I've Decided To Be This Tyrant's Dark Moonlight - Chapter 41

Xiao Qianxue: “We’re amazing!”

Wei Ying: “Oh yeah!”

The two girls made a heart with their hands, deciding to carry forward this fine tradition and fill the entire palace with laughter and joy.

Just thinking about it made them feel radiant, benevolent, and heroic!

The two girls were going to the Cold Palace, and even the usually reclusive Consort Xian came out to see them off, preparing a few boxes of pastries for them.

“Eat some first. If you get hungry over there, have Lüzha and the others bring more pastries,” Consort Xian said, holding Wei Ying’s hand in her left and Xiao Qianxue’s in her right, then placing their hands together. She spoke earnestly: “You must take good care of each other.”

Xiao Qianxue: “Don’t worry, Your Highness. I’ll take care of Yingying.”

Consort Xian’s eyes shone with pride: “You’ve grown up. Finally, I can entrust Yingying to you.”

Xiao Qianxue: “Yes! You can fully trust me with her!”

Seeing the two of them increasingly diverge from the script, Wei Ying cleared her throat, withdrew her hand, and reminded them: “Let’s head to Anle Hall. Your Highness, take care of your health and don’t overwork yourself.”

Consort Xian looked at her, tears of emotion welling in her eyes, like a mother seeing her daughters finally grow up. She turned to Xiao Qianxue: “I’m entrusting Yingying to you. Treat her well and don’t bully her.”

Xiao Qianxue nodded firmly: “Rest assured, Your Highness, I’ll be good to her.”

Wiping her tears, Consort Xian said, “Now I can finally feel at ease.”

Suddenly remembering something, she added, “I’ve heard that the stewardess of Anle Hall, Madame Leng, is cold and harsh, hard to deal with, and likes to cut corners on supplies. If they dare to bully you, report it to me immediately. The year is coming to an end, and the weather is turning cold. I’ll have someone deliver firewood and food every ten days. If there’s any issue, use that opportunity to tell me.”

“Also,” she nodded toward Madam Zhang carrying a floral cloth bag trailing behind Wei Ying, “Zhang Madam will accompany you inside. She has seniority in the palace and can help you if needed. The blue-and-white cloth bundle in the carriage contains silver coins—make sure to use it to handle the palace maids at Anle Hall.”

Consort Xian meticulously reminded them of many things, watching anxiously as they boarded the carriage. Two small heads peeked out from behind the curtain.

Wei Ying: “Your Highness, we’ll see each other after the New Year!”

Xiao Qianxue: Waving, “Take care, Your Highness, get to bed early and don’t overexert yourself!”

Consort Xian smiled, watching the carriage slowly move away, her expression tinged with melancholy.

The rations and allowances at the Cold Palace were meager, and servants often skimmed their shares. Even with Zhang Madam looking after them, these two children would likely endure many hardships and come out thinner than when they entered. Thinking of the two pitiable girls, she sighed softly.

Zhang Madam sat in the carriage, observing the two girls and sighing to herself as well.

Xiao Qianxue: “Yingying, what’s the Cold Palace like?”

Wei Ying thought for a moment, then said seriously: “It’s a unique landscape within the palace.”

Xiao Qianxue rubbed her hands together in anticipation: “So we’re going to see a different kind of scenery, like going on a trip! What a great thing.”

Zhang Madam, seeing them so excited, couldn’t help but pour cold water on their enthusiasm: “Mistresses, what makes Anle Hall a good place? Only the disobedient or fallen consorts used to live here as punishment. The Emperor has been on the throne six years and rarely punishes anyone by sending them here.”

Xiao Qianxue: “Then doesn’t that make us amazing?”

Wei Ying: “Remove the question mark; we are amazing.”

Xiao Qianxue: “Yay, yay, yay!”

Wei Ying: “Hee hee hee!”

Zhang Madam: …This day is impossible to handle.

They needed a dose of Cold Palace reality to truly understand the cruelty of the deep palace.

The carriage headed south, the scenery becoming desolate, and finally at dusk, they arrived at Anle Hall.

Zhang Madam dismounted first, surprised to find a crowd of palace maids gathered at the gate. Frowning, she thought: “I’ve heard these people are lawless and only like to bully fallen consorts. Didn’t expect them to be so brazen as to block the gate.”

Anle Hall was a restricted area for consorts, with few palace maids assigned. But now, including sweepers, everyone was at the gate, giving a somewhat intimidating appearance.

Were they refusing entry without payment?

Clutching the silver coins, Zhang Madam prepared to bribe the officious maids as Consort Xian instructed, also letting the young mistresses see how fearsome the Cold Palace could be.

“Is this the carriage of Noble Mistress Ying or Noble Mistress Xiao?” the leading maid asked.

Zhang Madam nodded, pulling out silver coins: “You—”

Before she could finish, an elderly maid’s hand tightly grasped hers, shaking it vigorously. With tears in her eyes, she exclaimed: “You’re here! Finally! We’ve been waiting for you!”

Zhang Madam was baffled: they came to welcome them?

Wei Ying lifted the curtain, peeking out with her moon-shaped eyes sparkling.

The palace maids gasped, then bowed.

Wei Ying: “Hello, everyone.”

No sooner had she spoken than the maids gasped again, covering their blushing faces and whispering: “Ah…so beautiful.”
“After waiting for so long, we finally have Noble Mistress Ying here.”
“Now I can finally find my fragrance box.”

The elderly maid instantly released Zhang Madam’s hand and performed a formal bow toward Wei Ying and Xiao Qianxue: “Greetings, Noble Mistresses. I am Shi Pei, stewardess of Anle Hall. Your rooms are ready inside. It’s quiet here, not like the bustling outside. We’ve also rehearsed songs and dances to entertain you.”

The young palace maids formed a line and sang, giving a grand welcoming performance.

Wei Ying held Xiao Qianxue’s hand and walked calmly into Anle Hall, under the admiring gazes of the maids.

Zhang Madam carried the floral bundle behind them, feeling as if she were walking on clouds, almost unreal.

It felt like a dream.

Wei Ying and Xiao Qianxue’s rooms were clean and tidy—two rooms. Not as exquisite as their previous residence, but clearly arranged with care. Xiao Qianxue threw her bag on the bed: “I don’t care, I’m sleeping with you!”

Wei Ying smiled and said to the stewardess: “No business today. Come find us tomorrow if there’s anything. Oh,” she noticed the stewardess’ gait, “do you have rheumatism?”

The stewardess’ eyes lit up: “Noble Mistress Ying really knows everything!”

Truly worthy of the title “the half-immortal” among them.

Wei Ying called inside: “Qianxue, get a plaster and give it to the stewardess.”

Xiao Qianxue went “Ah,” took out the ancestral plaster, and handed it over, moving the stewardess to tears.

At the same time, Wei Ying’s mind prompted: “Stewardess Shi Pei has joined your faction. You’ve received 30 points.”

She too was moved to tears, clasping hands with Shi Pei.

Zhang Madam, standing aside, was dumbfounded—without spending a single coin, they had easily won people’s hearts. She began doubting reality.

The Cold Palace, really?

In the following days, Zhang Madam’s decades of palace experience and established worldview were once again completely overturned by Wei Ying and Xiao Qianxue.

Wei Ying and Xiao Qianxue officially opened their office at Anle Hall, revitalizing their second career.

One did divination and detective work, the other sold ancestral plasters. They thrived in the Cold Palace. Wei Ying also gave comic performances and mimicked voices, improving the living standards of the palace maids, while earning points.

Palace maids and eunuchs who had previously sought Wei Ying’s fortune-telling or plasters at Yulu Hall now lined up outside Anle Hall. They knew she didn’t take money, so they brought food, clothes, and small gifts as a token of gratitude.

The Cold Palace was no longer cold—it was full of love and peace.

Shi Pei sighed: “Our Anle Hall has never been this lively.”

Zhang Madam nodded: “It is lively. The wind itself seems noisy.”

Wherever the two young mistresses went, the wind seemed to stir.

Zhang Madam looked back at them. Two lounge chairs were under the eaves, with a table in between, covered with pastries and tea.

The two girls lazily leaned back, sunbathing while managing their respective businesses, their lines and actions perfectly synchronized.

Wei Ying: “Your key is in the southwest. Next.”

A palace maid, grateful, said: “Thank you, Noble Mistress. You’re so kind.”

Xiao Qianxue: “Put this plaster on the affected area. Next.”

The elderly stewardess, trembling, said: “Thank you, Noble Mistress. You’re so kind.”

Occasionally, the two would glance at each other, smile, and give each other a thumbs-up for spreading laughter and love, taking a short pastry break, and continuing their work.

The atmosphere was harmonious and loving.

Zhang Madam thought: if their master saw this, they would be extremely pleased. She planned to write a letter to inform them, offering inspiration…without overworking at night.

Shi Pei: “I envy you. You get to follow such kind mistresses. We’ve been at Anle Hall for decades, and it passes in the blink of an eye.”

In the deep palace, life is short, and one can see the end. Carelessness leads to gray hair and old age.

Zhang Madam felt a faint sadness: “In the deep palace, everyone’s the same. Look at the white hair on my head.”

Shi Pei: “But at least you can see the half-immortal for divination!”

Zhang Madam paused: “Half-immortal?”

Shi Pei whispered, pointing behind them: “Of course. We wanted to go to Yulu Hall to see her, but she came here first. We feel like we’ve absorbed some immortal energy.” Then she sighed: “But Noble Mistress Ying will leave in three months. How I wish she could come often.”

Zhang Madam: “…Better not think about it.”

It was not appropriate.

While they chatted, a special guest arrived at Anle Hall.

Palace Jieyu had dressed up today, wearing a bright purple silk dress, draped in a snow-white fox fur, hair styled into a flying celestial bun adorned with gold and peacock pins, and dazzling jewels—magnificent and radiant.

She strutted down from her sedan chair, ignoring everything, lifting her chin and walking straight in, intending to see the miserable state of her two rivals.

Zhang Madam and Shi Pei’s greetings were ignored.

After she passed, the two stewards looked up, curious.

Shi Pei asked: “Did Jieyu come to see the half-immortal, or for a plaster?”

Zhang Madam frowned, sensing trouble: “She must be here to check on the young mistresses’ mistakes. I need to go in—”

Shi Pei stopped her, indicating to look at the long queue outside: “Wait. No one can get in right now.”

Including Palace Jieyu.

Jieyu never expected her revenge plan to falter on the very first step. Anle Hall was packed, the queue winding outside, forcing her to stay outside.

She was blocked and couldn’t get in!

Regaining her courage, she tried again, only to be pushed out, her meticulously prepared dress wrinkled, still unable to enter.

Angry, she shoved the person in front of her. The person replied impatiently: “Queue! First come, first served. No breaking the rules!”

Looking at the two girls under the eaves, Jieyu’s vision darkened.

Just a few dozen steps away, yet it felt like a world apart.

This is what they call so near, yet so far.

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