Qingluo sighed at her words. Indeed, she no longer wanted any advancement. Even back at the Gu residence, she had felt the Emperor’s heart was beyond reach—it would be better to find someone she liked and live peacefully. Qingluo had already planned it out: she was still a virgin, and when she turned twenty-five, she would leave the palace and stop getting involved in these matters.
But for now, she could only follow beside Qinghuan. After all, they were both chamber maids by origin and could look after each other.
That evening, the Emperor indeed planned to go to Shen Guiyan’s place. Having held back for so long and already done everything that needed to be shown to Empress Dowager Wen, Gu Chaobei felt that even using the child as an excuse, making the trip wouldn’t be a problem.
However, just as he left the Imperial Study and was heading toward Xiuzhuang Palace, passing through the Imperial Garden, a white shadow suddenly flitted by.
“What was that?” Gu Chaobei frowned. Zhuiyun beside him also hurried to look, but the Imperial Garden was empty—there was nothing there.
“Did Your Majesty’s eyes deceive you?” Zhuiyun asked in a low voice.
Gu Chaobei shook his head, descended from his sedan chair, and walked a few steps into the Imperial Garden.
The sound of ethereal music suddenly echoed throughout the garden, startling everyone. Four palace lanterns suddenly lit up on the moon-viewing platform in the center of the garden, and a white-robed woman gracefully descended, dancing to the melody. Veiled in light gauze, her dance was nimble, and when she lifted her eyes to glance over, naturally it was filled with myriad charms.
Gu Chaobei let out a long breath. Damn it, he had thought the palace was being haunted again—it turned out someone was bored enough to stay up half the night to “intercept” him.
Qinghuan had put considerable effort into this outfit. Knowing Gu Chaobei preferred the elegant type, she had deliberately dressed to appear both ethereal and graceful. A light dance could capture the sovereign’s footsteps.
Seeing her face, which the veil might as well not have covered, Gu Chaobei also recognized who this was. Just promoted to Consort—most likely Empress Dowager Wen wanted to give overtime pay, right? Otherwise, she wouldn’t be working this hard.
When the dance ended, Qinghuan pretended to have just noticed the Emperor. She let out a surprised cry, then came forward to pay respects. “This concubine wanted to practice dancing here while no one was around. I didn’t expect to disturb Your Majesty’s presence.”
If you wanted to practice dancing, where couldn’t you do it? Why specifically come to the Imperial Garden when you clearly knew the Emperor must pass through here to enter the rear palace, yet still act so innocent?
Gu Chaobei sighed inwardly. Originally, he had been attracted to the air of aloofness about Qinghuan—who would have thought she’d be playing these games now too.
“You may rise. Since you’re practicing dancing, I won’t disturb you. Continue,” Gu Chaobei turned to leave.
“Your Majesty!” Like a butterfly with broken wings, Qinghuan flew over and threw herself at Gu Chaobei’s back, saying mournfully, “Are these palace walls so deep that Your Majesty has almost forgotten this concubine?”
Gu Chaobei pressed his lips together. “No, I still remember. Originally, I saw you performing on the street. Your form was excellent, so I brought you back to the residence.”
That’s right—Qinghuan came from a street acrobatic troupe. Even after Gu Chaobei brought her back, she only became a chamber maid, and the kind who never actually shared his bed.
Biting her lip, Qinghuan said in a low voice, “Since Your Majesty still remembers, why haven’t you seen Qinghuan? It’s been so long since entering the palace—Qinghuan finds it so difficult to see you even once.”
Gu Chaobei turned to look at her. “Aren’t you seeing me now? I still have matters to attend to. I must go first.”
“My lord,” Qinghuan grasped Gu Chaobei’s hand and swayed her body to the side. “Qinghuan wants to look at you a bit longer.”
Yan’er was still waiting for him. Today, knowing he could finally come, she must be so happy. Gu Chaobei pressed his lips together and reached out to shake Qinghuan off. “I don’t like people clinging to me.”
The position was already set—just waiting for this push. Behind Qinghuan’s feet were stacked cobblestones, and behind them was a pond that had just thawed, used for raising fish.
With a splash, the spray of water was as high as a person. Even Gu Chaobei couldn’t help shivering. The coldest time was when snow melted—with Qinghuan falling in like this, would she even survive?
“Someone come! Pull Consort Qing out and send her back to find an imperial physician,” Gu Chaobei called behind him.
Zhuiyun brought people over and jumped in to rescue her. Qinghuan was soaked through, her teeth chattering, her face frozen blue.
Gu Chaobei had originally wanted to leave it to the palace attendants while he went to Xiuzhuang Palace first. But Qinghuan’s icy hand reached up and grasped him.
“My lord…” A pitiful voice, hoarse.
Women really went all out to compete for favor. Gu Chaobei turned to glance at her. Thinking about how she was someone Empress Dowager Wen had just promoted, he sighed and still said, “I’ll send you back.”
Shen Guiyan kept the palace doors open, waiting outside the whole time. She had already bathed and changed. Though she couldn’t serve him in bed with her pregnancy, being able to sleep in the same bed as the Emperor was still worth being happy about.
But she waited from dusk until dark, from the first watch until the second watch, and the Emperor still hadn’t come.
“Consort Yan, I heard that the newly promoted Consort Qing fell into water, and the Emperor is sending her back to her palace. Going back and forth, he probably can’t come today,” a nanny outside reported quietly.
Court would begin at the third watch—looking at the time now, he indeed wouldn’t make it. Shen Guiyan closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then let it out long and slow. “Then I shall rest first.”
“Mistress,” Baoshan’s lips quivered as she looked at her. “If you’re unhappy, you can tell this servant. Even if you want to smash things, that’s fine—just don’t hold it in.”
Shen Guiyan smiled and shook her head. “It’s just disappointed hopes—I can’t accept it for a moment, that’s all. After sleeping a while, I’ll be fine. After waiting so long, I’m tired too.”
“Then this servant will attend Mistress to bed,” Baoshan pressed her lips together, helped Shen Guiyan onto the bed platform, then closed the palace doors and came out.
“Baoshan,” Zhuiyun came over panting. “Has your mistress retired for the night?”
Baoshan glanced at him and frowned, pulling him aside. “You’re too useless! How could you let the Emperor be intercepted halfway?”
Zhuiyun rubbed his nose, feeling terribly wronged. Consort Qing had been thrown into the pond—looking like that, what could he, a guard, say to persuade the Emperor?
“I don’t want to deal with you. Don’t come asking me for help with anything either,” Baoshan said huffily, turning away. “The Emperor didn’t come, so you don’t need to run here either.”
Zhuiyun gasped. Who was this killing here? His master couldn’t help his compassionate heart—was that his fault?
“Baoshan…”
“Leave me alone!” Baoshan returned to her own room, waved at Zhuiyun, and slammed the door shut.
Zhuiyun was on the verge of tears. He had just come to relay a message for the Emperor that Consort Yan needn’t wait anymore—how had he ended up hated by Baoshan? He was truly too innocent!
Returning to the Emperor’s side, Zhuiyun’s expression wasn’t pleasant.
The Emperor watched as the imperial physician took Consort Qing’s pulse and said she had caught a cold and needed medicine—she couldn’t serve in bed for five days.
“Then I’ll leave first,” Gu Chaobei turned to go.
“Your Majesty,” Qinghuan, shivering in the quilts, still called him reluctantly. Imperial Physician Guo sat beside her, smiling as he advised, “The Consort is unwell. Naturally, Your Majesty should not remain here. Please take care, Consort.”
Qinghuan silently cursed her miscalculation.
The performance had gone too far—she herself got nothing good from it either.
When Gu Chaobei came out and saw Zhuiyun’s expression, he hesitated a long while before clearing his throat lightly. “Did you report to Xiuzhuang Palace?”
“Yes, I already told Consort Yan she needn’t wait,” Zhuiyun replied curtly, in poor spirits, offering nothing more.
Gu Chaobei felt uncertain. Looking at this, was Yan’er angry? And Zhuiyun too—couldn’t report clearly, making him ask bit by bit himself?
“…Did Consort Yan say anything?”
Zhuiyun shook his head with a wooden expression. “She said nothing. When this subject arrived, she had already retired. She must have known the news early.”
Gu Chaobei glared at him. Couldn’t bring back a single word?
Zhuiyun looked as though his heart had died. Even being glared at by Gu Chaobei, he had no reaction, only hung his head looking at the ground.
Looking at the time, it was almost the second watch. Going to Xiuzhuang Palace now wouldn’t make it in time, and it would wake Yan’er. After thinking, Gu Chaobei still turned back to his own sleeping quarters. Going to see Yan’er tomorrow would be the same.
The next day, when the Emperor rose to attend court, the consorts of each palace had already gone to pay respects at the two Empress Dowagers’ palaces.
Consort Zhuang had also heard about yesterday’s events and early that morning pulled Shen Guiyan to Empress Dowager Wen’s palace.
“Oh my, why hasn’t Consort Qing come?” Consort Zhuang scanned everyone and sat beside Empress Dowager Wen, asking with a smile, “Yesterday I heard Consort Qing was promoted. This consort hasn’t had time to congratulate her yet. How is it we don’t see her today?”
Empress Dowager Wen looked toward Nanny Fanghua at the side. Fanghua said in a low voice, “Consort Qing fell into water yesterday. She says she’s ill.”
“Fell into water?” Empress Dowager Wen raised an eyebrow. Fanghua cleared her throat lightly and told Empress Dowager Wen everything about yesterday.
In competing for favor, what Qinghuan did wasn’t very honorable, but it suited Empress Dowager Wen’s intentions. After hearing it, the Empress Dowager didn’t reproach her, but instead looked at Consort Zhuang and said, “You now hold the highest rank in the harem. When a consort falls into water and is unwell, naturally you should go visit her.”
“This consort obeys the decree. I’ll go in a while,” Consort Zhuang replied with a smile.
In this palace, Shen Guiyan’s favor had always been thin. Finally, there was one evening, yet someone used such methods to disrupt it. Consort Hua and Consort Xi were also quite dissatisfied hearing this. After leaving Empress Dowager Wen’s place, they went together to Consort Qing’s palace, bringing Shen Guiyan along with them.
Qinghuan hadn’t rested well when she was awakened by the noise outside. Consort Zhuang entered, smiling as she sat by the bed looking at her. “How does Consort Qing feel today? Has your illness improved?”
Startled, Qinghuan pressed her lips together looking at Consort Zhuang, then at Consort Hua and Consort Xi. Her gaze fell on Shen Guiyan, and she understood.
They had come to settle accounts.
But she was the Empress Dowager’s person. Yesterday could completely be explained as an accident—what could anyone say to her? Qinghuan lay in bed without rising to pay respects, looking at Consort Zhuang and saying, “Thank you for Your Ladyship’s concern. This concubine is still somewhat dizzy today. The palace maids have already gone to the Imperial Medical Bureau to prepare medicine.”
Consort Zhuang smiled. “Sister’s illness should be nursed slowly. I’ve asked the imperial physician—you cannot serve in bed for five days. Originally, I planned to arrange for you to attend the Emperor tomorrow. On second thought, forget it—shall I give it to Consort Yan instead?”
Qinghuan froze, looking at Consort Zhuang’s smiling face, her hand clenching. “This concubine can serve in bed after five days. Your Ladyship can postpone the arranged day.”
“Ah, that’s not how it works,” Consort Zhuang pulled Shen Guiyan over, smiling. “You and Consort Yan came from the same residence—you should look after each other. You recover peacefully, and Consort Yan will shoulder everything for you.”