Palace Intrigue?: I Make the Emperor Cry by Rewinding Time!-Chapter 149 - 127

After the matter was settled, Yun Jiao divided a small bottle of the camellia oil she had previously extracted and instructed Xue Ya to send it to Yanxi Palace.

Before Xue Ya had left Xianfu Palace, she was called by Concubine Li, who was sunbathing in the courtyard: "Aren’t you the chief palace maid of Concubine Xi? Where are you going?"

"Greetings to Concubine Li," said Xue Ya after being addressed, "It was Consort Ji who helped out Concubine Xi earlier, so my lady instructed me to bring her some camellia oil."

"Is it something your mistress tinkered with?"

After receiving confirmation, Concubine Li asked Xue Ya not to hurry away and had a palace maid bring some gifts: "Take these along with you, saying they are for the Lady of Yanxi Palace, and secretly give the oil to Consort Ji. The Lady is the chief residence of Yanxi Palace, so gifts cannot bypass her."

Xue Ya understood and said gratefully, "Thank you, Concubine Li, for the advice."

Concubine Li also chose fabric materials that would not go wrong.

Upon arriving at Yanxi Palace, the Lady instructed a palace maid to prepare a return gift and did not hinder Xue Ya from going to the east wing to find Consort Ji.

Consort Ji was very intrigued by the small bottle of oil.

"Did your lady make this by hand?"

After Xue Ya explained the complicated extraction process of the oil and mentioned that Concubine Xi, after much effort, had only managed to produce three bottles, one of which had been sent to her, Consort Ji indeed showed a look of joy: "She actually has time to tinker with these! How is the oil used?"

"My lady said that this is a concentrated camellia oil; adding a drop to water can release its fragrance."

The methods of inhalation or body application were all written down by Yun Jiao.

Fearing that writing alone was not clear enough, she even included a cartoon version of herself as a demonstration. On the paper, a tiny Concubine Xi poured oil into her rice-dumpling-like hands, rubbing it warmly on Consort Ji, causing her to blush: "Concubine Xi’s drawings are so improper!"

"My lady said that massaging with camellia oil can moisturize and hydrate, allowing the skin to absorb the essence of camellia."

"I understand! Please thank Concubine Xi for me."

Consort Ji still felt a bit embarrassed.

Come to think of it, she hadn’t done anything, and yet Concubine Xi sent her a thank-you gift?

Though she thought so, her heart was sweet.

...

In Yikun Palace.

Servant Consort Zhen, assigned to the west side room, was having burn medicine applied to her hands by a palace maid. The palace maid, Ah Zhu, was an old acquaintance of hers in the palace, and the two were like sisters. Seeing her friend’s once fair and beautiful jade-like hands turn white and peel, Ah Zhu couldn’t help but shed tears: "Miss Dong Hua is really too much! She ought to be cutting grass for hard labor, such a ruthless person!"

Ah Zhu cursed fiercely.

Both knew the truly deserving one was someone else, but that person was untouchable in the harem, so they could only speak indirectly: "Only, since the mistress exposed this today, she’ll probably be resented by the Lady in the future."

"As if she wouldn’t hate me if I didn’t expose it."

Servant Consort Zhen sneered mockingly.

Ah Zhu understood too, there were some people in the palace born noble yet unbearably malicious, delighting in others’ suffering, while they, the palace maids who served, were insignificant, almost no better than the ants climbing on city bricks, yet some still wanted to pour a pot of boiling water on them: "I’ll try to be gentle, please bear with it, the medicine needs to be applied fully to avoid leaving scars."

The place that was burnt throbbed with stinging pain, and Servant Consort Zhen closed her eyes.

It seemed she had managed to pull through.

She wasn’t one to compete or scheme. She suffered under the discipline of the matron as a palace maid and never thought of taking revenge. Her brazen action in Jianzhang Palace today was truly out of character, no wonder Ah Zhu was suspicious.

During that night in Weiyang Palace, the Emperor had told her clearly:

"The Empress promoted you to the imperial court merely to divert my attention from Concubine Xi. I will let her know she succeeded."

"But this will undoubtedly make many resent you, see you as a thorn in their eyes, a nail in their flesh."

What the Emperor promised her were riches beyond her previous imagination.

And, sending Ah Zhu to her side.

-- In an environment with strict separation between the sexes, Servant Consort Zhen had never questioned her disinterest in men, believing it was improper upbringing to be interested in men, lacking shame. Anyway, her parents would arrange a marriage when the time came, she could speak of love, engage in intimacy and have children only after marrying. Until entering the palace and meeting Ah Zhu, becoming good friends, did Servant Consort Zhen startlingly realize the future happiness she had imagined would never come.