The Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 28: A humble apology

The Story of Yanxi Palace《延禧攻略》Yanxi Gonglue

   The Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 28: A humble apology

   It's late at night.

   A light is on in the Embroidery Workshop.

   The light stained the window paper orange and when I looked in through one of the windows, it was already time to eat but all the palace maids were gathered here and even though their stomachs were rumbling with hunger, none of them had left.

   Sticking the needle in her finger again, Jixiang gave an ouch and took the bleeding finger in her mouth, looked back at the door and asked in a slurred voice, “Hasn't Sister Yingluo come back yet?”

   Linglong beside her, while working on her embroidery, said without raising her head: “I don't think she will be coming back...”

   “What are you talking about!” Jixiang said angrily, “Bah-bah-bah-bah, bah-bah-bah, bah-bah bah three times!”

   Linglong brushed her mouth off, not bothering to do this vulgar action, Jixiang saw this and became even more angry and was about to have a good talk with her, when a maid nearest the door suddenly shouted: “Coming, coming, someone is coming outside!”

   Jixiang flinched and immediately left Linglong to run outside.

   There was a gust of wind blowing beside her and there was a man running faster than she could.

   “Zhang, Zhang Momo?” Jixiang stared blankly at the other's back.

   Like an old man whose only son is going to the imperial examinations, Zhang Momo almost rolled out the door and then looked at the eunuch outside, hoping to hear some good news from him, or at least not bad news!

   “Congratulations, Zhang Momo.” The leader of the three court maids, who was even higher in rank than Zhang Momo, was now polite to her, smiling and said, “Your Wei Yingluo from the Embroidery Workshop made a big splash at the birthday feast and these are Her Highness Empress's gifted something for her.”

   As soon as she beckoned, two palace maids behind her came over with a tray.

   In one tray are two piles of silk and in the other a pair of hairpins.

   The things made by the palace are of the highest quality on earth, not to mention the first-class workmanship and materials of the Empress's bounty.

   The two jade hairpins, which no one could judge as good or bad, were only known to be of an exceptionally well-defined color, with a faint layer of smoke and clouds lingering on them, if at all, seemingly misting, perhaps made of the legendary blue field jade, hence the warmth of the blue field sun and the smoke from the jade.

   The two silks were different and the guys had been working in the Embroidery Workshop for more than half a year, so they knew how good or bad the material was.

   “What do you know, it's a tribute from the weavers in Jiangnan.” Another, more knowledgeable maid said enviously, “It's all for Zhuzi's clothes, Yingluo has a good luck ...”

   Zhang Momo took the lead maid aside to talk for a while and then shoved some silver out of her sleeve and gave her some money. The other party pushed back for a long time and finally had to accept it with difficulty. When she personally sent the person away, Zhang Momo was full of joy. After returning, the maids who looked at her eagerly announced: “You may go back to your meals.”

   At this time of the day, how could the crowd have the heart to eat!

   Jixiang was the first to pounce and say: “Momo, good Momo, tell me quickly, what did Yingluo do at the birthday party?”

   “Yes, Momo, just tell us.” Linglong also came over and said without moving, “What on earth did Yingluo do that Her Highness Empress not only did not punish her but even rewarded her?”

   Zhang Momo, in a very good mood, smiled at the two of them and said, “I can't say anything about this, so why don't we wait for her to come back and tell you in person.”

   Linglong was silent for a moment and asked, “Where is she now?”

   “Having received the reward.” Zhang Momo said, “Of course I had to go and bow down to Her Highness Empress to thank her!”

   The Changchun Palace outside.

   Mingyu carried a hexagonal palace lamp in her hand, the orange light of which, illuminating the single figure crouched on her knees before her, draws her shadow extremely long and long.

   “Her Highness...” Wei Yingluo pressed her forehead to the back of her hand and said, “I have come to ask forgiveness.”

   “Oh?” the Fucha Empress, having removed her heavy gown and changed into the plain white dress she usually wore, came under the moon, like a Chang'e returning from the moon, with a graceful smile, saying, “Not to thank you for your kindness but to ask forgiveness?”

   “Yes.” Wei Yingluo, without any disguise, said, “The Embroidery Workshop was robbed some days ago and the thieves stole the peacock feather threads, so I had no choice but to use deer tailed down threads instead and made up a story in order to muddle through in the Great Hall.”

   “Why confess to me when you've already muddled through?” the Fucha Empress asked with a smile.

   Wei Yingluo said to herself: because I don't believe it.

   Things were going too well, as well as if the Fucha Empress had meant to cooperate with her.

   After thinking this through, a cold sweat broke out on Wei Yingluo's back and she didn't dare to take any chances, so she came to the Fucha Empress without saying a word.

   “The Empress was kind and compassionate and not only did she not expose me in public but also rewarded me with a gift, which I was terrified of, for how could a man like me, who had committed such a great wrong, have the face to accept your gift.” Wei Yingluo bowed her head and said, “I hope Her Highness will take back the reward and give me my punishment.”

   “How can you take back what you have rewarded, what do you take me for?” the Fucha Empress said with a soft laugh, “Besides, what's done is done and today is my doing and I don't want anything unpleasant to happen, do you understand?”

   Wei Yingluo bowed again and said: “Her Highness benevolence, I bear in mind.”

   “But ...” the Fucha Empress trailed off a little and said, “There is one thing that I find very strange ...”

   “Her Highness, please speak.” Wei Yingluo said quickly, “I know everything.”

   “Mingyu said that you had been stalling for time earlier while waiting outside the temple, dragging yourself in until the end.” the Fucha Empress asked, “What exactly were you waiting for then?”

   Wei Yingluo's eyes were slithering, wondering what answer to give, when the Fucha Empress had already given her answer first.

   “You are waiting for His Majesty.” the Fucha Empress asked, “Right?”

   Wei Yingluo was taken aback and reflexively looked up to meet a pair of wise eyes.

   How can a person with such eyes be frugal, how can he be a master who can be easily fooled!”

   In a flash of lightning, Wei Yingluo had made her decision.

   “Yes!” Wei Yingluo gritted her teeth and told the whole story, saying, “Her Highness Empress is greatly favored and I want to take advantage of His Majesty's gust of wind to make Her Highness happy. In this way, Her Highness will not be furious when I come back into the hall to report.”

   The Fucha Empress suddenly looked pale and said, “How dare you! How dare you even use His Majesty!”

   “Please, Her Highness Empress, forgive me!” Wei Yingluo kowtowed repeatedly and said, with a resigned look of total submission of her life into the other's hands, “If you want to condemn, please condemn the servant girl alone, not the Embroidery Workshop innocent!”

   “Punishment is certainly in order, let me think ...” the Fucha Empress falls silent.

   It was only when Wei Yingluo's breathing grew heavy that she snorted and said, “Just punish you for remaking my regular clothes, all in deer tailed short fleece instead, remember?”

   Wei Yingluo looked up sharply, as if she had been pardoned from a death sentence and froze for a long time before she thumped her forehead on the ground with a loud thud and said: “Yes! Thank you, Her Highness!”

   “Well, it's late, you go back.” the Fucha Empress looked at her gently and said, “Later, when you have finished embroidering your regular clothes, you will send them to the Changchun Palace yourself and ...”

   She turned to Mingyu, who was beside her and said: “Wu Shulai is responsible for the unexplained theft in the palace, tell him to investigate it thoroughly!”

   Mingyu responded hastily.

   “Well, I'm bored.” the Fucha Empress nodded and said, “You see her off.”

   The hexagonal palace lantern leads the way, lighting the way out of the Changchun Palace.

   “Sister Mingyu, let's send it here.” Wei Yingluo wouldn't dare to ask Mingyu to accompany her on such a trip, from the Changchun Palace to the Embroidery Workshop, a round trip, even with quick feet, would take a little over half an hour.

   Mingyu was also unwilling to waste her time on this little court maid and said at once, “Fine, then I will go back first.”

   She immediately turned around and headed inside the Changchun Palace.

   Wei Yingluo had been watching her from behind, not so much watching her as gazing at the Changchun Palace in the distance.

   Is it the palace lamps hung on the walls by the palace maids, the night pearls offered at the sea market, or the coral tree at the birthday feast today?

   That is the bedchamber of the Fucha Empress, the residence of the most honorable woman in the harem.

   Once upon a time she could only watch from afar but from this day onwards it is no longer so out of reach.

   “Fucha Fuheng ...” Wei Yingluo murmured in a voice that only she could hear, “Wait for me, I'm coming for you ...”

   In the distance the Changchun Palace is lit up like daylight, while Wei Yingluo is surrounded by darkness.

   The night engulfed her body, swallowed her expression, turned her into a black silhouette, so out of place in the distant lights of the Changchun Palace ...

  

   The Story of Yanxi Palace《延禧攻略》CHAPTERS