The head of the Empress’s close attendants was an amiable, thin-faced eunuch named Cao Cheng who managed palace affairs and conveyed the Empress’s decrees, performing the duties of chief chamberlain—the Grand Chamberlain of rank two thousand bushels. Under him, besides palace maids, he also managed many Yellow Gate Commandants, Lesser Yellow Gate attendants, and Middle Yellow Gate officials. However, the Empress was naturally pure and solemn by temperament, neither loving to interfere in court politics nor fond of frequently summoning noble ladies into the palace to gossip. Thus Grand Chamberlain Cao’s work was quite leisurely—aside from the daily operations of the vast palace, it was just organizing several grand and solemn banquets for the Empress each year.

Though the Empress had no dissatisfaction with Cao Cheng, she preferred to avoid trouble when possible. Trivial matters in the inner palace were often settled nearby. But now Granny Zhai was gradually aging with insufficient energy, and Luo Jitong’s wedding date was approaching with less and less time remaining in the palace. Plus the Empress intended to let Shaoshang practice making decisions and managing people. Thus with favorable timing, geography, and people, Shaoshang naturally rose to fill the position.

Initially Shaoshang had been anxious in the palace because she was unfamiliar with people and places, and the male and female bosses’ social status was too high. Making mistakes with the gang leader would at most get her beaten or expelled from the pool hall. Making mistakes with teachers would just mean scolding and writing a self-criticism, at most a school-wide notice. But the imperial couple were the supreme rulers of the realm—if truly provoked, they were the type who’d execute without burial.

Now having gained their recognition of her efforts, her fearful caution gradually faded. Shaoshang naturally began revealing her true nature. Though not intentional, daily interactions inevitably left traces. Over time, everyone in Changqiu Palace knew this seemingly delicate and gentle Lady Cheng was actually both mischievous and cunning.

Two palace maids fought, each saying the other struck first. Without a word, Shaoshang had them fight again for her to watch. Both wanted to appear weak, so one punched slower and struck lighter than the other, like a movie in slow motion, or like the affectionate Sentimental Swordsman and Ruthless Sword feeding moves to each other—making all the palace maids and young eunuchs in the hall laugh until their bellies hurt.

After the fake fight, Shaoshang asked if they still wanted to file complaints. Both said they wanted Shaoshang to dispense justice. Shaoshang smiled and sent them to the Yellow Gate Commandant under Cao Cheng who handled punishments—come on, she might lack experience, but she wasn’t stupid, okay? No matter how gentle the Empress was, she couldn’t be taken advantage of. In a place like the palace quarters, when palace maids had private disputes and not only didn’t hide them but competed to make them public—did they think she hadn’t been around the block?

Two outer court palace maids who planted flowers disputed over a beautiful young tabby cat. One said how carefully she’d raised it after finding it in a palace wall corner. The other said how hard she’d worked saving food rations to feed it. Both were hoarse from shouting. Shaoshang said: “This is easy to handle. You both make very good points. How about this—cut this tabby cat in half and you each get one half.”

Saying this, she called for a eunuch to fetch a knife. The two palace maids first froze together, then one immediately knelt down crying, repeatedly saying the tabby cat wasn’t hers but truly belonged to the other. The other palace maid remained hesitant and unable to speak.

Shaoshang then imitated Judge Bao opening court, solemnly declaring that regardless of who the original owner was, that tabby cat should go to the master who loved it more. This court would not accept appeals.

The Empress watched coldly from the side and couldn’t help humming: “You do have some quick wit.”

Shaoshang: Didn’t dare, didn’t dare—she just stood on the shoulders of children’s literature.

Another fifteen or sixteen palace maids secretly nursed grudges over trivial matters, dividing into two opposing camps with days of sarcastic remarks and continuous verbal disputes. This kind of thing was very annoying—it hadn’t escalated to concrete conflict but affected the palace atmosphere.

Shaoshang had someone find a hemp rope as thick as her small wrist, fully ten-some zhang long, then divided these two camps in half and reorganized them into teams for tug-of-war.

First round: Shaoshang wagered the winning team would each receive five coins.

How could the girls cooperate with “enemies” they’d quarreled with for days? They reluctantly exerted some strength, and in the end the team that happened to have greater combined force won.

Second round: Shaoshang wagered the winning team would each receive ten coins.

Seeing those who’d just won receive clinking coins in hand, the other team’s girls’ eyes widened. Shaoshang shuffled and reorganized them again—still half from each original camp. This time, whichever team it was exerted milk-drinking strength.

Third round: Shaoshang raised the wager to twenty coins per person on the winning team.

The girls’ eyes turned red. Even in the palace this was a considerable sum. This time the girls assigned to the same group no longer cared about old grudges, all of one heart and mind, shoulders pressed to shoulders, feet braced against feet, working together with united strength.

At this point a small accident occurred. Though Shaoshang had just received a windfall, she wasn’t carrying it on her person and borrowed money from Granny Zhai for stakes. But by the third round Granny Zhai’s purse was empty, and Shaoshang could only send someone home to fetch money. Who knew that just moments later, a young eunuch came smiling broadly carrying a half-arm-width heavy box containing nearly three hundred five-zhu coins.

“…Lord Ling already knows about the situation here. He said it would be disappointing for you to make empty promises, so he sent you some money. If it’s not enough, he’ll have someone quickly fetch more.”

Shaoshang held the money box in a daze. So, had she finally reached the day of spending her boyfriend’s money?

After three rounds of tug-of-war, the girls were exhausted. Having no energy to sulk and most having won some money, each was happy in heart. Even the four most unlucky girls who never managed to win money were each rewarded five coins by Shaoshang. Afterward, she put on a stern face, cited facts and reasoned, saying many high-sounding words about unity, love, mutual help, and mutual respect until tears flowed from most palace maids—nearly matching the speeches of the Salmon Branch Secretary from years ago.

Having bestowed grace, it was time to display authority.

Shaoshang also pointed out several palace maids who usually led each camp and punished them with ten boards each as a warning to others.

Initially, Shaoshang just followed the plan, but as the tug-of-war emotions intensified, the surrounding young eunuchs and palace maids all crowded over to watch with laughter. Some even waved fists cheering for friendly girls. Even the Empress couldn’t help standing in the corridor watching with a smile. At exciting moments she inevitably laughed aloud. After seeing Shaoshang combine grace and authority to solve the problem, she lowered her head to Granny Zhai: “Rest assured, Eleventh Lang’s residence won’t fall into chaos in the future.”

Turning back to the inner hall, the Empress saw Shaoshang still holding the half-empty money box, standing quietly in the corridor with a cool expression. The Empress couldn’t help being slightly stunned—for a moment she seemed not to recognize her.

Actually, this girl wasn’t always this clear-minded, decisive, and full of strategies when handling matters.

A few days ago a small palace maid longed for her deceased family and cried endlessly at night. Shaoshang stopped the eunuch who wanted to beat her with rods and patiently asked where she was originally from. Then she drew a simple map of provinces and counties, pointing to the small palace maid’s home region and telling her the military disasters there had gradually subsided. There might still be some hunger, but as long as they farmed well in the future, there wouldn’t be parentless children displaced and sold around anymore.

—Of course things wouldn’t be like this. The Empress had lost her father in childhood and also experienced military disasters and war chaos, deeply understanding worldly matters. How could there be no human traffickers? But in this lonely deep palace, a few vain yet beautiful words were enough to give a small palace maid with no family the courage to live well.

The Empress looked at Shaoshang again. She had two soft, graceful eyebrows, neither too thick nor too light, drawn on snow-white skin like traces left by misty rain. Her eyes were clear and beautiful—when looking at people, it seemed waves rippled in her pupils. Having passed just one short summer, the small girl’s appearance had become even more radiant. Combined with such a contradictory complex temperament, no wonder she’d captivated her foster son.

…

After rising from the afternoon nap, Shaoshang was ordered to fetch two scrolls of bamboo slips from the outer hall of the Secretariat. After respectfully taking leave of the Yellow Gate Chamberlain who guarded the document hall, Shaoshang walked back leisurely, not expecting to encounter Yuan Shen, whom she hadn’t seen for many days, in the palace lane.

Actually, since she’d entered the palace for “study,” counting this time, she’d already encountered Yuan Shen three times in the palace lanes.

The first time she and Ling Buyi were walking slowly one behind the other. Yuan Shen moved aside to let them pass, then looked at them coldly a few times without saying a word. The second time she was firmly held by the hand by Ling Buyi walking side by side. Yuan Shen met them head-on, looked at their clasped hands and let out several short cold laughs. As a result, Ling Buyi’s gaze staring back was even colder than the laughter. Shaoshang turned her head not wanting to watch them.

This time encountering Yuan Shen, Shaoshang had just been called by Liangqiu Fei chasing from behind. The young guard ran with sweat on his forehead, handing her a flat lacquered wood box with gray branch disk patterns. As soon as Shaoshang took it, she nearly dropped the box on her feet. Opening it, she saw neatly arranged fifty gold ingots emitting an enticing luster of pure gold, each cast into thumb-thick horseshoe gold, small and exquisite, gleaming golden. She couldn’t help opening her mouth wide.

Liangqiu Fei smiled: “…Young Master said you now have many matters in Changqiu Palace. Using copper coins to reward palace maids is fine, but rewarding ranked eunuchs won’t do. Keep these in the palace for use whenever needed, ordinarily entrusting them to Granny Zhai for safekeeping.”

“This, how can I accept this?” Shaoshang had difficulty breathing and smiled dazedly several times—when your boyfriend buys you bags and clothes, you can still righteously refuse, firmly advocating financial independence before marriage. But what if your boyfriend directly transfers a house to you? She felt somewhat unable to hold firm.

Liangqiu Fei frowned: “Young Lady, please don’t speak such distancing words again. Last time you refused those two fine horses, causing my elder brother to receive a scolding from Young Master. This time please don’t harm this humble servant.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t.” Shaoshang sighed weakly.

After Liangqiu Fei left, Yuan Shen in flowing robes and loose belt, graceful in bearing, slowly approached just in time to see the girl’s face bathed in golden light from the gold ingots in the box. He couldn’t help asking a question. After the eunuch behind Shaoshang answered on her behalf, he laughed coldly again: “I didn’t expect you actually loved these yellow and white objects.”

Shaoshang immediately said: “Everything in this box is gold ingots—only yellow, no white. Don’t speak nonsense!”

Yuan Shen choked: “…So you were bought off? Constantly pretending to be virtuous and chaste—now the whole capital is praising you, saying you’ve finally been taught by the Empress to have outstanding character.”

“What ‘bought off’—such ugly words.” Shaoshang handed the box to the nearby eunuch, then signaled them to retreat some distance.

“Without these gold ingots, couldn’t I still learn to be virtuous and chaste? Besides, this is from my future husband—what can’t I spend? And also, whether I’m virtuous and chaste, whether I’ve been bought off—what business is it of yours! Am I eating your family’s grain? Am I using your family’s wealth!”

This time Yuan Shen didn’t get angry but looked at her: “Have you noticed that since we’ve known each other, what you say to me most often is this phrase: ‘What business is it of yours?'”

Shaoshang was stunned. …It did seem so. “That’s because you always meddle without reason!”

Yuan Shen smoothed the jade belt at his waist, saying softly: “Are you doing well now?”

“Naturally well!” Shaoshang smiled proudly. “The Cheng family young lady everyone looked down on back then—even going out to attend banquets people would jump out saying I was crude and unlettered, domineering and rude. Would that happen now? Now when I enter and leave the palace, even the princes and princesses are polite to me. Which of those people from before still dares make things difficult for me!”

Yuan Shen made an affirmative sound: “Actually, I thought you were quite good before.”

Shaoshang scoffed: “Young Master Shanjian, let’s just stop here. You yourself pick and choose when selecting a wife—what clan matron virtue, what skilled propriety… Why should I have to remain crude forever!”

“Just pretend in front of people—who told you to truly learn skilled propriety?” Yuan Shen said resentfully.

Shaoshang understood, laughing mockingly: “Oh, so that’s it. One way in front of people, another behind. Young Master Shanjian, could it be you yourself conduct yourself this way?… Eh… why should I learn skilled propriety—what does this have to do with me?”

But Yuan Shen ignored her provocation and asked again: “You still haven’t answered me—are you really doing well? Not in front of people, but behind? Are you happy in your heart?”

Shaoshang raised her eyes toward the palace wall, saying lightly: “I know what you want to ask. However, I also want to tell you—no matter what, I will always make myself live well. This has nothing to do with others, nothing to do with anyone.”

Yuan Shen gazed at her for a long while: “These days, there are more and more young ladies who love big talk. If so, I shall wait and see.”