Chapter 4

Sang Qingjun hesitated for a moment, her heart still trembling as she walked toward the Emperor.

She did not know what exactly was on the Emperor’s mind.

As a member of the Imperial retinue, she always kept her position in mind: she remained tight-lipped about matters concerning the Emperor, never leaking information, and strictly avoided becoming close to any of the concubines. However, concubines often sought to pry into the Emperor’s whereabouts and preferences in their quest for favor. As a mere female official, how could she dare to defy a master who pressured her directly?

These matters were trivial enough, much like Dai Zheng secretly currying favor with the Noble Consort, but if caught in the act by the Emperor, whether or not one was punished depended entirely on his mood.

The Emperor, as the sovereign of the dynasty, governed the world and handled countless affairs; he would not concern himself with the difficulties of those beneath him. What was called a "difficulty" was simply seen as uselessness, and the Emperor had no need for useless people by his side.

Sang Qingjun stepped forward, and as she approached, Xie Yanhang felt the chill radiating from her.

He lowered his gaze to look at her, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry. Had Sang Qingjun been able to look up, she might have even discerned a deeply hidden wariness and an unexplainable anticipation in his cold, profound eyes: "Why did you go to the Star-Gazing Pavilion?"

But Sang Qingjun could not look the Emperor in the eye, so she could only bow her head and curtsy. "Reporting to Your Majesty, the Noble Consort summoned me, and I had no choice but to obey."

Xie Yanhang was not surprised by her answer, and the emotion in his eyes flickered and vanished. He turned back to apply the vermilion seal to the memorial in his hand before saying indifferently, "If you had insisted on not going, no one could have forced you."

At these words, Sang Qingjun’s bent knees became even more humble. "I would not dare; I always remember my place."

"You dare not before the Noble Consort, but you dare before me?" Xie Yanhang looked over again, a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes playing on his lips. "It seems I have spoiled you."

The Emperor’s words were cryptic. To Sang Qingjun, it was unclear whether he was rebuking her for following the Noble Consort’s orders—thereby failing in her duty—or reminding her of what she had done for him the previous night.

He always stopped at a point that left much room for speculation, making it difficult for others to grasp his true meaning.

Thus, Sang Qingjun could only weigh her words carefully, choosing a brief response that answered the Emperor without leaving room for further interpretation, so as to avoid saying the wrong thing.

"Your Majesty is magnanimous and kind; I am deeply grateful."

Listening to Sang Qingjun’s impenetrable reply, Xie Yanhang remained silent for a long moment before laughing in a composed manner. "I sometimes truly wish to crack your head open to see exactly what you are thinking."

In the long silence, Sang Qingjun’s heart beat faster. To her surprise, there was no displeasure in the Emperor’s tone; instead, a soft chuckle escaped him. She looked up in disbelief.

Xie Yanhang did not bother to explain. He swept a glance over her and said in a cold voice, "Go and change into thicker clothes; it is still early for the midday meal."

***

At the same time, the Yaohua Palace was filled with laughter.

The midday sun shone through the latticed windows, illuminating the palace’s opulent decor. The Yaohua Palace was luxurious, every detail exquisite and precious; even the incense burner placed in the center of the hall was a unique design of a celestial maiden gazing at the moon, crafted entirely from gold and jade.

Even more remarkably, the pattern had been drawn by the Emperor himself.

The grandeur was such that it was not inferior to the Empress’s Fengyi Palace.

Upon returning from the Star-Gazing Pavilion, the Noble Consort Yuan was sitting on a soft couch, sipping a bowl of hot ginger tea. Though she did not speak, the smile in her eyes revealed that she was in excellent spirits.

Qianning stood to the side, opening the white sandalwood fan that Dai Zheng had personally delivered, exclaiming in wonder, "I have seen white sandalwood fans at the estate before, but the carving was nowhere near as fine as this. Look, Your Ladyship, it is as if it were alive."

The two personal maids attending her—one kneading her shoulders, the other massaging her legs—chimed in with fawning praise, coaxing the Noble Consort into a radiant smile.

She blew softly on the ginger tea, her face flushed with shyness. "This is not the first time the Emperor has bestowed gifts upon me; we must not be so ostentatious. Put it away for now."

Qianning smiled and ordered the others to store the fan carefully, to be taken out for the Noble Consort to admire when she had leisure and was alone. She then laughed, "Yes, Your Ladyship always thinks of the Emperor and does not wish to be too flashy and cause unrest in the Inner Palace—I know this well."

"But then again, the palace selection just ended today, and the Emperor saw you in front of the Fanghua Hall. Not only did he not blame you, he even had Dai Zheng bring you a gift; he truly cherishes you. He must have guessed that you were jealous of the newcomers and specifically sought to soothe you."

Hearing this, the Noble Consort felt even more convinced of the Emperor’s sincere affection, her heart as sweet as if it were soaked in honey.

As the mistress and her maid were speaking, a voice from outside the hall requested an audience. The Noble Consort’s heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly said, "Come in."

The young eunuch who had been sent to the Fanghua Hall to gather information knelt and reported, "Reporting to Your Ladyship, I have found out the information you requested."

Curious, the Noble Consort asked, "Who was the one carried out today? What fault did she commit?"

The young eunuch lowered his head and replied, "She was a candidate from a commoner background. Because her appearance was untidy, she lost her composure before the Emperor and displeased him, so she was relegated to a servant on the spot."

"So that is how it is," the Noble Consort nodded in realization, having no intention of wasting her thoughts on such a person. "Since it was the Emperor’s decision, she is someone he has cast aside, and I need not concern myself with her."

She turned the conversation to the topic she most wanted to understand: "I heard the Emperor selected eight newcomers this time. How do they look? Are any of them particularly outstanding?"

The young eunuch added, "I heard that among them, a candidate named Tong from a commoner background is the most beautiful. As for the rest, I have heard nothing."

The Noble Consort pondered for a moment. Just as she was about to ask for details regarding the palace selection, a formal announcement echoed outside the Yaohua Palace.

A maid on duty lifted the curtain and stepped in, bowing. "Your Ladyship, Noble Lady Nie has arrived."

Hearing that Noble Lady Nie had come, the Noble Consort’s expression softened, and she said with a smile, "I was just fretting over not having someone to consult with. Please, invite her in."

Qianning immediately ordered the small kitchen to bring the Jade Dew cakes that had been prepared that morning and to brew a pot of fine tea; these were snacks both Noble Lady Nie and the Noble Consort enjoyed.

Although many people visited the Yaohua Palace, only Noble Lady Nie received such treatment, precisely because the two were very close.

Noble Lady Nie removed her cloak and walked in, a smile already on her face before she even greeted her. "Did I arrive at the right time? I don't even need to guess that you are unable to make up your mind."

She circled around the hibiscus screen and bowed gracefully to the Noble Consort. Seeing the Noble Consort’s warm demeanor, one could tell they were close; the Noble Consort caught her before she could even finish her bow.

The Noble Consort laughed. "No one knows me as well as you do."

She recounted the news she had just heard to Noble Lady Nie, adding, "The Emperor was not very invested in this palace selection. Although eight were chosen, I worry that many of them were selected because the Empress suggested them to the Emperor. You know that the Empress and I are at odds; if she intends to support newcomers to divide my favor, over time, with one pillow-talk after another, there is no guarantee the Emperor won't gradually grow cold toward me."

"There are few old faces left in the palace. If the Empress’s influence grows and all the favored concubines become her faction, it will only be to my disadvantage."

Noble Lady Nie thought for a moment and whispered, "Your concerns are not without merit. The Empress is a strong-willed person who values her authority as Empress highly and has always disliked you. Now that there is an opportunity to gather support and suppress you, she naturally will not let it pass easily."

"When all is said and done, the Empress is the Empress. She occupies the position of the Central Palace, and every matter in the Inner Palace must pass through her hands. To be safe, we must make preparations early to avoid falling at a disadvantage from the start."

"However, I estimate that one person is not enough; we need at least two people who can be truly useful."

The Noble Consort nodded. "Besides the outstanding Miss Tong I mentioned, do you have any other candidates in mind?"

Noble Lady Nie nodded and smiled. "With such a major event as the palace selection, I naturally sent people to inquire. As soon as the list of those selected came out, I found a good candidate named Pei Yanling."

"Her family background is not high, and her looks are not top-tier, but she excels at playing the *konghou*. Moreover, she is on good terms with my family and is trustworthy."

This solved the Noble Consort’s urgent problem, and she let out a gentle sigh of relief, finally feeling at ease. "Thanks to you, otherwise, in such a short time, I really wouldn't have known where to start."

She waved her hand, instructing her confidante Qianning to handle the matter. "Go to the storeroom and pick out some fine items. Give one portion to each of the eight newcomers, but make the portions for Miss Tong and Miss Pei extra generous, so that they understand my intentions as soon as they see them."

With a weight off her mind, the Jade Dew cakes and the pre-rain Longjing tea were served.

The Noble Consort picked up a piece of Jade Dew cake with her slender, jade-like fingers, the sweet and fragrant taste immediately spreading through her mouth.

She had always loved sweets, and being in a good mood, she remembered the gift the Emperor had sent today, which made her even happier. "I had ordered Sang Qingjun to meet me at the Star-Gazing Pavilion, but coincidentally, the Emperor happened to see us. I thought he would be displeased that I was prying into his affairs, but to my surprise, he not only didn't blame me, but even had Dai Zheng send a white sandalwood fan."

"It is true that the Emperor treats me well, but it is also true that Sang Qingjun is deeply trusted by him. If it were anyone else, I suspect the Emperor would not have let it go so lightly."

"Although I already have Dai Zheng helping me gather information about the Emperor’s affairs, he is devoted to the Emperor and does not tell me everything I ask. Besides, he is, after all, a eunuch, and there are many things he might not understand."

The Noble Consort took out a silk handkerchief and slowly wiped her fair fingertips, sighing softly, "If only I could bring Sang Qingjun into my service, then everything would be perfect."

Noble Lady Nie listened quietly to the Noble Consort, remaining silent for a long time.

Only when she heard that the Emperor had gifted a white sandalwood fan did a smile, more genuine than before, bloom slowly at the corners of her lips.

"Indeed, the most useful people in the Imperial retinue are Sang Qingjun and Zhao Yuyan. Zhao Yuyan’s identity is special and difficult to win over, but Sang Qingjun is merely an orphan with no one to rely on. The Emperor trusts her, so we can trust her too."

"However, even without her, you are still the Emperor’s most favored Noble Consort. With the Empress’s temperament, even we women find her cold and uninteresting, let alone the Emperor. It is merely a matter of courtesy and respect."