Ning Wanyin looked at the four people in front of her and said calmly, “It’s fate that you are assigned to my palace. I have always been clear about rewards and punishments. As long as you work hard, I will definitely not treat you unfairly. But if you are disloyal, I will not let you off easily.”
“Your servant understands!” The four servants all kowtowed.
Ning Wanyin knew, of course, that these words, which every concubine had to repeat, had little deterrent effect. She wouldn’t trust them, but she still had to say what needed to be said.
“Lian Rui, reward!” Ning Wanyin ordered.
Lian Rui distributed the silver ingots she had prepared long ago to the four servants. The Count’s Mansion, in an effort to win her favor, had prepared one thousand taels of silver as rewards.
The four of them were delighted to receive the reward. The silver ingots were heavy and substantial.
Everyone wants to follow a generous master.
Ning Wanyin continued, “Now that I’m entering the palace, I must be prepared to sleep with the Emperor. You should also be prepared to welcome the Emperor.”
The four of them were a little stunned when they saw such an active master for the first time.
However, Dan Li reacted quickly and said repeatedly, “Your Excellency is right!”
Ning Wanyin ordered, “Without further delay, we must begin preparations for the Lingxue Pavilion from now on. Your Majesty is so precious, so Lingxue Pavilion must be kept spotless.”
The four of them had no objection and accepted the order. It was their duty to clean the palace to welcome the Emperor.
But…
They soon discovered that this new master was being too demanding.
Not only was Ning Wanyin’s bedroom cleaned spotlessly, but even their servants’ rooms were cleaned as well.
The flowerbed in the courtyard was even more outrageous.
They claimed to be clearing weeds, but they actually dug deep into the ground, turned over the flowerbed, and replanted the flowers.
The four of them worked tirelessly until dark. If it weren’t for the generous reward from their master, they would have wanted to find another job.
“Master, the entire Lingxue Pavilion has been cleaned thoroughly. There are no poisonous weeds or insects in the flower garden, and no prohibited items are buried.”
“There was nothing strange in the servant’s room, nor was there any extra silver.”
Lian Rui reported them one by one.
The four newcomers all thought that their master was too busy, but Lian Rui remembered very well what her master had once said.
‘You must be familiar with every aspect of your home, inside and out, every person, every object, every flower, every blade of grass, every brick, and every tile.’
‘Only in this way can you live in peace.’
“You’ve worked hard.” Ning Wanyin nodded.
She pondered three times and went over every brick and tile of the entire Lingxue Pavilion in her mind.
She paused, her eyebrows raised slightly: “There’s no pond in Lingxue Pavilion. Go to the Imperial Household Department and pay some money for eight water jars. Just say that I love lotus flowers and want to plant them.”
“But people in the palace always speculate on every move, so there are bound to be people who don’t believe I like lotus flowers.”
“So then, just pretend to let it slip. Say that lotus seeds are plentiful, so I think they’re a good omen. And I hope I’ll have a son soon.”
Anything a concubine does to win favor and have children is not surprising.
Lian Rui suddenly realized and bowed to apologize, “It was my fault for forgetting this. If the Lingxue Pavilion is on fire and it’s too far to get water, it will be difficult to deal with.”
“You’ve done very well.” Ning Wanyin said with a smile.
It was impossible to be completely thorough in all matters of the world. She herself couldn’t guarantee that everything would be perfect.
Just trying to be as cautious as possible.
You can support your favorite novel by buying me a cup of Ko-fi ( ˘▽˘)っ♨
I will really appreciate it. ♥️♥️♥️
acatia On WMMMWF Chapter 22