Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 319 Make Her Clear Your Name

"Disfigured?!" Ruizhu exclaimed in shock, instinctively covering her face with her hands. In this deep palace, appearance was a concubine's life. If she were truly disfigured, Qu Cairen would probably never have a chance to rise in the future.

Consort Chun frowned and asked in a deep voice, "Do you know what the imperial physician's diagnosis was?"

"When I returned, Her Majesty the Empress had just sent someone to summon Imperial Physician Sun. Strangely enough, it seems that Consort Qu had not summoned the imperial physician at all."

Upon hearing this, Green Willow's expression shifted, and she stepped forward half a step, saying, "Your Majesty, yesterday when this servant and Winter Melon returned from the Imperial Workshop, we met Consort Qu by the Yujin Lake. At that time, her complexion was rosy and she was full of energy, showing no signs of illness whatsoever."

Consort Chun's eyes flashed: "You mean... like Donggua, she contracted the disease from pollen?"

As everyone was discussing, they noticed that Hua Yan hadn't spoken.

Turning my head, I saw Hua Yan leaning against the chaise longue, her eyes closed, having fallen into a deep sleep without me noticing.

"Your Majesty?" Green Willow called softly, but was startled when her fingertips touched Flower Face's forehead. "Oh dear! Your Majesty's body is burning hot! Ruizhu, quickly go and fetch the imperial physician!"

Hua Yan rarely gets sick, so this illness is particularly worrying.

Consort Chun frowned, her breathing quickening. She raised her hand to stop Ruizhu, who was about to run out, and ordered her to find Physician He.

"Green Willow, go to Yingzhou Hall and report to the Emperor that Consort Meng is unwell."

Green Willow hesitated for a moment, then said "Yes," and quickly headed towards Yingzhou Hall.

Hua Yan was awakened by the commotion. She felt as if her eyelids were weighed down by a thousand pounds. She forced her eyes open and met Consort Chun's worried gaze. "Your Highness, I'm fine... I just feel a little heavy. Perhaps it's because I didn't rest well last night."

"Don't speak yet." Consort Chun gently stroked her forehead, her heart aching. "Knowing you weren't feeling well, you should have rested properly after paying your respects this morning. Why did you force yourself to come back with me? You..."

Aunt Mei and Mengzhu helped Huayan to bed. Consort Chun gestured for Mengzhu to close all the windows, then turned to Aunt Mei and instructed her:

“Aunt, go to the kitchen and prepare a cup of Five-Flavor Drink. I think Shu’er’s symptoms are like a low-grade fever. Back when we were in the manor, the Zhen family physician always had the small kitchen brew this.”

Hua Yan's pale lips curved slightly upward. She had cared for Consort Chun in the same way when she was ill in the past, but now the roles were reversed. The thought had barely formed when she felt a wave of dizziness, and she drowsily closed her eyes again.

This time, Hua Yan slept very restlessly.

She drifted in and out of her chaotic dreams, and in a daze, she dreamed that she had returned to Mengjia Village.

Meng Chengwen, wearing that old indigo long gown, stood at the gate of the courtyard, his face pale, his lips purplish-black, and his turbid eyes staring intently at her; his stepmother, with disheveled hair, stood to the side clutching a handkerchief, constantly uttering sharp curses.

"Unfilial daughter!" Meng Chengwen shouted angrily, "You patricide and incestuous child, how dare you live?"

The sound seemed to come from underground, carrying a chilling echo.

Her stepmother lunged at her to grab her face, but Hua Yan didn't struggle in her dream. She just stared intently at Meng Chengwen, her throat feeling like it was blocked, unable to make a sound.

The ground beneath their feet suddenly turned into a blood-soaked swamp, and a cold wind carrying ashes swept over them. An inconspicuous grave appeared abruptly, and on the crooked wooden plank in front of the grave, the seven characters "Tomb of the Late Mother Zhou Zhen" were swollen from being soaked in rainwater, with dark red traces seeping from the edges of the strokes.

Hua Yan suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest, and her body trembled violently.

Just as her stepmother's fingertips were about to touch her cheek, a figure in white flashed past like lightning, shoving the stepmother away violently. Meng Chengwen screamed in agony, "It's you? Zhou Zhen—"

The woman slowly turned around, staring at him with a cold gaze. With a gentle push of her hand, Meng Chengwen and his companion turned into a wisp of gray smoke in an instant.

"Mother?"

Hua Yan's throat tightened, and she still couldn't make a sound; she wanted to cry, but no tears would come out.

The woman remained as she had in life, her eyebrows like distant mountains, her eyes like autumn waters. She turned back to look at Hua Yan with tender affection, extending a hand to her. Hua Yan reached out her arm, but just as their fingertips were about to touch, the woman before her gradually blurred until she vanished...

"Mother, Mother, look at Shuer again..."

Hua Yan finally burst into tears. She stumbled and searched in her dream, but she could never escape it, and she could never see that pure white figure again...

Inside the sleeping quarters of Xiefang Garden.

Consort Chun, who was by the bedside, saw Hua Yan's brows furrowed and her lips trembling. She quickly grasped Hua Yan's cold hand: "Shu'er? Shu'er, wake up..."

An anxious call pierced through her dream, and Hua Yan suddenly opened her eyes. Cold sweat had soaked through her inner clothes, sticking stickily to her back.

It started raining outside the window at some point. The raindrops tapped on the glazed tiles, and the pattering sound seemed to have a miraculous soothing effect. Hua Yan, who was curled up under the brocade quilt, stretched out a little, and the heavy feeling she had felt earlier dissipated.

"Was it a nightmare?"

A deep voice came from behind. Hua Yan opened her eyes and saw that it was the Emperor himself, holding a bowl of medicine and standing in front of the bed. The hem of his bright yellow robe was still damp with rain.

Consort Chun patted Hua Yan's hand reassuringly and stood up to make room for the Emperor.

Hua Yan struggled to sit up to perform the proper greeting, but a warm hand pressed her down: "You're so sick, yet you still care about rules and formalities?" The Emperor's tone was reproachful, but his eyes were full of pity.

Green Willow, quick-witted and nimble, placed a soft pillow behind Hua Yan. Hua Yan lowered her eyes, her voice hoarse with illness: "Your Majesty and Consort Chun have been worried."

Consort Chun gently wiped the fine sweat from her forehead with a silk handkerchief and scolded her, "You're so polite as soon as you wake up. You were unconscious for more than two hours. I don't know how dangerous it was for you."

"Imperial Physician He is still waiting in the side hall. I will go and call him over." Consort Chun curtsied to the Emperor and led everyone out of the bedchamber.

Green Willow couldn't help but look back, her eyes filled with worry. Seeing this, Aunt Mei gently tugged at her sleeve before leading her away.

The Emperor sat down on the edge of the bed, his slender fingers gently stroking Hua Yan's forehead.

Her usually radiant face was now so pale it was almost transparent, which made his heart clench. "The fever has subsided a bit." He spoke in a very soft voice, picking up the warm medicine bowl from the table. "Drink the medicine first, and then let the imperial physician examine you more carefully later."

Hua Yan nodded gently, and was about to raise her hand when the Emperor stopped her. He picked up a white jade spoon, scooped up the medicine, carefully blew on it to cool it down, and then brought it to her lips.

"Shu'er, did you dream about your mother?"

Once the medicine bowl was empty, the Emperor set the celadon bowl aside and gently enveloped her slender fingers in his broad, warm hand.

"......Um."

Upon hearing the word "mother," Hua Yan could no longer hold back her tears, which she had been holding back for so long. Having lost her mother at the age of six, the image of her mother's voice and smile had gradually become blurred, but even in the depths of her nightmares, that gentle figure still steadfastly protected her.

"With me by your side, Shu'er has nothing to fear."

He was an emperor, and he had never comforted anyone with such gentle words before. After saying this, he clenched his hands somewhat awkwardly.

Hua Yan was stunned for a moment, a warm current spreading from her heart. She seemed to have finally settled down. This time, she did not deliberately keep her distance as usual, but gently rested her head on the Emperor's chest.

The hall fell silent for a moment, the only sound being their breathing. Neither of them spoke, and they nestled together quietly for a while. Suddenly, the Emperor smiled and reached out to gently pat Hua Yan's head.

"...I have something I want to say to Shu'er."

Hua Yan looked up and met a pair of deep eyes, her heart suddenly trembling.

The Emperor coughed lightly. "I summoned Lady Yun here so that she can clear your name."

"Once Shuer is ranked above the Nine Consorts, she will be recorded in the Imperial Genealogy by the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs. The words 'Hua Yan' sound grating to my ears."

You are Meng Shu, the niece of Zhou Bai, the fourth-rank transport commissioner of Jianghuai. In my heart, I have never regarded you as a concubine from a marquis's household.

(Please read my author's note!)