CHAPTER 560: CHAPTER 542: RETURNING A FAVOR

Whether it be the concubines or the dowagers, none were particularly satisfied with this arrangement. Except for the dowagers who willingly chose to live with their children, the others gathered in the West Palace and caused an uproar. Xie Xun ignored both the affairs of the court and the harem. In the palace, people acted based on whom they were dealing with, yet even while residing there, these women couldn’t expect to live well. Besides, it was evident that Xie Xun harbored disdain for the Yuwen Family and would certainly not support this group out of benevolence.

Despite their commotion, Fengyu did not get angry. Especially notable were three young dowagers from Emperor Jianming’s court. Since entering the palace, they hadn’t served the Emperor and had been confined there since their arrival. Their families were unwilling to take them back, making their situation rather pitiable. Born into pampered lives, it was understandably difficult for them to accept the proposition of working as palace maids at the summer residence.

"Would you consider leaving the palace and becoming independent? Or joining the Su Family’s Trading House? If you’re skilled in embroidery, jewelry-making, tea production, or other crafts, you could make a living. Freedom would also come as part of the bargain," Fengyu patiently proposed to the young dowagers, sympathizing with their plight after being trapped in the palace for so many years. If they desired freedom, she was willing to offer them this opportunity.

"But as fragile women, can we truly survive independently? What if we face bullying? Widows face many challenges—this won’t work for me...I can’t..." One of the dowagers, accustomed to palace life, hesitated and expressed her fear about venturing into a life of self-reliance.

The dowagers, having lived together in the palace for years, shared a bond that was relatively strong. Fengyu thought that if they were to leave the palace and live independently, supporting one another, they could establish themselves regardless of what they chose to pursue. Even opening a cosmetics shop could be lucrative. The youngest dowager was only twenty-one; why waste away their youth in the palace when they might still carve out a new path for themselves?

"I am also a woman of modest means, yet I manage to live independently. If I can do it, so can you," Fengyu encouraged them. "You should at least try. If it doesn’t work out or feels too difficult, you can always return to the summer residence and work as palace maids. Over there, you can sweep, groom horses, plant flowers, or cook. As long as you’re healthy and able-bodied, there’s no reason you couldn’t make a living."

The dowagers looked at one another in confusion. This Third Miss had never lived in the palace before and didn’t understand how much trouble young, powerless, and attractive women could face in such an environment. Palace life wasn’t simple, and even being a maid wouldn’t guarantee ease. Those cruel eunuchs, unanchored by familial roots, could exert more ruthless tyranny than ordinary men. Still, being an unmarried woman, Fengyu couldn’t completely grasp their hardships.

Fengyu noticed their hesitant expressions and sensed there might be unspeakable matters among them. However, it was beyond her ability to resolve them. The palace’s dynamics inevitably involved eunuchs and palace maids; wherever there were trees, there would be shadows. She wasn’t omnipotent and could only offer what she deemed the best solution at the moment.

"Alright, then we’ll leave the palace. Third Miss, can we bring our accumulated silver and jewelry with us from all these years?" asked Imperial Concubine Miao. At thirty-two, she was considered senior among the dowagers. Having entered the palace alongside Consort Xie, Imperial Concubine Miao had lived calmly despite not receiving Emperor Jianming’s favor. Her residence was situated next to Consort Xie’s, who often visited in earlier years. Though life had been modest in the palace, it wasn’t particularly distressing, and she managed peacefully alongside the other dowagers.

Thanks to Lin Yushu’s gentle management, she never made life difficult for the dowagers. Lin Yushu oversaw the harem with diligence, ensuring fairness. Though the dowagers occasionally suffered small grievances during their time in the palace, their basic needs were met. Loneliness was the only consistent discomfort. Now, Xie Xun had no intention of wasting money on a harem full of dowagers, especially since they weren’t the consorts of his father, the late Emperor. A few dowagers with candid personalities were already willing to take the leap into independence, favoring freedom over life in the secluded summer residence, where distant authority meant vulnerability to tyrannical eunuchs.

Fengyu agreed that they could leave the palace with their savings and jewelry. While the amounts might not be substantial, they would suffice to purchase a decent residence.

Since Fengyu was in charge of this matter, she committed to handling it thoroughly. She decided to sell them the house originally bought for Jiang Yang at a discounted price. It was a spacious three-courtyard estate, adequate for their needs. She invited Lady Thirteen and the shopkeeper from Linlang Pavilion to discuss plans with them, assessing their skills and exploring possibilities. Being noblewomen from prestigious families, their embroidery skills were excellent; coupled with their refined palace-honed aesthetics, they could create embroidered items or open a shop, both viable paths for supporting themselves.

After arranging their household registrations, Fengyu had officials from the yamen document the changes. From that moment onward, the dowagers became independent homeowners. Living together as a group, they wouldn’t feel lonely despite stepping into an unfamiliar world.

Initially, a few timid dowagers were reluctant to leave the palace. Later, however, they became enchanted by the vibrancy and liveliness of the outside world, which was far superior to staring at the square confines of palace walls.

Imperial Concubine Miao was deeply grateful to Fengyu. As dowagers of the previous dynasty, they had anticipated no better fate and never expected to experience freedom in their lifetimes. Driven by her gratitude, Imperial Concubine Miao shared a secret about the royal court with Fengyu.

"In the West Palace where we dowagers reside, there is a small Buddhist shrine on its eastern side. It was originally used by the late Empress for worship, but the Empress Dowager deemed it inauspicious, leaving it abandoned and neglected. The shrine is separated from the West Palace by three halls. We usually refrain from venturing too far out of fear of running into the noble consorts, lingering instead in the nearby imperial garden. One night, unable to sleep, I went for a stroll and caught sight of Jinyi Guards entering and exiting the shrine. We found it peculiar but dared not investigate. You know how terrifying Yuwen Jing’s temper can be; we were all afraid of encountering trouble, so we deliberately kept our distance. The Jinyi Guards frequented the shrine for about half a year. Though they didn’t guard it at night, a younger dowager, Xiao Yu, driven by curiosity, once secretly spied on them. She discovered a woman imprisoned inside, subjected to torture. Occasionally, we’d even hear cries and screams emanating from the shrine during the night. Naturally, we were even more frightened to approach."

"Who did they imprison? Was it a disgraced concubine?" Fengyu furrowed her brows, puzzled. If it were someone guilty, why would Yuwen Jing go to such lengths to keep her alive instead of executing her?

"That’s the strangest part. No concubines have gone missing—those punished to death were accounted for. The dowagers’ numbers are correct, too. As for palace maids, it doesn’t seem likely this much trouble would be expended on one. The woman was held for around eight months, yet still hasn’t been executed. I suspect she must be someone significantly important to Yuwen Jing. I personally never intended to meddle, but since you, Third Miss, are compassionate and have provided us with a way out, I feel obligated to tell you everything I know. If this information proves useful to you, all the better."

Past dynasty and present court, enmities intertwined, and Yuwen Jing’s enemy was likely a friend to Third Miss.

"Thank you, Mrs. Miao," Fengyu expressed with heartfelt gratitude. She had helped the dowagers out of pity for their decades-long confinement, never expecting anything in return. "I will look into this matter."

Following Yuwen Jing’s detainment, the small Buddhist shrine remained unguarded and abandoned.

After returning to the palace, Fengyu summoned Nuanyang, along with a few Jinyi Guard members under Xie Xun’s command. Most of the Jinyi Guard had already been dismissed from the palace, and Nuanyang and Feiying were in the middle of reorganizing them. At present, the palace was primarily defended by the Kyoto Capital Guard and a small contingent of the Forbidden Army.

Nuanyang and Feiying hadn’t yet completed the reorganization.

"Imperial Concubine Miao mentioned that Yuwen Jing secretly imprisoned someone in the small Buddhist shrine. Let’s go investigate," Fengyu instructed.