maidservant

The next day, Yunshan returned to the palace.

Even before reaching the palace gates, I could see a bustling scene. Guards, clad in distinctive armor and stern-faced, armed with spears, methodically inspected every person entering the palace, their rigor far exceeding that of previous inspections.

In the queue, several servants dressed in the Duke's uniform were waiting for inspection, carrying many boxes and parcels that were piled high like a small mountain.

When it was Yunshan's turn, she was not spared. The guards took out everything she had bought, including fabrics, cosmetics, and small items. After a lot of trouble, she was finally able to enter the palace.

Yunshan thought that something might have happened and hurried back to Liuhua Palace.

Yunshan stepped into the palace gate and saw Yunjin hurriedly walking. She took a few steps forward, eagerly grabbed Yunjin's sleeve, and asked, "When I entered the palace today, the guards were extremely strict in checking me. They almost turned everything I bought upside down. What big incident happened in the palace?"

Yun Jin glanced around, seeing no one was around, then lowered her voice and said, "The eldest princess is about to give birth. She's determined to return to Xiyun Palace, where she lived as a child, to give birth. The palace is busy preparing for this, and to ensure everything is safe, they've tightened the security at the palace gates."

Yunshan frowned slightly, full of confusion, and asked, "Returning to Xiyun Palace to give birth? Is there any reason for this? Logically, the Li Mansion should be able to make thorough arrangements."

Yun Jin approached Yun Shan and spoke mysteriously:
"Speaking of which, you may find it mysterious. Yesterday, when you were out, the eldest princess's personal attendant came to discuss this matter with our queen. I was waiting on the side, and that's when I learned the inside story."

She paused, glanced around cautiously, and then continued:
"Since last month, the eldest princess has been inexplicably restless. The Li family specially prepared a sedan chair and carefully escorted the eldest princess all the way to the Guanyin Temple to pray sincerely for blessings and protection. But who could have imagined—"

"When I was burning incense that day, the incense broke for no apparent reason several times in a row."

Yunshan murmured, "This...this is definitely not a good sign."

Yun Jin nodded heavily and continued:
"Who says it isn't true? Ever since returning to the palace that day, the princess has been plagued by nightmares. Several doctors from the Imperial Hospital have been summoned to take her pulse and examine her. Although they all said that the princess and the baby were fine, the princess still felt like a huge stone was weighing on her heart, unable to find peace."

Yunshan's face was filled with worry. She sighed, "If I continue to worry like this, it might not be good for the princess or the baby in her womb."

"Just yesterday, a Taoist priest with a pure and elegant demeanor arrived at the Li Mansion and knocked on the door. As soon as he saw the Li Mansion's housekeeper, he explained that he had calculated that a Wenquxing (literary star) would soon be born into the Li Mansion. However, the eldest princess and her unborn child both had extremely noble destinies, and the existing feng shui of the Li Mansion wasn't conducive to the eldest princess giving birth there, so there were fears of complications."

Yunshan was skeptical. "That sounds really weird."

Yun Jin curled his lips, looked disdainful, and sighed:

"Hey, there's no basis for this kind of thing. I think he must have heard about the princess's recent distress from somewhere and is trying to trick her into giving him some money. But the princess hasn't been able to eat or sleep well for the past month, and she's been living in constant fear. I don't know why, but she actually believed this sorcerer's lies."

"But speaking of it, the sorcerer really seemed to have some tricks up his sleeve. After being invited into the mansion, he took out a compass and walked around the mansion. After making some calculations, he actually told us that two concubines in the Li mansion had miscarried in the mansion, and another one even died in an accident where both mother and child were killed." At this point, Yun Jin shook his head helplessly.

Yun Shan's eyes widened, her face filled with confusion. She pressed on, "Is this true? This kind of private matter in the mansion has been going on for almost twenty years. Logically, it should have been covered up tightly. How could he know about it?"

Yun Jin nodded heavily, still a hint of shock on her face, and said, "That's the weird thing. Everything he said was so accurate, as if he had seen it with his own eyes." "Back then, the Li Mansion had a favored concubine. She was originally a maid in the study of the Minister of the Central Secretariat."

Yun Shan was slightly startled and subconsciously asked, "A concubine?"

This situation is common in large families. Unmarried men often have several maids around them, waiting to be promoted to concubines after they get married.

"That's right." Yun Jin nodded and continued,

"She became pregnant earlier than Madam Li, with a boy. Initially, the pregnancy seemed stable and everything seemed to be going smoothly. But who could have predicted that just before giving birth, she would be suddenly plagued by a nightmare. She ran out of the house in a panic in the middle of the night and bumped into a rockery. She immediately experienced bleeding and ultimately lost the baby. It was a truly tragic outcome."

"There's another matter about the concubine. Our queen didn't ask in detail, and the maid didn't say anything more."

Yunshan thought to herself that this was probably due to the intrigues within the harem. She had witnessed these dirty deeds when she was a child in the Shangshu Mansion.

Looking at the Li Mansion, there are only three direct descendants: Li Song, Li Bai, and Li Meng. It is not difficult to guess that Madam Li must have been tough and decisive in order to control everything in the mansion so tightly.

Although the eldest princess had seen many power struggles in the palace, once it came to herself and the fetus in her womb, even the most rational person would lose their composure, so such a reaction was understandable.

"The sorcerer said that the situation at the Li Mansion was unsolvable. A spirit was unwilling to leave and was constantly haunting the place. That's why the eldest princess requested to enter the palace to give birth."

Yun Jin raised her hand to roll up her slipping sleeves, her movements full of exhaustion after a busy day. Yun Shan walked up behind her and gently helped her tie the belt back on, her movements gentle and careful. "You've been busy all morning, you should rest a bit and don't tire yourself out."

Yun Jin turned slightly and smiled at Yun Shan, then immediately returned to his gloomy expression and sighed:

"Our queen just received the news yesterday that the princess had returned to the palace to give birth, and she hurried to consult His Majesty early this morning. It just so happens that His Majesty will be offering sacrifices to the heavens tomorrow, and Concubine Cui, Concubine Yang, and other palace mistresses will have to accompany him. Therefore, this matter will have to be fully handed over to our queen."

Yunshan frowned slightly upon hearing this and softly agreed, "I had thought that Your Majesty had turned down many trivial matters in the palace and would have some free time. But now, Concubine Cui and the others are too busy to take care of them, and the heavy burden has fallen on Liuhua Palace again."

"Who says it isn't?" Yun Jin shook her head helplessly, then continued, "But Xiyun Palace has been uninhabited for years, and it lacks all the necessary supplies for production. Even if we start preparing now, it will take some time."

"Yeah, I guess so." Yun Shan nodded in agreement. "In that case, I'm afraid the Princess will have to wait for a few days."

Yun Jin replied, "I heard that the eldest princess' sedan chair will enter the palace directly and go straight to Xiyun Palace in three days. Look, early this morning, the Li Mansion began to transport various things to the palace."

So that's how it is. Yunshan thought, fortunately she was on leave, so she helped check things these past two days.

Unexpectedly, the next day, just after the emperor left the palace, the Li family sent a letter to enter the palace. (End of this chapter)