106 Chapter 26: Imperial Dr. Yen, Garnet Palace

Appearing in the evening was the usual beautiful eunuch. Following along at the back of the celestial maiden's smile was Yijun. Recently, she thought the wrinkles on his brows have increased, but perhaps it increased no matter what worries he had.

Consort Gina was sleeping peacefully after a gentle massage. While Yen, Mao, and Ran keeping watching. As Yen looked at Ren who wanted to talk to her, she signaled her hand to meet outside the room.

"You had the tea party with Consort Hui, didn't you?" Ren asked.

"Indeed. It was fun," Yen said. Today's tea party gathering was somehow strange, but it seemed that this guy was involved with it.

"Did you hear that the perpetrator of the poisoning incident the other day was the maid who committed suicide?" Ren asked.

"Did the perpetrator commit suicide?" Yen asked as she knew it was a stupid question.

"The one who decided that wasn't me," Ren replied. She knew something was what Ren thought, he wanted to press for more, but he knows he wouldn't get an answer. "Will you come assist me at the Garnet Palace from tomorrow?"

It can be said that the residences are painted in the styles of their owners.

There was the cozy Consort Gina's Jade Palace. There was the refined nobility of Consort Jie's Crystal Palace. And the Garnet Palace, where Consort Yahui resided in, was practical. It was a simple structure, lacking in excessive decoration. In a way, it brought about another type of refinement.

Its owner, Consort Yahui, was precisely that type of person. Her appearance was stripped bare of needless things. She wasn't gorgeous, voluptuous, nor charming. However, this resulted in giving her a majestic androgynous beauty.

She could be mistaken for a young civil official if she wore official robes. Just how much envy does she get from the palace ladies in this inner palace that only has palace ladies and eunuchs? Ren's charm seems fake in comparison to hers. Yen didn't see what outfit the consort wore at the banquet, but a barbarian's horse-riding gear would be more fitting than the long sleeves and shirt she was wearing today.

Yen looked between Ren and Consort Yahui with a sad expression, before it returned to being emotionless.

The head maid, Fong, a mild-mannered plump beauty, promptly described the interior of the residence. It turns out the reason they were called was that they didn't have enough hands for their end of year spring cleaning. Her left arm had bandages, and she was injured.

The day ended with her only airing out the furniture and books. The manual labor had been left to the eunuchs. As this residence had been lived in the longest in the inner palace, it had more things than the Jade Palace. Yen immersed herself in just cleaning up as the head maid had instructed her. A good wife would be the sort of woman who has fun from working. Fong was that kind of maid or at least to everyone else but Yen

She didn't return to the Jade Palace and slept huddled together with the remaining two maidservants in the Garnet Palace's ample room. She reluctantly thought about Princess Wuying and hoped she wasn't going to cause the maid trouble while she was gone.

The maids of the Jade Palace were hard workers, but she had to admit that the maids of the Garnet Palace were capable as well. Everyone adored Consort Yahui, and that showed through the care they took to perform their jobs.

Consort Jie just wasn't lucky with her maids. It can be said that the reason why she was surrounded by lots of useless maids was that each of their workloads is little. And despite this, they were good-for-nothings as they were only good at talking. Well, being one who can be single-handedly responsible for all these maids, you can say that she has the talent of the one who stands on top though.

However, their strong loyalty was also related to their reasons for the poisoning as well.

If Consort Yahui were made to step down, a high official's daughter would take the Consort's place, but what would happen if the other high-ranking consort seats become vacated?

Leaving Consort Gina and Consort Jie aside, it was also likely that the emperor doesn't go to Consort Hui's place, due to him wanting to avoid his father's tastes.

Yen's mind churned as she tidied the kitchen shelves. She saw that there were many small jars were lined up on the shelf. A sweet scent reached her nose.

"What do I do with this?" Yen asked.

"Ahh, those. Please return them to their original spots after you wipe the shelf."

She asked the maid who was cleaning with her in the kitchen. The maidservants who came together with her to assist yesterday were each cleaning in the bathroom and living room respectively. All of it was honey, since, Fong's family were beekeepers.

She carefully wiped down the handrail pillars one by one, even though she was somewhat upset inside.

The outside could be seen clearly from the second floor. She saw a person, who was intending to hide, visiting the Garnet Palace. I was Consort Hui, and the food tester maid was the only one she brought with her

Borrowing the parlor of the Jade Palace, Yen carried out her report on the Garnet Palace to Ren.

"And so, about everything I had said up to now, I did not understand at all," she told him — the results of her entering the Garnet Palace for three days.

Ren was elegantly sprawled on the couch, enjoying exotic tea that had a sweet aroma. He squeezed in lemon and mixed in honey.

"Is that so, so that's how it is," he said.

"Indeed. It is like that," she said

He picked up the small bottle and came towards Yen. "You need to reward good children, right."

"I decline," she said.

"It's okay not to decline."

"I'm good, so please give it to someone else." She always shot death glares towards him telling him to cut it out, but he made no sign of stopping. He slowly shortened the distance. Because she kept retreating inch by inch, her back soon hit the wall.

She sought help from Yijun, but the taciturn attendant was sitting by the window, gazing at the birds flying in the sky. As he was unusually settled, it was rather annoying.

"Do you like sweet things?" he asked.

"I prefer savory."

"But you do eat it, right?" No intention of stopping, his finger neared Yen's mouth. He looked at Yen's glaring eyes with a look of fascination.

"What are you doing to my maid" A livid Consort Gina stood there with Hong behind her, at her wit's end.