Chapter 16 Open the Door! The Ministry of Internal Affairs Sends Warmth!

Shang Wenfu sighed in his heart, pitying the little maid in front of him.

"Alas, this child is also miserable. She was demoted to the cold palace at a young age. Even her smile is full of bitterness. I think she has suffered a lot."

Although he has been in this palace for a lifetime and has seen the ups and downs of life, as he grows older, he can't help but have more compassion.

Yu'er suppressed her inner uneasiness and bowed respectfully.

The seemingly kind old man in front of him is actually a big shot in the palace.

Shang Wenfu is currently the eunuch in charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but everyone in the palace respectfully calls him Shang Zongguan.

The Zongguan here is not a specific position, but just a title.

Shang Wenfu is one of the oldest old men in the palace. He has served three generations of emperors, which shows how much he is trusted by the royal family.

When his reputation was at its peak, his status in this palace was second only to one person and above ten thousand people.

A few years ago, due to his advanced age, he retired at the height of his career and took up a sinecure in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, helping to count supplies and check accounts.

These jobs are neither difficult nor easy.

Shang Wenfu was able to do them with ease.

After all, he was a figure like an ancestor in the harem.

Now, all the eunuchs in power in the palace are his descendants, so who dares not to give him face when doing things?

His reputation when he was young, coupled with the several times he killed chickens to scare monkeys after he took office in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, naturally made him a figure that everyone in the palace respected and feared.

"Yu'er greets Manager Shang."

Yu'er's voice was trembling, and she thought anxiously: "Could that money be..."

Thinking of this, she was about to cry, but she still asked with all her might: "What instructions does Manager Shang have?"

"Haha, Miss Yu'er, don't be so nervous."

Manager Shang was experienced in human relations, and had met many juniors who were so nervous when they saw him, so he didn't care too much.

"It's just that there are some things I need to confirm with Miss Yu'er, and I hope you can answer my questions truthfully."

Hearing this, Yu'er's heart skipped a beat, and a layer of fine cold sweat instantly covered her fair and smooth forehead.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

"The money I picked up couldn't possibly belong to Chief Steward Shang. He has a high status, why would he play tricks on a little maid like me?"

"Don't panic, don't lose your composure, it's not too late to test the waters first and then confess."

Thinking so, Yu'er clenched her fists and looked at the ground under her feet. She had already found the best angle to kneel down, so as to ensure that she would kneel quickly and steadily.

"Hmm?"

Chief Steward Shang looked at the little maid in front of him, her face was uncertain, green and red, changing unpredictably, and her wonderfulness was close to the face-changing skills of southern Sichuan.

"Why are you so flustered?"

Even though Chief Steward Shang was knowledgeable, he couldn't figure out why Yu'er was so flustered.

Looking at her pupils shaking, I'm afraid she won't be able to hold on for long and will faint from fear.

"This poor girl..."

"Am I that scary?"

"It's better to finish your business and go back early."

"Alas——"

After a long time, Manager Shang finally got Yu'er's response.

"Manager Shang, please ask."

Listening to the weak and slightly out-of-tune tone, Manager Shang pretended not to notice it and asked naturally, "Has Jingyang Palace encountered any problems with money and grain recently?"

Hearing this more straightforward question, Yu'er's eyes went dark, her knees softened, and she could only say "Aba Aba" when she wanted to beg for mercy.

Manager Shang saw that she was not in a good condition, so he immediately reached out to stabilize Yu'er's body, and then touched her wrist with one hand without making a sound.

"The pulse is weak, the face is pale, and the whole body is weak..."

"Why is she so weak?"

Manager Shang felt a little strange, so he helped her sit down and rest against the door.

"Miss Yu'er seems to be in poor health. Why don't you take a rest first?"

"Well, I don't have many questions to ask. Miss Yu'er, just nod or shake your head to answer the questions."

Yu'er nodded weakly, with a look of despair.

At this moment, she felt a vortex appearing in her body, which was constantly sucking away her strength, making her whole body weak, and her tongue was out of control, and kept getting tangled.

To put it simply, Yu'er scared herself to death.

She had a lot of random thoughts, and with the help of Shang Zongguan in front of her, wasn't it adding insult to injury?

Shang Zongguan naturally couldn't understand Yu'er's mental journey, but seeing that she was in a bad state, he asked concise questions.

"Answer my question first, has Jingyang Palace encountered any problems with money and grain recently?"

In response, Yu'er shook her head for some reason, and made a final struggle under the instinctive desire to survive.

Shang Zongguan's eyes flickered, but his face showed no emotion, and he continued to ask questions in a calm tone.

"Did two eunuchs from the Ministry of Internal Affairs deduct your monthly allowance a few days ago?"

Hearing this question, Yu'er was stunned for a moment, and suddenly she felt energetic again.

Seeing Yu'er in a daze, Shang Zongguan understood.

"It is true!"

"I am from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. She was afraid of getting into trouble, so she wanted to conceal this matter and make a big thing into a small thing."

"She is so weak, I am afraid she hasn't had a full meal for many days."

Shang Zongguan sighed secretly and stopped asking.

He waved to the side, and a eunuch in flowery clothes appeared out of thin air, respectfully handing over an embroidered brocade bundle.

"The two eunuchs pretended to be from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and privately withheld the money and grain of Jingyang Palace. I have dealt with them."

"Here are the money and grain withheld from Jingyang Palace, and some compensation."

Shang Zongguan handed the bundle to Yu'er, but unexpectedly found that the weak little maid struggled to get up again!

"Shang Zongguan, is this true?"

Yu'er stood up like a miracle and asked excitedly.

"Of course it's true. The Ministry of Internal Affairs will not deduct the monthly allowance for no reason. If you encounter similar things in the future, you can come to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to find me. Just ask the reason, I don't know who can make things difficult for you."

Shang Zongguan said firmly, and obviously made a small promise in secret.

He has experienced ups and downs in the palace, how could he not understand the coldness of human nature.

In his opinion, Jingyang Palace was bullied like this and dared not say a word, which shows how much bullying they suffered in their daily lives.

Especially this little palace maid, who was so timid and afraid of things, obviously had a lot of bad memories.

When people get old, they think a lot.

Obviously Shang Zongguan is a typical example.

Yu'er suddenly experienced the ups and downs of life, and she was still a little dazed.

In less than an incense stick of time, she felt as unreal as a dream.

But holding the embroidered brocade bundle in her hand, she could vaguely feel the touch of silver and brown rice.

The amount is much more than the previous monthly allowance, which I think is the compensation that Shang Zongguan mentioned.

"Shang Zongguan is not here to ask for punishment, but to show his warmth?"