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Published at 30th of December 2019 08:35:16 PM
Chapter 27

The head eunuch Li Yu rested a snow-white fly-whisk on his elbow as he quickly entered the room . Behind him was a group of eunuchs carrying a rosewood box .

“Long live Her Majesty, the empress!” Li Yu smiled like a beaming buddha . “His Majesty ordered this slave to bring Your Majesty’s birthday gifts . ”  

The empress rose to her feet and received him in the room . “Many thanks to His Majesty for his love . ”  

“Your Majesty need not worry . Apart from these regular gifts of jewelry and treasure, His Majesty also specially prepared a gift for your honored self . ” Li Yu clapped . Two baby-faced eunuchs carried an exquisite dressing case inside .   

It was exactly the period of Zhi¹ . Empress Fucha’s time of birth .   

A little black box on top of the dress case box suddenly bounced open by itself . Out jumped a green cuckoo bird . One glance, and it seemed real . But upon closer inspection, one would realize it was made of a single, large emerald, its eyes two black agates . They seemed real, exquisite, and adorable . Once the bird saw Empress Fucha, it spread its wings wide and made cries of “cuckoo, cuckoo . ” 

An expression of joy instantly graced the empress’ face . “Is this a clock?”  

“In order to surprise your honored self, His Majesty had early on instructed the Clock-making Department to create a birthday celebration clock . They spent a long time with it . But His Majesty said ‘as the Chinese, it’s not in our culture to gift clocks on birthdays . ’ And he specifically had the staff tweak it . Your honored self, look . ” Li Yu opened the dressing case . Inside was filled with different types of jewels, the majority jewelry made from emerald and agate . A perfect match with the cuckoo bird . Li Yu smiled . “This is a dressing case, but the small box on top can tell the time!”  

It wasn’t very precious, but what was most rare was the fact the emperor actually spent so much thought on it .   

The imperial concubines sitting around all grew envious . Especially Noble Consort Hui . Her fake nails dug into the flesh of her maidservant who was next to her . Although it hurt, the other party gritted her teeth and did not dare to make a sound .   


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“It’s difficult for His Majesty to spend so much thought for this palace . ” The empress finally revealed a smile for the first time in the celebration .   

The people by her side quickly surrounded her and congratulated and complimented her . The empress waved, and everyone grew quiet . She said to Li Yu, “Eunuch Li, I’ll bother you to tell His Majesty that this palace will personally go over and thank him later . ”  

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Li Yu respectfully replied . As he turned around, he suddenly stopped in his tracks .   

Wei Yingluo stood at the side of the path, and acting as if nothing had happened, she lifted the tray in her hands high . Whether intentionally or not, she covered her face with the tray; it was just in the right position .   

Although Li Yu found the girl seemed familiar, in the end this was the empress’ birthday celebration . He could not at this time command her to look up so that he could see her face, lest he attracted the curiosity of others around . Furthermore, the empress had just given him an order . He retracted his gaze and made to leave .   

After he had left, everyone looked at the cuckoo bird . A while later, Empress Fucha remembered there was still one more palace maid that had yet to present her department’s gift . She turned, amiably and happily asking, “What did the Embroidery Workshop send?”  

Wei Yingluo slowly pulled aside the yellow silk on top of the tray, revealing a neatly folded set of imperial robes .   

From all around came gasps of surprise . But those gasps weren’t due to the beauty of the robe .   

Rather… the surprise was for how crude it looked .   


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“Audacious!!” Empress Fucha did not have to personally open her mouth . The first-ranked palace maid by her side, Mingyu, had yelled for her . “You actually dare to give such a thing to the empress!!”  

The embroidery of the imperial robe was extraordinary . The phoenix on the upper portion of the robe seemed like it would burst into flight at any moment . It was as realistic as the cuckoo bird from before .   

Where their difference lay was in the material: the cuckoo bird was made from a precious emerald, whereas the imperial robe was made from the fur of an unknown animal .   

“I remember that peacock feather thread was sent to the embroidery workshop . So what do we have here?” Mingyu quickly approached Wei Yingluo and grabbed the imperial robe for a look . Her expression darkened even more . “This isn’t golden thread . It’s not even silver thread . Good . The embroidery workshop actually openly stole peacock feather thread . And then finally brought this crudely-made thing to make up for it?”  

In an instant, Wei Yingluo knelt . “This slave doesn’t dare . ”  

“You don’t dare? It has already been done, so what do you mean you don’t dare?” Mingyu wanted to throw the imperial robes at her face . But then, from behind her, she heard Empress Fucha telling her to wait .   

Empress Fucha beckoned, and Mingyu brought the robes to her . She lowered her head and examined them for a moment . She couldn’t help but draw her brows together . Then the empress raised her head . Looked at Wei Yingluo . “If this palace is not mistaken, this thread is made from the fur of a deer’s tail . ”  

“Your Majesty, the empress, is correct . ” Wei Yingluo did not hide the fact, and openly and honesty agreed .   

Everyone was in uproar .   


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It was actually the embroidery workshop’s most inferior goods, the down fur of a deer’s tail . Even the palace maids who were of a slightly higher rank would not use such a material for their clothes . The servants of the embroidery workshop certainly were brave . Under whose orders did they do this? That they would actually use such things to insult the empress?    

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A moment later, whether intentionally or not, everyone’s gazes converged at Noble Consort Hui .   

Even Empress Fucha held similar suspicions . Her expression gradually darkened . “Why did the embroidery workshop choose to use this thread?”  

Did the upper management make a mistake to use such materials for the empress?  In everyone’s opinion, no matter the answer, it was still an insult to the empress . If it had happened previously, then it did not need to be mentioned . But if it happened now, then it would mean that the empress did not have what it took to manage the imperial harem . Any person could just exchange the materials . And then in her birthday, use a set of imperial robes made from the down fur of a deer’s tail to insult her .    

Regardless of how the empress would treat this matter after the birthday celebration, the little palace maid before them… was definitely going to die!  

As everyone looked at Wei Yingluo like she was a dead person, she took a deep breath, and continued to lift the tray high . In a clear voice, she said, “It has been said that Your Majesty, the empress, is frugal, and has said that golden and silver thread are extravagant and wasteful . This slave recalled that before the ancestors of the Qing Dynasty created this country, all the clothes and adornments were created with thread made with the down fur of a deer’s tail . This slave was bold and did not want golden and silver thread, instead returning to old customs . To follow Your Majesty in practicing a strict economy, and also to remind everyone how difficult it was for our ancestors to gain control of China . ”   

“This…” Mingyu had already prepared Wei Yingluo’s punishment, but after suddenly hearing what the latter had said, she was instantly rendered speechless . She contemplated Wei Yingluo’s words for a long while, but in the end, she could not find any fault in them . She could only look at Empress Fucha .   

How would Empress Fucha deal with Wei Yingluo?  

Wei Yingluo already guessed most of it .   

Previously, when Wei Yingluo refused to walk inside and present the gift, it was because the empress had just received the Sending Sons Guanyin from Noble Consort Hui and was subsequently in a bad mood .   

When a kind person who always ate vegetarian was in a bad mood, they would probably still kick the dog next to them .   

For this reason, Wei Yingluo stalled as much as she could . Until the emperor’s gift arrived .   

Because of that green cuckoo bird, the empress’ emotions went from gloomy to sunny again .     

When a person that was quick to anger was in high spirits, even their voice would more gentle than usual . And they would even give the roadside beggar a bun .   

“People could try as hard as they want, but whether they succeed is up to the heavens,” thought Wei Yingluo .  “Heaven… please don’t let down such an observant and conscientious person like me . ”  

Naturally, this was the case .   

“…A girl like you is clever,” said the empress . Still kneeling, Wei Yingluo pressed her body close to the floor . She could only hear Empress Fucha’s voice from above her, a relaxed and joyful sort of voice . “Presently, the palace has become more and more extravagant . If everyone can remember how difficult it was for our ancestors to create this country, and abandon luxury, living a simple life, that would be for the best . Someone reward her!”   

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