A black, lustrous guqin sat on the table beside the couch.
Hanxue extended her finger toward the strings and made a slight gesture, producing a fragmented yet melodious sound.
Yuanjiu watched her fingers with interest, silently speculating about the nature of Hanxue's magical abilities.
Aunt Yue, who had been sorting through a small pouch that jingled softly, suddenly let out a sigh.
Curious, Hanxue asked, "Aunt Yue, why are you sighing?"
Aunt Yue gazed out the window and replied coldly, "Half of this month's allowance has been deducted again."
Hanxue, understanding the tone wasn't directed at her, still felt a pang of injustice.
"Ever since we ended up in the Cold Palace, when have the stewards ever cared about our lives?" She grumbled quietly, unwilling to voice her dissatisfaction too loudly, though her clenched teeth and muttered curses betrayed her frustration.
Aunt Yue offered a comforting smile. "It's fine. Back when Her Highness was favored, she gave me enough rewards to last us a while—at least four or five gold coins' worth. It'll be enough to sustain us for now. Tomorrow, I'll try speaking with the head steward and see if there's any work I can take on."
The atmosphere grew heavy.
Yuanjiu turned her head toward the window, her gaze settling on the gently swaying leaves outside.
It's still necessary to find something to talk about; otherwise, the days in the Cold Palace would only grow harder.
Aunt Yue sighed and said, "Actually, there's nothing particularly bad about Her Highness growing up in the Cold Palace."
Hanxue was puzzled. "Aunt Yue, what do you mean by that?"
Aunt Yue explained, "Think about it. While staying in the Cold Palace, although it limits our freedom, the other concubines, princes, and princess won't bother to keep an eye on a child raised here. This way, all their schemes and power plays won't reach us. Her Highness is safer here."
Hanxue pondered this for a moment before smiling. "Aunt Yue does have a point."
Aunt Yue cautiously glanced outside, then lowered her voice. "Do you know why Her Highness's mother, Consort Li, was sent to the Cold Palace? It's because the other concubines were jealous. They accused Consort Li of drugging His Majesty in order to conceive a child. That bowl of chicken soup did contain something, but it wasn't Consort Li who added it—it was Noble Consort Zheng! Tell me, isn't that despicable?"
Hanxue also lowered her voice. "But Her Highness's pregnancy didn't bring Noble Consort Zheng any benefit, did it?"
Aunt Yue scoffed and raised an eyebrow. "You're still just a young girl."
Her voice dropped even lower. "Once Her Highness was truly pregnant, the accusation of drugging His Majesty led to her being sent to the Cold Palace. This eliminated a rival for Noble Consort Zheng. As for Her Highness's child, even if born safely, what kind of future could they have when they growing up in the Cold Palace? Naturally, no threat at all. Sigh, when it comes to schemes and intrigue, how could my lady ever compare to them?" As she spoke, Aunt Yue's eyes grew red again.