Palace Fighting Naive Concubines’ Ascent to Power
Chapter 165: Can I Pretend to be Sick and Not Go?

Chapter 165: Chapter 165: Can I Pretend to be Sick and Not Go?

After Talented Lady Jia left, Talented Lady Sun greatly regretted it, annoyed at herself for not being able to control her mouth and letting that gossip hear her words. What would she do if it got out?

Beauty Zhao gave her a suggestion, why not take the initiative to go and apologize to the Noble Consort, saying she was muddled and spoke nonsense for a moment. If she admitted her fault proactively, the Noble Consort had always been on their side; she would not be too harsh.

Attendant Zhou didn’t say much, but Talented Lady Sun thought it made sense, so the three of them went their separate ways, with Talented Lady Sun heading to Huaqing Palace.

In the Main Hall of Canglan Court, Zhang Qing sat resting, wiping his sweat while watching the craftsmen work. Not far away, there was a pile of wood on the ground, brought over that morning to be used for repairs.

Today, after receiving His Majesty’s instructions, he had not stopped for a moment. After arranging for people to be positioned in hidden spots in Canglan Court for protection, he also assigned two people to guard the gate.

In the meantime, Xiao Linzi found him, mentioning that Nanny Qi needed to borrow some people. Zhang Qing, not taking a moment’s rest, found a few people for him.

Later, he personally went to Canglan Court to convey His Majesty’s decree. After leaving Canglan Court, he circled around to enter from the back door to check on the repair progress of the Main Hall.

After sitting for a while and seeing that everything was in good order, he was relieved. Before leaving, he instructed the people from the Interior Work Department to keep a close watch so nothing went wrong. He could finally return with peace of mind to report back.

Inside Canglan Court.

Lian Hua and Nanny Qi were staring at each other—the more accurate description would be Lian Hua glancing at Nanny Qi from time to time and softly asking if this was really okay?

Nanny Qi responded with a calm "Mhm."

Lian Hua was uncertain and asked again, "Grandma, aren’t there Consorts of higher rank than me here? Isn’t it disrespectful for me to act like this?" She wanted to make sure that her actions were not considered offensive.

Nanny Qi, with a peaceful demeanor, replied, "Master Lian, you are unwell, and they should understand that."

She finished speaking and picked up her teacup, flicking away the foam on the surface with the lid before taking a sip.

This girl was too naive and timid. If she wanted to be absent, she could just carry the burden for her. Why question repeatedly over such trivial matters?

Lian Hua responded with an "Oh," nodded her head as if understanding something. Afraid of misunderstanding, she sought confirmation from Nanny Qi, "Grandma, so in the future, can I avoid attending events I don’t wish to go to by pretending to be sick?"

After speaking, the more Lian Hua thought about it, the happier she became, and she couldn’t help but let her joy show on her face. If this was acceptable, then in the future...

Nanny Qi almost spit out her tea, quickly covering her mouth with a handkerchief and suppressing a cough in her throat.

This girl, whom she thought was just timid and nervous about being blamed for not showing up, turned out to be thinking crooked thoughts, and asking so directly. She lacked any art of disguise, speaking without restraint. How would she fare outside?

With a stern face, Nanny Qi reprimanded, "Master Lian, such words are fine here and stop with me, but don’t speak recklessly outside."

Lian Hua quickly nodded, "Grandma, I’ll only tell you. Outside, as long as I act well, that’s enough, right?" Since Nanny Qi didn’t deny what she said, that must mean it’s possible!

Yes, she had learned something. In the future, if she felt uncomfortable somewhere, she would just pretend to be wilted and claim she was unwell to leave early.

Previously, Beauty Li had invited her, and she had used this tactic, but at that time, she hadn’t thought much about it—it was purely because she was too lazy to meet Beauty Li. Since Beauty Li didn’t like her anyway, there was no need to go out of her way to attend.

She hadn’t reflected on it before, but now, seeing Nanny Qi act this way, she realized that this tactic could be applied in many situations. Ah, Nanny Qi was indeed amazing.

Lian Hua’s admiration for Nanny Qi increased even more, making Nanny Qi feel somewhat uncomfortable. She could only scold Lian Hua, instructing her to learn proper etiquette and not to dwell on frivolous thoughts.

Lian Hua nodded like a pecking chicken, promptly agreeing. Then she asked Nanny Qi if she could join her for lunch since she was still getting used to the palace. She finished speaking and looked at Nanny Qi with eager eyes.

A hint of helplessness finally appeared on Nanny Qi’s usually stern face. What could she do? She had already accompanied Lian Hua for breakfast; missing this one meal wouldn’t make much of a difference. The girl was quite fragile, so she might as well accompany her.

When Xiao Jizi and Pang Ya returned from collecting gifts, Xiao Jizi reported to Nanny Qi and Lian Hua who had sent congratulations. He ended by asking, "Master, would you like to see what gifts have been sent by the masters of the other palaces?"

Lian Hua waved her hand disinterestedly, "No need, you and Pang Ya just log them into storage, along with the gifts sent by the Noble Consort yesterday. After you’ve recorded them, hand the ledger to Grandma Qi for safekeeping." With Nanny Qi around, she didn’t need to worry.

Nanny Qi couldn’t help but nod in approval. This girl remained unperturbed by honor or disgrace, teachable indeed, unlike those from small households with shallow visions who only cared about the gifts they received.

"Alright then," said Xiao Jizi and hesitated on the spot for a moment.

He was surprised. Had the master changed her personality? She used to love seeing items like silver the most, yet now, despite receiving so many gifts, she hadn’t even lifted an eyelid or given them a glance.

Seeing Xiao Jizi still loitering, Lian Hua, propping her head on the table, sighed, "They’re just items stored here, to be given away later. Why bother looking at them? It would just be painful. Off you go," she said, shooing him away as if he were a fly.

"Oh, yes, Master..." Xiao Jizi understood and left. That was indeed like the Master – not changed at all.

Nanny Qi: "..."

She realized that she shouldn’t have praised the girl; every time she expressed admiration, she was immediately proven wrong.

Nanny Qi silently resolved to properly educate this girl. She straightened her face and cleared her throat, her serious expression growing even more solemn.

Lian Hua, hearing Nanny Qi’s cough, was instantly alert, realizing she had forgotten to maintain a dignified demeanor and had relaxed again. Hearing Nanny Qi’s reminder, she quickly sat up straight, her back erect and a slight smile on her face as she looked towards Nanny Qi, her heart quivering with the thought that Nanny Qi was about to become even stricter.

Indeed, before the afternoon rest, Lian Hua found herself under Nanny Qi’s stern instruction; she wasn’t even allowed to relax during lunch. Lian Hua was exceedingly well-behaved, and even when Nanny Qi excused herself under various pretexts to check back, she always found Lian Hua sitting upright, smiling at her.

Even when the fetus-preserving medicine was brought in, Lian Hua took it obediently and without complaint in the presence of His Majesty, gulping it down with a frown and immediately wanting water to chase the bitterness. Nanny Qi, fearing it would dilute the medicine’s effect, only provided candied fruit, which made it even more bitter.

But Lian Hua didn’t feel too miserable. Though Nanny Qi was strict, the actions she took were discernible to Lian Hua.

Yesterday, Nanny had immediately interrupted the Noble Consort’s pretense, sending her away without needing Lian Hua to deal with it.

Then she promptly arranged her meals, allowing Lian Hua to eat before discussing rules and giving her time to digest before taking her afternoon rest. Afterwards, Nanny endured fatigue to restrain her.

While the woman was very strict and her words often unpleasant, her actions were genuinely for Lian Hua’s benefit. Otherwise, why would a grandmother of her advanced age, who should be enjoying her twilight years, bother managing a mere Beauty like her?

That was the very reason Lian Hua had taken a liking to Nanny Qi from the start. Nanny Qi truly had her best interests at heart, not like those who spoke sweetly but bore concealed motives. Lian Hua could tell who was truly kind to her and who was not.

To gauge whether someone is good, one shouldn’t look at the surface or listen solely to what they say. One must consider what they actually do; that’s what’s truly beneficial and allows you to see a person’s character clearly. And for Lian Hua, it was this practicality, not the superficial, that she valued most.