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Chapter 8
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Chapter 8
For a thirteen-year-old child with a mediocre background and no connections, standing out in the first round of selection at the training quarters was nearly impossible.
While no one knew exactly what benefit she had given Nanny Yan, the fact that she had bribed her was as "obvious as a louse on a bald man's head."
Yin Zhu was filled with righteous indignation. "I truly didn't expect it. The dog that bites doesn't bark. I suspected everyone in the Tatan, but I never once suspected her."
Who would have thought that child had such schemes? They had sincerely treated her like a younger sister, only for her to turn around and "hollow out" Yi Xing’s entire stash. It was a classic case of a good deed going unpunished. Yi Xing was disappointed, but also puzzled—she had hidden the banknote so carefully; how did the girl find it?
Yin Zhu leaned against the wall and sighed. "How could you know how a 'garrison brat' grows up? A child who receives no attention learns from a young age to notice everything. She must have taken it to heart when we talked about the training quarters selecting people for the mistresses' palaces. People want to climb high branches—that's natural—but there should be a sense of morality. We trusted her so much, and this is how she repays us? Thinking about it makes my stomach churn with anger."
Yi Xing sighed as well. "It’s not just that. I’m mostly annoyed that she doesn't understand the market. She got swindled."
A two-hundred-tael banknote! There was no place to break such a large bill. If it was handed to Nanny Yan, it was a one-way trip—it’s not like the Nanny was going to give her back one hundred and fifty taels in change! To trade two hundred taels for a job in a Concubine's palace was a massive loss. With that kind of money, one could build a relationship with a head maid in the Noble Consort's palace and have her whisper good words to Yu Guifei; the resulting rank would have been much higher.
What a waste! The more Yi Xing thought about it, the more her heart ached. She wasn't just sad about the loss, but about the sheer incompetence of the "investment." She was so angry she couldn't eat, blaming Ying Tao for squandering her money.
Before moving to her new quarters, Ying Tao had to come back to pack her things. Those who didn't know the truth looked at this quiet but "well-off" child with newfound respect. Only Yi Xing and Yin Zhu knew the dark reality.
Ying Tao was clearly guilty, hurriedly gathering her bundle. Yin Zhu leaned against the door with her arms crossed, saying sarcastically, "Pack carefully. Don't leave anything behind, and don't take anything extra."
Ying Tao’s hands paused. She seemed to summon her courage before turning to give them a weak smile. "Auntie, Sister Yin Zhu, everyone will eventually be assigned to the Six Eastern and Western Palaces. I'm just going a step ahead. We’ll surely see each other again soon."
Yi Xing gave a numb nod. "That’s true. Everyone gets assigned eventually; there's no need to be in a hurry." To someone with a guilty conscience, her polite words felt like a sharp slap to the face.
Ying Tao’s face flushed. "I’m going... I'll find a way to pave the road for you two."
"Don't bother," Yin Zhu snapped. "I heard Ma Pin in Chu Xiu Gong is difficult to serve. You'd better watch out for yourself! Don't worry about us. Now that you're going, act as if you never knew us. No need to greet us if we meet later."
Ying Tao’s eyes reddened, and she looked timid. A bystander sneered, "She’s found a high branch now. In the future, when she becomes a 'Gugu' or a manager, she'll probably think associating with you is beneath her."
Wiping away tears, Ying Tao finally shouldered her bundle and left. She was headed to Chu Xiu Gong along with a girl named Lan Shao from the next room. Curiously, while other maids were selected in rows, these two were specifically requested by name by Chu Xiu Gong. No one knew if it was because of the heavy bribe or if that palace had scouted them earlier.
Now truly "penniless and white," Yi Xing’s pride was broken. She became an obedient servant, doing exactly as she was told.
Yet, she still pondered her situation. After a long day of carrying trays, she found a moment of rest in the evening. Squatting in a corner of the courtyard, she watched a line of ants working together to carry a sesame-sized crumb of cake back to their nest.
Yin Zhu came over and asked, "What are you doing?"
"Look at these ants," Yi Xing said. "Don't they look like the harem consorts? And this crumb they're carrying... that's like the Emperor."
Yin Zhu laughed. "You’ve actually found a metaphor! If you ask me, the ants are us, and that fat white grub inside the ant hole is the Emperor." She quickly covered her mouth, terrified someone might overhear her treasonous joke.
Yi Xing thought about it; the young Emperor probably was a bit pale and plump. Yin Zhu sighed, resting her chin on her knees. "In yesterday’s Imperial Selection, five were 'personally retained' by the Emperor. The Empress Dowager also picked two to be 'First-Class Attendants' (Changzai). One of them was that Yun Hui, you know?"
"Yu Pin's cousin?" Yi Xing asked.
"Yes. She likely got the rank because of her father. He was rewarded for expanding the Rehe Summer Palace last year. The Empress Dowager specifically named her. Imagine how she's gloating now."
Yi Xing replied flatly, "The Emperor deserves to be served by someone like her." Since Yi Xing wanted to use the Emperor as a "springboard" to save her family rather than out of love, her words were often barbed.
Still, she didn't lose her ambition. "How can I see the Emperor? Should I lie in wait on his path? I could pretend it's a chance encounter—catching a butterfly, kicking a shuttlecock, or playing hide-and-seek..."
Yin Zhu ruthlessly crushed the dream. "Palace maids can't wander around. The eunuchs clear the path before the Emperor travels. Even if you were lucky enough to run into him, what if he's in a bad mood? He'd have you dragged away and beaten to death."
That was a chilling thought. Yi Xing tried another angle: "Then we find a way to get close to the imperial attendants. Maybe they can let me serve tea one day..."
"The tea service is strictly regulated. Besides, who would dare give you that job? They’d be afraid you’d put croton seeds (a laxative) in the tea!"
Deflated, Yi Xing realized that even though they were in the same city, she and the Emperor were worlds apart. "So there is no way," she said, sticking a twig in the path of the ants.
Yin Zhu watched the ants probe the obstacle and eventually find a way around it. "We just got here. There will be opportunities. Once we know our way around, it won't be hard to show your face."
Watching the tiny ant continue its journey, Yi Xing felt a surge of resolve. If an ant can do it, so can I!
Just as things were settling into a routine, a major piece of news shook the quarters. A group of maids hurried past, whispering and ignoring the rule against running. Curious, Yi Xing and Yin Zhu followed them back to the Tatan.
A girl was standing on the kang announcing, "Nanny Gui offended some mistress and was sentenced to a beating with the heavy staff! Two eunuchs carried out the sentence; every strike drew blood. She fainted on the spot and has been carried to the Anle Tang (the infirmary for dying servants) to wait for death."
In the palace, the life or death of one person was merely entertainment for others. Nanny Gui had been cruel and greedy, so everyone cheered her downfall. "She hit you last time," a girl named Da Rong told Yi Xing. "Consider your revenge served."
Yi Xing didn't know whether to laugh. "What crime did she commit to be beaten like that?"
"Who cares about logic in the palace?" someone replied. "There are too many slaves and too many masters. One slip and your life is gone."
Others felt a sense of "the fox mourning the death of the rabbit." If an old-timer like Nanny Gui could be beaten to death so easily, what hope was there for them?
With Nanny Gui gone, Nanny Yan took over the training personally. Perhaps fearing her own bribery would be exposed, she became much kinder.
"You won't be here long," Nanny Yan told them. "Once your time is up, you’ll be under the Shang仪局 (Bureau of Ceremonies). If I’m strict now, you’ll hate me; if I’m not, it will be a crime against you when Wu Shangyi takes over."
After the initial half-month of training, the group was sent to the Bureau of Ceremonies to be permanently assigned. Wu Shangyi—the woman who had performed their physical inspection—was a formidable figure. She immediately sent half the girls to the Shangshi Ju (Bureau of Food) and Shangyi Ju (Bureau of Clothing). Yi Xing and Yin Zhu were among the fifty or sixty kept at the Bureau of Ceremonies for miscellaneous tasks.
Wu Shangyi clearly remembered Yi Xing; her eyes lingered on her during the lecture. Yi Xing had a sinking feeling that life here might be even harder than at the training quarters. Her only consolation was that Yin Zhu was still by her side.
Glossary Note:
Anle Tang: Historically, a place in the Forbidden City where sick or dying eunuchs and maids were sent, as deaths were not allowed to occur within the main palace living quarters.
Shang仪局 (Bureau of Ceremonies): One of the six departments governing palace life, responsible for etiquette, seals, and the deployment of palace maids.
Anle Tang: Historically, a place in the Forbidden City where sick or dying eunuchs and maids were sent, as deaths were not allowed to occur within the main palace living quarters.
Shang仪局 (Bureau of Ceremonies): One of the six departments governing palace life, responsible for etiquette, seals, and the deployment of palace maids.
1. Characters & Consorts
2. Places (The Forbidden City)
3. Cultural & Banner Terms
4. Family Terms
Enie: Mother (Manchu-Pinyin).
Ama: Father (Manchu-Pinyin).
Niangniang: A respectful way to address high-ranking consorts (e.g., Yu Guifei Niangniang).
Enie: Mother (Manchu-Pinyin).
Ama: Father (Manchu-Pinyin).
Niangniang: A respectful way to address high-ranking consorts (e.g., Yu Guifei Niangniang).
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