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Chapter 9
However, when one lives within a vast machine like the palace, one cannot always act according to one's own desires.
Though it was said that palace maids must always move in pairs, rules are ultimately made by people. If the superiors didn't assign you a partner, could you really drag someone away from their busy work just to keep you company?
The candidate girls had been in the palace for over half a month, and from this day forward, they were all officially palace maids. Since they were maids, they had to learn how to move about the grounds and carry out assigned errands.
On this day, Wu Shangyi of the Bureau of Ceremonies announced that the Cold Food Festival was approaching. The palace was busy preparing for the ancestral sacrifices at the Hall of Ancestral Worship (Fengxian Dian), and the Hall of Imperial Peace (Qin’an Dian) and the Pavilion of Manifesting Respect (Xianruo Guan) also needed to be swept and cleaned. The maids who already had permanent posts in the various palaces didn't handle these miscellaneous chores; only those remaining at the Bureau of Ceremonies could be dispatched at will.
"You fifteen, head to the Hall of Imperial Peace," Wu Shangyi pointed casually. "You fifteen, go to the Pavilion of Manifesting Respect. You twenty, to the Hall of Ancestral Worship... I'm warning you now, those halls enshrine the spirits of the ancestors and deities. If the slightest mistake occurs, you know the consequences."
The fifty girls who received their orders dropped into a curtsy and responded, "Zhe," and among them was Yin Zhu.
Since entering the palace, Yixing had been inseparable from Yin Zhu, staying together even while learning the rules at the training quarters. Now that Yin Zhu was leaving, Yixing felt a sudden, fluttering sense of being at a loss.
Wu Shangyi turned around to assign tasks to the remaining ten. Five were sent to the gardens to move flower pots, and the rest were split into two groups of two to deliver items to the Bureau of Provisions and the Imperial Clan Court. In the end, only Yi xing remained unassigned. Wu Shangyi stood before her, sizing her up with great interest, and smiled.
"How is it that only you are left? If I let you rest, I’m afraid the others will start talking. Let me think about what else is left to assign... Oh, take a trip to the Bureau of Imperial Attire (Sizhi Ku). In two days, the investiture ceremonies for Concubine Kang, Noble Lady Jin, and First-Class Attendant Shan will take place. Go see if the ladies' ceremonial robes are properly prepared. Also, regarding Concubine Kang’s head ornaments—she specifically requested an orchid design last time. Bring back two samples for me to see. We mustn't get it wrong or fail to satisfy her... She is a Concubine now, so we dare not be negligent."
Yixing responded with a "Zhe." Seeing Wu Shangyi and several nannies head toward the side room, she turned and walked out of the main hall.
The sky was grim today, the dome of the heavens a murky gray. The spring wind was strong, rolling the clouds swiftly across the sky; there was no telling when the rain might start to fall.
Yi xing was a shy person by nature. She could talk fluently in front of people she knew, but in a new place among strangers, she became as silent as a "sawed-off gourd." She wanted to ask where she could find an umbrella, but feared others would find her troublesome and ignore her. Thus, she had no choice but to brace herself and run out, failing to even find a companion.
Since maids were not allowed to wander aimlessly after entering the palace, she didn't even know where the Bureau of Imperial Attire was located. She had only heard it was behind the Six Eastern Palaces, within the "North Five Residences," so she explored and asked for directions as she went.
As she reached the Qiongyuan Right Gate, she met two eunuchs and hurried forward to ask the way. "Anda, could you point me in the right direction? May I ask how to get to the Bureau of Imperial Attire?"
The two eunuchs were arguing about something and had no time for detailed guidance. One pointed eastward with a casual flick of his finger. "Just past the Qianying Gate." They brushed past her and walked away.
Yixing exhaled a heavy breath and had to continue probing forward in the direction the eunuch had pointed.
The "North Five Residences" were also called the "Qiandong Residences," a layout of three-sided courtyards with a main hall and two side wings, where every gate looked exactly the same. Yixing couldn't tell if the residences were numbered from east to west or west to east, so she had to enter each one to inquire. She stepped over each threshold and asked, "Anda, is this the Bureau of Imperial Attire?"
Eunuchs were habitually sharp-tongued. One passing under the eaves let out a "Yo!" "Which palace is this one from? Why have you barged in here so eagerly?"
"She must be carrying a decree from some mistress. Come, come... over here. Let me ask you, is this for your mistress, or for yourself?"
Yixing didn't understand their implication. She said hesitantly, "I am following the orders of Wu Shangyi..."
"Wu Shangyi? She’s already that old, yet she still has such 'desires'?" He burst into loud laughter.
Just then, a decent-looking eunuch stepped out. He adjusted his cap and said, "Enough, stop teasing her." He turned to Yi xing. "This is the Palace Records Office (Jingshi Fang); you've entered the wrong door. The Bureau of Imperial Attire is at the Fourth Residence, right next door to the east."
When Yixing heard she had stumbled into the Palace Records Office, she immediately felt embarrassed. She thanked him repeatedly and backed out of the gate.
The sky grew even darker now. After the "Awakening of Insects," rain became more frequent. In this kind of weather, even the glazed tiles and colorful paintings on the gates lost their vibrancy.
Yixing entered the Bureau of Imperial Attire. Compared to the neighboring residences, this place was much busier. Because of the gloom, lamps had been lit in the rooms. Shadowy figures of eunuchs and maids flickered past as she looked in from outside.
She didn't know who to inquire with; everyone was busy with their own duties, passing her by without a glance. She had to brace herself and enter. Behind a long desk sat a middle-aged eunuch whose clothes were more refined than those of an ordinary eunuch. She guessed that this person must be the manager.
Yixing stepped forward and curtsied. "I pay my respects to you. I am a new maid from the Bureau of Ceremonies, sent by Wu Shangyi to see if the ladies' ceremonial robes for the investiture ceremony are ready."
The manager eunuch didn't even lift his eyelids. He gave a grunt. "They are all ready. Tell Wu Shangyi not to worry."
The phrase "not to worry" sounded as if they weren't on good terms. Interpersonal relationships in the palace were incredibly complex, and Yi xing dimly realized that if it weren't for this kind of "soft nail," Wu Shangyi wouldn't have arranged for her to come and hit it.
What could she do? She still had to say the rest of her piece. After weighing her words, she finally said, "Anda, our Shangyi said that Concubine Kang specified the style of her head ornaments, but she doesn't know if the lady will truly like them. The Shangyi instructed me to take two back for her to look over..."
Before she could finish, the manager eunuch slammed the ledger in his hand shut with a heavy thud.
"Where did this greenhorn come from? You understand nothing! Are the head ornaments of the mistresses something that can be taken out at will for someone to 'look over'? Is your Wu Shangyi muddled, or are you just passing orders incorrectly and ignorantly? Once precious jewelry leaves the storehouse, if any mishap occurs, how many heads do you have for the chopping block?"
This barrage of scolding left Yi xing completely choked up.
She was indeed caught in a trap. She blamed herself for not being tactful enough; it turned out that in the palace, passing a message couldn't be understood literally—it required negotiation. Wu Shangyi had intentionally toyed with her this time, sending her to the Bureau of Imperial Attire to ask for jewelry. And truly, what was a Shangyi? Was a Concubine-rank mistress's belongings something she could just look over whenever she pleased?
Yixing resigned herself to her bad luck. With a heart full of grievance, she murmured, "I must have misheard. I am sorry, it was my incompetence..."
The manager eunuch shot her a glance. "Go back and get it clear before you return."
This was a power struggle between two sides, and the messenger was being toyed with.
Yi xing’s stifled frustration had no outlet. She could only barely respond with a "Zhe" and retreat from the room.
At this time, it began to rain outside—fine but urgent. Looking toward the porch from the corner of the courtyard, one could see the trajectory of ten thousand silver needles falling to the ground.
Without an umbrella, she had to brave the rain to rush back to the Bureau of Ceremonies. The two places were a fair distance apart, and by the time Yixing stepped through the gates of the Bureau, her robe was soaked through.
This time, Wu Shangyi did not appear personally. Standing at the door was her capable senior maid. Seeing Yixing’s bedraggled state, she frowned with disgust. "What in the world happened here? You saw it was about to rain when you left; you should have at least brought an umbrella. You don't even understand a simple thing like that? It seems the service at your noble manor was far too good." After a round of cold mockery, she asked from a high horse, "Is the errand finished?"
Yixing shook her head. "The manager over there said the items cannot leave the storehouse."
The senior maid clicked her tongue. "You can't even handle a small thing like this; what is the point of staying in the palace? Do you know how many things the Bureau of Ceremonies has to be busy with every day? Because of this, we actually have to trouble the Shangyi again."
Yixing was scolded until she couldn't lift her head. The grievances in her heart piled higher and higher, and she couldn't help but lower her head and start to cry.
"Still crying? What kind of place do you think this is? The rules you learned were for nothing!" the senior maid rebuked her, entirely ignoring the side-eyes of passing palace servants.
At this moment, Wu Shangyi finally walked out from inside. She frowned and said, "What's all the shouting about?"
The senior maid reported Yi xing’s failure. Wu Shangyi said, "That Yao Xiaoba is clearly making things difficult on purpose. He usually lets things be taken out; why is he refusing this time? Was it your improper speech that offended him?"
Yixing said, "No. I am new to the place and the people; I was being extremely careful."
"Then what is the reason..." Wu Shangyi pondered for a moment, then asked again, "What did you ask him for that he said couldn't leave the storehouse?"
Yixing hesitated. Surely the discrepancy was right here. She said, "I followed your order and asked for two of Concubine Kang’s head ornaments."
As a result, Wu Shangyi revealed a look of realization. "No wonder. You can't blame others for this; you can only blame yourself. It was you who didn't understand my instructions. What I wanted were the technical sketches of the head ornaments; why did you go and ask for the jewelry itself? Even if I didn't make it absolutely clear, can't your brain think for itself? How could such precious items be handed over to you just like that? Hah, I know you come from a good background and held high seniority at home, but once you enter the palace, you must follow palace protocol. Use your brain. Others can follow an example and draw a gourd, but you—you’ve gone and drawn a big squash for me. Don't you think that’s laughable?"
Yi xing’s face went white in an instant. This petty grievance was truly stifling. She had never handled an errand or passed a message before, and she had suffered such a massive loss on her first try. No wonder the elders always said the palace was a place of traps at every step.
But what could she do? Once a palace maid's name was recorded, she could not leave for five years unless she was carried out horizontally. At this point, throwing a tantrum was useless; it would only invite greater retaliation.
She could only swallow her anger. Bowing her head, she said, "It was my oversight; I did not understand Shangyi's instructions. I will go to the Bureau of Imperial Attire again right now and bring back the technical sketches for Concubine Kang’s jewelry."
Seeing that she was still obedient, Wu Shangyi did not make things difficult for her for the time being. She gave a grunt and had someone bring an oil-paper umbrella. "A palace woman's appearance is of the utmost importance. If you are careless with it, you will be punished just the same."
Yixing bowed and accepted before walking out of the Bureau of Ceremonies under the umbrella.
Looking from south to north, the straight, narrow alleyway was devoid of people. Only at a time like this did the Forbidden City feel clean. The light rain washed the paved brick ground, and the center of the path glinted with the reflection of water. Palace servants wore flat embroidered shoes for ease of movement; after just a few steps, one could feel the dampness spreading under the soles. In the blink of an eye, the shoes were soaked through.
This time, the trip to the Bureau of Imperial Attire was a familiar path. First, she offered a round of self-reflection to the manager eunuch, saying she had misheard the instructions and passed the message incorrectly.
Yao Xiaoba smiled after hearing this. "You newcomers, how could you know the inner workings? I knew Wu Shangyi gave the order that way on purpose. If I had smoothly let you take the sketches back, wouldn't that be me surrendering to her? So I had no choice but to trouble you to make an extra trip. Making a trip isn't a loss—if you understand the stakes involved, then you'll understand how to get through your days at the Bureau of Ceremonies."
Having said that, he ordered someone to bring out the technical sketches, carefully sealed them with oil paper, and handed them to Yixing. "Hold them steady now. Once you leave this door, if they get rained on or ruined, it has absolutely nothing to do with my Bureau."
Yixing responded with a flurry of "Zhe"s. Finally, she curtsied to him and said, "Thank you, Manager Yao," before retreating.
She turned back to retrieve her umbrella under the eaves. Just as she was about to leave, she saw Ying Tao and a small palace maid entering through the gate.
Logically, having entered the Palace of Prolonging Happiness and become a senior maid, she should have been full of joy. Yet Ying Tao’s brow was knotted, and her face looked quite unwell. Seeing Yi xing, she was stunned for a moment. She stepped forward, and her first words were, "Auntie, I am sorry," before she turned her head and wiped away tears on her shoulder.
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).
Read only on https://royaltywrites.com.ng/
Enie: Mother (Manchu-Pinyin).
Ama: Father (Manchu-Pinyin).
Niangniang: A respectful way to address high-ranking consorts (e.g., Yu Guifei Niangniang).
Read only on https://royaltywrites.com.ng/
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We hope you enjoyed this chapter! You can vote for this novel translation and drop a review on Novel Updates!
Show support by clicking on the Support Us button below!❤️
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