The Empress Wears Gucci

72

        Chang Ying's maids were up to something. My instincts didn't lie to me and neither did my eyes. If they wanted to stay, they wouldn't have been hidden at the back of the newer palace maids. They wanted to do something to me, and I had to know what it was.

        "Warm blessings to the Empress!" Lei Shu kowtowed.

       "At ease," I crossed my legs.

        Lei Shu raised her head. "I have information on Chang Ying's maids."

        Without a doubt, I was extremely happy that she was straight to the point. In fact, I was more than relieved. I hated prying things out of people. Lei Shu was simple and concise.

        "Speak." I motioned for more tea and held the teacup to the side of me. Snoopy slowly poured the liquid in.

        "They leave me out of everything right now because I believe they know that I am speaking to you," Lei Shu explained. Her face softened. "Something I do know is that I saw one of them leave the quarters late at night."

        I knew it. They were conspiring against me. They were some loyal maids. I hope if anything does happen to me, all ten of my maids would be down to kick some butts. If Guan Shu was here, I was sure she would. She was always loyal to me.

         Hua Er snapped her head to face me. "Who would they be talking to late at night? Perhaps it is just an affair? We can't come to these conclusions."

        Suspecting other maids of conspiring against me was far-fetched. However, this was Chang Ying's maids. They had a strong motive, and they had the smarts. I slowly drank the tea. Hua Er watched as I put the teacup down on the tray Snoopy held. I cleared my throat. "We can because there was no reason for Chang Ying's maids to hide behind the newer palace maids."

        "Empress," Feng Xi looked at me. I turned to look at her and nodded. "Chang Ying's maids looked out of place. When you were approaching Lady Fei Ruo, they were glaring."

        I looked around at my maids. "Can you all confirm this?"

        They nodded. 

        "They're all cowards," I snarled as I uncrossed my legs. "By the end of this week, I'll get rid of them. You all don't need to worry about it."

        Lei Shu looked up at me. A wave of confusion washed over me. Why was Lei Shu a maid when I was the Empress? She was technically my mother. The late empress's mother was able to live with her. I gasped at my sudden realisation and looked at Hua Er.

       She raised an eyebrow. "What is it, Your Majesty?"

       "Lei Shu," I faced her mother. "From now on, you are not a maid. You will live in a palace near mine."

       "Empress, I'm doing fine as a—"

       "How can I let my own family live like this? Lei Shu, get out of your maid attire," I turned to look at Feng Xi. "Take her measurements and dress her well. Let His Majesty know that I am making this arrangement."

       "Yes, Your Majesty." Feng Xi bowed and hurried off. 

        The doors of my estate quickly opened. I raised an eyebrow at Lian Ying. He walked in here for a long time. I wasn't going to visit the Emperor today, nor was he going to visit me. I thought we established that but Lian Ying bowing to me said otherwise.

         Weird.

        "Empress, the Emperor is requesting you." Lian Ying kept his head down.