Chapter 95: I Won’t Spoil You

Lan Wu had carefully examined the faces of all those palace maids one by one. She didn’t spot the one she was looking for, but she did bring one back with her.

Having spent the entire afternoon looking at people, Lan Wu was exhausted. As soon as she returned to Yilan Hall, she collapsed onto the soft couch.

But after closing her eyes for only a moment, she remembered Dan Shan’s words and opened them again.

“By order to come”—that phrase sounded so familiar.

She opened her eyes and looked at Mujin beside her. What more was there to misunderstand?

Chu Mingheng was indeed determined to assign someone to her.

“Where do you feel discomfort, Your Highness? This servant can massage it for you.” Mujin, under her gaze, felt inexplicably guilty. As the saying goes, one servant cannot serve two masters. Her master was Her Highness, but if Your Majesty asked her anything, she had to answer. Although Her Highness hadn’t said anything, she still felt somewhat sorry for her.

Lan Wu nodded and pointed to the small of her back. “Then massage here for me.”

As soon as Mujin set her hands down, she heard the announcement from outside.

Lan Wu also sat up, watching the person entering from outside the hall. She motioned for Mujin to leave first.

Chu Mingheng stepped forward and took the spot beside Lan Wu, pulling her into his arms and gently massaging her waist with his palm.

He wasn’t particularly skilled at this task, and before long, his hands strayed, tickling Lan Wu until she giggled and pushed him away.

Only then did Lan Wu look at him properly.

Chu Mingheng smiled and asked, “Didn’t find the person?”

A muffled “Mm.”

“Then why did you bring one back?”

Lan Wu nudged him. “Weren’t you the one who used me as a cover to look for that palace maid? Making such a big fuss and then returning empty-handed—what would others say about me?”

“Who would dare say anything about you? I’ll have their mouths slapped,” Chu Mingheng said seriously.

Lan Wu quickly frowned at him. “You mustn’t—”

After a moment, Chu Mingheng nodded. “Alright, I won’t.”

Only then did Lan Wu relax. But then she remembered she hadn’t told Chu Mingheng about meeting that Aunt Dan Shan before.

“Why didn’t you tell me yesterday that you were giving me Empress Dowager Jingwen’s palace maid? I only saw her at the very end. She said she came by order, so I brought her back.”

“You didn’t tell me. Why didn’t you tell me?”

If Dan Shan hadn’t said she came by order herself, she definitely wouldn’t have brought her back to Yilan Hall.

Seeing Lan Wu’s annoyance, Chu Mingheng smiled, wrapped his arms around her, and said, “Dan Shan was Empress Dowager’s personal palace maid. She took care of me when I was young. After Empress Dowager passed away, she didn’t leave the palace but chose to stay voluntarily.”

“Empress Dowager loved growing flowers and vegetables in her lifetime, but there were many rules in the palace. Growing flowers was fine, but growing vegetables wasn’t really allowed. Later, Kongshan Garden was given to Empress Dowager, and she had Dan Shan help her clear a vegetable patch there, saying she’d plant there in her spare time.”

But before the vegetable patch was ready, she was gone.

Lan Wu felt a pang of sadness—for Chu Mingheng and for Empress Dowager Jingwen.

She didn’t speak, waiting until Chu Mingheng finished before softly saying, “I saw her last time I went to Kongshan Garden.”

Chu Mingheng hummed in acknowledgment. “I know.”

“Dan Shan was Empress Dowager’s person. She doesn’t take orders from me. She came to your side voluntarily, not because I arranged it.”

“Why?”

Since Dan Shan had already lived peacefully in the palace for so long, why would she willingly wade into these troubled waters? Although Chu Mingheng’s harem wasn’t as bustling as the Late Emperor’s, just looking at Consort Rou showed that the imperial concubines’ methods of competing for favor were by no means few.

Lan Wu thought that someone like Dan Shan, who had served by Empress Dowager Jingwen’s side and witnessed all kinds of schemes, would have found peace and should be unwilling to serve anyone again.

Chu Mingheng cupped Lan Wu’s face and whispered to her, “Naturally, it’s because A’wu is too endearing. Anyone who sees her would cherish her.”

Lan Wu naturally wouldn’t be fooled by his sweet talk. She immediately turned her face away and chided softly, “Nonsense.”

“Dan Shan has been in the palace for a long time and knows the palace rules well. If you don’t like her, I’ll have her return to Kongshan Garden.”

Chu Mingheng knew she disliked being watched over. Lan Wu was just young—at first, she restrained her temperament, but now… she was becoming more and more adept at being a favored consort.

“Don’t… why would you send her back?” Lan Wu grabbed Chu Mingheng’s hand, pulling it away from her face. She lowered her head and clasped his hand in hers, playing around yet considering seriously, “Let her stay. I’ve already brought her back to Yilan Hall. Besides, she served Empress Dowager Jingwen and also looked after Your Majesty. In the future, if I anger Your Majesty, she might even speak kindly on my behalf.”

Chu Mingheng narrowed his eyes, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips. “If you truly anger me, no one will be of any use.”

“Don’t think anyone can save you.”

He spoke with particular seriousness, as if he had already decided how to deal with Lan Wu.

“I won’t indulge you!” Lan Wu broke free from him, stood before him, and glared at him indignantly. Then, she stomped on his foot and turned to run outside.

“Summon the meal!”

Chu Mingheng walked leisurely out from behind, smiling as he watched Lan Wu—who was indulging whom, after all?

Since she hadn’t managed to identify the old palace maid who had caused her death in her previous life from among the palace staff, Lan Wu had no choice but to temporarily give up.

Having an older aunt in the palace seemed no different from usual, but Dan Shan quickly familiarized herself with the situation in Yilan Hall. Without Lan Wu even realizing it, she had earned the deep admiration of all the palace maids.

Lan Wu herself didn’t notice any difference, but her days in Yilan Hall had indeed become more comfortable.

She had thought Dan Shan, being strict and meticulous, would disapprove of her ways as a favored consort. Yet, for half a month, Dan Shan hadn’t mentioned anything.

It was already October, and the weather was gradually turning cooler. The Imperial Wardrobe Bureau had taken measurements for all the palace mistresses some time ago, and the autumn garments were being delivered to each palace one by one.

But as Lan Wu flipped through them, she felt something was amiss.

“Your Ladyship previously took a liking to a bolt of peacock-green Xiangyun gauze and agreed to have it made into a trailing skirt, perfect for wearing in autumn. Yet, it seems this fabric isn’t among these garments.” Dan Shan spoke on Lan Wu’s behalf, her stern face directed at the several palace maids from the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau, her gaze particularly sharp.

The Imperial Wardrobe Bureau immediately felt their vision darken and hurriedly knelt before Lan Wu. Whether they had forgotten or it had never been recorded, they first admitted their mistake: “It was our oversight. Perhaps the lower-ranking servants mixed up the garments while organizing them. We will immediately send someone to search each palace and ensure Your Ladyship’s garment is found.”

Dan Shan looked at Lan Wu, waiting for her to speak.

Lan Wu nodded.

“Go quickly.”

“Yes, yes, thank you for your mercy, Your Highness.”

The green dress Lan Wu had only worn once before had been stained with blood and was also linked to Rong’s false pregnancy and miscarriage, so it was later disposed of. This time, seeing that the Xiangyun gauze fabric and its color were both excellent, she had another dress made from it.

But now, it seemed to have been mixed up again.

Could it be that she simply wasn’t meant to wear green dresses?