Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

Chapter 541 Inside and Outside the Palace
As dusk deepened, the Crimson Palace was brightly lit.

Rong Zhixian sat gracefully before her jeweled dressing table, letting her personal maid remove her elaborate hairpins and ornaments.

The bronze mirror reflected a delicate yet weary face.

Having been in the palace for nearly ten years, she had long since learned to keep her many thoughts hidden deep inside, but her concern for her younger sister Feiyan remained the softest spot in her heart.

"Your Majesty," Granny Lan approached quietly and reported in a low voice, "the eunuch on duty before the Emperor today brought news that His Majesty was reviewing the palace examination papers in the Imperial Study until late at night, and during that time... he only summoned Your Majesty."

Rong Zhixian paused slightly in her hand holding the jade comb, a hint of understanding flashing in her eyes.

She naturally remembered every detail of the day in the Imperial Study—the four open examination papers, the Emperor's meaningful questions, and her perfectly timed responses.

"hehe!"

Rong Zhixian's lips curled into a smile, thinking to herself, "That bowl of ginseng soup was delivered at just the right time!"

Not only did it fulfill her duty to be considerate of the emperor, but it also gave her a perfect excuse, and even helped a certain guy out in the process.

"It seems the Emperor has made up his mind."

Rong Zhixian put down the warm, white jade comb, her fingertips lightly tracing the imperial inkstone on the dressing table, and said, "That child from the Sheng family hasn't disappointed Feiyan."

"If nothing unexpected happens, this child is truly a good match for Feiyan."

Granny Lan was Rong Zhixian's trusted confidante whom she had brought from her maiden home to the palace. Hearing her mistress's exclamation, she immediately understood and lowered her voice, saying, "Congratulations, Your Highness! Congratulations! If the Second Miss knew, she would be overjoyed!"

"Hehe... How can you say I'm congratulating you?"

Rong Zhixian thought of her silly girl and couldn't help but shake her head, a helpless yet doting smile appearing on her lips.

"Granny, you know too. That silly girl Feiyan still doesn't dare to go to that Sheng family boy on her own initiative!"

"Even when the Sheng family mansion was attacked by villains last time, she asked me to find a royal physician for that boy and even used my name to send him medicine. Those two... I'm afraid they still haven't truly 'met' each other!"

The "acquaintance" here refers to a formal acquaintance in official circles, rather than the previous private "hero saves the beauty" or "noble lady looks at each other" drama.

Granny Lan naturally knew about these past events.

That seventh son of the Sheng family once saved Miss Feiyan when she was in the most danger.

At that time, the young lady was young and naive. She followed the crowd in admiring Qi Heng of the Duke of Qi's mansion and was almost ruined by the scheme of Princess Jiacheng, the daughter of the Prince of Yong. Fortunately, Sheng Changquan passed by wearing a mask. He not only repelled the villains but also carefully wrapped the young lady up and sent her back to the Rong Mansion. He never revealed his identity from beginning to end.

It wasn't until the day the results of the provincial examination were announced that Miss Feiyan recognized those bright eyes in the crowd and realized who her benefactor was.

"Your Highness, rest assured," Granny Lan reassured her with kind words, "Second Miss is exceptionally beautiful and of illustrious family background. If that young master of the Sheng family knew of Second Miss's feelings, how could he not be moved?"

"Hehe, then I'll take your kind words, Granny!" Rong Zhixian lazily put down the jade comb and chuckled. "It's just that that girl is too naive. If I don't give her a push openly, I'm afraid she'll only ever watch from afar."

She rose and walked to the window, gazing at the deep night outside the palace walls, her tone suddenly becoming serious: "The results will be announced in three days. Find a way to arrange for Feiyan to 'coincidentally' host a banquet at the Zuixianlou restaurant near the Sheng residence."

"Remember, you must do it so subtly that even Feiyan herself won't realize it's a deliberate arrangement."

Granny Lan understood immediately: "This old servant understands. But... what if the Second Miss asks about the reason?"

Rong Zhixian smiled faintly, a hint of mystery in her expression: "Just tell them you overheard some palace maids in the Imperial Wardrobe gossiping that everyone in the capital is saying a young scholar will be the top scholar this year. Feiyan is simple-minded; she won't investigate further."

"When she hears the good news, she'll definitely want to go to the Sheng residence to offer her congratulations. And wouldn't that naturally lead to them getting to know each other?"

She went back to the inner room and took out a brocade box from a hidden compartment in a rosewood display cabinet.

The box was neatly filled with the trinkets that Rong Feiyan had sent to the palace over the years—crooked sachets, ruined handkerchiefs, and letters with childish handwriting.

Each piece carries the deep affection between the sisters.

“That girl still thinks of me as the older sister who protected her in her youth.” Rong Zhixian gently stroked the objects, her voice filled with unspoken affection. “But she doesn’t know that in this deep palace, every step must be carefully considered. Even arranging her marriage has to be done in such a roundabout way.” Seeing this, Granny Lan couldn’t help but advise, “Your Highness has gone to great lengths for the Second Miss; she will understand one day.”

“I don’t want her to understand these schemes.” Rong Zhixian closed the brocade box, her voice as soft as a sigh. “I only wish she could remain forever innocent and carefree, never having to understand the hardships of life in the deep palace.”

She paused, a complex look flashing in her eyes: "When you go to deliver the message, remember to remind Feiyan that this matter must never be mentioned to outsiders. Just say... just say it's a rule in the palace, lest it ruin my grand plan."

"This old servant understands," Lan Mama bowed and replied. "The Second Miss values ​​Her Majesty highly and will certainly keep that in mind."

……

The next morning, when Granny Lan arrived at the Rong residence with the news, she was stunned by what she saw.

Rong Feiyan was sitting upright in front of the embroidery frame, her slender fingers holding the embroidery needle, intently embroidering a picture of koi leaping over the dragon gate.

You should know that this second young lady used to be most impatient with needlework, and couldn't even embroider a handkerchief properly. But the embroidery in front of her was lifelike, and the scales of the koi carp shone with a delicate luster in the morning light.

"Second, Second Miss..." Granny Lan rubbed her eyes, almost thinking she had mistaken someone for someone else. "You are...?"

"whee!"

Peony, standing to the side, smiled and said, "Granny isn't mistaken, this is indeed our young lady."

"Since last month, Miss has been studying embroidery manuals every day, and she's pricked her fingers countless times with the needle!"

Rong Feiyan looked up, a hint of pride on her face: "Granny, look, isn't this koi lifelike? I specially chose gold thread to embroider its scales; it'll definitely sparkle in the sunlight."

Granny Lan leaned closer for a closer look and couldn't help but exclaim, "In all my years, I've never seen such exquisite embroidery! Who is the Second Miss going to give this to?"

Rong Feiyan blushed immediately and stammered, "It's just... just some casual embroidery..."

Peony teased from the side, "Granny, you don't know, our young lady has been staying up for several nights in a row! She said she wanted to finish the embroidery before the results were announced, to bring good luck to that 'lifesaver'."

"Hmph! Peony, you...you shut up!" Rong Feiyan was somewhat embarrassed and angry, and her voice became a little sharp.

Immediately, Granny Lan understood and quickly explained her purpose.

"Second Miss, Her Majesty sent this old servant to convey a message that the results will be announced in three days. A private table has been reserved for you at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. Just arrive when the time comes."

Granny Lan didn't explicitly state the deeper meaning behind it, but simply recounted Consort Rong's arrangements in detail, adding, "Her Majesty said that this is a rule in the palace, and you must be careful and not make a fuss."

"Is Zuixianlou... the Zuixianlou closest to the Sheng family?"

Rong Feiyan was initially delighted, but then seemed to suddenly remember something.

"Granny, did my sister send you to do something?"

Without waiting for Granny Lan to speak, Rong Feiyan firmly shook her head: "No, Granny, I can't go."

"what?!"

Granny Lan asked in surprise, "Second Miss, why is this? Even if Her Majesty arranged some things, it was all for your own good! Haven't you always wanted to see Young Master Sheng?"

Rong Feiyan put down her embroidery needle, walked to the window, and gazed at the blooming magnolias in the courtyard. She said softly, "I know my sister means well. But, Granny, true feelings are based on sincerity. When he saved me that year, he had no idea I was a young lady of the Rong family. If I were to use my sister's arrangements to get close to him now, how would that be any different from those who deliberately try to curry favor?"

Peony chimed in, "Granny, you don't know, but when Young Master Sheng saved us that day, he wouldn't even leave his name. If he knew we got close to him through our power, he'd probably look down on our young lady."

Granny Lan hurriedly advised, "Second Miss, you're overthinking it. If Young Master Sheng knew your feelings..."

“It’s precisely because he doesn’t know that it’s all the more precious.” Rong Feiyan turned around, her eyes shining with pure light. “I want him to truly know me, to understand me, not just because I’m Consort Rong’s sister. Granny, please go back and tell my sister that I appreciate her kindness, but what I want is genuine sincerity in return.”

Granny Lan wanted to persuade her again, but she saw that Rong Feiyan had already returned to the embroidery frame, picked up the embroidery needle again, and continued to embroider the koi leaping over the dragon gate with a focused expression.

Sunlight streamed through the window, casting gentle shadows on her face. Her persistent yet innocent appearance reminded Granny Lan of Consort Rong from years ago.