Novel Full Chapter 425: This Younger Sister Fears That Being New Here, She Might Do Something Wrong
“Serve… His Majesty?”
Sili’s fingers gently pinched the hem of her garment, her expression showing three parts anticipation, four parts nervousness, and three parts joy.
At this moment, Sili looked exactly like a woman who was about to successfully rise in status but didn’t dare show it.
Seeing Sili’s appearance, Empress Dowager Yan was very satisfied.
Empress Dowager Yan wasn’t afraid of Sili having ambitions, she was afraid of Sili lacking the desire to advance.
“That’s right, I’m having you go serve His Majesty.”
Empress Dowager Yan nodded, placing her palm on Sili’s shoulder.
“You also know that not just anyone has the qualification to serve His Majesty. Many palace maids enter the palace for ten years without necessarily catching even a glimpse of His Majesty. Perhaps one day, you might even receive His Majesty’s favor and become some sort of consort. It’s not an impossibility.”
“This servant wouldn’t dare have such thoughts.”
As soon as Empress Dowager Yan’s words fell, Sili immediately knelt on the ground, her expression extremely fearful.
“What are you afraid of? Having such thoughts is perfectly normal, isn’t it?” Empress Dowager Yan’s lips curved upward. “However, if this palace is having you go serve His Majesty, I must also set some rules for you, lest you make mistakes later.”
“This servant will heed the Empress Dowager,” Sili quickly said.
“First, after you go to the Heart Nurturing Hall to serve His Majesty, whatever His Majesty says, whatever he does, and whichever noble lady’s bedchamber he visits in the future, you must tell this palace everything. Do you understand clearly?”
Sili’s eyes shifted twice before she quickly agreed, “Yes, Empress Dowager. This servant understands clearly.”
“As for the second matter.”
Empress Dowager Yan glanced at Sili, examining her figure.
“Your appearance is good, your figure is acceptable. Although His Majesty is currently pure-hearted and cultivating the Dao, no matter what, His Majesty is still a hot-blooded young man. If some seductive vixen were to cling to him and seduce him, one cannot say what might happen.”
As she spoke, Empress Dowager Yan’s tone gradually grew cold, and a glint of killing intent flashed through her expression.
“Before the princess consort becomes pregnant, if some seductive vixen gains favor first, then having that vixen’s tendons pulled and skin flayed would not be excessive. Don’t you agree?”
“This servant wouldn’t dare!” Sili lowered her head even further. “This servant is merely a lowly commoner. Being able to enter the palace, and even being able to serve His Majesty, these are all blessings given by the Empress Dowager. This servant lives as the Empress Dowager’s person and dies as the Empress Dowager’s ghost. Only what the Empress Dowager gives would this servant dare to take. If it’s not given by the Empress Dowager, how would this servant dare to covet it?”
“Indeed, Shuang’er was right. You, this girl, are truly very clever.” Hearing Sili’s answer, Empress Dowager Yan grew even more satisfied. “Rise. In the future, don’t forget the words you spoke today.”
“Yes.” Sili wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and slowly stood up from the ground.
Empress Dowager Yan looked at a palace maid beside her, “Xuanzhi, take Sili to His Majesty’s bedchamber.”
“Yes, Empress Dowager.” Xuanzhi curtsied.
Empress Dowager Yan smiled slightly and tucked Sili’s hair behind her ear, “When you see His Majesty, tell him that I specifically sent you to serve him. Do you remember?”
“In reply to the Empress Dowager, this servant remembers,” Sili said apprehensively.
“Go then.” Empress Dowager Yan waved her hand.
“This servant takes her leave.” Sili curtsied and followed Xuanzhi out of Lingxin Palace.
“Empress Dowager, hasn’t Prime Minister Yan already planted many eyes and ears around His Majesty? Why would you still…”
After everyone left, Female Official Huang stepped forward and said softly.
“Those are all my younger brother’s eyes and ears, not solely mine. Those people also only listen to my younger brother’s commands.”
Empress Dowager Yan shook her head and sighed softly.
“It’s not that I don’t trust this younger brother of mine, but right now, the Qin Kingdom is interfering with our Great Zhou, and the relationship between Ten Thousand Swords Sect and Shan’ao isn’t very good either. At this time, the Zhou Kingdom’s situation is far too complex. My younger brother places too much importance on power and influence. I truly fear that one day he’ll be blinded by power and commit some irreversible mistake. Having someone to keep watch gives me some peace of mind.”
A little over half an hour later, palace maid Xuanzhi brought Sili to the Heart Nurturing Hall.
“This is His Majesty’s bedchamber. His Majesty should still be cultivating at the Dao Inquiry Platform right now. You just wait for His Majesty to return,” Xuanzhi told her.
“Thank you for leading the way, Sister Xuanzhi,” Sili said politely.
Xuanzhi looked at Sili with both envy and jealousy, “Don’t think that just because you’re serving His Majesty, you can put on airs. Remember, you will always be the Empress Dowager’s person. Understand?”
“Understood, Sister Xuanzhi.” Sili kept her head lowered, as if she had no temper at all.
“Do well. Don’t disappoint the Empress Dowager.”
After Xuanzhi said this last sentence, she turned and left.
Watching Xuanzhi’s departing figure and thinking back to those words the Great Zhou’s Empress Dowager had said to her, Sili couldn’t help but smile.
This mortal dynasty’s imperial palace was truly quite interesting.
Everyone seemed to have a hundred schemes in their minds.
Although Sili naturally didn’t take the Zhou Kingdom’s Empress Dowager and the others seriously.
What surprised Sili was that after one door closed, another opened, and she now had an opportunity to get close to the Zhou Kingdom’s ruler.
In the Heart Nurturing Hall’s courtyard, Sili paced back and forth, waiting for the Zhou Kingdom’s ruler to return.
Several hours passed, the sky gradually darkened, but the Zhou Kingdom’s ruler didn’t return. Instead, several palace maids came to the bedchamber, chatting and laughing.
Seeing Sili, this new face, they were very curious and also very enthusiastic.
The several palace maids quickly began chatting with Sili in front of the Heart Nurturing Hall.
After learning that this palace maid called “Sili” was someone sent by the Empress Dowager, their enthusiasm toward Sili was joined by a few parts respect.
Learning she was His Majesty’s personal maid, they added a few parts envy. However, Sili was still quite surprised.
According to reason, accompanying the emperor was like accompanying a tiger. Even though the Zhou Kingdom’s ruler was a puppet emperor, he was still an emperor after all. Shouldn’t the palace maids of the Heart Nurturing Hall be the most oppressed, with the most tense atmosphere?
So why did these palace maids seem so relaxed?
“Could the elder sisters tell this younger sister about His Majesty?” Sili said gently. “This younger sister fears that being new here, she might do something wrong.”
“Sister Sili, just relax,” the palace maid named Liu Mi said with a smile. “In our Heart Nurturing Hall, as long as you don’t do something terribly wrong, His Majesty won’t punish you.”
“That’s right. His Majesty is so kind, and he often gives us pastries to eat,” another palace maid named Yang’er said.
“Exactly, exactly. His Majesty never beats or scolds us servants, and he’s so handsome too,” the palace maid named Yan’er also nodded in agreement. However, soon Yan’er lowered her head, a trace of dejection flashing through her eyes. “It’s just a pity…”
The woman named Mimi quickly tugged at Yan’er to prevent her from saying too much.
Even though this Sili was the Empress Dowager’s person, could the matter of spying on His Majesty for Prime Minister Yan be put out in the open?
“In any case, Sister Sili, just take good care of His Majesty. We’re all quite envious of you,” Mimi took over the conversation.
“Yes, yes. There’s a saying, how does it go? His Majesty is like a piece of jade, very gentle and refined.”
Listening to their comments, Sili nodded with a smile.
Just as they were getting more and more animated in their conversation, a shrill voice echoed into the Heart Nurturing Hall, “His Majesty arrives!”
“His Majesty has returned. Quickly go stand in position.”
Everyone immediately quieted down. Palace maid Yang’er pulled Sili to stand in two rows at the entrance of the Heart Nurturing Hall.
Before long, a man wearing Daoist robes walked through the main gate.
All the women called out in unison, “We respectfully welcome His Majesty’s return to the palace.”
“Mm.”
Xiao Mo nodded and walked straight ahead.
The man’s indifferent voice echoed in Sili’s ears. A strange yet familiar feeling spread through Sili’s heart.
Sili suddenly raised her head and looked toward the man’s profile.