Chapter 8

That night, as expected, Lady Xu was summoned to attend the Emperor.

As the first of the new arrivals to serve the Emperor, Lady Xu enjoyed a brief period of splendor. However, she was summoned only once before the rotation moved on to Lady Sun, who shared a similar bureaucratic background, according to their respective ranks. Within the month, all the new concubines had been graced with the Emperor’s favor, yet each only once, never to be summoned again.

Politely put, it was a distribution of imperial favor; bluntly put, none of them had truly satisfied the Emperor—they were all merely unremarkable. Even so, there were tiers even within this meager favor.

Lady Li, for instance, was different from the rest. Although she, too, had been favored only once, the Emperor had uniquely bestowed upon her a dish of stir-fried phoenix tongues, which was quite intriguing. Stir-fried phoenix tongues were made from the tongues of paddyfield birds; they were not only expensive and rare but also inaccessible to ordinary people. Only the mistress of a palace was qualified to enjoy such a dish, and even then, the ingredients were not always available. Lady Ke had been very fond of this dish in the past and had pestered the Emperor for it many times, yet he rarely granted it. For it to now fall to a newcomer was highly unusual.

One must realize that she was merely a low-ranking concubine who had only recently entered the palace. Her rank was insignificant, and there were many others above her with nobler family backgrounds and greater beauty. Because of this, many looked upon Lady Li with disdain, while many others secretly inquired about her or attempted to befriend her to probe for information.

***

By mid-April, the weather was turning increasingly warm. The peach blossoms in the palace were in full bloom, appearing from afar like glowing clouds, dreamlike and illusory. The late Emperor had favored peach trees, so apart from the peach groves, they were planted in many corridors and corners of the palace walls. Over the past few days, a light breeze would cause the blossoms to fall in a flurry, carpeting the courtyards in fragrance.

The peach trees behind the Qinzheng Hall were tended by specialists and grew exceptionally well. As a gentle breeze stirred, it truly looked like a snowstorm of peach blossoms. When Sang Qingyun emerged from the servants' quarters, a gust of wind blew directly toward her. Petals drifted over layers of eaves, and eventually, a few scattered ones landed before her. She plucked one from her shoulder; the freshly fallen petal was still vibrant and moist, retaining the unique vitality of spring.

She loved the weather in Chang'an in April; it was neither too cold nor too hot, refreshing and pleasant. When the weather was fine, one’s mood improved as well. If the Emperor spent more time out and about seeing his concubines, her duties before the throne would be much lighter. Who wouldn't love a life of earning a monthly wage without having to do much work?

She was not on duty during the day, and she planned to meet Li Xixi after noon when there were fewer people around. Now was the perfect time to wash her intimate garments. According to the rules, the daily needs of the palace officials serving before the throne were handled by assigned maids. However, having risen from the rank of a low-level maid herself, Sang Qingyun knew that life in the palace was not easy, and she understood that having others handle one’s private affairs was always embarrassing. Thus, whenever she could, she preferred to do things herself, which also saved others the trouble.

After washing and hanging up her undergarments, Sang Qingyun sat in her room applying hand cream, which had a faint jasmine scent. The well water in spring was somewhat cold, and her skin was sensitive; her knuckles were already slightly reddened, making them look as if she had been punished. Moreover, she had to maintain her hands since they were her tools, and the Emperor was the most fastidious of men.

Just as she was carefully applying the cream, hurried footsteps sounded outside. Sang Qingyun looked up in confusion to see Zhao Yuyan returning. By rights, she should have been serving the Emperor before the throne; why had she returned so suddenly?

Before Sang Qingyun could ask, Zhao Yuyan spoke through gritted teeth, her expression clearly troubled: "My... my monthly period has arrived unexpectedly. I must change and attend to it. Please watch over the Emperor’s side for me for a while."

With that, Zhao Yuyan looked at Sang Qingyun anxiously, awaiting a response. She did not think Sang Qingyun would refuse, but she felt awkward that she had to ask for her help in the first place, which made her uneasy. If not for the fact that her period had come early and she feared losing her composure before the Emperor, she would never have let Sang Qingyun take her place. She had already made up her mind during her last visit to her aunt; she needed to take action soon. Although Sang Qingyun would not hinder her, she did not want to waste any time that could be used for her own schemes.

Who would have thought that Sang Qingyun would open her mouth and say, "I have matters to attend to today and cannot take your place before the throne." If it were any other day, it would have been fine, as she would have been idle anyway, but she had an appointment with Li Xixi today. This matter was of great importance to her, and she did not want to be late.

Zhao Yuyan had never imagined that Sang Qingyun would dare to refuse her. Recalling the differential treatment she had received lately, she felt a surge of displeasure: "I already told the Emperor before I left that I would send you to switch with me. I only need two quarters of an hour."

"The front of the throne cannot be left unattended; hurry up and go." With that, Zhao Yuyan turned and left, leaving Sang Qingyun alone in the room.

The matter had reached this point; if she did not go, it would be seen as contempt for the Emperor, a charge Sang Qingyun could not afford. Helpless, she put away her cream, rose, and headed to the front of the throne.

At this moment, the Emperor was not reviewing memorials but was reading a book of chess records on a rattan chair beneath the latticed window. The sunlight fell upon the dark cloud patterns of his casual robes, shimmering with a luster that seemed to soften even his cold, clear features. According to Dai Zheng, Prince Yi was coming to the palace later to play chess with the Emperor, which explained why he was so leisurely.

There was no need to grind ink today, and the tea had just been changed. With nothing to do, she simply stood there. Zhao Yuyan would only be gone for two quarters of an hour. Perhaps she would not have to do anything during that time, but she could not leave her post, as dereliction of duty was a grave offense. Sang Qingyun silently calculated the time, planning to leave the moment the two quarters were up.

As Xie Yanhang finished reading a section of the chess manual and raised his cup to sip tea, a figure in green caught his peripheral vision. From his angle, he could only see her flawless profile in the sunlight, and further down, the boneless, delicate hands emerging from her sleeves. Her slender knuckles were tinged with red, which, against her fair skin, appeared particularly pitiful. He suddenly realized that he had never paid attention to her hands before and wondered if they had been frostbitten when he sent her to fetch the peach-blossom snow that day.

Reflecting on this, Xie Yanhang looked toward her: "Sang Qingyun, come here."

The Emperor suddenly calling her by her full name made Sang Qingyun’s heart leap. She prayed that it wasn't some troublesome task, but as she approached, the Emperor simply told her to hold out her hands. Sang Qingyun bowed slightly and offered her hands, her breath hitching imperceptibly as she caught a glimpse of the Emperor's expression.

The Emperor lay on the rattan chair, the chess manual resting lazily on his lap. Thin smoke curled from the incense burner in the hall, and outside the window, the peach blossoms were in their full, scorching glory. Sang Qingyun could hardly deny her own heart; he was truly gifted with a fine appearance.

Yet his gaze remained fixed only on her hands. Under the shadows of the latticed window, her hands appeared even fairer and more translucent, looking pitifully delicate. But this time, Xie Yanhang only watched and did not reach out as he had done before, his tone as indifferent as usual: "Have you used the frostbite ointment I gave you?"

Sang Qingyun was stunned. It was only when she saw that her knuckles were still reddened that she realized the Emperor thought she had frostbitten her hands that day. She bowed her head and said in a low voice, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. My hands are fine. It is just... just that I washed some clothes today."

The act of washing clothes clearly did not exist in Xie Yanhang’s experience. He asked with some confusion, "Do you always wash your own clothes?"

... The Emperor seemed increasingly fond of getting to the bottom of things.

Sang Qingyun kept her head bowed, her porcelain-like cheeks flushed with embarrassment, her voice as thin as a mosquito's: "They are... intimate garments."

What kind of intimate garments required her to wash them herself? Xie Yanhang dismissed the thought, but for a split second, his nonchalant expression froze. The two fell into a sudden, mutual silence. But soon, he moved his gaze away from her hands as if nothing had happened and remarked, "You are indeed diligent."

Perhaps guessing that Sang Qingyun was embarrassed, Xie Yanhang magnanimously gave her a way out: "Go and bring me a cup of lighter tea."

Sang Qingyun immediately rose to fetch the cup. As she reached out, her sleeve slid down to her forearm, revealing a slender, graceful wrist. It was as white as jade and delicate enough to stir pity, seemingly gilded by the sunlight, making it particularly moving. Xie Yanhang did not want to be this way, but his gaze fell uncontrollably upon her wrist.

Just as Sang Qingyun was about to leave with the tea cup, he picked up the chess manual again and said coldly: "Dai Zheng."

"Go to the treasury and fetch that jade bangle to bestow upon Sang Qingyun as a reward for her diligence."

Dai Zheng let out an "Oh," and bowed to ask, "Your Majesty, there are many jade bangles in the treasury; which one are you referring to?"

Xie Yanhang did not even lift his head: "The round-cut jade bangle without patterns, the one of the finest quality."

Sang Qingyun hurriedly knelt to thank him, though her emotions were complex. That bangle was the finest among the recent tributes, transparent as water, rich in green, and without a single impurity. Because it was so perfect, it had not been carved with extra decorations; it was a masterpiece of jade. Something so precious had not been given to Concubine Yan when she had asked for it, yet today it was given to her.

After replacing the tea, the two quarters of an hour were up. Not wishing to be so conspicuous, she returned to the servants' quarters and put the jade bangle away. Just then, Zhao Yuyan finished dressing and came out. "Thank you for covering for me today. Did the Emperor say anything?"

Sang Qingyun replied softly that he had not, said nothing more, and turned to leave. Seeing her demeanor, Zhao Yuyan knew that she had perhaps gone too far, and that it was natural for Sang Qingyun to be unhappy. But she could not bring herself to apologize. Although they lived in the same room, their statuses were worlds apart; Sang Qingyun neither dared to nor would she do anything to her.

Zhao Yuyan withdrew her gaze and prepared to leave, but a thought flashed through her mind: the way Sang Qingyun had been fumbling around her bed earlier. That was right—she had been in a hurry to leave, so why had she been lingering by her bed? Furthermore, she seemed to have seen her holding something emerald-green when she returned. Could it be that the Emperor had bestowed something upon her the moment she left?

Zhao Yuyan glanced outside, and unable to suppress her curiosity, she walked to Sang Qingyun’s bed and pulled out the box she had just hidden. Upon opening it, she saw a jade bangle lying inside—a quality she had never seen before, and clearly worth a fortune.

Zhao Yuyan’s expression immediately turned grim.