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Chapter 57
Incense smoke curled through the hall. The moment Lu Yu finished speaking, Gu Han imperceptibly tightened her grip on her handkerchief. It wasn't until she had left Yangxin Hall and her sedan chair had been carried far away that she suddenly let out a breath.
She covered her face with both hands. For that brief moment, she seemed to understand why so many people lost their hearts to the Emperor.
Gu Han had always wondered, knowing full well the Emperor had three thousand beauties in his harem, why did some people still foolishly fall for him?
Now she finally understood. With the Emperor's position, if he truly meant to treat someone well, few could avoid losing themselves in it. Even Gu Han, when she heard that helpless "fine" from the Emperor, her heart had pounded hard.
Gu Han took a deep breath. She calmly raised her hand and patted her cheeks, keeping herself clearheaded.
The news that Concubine Zhao had visited Yangxin Hall quickly spread throughout the harem. In Wanxi Hall, Concubine Rong dismissed all the palace servants. Wearing a simple, elegant dress, she raised her hands in dance, her slender waist bending slightly, impossibly soft.
When the dance ended, Concubine Rong let out a heavy breath, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
When news from Yangxin Hall arrived, she only paused briefly before asking as if nothing had happened: "How was my dancing just now?"
Little Jiu wiped the sweat from her forehead before saying:
"My lady's waist is slender and supple, everything was perfect."
Little Jiu hadn't studied, so she couldn't come up with flowery words or poetry. For her, this assessment was already the best she could offer. Concubine Rong knew this full well, yet still felt it wasn't enough.
She panted lightly and looked up at the bronze mirror. The reflection showed a woman with lovely features, a touch of rosy color, like peach blossoms on her face. The woman in the mirror could already be called a beauty, but Concubine Rong only pressed her lips together tightly.
Concubine Rong stood and sat before the mirror, examining herself from all angles. Suddenly she raised her hand to her brows:
"Make my eyebrows thinner."
Little Jiu's lips moved, but in the end, she said nothing and did as instructed. After the brows were shaped, the delicate willow-leaf brows made the woman in the mirror appear more gentle and graceful, yet she still seemed dissatisfied, murmuring softly:
"...Still not enough..."
Little Jiu didn't know how to comfort her. She knew what her mistress was doing, which made her feel somewhat frightened. Sometimes, looking through her mistress's features, she seemed to be seeing another person entirely.
Clearly her mistress and Concubine Zhao had only just met during the selection, yet Little Jiu didn't understand why her mistress had developed such an obsession. She seemed to think everything about Concubine Zhao was good, even wanting to imitate her, yet contradictorily didn't want to be the same as her.
Sometimes Little Jiu was completely confused, not understanding what her mistress was really thinking.
Concubine Rong stroked her cheeks, staring at the eyes in the bronze mirror, her palms clenched tight. Her Sister had been born with those almond-shaped eyes, when she looked at people, they were so clear that just one glance made you unforgettable. No matter how much she acted and studied, she could never look like her sister.
Her expression shifted. Little Jiu's breathing immediately lightened as she quickly said:
"When this servant went to the Zhongsheng Hall today to collect this month's allowance, I specially picked out this simple and elegant jade hairpin. Does my lady like it?"
Little Jiu opened the brocade box. Inside lay a jade hairpin quietly, white jade carved with lotus flowers, refined and precious.
Concubine Rong looked down. With just one glance, she immediately averted her eyes in distress.
Before entering the palace, she had been the legitimate daughter of the household. No matter how gentle her temperament, she had been born loving pretty things, always preferring bright and eye-catching jewelry. Little Jiu had served her for a long time and completely understood her preferences. Yet now she'd brought back such a jade hairpin and asked if she liked it.
It was as if reminding her what she was doing. Concubine Rong said in a trembling voice:
"...I... like it."
Little Jiu said nothing, as if she hadn't seen her mistress's loss of composure.
After quite a while, Concubine Rong finally steadied her emotions again:
"The end of April is His Majesty's birthday. I'll wear it that day. Go to the Wardrobe Bureau and ask if that moon-glazed orchid-embroidered palace dress I had them make some time ago is finished yet."
Little Jiu acknowledged and quickly withdrew.
After she left, Concubine Rong stared at the jade hairpin. After who knows how long, she suddenly grabbed the pastries nearby and stuffed them into her mouth, chewing in large bites, swallowing one after another with difficulty.
She'd never learned to dance at home. During this recent busy and tiring period, to maintain her slender waist, she had deliberately controlled her diet, she hadn't touched these pastries in ages. The soft, powdery particles lodged in her throat, and somehow, they choked her until tears flowed from her eyes.
Gu Han knew nothing of what was happening at Wanxi Hall.
Right now she was troubled by something else, the Emperor's birthday was coming up. What birthday gift should she give him?
Jiu Nian could only watch and help with what she could:
"His Majesty has everything. What matters is the sentiment."
Gu Han of course knew this, but the problem was she didn't have any presentable sentiment to offer. All the decorations and furnishings in the palace had been provided by the Emperor. When she had entered the palace, she had only brought two bundles with her.
Gu Han rested her head on her arms and looked up at Jiu Nian, complaining softly: "If I had known, I wouldn't have sewn clothes for His Majesty back then."
Jiu Nian pretended not to hear:
"There's only half a month left. Has my lady decided what to give His Majesty?"
Gu Han felt very guilty. She simply couldn't think of anything. She was proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but she had learned all these things never intending to perform them for others to see. Thinking it over and over, she ultimately felt needlework was most reliable.
As for what to make, Gu Han hadn't decided. After all, the Emperor lacked nothing, and the imperial consorts had surely already made him all manner of personal items.
No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't come up with anything. After a while, Gu Han drooped her eyes listlessly:
"I'll just make a sachet."
Jiu Nian frowned, saying hesitantly:
"Isn't that a bit... perfunctory?"
Gu Han met her eyes, then quickly looked away. After a moment, she said: "Starting today, go to Yangxin Hall every day and send a bouquet of the flowers you arrange in the hall daily."
In April, a hundred flowers bloomed, the fresh flowers in Changchun Hall rarely repeated.
Jiu Nian didn't understand the point of this.
Gu Han blinked and said:
"Once we figure out what flowers His Majesty likes, we'll make a sachet according to his preferences. That can't be considered perfunctory."
Jiu Nian was somewhat speechless, but ultimately, gifts from imperial consorts were just about the sentiment, what you gave wasn't important. These past few days her mistress's spirits hadn't been good, and Jiu Nian couldn't bear to make things difficult for her.
Jiu Nian helplessly nodded, agreeing to make the daily trips to Yangxin Hall.
Gu Han took Lu Yu's words to heart. On the day of morning greetings, she had just entered the hall when she saw Yu Cáirén. With just one glance, Gu Han imperceptibly furrowed her delicate brows.
Yu Cáirén sat in the hall. Like before, she kept her eyes downcast, but whereas before she had been cool and distant, now her body carried a deathly stillness. She had grown terribly thin, her frame so frail it seemed that heavy palace dress might crush her.
Gu Han could tell at a glance that she'd applied thick powder to her face, as if covering something up. Gu Han recalled how one of her sister-in-law looked after childbirth. Her eyes flickered slightly as she vaguely guessed what Yu Cáirén was hiding.
Pregnancy and childbirth weren't easy on women, figures changed, spots appeared on faces. Now that Yu Cáirén had lost imperial favor, wasn't raising the prince herself, and had damaged her health, all of this must be unbearable blows to her.
The moment Gu Han entered, the hall suddenly went quiet. Some discreet gazes looked back and forth between her and Yu Cáirén. Gu Han knew what these people wanted, they just wanted to watch the drama unfold.
Gu Han felt rather speechless. Even without the Emperor's words that day, she wouldn't have made things difficult for Yu Cáirén in Kunning Palace. Besides, since the Emperor cherished her, she should return the favor, which was consistent with her usual style.
So Gu Han only glanced at Yu Cáirén once before looking away. Everyone could see her mood had cooled, but since she took no action, those hoping for a show couldn't help but feel disappointed.
When Consort Shu entered the hall, she sensed the subtle atmosphere. She paused, her gaze falling on Yu Cáirén, a flash of complex emotions quickly crossing her eyes. Before anyone could see clearly, she'd already put on her usual smile and raised an eyebrow:
"Walking into such coldness, I almost thought I had entered the wrong place."
Concubine Lin always flattered her. Hearing this, she smiled: "We haven't seenYu Cáirén in so long, we're a bit unfamiliar and don't know what to say."
Translator's Note: this Concubine Lin was the one who punished concubine Yuan after she was demoted for seeing a dead body in a well beside her palace. She is different from the empress sister.
Consort Shu sat down. Her eyelids lifted slightly as she laughed softly:
"We're all sisters in the harem. What's there to be unfamiliar about?"
At these words, Concubine Lin's eyes flickered and her smile grew even warmer. Soon the hall filled with the voices of palace consorts, as if that earlier silence had never existed.
During this, Gu Han looked up at Consort Shu once, imperceptibly furrowing her delicate brows.
She didn't know if it was her imagination, but Consort Shu's words just now seemed to be somewhat protective of Yu Cáirén. Gu Han lowered her eyes and took a light sip of tea. Just caring for the little prince for a few days could make Consort Shu feel compassion?
It seemed that Consort Shu's heart wasn't as indifferent about children as she appeared on the surface.
The tea was getting cold. Gu Han lightly furrowed her brows and set down the cup, feeling the tea in her mouth had become tasteless.
The Emperor trusted Consort Shu. Gu Han had realized this from the moment she entered the palace.
That's why the Emperor had temporarily entrusted the little prince to Consort Shu that day.
But who could have imagined that just this small matter would quietly give the little prince a powerful backer? No one knew how long this compassion would last, but before it disappeared, Consort Shu probably wouldn't mind extending a helping hand to Yu Cáirén.
Gu Han's eyes darkened slightly, her gaze slowly falling on Yu Cáirén. She couldn't help thinking, Yu Cáirén truly had good fortune.
Lin Měirén in the Cold Palace had fallen ill. These past days, on top of her busy schedule, the Empress also had to worry about her legitimate younger sister. Morning greetings ended early.
Just after leaving Kunning Palace, Gu Han was pulled aside by Concubine Zhou, delaying her for some time. By the time they reached the Imperial Garden, they heard some commotion. Gu Han and Concubine Zhou's conversation paused. Looking up, they saw Yu Cáirén and Yuan Cáirén somehow in conflict.
Yu Cáirén had been pushed to the ground. Yuan Cáirén seemed about to rush forward and tear at her, but was stopped by people sent by Yè Xiūróng who had rushed over. Gu Han watched from afar. When her gaze fell on Yuan Cáirén, she frowned:
"Go find out what happened."
Concubine Zhou was somewhat surprised: "Why do you care about this?"
Perhaps because Yuan Cáirén's current situation was her doing, Gu Han inevitably paid her some attention. But Gu Han couldn't tell Concubine Zhou the truth, so she could only say:
"She schemed against me like that. I still have some resentment that hasn't dissipated."
Concubine Zhou also remembered the conflict between Gu Han and Yu Cáirén, and said uncomfortably:
"True. If you didn't have any temper even about this, I'd really think you were a saint enshrined in a temple."
Translator's note: guys please i am looking for a volunteer editor, chat me up on dis cord if you are interested. Discord: d_ladypresident
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Author's Note:
Kunning Palace: Empress
Yi'an Palace: Consort Shu
Xianleng Palace: Imperial Consort De
Zhaoyang Palace → Main Hall: Xiuyi He
Zhaoyang Palace → Side Hall: Rong Baolin
Yihe Palace → Changchun Pavilion: Female Lead
Rongcui Hall: Beauty Miao
Cuizhu Pavilion: Beauty Lin
Changning Courtyard: Zhou Meiren
Hanleng Palace → (Main Hall transferred to Side Hall): Talented Lady Yuan
Also appearing: Noble Lady Lin, Liu Baolin
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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