Chapter Thirteen: Even Laundry Demands Court Intrigue
Page 1 of 3
The Laundry Bureau.
All the clothes belonging to the imperial family and nobility were sent here, where designated palace maids washed them every day.
A group of palace maids crouched beside the water channel, diligently scrubbing garments.
The weather was bitterly cold, and the water cut through their skin like ice.
That, however, was only a minor problem.
The clothing of the imperial family was extraordinarily precious. Every item had to be washed with the utmost care; if anything was damaged through carelessness, punishment was inevitable.
That was the real problem.
Fortunately, the palace maids had long since become skilled at their work. They could even chat while washing.
The brightest voice among them belonged to Su Lian.
She was also the most talkative.
With sparkling eyes, she said, “Bao-ge is especially good to me. He’s always bringing me nice things.”
“But the one who treats me best is still Jin-ge. He even brought me medicine to drink, and it cured all the chilblains on my hands.”
“Sisters, look. The swelling’s gone, isn’t it? And they’re not cracked anymore.”
“The medicine is so effective. I don’t even need to ask to know that Jin-ge must have spent a fortune to get such a good remedy!”
Su Lian was rather careless and often spoke without thinking.
She always liked telling those around her how well Bao-ge and Jin-ge treated her.
She thought she was merely sharing her happiness.
What she did not realize was that, in other people’s eyes, she was showing off.
Several palace maids in the distance cast jealous glances at Su Lian before muttering among themselves.
“That wretched girl never stops talking. The auntie has disciplined her so many times, and she still hasn’t learned her lesson?”
“Exactly. Every day it’s Bao-ge this and Jin-ge that. Does she think she’s the only one living well? The only one with friends in the palace?”
“People like her are missing a few screws. Just wait and see. That little brat is bound to suffer a great deal sooner or later.”
The maids did not take Su Lian seriously, but seeing how happy and carefree she looked whenever she chatted each day was truly irritating.
Life in the imperial palace was oppressive and arduous to begin with.
Everyone lived in fear, having learned to keep their mouths shut and remain silent, always on tenterhooks.
Why should Su Lian be allowed to be so happy?
Why could she laugh foolishly to herself every day?
In the kindest terms, Su Lian’s nature could be called innocent and guileless. Put less kindly, she was simply slow-witted.
She was already fifteen, yet still so immature.
Did she really think the imperial palace was a charitable institution?
A maid with an almond-shaped face glanced behind her. She seemed to have spotted someone approaching.
A sly glint flashed through her eyes. She leaned toward the other maids and whispered, “Watch how I deal with her!”
The palace intrigues of the imperial court did not occur only among the ladies of the inner palace.
They unfolded in every corner of the imperial palace.
The almond-faced maid deliberately moved closer to Su Lian and complained in a low voice, “Oh, heavens, these days we have to do other work even after finishing the laundry. I’m exhausted!”
Her words immediately struck a chord with everyone.
Everyone knew that the supervisor had been in a foul mood lately. She had been devising one way after another to torment the palace maids, making them all suffer along with her.
As everyone began discussing it, Su Lian joined in as well.
Page 1 of 3
Page 2 of 3
“Exactly. We’ve already rinsed the clothes perfectly clean, but the supervisor insists they’re still dirty and makes us rinse them over and over again.”
“And if we damage anything while rinsing, she’ll slap us across the mouth.”
“She only slapped the left side of my face swollen the day before yesterday. The swelling finally went down today. She’d better not swell the right side too, or I’ll be too ashamed to show my face in public.”
Once Su Lian started talking, it was difficult to make her stop.
Seeing that Su Lian had taken the bait, the almond-faced maid subtly turned her head and glanced behind her before fanning the flames.
“Su Lian is right. The supervisor has gone too far!”
She kept her voice extremely low, no louder than the buzzing of a mosquito.
The other maids were all well versed in the rules of survival within the imperial palace. The instant they heard those words, they realized something was wrong.
She was openly insulting the supervisor. Was she not afraid of giving someone ammunition against her?
Unless…
Several of them secretly glanced behind them. It seemed they had seen something terrifying, for they hurriedly fell silent and bent their heads over their work, washing the clothes with exaggerated diligence.
Yet not one of them was willing to warn Su Lian.
They were jealous of her too, and were only too happy to watch her suffer.
Sure enough.
Simple-minded as she was, Su Lian noticed nothing amiss. She even wholeheartedly agreed with the almond-faced maid.
“‘Gone too far’? That doesn’t begin to describe it.”
“If you ask me, the supervisor is practically an old demon!”
Su Lian’s voice was naturally clear and bright.
The words rang out like jade beads striking a plate, and everyone present heard them perfectly.
The palace maids pressed down the corners of their mouths, struggling not to smile. They knew Su Lian was finished now.
A heavy silence followed.
Su Lian scratched her head.
“Why has everyone stopped talking?”
The palace maids continued washing with their heads bowed. No one answered.
Then, suddenly—
“Cough! Cough!”
Two familiar dry coughs sounded behind Su Lian.
She jumped and hurriedly turned around.
A thin female official of about thirty stood directly behind her.
Su Lian was so frightened that she leapt to her feet and clapped both hands over her mouth.
“Auntie…”
The two words escaped between her fingers, filled with terror.
The woman was Guo Min, the deputy secretary of the Laundry Bureau—the “auntie” who supervised Su Lian and all the other palace maids.
At that moment, the almond-faced maid sprang to her feet and lodged a complaint.
“Auntie, that little wretch was spouting nonsense just now. She actually dared to insult you behind your back. Her mouth ought to be torn apart!”
A vicious expression appeared on Guo Min’s face.
Her hand rose high into the air.
Everyone present knew what was coming. Guo Min was about to slap someone across the mouth.
Su Lian hurriedly covered the left side of her face, exposing the right side for the supervisor to strike. She closed her eyes and waited for the blow.
The almond-faced maid watched gleefully, the corners of her mouth curling into a cold smile.
Page 2 of 3
Page 3 of 3
The other palace maids turned around as well, ready to enjoy the spectacle.
At last, Guo Min’s hand came down.
Crack!
The crisp sound of the slap resounded throughout the courtyard.
From the sound alone, it was clear that the blow had been delivered with tremendous force.
The entire scene fell silent.
Su Lian was utterly bewildered.
Why didn’t her face hurt?
Unable to resist, she opened her eyes—and saw astonishment on the faces of all the palace maids.
As for the almond-faced maid, a vivid red handprint now stood out on her cheek.
The blow had left her dazed.
“Auntie, I wasn’t the one insulting you! It was Su Lian!”
“She was the one who called you an old demon, not me!”
As she spoke, she pointed at Su Lian.
Guo Min gave a cold snort and raised her hand again.
Crack!
Another resounding slap landed.
A second handprint appeared on the almond-faced maid’s cheek.
This time, she was completely stunned.
Why was she still the one being struck?
Had the supervisor not heard Su Lian call her an old demon?
That was impossible!
Su Lian had said it so loudly, and the supervisor had been standing directly behind her. There was no reason she could have misheard.
The almond-faced maid was not the only one confused.
Even the surrounding palace maids, including Su Lian herself, had no idea what was happening.
Guo Min reached out, seized the almond-faced maid by the cheek, and cursed, “You little slut! So you spend all day neglecting your work and gossiping instead, do you?”
“I heard you loud and clear just now. You were the one insulting me, you little slut!”
The almond-faced maid hurriedly tried to defend herself.
But Guo Min only tightened her grip. Her fingernails dug into the girl’s flesh until blood began to ooze.
The pain drove the almond-faced maid into a series of shrieks, while great tears rolled endlessly down her cheeks.
Terrified, Su Lian could not help trying to explain.
“Auntie, actually—”
Before she could finish, Guo Min cut her off.
“Su Lian, you don’t need to plead for her. Do you think your auntie doesn’t know what kind of person you are?”
“Of all the girls here, you’re the most sensible, the most diligent, and the one who pleases your auntie the most.”
“I’m not deaf. That little slut was the one whose mouth was running just now!”
“Everyone, tell me—am I right?”