CHAPTER 381: CHAPTER 306 DONG GUIFEI

At that moment, Min Ming’s emotions were complex, but thinking that this way she could be spared and Min Ning was allowed some concession, she felt a sense of relief and her perception of him improved. The thought of later moving into his residence seemed not so unbearable.

But not until the disappearance of Yuchun Ointment did she truly realize that things were dire.

Between her and Chen Yi, there existed an estrangement and distance. In the past, when Chen Yi still showed interest in her voluptuous figure, she could rely on her looks to pull some strings and toss out that sole bait. But now, the situation was entirely different; even if she offered herself to him, he wouldn’t take her.

Empress An’s phoenix-like eyes coldly fixated on her, asking meaningfully:

"Quite the deliberation, Min Ming... Is it that you think too highly of yourself, or is it that he simply has no interest in you anymore?"

Min Ming shivered.

This was truly a case of being caught between a rock and a hard place. Whether she thought too highly of herself or he had grown disinterested in her, Min Ming dared not respond, for both seemed to be true...

At this moment, the nameless old matron nearby sneered and spoke:

"Your Majesty, in my opinion, it would be best to send this courtesan to the Xique Pavilion for some grooming at the very least—so she’d understand how to serve men."

As the words reached her ears, Min Ming felt as though she had plunged into an ice cavern.

As a key intelligence node for Baihua Building, she naturally knew what kind of existence Xique Pavilion truly was...

It was more secretive and terrifying than the West Factory, which already sent shivers down the spines of Great Yu’s citizens. Whereas the West Factory still adhered to the laws of the land, Xique Pavilion had no boundaries whatsoever.

She frantically called out, "Please... please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

Empress An narrowed her eyes and gazed at her for a while, then after a pause, she waved her hand and said:

"Never mind. After some grooming at Xique Pavilion, should you turn impure, it would defeat the purpose.

Not to mention whether he would want such a used-up shoe; letting such a tarnished woman entertain him would sully him—and even more so, it would sully my view."

Once those words fell, Min Ming, who had been teetering on the edge of a cliff, finally breathed half a sigh of relief—no more than half.

"To pardon your crime, it’s not impossible. But people often say to redeem oneself through merit; till today, I’ve yet to see what merits you have brought forth."

Empress An’s voice was even and steady as she lowered her final ultimatum:

"Min Ming, if by New Year’s Eve the palace maid discovers your maidenhood intact, you can imagine the consequences yourself."

As Empress An finished speaking and dismissed her, Min Ming’s entire body felt pressed to the ground as she responded with an obedient "Yes." Only much later did she slowly rise up and exit the great gates of Jingren Palace.

She hadn’t gone far, passing by a segment of palace gates, when her mind became so chaotic—like paste in complete disorder—that she fell with a soft thud onto the grassy field.

In this moment, she did not know what to do. Could she truly face the humiliation of kneeling outside Chen Yi’s courtyard, begging to become his chambermaid?

"What should I do..."

Min Ming rasped hoarsely.

On one side was a situation of being given away and still unwanted; on the other was the pressure from Jingren Palace. Min Ming felt as though she was being roasted alive. Her visage had become grief-stricken.

This woman, once an Oiran, now felt as though she were but a clown upon the stage...

Why had things come to this, where she had to rack her brains to deliver her purity to that man’s bed—while begging for him to accept it...

Min Ming did not know how long she lay upon the grass, when suddenly a fragrant breeze brushed across her face, faintly lingering at her nostrils. The fragrance was truly exquisite, accompanied by the sound of a voice.

"Little sister, what’s wrong?"

A voice speaking fluent and proper Mandarin with traces of a northern accent reached her ears. Min Ming raised her head slightly and first saw a robe in shades of blue and green, then hair cascading like curtains. The woman’s attire was simple yet elegant, adorned with phoenix-shaped hairpins, her beauty striking and natural.

Min Ming, who often focused on colors, was momentarily shocked by the volume of this woman’s hair. Though it had been tied up, it nonetheless almost reached the floor.

Min Ming hurriedly stood up, thinking to herself that this must be some concubine of the palace, then she nervously apologized:

"I was careless and fell; forgive me for offending you."

The woman did not appear to mind, replying with a tone neither overly warm nor indifferent:

"No offense at all. You fell on the grass, not on the roadway."

Min Ming surveyed her surroundings and realized, as the woman had said, that she was indeed amidst the grass.

After glancing her up and down, the woman suddenly chuckled softly:

"What a round, eye-catching bottom you’ve got; hard not to notice."

The blush on Min Ming’s face deepened, unsure of how to respond. She awkwardly replied:

"Looks like I still managed to offend you... I’m new to the palace and don’t yet know who you are..."

The woman replied gently:

"My surname is Dong. My title sounds intimidating, so I won’t mention it. Nowadays, staying in the Cold Palace, I hold no status to speak of—let alone family backing, no power nor influence. Ask around if you’d like to know my title. In the future, never call me ’Your Majesty’; you can address me as Lady Dong."

Min Ming subtly nodded, yet her thoughts were in turmoil. She couldn’t help but focus on the dire situation she was in, standing there lost in thought.

Lady Dong, seeing Min Ming hesitate, kindly offered:

"You’re new to the palace, right? Would you like to visit my place?"

"Ah, this..."

"Come along then. The deep palace is lonely, and I rarely have someone to talk to. You won’t be mistreated."

With that, Lady Dong turned and walked away. Her voice seemed to carry a strange magic, and after some hesitation, Min Ming lifted her foot to follow.

Passing through the long palace walls, they encountered palace maids and eunuchs along the way. Whenever they caught sight of Lady Dong from a distance, they slightly bowed their heads and waited for her to pass. Min Ming observed this scene closely, forming suspicions in her heart.

After several twists and turns and crossing a number of palace gates, a somewhat desolate courtyard appeared in view. The vegetation had little maintenance; wild growth stood unruly and dense, yet a meticulously tended flower bed lay in the distance.

The palace hall was covered with climbing vines.

Lady Dong entered through the open hall doors and casually took a seat, beginning to brew tea for Min Ming.

Min Ming looked around and noticed there were no palace maids present.

"It’s too quiet, isn’t it?" Lady Dong asked.

"A bit..." Min Ming responded as she held the tea.

It was more than a bit—this palace hall was empty and desolate, many corners shrouded in shadow, lacking any sense of life.

Lady Dong sighed softly: "It wasn’t always like this. I once had six or seven personal palace maids, some even brought from my hometown."

While Lady Dong spoke Mandarin fluently, Min Ming vaguely caught traces of an unusual accent.

Lady Dong...

Min Ming lowered her head in contemplation. Having been in the palace neither briefly nor long, this was the first she had heard of such a name.

Since she called herself "Lady," then presumably she was married. Yet now, it was the third year of Huanglong’s reign, and the emperor was only a boy of four or five, locked deep within the palace. Aside from religious sacrifices, he was forbidden from meeting anyone.

Thus, Min Ming’s thoughts rapidly churned—this woman must surely be one of the late emperor’s concubines.

Then wasn’t her following this woman here...

Min Ming grew anxious, fearing punishment from the empress dowager.

It was as though Lady Dong could read her mind; she covered her mouth and chuckled:

"A bit slow on the uptake, aren’t you? Ordinary palace maids would never dare come here."

After she laughed, her smile quickly faded. Min Ming noticed her skin, white and smooth as jade, while her thick black hair drooped low to the ground as she sat upright.

Min Ming forced a wry smile and replied:

"Yet at this moment... I cannot be considered an ordinary palace maid anymore."

Caught between opposing dangers, in near certain doom, Min Ming’s mindset had shifted to one of near resignation. Although she suspected Lady Dong was a concubine of the late emperor, the thought caused her little panic.

This was partly due to Lady Dong’s notably gentle demeanor compared to the formidable aura of the empress dowager.

Seeing Min Ming unperturbed, Lady Dong added:

"You truly seem... somewhat extraordinary. If possible, I wonder if you might visit often? Staying alone here day after day is rather difficult to endure."

As she spoke, Lady Dong stood up. Min Ming’s gaze followed, watching as she picked up a jade flute from a nearby table stand.

Lady Dong turned back with a radiant smile, strikingly girlish despite being of similar age to the empress dowager, and said:

"If you come often, I’ll play the flute for you."

Before Min Ming could decline, Lady Dong’s eyes fell on her hands.

"Such slender fingers... You surely play the guqin. It would match perfectly with the jade flute."

Faced with this invitation, Min Ming didn’t know how to respond. She neither nodded nor shook her head.

Ultimately, Lady Dong’s thoughtful nature prevailed, and she softly murmured: "I’ve made you uncomfortable."

"...Not overly uncomfortable."

"Speaking of which, I noticed you came from Jingren Palace—are you troubled by anything?"

"..." At this question, Min Ming’s eyes couldn’t help but sting. Forcing a smile, she replied, "What troubles could there possibly be?"

Lady Dong chose not to probe further, knowing it would only embarrass her. Instead, she sighed gently: "Someone like you surely comes from a family with loved ones. If any trouble arises, don’t be afraid—go home and talk about it. Even if your family can’t resolve it, they can help share the burden."

When Min Ming heard this, her heart gave a pause.

Should she tell Min Ning about this...?

Min Ming had never thought this way before, but Lady Dong’s tender tone suddenly planted that idea in her mind—that she might divulge everything to Min Ning.

After all, Min Ning was the pillar of the household...

At this thought, Min Ming stood up, suddenly overcome with a desire to return.

"Are you leaving?" Lady Dong asked gently.

"Yes... I’ve stayed too long and should take my leave." Min Ming’s heart raced as she hastily replied.

Lady Dong didn’t expose her clumsy little lie, simply nodding with a faint smile. She refrained from making promises or asking Min Ming to visit again, understanding that such a request would only burden the nervous palace maid.

Not long after, Min Ming’s figure disappeared from Lady Dong’s view.

Lady Dong sighed and was about to sit down on her imperial lounge chair.

Suddenly, a voice echoed behind her:

"Dong Guifei, why were you lingering outside Jingren Palace today?"

The nameless old matron stood coldly, watching the long-haired Korean consort.

Dong Guifei lowered her enchanting eyes and gently replied:

"Firstly, I simply wished to take a stroll. Secondly, I wished to inquire—when might Her Majesty the Empress Dowager allow me to leave the palace and marry someone?"

"It won’t be long."

A shadow passed through Dong Guifei’s gaze.

Nevertheless, she replied in a soft, melodic tone:

"I hope it will be a good match."

"Then it certainly won’t be a good match." The nameless old matron sneered before striding away.