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Chapter 37
Well, what was she waiting for? Time to get ready!
Hanzhen and Yin Zhu quickly pulled her down into a chair. One held a hand mirror while the other set to work on her hair and makeup.
Pity the lowly Daying; she had no beautiful clothes or sets of fine jewelry, only a few hairpins provided by the Internal Affairs Department and a set of velvet flowers. Han Zhen coiled her hair up. Now that she was promoted, she was considered half a married woman; long braids were no longer appropriate. She had to style it into the "two-handle" (erliangba) hairstyle, pinned simply with a single jasmine flower. There was no need for elaborate decoration; the Old Auntie was born beautiful, and with just a little grooming, she stood out as the very best among any crowd.
Yin Zhu pulled her up and spun her around twice in the center of the room. With the high hairstyle and the "swallowtail" nape-rest pressing against her collar, her slender neck made her look exceptionally poised and elegant.
Yin Zhu declared it looked great. She took a powder box and puffed it twice toward Yi Xing’s face; the powder billowed in the air, making Yi Xing cough uncontrollably.
Han Zhen burst out laughing, using a handkerchief to wipe away the excess powder. She then took a rouge stick and applied a thin layer of lip balsam. Once everything was prepared, she grabbed Yi Xing’s hand. "Let’s go. Any later and the palace gates will be locked; you’ll be absent for the night."
Absence was never a good thing for the ladies of the harem. Unless one was ill, on her period, or pregnant, no one would dare miss such an opportunity. The Emperor flipped tags rarely enough as it was; if she didn't show initiative, how could she ever hope for the day she’d find favor and fortune?
"Faster..." Han Zhen urged as they hurried along. Passing the two side halls, they saw that the Guiren and Yong-Changzai had already left. In front of the main hall, only Qingshan, who was preparing for the night watch for concubine Mao—stood with the young maids, watching them coldly.
Hanzhen ignored them, pulling Yi Xing out of the palace gate and letting Yi Xing rest her hand on the back of hers. Seeing Yi Xing out of breath, she consoled her: "Today is the first time; I didn't clearly inquire about the new rules. It is this servant’s fault for troubling the Mistress."
Yi Xing said it was fine. "I just finished eating; it’s good to move around... I used to read in storybooks that concubines whose tags were flipped would bathe, wrap themselves naked in a quilt, and wait for eunuchs to come carry them away. It never mentioned having to report for duty at the Hall of Mental Cultivation (Yangxin Dian)."
Hanzhen explained, "That was in the past. When the Great Ying first entered the pass, that was indeed how it was arranged. Later, as time went on, the carrying back and forth became too much of a hassle. During the reign of Emperor Chengzong, it was changed so that every night everyone gathers in the Yangxin Dian waiting rooms to hear the flipping of the tags. This way is better, think about it: being stripped naked and carried into the Emperor’s bedchamber like a piece of firewood, is that even being treated like a human? With this arrangement, one can come and go with dignity. It’s considered a form of imperial grace and consideration for the harem."
To be able to come and go wearing clothes was considered "grace." What a world that devours people!
There was no time for such lamentations. Supported by Han Zhen, Yi Xing walked through one palace gate after another. Upon entering the Zunyi Gate, they saw lamps being lit throughout Yangxin Dian. A line of young eunuchs, led by Manfu, stood under the eaves using poles to hang lanterns.
"Yo, the Mistress is only arriving now?" Manfu, sharp-eyed, spotted her and greeted her in a hushed voice.
Yi Xing replied with a smile, "Andat (Old Teacher), I only just received the order to report to the waiting rooms."
"Then hurry along. The Master is currently dining; the Department of Imperial Household Affairs (Jingshi Fang) will be bringing in the dinner tags any moment." Manfu pointed toward the west. "Go to the West Waiting Rooms; all the Daying Mistresses are there!"
Yi Xing gave an "Ai" of acknowledgment and hurried toward the rear hall with Han zhen. After just two steps, Manfu called her back, pointing his finger in a circle. "Take this path to the west; it's a shortcut."
Hanzhen hesitated. She hadn't yet figured out if they were allowed to pass the front hall of Yangxin Dian, but Yi Xing already had her by the arm, heading straight for the western wall.
"Mistress..." Han Zhen whispered, her heart in her throat. "Could that eunuch be setting you up?"
The front hall of Yangxin Dian was where the Emperor met with the Grand Councillors. The two massive southern windows offered a clear view of the courtyard. It was the place the Old Emperor stayed most often—whether it was the Warming Pavilion or the Study, he was likely in that very building...
Well, there was no need for a reminder. As they flew past, they caught a glimpse of the person inside the southern window. He was looking out with an expression of pure astonishment at the two reckless figures outside.
Yi Xing noticed too, asking with delayed realization, "Who was that? Was that the Emperor?"
Han Zhen felt as if the sky had turned dark in an instant. She said dejectedly, "Who else? His Majesty is currently dining."
Inside the East Warming Pavilion, the Emperor was also in a state of panic. "Who were those two? Was that the Old Auntie?" In his fluster, he accidentally blurted out "Old Auntie" as well.
Huai’en gave a sheepish smile. "It seems... it was indeed her."
"Why did she pass by here?" The Emperor was baffled. "Do you think if she saw my face, she would think of Physician Xia?"
Huai’en replied, "Probably not. The Old Auntie’s eyesight doesn't seem to be very good..."
So the Emperor truly didn't need to brood over the events of years ago. Even with a living person, if half the face is covered, she couldn't recognize him after several encounters. Did he really need to worry about her seeing something she shouldn't or grasping his "roots"?
The Emperor nodded, finding this logical. Just then, Manfu came in from outside, hands tucked in his sleeves. "Master, the Old Auntie has reported for duty. Did you see her pass by the front just now?"
Huai’en’s brows shot up. "Was it you who instructed her to pass the front of the hall?"
Manfu admitted it. "The East Waiting Rooms are already full of Mistresses. If the Old Auntie passed through the east, she’d likely be subjected to gossip and harassment. It was better to go straight to the west. That room is filled entirely with those of Daying rank; no one is higher than anyone else. If the Old Auntie goes in there without being bullied, isn't that good?" He then gave the Emperor a fawning, toothy grin. "Your Majesty, wouldn't you agree?"
The Emperor glanced at him but said nothing. Silence was as good as consent. Manfu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Actually, he had regretted it the moment he did it; it counted as "presuming the Imperial will," and if things went poorly, a flogging would have been well-deserved. Fortunately, the Emperor's tolerance for the Old Auntie saved his life; otherwise, even his master couldn't have protected him.
Huai’en was helpless against this "Ghost-Catcher" Manfu and couldn't say much, only glaring at him.
Manfu knew he had been reckless and shrunk his neck with a sheepish smile toward his master. He quickly added, "The time is about right. I’ll go see if the tags from the Jingshi Fang have arrived."
The tags of the Jingshi Fang... speaking of this, the Emperor felt different today than in the past. Before, a silver tray filled with the titles of concubines was a sight that had caused him to lose all interest. Today was different. Even the low-ranking "Government Women" (Guan-nĂĽzi), who previously couldn't be on the green-headed tags, now had names and ranks. His harem was suddenly a scene of flourishing prosperity.
The Emperor had never actually counted the number of his concubines. If added together, there were likely thirty or forty of them. Sure enough, tonight two eunuchs from the Jingshi Fang entered carrying silver trays. They knelt on the golden bricks, shuffled on their knees toward him, and raised the trays high. "We respectfully request the Emperor's inspection."
The Emperor’s gaze fell directly onto the brand-new green-headed tags. He scanned them row by row, finally finding the familiar words in the corner: "Yi-Daying." Below was a line of small text indicating her Banner and her given name, the Shang clan's Yi Xing.
If this tag had appeared during the Imperial Selection a few months ago, he likely would have looked at it as if he hadn't seen it at all. Fuhai had committed a capital offense; sparing his life was already an act of extra-legal mercy. Under no circumstances should his family have entered the palace and been promoted. To accomplish this, he had to be patient. In truth, even now he didn't quite understand why his childhood obsession was so deep. She was the first girl to see him in an "unrefined" state; that feeling—to put it embarrassingly, was as if she were his first woman.
Of course, as a child, his thoughts weren't so complex; he was just angry and annoyed, harboring a grudge. Now, it wasn't exactly love, but having spent so much effort "cultivating the Gu and training the Eagle," he naturally cared for her more.
His gaze lingered on that green-headed tag. Huai’en thought he would flip it, but in the end, he didn't. The Emperor lazily retracted his gaze. Tonight, it was still "Dismiss."
Xu Sa had no choice but to carry the silver tray out with his apprentice. Outside, Manfu pressed for details, and Xu Sa sighed. "It's 'Dismiss' again. What is wrong with the Emperor? It’s been nearly three months without a tag being flipped. You people at the Imperial Presence should advise him; every time the Empress Dowager sends someone to ask, we don't know how to explain."
Manfu sneered. "How do you advise on such a matter? The Imperial Will is hard to defy; don't you know that, boy?"
Xu Sa left dejectedly with his silver trays. Manfu stood for a moment before slipping back into the East Warming Pavilion. He heard the Emperor instructing Huai’en to send a physician to Chuxiu Gong tomorrow for a wellness check. Huai’en agreed, asking, "Should we send someone to check on the other Mistresses as well while we're at it?"
The Emperor pondered. "That would be well."
Huai’en understood. "I will arrange it immediately. I’ll send one physician to check the pulses of Concubine Mao, the Guiren, and Yong-Changzai. If anyone is missed, I can have another physician make a trip."
The Emperor agreed, set down his chopsticks, and wiped his mouth.
Manfu clapped his hands, and a line of eunuchs entered to clear the table. The Emperor sat at his desk and, by the light of the lamp, opened the "Concubine Mao Pregnancy Records" submitted by the Imperial Academy of Medicine.
Meanwhile, Yi Xing returned to her palace with the other concubines. Everyone seemed used to the Emperor's absence. Since no tag was flipped tonight, there was no winner, so no one’s mood was particularly bad.
Instead, they turned their idle attention to Yi Xing. Those walking ahead turned back, and those walking beside her tilted their heads to look.
"Clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the horse. With a bit of grooming, she really does look different than before."
"Chuxiu Gong is behind Yikun Gong... speaking of Yikun Gong, isn't Consort Gong’s grounding order about to expire?"
Zhen-Guiren and Qi-Guiren, supported by their maids, said as they swayed with every step, "Soon, in just a few days. Who would have thought that while she was reflecting behind closed doors for half a month, the world would change and a palace maid would be promoted to Daying."
Shan-Changzai, who was the best at making sour remarks, said snidely, "And the rules suddenly changed so Daying are on the green-headed tags! I thought it was done specifically to fulfill someone's wishes, but who knew it would still be 'Dismiss' tonight. I bet some people are quite disappointed!"
Yi Xing could tell Shan-Changzai was mocking her again. She thought to herself: You've been promoted for months and haven't received sacred favor once; in your position, how do you have the nerve to mock others!
She wanted to fire back with a "Mind your own business," but the words rolled around in her mouth and she eventually swallowed them. She had just been promoted and had to stay humble for now. Once she had more "seniority," they would naturally stop bothering her.
However, she heard many harsh words along the way. Among the group from the West Six Palaces, aside from Kang-Pin, who was decent, almost everyone was a bully. Fortunately, Chuxiu Gong was the furthest away. Once the others reached their own gates, they fell silent and went inside. Finally, only the Guiren and Yong-Changzai remained, advising her not to take it to heart—everyone started this way, it was just that some had become "spirits" and forgotten their own past embarrassments.
The three entered the palace gate together. The Guiren headed to her Yanghe Hall, and Yi Xing and Yong-Changzai bid her farewell. Since Qilan Pavilion was behind Suifu Hall, Yi Xing and Yong-Changzai walked west together.
As she turned, she saw someone standing under the porch of the main hall, seemingly peering out. Once the figure saw who had returned, they turned and went into the hall.
Yong-Changzai whispered, "Mistress Concubine Mao is quite hardworking. She’s pregnant and can't serve the Emperor, yet every day she sends her people to wait, fearing that one of us low-ranking ones might have our tag flipped."
Yi Xing didn't quite understand. "There are so many people in the palace; how can she guard against everyone?"
Yong-Changzai was young and less refined in her speech; she lowered her voice even further and leaned into Yi Xing's ear. "A watchdog only watches its own yard. The affairs of other yards are for other yards' dogs; it has nothing to do with her."
It was clear they all hated Concubine Mao with clenched teeth. Yi Xing and Han Zhen let out a snicker but didn't dare say more. They bid farewell to Yong-Changzai in front of Suifu Hall and returned together to Qilan Pavilion.
Yin Zhu had been waiting. Seeing them return, she couldn't help but feel disappointed. "Isn't today your first day of promotion? I thought the Emperor would flip your tag."
Yi Xing, however, felt very relaxed, as if she had escaped a disaster. She poured a cup of tea at the table and said with a smile, "I truly saw it for myself today—there are so many Mistresses in the harem, all dressed in their finery sitting in the waiting rooms. That lineup... if I were the Emperor, I’d be scared out of my wits too. Think about it: I used to think the men in our family had enough concubines, my father left five concubines, and my brother had eight including the maids. The courtyard was in a constant state of chaos. Now that I’ve seen the Emperor’s harem, heavens, it’s several times larger! He can still eat dinner in his pavilion; if it were me, I’d be too worried to eat or drink. Just the expense of supporting this group of people must be enormous."
Hanzhen laughed at her for worrying about nothing. "Could the Palace of the Yuwen Dynasty not support a few dozen people? The current Emperor's harem is actually quite small. In previous reigns, there were dozens of Daying alone, not to mention the countless 'Government Women' without rank."
Yi Xing clicked her tongue. "Being the Emperor isn't easy. They say he 'picks and favors' concubines, but to put it bluntly, he’s fallen into a wolf’s den—everyone is waiting to toy with him." She shook her head. "Pitiable, pitiable..."
Her thoughts prompted a tease from Yin Zhu. "Didn't you say before that the harem was lively with so many people? Do you still think so?"
Yi Xing said yes. "I still think so. After all, if you’re a big official, you need people under you to manage, that’s real power. If everyone is gone and it’s just you, wouldn't you be a commander without an army?"
So the Old Auntie was still that heartless yet ambitious woman. The three of them chatted and laughed for a while before washing up and going to sleep.
The next morning, Yi Xing finished washing and went to Concubine Mao's hall to pay her respects. However, Concubine Mao was pregnant and didn't give them any face at all. Yi Xing stood in the front hall for a moment, and since she was told she was excused, she turned to go back.
Just as she was about to cross the threshold, someone called out "Mistress." She looked back; it was Qingshan, the head maid.
Yi Xing stopped. "Gugu Qingshan, is there something?"
Qingshan stepped forward with a salute. "We received notice from the Imperial Pharmacy today. The Master ordered a physician to come and check the pulses of the Mistresses of Chuxiu Gong. Do not go wandering out today, Mistress; just wait in your own hall."
A maid, borrowing Concubine Mao's's status, spoke quite bluntly. Yi Xing replied, "I will follow your order; I certainly won't go out."
When she said this, Qingshan realized something was wrong. Although the rank of Daying was miniscule, she was still a Master. A Master saying "I follow your order" was an implication that she didn't know her place and had overstepped.
Qingshan quickly changed to a smiling face. "Mistress Yi, you're killing me. This servant was just relaying the message; there was no other intention."
Yi Xing blinked. "I didn't have any other intention either; why are you so flustered, Gugu?"
Qingshan was choked by her words, her face looking awkward. Yi Xing just smiled and stepped out over the threshold. Qingshan had no choice but to reluctantly see her to the porch, perform a sloppy salute, and turn back into the hall without waiting for a reaction.
Yi Xing helplessly exchanged a look with Yin Zhu. As expected, evil servants follow their masters; Concubine Mao's eyes were on top of her head, and the girls around her were just as arrogant. Yingtao had died here; perhaps this Gugu Qingshan’s hands were stained with her blood too.
Pity her rank was too low to do anything about it. She was just curious. "I remember back then Yingtao and a girl named Lanzhao entered Chuxiu Gong to serve together. Yingtao is dead, but I wonder what happened to Lanzhao."
Yin Zhu said, "What else could happen? She was probably demoted to do heavy labor. We just arrived and haven't figured out the situation in Chuxiu Gong yet; given time, we’ll run into her."
Yi Xing nodded and walked back to her room with her characteristic "eight-character" stride.
The room faced east and was backed to the west; it was fine in the morning, but the afternoon sun was intense. By evening, walking barefoot on the floor, the blue bricks would be steaming hot, making the whole room stifling.
Yi Xing pushed open the two windows and glanced at the Meicun Ji on the desk. That was the homework the Emperor had assigned her. She didn't want to read it, but she had to.
She pulled a chair to the window and opened the book at random. Her eyes landed on: "I hear the waters of Kunming, countless heavenly flowers scattered. Walking onto the high peaks, clearly seeing the Buddha's land..."
After reading just a few words, she felt a throbbing in her temples. No, she couldn't continue. She tossed the book aside and rested her chin on her arm on the windowsill, preferring to watch the movement of the sun’s shadows outside. An "Old Glaze" (a type of dragonfly) flapped its wings, darting up and down over the top of the Chinese rose tree.
She couldn't go anywhere, and she no longer had endless chores; for a moment, she was bored to death. Yi Xing said, "Han Zhen, let’s make decorative knots and sell them outside. We can make some money and pass the time."
But how to transport them out after they were finished was a problem. Han Zhen advised her not to rush; they could wait until they got to know other Daying and made connections before starting a side business.
However, the physician for the wellness check still hadn't arrived at her place. She thought perhaps her rank was too low and they had missed her. Yi Xing found herself thinking of Physician Xia. Back at the Shangyi Ju, she was a bit more free; after Physician Xia finished at the Anle Tang, he could stop by the Imperial Garden to bring her a piece of braised beef. Now, she was trapped in Chuxiu Gong with so many eyes on her. She started to regret letting Physician Xia recommend her; this life of a minor Daying was flavorless—not to mention the worry of being targeted, she even had to read...
Speaking of reading made her head hurt. She touched her forehead; she felt as if she were getting sick.
If she was sick, she could see Physician Xia, right? Aie, in this palace, besides Han Zhen and Yin Zhu, it seemed only Physician Xia still felt "human."
As she was lamenting, time reached noon. Yi Xing looked around listlessly. Looking south, she suddenly saw a person wearing a face mask and an eighth-rank official patch being led toward Qilan Pavilion by a small Sula (eunuch helper).
Yi Xing’s spirits instantly lifted. She quickly tidied her appearance and went outside to greet him, calling out joyfully, "Physician Xia! I was just thinking of you, and here you are! Quick, it’s terribly hot outside, come into the room..." She politely invited him inside.
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