After receiving Baili Moqi’s answer, Shu He entered the palace.
This time, she went alone.
When she had last met the Empress, the Empress had given her a token, saying that whenever she wished to see her, she need only present it to gain entry.
At the time, Shu He had wondered why she had given her such a token; now, she couldn't help but wonder if the Empress had anticipated this day all along.
Before seeing the Empress, Shu He first went to the Sanhe Palace located behind the Daming Palace. That had been the living quarters of the former Consort Shu, and it was now, for all intents and purposes, a cold palace.
With the Empress’s token, her progress was smooth, and she reached the former Consort Shu—now Lady Yuan—without much effort.
There were few servants in the Sanhe Palace. Aside from a few assigned to cleaning, only three maids and three eunuchs resided there permanently.
For a consort, this was a meager staff. Furthermore, the layout and furnishings of the palace were incredibly plain and simple; there wasn't a single decent ornament to be found. It felt less like the rear hall of an imperial palace and more like the bedroom of an ordinary young lady from a civilian household.
Lady Yuan had tea served to her. Without even tasting it, the scent alone told Shu He that the tea was of very low quality.
She had once been a consort, after all; even if she had fallen out of favor, surely she should still have had some connections left? Shu He couldn't understand how she cou…
Chapter 783