Cefei's Rise to Prominence Record - Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Jinhe Courtyard
Zhou Yun had yet to come out, but the outer room was already bustling with activity.
Xu Liangdi and the others had been waiting outside for nearly half an hour. After such a long wait without any sign of her, someone finally lost patience and began to speak,
“Since Sister Xu fell ill, I haven’t seen her leave her courtyard in quite some time.”
The one speaking was another of the mansion’s Liangdi, Liu Liangdi. She wore a light yellow pleated skirt that made her look sweet and delicate. She had entered the residence after Xu, and though their ranks were equal, she could only address her as Sister Xu.
Xu Liangdi pressed her handkerchief lightly to her lips and gave a gentle cough, barely managing a response:
“Sorry to have worried you, little sister.”
Liu Liangdi was just about to say something more when the sound of bead curtains being lifted rang out. At once, she fell silent and looked up toward the doorway of the inner room.
Zhou Yun couldn’t wear red, yet she was unwilling to wear the pink outfit from the previous day. Today, she wore a rouge-colored brocade skirt. It wasn’t as bold as before, but it made her appear even more delicate and alluring. Her fair face, paler than snow, was tinged with a flush of red, and that added hint of a newlywed’s grace made those watching—especially the jealous—feel deeply unsettled.
The coy sweetness Liu Liangdi had just been putting on vanished entirely. She furrowed her brows without even realizing it.
When the imperial edict first arrived, she had heard people say that the newly appointed Zhou Cefei was exceptionally beautiful.
She had listened but hadn’t taken it seriously.
Before entering the prince’s residence, Xu Liangdi had also been known as a beauty of Jiangnan. In this rear courtyard of the royal mansion, beauties were never in short supply.
But it was only upon seeing Zhou Cefei in person that she finally understood why the person who had spoken of her before had looked so wary.
Liu Liangdi suddenly glanced at Xu Liangdi and, sure enough, saw that she too was stunned. The fingers gripping her handkerchief had gone pale from the tension, and Liu Liangdi immediately relaxed.
After all, the Cefei had just entered the mansion—it wasn’t her place to be the first to grow anxious.
Zhou Yun paid no attention to what others might be thinking. Unhurriedly, she walked over and took her seat at the head. Her waist was still sore, so she leaned back against the huanghuali wood chair. Just as she had barely settled in, she heard several voices say,
“Your concubine pays respects to the Cefei.”
After a slight pause, Zhou Yun lazily lifted her eyes. Earlier in the inner chamber, Shi Qiu had mentioned some things about the household, so she could only roughly match faces to names. She casually waved her hand.
“Rise, all of you.”
After speaking, she thought for a moment—this was, after all, her first arrival—so she added,
“Apologies for keeping all of you waiting.”
“What are you saying, Cefei? It was I who wished to see you sooner and thus disturbed your peace.”
Liu Liangdi responded with a smile, her tone warm and eager, though it was hard to tell how genuine it was.
Then she gave a light “ah” and quickly added,
“Oh, look at my memory. You’ve just entered the residence, Sister Cefei, so you probably don’t recognize me yet. I’m Liu-shi.”
Across from her, Xu Liangdi tilted her head slightly, clearly disapproving of Liu Liangdi’s behavior.
Zhou Yun, however, glanced at her and thought she at least had some sense—everyone else had simply said “this concubine,” so how was she supposed to know who was who?
A maid brought over tea. At that moment, Xu Liangdi suddenly covered her mouth and began coughing, pushing the tea farther away with her hand.
Shi Qiu had been discreetly observing everyone, and upon seeing this, she immediately furrowed her brows.
The tea had been served by people from their own courtyard. Xu Liangdi’s attitude, to some degree, was rather disrespectful.
Zhou Yun turned her head upon hearing the coughing and caught Xu Liangdi’s movements in full. Her brows raised slightly, and she smiled faintly as if puzzled:
“Is the tea not to your liking, Little sister Xu?”
Xu Liangdi made a slight movement, but before she could speak, Liu Liangdi answered on her behalf with a playful smile.
“Sister Cefei may not know, Sister Xu has always been in delicate health. She’ll only drink tea if it’s been thoroughly filtered. Even her meals are rarely to her taste, the kitchen must put in extra care to serve her properly.”
The jab wasn’t especially clever, but with Liu Liangdi smiling so sweetly while saying it, it was still somewhat revolting.
Thankfully, Zhou Yun wasn’t the one being targeted, so she paid it no mind and was even happy to watch the show. She certainly had no intention of ordering someone to filter tea for Xu Liangdi—she could drink it or not.
She gave Xu Liangdi a sidelong glance, then slowly said,
“So that’s how it is. No wonder this consort thought Little sister Xu looked a little pale.”
Liu Liangdi picked up the thread of the conversation, “His Highness cherishes Sister Xu. He’s always allowed her to rest in her own courtyard. I was quite surprised myself to see Sister Xu today in the Cefei’s courtyard.”
Xu Liangdi had remained silent all along, and now merely added, “His Highness has always been fair. He treats little sister well too.”
Her voice was gentle and soft, making it impossible to tell what she was feeling—but her attitude made it clear she didn’t take Liu Liangdi to heart at all.
Rather than addressing Liu Liangdi, that remark seemed more deliberately said for Zhou Yun to hear.
Zhou Yun’s gaze darkened slightly. Just from these few words, she could already tell what things had been like in this Mansion before her arrival. No wonder Liu Liangdi kept trying to poison her ear.
She had no patience for listening to any more of this. Since she’d already seen them, she simply dismissed them outright.
No sooner had they left than Shi Chun, standing by her side, couldn’t help but mutter, “That constitution must be even more delicate than a princess’s.”
She hadn’t named names, but everyone who’d heard Liu Liangdi’s earlier words knew exactly whom she meant.
Shi Qiu shot Shi Chun a glare: “You really know how to talk, don’t you? The master is someone you’re allowed to comment on?”
Shi Chun shrank her head back, not daring to say more.
But Zhou Yun, who had been irritable all morning, suddenly felt her mood improve. She couldn’t help it—the corners of her brows relaxed, and a laugh slipped out.
“Isn’t that the truth?”
As far as she knew, this Xu Liangdi was merely the daughter of a fifth-rank official from Jiangnan. Who knew how delicately she’d been raised in this Mansion to end up with such a frail body?
Seeing their mistress smile, Shi Qiu could no longer scold Shi Chun, and only sighed quietly.
“Liu Liangdi was clearly trying to make Your Lady feel bad. How can Your Lady still laugh?”
What Liu Liangdi said was plainly aimed at telling her mistress that Xu Liangdi used to be favored. It was only the Cefei’s second day in the Mansion—how could she possibly feel at ease hearing that?
Zhou Yun naturally understood what Shi Qiu meant, but in her ears, Liu Liangdi’s words were neither painful nor itchy—entirely meaningless.
Trying to goad her into dealing with Xu Liangdi? Not that easy.
Just then, the outer curtain was suddenly lifted, and a maid rushed in:
“Your Lady, the Prince has returned to the Mansion.”
The laughter in the room paused. Zhou Yun instinctively felt the ache return to her waist. She shivered slightly, and for once, a trace of hesitation appeared on her face.
She had only just entered the Mansion yesterday, and had shared that intimate moment with the Prince. When she woke up this morning, she had hoped he would be by her side.
But now that she was fully awake, thinking of the Prince’s sullen nature, if he really did come, she honestly didn’t know what she would even say to him.
Shi Qiu found it amusing. “What is Cefei thinking about?”
The thoughts in Zhou Yun’s heart were not something she could voice aloud. On the surface, she merely shook her head.
At the same time, in Ming Sui Courtyard on the other side—
As soon as Xu Liangdi returned to her courtyard, she covered her lips and coughed a few times. The coughing brought a strange flush to her cheeks.
The maid Ling Bin stood at her side, worriedly patting her back. When she finally calmed down, Ling Bin hesitantly said,
“My Lady, today Liu Liangdi spoke of you like that in front of Cefei. Why didn’t you say a single word in defense?”
Xu Liangdi pushed her hand away and asked in return, “Why should I defend myself?”
Ling Bin faltered. “But… after all, that was Cefei. If she develops a dislike for you…”
“In a few more days, another Cefei will be entering the Mansion. How would she have the mind to pay attention to me?”
Xu Liangdi pressed her lips tightly together, clearly unreceptive. Ling Bin still wanted to speak, but just then, a maid brought in a bowl of medicinal decoction, so Ling Bin had to shut her mouth.
Xu Liangdi took the bowl, her delicate brows furrowing, but she did not drink it for a long while.
Ling Bin grew anxious at the side. “My Lady, the medicine is about to go cold.”
Unexpectedly, Xu Liangdi directly handed the bowl back to her. “Pour it out.”
Her voice remained as soft and fragile as always, the kind that evoked pity just from hearing it—but Ling Bin felt a sudden chill. “My Lady, you didn’t drink your medicine yesterday either. The Imperial Physician said your medicine must not be interrupted!”
Xu Liangdi’s breathing grew slightly hurried. She leaned over the couch, closed her eyes, and said in a voice barely above a whisper,
“One new woman after another enters the Mansion. Even if my body were in perfect health, what use is it… if I can’t even see the Prince?”
Suddenly, her tone shifted. “The medicine I instructed you to prepare a few days ago—make sure it’s ready every day.”
Ling Bin’s voice was hoarse as she responded, knowing she could no longer dissuade her mistress. Her hands trembled lightly as she poured the medicine away.
——
As soon as Fu Yun entered the residence, he turned and asked Zhang Chong beside him,
“Has the Cefei woken up?”
Zhang Chong had remained in the residence and knew that the Cefei had just entered the household yesterday. Since the Prince clearly valued her, he naturally hadn’t forgotten to inquire about Jinheyuan. He immediately bowed and answered:
“She has. This morning, Mistress Xu and a few others went to Jinhe Courtyard to pay their respects.”
Fu Yun nodded casually, not taking it to heart. Jinhe Courtyard wasn’t far from the front courtyard, and within less than a quarter of an hour, he had arrived.
Zhou Yun was in the middle of a meal when she got the news. She quickly wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and rose to greet him.
Flustered and in a hurry, she wasn’t paying close attention and nearly collided with Fu Yun at the doorway. Luckily, Zhou Yun reacted swiftly, grabbing hold of Shi Qiu to steady herself, then smoothly dropped into a curtsey.
“Your concubine greets the Prince.”
Fu Yun hadn’t expected her to move so quickly. The hand he had just extended to help her froze midair.
Behind him, Zhang Chong sucked in a breath and felt a bit at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
In the past, he had only ever seen the mistresses in the rear court deliberately stumble into His Lordship’s arms. This was the first time he’d seen someone steady herself after His Lordship had already reached out.
Just as the greeting left her lips, Zhou Yun shut her eyes in frustration.
She had reacted instinctively, still thinking herself in the boudoir, where she couldn’t come into contact with men. And just like that, she missed a perfect opportunity.
Fu Yun stared at the top of her head for a long moment before finally bending down to help her up. Whether it was praise or mockery, he remarked,
“Quick reaction.”
A trace of surprise flickered in Zhou Yun’s eyes. She caught the hint of sarcasm in his words—she hadn’t expected someone as reserved as the Prince to say such a thing.
Once she came back to her senses, her cheeks flushed red, and she explained in a slightly embarrassed whisper:
“Your concubine is just… still a little unaccustomed…”
Unaccustomed to what?
Zhou Yun didn’t say.
Fu Yun’s movements paused ever so slightly. He suddenly recalled the scene of her being led out of the bridal sedan yesterday, clad in that wedding dress.
Perhaps it was because he had seen her once in red garments, proud and dazzling like the warm sun—so when he lifted the veil yesterday, after that moment of amazement, there remained only a trace of regret.
That pale pink wedding dress—anyone who saw it would surely say:
—It didn’t suit her.
Fu Yun lowered his gaze, took her hand, and spoke in a low voice.
“It’s all right.”
“Take your time.”
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