Little Palace Maid Desires a Higher Seat of Honor - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Selection for the Imperial Harem

July was about to give way to autumn. The setting sun cast its remaining glow over the imperial palace, covering the palace halls in a layer of molten light. The glazed tiles reflected some dazzling light, making people’s hearts feel uneasy. Later, as the sun dipped below the horizon, lanterns suddenly lit up like stars, and the tense atmosphere spread to everyone without delay.

Red, lush Chinese crabapples flowers were scattered in the backyard of the Central Province Hall. As night was about to fall, someone was lazily hiding here. She leaned against the railing, idly playing with the fallen petals of the Chinese crabapples flowers. The remaining sunlight fell on her face, as if the Chinese crabapples flowers were covered with a layer of rosy glow, easily dyeing her face with a touch of charming beauty.

When Xiao Rongzi came looking for her, he saw this scene and stood still for a moment before suddenly coming back to his senses. There was still a hint of amazement in his eyes, but he didn’t dare look again.

The palace was not lacking in beauties, but there were always some who stood out from the crowd. Yun Si, his sister, was one such person. Xiao Rongzi couldn’t tell if it was good or bad. Having a good appearance was certainly a good thing, but given Yun Si’s identity, it might not be a good thing after all. She was perfect in every way, well-versed in etiquette and capable of handling any task. However, she had been stuck in the Central Province Hall and hadn’t been assigned elsewhere yet. Her appearance was likely to be held against her.

Xiao Rongzi hesitated for a moment before walking over, keeping his head low. He called out softly: “Sister.”

The woman quietly raised her head, revealing her beautiful eyebrows and eyes. Her willow-shaped eyebrows and apricot-shaped eyes were slightly curved at the ends, and her cheeks were fair with a hint of pink, like a hibiscus flower reflected on her face. Her small lips were naturally rosy without any lip color. When the breeze blew through her black hair, she raised her head, and a faint smile gathered around her eyebrows and eyes, making her look exceptionally beautiful. The next moment, she jumped down from the railing and asked briskly: “Did the eunuch ask you to call me?”

As she spoke, she straightened her clothes and prepared to leave. Xiao Rongzi quickly stopped her: “No, it’s not that!”

Yun Si looked up, puzzled, and gazed at Xiao Rongzi. Xiao Rongzi felt a bit nervous, lowering his head to dust off the railing. Seeing this, Yun Si slowed down her pace and stopped when Xiao Rongzi asked her to sit down. She sat down, feeling curious.

She had been in the Central Province Hall for two years, having entered the palace during the first selection of palace maidens after the Emperor ascended the throne. After learning the rules, she wasn’t assigned anywhere and was eventually kept by Eunuch Liu of the Central Province Hall. Eunuch Liu treated her well, and she felt relatively comfortable in the Central Province Hall.

However, Eunuch Liu would often look at her with a sigh, saying: “What a pity with your beauty…”

He wouldn’t continue, but after two years, she understood what he meant. If her beauty was bestowed upon a master, it would be a blessing, but for someone like her, it would be a curse and a trouble.

The way court maidens and eunuchs entered the palace was different. Court maidens were selected, but eunuchs could enter the palace at any time. Xiao Rongzi had entered the palace last year, and at that time, he had just undergone the… procedure¹.

It seemed that it wasn’t handled well, and he fell seriously ill after entering the palace. Seeing how pitiful he was, Yun Si asked Eunuch Liu for some medicine for him.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Rongzi cried out in his half-asleep state, saying that no one had ever been kind to him before.

Later, Yun Si learned that Xiao Rongzi had been a little beggar since he was young. During a famine, he escaped to the capital city with the crowd and eventually entered the palace as a eunuch, hoping to get something to eat.

He was indeed pitiful, but his tearful crying made Yun Si find it somewhat amusing at the time. As time passed, the two became the most familiar people in the Central Province Hall.

Xiao Rongzi sat down with her, but he didn’t sit on the railing. After wiping the railing clean for Yun Si, he sat down casually on a relatively clean spot on the ground.

He was always careless about himself.

Yun Si shook her head, seeing this: “You’ll get covered in dust and fluff. If the eunuch has something to ask of you later, you’ll be in a flurry again.”

Xiao Rongzi looked up and smiled apologetically. However, his smile didn’t last long, and the faint smile quickly faded away.

Yun Si was puzzled. Xiao Rongzi wasn’t a sentimental person. What was wrong with him today?

With her curiosity, she asked: “What’s wrong with you today? If you have something to say, just say it.”

Xiao Rongzi lowered his head, nervously wanting to fidget with something. Finally, he said in a low, muffled voice: “The selected maidens who will enter the palace soon will be granted titles and positions. With the new concubines entering the palace, the palace servants will be rearranged. I heard Eunuch Liu say that it’s been two years since the last selection, and there might not be enough palace servants to serve the new concubines. Maybe… maybe you’ll be assigned to… serve the new concubines.”

The latter part of his sentence was spoken slowly, and anyone could hear the reluctance in his voice.Yun Si paused, her eyes drooping slightly, and her eyelids trembled imperceptibly.

She had been in the palace for two years and hadn’t left the Central Province Hall. As a servant, wanting to climb higher naturally meant serving a good master to rise through the ranks.

When she first entered the palace, Yun Si had analyzed the situation in her mind. In the harem, the Empress was naturally the most noble. However, the Emperor and the Empress had been married since they were young and already had trusted confidants. Although the Empress’s Palace was a good place, it would be difficult to stand out.

The same applied to the Noble Consort, who was similar to the Empress. Especially since the Noble Consort was pregnant with a prince, the palace wouldn’t lack loyal servants. Even if she went to the Yihe Palace, she would likely just be an insignificant outer court maid.

In that case, it was better to stay in the Central Province Hall and enjoy herself.

But…

Yun Si’s eyes darkened slightly. Perhaps because she had heard too much, she couldn’t help but feel a bit resentful. After entering the palace, she hadn’t expected to leave. There was no one waiting for her outside, and she didn’t have anyone she wanted to see. If she left the palace, she would be alone, without even a place to call her own.

She couldn’t stay in the Central Province Hall forever and then get married when she reached a certain age.

Thinking about this, Yun Si heard Xiao Rongzi ask: “Sister, do you want to go?”

Xiao Rongzi sat on the ground, in a low position. Yun Si could reach out and pat his head. Perhaps because of the first impression she had of Xiao Rongzi, she always felt that he was young. She patted Xiao Rongzi’s head gently without hesitation, not minding to reveal her thoughts: “Of course, I want to go. What else can I do?”

Xiao Rongzi suddenly looked up, his face twisted with worry and concern: “But serving a master is not an easy task.”

However, compared to serving an established master, serving a new concubine might be easier.

Yun Si smiled with a curved gaze: “Am I not serving someone now? It’s just the difference between serving one master and multiple masters.”

Xiao Rongzi fell silent, unable to respond. After a long time, he said sullenly: “I understand.”

Yun Si chuckled and called him a fool: “You’re different from me. You can stay in the Central Province Hall forever. Eunuch Liu treats me well, and I’ll ask him to take care of you before I leave. You won’t owe anyone a favor.”

Xiao Rongzi muttered sullenly: “No, I don’t want you to owe favors for me.”

Night fell as expected, and the darkness deepened. After a long time, there was no sound from outside, and everyone in the palace knew that the Emperor wouldn’t be visiting the harem today. So, they began to light lanterns and rest. Yun Si stood up: “Alright, go back and rest. You have to be on duty tomorrow.”

The Chinese crabapples flowers still swayed and fell with the wind. Xiao Rongzi looked up and saw Yun Si’s smiling face, which made the Chinese crabapples flowers behind her seem to lose their color. He pursed his lips.

What he was worried about wasn’t just the difficulty of serving a master.

But Xiao Rongzi couldn’t say anything. What right did he have to stop his sister?

********

After talking to Xiao Rongzi, Yun Si had a better understanding of the situation. She knew she would likely be assigned to serve the new concubines entering the palace. Otherwise, Eunuch Liu wouldn’t have passed on the news to Xiao Rongzi, just to prepare her mentally.

The next day, Eunuch Liu summoned her.

It wasn’t raining, but the weather was gloomy, making people feel irritable. Yun Si knocked on the door, her voice clear: “Eunuch?”

“Come in.”

There was more than one person in the room. Xiao Rongzi was also there. Yun Si looked up in confusion, and Eunuch Liu glanced at Xiao Rongzi. Xiao Rongzi quickly left, and Yun Si lowered her eyes, waiting quietly.

When Eunuch Liu looked up, he saw her behaving properly and sighed inwardly: “Yun Si, you should know why I called you here today.”
Yun Si smiled and nodded: “I know, Eunuch.”

Eunuch Liu fell silent, and the room became quiet. After a long time, Yun Si pursed her lips and asked softly: “Is Eunuch worried about something?”

Eunuch Liu glared at her with displeasure: “You’re asking something you already know.”

The court maidens in the Central Province Hall never stayed for long. One batch would replace another. Yun Si was the longest-serving court maiden in the Central Province Hall. She was only fourteen when she entered the palace and was now just over sixteen, having reached adulthood. Eunuch Liu had seen her grow from a young girl to a beautiful woman. Even if he didn’t want to admit it, he had to acknowledge that having a good appearance had its advantages.

He had kept her in the Central Province Hall for so long because he felt sorry for her due to her beauty. Over time, he had developed a genuine affection for her. As an old man who had lost his vitality, he couldn’t help but have some attachment. In his youth, he had a younger sister who didn’t survive. He had transferred some of his feelings to Yun Si and treated her like a daughter.

Eunuch Liu wouldn’t say such things to anyone. As a eunuch, being able to adopt a son was already a blessing. He wouldn’t think about women, especially not court maidens. Since he had developed genuine feelings for Yun Si, he wouldn’t tarnish her reputation.

Especially…

Eunuch Liu sighed inwardly. He couldn’t keep Yun Si in the Central Province Hall forever. He could see that she had her own thoughts. It was normal for someone as beautiful as her, without any family outside the palace, to have her own desires.

Yun Si wasn’t fazed by Eunuch Liu’s rebuke. She smiled and said cleverly: “I know Eunuch is kind to me, but I can’t stay in the Central Province Hall forever.”

Eunuch Liu snorted and changed the subject. He took out a list of names, which was the roster of the new concubines entering the palace, along with their future residences. Half of them had been chosen by Eunuch Liu, and the list would need the Empress’s approval. The Central Province Hall had significant authority in such matters.Eunuch Liu pointed to the list of names: “There are two outstanding maidens this time. You should have heard about them.”

Yun Si nodded. The titles of the selected maidens had already been announced. Two of them stood out. One was exceptionally beautiful and was granted the title of Meiren. Her family background was respectable, making her the top candidate among the selected maidens. The other one, naturally, had a similar status but was only granted the title of Cairen.

Yun Si saw Eunuch Liu’s finger pointing to the name of Lu Cairen and looked up in confusion.

Eunuch Liu said with a meaningful tone: “Lu Cairen’s brother serves in front of the Emperor. He’s a new noble.”

Yun Si’s eyes flashed, and she said softly: “She’s a good master.”

—
Below is the ranking table for the Harem, (with many private settings)

Huang hou – Empress (Emperor’s legitimate wife)

First rank : Huang Guifei (under only the Empress, higher than all other concubines)
Second rank
    Upper : Guifei, Shufei, Defei,  Xianfei (Guifei is the head of the 4)
    Lower : Fei (consorts)
Third rank
    Upper : Zhaoyi, Zhaorong
    Lower : Xiuyi, Xiurong
Fourth rank
    Upper : Jieyu
    Lower : Guipin
Fifth rank
    Upper : Pin
    Lower : Meiren
Sixth rank 
    Upper : Cairen
    Lower : Baolin
Seventh rank
    Upper : Yunu
    Lower : Guannuzi