Hu Shanwei lost her mother at age six. Her father Hu Rong raised her alone. After the family opened a bookstore, she began copying books in the library, her small body sitting in a chair like a porcelain doll, legs dangling with her shoe tips unable to reach the floor.

With her mother absent from childhood, Hu Shanwei felt as if something was missing in her heart—something she desperately craved but could never fill.

At twelve, she became engaged to Company Commander Wang Ning. Her future mother-in-law was a humble and gentle widow who treated her very well. Whenever she obtained anything delicious, fun, or rare, she would eagerly bring it to the library to please her.

Hu Shanwei thought this must be what maternal love felt like.

When Wang Ning’s urn arrived home, the widow collapsed. She died within three months, and before her death, this kind widow tearfully urged her to forget Wang Ning and remarry.

Jiang Quan resembled her mother from her fading memories even more than the widow had. Hu Shanwei’s mother came from a prominent Shandong family—beautiful and dignified, eloquent and elegant, with outstanding temperament. When little Shanwei was naughty and crying, her mother never lost her temper, patiently reasoning with her over and over, gentle to the bone.

If her mother were still alive, she would probably be like Jiang Quan.

Therefore, Hu Shanwei couldn’t refuse Jiang Quan’s invitation to share a bed. The warmth that revived in this moment came too late to verify its authenticity, like the moths stuck on the copper wire windows of the street lamps on East Long Street—no one forced or drove them, they simply couldn’t help but rush toward the light.

Jiang Quan prepared tea for Hu Shanwei. Shanwei said, “Please don’t trouble yourself—I must be punctual at the third quarter of the fifth watch tomorrow to get keys from the Key Department. If I drink tea and lose sleep, I won’t be able to get up tomorrow morning.”

“It’s just lotus leaf herbal tea, it won’t make you sleepy.” Jiang Quan took out a set of cups about the size of a thumb, just enough for a light sip.

“Good tea should be paired with good fruits.” Jiang Quan opened a red lacquered compartment box about the size of a blooming lotus flower. The box had layers upon layers of small, delicate compartments—about ten or so divisions.

Each compartment contained a piece of exquisite preserved fruit. Hu Shanwei had tasted each type before and they tasted similar, but these fruits here didn’t look like fruits at all—they looked like flowers.

For example, winter melon candy was carved into snow plum petals, sweet almonds were shaped like yellow peonies, what looked like rose flowers turned out to be raisins when eaten.

“Food should be refined in preparation and fine in cutting”—the luxury of the palace was evident.

These things wouldn’t be available to an eighth-rank Female Historian; they must have been gifts from Noble Consort Hu.

Jiang Quan invited Hu Shanwei to drink tea and eat fruits while chatting about other female officials’ recent situations. At the third watch, suddenly there came a “clang, clang, clang” sound from the adjacent room—twelve strikes in total. Hu Shanwei was so startled that she loosened her grip, and the rose-shaped raisin fell onto her skirt.

“What’s that sound?”

Jiang Quan led Hu Shanwei to the study room. In the northwest corner stood a Western large wooden clock about as tall as a real person, with a hammer-like pendulum swinging left and right.

Needless to say, another gift from Noble Consort Hu.

Hu Shanwei crouched under the large wooden clock like a country girl who had never seen the world, her head unconsciously swaying with the pendulum’s frequency.

Hu Shanwei wasn’t naturally strong, naturally capable of concealing everything from everyone with composure. She who had secretly taken the family’s household registration to take the female official exam had once been a girl pampered by her mother, had lived carefree days. It was just that reality was cruel—she had no time to be innocent before being forced to grow up.

Jiang Quan had never seen Hu Shanwei’s childish side. This girl was only twenty years old, yet those eyes were deep as pond water, like an old spirit living in a tender shell.

Jiang Quan joked, “Do you know why such a heavy clock can swing automatically? Because there’s a living person hidden behind the clock.”

“Sister Jiang is teasing me again.” Hu Shanwei didn’t believe it, but still walked over to touch the back of the clock.

Jiang Quan couldn’t help but laugh aloud.

Since Shanwei had to wake early tomorrow, after viewing the clock, Jiang Quan pulled her to share the bed. With the cool air from the ice blocks in the large jar and covered with a thin blanket, Hu Shanwei was so comfortable that she quickly fell asleep.

Youth indeed—she could actually sleep. Jiang Quan looked at the sleeping Hu Shanwei by the moonlight from the window for a long time, trying hard to find traces of another person in her face.

A night of sweet dreams.

Hu Shanwei dreamed of her mother. Her mother hadn’t died but had always stayed with her and her father. Naturally, her father hadn’t remarried, and the family of three lived contentedly and happily running the bookstore.

Her fiancé hadn’t died either. He returned triumphantly, whole and uninjured, and the wedding proceeded as scheduled.

Her mother embroidered wedding clothes for her. She wore the wedding dress to bid farewell to her parents, lived in harmony with her husband, and in the blink of an eye, aged gracefully…

This dream was too beautiful; Hu Shanwei didn’t want to wake up. Suddenly she heard tearful sleep-talking: “Bao’er, Bao’er, where are you?”

“Bao’er, where have you run off to…”

Hu Shanwei woke up. Thin morning light filtered through the window. Beside her pillow, Jiang Quan seemed to be having a nightmare—her hair was soaked with sweat, her body trembling restlessly.

“Sister Jiang? Jiang Quan?” Hu Shanwei gently woke her.

Jiang Quan suddenly sat up, covering her chest and breathing heavily.

Hu Shanwei got up and poured her a cup of water. Jiang Quan drank it all and said, “Sorry, I had a nightmare and woke you up.”

As Hu Shanwei dressed, she wondered who “Bao’er” from Jiang Quan’s sleep-talk was.

Ah, they were all people displaced by chaotic times—who didn’t have heartbreaking matters? Hu Shanwei pretended to have just awakened, “No matter, I get up around this time every day anyway.”

Hu Shanwei bid farewell to Jiang Quan, went to queue for keys at the Key Department, and began another day of heavy work.

In the evening, Mei Xiang came to Hu Shanwei’s residence to study. Shanwei asked about Noble Consort Hu and Jiang Quan. She dealt with books all day, almost completely isolated from the world, and didn’t know about the undercurrents in the rear palace.

Mei Xiang, the palace know-it-all, was different. Although demoted to the Imperial Kitchen as a kitchen servant, her information remained well-informed.

It turned out that Jiang Quan, having gained special favor from Noble Consort Hu with gifts of clocks and ice, had become the hottest figure among the new female officials, second only to the female champion Wu Qionglian.

Mei Xiang meaningfully pointed toward Kunning Palace: “…Empress Ma has given birth to two princesses, Princess Ningguo and Princess Anqing.”

She then pointed toward the Western Six Palaces, “Western Palace Lady Consort Sun is about the same age as Empress Ma and has also only given birth to two princesses, Princess Lin’an and Princess Huaiqing. Among them, Princess Lin’an is the Emperor’s eldest daughter and is extremely favored by him.”

Finally, Mei Xiang raised her chin toward Yanxi Palace, “So among the Three Palace Consorts in the rear palace, only Eastern Palace Lady Noble Consort Hu has given birth to an imperial son—Prince Chu Zhu Zhen, ranked sixth. Now the lady is pregnant again. If she gives birth to another prince… oh my, future matters are hard to say.”

Hu Shanwei asked, “What’s hard to say?”

Hu Shanwei’s scholarship was good, but for palace matters, veterans like Mei Xiang who had served the imperial family since the former residence were the experts.

Mei Xiang whispered, “Empress Ma is already over fifty and in poor health. If someday in the future… based on birth, qualifications, favor, and rank, Noble Consort Hu would definitely enter the Central Palace and become the subsequent empress.”

After three months in the palace, Hu Shanwei had a general understanding of the rear palace consorts’ backgrounds.

To prevent rear palace interference in politics, Emperor Hongwu’s consorts all came from ordinary backgrounds—commoner women from small families or slaves presented by others. Consort Ding of the Da clan was simply a concubine Emperor Hongwu had seized from his old rival Chen Youliang.

Only one person was an exception: Noble Consort Hu. Noble Consort Hu’s father was Marquis Linchuan Hu Mei.

In those days, Han King Chen Youliang, Wu King Zhang Shicheng, and another self-proclaimed Wu King Zhu Yuanzhang divided Jiangnan, forming a three-kingdom rivalry.

Hu Mei was the Chancellor personally appointed by Han King Chen Youliang under the Great Han regime—below one person, above ten thousand others. Hu Mei and Chen Youliang were both from Xiantao, Hubei, who had risen together to establish Great Han and shared deep bonds.

When Zhu Yuanzhang first attacked Chen Youliang who occupied Nanchang, Jiangxi, the two were evenly matched. Chancellor Hu Mei secretly contacted Zhu Yuanzhang, secretly communicating and proposing conditions for betraying his master Chen Youliang—allowing Hu Mei to keep his own army.

To show sincerity, Hu Mei offered his beautiful fifteen-year-old daughter to Zhu Yuanzhang.

Zhu Yuanzhang agreed. When Chancellor Hu Mei defected, Chen Youliang was attacked from both sides, died in battle, Great Han fell, and even his beautiful concubine Da was seized by Zhu Yuanzhang for his own rear palace.

Hu Mei was brave and skilled in battle. After joining Zhu Yuanzhang’s camp, he repeatedly performed extraordinary feats. His hereditary position as Marquis Linchuan wasn’t obtained through his daughter’s connections but entirely through his own merit.

Of course, after becoming emperor, Emperor Hongwu Zhu Yuanzhang didn’t mistreat Hu Mei’s daughter either. Seeing that she had given birth to Prince Chu and her father had served the country meritoriously, he made her Noble Consort, first among the Eastern Six Palaces.

“As for how Jiang Quan gained Noble Consort Hu’s favor…” Mei Xiang said, “Supposedly one day Noble Consort Hu was walking by the lake, stepped into empty space, and fell into the water. Jiang Quan happened to be picking lotus flowers there and pulled Noble Consort Hu to shore. Noble Consort Hu regarded Jiang Quan as her life-saving benefactor and often summons her to Yanxi Palace for conversation. Jiang Quan is older with rich experience, telling Noble Consort Hu fresh stories from outside, and the consort likes her very much.”

Mei Xiang looked at Hu Shanwei with some concern, “The palace is full of people who fawn on power and follow the wind. Jiang Quan uses Noble Consort Hu’s influence to gain great prominence. Many people compete to curry favor with her. Now even the Directors of the Six Bureaus and One Department dare not underestimate her. But Empress Ma is still the Central Palace Lady. Being too close to Noble Consort Hu is not good. You should keep distance from Jiang Quan and not let others think you’re also Noble Consort Hu’s person.”

No wonder only Jiang Quan dared to openly contact her these three months—it was because she relied on Noble Consort Hu’s power.

Hu Shanwei smiled bitterly, “I understand. I’m alone in the library, isolated from the world. What use would it be for Jiang Quan to court me? Don’t worry, I won’t let my judgment be clouded by others’ small favors. I’ll concentrate on my work at hand and properly manage the library.”

Mei Xiang laughed, “You’re a smart person. I’m just giving unnecessary reminders.”

Noble Consort Hu still had two months until delivery. Whenever Emperor Hongwu was free, he would go accompany her. Not only that, Noble Consort Hu also used missing her family as an excuse to petition the Emperor to allow Marquis Linchuan’s entire family to enter the palace to see her.

Emperor Hongwu agreed.

Marquis Linchuan Hu Mei had originally been sent by Emperor Hongwu to Changsha, Hunan to train the navy. After receiving the imperial decree, Marquis Linchuan’s entire family came to the capital.

Noble Consort Hu summoned all eight female officials from the Guest Bureau to Yanxi Palace, demanding to know why she still hadn’t seen her family after Marquis Linchuan had been in the capital for three days.

The female officials replied, “According to palace regulations, Marquis Linchuan must submit a roster of those entering the palace to the Bureau of Court Rites. After we review and approve it, we then arrange the time and route for entering the palace.”

Noble Consort Hu was very displeased, “Why haven’t you arranged it quickly?”

The female officials said, “The roster submitted by Marquis Linchuan includes five outside males, even including the marquis’s sons-in-law. This doesn’t conform to rules, so the Bureau of Court Rites sent the roster back to the marquis’s residence, asking them to revise the palace entry roster.”

Noble Consort Hu was quite agitated and slapped the phoenix desk, “You Bureau of Court Rites people are perfunctory and dilatory, don’t think you can deceive this palace. This palace doesn’t want to wait any longer. No matter how you arrange it, within three days, this palace must see my family!”

The female officials said, “As long as it’s proper, within three days the Noble Consort will naturally see her family. But if it’s improper, if we let them in, we would be derelict in duty.”

Noble Consort Hu sneered, “Don’t act noble before this palace. This palace knows you just want bribes, disgusted that the Marquis Linchuan residence hasn’t given you enough silver.”

The eight female officials said in unison, “We dare not.”

Noble Consort Hu said, “Within three days, this palace wants to see my family. You may withdraw.”

The eight female officials were rebuffed and returned to the Bureau of Court Rites.

The next day, at Kunning Palace.

Empress Ma summoned Palace Administrator Fan from the Palace Administration Department, which specialized in enforcing palace regulations, and asked, “Looking through history, among previous generations, which dynasty had the most virtuous consorts? Which dynasty had the most proper family conduct?”

Palace Administrator Fan thought and said, “Only the various empresses of the Song Dynasty were mostly virtuous, with the most proper family conduct.”

Meaning the Song Dynasty had many worthy consorts with strict and proper family customs.

Empress Ma said, “You shall copy the deeds and family conduct of the Song Dynasty’s virtuous consorts into books and teach the consorts of the Eastern and Western Six Palaces. They must recite daily without laziness.”

Palace Administrator Fan accepted, “This subject obeys the decree.”

Palace Administrator Fan knew Empress Ma could no longer tolerate it and was going to suppress Noble Consort Hu. Though she said to teach the consorts of the Eastern and Western Six Palaces, it was actually targeting Noble Consort Hu, wanting the consort to learn to be a “virtuous consort” and for the consort’s family to reshape their family customs and conduct.

But human memory is limited. In such haste, how could she quickly copy the deeds and family conduct of Song Dynasty virtuous consorts into books?

Palace Administrator Fan thought of the library she had long forgotten, and Hu Shanwei who managed it.

Three months—that girl should have grown moldy in the library by now, shouldn’t she?