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Chapter 7
The person was still there, but the money was gone. Yi Xing scratched her head in frustration. "Where is my banknote?"
She had slipped back after the midday meal, intending to retrieve the money so she could use it to "smooth things over" with Nanny Yan. But after digging around for ages—even widening the crack in the bricks—the banknote was nowhere to be found.
It seemed someone had spotted her stash and made off with it.
Yi Xing sat heavily on the edge of the kang, gasping with rage. It truly was a year of ill luck. She hadn't become an Imperial Noble Consort; instead, she’d been sent to the training quarters as a maid. She thought she had one last path to navigate, but now that her hidden money was gone, what would she do? She might even be sent to the North Five Residences to handle the "filthy chores" (cleaning toilets and heavy labor)!
Deprived of her spirit, Yi Xing was too dejected to even move. Because she hadn't shown up for training, the teaching Auntie sent Yin Zhu back to the Tatan to find her.
Yin Zhu walked in to find her looking sallow and sickly. She anxiously felt Yi Xing’s forehead. "Auntie, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Yi Xing turned her gaze, looking at her sluggishly. "Yin Zhu... my gall has shattered." (Meaning: I’ve lost my courage/spirit).
Yin Zhu was startled. "Your gall shattered?"
Yi Xing dejectedly pulled back the bedding. "Money is a person’s courage. My banknote was stolen. I am officially destitute."
Being poor was ten times more terrifying than having a bad situation.
Yin Zhu froze. She knew the Old Auntie had smuggled money into the palace, but she hadn't known the hiding spot. Looking at the gap between the bed platform and the wall, she finally understood.
Refusing to believe it, Yin Zhu stared hard at the crack. She pulled a velvet flower from her hair and used the hairpin to scrape through the gap several times. Finally, she had to accept it. "It looks like it’s truly gone," she said miserably.
Who could be so black-hearted to do such a thing? Yin Zhu put her hands on her hips in a rage. "There’s a thief among the candidates! I’m going to Nanny Yan. Even if we don't catch them red-handed, I’ll make such a scene that they won't be able to use the money to bribe anyone!"
Yi Xing grabbed her back. "Bringing items into the palace is a violation of the rules. If we report it, we'll get 'splashed with filth' without ever tasting the mutton. That money won't come back regardless of whose hands it’s in. Let’s keep quiet and see who Nanny Yan selects from this room. Ninety percent chance, it’s that person."
Yin Zhu nodded gloomily, still muttering curses under her breath about "dog-droppings" and wanting to chop off the thief's hand.
The person was still there, but the money was gone. Yi Xing scratched her head in frustration. "Where is my banknote?"
She had slipped back after the midday meal, intending to retrieve the money so she could use it to "smooth things over" with Nanny Yan. But after digging around for ages—even widening the crack in the bricks—the banknote was nowhere to be found.
It seemed someone had spotted her stash and made off with it.
Yi Xing sat heavily on the edge of the kang, gasping with rage. It truly was a year of ill luck. She hadn't become an Imperial Noble Consort; instead, she’d been sent to the training quarters as a maid. She thought she had one last path to navigate, but now that her hidden money was gone, what would she do? She might even be sent to the North Five Residences to handle the "filthy chores" (cleaning toilets and heavy labor)!
Deprived of her spirit, Yi Xing was too dejected to even move. Because she hadn't shown up for training, the teaching Auntie sent Yin Zhu back to the Tatan to find her.
Yin Zhu walked in to find her looking sallow and sickly. She anxiously felt Yi Xing’s forehead. "Auntie, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Yi Xing turned her gaze, looking at her sluggishly. "Yin Zhu... my gall has shattered." (Meaning: I’ve lost my courage/spirit).
Yin Zhu was startled. "Your gall shattered?"
Yi Xing dejectedly pulled back the bedding. "Money is a person’s courage. My banknote was stolen. I am officially destitute."
Being poor was ten times more terrifying than having a bad situation.
Yin Zhu froze. She knew the Old Auntie had smuggled money into the palace, but she hadn't known the hiding spot. Looking at the gap between the bed platform and the wall, she finally understood.
Refusing to believe it, Yin Zhu stared hard at the crack. She pulled a velvet flower from her hair and used the hairpin to scrape through the gap several times. Finally, she had to accept it. "It looks like it’s truly gone," she said miserably.
Who could be so black-hearted to do such a thing? Yin Zhu put her hands on her hips in a rage. "There’s a thief among the candidates! I’m going to Nanny Yan. Even if we don't catch them red-handed, I’ll make such a scene that they won't be able to use the money to bribe anyone!"
Yi Xing grabbed her back. "Bringing items into the palace is a violation of the rules. If we report it, we'll get 'splashed with filth' without ever tasting the mutton. That money won't come back regardless of whose hands it’s in. Let’s keep quiet and see who Nanny Yan selects from this room. Ninety percent chance, it’s that person."
Yin Zhu nodded gloomily, still muttering curses under her breath about "dog-droppings" and wanting to chop off the thief's hand.
Money was gone, and time was lost. Because Yi Xing had missed her tea-serving lesson, the Auntie made her stand against the wall as punishment.
Standing in punishment was common, and this was considered light—kneeling was far worse. At first, Yi Xing was embarrassed, but she soon grew numb. What was more painful than losing her money? Two hundred taels! It was several years' worth of living expenses for a normal family, and she had saved it for a long time.
While the other candidates carried tea trays and practiced their steps and curtsies, Yi Xing stared into the sky. The birds were free, flying from the northernmost part of the Forbidden City to the Wu Men (Meridian Gate) in the blink of an eye. She wished she were a bird; then she wouldn't be so angry about the money that she wanted to hang herself.
Perhaps because she looked too dejected standing there, the old palace maid’s rattan switch suddenly landed on her back.
Smack! The thin spring silk robe offered no protection. Her back burned with stinging pain. "Aiyoo!" Having never been hit in her life, the "Auntie" jumped up in pain and anger. "Why did you hit me!"
The old maid’s face pulled long with fury. "You dare talk back?" Another strike fell. "Weren't you taught the rules? Look at you—slumping your shoulders and hunching your back. I told you to stand as punishment, not to take a leisure break!"
The rattan switch was like a whip; as long as they didn't hit the face, they could strike anywhere. Everywhere it touched felt like it had been set on fire. Yi Xing tried to dodge, but the blows only came harder. She finally begged for mercy: "Good Nanny, I was wrong! I won't talk back or slump again!" Only then did the old woman stop.
It felt like intentional bullying. Yi Xing’s identity made many people resentful. She was the "Auntie" of the Shang family, a relative of the deposed Empress. Anyone who broke her down could feel powerful—a "tiger-slaying hero" in this dark corner of the world.
The old maid seemed to release years of bottled-up frustration. Her pale face flushed with a dark satisfaction. "Since you're at the training quarters, you are under my control. I don't care if you have 'face' or not; everyone is treated by palace law. At home, you were a pampered mistress, but in the palace, you are nothing. If you don't know the rules, I will teach you. That is how I earn my keep. Listen well—if I see you being half-hearted again, I'll make you balance bricks on your head in the courtyard. When that happens, you'll lose both your dignity and your skin, so don't blame me."
Yi Xing knew a wise person doesn't fight when the odds are against them. Tears welled in her eyes, but she didn't let them fall, fearing another beating. "Nanny's lesson is correct. I will listen to you from now on. Please forgive me this time."
Yi Xing was, in truth, a bit soft. Her high spirits came from being a senior in the Shang family where nephews kowtowed to her from the moment she was born. She had thought the world was full of good people. Now, in the palace, she realized that in crowded places, every step is a "battlefield" (Jianghu). Her pride was like water poured onto sand; the palace didn't care about logic, only the whip.
That night, Yin Zhu applied medicine to Yi Xing’s wounds. Two of the welts had broken the skin. "We’ve only been in the palace a few days and they’re already bullying you like this," Yin Zhu grumbled. "If Ying Tao hadn't stopped me, I would have kicked that Nanny Gui in the chest."
Yi Xing shook her head. "If we both get punished, Ying Tao wouldn't be able to keep up with the medicine."
She noticed Ying Tao sitting nearby, looking distracted. "Do you have something on your mind?"
Ying Tao snapped out of it. "No... I’m just upset for you. Those old nannies bully the honest people."
Indeed, the Old Auntie was an "honest person." If it had been Yin Zhu, she would have fought back long ago.
Later, Ying Tao went to the well to fetch water. In the palace, you had to pull the buckets up by hand, which required great strength. Ying Tao could only pull up half a bucket at a time, soaking her shoes in the process.
As she was about to head back, she heard the sound of gagging and vomiting from behind a screen wall. She crept closer, thinking someone had overeaten. To her surprise, she saw two figures in the dark: one vomiting, and another patting her back.
"Endure it just a bit longer. We'll be assigned the day after tomorrow. Once we're 'there,' you can rest for a couple of days," a familiar voice said.
"But I’m afraid... this is such a great sin..." The rest of the words were drowned out by coughing.
A great sin? Ying Tao was confused. Then she accidentally kicked a flowerpot.
"Who’s there!" a voice barked. Ying Tao couldn't run in time. When the person emerged, it was Auntie Qing, who taught them etiquette.
"It’s you," Auntie Qing said with a cold, mysterious smile. "What did you hear?"
"N-nothing," Ying Tao stammered. "I was just getting water."
Auntie Qing’s face was dark. "Someone just ate something bad. Don't go gossiping in the room, do you understand?"
Ying Tao agreed and hurried back to the Tatan.
Two days later, the "Selection" by the Emperor and Empress Dowager took place in the Imperial Garden. Those who had already been rejected could not attend.
Standing in punishment was common, and this was considered light—kneeling was far worse. At first, Yi Xing was embarrassed, but she soon grew numb. What was more painful than losing her money? Two hundred taels! It was several years' worth of living expenses for a normal family, and she had saved it for a long time.
While the other candidates carried tea trays and practiced their steps and curtsies, Yi Xing stared into the sky. The birds were free, flying from the northernmost part of the Forbidden City to the Wu Men (Meridian Gate) in the blink of an eye. She wished she were a bird; then she wouldn't be so angry about the money that she wanted to hang herself.
Perhaps because she looked too dejected standing there, the old palace maid’s rattan switch suddenly landed on her back.
Smack! The thin spring silk robe offered no protection. Her back burned with stinging pain. "Aiyoo!" Having never been hit in her life, the "Auntie" jumped up in pain and anger. "Why did you hit me!"
The old maid’s face pulled long with fury. "You dare talk back?" Another strike fell. "Weren't you taught the rules? Look at you—slumping your shoulders and hunching your back. I told you to stand as punishment, not to take a leisure break!"
The rattan switch was like a whip; as long as they didn't hit the face, they could strike anywhere. Everywhere it touched felt like it had been set on fire. Yi Xing tried to dodge, but the blows only came harder. She finally begged for mercy: "Good Nanny, I was wrong! I won't talk back or slump again!" Only then did the old woman stop.
It felt like intentional bullying. Yi Xing’s identity made many people resentful. She was the "Auntie" of the Shang family, a relative of the deposed Empress. Anyone who broke her down could feel powerful—a "tiger-slaying hero" in this dark corner of the world.
The old maid seemed to release years of bottled-up frustration. Her pale face flushed with a dark satisfaction. "Since you're at the training quarters, you are under my control. I don't care if you have 'face' or not; everyone is treated by palace law. At home, you were a pampered mistress, but in the palace, you are nothing. If you don't know the rules, I will teach you. That is how I earn my keep. Listen well—if I see you being half-hearted again, I'll make you balance bricks on your head in the courtyard. When that happens, you'll lose both your dignity and your skin, so don't blame me."
Yi Xing knew a wise person doesn't fight when the odds are against them. Tears welled in her eyes, but she didn't let them fall, fearing another beating. "Nanny's lesson is correct. I will listen to you from now on. Please forgive me this time."
Yi Xing was, in truth, a bit soft. Her high spirits came from being a senior in the Shang family where nephews kowtowed to her from the moment she was born. She had thought the world was full of good people. Now, in the palace, she realized that in crowded places, every step is a "battlefield" (Jianghu). Her pride was like water poured onto sand; the palace didn't care about logic, only the whip.
That night, Yin Zhu applied medicine to Yi Xing’s wounds. Two of the welts had broken the skin. "We’ve only been in the palace a few days and they’re already bullying you like this," Yin Zhu grumbled. "If Ying Tao hadn't stopped me, I would have kicked that Nanny Gui in the chest."
Yi Xing shook her head. "If we both get punished, Ying Tao wouldn't be able to keep up with the medicine."
She noticed Ying Tao sitting nearby, looking distracted. "Do you have something on your mind?"
Ying Tao snapped out of it. "No... I’m just upset for you. Those old nannies bully the honest people."
Indeed, the Old Auntie was an "honest person." If it had been Yin Zhu, she would have fought back long ago.
Later, Ying Tao went to the well to fetch water. In the palace, you had to pull the buckets up by hand, which required great strength. Ying Tao could only pull up half a bucket at a time, soaking her shoes in the process.
As she was about to head back, she heard the sound of gagging and vomiting from behind a screen wall. She crept closer, thinking someone had overeaten. To her surprise, she saw two figures in the dark: one vomiting, and another patting her back.
"Endure it just a bit longer. We'll be assigned the day after tomorrow. Once we're 'there,' you can rest for a couple of days," a familiar voice said.
"But I’m afraid... this is such a great sin..." The rest of the words were drowned out by coughing.
A great sin? Ying Tao was confused. Then she accidentally kicked a flowerpot.
"Who’s there!" a voice barked. Ying Tao couldn't run in time. When the person emerged, it was Auntie Qing, who taught them etiquette.
"It’s you," Auntie Qing said with a cold, mysterious smile. "What did you hear?"
"N-nothing," Ying Tao stammered. "I was just getting water."
Auntie Qing’s face was dark. "Someone just ate something bad. Don't go gossiping in the room, do you understand?"
Ying Tao agreed and hurried back to the Tatan.
Two days later, the "Selection" by the Emperor and Empress Dowager took place in the Imperial Garden. Those who had already been rejected could not attend.
Yi Xing watched dejectedly as Yu Pin’s cousin, Yun Hui, walked by in a vibrant green robe, looking as if she had already been promoted. That could have been Yi Xing’s day.
Back at the training quarters, Nanny Yan was also picking "clever" girls to be sent to various palaces. This was essentially the moment for those with connections (or bribes) to move up.
Yi Xing watched closely to see who from their room would be picked. When Nanny Yan finally read the list, she called out: "Ying Tao."
Yi Xing let out a breath of relief. Finally, her missing banknote had an "address." She had even begun to wonder if it had fallen into a crack and been burned.
Yi Xing watched dejectedly as Yu Pin’s cousin, Yun Hui, walked by in a vibrant green robe, looking as if she had already been promoted. That could have been Yi Xing’s day.
Back at the training quarters, Nanny Yan was also picking "clever" girls to be sent to various palaces. This was essentially the moment for those with connections (or bribes) to move up.
Yi Xing watched closely to see who from their room would be picked. When Nanny Yan finally read the list, she called out: "Ying Tao."
Yi Xing let out a breath of relief. Finally, her missing banknote had an "address." She had even begun to wonder if it had fallen into a crack and been burned.
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