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Chapter 16
The news that Changchun Pavilion had received rewards quickly spread throughout the rear palace.
At Zhaoyang Palace, Xiuyi He accidentally shattered a complete tea set. The surrounding palace maids bowed trembling, the atmosphere in the hall so oppressive they didn't dare breathe.
After a long while, Xiuyi He raised her head, looking coldly in the direction of Yihe Palace, her voice unable to conceal her disgust:
"Seductive fox!"
The palace maid Liuyue boldly drew closer and carefully spoke:
"Your highness, please calm your anger. His Majesty rewarding Gu Cáirén should only be to compensate for yesterday."
What happened yesterday, they all knew in their hearts. However, these words couldn't console Xiuyi He. She curled her lips in a cold laugh:
"Over these years, hasn't Consort Shu intercepted favor a few times? Yet she alone is different from others and needs compensation?!"
Liuyue fell silent, not knowing at all how to respond to this.
Whether one could catch His Majesty's eye depended entirely on individual skill. That Gu Cáirén could make His Majesty ignore a group of people to accompany her back to dine and rest, this too was Gu Cáirén
Liuyue had served Her Mistress since childhood, accompanying her into the Prince's manor, then later into the palace. Naturally in her heart she understood clearly why Her Mistress so detested Gu Cáirén
Liuyue felt somewhat frightened by Her Mistress's current state. She called out lowly:
"Your highness..."
This call seemed to restore Xiuyi He's rationality. She suddenly came back to herself, tightly gripping her handkerchief. The expression on her face constantly changed. After a long while, it finally returned to calm. She forcefully suppressed the turbulent emotions Gu Han had brought, barely maintaining cold composure:
"All of you, withdraw."
Liuyue was unwilling to leave, but Xiuyi He only wanted to be alone.
Withdrawing from the main hall with three backward glances, Liuyue raised her head to look at the sky. She sighed slowly in her heart. The Rongyang Marquis Manor had never sent legitimate daughters into the palace, how was it that this time, Gu Cáirén had entered the palace?
Some commotion came from the side hall. Liuyue turned her head to look and saw Baolin Rong had just returned from outside, her footsteps quite light. Seeming to sense her gaze, Baolin Rong glanced this way, then turned her head and quickened her pace back into the hall.
Liuyue irritably rubbed her brow. She truly didn't know how the Empress had arranged the palace assignments initially. Baolin Rong was on good terms with Gu Cáirén, yet she had been placed precisely in Zhaoyang Palace. Given Her Ladyship's disgust toward Talented Lady Gu, how could Baolin Rong have good days ahead?!
Whether the situation in the rear palace would change with the new consorts' arrival, Liuyue didn't know. But she understood more clearly than anyone, the sky over Zhaoyang Palace was about to change.
Gu Han still didn't know that someone in this rear palace detested her to the bone. She was currently looking at the rewards Liu An had sent, snail-shell black and congealed rouge, lying quietly in brocade boxes.
At her side, the smile on Xiao Fangzi's face hadn't stopped:
"My lady, this snail-shell black is extremely rare. This year only Her Majesty the Empress and Her highness Consort Shu each received two bags. One can see His Majesty still cares for you, my lady."
Gu Han's face appropriately showed bashfulness, but she only listened to these words without taking them to heart.
If he truly cared for her even one bit, how could he have been so easily intercepted by Consort Shu yesterday?
Pushing the brocade box to the side and having Jiu Si carefully put it away, the smile on Gu Han's face faded somewhat. Xiao Fangzi sensed something amiss, waved for the palace servants to withdraw, leaving only the three people close to their mistress in the hall.
Gu Han didn't stop him. Her delicate brows lightly drew together with some doubt:
"Regarding Xiuyi He, do you know much about her?"
Xiao Fangzi froze. He'd thought about what his mistress might ask, but never imagined she would ask about Xiuyi He. He almost imperceptibly furrowed his brows before saying hesitantly:
"This slave doesn't know much about Zhaoyang Palace either, but Xiuyi He has never participated in rear palace struggles. Clearly she's a palace mistress, yet she's quieter than anyone else."
To say Xiuyi He was obscure wouldn't be quite right. There were only so many palace mistresses in the palace, and this Xiuyi He occupied one position.
But she truly wasn't inclined to curry favor. She rarely made trouble, causing people in the palace to overlook her in most situations.
Gu Han imperceptibly knitted her brows. If what Xiao Fangzi said was correct, then she understood Xiuyi He's initial attitude toward Rong Ling. Since she had no interest in rear palace struggles, naturally she had no patience for dealing with Rong Ling.
As for afterward, Xiuyi He's changed attitude toward Rong Ling was entirely directed at her.
Gu Han couldn't figure it out no matter how hard she tried. She and Xiuyi He had never met. Even before entering the palace, she had never even heard of this person called Xiuyi He. They were five years apart in age. When she was still naive, Xiuyi He was already of marriageable age. Their social circles were completely different. How could she have offended this Xiuyi He?
Suddenly, Gu Han thought of something, the emotion in her eyes pausing.
Five years?
At this age difference, rather than saying Xiuyi He would have intersection and resentment with her, it would be more accurate to say she might have known her eldest sister.
Elder Sister was three years older than her, similar in age to Xiuyi He. But even racking her brains, Gu Han couldn't figure it out. Elder Sister had a gentle temperament and never antagonized others. What kind of hatred could make Xiuyi He, three years after Elder Sister's death, still transfer that hatred onto her?
Gu Han lowered her eyelids, the emotions in her eyes unclear. After a long while, she rubbed her brow and gave up guessing the reason.
The cause wasn't important, what mattered was the outcome. Since she knew Xiuyi He harbored ill will toward her, she just needed to place Xiuyi He in the opposition. Throughout this entire rear palace, sooner or later most would be enemies. This was merely earlier than anticipated.
Gu Han was just about to have Xiao Fangzi also withdraw when she caught sight of his somewhat distracted appearance. Gu Han imperceptibly narrowed her eyes. She suddenly recalled that when Xiuyi He was mentioned just now, Xiao Fangzi had shown some unnaturalness.
Gu Han raised her eyes. Her voice remained gentle, yet no one could ignore the bland emotion within:
"You have history with Xiuyi He?"
Xiao Fangzi started in alarm, immediately coming back to himself. Meeting his mistress's gaze, the words of denial stuck in his throat, he couldn't speak them no matter what. He had long known his mistress was clever and perceptive. He had just been too shocked that his mistress would mention Xiuyi He and momentarily forgot to conceal his emotions, only to have his mistress detect something amiss.
After a long moment, he wiped at the nonexistent cold sweat on his forehead and gradually bowed:
"This slave dares not deceive my lady, but the person with history with Xiuyi He isn't this slave, merely someone this slave knows well."
Gu Han only looked quietly at Xiao Fangzi, neither saying she believed nor that she didn't believe.
Xiao Fangzi smiled bitterly in his heart. He bowed even lower: "This slave, having chosen you as mistress, will only be loyal to you, my lady. But regarding Xiuyi He, this slave absolutely dares not conceal even one bit."
His eyes were open and honest, not seeming false. Gu Han lightly furrowed her brows. Everyone in this world had secrets. As long as Xiao Fangzi was loyal, she didn't need him to be completely transparent. It was just that in this rear palace, Gu Han couldn't afford even one bit of carelessness.
After a long while, Gu Han finally shifted her gaze away from him, her voice gentle:
"Since entering the palace, you've always been dedicated and diligent. I'll trust you this once."
Xiao Fangzi breathed a sigh of relief with lingering fear.
After Xiao Fangzi withdrew, Jiu Nian frowned in confusion: "My lady, since you detected something wrong with Xiao Fangzi, why let him off so easily?"
Gu Han only raised her eyes, the emotion in her brows so faint as to be nearly invisible:
"Since he chose not to speak, naturally he has reasons he cannot speak of. Forcing him will only backfire."
"As for loyalty or not, time will tell. We'll just wait and see."
For now, even if Xiao Fangzi talked himself hoarse, Gu Han couldn't possibly trust him. It was merely three parts trust and seven parts suspicion.
On the other side, after withdrawing from the palace hall, Xiao Fangzi couldn't help but smile bitterly.
Before his mistress entered the palace, he had constantly hoped she would be clever and perceptive. But when this perceptiveness was turned on himself, Xiao Fangzi truly felt his heart tremble with fear.
Xiao Fangzi furrowed his brows deeply. Yesterday's scene at Kunning Palace surfaced again in his mind. For a moment he couldn't quite understand why Xiuyi He would target his mistress.
He had originally thought Xiuyi He should be on his mistress's side.
Xiao Fangzi lowered his head. In the shadows, the emotion on his face was unclear.
Near evening, the rear palace all received news from His Majesty's presence, His Majesty had gone to Xianleng Palace to see Consort De.
At Kunning Palace.
Muqiu looked confused: "Why would His Majesty go to Xianleng Palace?"
During the day, His Majesty had encountered Noble Concubine Lin punishing Talented Lady Yuan but turned a blind eye, directly following Gu Cáirén to Changchun Pavilion. Everyone wanted to know whether His Majesty would handle the matter of Noble Lady Lin.
Muqiu had thought that from whom His Majesty summoned for bedchamber service tonight, one could discern one or two points of His Majesty's attitude toward this matter.
But now His Majesty had gone to Xianleng Palace, completely baffling.
The Empress had long grown accustomed to His Majesty being like this. She lazily propped up her forehead, not even lifting her eyelids:
"Our Majesty has always been thus, doing whatever he wishes."
When had he ever considered others?
Muqiu felt somewhat embarrassed: "Then has Yuan Cáirén truly completely fallen from favor?"
Since entering the manor, Yuan Cáirén had been like an unkillable cockroach. Each time others thought she was courting death, ultimately she had always been fine. This time was the worst she had ever fallen.
The Empress had no patience to mention these people. Even her mood for reading was gone:
"Who knows."
One day when His Majesty felt the whim, perhaps he would remember Yuan Cáirén again. As long as life remained, who could predict what would happen in the future?
Muqiu pursed her lips. The Empress glanced at her sideways: "I see you're quite idle. If you feel you have nothing to do, personally make a trip to the Imperial Kitchen yourself."
Muqiu froze. She instinctively glanced at the water clock, the hour for the evening meal had already passed.
The Empress lowered her eyelids and said casually:
"Have the Imperial Kitchen prepare another evening meal and send it to Cuizhu Pavilion."
Muqiu immediately assented, not daring to speak further.
Cuizhu Pavilion housed Fifth Young Lady, also known as Lin Měirén. Having just entered the palace through this selection, Her Majesty had married into the Prince's manor early, even with blood sisters, they hadn't seen each other for several years. This time Fifth Young Lady's palace entrance was the clan's intention, and also Her Majesty's intention.
But the new consorts had been in the palace for quite some days now, yet Lin Měirén hadn't even caught sight of His Majesty. This afternoon, word came from Cuizhu Pavilion that Lin Měirén had been eating much less these past two days.
Muqiu didn't know what Her Majesty's purpose was with this order.
Was it merely concern, or did it have deeper meaning? Muqiu didn't dare speculate wildly and could only hurriedly make the trip to the Imperial Kitchen herself.
After Muqiu left, the Empress kept her eyes lowered without speaking, the storybook in her hand not turning a single page for a long while.
Here are the ranks of imperial consorts:
- Empress (皇后 Huánghoù) — Head of the Imperial Harem
- Imperial Noble Consort (皇贵妃 Huáng Guìfēi) — Rank 1
- Noble Consort, Pure Consort, Virtuous Consort, Worthy Consort (贵妃、淑妃、德妃、贤妃 Guìfēi, Shūfēi, Défēi, Xiánfēi)** — Senior Rank 1 (The Four Consorts, with Noble Consort as the highest)
- Consort (妃 Fēi) — Junior Rank 2
- Bright Deportment, Bright Countenance (昭仪、昭容 Zhāoyí, Zhāoróng) — Senior Rank 3
- Cultivated Deportment, Cultivated Countenance (修仪、修容 Xiūyí, Xiūróng) — Junior Rank 3
- Noble Lady (贵嫔 Guìpín) — Senior Rank 4
- Imperial Concubine (嫔 Pín) — Junior Rank 4
- Beauty (美人 Měirén) — Senior Rank 5
- Talented Lady (才人 Cáirén) — Junior Rank 5
- Precious Grove (宝林 Bǎolín) — Senior Rank 6
- Imperial Woman (御女 Yùnǚ) — Junior Rank 6
- Palace Maid (宫女子 Gōngnǚzǐ) — Senior Rank 7
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TRANSLATOR
Hi guys, i hope that you are enjoying this novel because i am, i am already in chapter 74, i had so many sleepless nights because i just wanted to know what happens next all the time😁 if you have any questions about a character or i made a mistake somewhere, please do let me know in the comment section. i currently have no editor.
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