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墨書 Inktalez
Night Lady understood that this was a situation where one must not act hastily. Although she felt disdain in her heart, she still gave Rong Mama a knowing glance.
As expected, Rong Mama presented a gold ingot. He only declined it a couple of times before accepting it.
Since he was willing to accept the money, things would be easier.
Old Madam felt much more at ease and smiled as she said, “Grandfather, please forgive me. Before leaving, Xingchen specifically instructed me, as her mother, to take good care of Mo Xi'er. Now that she has the fortune to receive the favor of Empress Dowager, I should teach her well to prevent this child from being careless and losing her composure in front of the royal family.”
Noble Eunuch nodded repeatedly, “Old Madam is kind-hearted; it truly is Miss Mo's blessing.”
After saying this, he glanced around before lightly clearing his throat and speaking in a low voice, “Today, the Emperor was furious and stripped Consort Rong of her title, sending her to the cold palace. As for what happened afterward, we servants are not privy to that information. We only know that Empress Dowager fainted, and upon waking, issued an edict summoning Miss Mo to the palace to attend to her illness.”
Consort Rong sent to the cold palace? Empress Dowager fainted? Summoning Mo Xi'er to attend?
A series of news left Old Madam somewhat overwhelmed, but...
“Why would Empress Dowager think of having Mo Xi'er attend her? After all, there are several other consorts in the palace. This Mo Xi'er, coming from a humble background, might disturb the royal presence,” Old Madam said.
Noble Eunuch glanced at her with a smile that seemed ambiguous, “What Old Madam says is indeed correct. However, regarding Empress Dowager's decree, we servants cannot speculate recklessly. Would you agree?”
“Indeed, what Grandfather says is right; I have been lacking in decorum,” Old Madam quickly responded.
Noble Eunuch fell silent again and picked up the tea on the table, drinking it leisurely.
“What? I am summoned to the palace?” Mo Xi'er propped herself up and looked weakly at the visitor. “You must be mistaken.”
"I personally heard Grandfather say this to Old Madam, and Rong Mama sent me to ask the young lady to prepare a bit." The newcomer was a little maid under Rong Mama, looking rather honest.
Xinrong looked at her master with concern: "Miss, what should we do?"
What to do? She didn't know what to do!
Night Manor was a den of wolves that would devour people without spitting out their bones. With an emperor in the palace who was full of himself, it was no different from entering a tiger's den. No matter what choice she made, it would be difficult to escape unscathed.
"Since soldiers come to block and water comes to cover, what is there to fear? Help me tidy up," Mo Xier gritted her teeth. Regardless of the circumstances, this was an opportunity; going into the palace was better than starving to death here. Everything could be discussed later once she got out.
The newcomer brought clean clothes, cosmetics, and splendid jewelry. Mo Xier took a glance and shook her head: "There's no need for such extravagance; just a simple tidying up will do."
She was currently covered in injuries and had no mood for heavy makeup. It was too much to expect others to give her face after being slandered and falsely accused.
No one would remain indifferent after being defamed; at least, Mo Xier was not that kind of person.
Soon, with Xinrong's help, a slightly frail and delicate Fair Lady appeared in the hall.
The Noble Eunuch stood up, looking at the newcomer with a beaming smile: "Miss Mo, I am from Cining Palace, sent by the Empress Dowager's decree to invite you into the palace. It's getting late; if it's convenient for you, we can set off now."
"Thank you for waiting so long, Grandfather; I truly feel guilty," Mo Xier said, wearing a light yellow long gown. Though her lips were slightly tinted red, it couldn't hide her pale complexion. "Please wait a moment, Grandfather; I need to say goodbye to Old Madam before I leave with you."
"Old Madam is kind, and Miss Mo is filial; Night Manor is indeed a blessed place." If there was one thing people in the palace excelled at, it was twisting words and turning black into white. With a silver tongue, they managed to make everything sound seamless and harmonious.
Mo Xier merely smiled and turned around to look at Xinrong, who had been "pressed" over to Rong Mama's side. She then directed her gaze toward Old Madam: "Old Madam, I will be serving in the palace now and cannot be by your side. Please take care of yourself."
"What are you saying?" Old Madam feigned anger. "Once you enter the palace, you must behave well. Do not harbor any ill thoughts; be loyal to the Empress Dowager and the emperor as well. That would fulfill Night Manor's care for you."
"Old Madam is absolutely right; the kindness that Night Manor has shown to Mo Xi'er is something she will never forget in this lifetime."
Mo Xi'er smiled gently and then shifted her tone, "Xinrong has been with me for so long, and I have developed a sisterly bond with her. Now, I have an unreasonable request, and I hope Old Madam can grant it. You are compassionate, and I believe you will agree."
"Go ahead," Old Madam replied, sounding somewhat pressured but unable to express her displeasure due to Noble Eunuch's presence.
Mo Xi'er did not hesitate, "Xinrong was sold into Night Manor as a servant at the age of six after losing her mother to her gambling uncle. It has been ten years now. I dare to ask if Old Madam could return her contract of servitude?"
"Since you have asked me, I must give you some face. Here’s the deal: Noble Eunuch is still waiting for you today, so go and serve the Empress Dowager with peace of mind. When you return, I will definitely give you Xinrong's contract. You can decide what to do with it then," Old Madam said with a smile.
Taking a deep breath, Mo Xi'er nodded, "With Old Madam's word, I feel reassured. Xinrong, while I'm away, you must take good care of Old Madam. Noble Eunuch is here too; if I come back and find that you haven't looked after her well, not only will I be angry, but even Noble Eunuch won't spare you. Do you understand?"
Tears welled in Xinrong's eyes as she nodded repeatedly, "I understand; I will take good care of her."
The two looked at each other with teary eyes.
Mo Xi'er knew that Old Madam would use Xinrong as leverage against her if she dared to enter the palace. She felt powerless and could only make one last effort.
She wanted to seek freedom for Xinrong in front of Noble Eunuch but did not expect Old Madam to be so cunning. With no other choice, she had to use Noble Eunuch’s name to obtain a protective talisman for Xinrong, hoping that Old Madam wouldn't be too cruel and would treat Xinrong better.
Noble Eunuch was perceptive and could see through the situation. He stepped forward with a smile and teased, "Miss Mo truly has a heart of gold. Xinrong, if you disappoint your mistress's goodwill, I won't spare you either."
Upon hearing this, Xinrong wiped her tears and nodded vigorously, "I will obey."
"Alright, it's getting late; we should set off," Noble Eunuch said after giving enough face.
Mo Xi'er nodded, took one last look at Xinrong, then bid farewell to Old Madam and left without looking back.
As Noble Eunuch and his group disappeared from sight, Old Madam straightened up, looking at the door in silence.
The palace, with its red-tiled high buildings, was magnificent and opulent. The royal aura was evident!
Mo Xier had been to the palace before, but last time she had Night Star by her side, providing guidance and care.
Now, she was battered and bruised, facing an uncertain future, not knowing whether this visit would bring fortune or disaster. Even someone as optimistic and strong as her couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness.
“Miss Mo, this way please.” Noble Eunuch was quite clever, keeping his distance from Mo Xier, saying little but ensuring she didn’t feel neglected.
The Cining Palace was right in front of her, and Mo Xier hesitated. However, with no choice but to move forward, she felt that her individual strength was insufficient to resist what lay ahead.
With that thought, she steeled herself and walked in.
The palace maids had already lifted the curtain, and a rich scent of sandalwood wafted towards her. Mo Xier frowned slightly, steadied her mind, and tried to remain calm as she entered: “Commoner Mo Xier, pays respects to Empress Dowager, may you live long and prosper.”
No one responded, so she knelt in the center, waiting for judgment.
After a stick of incense had burned down, her knees had gone numb, and the wound on her back was soaked with sweat, causing unbearable pain. Yet her mind became clearer; indeed, Empress Dowager did not seem to come with good intentions. However, Mo Xier was unaware of how she had offended the other party without realizing it.
At that moment, the curtain was lifted again, and a faint scent of sandalwood mixed with the previous fragrance entered her nose, invigorating her.
“Green Wisteria pays respects to Empress Dowager. Here is today’s compilation of the Treasure Lotus Sutra, please take a look.” A young woman in a green robe appeared beside her, styled with a high cloud-like hairdo that seemed unusual for palace attire.
Mo Xier lowered her eyelids and ceased to glance around.
“Hmm, Green Wisteria, your writing has become increasingly elegant.” Finally hearing the voice of Empress Dowager, it was gentle yet carried an unspoken sense of distance.
"Thank you, Empress Dowager, for your praise."
It seemed that this woman in green was not someone who sought fame and recognition. Mo Xier thought to herself, wondering who could freely enter and exit Cining Palace and was held in such high regard by the Empress Dowager. It was unclear whether this person was friend or foe.
The Empress Dowager lightly coughed, as if just realizing that Mo Xier had been kneeling for a long time. She exclaimed, "Miss Mo, when did you arrive? Why was there no announcement?"
Zhu Xi, who was attending to her, immediately reported, "Miss Mo has been here for about a quarter of an hour. However, the Empress Dowager was resting after taking her medicine, and the imperial physician advised that you should not be disturbed during your recuperation, so I did not inform you."
"Nonsense." The Empress Dowager's voice was quite authoritative as she stood up to personally help Mo Xier rise. "With my illness, these servants have become increasingly careless, causing the young lady to suffer."
Mo Xier dared not accept such kindness and quickly rose unsteadily. "It is merely a commoner's foolishness; I should not have disturbed the Empress Dowager's rest. However, being able to kneel here for even a moment during the Empress Dowager's illness is a blessing for me."
She had to endure the aches and pains throughout her body while forcing herself to speak such insincere words. Mo Xier silently laughed at herself; it turned out that no matter how much one emphasized their dignity, in front of those in power, these feelings were nothing more than laughable and insignificant.
Who would have thought that she would ever utter such forced and contrived words?
It seemed that in order to survive, one had to be so helpless and so insincere!
Thinking of this made her feel drenched in sweat; her vision darkened, and she fainted!
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