Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 329 Meng Shu felt extremely unlucky

Holding the lacquer box, Mengzhu softly asked, "Your Majesty, what should we do with these two red Ganoderma lucidum?"

Consort Chun leaned against the soft pillows. "Let the imperial physician examine it first. If there is nothing wrong, put it into the storeroom." Finally, she added, "Store it separately and do not mix it with other medicinal herbs."

Mengzhu and Donggua nodded in agreement and left the flower hall together.

After Mengzhu and Donggua left, Aunt Mei hesitated for a moment while serving the afternoon nap and then asked, "Your Highness, would you like to invite Yun Baolin to join us for the afternoon garden tour?"

Consort Chun frowned upon hearing this and shook her head, saying, "My cousin is naive and inexperienced. If she says something inappropriate in front of Shu'er, it will put me in a difficult position."

She paused, thinking that Yun Baolin was housed in the west wing, right under her nose, and it would seem rather deliberate not to invite her.

But then she thought of Meng Shu and said, "Going to Qianli Pond to relax is to cheer Shu'er up, there's no need for her to worry about it. Just say it was my order, and tell my cousin to rest well."

The area inside the gauze curtains was quiet for a moment.

After a while, Consort Chun suddenly said softly, "Aunt, Green Willow had a lot of intimate conversation with me this morning... Shu'er is very clever and devoted to me, she has indeed sacrificed a lot."

Her fingertips unconsciously traced the intertwined floral pattern on the brocade quilt, and she sighed, "If she truly loves the Emperor, I would feel better."

Aunt Mei whispered words of comfort:

"This servant has never seen anyone as kind-hearted as Your Highness. Why should Your Highness bear these burdens?"

You are a noble lady of a noble family, a mistress of high rank.

Not to mention that the Marquis's mansion has never mistreated Miss Meng, she has lived the life of a noble lady in the mansion for so many years. Even if she were to enter the palace as a concubine, countless people would kill for it, so how could she say she has been wronged? The mansion even prepared a dowry for her.

With such kindness shown to you, if Miss Meng were to treat you poorly, I would be the first to feel sorry for you.

Consort Chun smiled silently and said only, "To repay kindness with favors is a low-class act. If Shu'er hadn't met the Tang family, with her intelligence and strategy, why would she be trapped in this small place, dealing with a man she doesn't truly like?"

Aunt Mei was momentarily at a loss for words, her heart filled with complex emotions. She was both pleased and delighted by the affection between her mistress and Meng Shu, yet also secretly worried about her mistress. Fortunately, the madam would be arriving at the palace soon, and she would certainly have a proper talk with her then.

......

Beside the Thousand Carp Pond.

A refreshing breeze carries the scent of lotus blossoms, and fish frolic in the cool shade. Occasionally, a koi carp leaps from the water, shattering the shimmering surface of the pond.

Meng Shu relaxed, her brows and eyes unfurling. She was wearing a lotus-root-colored, high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with an apricot-red half-sleeved gauze overlay. The hem of the skirt was embroidered with a dark pattern of crabapple blossoms, which rippled gently as she walked.

She wore no elaborate jewelry, only a string of eighteen jade beads on her wrist. She lightly twirled fish food between her fingertips, leaning against the railing and chuckling softly: "Your Majesty, look, that red and white one looks like it's chasing its shadow."

Consort Chun stood by the water, wearing a light blue gauze dress with wide sleeves, the color of which resembled the clear sky after rain. In her hair, she wore only a filigree hairpin inlaid with jade and a lotus flower, and her earrings were bright pearls. On her wrist, she also wore a string of eighteen jade beads.

Isn't this the tacit understanding that comes from a long-term relationship?

Two slender figures, one in pink and one in green, stood by the pond, gazing into the distance.

Where the wind blows, lotus leaves ripple like waves, and green gauze wraps around the branches.

Such a sight captivated Ruizhu and Lvliu, who were attending to the fairy, who remarked that even the fairies of Yaochi could not compare.

"These fish are much more carefree than people," Consort Chun said with a light laugh, fanning herself.

The pond was shaded by locust trees, and a cool breeze occasionally swept through. Meng Shu turned her head and saw a stray lock of hair at Consort Chun's temple being ruffled by the wind. She naturally reached out and tucked it behind her ear.

He then pretended not to notice Consort Chun's sorrow, took her hand and said he wanted to dream about Mr. Lin's research topic and play the couplet game that they used to play in their boudoirs.

Consort Chun's eyes lit up slightly, showing great interest.

Ruizhu chuckled and chimed in, "It's a good thing that the Fifth Miss isn't here, otherwise she would have turned and run away as soon as she heard that she had to write a poem."

Meng Shu said, "The Fifth Miss has her own plans. Holding a golden abacus, she emulates Tao Zhu Gong in circulating all things, and will create a whole new world for herself."

Consort Chun tapped Meng Shu's forehead and scolded, "If Fifth Sister heard you with that clever tongue of yours, she would probably have even more reason not to go to school."

“Since it’s a game, there must be winners and losers. Aunt Mei isn’t here, so let’s not stand on ceremony for now. How about the loser is punished with a drink at dinner?” Meng Shu said, “No matter how many worries you have, let’s get drunk together and let it all go.”

Consort Chun clapped her hands; Meng Shu's words had stirred up her competitive spirit.

She pointed to the pond with her fan: "The topic is 'Watching Fish.' I will start with the first line, and you, Shu'er, must continue it. You must answer within half an inch of incense burning." She turned and instructed, "Mengzhu, prepare incense."

Green Willow hurriedly took out a gilded incense burner and a box of incense sticks from her personal chest, and said in a soft, sweet voice, "...This servant has prepared them."

Upon seeing this, Consort Chun knew that Meng Shu had made preparations in advance, and felt even more at ease.

As the incense was lit, she lightly tapped the pavilion railing with her fan: "Listen carefully, Shuer, my first line is 'Counting carp carrying clouds past'."

This line begins with the image of koi leaping over the waves and biting the shadows of the clouds, subtly echoing Zhuangzi's idea of ​​"leisurely travel." Consort Chun was adept at using allusions, and this line combines the movement of leaping fish with the stillness of the water's reflection.

Meng Shu hesitated for a moment, then, hearing the cry of the wild geese, looked up at the sky and replied with a smile: "A lone wild goose casts a long shadow."

The pairing of "carp" and "wild goose," and "cloud" and "shadow," is very fitting.

Consort Chun praised it, paused for a moment, and then slowly recited, "The algae sway, and the fish are happy." She then brought the scene back to the Thousand Carp Pond.

This time, seeing that the incense was almost gone, Meng Shu pointed to the distance and quickly added, "The fishing boat is hidden deep in the lotus pond."

Following the direction Meng Shu pointed, everyone looked and indeed glimpsed half a green canopy among the lotus leaves reaching to the sky.

Green Willow opened her mouth and said, "Your Majesty has such good eyesight."

Upon hearing this, Meng Shu mischievously tried to pinch her, much to the amusement of Consort Chun and the others.

Before the laughter subsided, Mengzhu suddenly straightened up: "Your Majesty, His Majesty..."

Everyone was taken aback and looked in the direction of the sound. On the Nine-Bend Bridge, a figure in black was approaching.

Meng Shu felt extremely unlucky.