Fang He thought that her transfer to serve in the Xuan Ning Hall was because the Empress Dowager had heard some rumors and wanted to see her no matter what.
After all, it was Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang!
She was the most influential person who could potentially dissuade Emperor Kangxi from his infatuation.
She spent the entire night thinking about how to ensure her own safety while convincing Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang to let her go.
Just as dawn was breaking, she had roughly come up with a plan, waiting to be summoned.
However, upon arriving at Xuan Ning Hall, the Empress Dowager showed no intention of seeing her.
Instead, a woman named Liu Mo, who was close to the Empress Dowager, was in charge of settling her in.
Liu Mo said with a smile,
“I’ve heard that you are adept at training palace maids to serve the Emperor perfectly. That’s why we’ve invited you here to teach our people in the Cining Hall as well.”
Fang He was puzzled.
She had only finished training the maids a few days ago.
Where did Liu Mo hear about it so early?
But she had no choice in the matter.
Even if Emperor Kangxi was acting strangely, she still didn’t have much standing in the palace and couldn’t even get an audience with someone like Su Ma La Gu.
Fang He was not surprised.
She suppressed her thoughts and first settled her luggage in the assigned room.
Then she was taken to the side hall of Xuan Ning Hall.
As soon as she entered, she felt a bit overwhelmed.
There were dozens of palace maids and more than ten eunuchs, filling the not-so-large side hall.
In front of the “wanzi” kang (a type of bed), there were tables and chairs.
This grand arrangement made Fang He feel as if she were a distinguished guest giving a lecture.
Did the Empress Dowager trust her that much?
Or was she testing her mindset and abilities?
Fang He smiled faintly, lowered her eyes to ponder for a moment, and then stood at the front with Liu Mo.
Liu Mo announced to everyone,
“This is Miss Fang He, who is highly trusted by the Emperor. She is here to teach you how to serve the Empress Dowager properly. Pay close attention and listen carefully”.
“If you still can’t make the Empress Dowager comfortable after learning, there are plenty of others in the palace who can serve. Do you understand?”
The rules in the Cining Hall were strict, and the maids and eunuchs dared not whisper.
They all responded in unison.
Fang He raised her eyebrows imperceptibly.
Liu Mo was good at setting traps for people.
She wasn’t some kind of panacea.
What she could teach was how to be more considerate and meticulous in taking care of someone.
If the Empress Dowager, who was already seriously ill, didn’t improve, the palace maids might be replaced.
What about her, the one responsible for the training?
It seemed that the Empress Dowager didn’t favor her.
That was good!
As long as she could make the Empress Dowager feel a bit more comfortable and yet reveal the Emperor’s special attention to her, this old matriarch, who was most averse to the Emperor’s affection, would definitely not tolerate her!
Fang He was not worried but rather pleased.
When Shan Mo gave her the chance to speak, she became even more respectful.
“May I ask, could you tell me about the Empress Dowager’s condition?”
Seeing Shan Mo frowning, Fang He quickly explained, “I don’t know much, but my father was weak, and when I was young, I learned some ways to take care of the sick from my mother.”
“However, I dare not make decisions on my own. Just like seeking medical treatment, it’s necessary to prescribe the right medicine for the symptoms.”
After pondering for a moment, considering the master’s instructions, Liu Mo took Fang He outside the hall and gave her a general idea of the Empress Dowager’s condition.
It wasn’t a secret in the palace anyway.
The more Fang He listened, the heavier her heart became.
Although Shan Mo didn’t provide many details, she had learned how to perform first aid and take care of seriously ill customers during her time at the inn.
This was clearly severe diabetes, leading to a weakened immune system and a series of complications.
It had reached the point where wounds couldn’t heal properly.
Actually, it was not suitable to stay in a damp and hot place.
However, for skin diseases and joint pain, soaking in hot springs was the best way to relieve them…
These were the types of customers they feared the most, with complex conditions and the potential for complications to arise at any moment.
In the modern world, there would be insulin and defibrillators, and various emergency measures could be taken to send them to the hospital for in-depth treatment and prolong their lives.
In this era… there was no effective treatment.
No matter how noble one was, they could only endure the days.
Fang He had a clear understanding in her heart.
Turning back to face the more than a hundred eyes watching her, she was not nervous at all.
In fact, the essence of training remained the same, only needing to make adjustments according to the customer’s needs in the details.
She replaced the “three quietnesses, four spirits, and five stabilities” from the imperial presence with “three lightnesses, four diligences, and five sounds.”
Three lightnesses: light tone, agile actions, and relaxed demeanor.
“The Empress Dowager is not feeling well, with poor eating and sleeping. She must be very annoyed by noise and dislikes people looking dejected. No matter what you do, pay attention to the word ‘light’…”
Four diligences: diligent hands and feet, keen eyes, frequent meals, and regular cleaning.
“Always pay attention to the Empress Dowager’s mood changes. Try to replace the food that suits her taste with low-sugar food that doesn’t change much in flavor, and have several small meals instead of a few large ones…”
“The hall should be spotless, and the outside should be swept three times a day. To a certain extent, this can relieve skin discomfort…”
Five sounds: greet when entering, respond with a smile, make noise when acting, remind on time, and listen to breathing when sleeping.
The elderly dislike both noise and silence.
Those who serve should speak more than in the imperial presence and ideally be humorous to keep the elderly in a good mood.
“People who are bedridden tend to overthink, which is not conducive to recovery. We must be considerate of the Empress Dowager and explain our every action to her, so she is fully aware of her situation and free from boredom…”
The palace maids and eunuchs, having been disciplined by Mo, all appeared very attentive, and those who didn’t understand dared to stand up and ask questions.
Fang He liked such proactive students and could explain things to them in great detail.
It was just a bit of extra talking, but much more relaxed than writing big characters in the Qindian Hall.
In just a few days, under Fang He’s training and high standards, the Xuan Ning Hall changed even more than the Mao Qin Hall.
The furniture with heavy colors was replaced with light-colored pear blossom wood furniture after consulting the Empress Dowager’s wishes.
As March arrived, the temperature near the hot springs was high, with many flowers blooming and lush green plants.
They were arranged in various heights outside the hall and by the windows.
Inside the hall, only fruits were placed.
Many skin problems have allergic symptoms.
Fang He dared not take the risk of causing an allergic reaction to the Empress Dowager just for more lively colors.
The most noticeable change was in Xiaozhuang.
Whenever she took medicine, her appetite would become poor.
When she finally felt like eating something, the food had to be low in oil, salt, and meat, which she could hardly eat a few mouthfuls of.
The palace maids in charge of serving the meals, through Fang He’s teachings and their own initiative, specially added some snacks with the flavor of North Mongolia.
They also asked the kitchen to pickle some vegetables that had a bit of flavor but no oil.
When the Empress Dowager seemed to be in a good spirit, they would seize the opportunity to serve them, and Xiaozhuang actually ate quite a bit.
With something in her stomach, Xiaozhuang’s spirits improved a bit.
The hall was much cleaner, which also alleviated the itching and pain on her skin.
She smiled and teased Su Mo’er,
“No wonder I said I wanted that girl, and Xuan Ye was so reluctant, as if it pained him. It turns out his life has been quite comfortable!”
Su Mo’er laughed and said,
“I didn’t notice it. These days, since you haven’t called the Empress to come over, Yan Hui Hall has been restless, as if a piece of flesh has been cut out.”
Xiaozhuang snorted lightly,
“Qiqige’s little schemes, who does she think she can deceive? Besides me and Xiao Wu, only Wulinzhu could catch her attention. She hasn’t mentioned it for years, but suddenly she’s hinting around her”.
“Without even investigating carefully, I just asked the people around Qiqige, and I found out about Fang He’s existence.”
Su Mo’er shook her head with a smile, “You plan to leave the Empress hanging until we return to the palace?”
“You mean you want to know how long I’m going to leave that girl hanging?” Xiaozhuang put a piece of milk tofu in her mouth.
Although the taste was still bland, it was better than nothing.
“Call her over. I want to see how much she looks like Wulinzhu to make Qiqige so flustered.”
Su Mo’er smiled and instructed Shan Mo, and soon Fang He was invited into the Xuan Ning Hall.
Before coming, she was in the side room, trying hard to remember how her friend made those stomach-nourishing snacks at home.
She thought of pleasing Xiaozhuang first, so that when she tried to ingratiate herself later, she wouldn’t lose her head completely.
Unfortunately, she was a cooking novice and couldn’t remember how Geng Shuning did it.
She was feeling quite down when she entered the bedroom with a nervous heart, knelt respectfully, and greeted.
“Your servant Fang He wishes the Empress Dowager peace and well-being.”
As soon as Xiaozhuang saw her, she smiled,
“Why is this girl so dark?”
Fang He: “……”
She didn’t want to be!
She was supposed to reduce her third degree of darkness, but Kangxi was acting strangely, and she didn’t dare.
She smiled and came over to greet her.
“Lift your head and let me have a good look.” Xiaozhuang’s voice was very kind, like that of an ordinary old lady in the modern world.
But as Fang He slightly raised her head and glanced up with her peripheral vision, she immediately noticed that this elderly woman, with a soft-looking face, had an aura that was no less than Kangxi’s, only hidden in the depth of her years.
Her heart was a bit uneasy.
She couldn’t outsmart Kangxi, and this matriarch was probably out of her reach too.
Seeing the part of Fang He’s face under her bangs, especially those beautiful eyes with trembling eyelashes, flickering around, seemingly secretive but actually lively as they observed her…
Xiaozhuang was slightly dazed for a moment, as if she saw the first time Wulinzhu kowtowed to her.
None of the descendants of Zhasihu Liwada were as similar to Wulinzhu.
Only a daughter born out of wedlock resembled her by seventy percent.
Perhaps it was fate, destined to leave a descendant for Wada’s lineage.
Xiaozhuang smiled and kindly asked,
“Are you naturally this dark, or did you get tanned on the southern tour?”
Fang He answered honestly, “Your Majesty, I listened to my aunt’s advice. I wanted to leave the palace safely and always applied face powder. Thinking the sun in the south was strong, I switched to a darker one. Actually, I am quite fair.”
Xiaozhuang and Su Mo’er: “……”
In the middle of winter, how intense could the southern sun be?
Xiaozhuang was amused and laughed non-stop,
“You are quite honest. But listening to your aunt is right. If your face were not covered, in the early years, you might have been thrown into some well.”
Fang He: “……” Although Empress Dowager Cixi did it, was the palace struggle this hardcore at this time?
Her mind raced, and she whispered,
“The Emperor said the same thing. He even said that I should receive a monthly allowance in the palace for a lifetime, so that I could survive outside.”
She wanted to leave the palace, but the Emperor was acting crazy!
He took the initiative to promise a woman a lifetime!
Oh, my ancestor, at this rate, who knows when she might have another connection with a well!
Su Mo’er was slightly surprised and looked at her master, not surprisingly seeing a meaningful interest on her master’s face.
Xiaozhuang’s voice remained unchanged, and she asked with a smile,
“Then he didn’t mention giving you any rank?”
Fang He tightly twisted her fingers, and her voice became more tense,
“The Emperor didn’t… didn’t mention it. He only promised me a lifetime of honor and wealth, saying that the monthly allowance I would receive for a lifetime would never be less.”
This addition should make her even more hated, right?
Even if she was dark, she was a potential vixen, and this damn charm couldn’t be hidden!
“Oh? The Emperor is not very generous with ranks, so what do you think?” Xiaozhuang still asked with a faint smile.
Fang He thought, it’s not just the rank, he is stingy in every aspect, right?
She took a deep breath, lowered her head, and slightly raised her voice:
“Your servant is foolish and only knows how to be loyal. It is by the Emperor’s grace that I can read and write. Having the fortune to serve in the imperial presence, of course, I will do my best no matter what my master says.”
If you don’t drive me out of the palace, he will definitely keep me, and in the future, your grandson will be drained!
Fang He’s heart was racing at this moment, close to one hundred and eighty beats per minute.