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Chapter 2
When chaos erupted at Chuxiu Palace, Gu Han and Rong Ling had only just laid down. From the outer chambers came the sound of a woman's tearful sobbing.
Gu Han had been sleeping restlessly. The moment the crying began, she jolted awake. Her delicate brows furrowed as she cocked her head to listen carefully, and soon recognized who was weeping.
Rong Ling had been waiting for news, tossing and turning sleeplessly. Now hearing the commotion, she sat up immediately and called out softly:
"Sister Gu."
In the darkness, Gu Han sighed silently, rubbing her aching temples as she replied in a gentle voice: "Yes, I'm here."
Rong Ling's eyes were bright. She asked:
"Has Lady Zhou returned?"
Gu Han didn't want to get involved in these matters, but Lady Zhou's crying grew louder, mixed with complaints, disturbing the peace of the entire Chuxiu Palace. One by one, doors began opening as people emerged from their rooms.
Fortunately, Rong Ling didn't wait for an answer. She threw on her outer robe and climbed down from the bed. Gu Han was startled and tried to stop her:
"What are you doing?"
Rong Ling paused, then said hesitantly: "I want to go out and see."
Gu Han sat up, her headache worsening. She pressed her brow:
"If you go out now, won't you be walking right into her line of fire?"
Knowing Lady Zhou must be in a foul mood, why go seek her out? If Lady Zhou vented her anger on Rong Ling, who in Chuxiu Palace could stop her?
Remembering how considerate Rong Ling had been these past days, Gu Han kindly offered this warning. But whether to listen or not was entirely up to Rong Ling herself.
Fortunately, Rong Ling was receptive to advice and stopped immediately.
A palace maid, hearing movement in the room, soon pushed open the door and quietly lit the candles. Gu Han sat up in her outer robe and glanced through the latticed window. She noticed several rooms were still dark, and a flicker of emotion passed quickly through her eyes. She asked softly:
"Ah You, what happened?"
The maid Ah You hesitated before saying in a low voice: "On the way back from boating on the lake with Consort Yuan, His Majesty encountered Lady Zhou reciting poetry in the pavilion at the Imperial Garden. Consort Yuan reprimanded Lady Zhou for not understanding propriety, that as a lady-in-waiting, she should have returned to Chuxiu Palace long ago at such a late hour."
Rong Ling and Gu Han exchanged glances. Rong Ling asked:
"And what did His Majesty say?"
Gu Han sat up straighter, imperceptibly. They could guess Consort Yuan's attitude well enough, but for them, the Emperor's attitude toward Lady Zhou was what truly mattered.
Ah You glanced outside and lowered her voice further: "His Majesty didn't say a word, letting Consort Yuan scold Lady Zhou. Later, on the way to Hanling Palace, His Majesty was summoned away by Pure Consort's people."
Pure Consort had always been favored. For the palace residents, it was nothing unusual for the Emperor to be summoned away mid-journey by Pure Consort's attendants.
But Consort Yuan, left behind, would not see it that way. Lady Zhou and those other ladies-in-waiting who had run out hoping to encounter His Majesty had collided directly with Consort Yuan's fury. With Lady Zhou backed by the Empress Dowager, Consort Yuan didn't dare go too far.
So Lady Zhou, apart from receiving a scolding, returned unharmed.
As for the other ladies-in-waiting, they were still kneeling in the Imperial Garden.
After Ah You finished recounting everything, Gu Han couldn't help but reassess Lady Zhou's standing. In the future palace life, one's status depended first on rank, second on favor. No matter how powerful Lady Zhou's backing was, without the Emperor's affection, others would look down on her.
However, none of them had entered the palace yet, and who would receive favor remained undecided. Gu Han would not underestimate anyone.
When Rong Ling heard that Lady Zhou had been reprimanded, she failed to control her emotions, revealing a gleeful smile. She pressed her handkerchief to her lips, trying to hide her obvious pleasure:
"When will the other ladies-in-waiting return?"
Ah You shook her head: "Consort Yuan ordered them to kneel for three hours."
Gu Han was shocked.
After three full hours, dawn would be breaking. It seemed Consort Yuan was determined to make them suffer.
Rong Ling couldn't help but swallow: "This Consort Yuan doesn't seem easy to get along with."
In the future, they would all enter the palace. Consort Yuan showed no consideration for this, deliberately imposing harsh punishment. Such a temperament made one worry. Once they entered the palace, if their rank was lower than Consort Yuan's, or if they were assigned to Hanling Palace, wouldn't they have to live in constant fear day and night?
Gu Han didn't respond to Rong Ling's words. Where no one could see, she discreetly tightened her grip on her handkerchief. Her constantly tense heart suddenly relaxed somewhat.
With several ladies-in-waiting punished to kneel, unable to return to Chuxiu Palace all night, this situation was actually advantageous for her.
Lady Zhou's crying lasted a long time, finally subsiding in the latter half of the night. Gu Han's thoughts turned for quite a while. Finally, after silence fell around her, she turned over and fell into a deep sleep.
Early the next morning, Gu Han and the other ladies-in-waiting were escorted out of the palace.
At the palace gates, from a distance, Gu Han spotted Jiu Si and Jiu Nian waiting, constantly craning their necks to peer inside. This selection process had taken so long, seeing familiar faces, Gu Han quickened her pace.
As soon as she exited the palace gates, Jiu Si and Jiu Gui rushed forward. Jiu Si's eyes were red:
"Miss, you've grown thin."
Gu Han was at a loss for words.
In the palace, she'd had to rise early every day to learn palace etiquette, nothing like the leisurely comfort of home. This observation about growing thin, Gu Han truly couldn't refute it.
She simply shook her head: "Let's return to the manor first."
Today was the day for the ladies-in-waiting to return home. The Marquis of Rongyang's manor had long been surrounded by a crowd. The moment Gu Han stepped down from the carriage, she heard firecrackers exploding. She helped up her parents and elder brother who had bowed to her, then raised her eyes to look at the manor's plaque. A trace of melancholy flashed through Gu Han's eyes.
That evening, in Gu Han's courtyard, the Marchioness held her hand, eyes red with tears:
"Once you go to the palace, who knows when we, mother and daughter will meet again”
In her life, she had borne one son and two daughters. Her legitimate son was accomplished, entering officialdom early and never causing her worry. Her eldest daughter was generous and virtuous, her younger daughter lively and charming. The three siblings were deeply bonded, never quarreling or conflicting. Who wouldn't say she was blessed with good fortune?
But three years ago, when her eldest daughter died of illness in melancholy, and her younger daughter, after this ordeal, became gentle and obedient, the Marchioness understood this was because her younger daughter feared reminding her of the eldest daughter and causing her grief, so she tried to please her in everything.
In previous years, they wouldn't have needed a legitimate daughter to enter the palace competing for a fraction of imperial favor. But after that incident three years ago, His Majesty had remained cold and distant toward the Marquis of Rongyang's manor. They all knew the Emperor harbored resentment toward their family.
Thus, her younger daughter had no choice but to enter those high walls and deep palace chambers.
The Marchioness's heart was full of guilt, continuously wiping away tears. Gu Han could only console her gently:
"Mother, please don't cry. To enter the palace as an imperial consort, so many people beg for this opportunity but cannot obtain it. That His Majesty has chosen your daughter is her blessing."
The more obedient and understanding her younger daughter was, the more the Marchioness's heart felt sliced by knives:
"If only the Xie family hadn't…"
Gu Han's expression changed abruptly. She immediately pressed her hand over the Marchioness's mouth, cutting her off: "Mother!"
Gu Han rubbed her aching temples:
"When the late Emperor was alive, no one knew who would ultimately win. The Xie family's choice of sides was understandable. Mother, please don't mention this matter again in the future."
Gu Han knew her mother harbored resentment, but as she said, at that time no one knew the final outcome. The Xie family had simply chosen the wrong side and paid the price for it. The Marquis of Rongyang's manor was pitiful.
Though they had kept to themselves, maintaining prudent neutrality, they were implicated and dragged down because of their marriage connection to the Xie family.
Her elder sister and the Xie family's second young master had been in love since childhood, their engagement arranged from youth. They had been only half a year from marriage when this disaster struck. The Xie family fell, the second young master disappeared without a trace. Her elder sister, unable to accept this turn of events, fell gravely ill. Such a lovely person withered away in the prime of her youth.
How could Mother not resent it?
Gu Han's heart also held resentment, but thinking of the Xie family's second young master from those days, she simply couldn't maintain her anger.
Because Second Young Master Xie had truly treated her elder sister with utmost devotion. He even loved the sister by extension, he had always treated Gu Han well too. Even compared to her own elder brother, one couldn't find the slightest fault.
The ways of the world were simply unpredictable.
The imperial decree soon arrived at the Marquis of Rongyang's manor. Junior Rank 5 Talented Lady, this rank among this batch of ladies-in-waiting wasn't outstanding, but it wasn't low either. Of this selection, three were Senior Rank 5 Beauties, four were Talented Ladies, and the rest were all ranked below her.
Given her family background, she could have deserved Senior Rank 5 Beauty, but now receiving this decree, Gu Han actually felt relieved.
For no other reason, without even meeting the Emperor's favour, standing out too much might not be a good thing.
Besides, those appointed as Beauties did indeed have slightly better family backgrounds than hers.
This situation also showed that the Emperor hadn't taken particular notice of her. Gu Han had long anticipated the worst possibilities. The current result was much better than she'd imagined.
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Author's Note:
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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