PFC Chapter 176 Zhong Lingyuxiu
Chapter 176 Zhong Lingyuxiu
Back in the palace, Shu Dong gave Fu Qiu instructions and was about to leave when Fu Qiu tugged at her sleeve, "Auntie, your words don't count. Why don't you ask the Empress?"
Shu Dong hesitated, "Well, okay then."
When Shu Dong entered the main hall, Jiang Ruyin was holding the letter in deep thought. Seeing Shu Dong coming in, she immediately said with a smile, "It's Aunt Shu Dong, I thought you had gone out."
Shu Dong knelt respectfully, her back bent, her forehead touching the ground with a thud. She said in a deep voice, "I see that Ling Chang is in a very bad condition. I want to go and check on him. Please give me your instructions, Your Majesty."
"Alas." Jiang Ruyin sighed softly, "I'll go and see her. Should I tell her the truth or hide it from her?"
Shu Dong closed his eyes and said nothing.
Jiang Ruyin folded the letter and put it in a corner of the bookshelf.
"Everyone in the Imperial Hospital has a tongue. No one can stop the emperor from having a child he doesn't want to be born, unless the emperor speaks up." Jiang Ruyin said meaningfully.
Shu Dong's voice trembled. "Your servant, I cannot bear to see the descendants of the Guo Luoluo family die in such silence in the harem...at least I can see them a few more times."
"Since ancient times, many beauties have been buried deep in the palace. Go, pick out some things you think she needs from the storehouse, and bring them with you. Go visit her in my name, and from now on, you can visit her every two weeks."
"Fu Qiu." Jiang Ruyin raised her eyes. "Did you hear what I just said? You are responsible for Concubine Hui's pregnancy. You will go there every two weeks with the reward."
Fu Qiu bent his knees, took out the key from his purse, and waited for Shu Dong to go to the warehouse.
Shu Dong bowed again, pursed his lips and left with Fu Qiu.
Shu Dong's weary figure was swallowed by the bright sunlight outside the palace, and Jiang Ruyin could only sigh. Fu Qiu was born to the Guo Luoluo clan, and the Empress Dowager to the Uya and Ulanara clans—wasn't it the same? If he ever strayed from the right path and his plans failed, he would do everything in his power to pave the way for his bloodline's descendants.
This is the system.
Fu Qiu walked towards the warehouse with Shu Dong without looking around. When they got into the warehouse, Fu Qiu closed the door and handed over the handkerchief.
Only then did Shu Dong realize that he had been crying without knowing when.
Fu Qiu sighed and whispered soothingly, "In the past, Concubine Hua was unstoppable, but she never gave birth to an imperial heir. Aunt, don't force it, or it might lead to disaster."
Shu Dong covered her face with a handkerchief and sobbed. "One after another, the girls of the Guoluo family entered the palace and lost their lives quietly. The Empress Dowager, once famous, can only live with the eldest son. The Ninth Prince passed away quietly two years ago, and the Empress Dowager couldn't even cry out loud or wear a single white dress. The emperor's family is always defeated, how tragic. Such a beautiful girl is going to die silently like Miss Buyinzhu, how can I feel at ease!"
Seeing that both handkerchiefs were soaked, Fu Qiu took out another handkerchief and handed it over.
"Since Auntie knows that Ling Changzai is a gifted and talented woman, there's no need to worry that Ling Changzai is kept in the dark. Isn't this what she wants?"
"!" Shu Dong's eyes widened instantly, "Miss Fu Qiu, what do you mean by this?"
Fu Qiu looked at her and said seriously, "You were so absent-minded today that you didn't see when the Empress was speaking to Ling Changzai. When Concubine Hua asked Imperial Physician Chen and Imperial Physician Jiang to take turns feeling her pulse, Ling Changzai's expression showed one of thought, doubt, relief, and also of gratitude and relief. She said, 'I pray that all the sisters will be healthy. May the Empress live long and peacefully.'"
Fu Qiu spoke very slowly, word by word.
Shu Dong's body shuddered violently, his eyes widening even wider, like two marbles about to burst from their sockets, filled with terror and disbelief. His legs unconsciously weakened, his knees slightly bent, and his whole body began to stagger.
Shu Dong squatted down with his head in his hands. His knuckles turned pale from exerting too much force, and a nearly collapsed voice escaped from his throat:
"I'd rather not know. How can I face her then? Face someone who walks resolutely towards death knowing it's a dead end?"
"Cui'er, you've been busy all day, go to the kitchen and have some water." Suochun's voice suddenly came from outside.
The two were startled.
Then he heard another voice coming from outside, "Yuan Beishan is stealing food again. Go catch him in the act and make him share some with you."
Suo Chun leaned against the red wall behind the main hall near the west warehouse with his arms folded, and raised his chin towards the small kitchen in the east.
The main hall of Yongshou Palace is in the center, with the east and west side halls in front, the rear hall in the middle behind, the storehouse in the west, and a small kitchen in the east.
Cui'er was stunned for a moment holding the big broom, looked at the warehouse and the small kitchen with closed doors, and then ran to the small kitchen with joy.
Fu Qiu shook his head helplessly, "Aunt, that's all I have to say. Let's go pick something."
The small kitchen door was opened and closed again. Yuan Beishan was startled and quickly wiped his mouth and turned back to stand at attention.
Cui Er smiled and put the broom upright by the door. "Eunuch Yuan is here to have more food. Sister Suochun asked me to come and take a look."
Yuan Beishan relaxed, his eyes rolling, and he turned around, picked up another piece of chestnut crisp and stuffed it into his mouth. "Oh, I'll go take a look at the front, you go ahead and do your thing."
Seeing Yuan Beishan go out, Cui'er happily took out her handkerchief and looked around.
There was only one chestnut cake left, the water chestnut cake had not been touched, and three pieces of pea yellow and donkey rolls were missing.
Cui'er muttered to herself, and her hands kept moving as she took four pieces of water chestnut cake, two pieces each of pea yellow and donkey rolls.
"Eunuch Yuan always comes to steal food, so Sister Jing'er simply made an extra plate of his favorite cakes, so I got a bargain today~ Hey, my little sister is too tired to clean the Chunxi Palace, which is like a cold palace, so I save the water chestnut cake for her. I'll just eat pea yellow and donkey rolls..."
Yuan Beishan came out of the small kitchen, wiped the residue from the corner of his mouth while closing the door, and approached Suochun with his hands rubbing.
"Hey, Miss Suochun, you're following Miss Fuqiu again."
Suo Chun raised an eyebrow, "Jing'er is now guarding the sleeping little prince in the East Side Hall. The Empress has no one else to help her. Eunuch Yuan should go back to work."
Yuan Beishan had no choice but to go to the front hall humming a song.
Jiang Ruyin was staring blankly at the brand new letter paper, her lips moving as she silently recited, "Mother handed over all eighteen shops in the capital to me. The deeds to the shops in Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, and other places are still at home. I have to abandon all of these. I have to leave some property somewhere else."
The official expenditure for Yongshou Palace this month was one thousand taels, but the actual expenditure was two thousand four hundred and ten taels. The total cost of handling affairs outside the palace was three thousand taels. My family sent me two thousand taels this month, and the net profit of the shop in Beijing was around two thousand taels. If we could hire a large number of talented people, with a total monthly salary of five hundred taels, we could increase our profits by at least one thousand taels.
Next month, the palace's expenses will be controlled at two thousand taels, the net profit of the shops in the capital will remain the same, and there will be no need to manage anything outside the palace for the next three months..."
"Oh, it's so hard, so hard!! Silver! Silver!!!"
Yuan Beishan, who was guarding the door, heard the noise and opened the door, "My Lady, I'm here~"
Jiang Ruyin looked at him expressionlessly, staring at his stomach for a moment, "Eunuch Yuan, you must be full."
Yuan Beishan hurriedly bent his waist and laughed.
Jiang Ruyin's forehead seemed to be bulging with veins. He was about to grab the porcelain cup at hand, but hesitated and put it down.
"Get out!!!"