Concubine Cui. Seeing that she was in a trance, he didn't dare to pinch her. He quickly turned his head to Yu Shu and gave her a pleading look.
Yu Shu coughed and gave Yun Dou and Lin 'er a look to leave. She closed the door and dispersed the group of people outside.
She sat down on the other side of Aunt Cui, pulled the back of her hand, and patted it lightly, "Mother, what's wrong with you? I already said that I would bring you here to enjoy life. This residence is our family's, so you can rest assured and stay here. Daughter now has an official position. From now on, you are the proper Furen Yu. Mother Xiaoxiu and I are no longer someone's concubine and have no relationship with the Ji family. "
Aunt Cui blinked a few times and asked hesitantly, "What official position? What are you talking about?"
Yu Xiaoxiu interrupted and said, "Mother, Older Sister has become a high-ranking official of the Celestial Commissioner. She is now a female official. You haven't seen Older Sister in her official robes and black veil. She looks so majestic."
Hearing this, Mistress Cui reacted after a long while. She couldn't hold it in for a moment, and with a sob, she raised her head and actually cried on the spot. "My God, you're finally willing to open your eyes. You've made me suffer for most of my life. I've been a slave and a maid, and I've even married a short-lived ghost. I've been betrothed to a heartless man. You evil heavens, you heartless person. Your Yu Family's ancestors must have accumulated good karma in their previous lives to have a wife like me. Not only did I continue your family's lineage, but I also raised a good daughter. Boohoo! "
Yu Shu almost laughed when she heard Concubine Cui's tearful voice. However, she could also tell that Concubine Cui had thought it through and didn't intend to go against her anymore.
.....
Zhao Hui knew that Yu Shu was going to pick up Aunt Cui today, so she prepared a welcoming banquet in advance. She wanted to leave a place for the mother and children to talk, so she didn't go to the front to welcome them.
Hearing that they entered the gate, she led the two maidservants to the East Stride Courtyard. Yu Shu arranged a small courtyard for Aunt Cui. She assigned maids to clean and the bed and quilt were newly changed yesterday.
As soon as Zhao Hui entered the courtyard, she heard voices coming from the main room. A woman spoke with a southern accent. Before she reached the door, she saw a thin woman walk out in small steps. She stood in the corridor in a hurry and looked around. Yu Shu and Xiaoxiu followed behind her.
Zhao Hui glanced at her roughly. She saw her arched eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes. Her face was somewhat similar to Yu Shu's. She knew that this was the mother of the siblings. She was one or two years older than Zhao Hui, so she walked forward to greet her with a smile.
Aunt Cui didn't know Zhao Hui, but she knew that this pair of children had recognized a foster family. On the way here, Yu Shu told her something again. It was nothing more than telling her not to be petty. The two families were a family and they could live in harmony in the future.
Aunt Cui didn't want her children to find other parents and show filial piety for no reason. However, she didn't care about Yu Shu's affairs. Now that her daughter had entered this big house and became an official, she felt like she was dreaming. She didn't want to find fault, so she just responded to Zhao Hui with a smile.
The two women struck up a conversation. You praise my daughter's good looks, I thank you for taking care of the children for me. Sister and sister immediately called each other, not at all distant, which surprised Yu Shu.
In the afternoon, He Fangzhi didn't come back from the clinic. Aunt Cui followed Zhao Hui to see Old Madame He. The family of women and children sat around the table and had a banquet. Aunt Cui drank a few cups and got drunk. She pulled Zhao Hui and cried, telling her how hard it was for her to raise the two children.
Although Zhao Hui knew that this woman didn't treat the two children well, and especially didn't care about her daughter, Yu Shu, she couldn't help feeling sympathetic when she saw her complain. Her previous prejudice against Aunt Cui also faded a lot.
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