Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 326 Lack of Governance Skills

Green Willow hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and kneeling to report, "Your Majesty, Consort Qu has sent Miss Ruixue here..." She then recounted what Ruixue had said in detail.

She then pointed to the bouquet on the ground: "...This flower grows in the Xiefang Garden where Consort Chun resides. Yesterday, the Consort saw it and was delighted, so she picked a few branches to put in a vase for admiring. Fortunately, she was reminded, otherwise... There are several gardenia trees outside the Bilang Pavilion..." Her voice trailed off, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

The emperor stood with his hands behind his back, his face ashen and grim.

"Jingming".

After a long pause, he called out in a deep voice, his tone icy. "Go to the Directorate of the Imperial Garden and thoroughly investigate this matter."

Meng Shu gently touched her chest and said softly, "Fortunately, Consort Qu is reasonable and sincere, and specially sent someone to inform us. There are only two places in the palace where it is planted: near Lingxiao Terrace and in Xiefang Garden where Consort Chun resides. If it were someone else, seeing that this flower is planted in Xiefang Garden alone, they would probably be suspicious."

The Emperor's expression softened slightly, and upon hearing this, he said, "Once she has fully recovered, I will personally go to reward her."

Before he could finish speaking, he caught a glimpse of a kite hanging in the flowering tree out of the corner of his eye, and then he remembered that he and Consort Chun had originally planned to fly kites by the lake that day, if it weren't for Shu'er falling ill...

Thinking of this, the Emperor's anger grew. The Fragrant Garden had a patch of dragon claw flowers, and the gardenias outside the Jade Pavilion were in full bloom—truly a remarkable coincidence.

Meng Shu gestured for Green Willow and the others to leave. After everyone had dispersed, the Emperor said in a deep voice, "During this trip away from the palace for the summer, from the imperial procession to the arrangement of the palace rooms and the furnishings of the sleeping quarters, the Empress made many oversights. As a daughter of a military family, she ultimately lacks the ability to manage affairs."

Upon hearing this, Meng Shu's heart stirred slightly. This was precisely her intention in bringing up the matter.

Whether or not an investigation is conducted is actually irrelevant; if the other party dared to make a move, they must have already prepared an escape route. Even if an investigation is launched, it will only result in a few scapegoats. It would be better to let the Emperor see the Empress's oversight.

Seeing Meng Shu lower her eyes and remain silent, the Emperor suddenly said, "Consort Chun has always been afraid of the heat, so she should move to Cheng Guan Zhai tomorrow. It is next to Qian Li Pond, with good ventilation by the water, and it is also close to your Bi Lang Xuan. I believe it will suit her taste."

"His Majesty has personally arranged this; Consort Chun will surely be delighted." Meng Shu bowed and thanked the Emperor on behalf of Consort Chun.

The Emperor smiled calmly, sat down in the seat where Meng Shu had been sitting, and casually picked up a book from the table. "There are no storybooks here today."

Meng Shu poured tea, her eyes sparkling as she smiled faintly, "Although it's not a storybook, it's still some light reading material. Your Majesty should refrain from reading it, lest you make fun of me again."

The Emperor's fingertips traced the three small, gilded characters "Records of Wu" on the porcelain-blue paper cover. He casually opened the book and raised an eyebrow: "How can a local gazetteer recording the geography of Wu be considered a trivial book?"

He looked up at Meng Shu, "Shu'er, are you longing for the scenery of Suzhou?"

"Records of Wu" is a local gazetteer that uses prefectures and counties as its framework, detailing mountains, rivers, lakes, temples, bridges, residences, pavilions, and alleys. Reading it not only broadens one's knowledge, but also evokes images of willow-lined bridges, wind-blown curtains, and emerald screens between the lines, instantly inspiring thoughts of boating in the Jiangnan region.

"Uncle knows that I have always enjoyed reading travelogues. Last time he sent me more than ten books, most of which were geographical records. Today I just picked one up and started reading."

The book depicts the mountains and rivers of Wu County, though somewhat rough, it has been reviewed and the annotations are accurate. The Emperor was troubled by the difficulties of the Grand Canal transport, and the memorial submitted by Tang Xian the day before about the obstruction of the Grand Canal in Wu County was still on his desk. Upon reading it, he couldn't help but become engrossed in it.

Seeing this, Meng Shu quietly withdrew and instructed Dong Gua to prepare a few light dishes in the kitchen.

That night, the Emperor stayed overnight at the Bilang Pavilion.

Consort Song and her two companions were summoned to accompany the emperor, but on their first day, they didn't even get to see him...

Phoenix Palace.

The candlelight flickered dimly, and the curtains cast deep shadows.

Xingyu approached in haste, a hint of panic on her face: "Your Majesty, at the end of Shenshi (3-5 PM), the eunuch came out of Bilangxuan and went straight to the Siyuansi (Garden Management Office). He is currently inquiring about the management of the flowers and trees in the garden."

The Empress's hand, holding the jade comb, suddenly stopped in mid-air. Her furrowed brows were reflected in the bronze mirror: "This is strange. Why are you suddenly asking about this... Could there be some trace left by the lake?"

Her voice suddenly turned cold, "Summon Granny Gui to see me."

This operation was meticulously planned. When they learned of Consort Meng's illness a couple of days ago, they assumed the plan had succeeded. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, it was Consort Qu who suffered the consequences. But Granny Gui had already cleaned up the mess and was planning to repeat the same scheme once the storm had passed.

'Two or three days have passed, and Qu Cairen hasn't suspected anything. How could such a complication arise...'

The Empress pondered to herself, a sudden sense of foreboding rising in her heart.

Inside the Wutong Pavilion.

After washing up, Consort Mei leaned against the chaise longue, wearing a loose nightgown.

Pei Yunu stood at the lower end, her head bowed and eyes lowered, like a maidservant.

Her timing today was truly unfortunate, coinciding with the time when Consort Mei had been upset during her morning greetings. Earlier that morning, when she came to the Wutong Pavilion to pay her respects, Consort Mei had already vented all her pent-up frustration on her.

Now that we know that the eunuch Jing has gone to the Siyuan Si to investigate the case, and that Consort Pei is new here and knows nothing, fortunately, Granny Yu had already told Consort Pei about the situation in the palace.

At this moment, Pei Yunu spoke:

"Your Majesty, the eunuch Jing went to the Siyuan Department, presumably because he found a clue about Consort Qu's tinea capitis."

Although I am not skilled in medicine, I know that the cause of tinea versicolor must be pollen. Regardless of the outcome, Your Majesty the Empress, who is in charge of the palace, is responsible for any oversight or negligence. This is one point.

"After leaving Bilang Pavilion, Jing Neiguan went directly to the Siyuan Division, so this clue must have come from Consort Meng. If this was done by someone, and Your Majesty has done nothing, it's not hard to deduce that it was most likely the Empress who did it..."

Consort Mei suddenly sat up straight from the chaise longue, her eyes gleaming!