Chapter 332
**Chapter 330: Apathy Towards Fame and Fortune**
Stepping on the thick layer of snow, Shen Wei and Zhang Miaoyu entered the Yuxiu Palace. The courtyard was blanketed in white, with a few gnarled, leafless trees leaning awkwardly in the snow.
Since the fire at Yuxiu Palace, the flowers and trees transplanted into the courtyard had ceased to grow. In the winter, it was bare and desolate, lacking any scenic beauty, exuding an air of coldness both inside and out.
Zhang Miaoyu stood at the entrance of the courtyard, asking a palace servant, “Where is Mei Fei? The Guifei has arrived, and she’s forgotten even the basic courtesies.”
The servant replied in a hushed voice, “I’ve already informed the master, but… but she’s in the study painting.”
Zhang Miaoyu was at a loss for words.
In the harem, there were strict hierarchies; the Empress was a mere figurehead, and Shen Wei was the nominal head of the harem, requiring all other concubines to pay their respects. Yet, Liu Ruyan stood apart, refusing to bow to Shen Wei, not even bothering to step out of her quarters.
There was no sense of decorum.
But there was also no way to completely rein in Liu Ruyan.
Punishing her with a reduction in salary meant nothing to Liu Ruyan, who cared little for gold and silver trinkets; demoting her to a lower rank held no weight, as she was indifferent to fame and status; reprimanding her family for poor upbringing fell on deaf ears, as Liu Ruyan had little attachment to her family’s reputation.
Even if she were granted a death sentence, Liu Ruyan would dare to drink the poison without a second thought, facing death with calm resolve.
It seemed she had no weaknesses.
Zhang Miaoyu wanted to pinch herself: “This is really difficult.”
At that moment, Li Nanzhi walked out from the side hall, her brow furrowed with worry. She clearly hadn’t slept well the previous night, looking listless. “Greetings, Your Highness Shen, Your Highness Yu.”
Shen Wei said, “Take me to see Xue Mei.”
Li Nanzhi nodded gloomily.
Li Nanzhi had deep feelings for Xue Mei, having specially brought her to her own quarters to recuperate. The room was warm with a charcoal stove, and the small window allowed for ventilation, the strong scent of medicine permeating every corner.
On the bed, Xue Mei remained unconscious, her face ashen and lifeless.
Xue Mei was a senior maid beside Liu Ruyan, efficient in her duties, hardworking, and fiercely loyal. During the sudden fire at Yuxiu Palace, it was Xue Mei who bravely rushed into the flames to rescue the innocent Li Nanzhi.
Even when Liu Ruyan fell victim to the witchcraft incident, Xue Mei did not betray her.
She was a rare gem, but unfortunately, she had chosen the wrong master.
“What did Doctor Mo say?” Zhang Miaoyu glanced at the pitiful Xue Mei, frowning in sympathy.
Li Nanzhi wiped her tears, her voice choked: “Doctor Mo said that Xue Mei’s legs are severely frostbitten and she won’t be able to walk again; she’ll have to use a cane from now on.”
Doctor Mo was highly skilled, having saved Xue Mei from the brink of death.
But Xue Mei’s frostbite was severe, affecting her bones and meridians, rendering her legs completely useless.
Zhang Miaoyu sighed, “What a tragedy.”
After a moment’s thought, she said to Shen Wei, “Sister Shen, this room doesn’t even have a warm chamber, which isn’t good for her recovery. Why don’t we let Xue Mei and Nanzhi stay in my palace? After all, my side hall is empty.”
Shen Wei nodded in agreement, “With Sister Miaoyu looking after her, that would be wonderful.”
Zhang Miaoyu wasted no time, summoning palace servants to start moving things. After a flurry of activity, Yuxiu Palace was half empty.
Until Shen Wei left, Liu Ruyan still hadn’t shown her face, as if she were buried in her study.
Zhang Miaoyu, feeling indignant, pulled Shen Wei aside and said, “Sister Shen, you’re too easygoing. Mei Fei is deliberately avoiding you, trying to put you in a difficult position.”
Shen Wei smiled without replying.
...
In the study, Liu Ruyan, dressed in a cool white robe, was still painting. On a large piece of Xuan paper, plum blossoms bloomed in abundance. The Xuan paper Liu Ruyan used was the finest quality from Hanzhou, flawless and luxurious.
Liu Ruyan was engrossed in her painting. She knew Shen Wei had arrived, but out of a secret jealousy, she didn’t want to see Shen Wei’s vibrant face.
At that moment, sounds of rustling came from the courtyard.
Liu Ruyan set down her brush, her cold eyes gazing toward the courtyard. The biting wind swept through, causing the dead branches to sway and break, while several palace servants were clearing the snow, breaking and sweeping away the dead branches.
Frowning slightly in displeasure, she walked to the front of the courtyard: “How dare you! Did I permit you to touch the courtyard?”
The pristine snow and the dark, withered branches had their own unique charm, which Liu Ruyan cherished, wanting the servants to leave them be.
When spring arrived, she would have the flower house send people to plant a new batch of plum trees.
But now, these servants were ignoring her wishes and had begun to disturb the snow and branches.
The leading servant wiped the sweat from his forehead, his expression calm: “Replying to Mei Fei, the Guifei has instructed us to ensure that the dead branches and weeds in the courtyard are cleared. The Guifei also said that for the next three years, the flower house is prohibited from sending plum trees to Yuxiu Palace.”
“With the war in Liangzhou reigniting, the palace needs to save some silver. The amount of Hanzhou plum paper, plum charcoal, ink, and inkstones you use each year exceeds the limit. From now on, only ten sheets of ordinary paper and two boxes of charcoal will be sent each month, and your writing supplies will be changed to the same style as those of other concubines.”
“Additionally, the fabrics, silks, and food sent to Yuxiu Palace will all be according to standard regulations.”
Liu Ruyan was taken aback.
Liu Ruyan loved painting and poetry, using a great deal of Xuan paper and ink each month. She was also very particular, only wanting the unique Hanzhou plum paper and the finest plum charcoal.
Shen Wei’s actions undoubtedly stifled Liu Ruyan’s only passion.
“She’s deliberately targeting me, going too far!” Liu Ruyan leaned against the doorframe, her tone unusually angry.
The eunuch lowered his head, blandly saying, “The Guifei wants me to tell you: when you see the Guifei in the future, you must pay your respects.”
The eunuch said no more, continuing to clear the snow and dead branches in Yuxiu Palace. Everyone had their own scale of judgment, and the servants could see Liu Ruyan’s indifference.
Xue Mei had been loyal to Liu Ruyan for many years, yet she ended up with her legs ruined, leaving the other palace servants sighing and secretly dissatisfied with Liu Ruyan.
Before long, a palace maid sent by Shen Wei entered Yuxiu Palace, taking away all the precious Xuan paper and plum charcoal from Liu Ruyan’s study.
Liu Ruyan had never witnessed such a scene; her usually calm heart was stirred with waves of anger. She wanted to shout, to stop these servants.
But the words wouldn’t come out.
She prided herself on being indifferent to fame and fortune; if she acted like a shrew and obstructed the servants, wouldn’t that ruin her grace and demeanor?
Feeling frustrated, Liu Ruyan returned to her study to stew in her anger. The Xuan paper and inkstones she loved were taken away, and the Neiwufu sent her ordinary writing supplies.
Liu Ruyan’s fingers brushed over the coarse paper, her willow-shaped brows knitting together. Such inferior paper, to paint plum blossoms on it, was simply a desecration of the flowers.
She had no choice but to temporarily give up painting.
At noon, the imperial kitchen sent over four dishes and a soup. The combination of meat and vegetables was quite palatable. Liu Ruyan raised an eyebrow and asked the eunuch delivering the food, “Why isn’t there any plum soup?”
The eunuch replied, “Replying to Mei Fei, if you need a special dish, you must report to the imperial kitchen in advance and pay the required silver.”
The dishes for concubines were regulated.
If one wanted to add a particular dish, they had to notify the imperial kitchen in advance and pay silver. Previously, Xue Mei had handled all the meal arrangements for Liu Ruyan, knowing her tastes well, managing everything behind the scenes so Liu Ruyan could simply enjoy her meals.
Now that Xue Mei was ill, there was no one to take care of these trivial matters in Liu Ruyan’s daily life.
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