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Chapter 7
"What's your name?"
When the man's unhurried words reached Gu Han's ears, she hadn't expected His Majesty to actually stop and speak to her. Her eyelids trembled almost imperceptibly before she placed her hand in the Emperor's palm and said softly:
"This concubine is Talented Lady of the Gu clan. I greet Your Majesty."
The moment the words left her mouth, Gu Han immediately cursed her lack of composure. Meeting the imperial countenance for the first time, she'd failed to control herself, her voice had actually trembled slightly.
The Gu clan?
A flash of understanding crossed Lu Yu's eyes. The legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Rongyang.
As the woman raised her hand, her sleeve slipped down with the movement, revealing a slender, pale wrist. Her fingers were distinct and delicate, long and graceful as spring onions. Lu Yu's gaze seemed to pause. He applied a bit more force to help the woman rise before releasing her hand, then glanced at the woman performing palace etiquette beside her.
She wore similar palace robes but had an unfamiliar face. Lu Yu didn't ask, only saying indifferently, "You may all rise."
Rong Ling stood up, barely daring to breathe.
Lu Yu didn't linger. He soon left the Imperial Garden.
Only after he'd been gone for some time did Rong Ling dare speak. She kept patting her chest. "That scared me to death."
As Rong Ling spoke, she couldn't help glancing at Gu Han. She'd long known that with Sister Gu's beauty, gaining His Majesty's favor was only a matter of time. But Rong Ling hadn't expected that from just a distant glimpse, His Majesty would stop for Sister Gu.
Even though he'd only spoken one sentence, word of this reaching others' ears would be enough to inspire envy.
Recalling her panicked glimpse earlier, Rong Ling lowered her eyes, her cheeks flushing slightly. She'd heard that the Empress Dowager in her youth had been unparalleled in the palace. Rong Ling had always thought this claim exaggerated, but after seeing His Majesty just now, she suddenly felt the rumors might not be false.
They said His Majesty's features resembled the Empress Dowager's by thirty percent. Rong Ling only felt she'd never seen a man as handsome as His Majesty. Just one look and her heart had trembled, yet when His Majesty stood there so casually, she didn't dare meet his gaze directly, her heart filled with overwhelming awe.
Gu Han pressed her slightly dry lips together. The hand His Majesty had held tucked into her sleeve, uncontrollably gripping her handkerchief.
After encountering His Majesty, neither Gu Han nor Rong Ling had the mind to continue strolling. They each returned to their palaces.
There were no secrets in the palace. News that Talented Lady Gu and Precious Grove Rong had encountered His Majesty in the Imperial Garden quickly spread throughout the inner palace. After the midday meal, the number of consorts strolling in the Imperial Garden suddenly increased dramatically compared to usual.
When Jiu Si heard about this, she immediately pursed her lips with displeasure. Remembering this was the palace, she didn't say anything too disrespectful.
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Jiu Nian was removing Gu Han's hairpins, preparing to attend to her afternoon rest. Gu Han took the silk cloth from Jiu Nian's hands and wiped the cosmetics from her face before glancing at Jiu Si through the bronze mirror.
With no one else in the chamber, Gu Han said calmly, "Anyone can go to the Imperial Garden. Why are you upset?"
Jiu Si said sullenly:
"It's not the Imperial Garden they want."
The ulterior motive was obvious, they might as well have written it on their faces.
Gu Han thought to herself: So what?
There were so many consorts in the palace. Those who received even one night's attendance in a month could be considered slightly favored. This showed there were plenty who went years without seeing His Majesty. Now knowing the Imperial Garden offered a chance to encounter him, who wouldn't be tempted?
At Kunning Palace.
The Empress was reviewing account books while Muqiu reported on the Imperial Garden incident. The Empress raised her eyebrows slightly. "Talented Lady Gu?"
Muqiu nodded, also unable to help expressing surprise:
"During morning respects, this Talented Lady Gu was so quiet, not drawing the slightest attention. Who would have thought she would have such luck?"
Unlike Muqiu, the Empress had some impression of Gu Han.
His Majesty had doted on Pure Consort for years, so the palace consorts had more or less started imitating Pure Consort's style. Regardless of whether it suited them, their dress and adornment all leaned toward the vivid and striking. This Talented Lady Gu, perhaps having just entered the palace, didn't yet understand these subtleties.
Today she had worn properly fitted palace robes. Her willow-leaf brows curved delicately, a single white jade hairpin lending her a gentle, serene air, like a touch of coolness in the scorching summer heat. The Empress had noticed her immediately, but Talented Lady Gu had been too quiet, not speaking a single word during morning respects.
Pure Consort's brazen absence had been so outrageous that the Empress had temporarily forgotten about Talented Lady Gu.
The Empress looked at herself in the bronze mirror and paused, reaching up to touch the fine lines at the corners of her eyes. She'd married into the prince's household at sixteen, twelve years ago now. She and His Majesty were the same age, twenty-eight now.
The newly entered consorts were only fifteen or sixteen, so fresh and tender they could practically drip with moisture, something she could never compete with.
Men are all prone to novelty and dislike of the old, even emperors are no exception, or rather, the royal family is even more so in this regard. But in this world, whose beauty will not fade?
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Only the person occupying this Empress's position would never change.
The Empress lowered her hand and smiled faintly. She had been bestowed in marriage by the late Emperor's decree. Without major transgression, even His Majesty couldn't easily depose her. Therefore, the Empress never competed for those fleeting scraps of favor.
Muqiu's breathing tightened when she saw the Empress touch her eye corners. Just as she was about to offer comfort, she saw the Empress shift her gaze to the window and say with a smile:
"With new consorts entering the palace, it has certainly become much livelier."
Muqiu blinked, not quite understanding.
****
By evening, everyone in the palace was waiting for news.
Changchun Pavilion was no exception.
Ever since learning that his mistress had encountered His Majesty in the Imperial Garden today, Little Fang had been hoping for nightfall. Yesterday with Pure Consort summoning him, he hadn't dared hope His Majesty would come, but today was different. Little Fang anxiously kept looking outside.
His behavior made even Gu Han somewhat nervous, and she couldn't help stopping him:
"Yesterday Lady Miao attended His Majesty. Given her past connection with him, His Majesty should visit her today as well."
Anyone who could capture even half of His Majesty's interest wouldn't be tossed aside after just one night.
Little Fang understood this logic, but his heart couldn't help harboring some wishful thinking. His mistress's words brought him back to reality, and he smiled bitterly:
"This servant has served in the palace for so many years, yet still can't match my mistress's composure."
But soon, news came from the outer court. Tonight, Changchun Pavilion would attend.
After seeing off the person from the Office of Palace Attendance, Gu Han's mind was still somewhat blank. The fingers His Majesty had held at noon in the Imperial Garden felt faintly warm. She rubbed her fingertips together and exhaled deeply.
Gu Han had only recently come of age. She was about to engage in the world's most intimate act with a strange man. To say she wasn't nervous would certainly be a lie.
But there was no time for Gu Han to be nervous. The moment news of the attendance arrived, Changchun Pavilion immediately bustled with activity. Bathing, applying fragrance—Jiu Si was so excited her face flushed as she brought several outfits before Gu Han:
"Mistress, look quickly, which should you wear today?"
In recent years, Gu Han had cultivated a serene temperament. It had been exactly three years since her elder sister's death, and she usually wore plain, elegant colors. The outfits Jiu Si selected were also quite subdued. Gu Han bit her lip lightly.
She chose the rouge-red palace gown.
When she'd seen His Majesty today, she'd been wearing rouge. Selecting this set could be considered fitting.
Moreover, Gu Han lowered her eyelids imperceptibly.
She harbored a bit of feminine sentimentality in her heart. When women married, they wore phoenix crowns and bridal veils. She could never have that, but today could also be called her wedding night. She couldn't take her eyes off that rouge-red palace gown.
At least it had a touch of red.
But this girlish sentiment couldn't be shared with others. She could only keep it hidden.
As Gu Han sat before the bronze mirror to dress, Little Fang sent someone to keep watch before Yihe Palace. When Jiu Si was about to apply powder, Gu Han hesitated before saying uncertainly, "Just draw the eyebrows."
Gu Han was extraordinarily beautiful—her lips were naturally red without rouge, her brows naturally dark without paint. Especially now, harboring certain thoughts, when she lowered her brow a barely perceptible shy bashfulness flickered across her features, effortlessly sketching the world's most beautiful scenery.
Jiu Si didn't understand but still followed her instructions.
Little Fang glanced once and froze in shock. When he recovered, he quickly lowered his head, not daring to look again.
He couldn't help thinking, with such a Beauty as his mistress, how could she not win favor?
He stole a peek at his mistress's still-damp hair, mentally calculating the time. Based on when His Majesty had gone to Rongcui Hall yesterday, his mistress still had time to dry her hair.
But the moment this thought formed, he heard footsteps and Eunuch Little Ze's voice from outside the double curtains:
"Mistress, the imperial carriage is almost here!"
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Everyone in Changchun Pavilion started in alarm, nearly panicking. Gu Han could only furrow her delicate brows and urge softly, "Don't panic. Quickly now."
So when Lu Yu arrived at Yihe Palace, he didn't see Talented Lady Gu come out to receive him. Only after stepping into Changchun Pavilion did he see the woman hurriedly pushing aside the curtain and emerging. She glanced up at him once before immediately dropping into a flustered curtsy:
"This concubine was late in receiving Your Majesty. Please forgive me."
The woman's hair was still dripping water, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Compared to when he'd seen her at noon in the Imperial Garden, she had gained a few touches of genuine innocent charm. Lu Yu lowered his eyes, his expression so bland it held almost no emotion, yet he still extended his hand to help her up:
"In the future, there's no need to come out to receive me."
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Author's Note:
Gu Han: Not following the script!
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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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