Also included were two concubines who had been slapped on the ground, a group of kneeling palace maids and eunuchs, and Noble Consort's entourage.
"Wishes for Noble Consort's eternal peace and safety. I am a palace maid who sweeps in front of the Emperor, and I had no intention of offending the Noble Consort. Please forgive me, my Lady."
Su Zhiruan was true to her name; she had a gentle and serene character, seemingly at ease with any situation, but within her, she possessed a strong ability to adapt to her surroundings, maintain emotional stability, and manage sufferings which to her were but passersby in life.
With these words, she established her identity. The Noble Consort wanted to say something, but the Chief Court Lady leaned in and whispered, "My Lady, she is but a lowly servant and insignificant! But after all, she serves before the Emperor. If her swollen face is seen by His Majesty, it would be unsightly, and if the Emperor asks about it and it leads back to you, the loss would outweigh the gain!"
These words were indeed true.
But whenever the Noble Consort looked at her young, attractive face, she felt a stifling sensation in her heart.
Even though she was submissive, this wretched girl was exceptionally beautiful.
Her round almond eyes, long eyelashes, and naive, lively gaze; her rosy cheeks and simplistic attire of pale yellow palace maid's clothes only accentuated her delicate and lovely appearance; her slender, graceful neck, her petite and enticing nose.
"You little wretch! It must have taken great effort to dress up like that, trying to seduce men at such a young age, with such deep thoughts!" the Noble Consort sneered coldly, arms crossed, absentmindedly fiddling with the agate on the sedan chair, still feeling uneasy about letting her off. Looking up at the bright sun, she came up with a torturous idea and, in a sarcastic tone, addressed the two beaten concubines on the ground, "Lady Song, Lady Wang, you two have indeed met a 'noble' today. Look, there is someone willing to kneel on the palace path with you for two hours. The three of you, difficult brothers, might as well group together. I shall leave first."
After speaking, the Noble Consort signaled the eunuchs to lift the sedan, and then, with her retinue, she majestically left the scene.
At that moment, only Lady Song, Lady Wang, and the innocently implicated Su Zhiruan remained at the scene.
"What bad luck, today's outing has been unpleasant, running into her!! It infuriates me!" Lady Wang rubbed her knees but dared not speak up or stand.
At this time, Lady Song seemed more interested in the lively young palace maid and tried to strike up a conversation, "Don't take it to heart, that woman is just narrow-minded and cannot bear to see anyone prettier than her. You know, in the entire harem, except for Consort Shu, that ugly woman willing to be her lackey, practically no one escapes her bullying."
"So it's just our misfortune today!!" Lady Wang exploded like a firecracker, now furiously inflamed.
Through their exchanges, Su Zhiruan caught on to much information not present in the plot.
The harem was teeming with concubines, but the Noble Consort had the upper hand, jealous of any woman more beautiful than herself, always suppressing and humiliating them, as was evident when she wanted someone to slap Su Zhiruan.
Moreover, the harem truly lacked any offspring.
Apart from the Emperor, only Prince Duan had several sons.
Yet, within the harem, the sight of a child was exceedingly rare.
Situations like today's scolding happened almost every three days, mainly initiated by the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager, eager for a grandson, initially had time to protect her own niece, but being the Empress Dowager, she and the Emperor were ultimately one family, her desperation for a royal heir even more intense.
Hence, not every request from the Noble Consort was unreasonably granted.
The lack of offspring in the harem had even become a taboo subject around the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. The Empress Dowager, deeply concerned, constantly summoned concubines for talks and had the Imperial Physician conduct examinations.
It's no exaggeration to say that if a concubine in the harem were now to conceive the Emperor's heir, regardless of whether it's a Prince or Princess, she would instantly rise in status by virtue of her child and become the darling of the entire Imperial Palace and even the entire world. She would ascend directly to the Empress's position, and perhaps even the Empress Dowager would gladly step down to allow the concubine carrying the heir to take over.
"Hey hey hey, you said your name is Susu, right? So we'll call you that," Noble Lady Wang was quite forthright, coming from a military family and always speaking her mind, "Susu, tell us, how many heirs do you think His Majesty will have? There's not even a hint of one now."
Su Zhiruan casually mentioned a number, "I guess, at least six or seven."
"Hahahahaha, I think, probably not even one, Susu, you are really honest, guessing when asked, so cute~"
With gossip and information from Noble Lady Wang and Noble Lady Song, this trip wasn't a loss!
As Su Zhiruan massaged her knees, the three stood up with each other's support after two hours and then left in different directions.
Two hours — that meant she had knelt on the stone slabs for four hours. By the time she got up, it was almost dark.
Starving and dizzy, with piercing pain in her knees, she nearly had to support herself on the wall while she made her way back to the Imperial Study Room.
Next to the Imperial Study Room was a side hall, which housed various cleaning tools that could be used.
Su Zhiruan rubbed her knees again, picked up a wet cloth, and carried a basin of water with petals floating in it; she needed to wipe the bookshelves and the dusty areas of the Imperial Study Room.
The Emperor did not like crowds. There were twenty eunuchs, ten nannies, and thirty palace maids serving close to him.
Su Zhiruan was one of the palace maids.
She and a few other smaller palace maids lined up, entering the Imperial Study Room one by one following the Chief Eunuch's signals.
They then began to silently clean and wipe the Imperial Study Room.
The scent of fruitwood wafted in the Imperial Study Room, invariably making one relax.
Shen Qi, the current sovereign, was reviewing petitions. He was dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, tall and handsome, with the mature charm of a man adding to his allure.
After reviewing petitions for an hour, he slightly propped up his body, ready to stretch his limbs. However, the corner of his eye caught sight of a hobbling little palace maid quietly wiping the bookcases.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, as sharp as an eagle eyeing its prey.
He had some recollection of this girl, but she seemed to have transformed from what he remembered.
"What is your name?" Shen Qi picked up his teacup, using the lid to skim off the tea leaves, "Come here and answer."
Su Zhiruan's hand paused as she held the rag, cautiously looking around. Since only she and the Emperor were in the Imperial Study Room, the call must have been for her.
She stepped out from behind the bookshelf, her limbs unsteady. She wasn't quick, even nearly falling as she moved, "In response to Your Majesty, this servant is called Susu."