Little Palace Maid Desires a Higher Seat of Honor - Chapter 105

Chapter 105: Title

Yangxin Hall.
After the morning court, Tan Yuanchu returned and had been sitting inside ever since, leaning over the desk, brush in hand, writing something.

Xu Shunfu entered carrying tea. He glanced at the palace layout diagram spread out on the imperial desk, then quickly lowered his head, not daring to look again.

He knew exactly what the Emperor was busy with. Since Qi Guipin had been demoted, the matter of where to place the young princess had yet to be settled.
The Emperor had been hesitating before, but now that Yun Jieyu was pregnant, he had finally made up his mind.

Compared with the Little Princess, the Eldest Prince moving into the Princes’ Quarters wasn’t something that required an urgent decision.

In the corner of the hall, a pot of white magnolia stood, faint fragrance lingering. Tan Yuanchu set down his brush and wearily raised a hand to pinch the space between his brows.

Leaning back in his seat, he asked in a mild tone, “What do you think of Meng Jieyu?”

Xu Shunfu felt a headache coming on. Meng Jieyu, favored or not, was still a mistress of the palace, how could a servant like him openly evaluate her?

But since the Emperor had brought her up now, it was naturally because he was inclined toward her. With that in mind, Xu Shunfu smiled and replied,

“Meng Jieyu has been in the palace for many years, always respectful and gentle. If she had the Little Princess to accompany her in the future, she would certainly take great care of her.”

He said this without the slightest pang of guilt.

Meng Jieyu had been in the palace for eleven years without any noteworthy news; to suddenly have an imperial child under her care would be a joyous event in itself.

To speak plainly, the mistresses of the palace may appear surrounded by wealth and glory, but the loneliness was something only they themselves understood. Having a royal child in one’s quarters brought far more than just outward honor.

Moreover, Meng Jieyu was always discreet and never stirred trouble. Because of that, whenever the Emperor granted rewards to the harem, her name was always among them.

Tan Yuanchu was silent for a while, then picked up his brush again, dipped it in ink, and wrote a few words on a sheet of xuan paper.

When he finished, he slid the paper under another sheet.

Xu Shunfu stole a glance and saw that there were quite a few words on the page, but characters like “Gong – respectful”, “Shun- obedient”, and “Rou- gentle” had all been crossed out by the Emperor.

Xu Shunfu faintly guessed what the Emperor was up to and asked tentatively,

“Is Your Majesty choosing a title for Yun Jieyu?”

Tan Yuanchu didn’t bother to hide it. He raised his brows slightly and nodded slowly.
“She’s been confirmed to be pregnant, if I don’t make some gesture, she’ll hold it against me for life.”

Xu Shunfu glanced at the palace layout diagram, silently grumbling in his heart. Moving Yun Jieyu into the main hall, wouldn’t that count as a gesture already?

Perhaps guessing what Xu Shunfu was thinking, Tan Yuanchu gave a light, amused snort.

“She’s always been particular to the last detail. When Qi Guipin was promoted to third-rank Zhaoyi, she had a title conferred. Yun Si doesn’t have one, so I worry she might feel wronged.”

Xu Shunfu gave a sheepish laugh, inwardly feeling that this was hard to comment on.

Was it really that Yun Jieyu might feel wronged, or was it the Emperor himself who felt uneasy on her behalf?

If he had to say, as long as the Emperor issued an edict today to promote Yun Jieyu and move her into the main hall of Chu’an Palace, she probably wouldn’t even think about the matter of a title.

Who’s really the one fussing over every detail? To have such a charge pinned on her for nothing, he almost felt wronged on Yun Jieyu’s behalf.

Watching the Emperor sift through the pile of title options, Xu Shunfu couldn’t help but ask,

“Your Majesty still hasn’t decided?”

Tan Yuanchu’s expression was faint, almost emotionless. He shook his head.
“These words are no good.”

Xu Shunfu was puzzled. “Respectful,” “obedient,” “virtuous and refined”—these were all terms traditionally used to praise women. How could they be “no good”?

Tan Yuanchu didn’t bother explaining his reasoning. In short, he felt none of those words suited Yun Ji. He spread out a fresh sheet of xuan paper, dipped his brush in ink, and began writing, without a moment’s pause or hesitation.

Clearly, he had already made up his mind.

Following the brush tip with his eyes, Xu Shunfu saw a character gradually take shape.

—熙 (Xi).

Xi had long carried meanings of brightness, splendid, prosperity, and auspiciousness—a rare and auspicious choice.

Xu Shunfu was momentarily stunned. Compared to “respectful” or “virtuous,” this title was clearly different, as if it carried many unspoken sentiments from the Emperor himself.

Tan Yuanchu lowered his gaze to the character and said in an offhand tone.

“She once told me she suffered much in the past. Even though I cherished her, back then I was powerless to help. I only hope that from now on her path will be bright and smooth, and that all will go as she wishes.”

Xu Shunfu bowed his head in shock.

All as she wishes?

He couldn’t help wondering, what exactly did Yun Jieyu want?

Wealth and honor, naturally.

But when had wealth and honor ever had a limit?

Xu Shunfu quietly swallowed but quickly brushed the thought aside, deciding the Emperor couldn’t possibly mean that.

Truthfully, Xu Shunfu wasn’t surprised at all that the Emperor was promoting Yun Jieyu. When the Emperor had chosen Chu’an Palace’s main hall for her residence, he had already predicted this day would come.

The hall hadn’t been quiet for long before Tan Yuanchu glanced at the sunlight outside through the lattice window and said casually,

“The morning greeting should be over. Go announce the decree, lest she waits too long and blames me in her heart.”

Xu Shunfu respectfully carried the imperial edict away.

After he left, Tan Yuanchu lowered his gaze to the ink marks on the xuan paper.
Suddenly he stood.

Lu Yuan hurried to follow.

“Your Majesty, where are you going?”

Tan Yuanchu replied evenly, “Cining Palace. I’ll go see the Empress Dowager.”

The gates of Cining Palace were usually shut tight. The Empress Dowager often claimed ill health, and apart from Consort Jing, she almost never received visitors.

But naturally, Tan Yuanchu was not someone she would refuse.

Before the imperial carriage reached Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager had already received word. Zhang Momo came out to greet him. As Tan Yuanchu stepped down, she moved to bow, but he stopped her.

“Aunt, please rise.”

Zhang Momo had served the Empress Dowager for many years and had cared for Tan Yuanchu in his youth, so he had always addressed her respectfully as “Aunt.”

Walking toward the main hall, Tan Yuanchu glanced at the courtyard. Cining Palace had a grove of plum trees. The red plums bloomed early, now they were nearly ready to bud.

The Empress Dowager loved red plum blossoms.

In the late Emperor’s time, he had planted a grove of red plums in the palace for her. After his passing, when the Empress Dowager moved to Cining Palace and no longer wished to walk far, Tan Yuanchu had arranged for another grove to be planted there.

Suddenly, Tan Yuanchu thought, his mother loved red plums, and his father had planted them for her.

Back when Qi Guipin loved lotuses, he had ordered a lotus pond to be planted for her, something that later became seen as hers alone.

But Yun Si… had nothing.

Zhang Momo followed his gaze, and when she saw the grove of red plums, she couldn’t help but smile.
“This year the red plums are blooming early. When Your Majesty comes again another day, you’ll be able to taste plum blossom cakes.”

Tan Yuanchu paused, withdrew his gaze, and curved his lips into a smile.

“Gugu is a master at making pastries. I’ll be looking forward to the day the flowers bloom.”

Passing the red plum grove, he stepped onto the covered walkway before asking,
“How has Mother Empress’s health been lately?”

“Rest assured, Her Majesty is in no trouble.”

Tan Yuanchu nodded and entered the hall. The Empress Dowager was already waiting for him, and upon seeing the dark circles under his eyes, she furrowed her brows.

“Has there been much going on in court lately?”

Tan Yuanchu raised a hand to lightly cough into his lips. He hadn’t slept at all the previous night, and a trace of fatigue inevitably showed. Knowing his mother had misunderstood, he did not bother to explain.
“Not too bad,” he replied, taking a seat.

The Empress Dowager gave him a doubtful look. Seeing that he still seemed in decent spirits, she didn’t lecture him further, only gave a meaningful little hum.

“They say one doesn’t come to the Three Treasures Hall without reason. Since your return from the detached palace, you’ve been coming to Cining Palace rather often.”

Tan Yuanchu clicked his tongue lightly.
“Listen to Mother Empress, if others heard that, wouldn’t they jab at your son’s spine, saying I’m unfilial?”

The Empress Dowager glared at him in annoyance, he was becoming more and more flippant.

At this, Zhang Momo ordered the servants to serve tea and then led them out, leaving only Tan Yuanchu and the Empress Dowager in the hall.

The Empress Dowager toyed with the jade ruyi in her hand, cast a sidelong glance at her imperial son, and said unhurriedly,

“I heard that some days ago, a servant by the Eldest Prince’s side at Zhaiyue Tower died?”

Tan Yuanchu frowned, his tone visibly cooling.
“Who has been disturbing your peace again?”

The Empress Dowager was unmoved by his act, giving him a sidelong glare.

“Enough. I have no intention of troubling that Yun Jieyu, so you don’t need to put on airs with me.”

Tan Yuanchu was silent for a moment.

The tea gradually lost its steam, and from his silence the Empress Dowager sensed something. After a long while, she turned her head, looking through the lattice windows toward the plum grove outside. Her gaze grew slightly distant, and she let out a soft sigh.

“Do whatever you want to do. I have never stopped you.”

There was one thing she did not say.

In certain ways, he was indeed similar to his father, the late emperor.

Back then, when she entered the palace through the selection and won the late emperor’s favor, she could not say he treated her badly, yet deep inside, she still harbored endless resentment toward him.

He weighed pros and cons, afraid of favoritism, afraid that one branch of the harem would stand alone above the rest. In the end, when she bore him a royal son, he did not grant her a high rank, and for three years she saw her son only a handful of times.

When her son finally returned to her knee, she didn’t even know his likes and dislikes. No one knew how she got through those years.

She felt she owed her son and rarely refused his requests. Even after he ascended the throne, fearing he might be caught in awkward situations, she would rather not leave Cining Palace at all than cause him trouble.

The Empress Dowager shook her head.
“If you truly cherish her, then do not deceive her.”

The most sorrowful thing for women in the harem was that their honor and disgrace depended entirely on one person, yet an emperor’s professed love and pity were often as fleeting as a passing cloud, hard to rely on.

After she finished speaking, Cining Palace fell silent for a long time. The sandalwood incense burning in the hall released a cool, clear fragrance.

When the tea in the cup had completely cooled, Tan Yuanchu picked it up only to set it down again. As he was about to leave, he suddenly turned back to ask, “Who does Mother Empress think in the palace would be suitable to raise Shu’er?”

The Empress Dowager gave him a glance before shaking her head.
“This question, you should ask the empress.”

It seemed Tan Yuanchu hadn’t truly expected a definite answer.
After nodding to her, he turned and left directly.

After Zhang Momo sent Tan Yuanchu off and returned to the hall, she found the Empress Dowager staring absentmindedly at the teacup on the desk.

Startled, Zhang Momo stepped forward, puzzled.
“What did His Majesty say to Your Majesty?”

The Empress Dowager came back to herself, suppressing the complicated emotions in her eyes, and said simply,
“He asked me who in the palace would be suitable to raise the Eldest Prince.”

Zhang Momo’s breath caught in surprise, her voice lowering.
“Has His Majesty already decided?”

The Empress Dowager shook her head.
“Consort De once relied too much on the Eldest Prince’s position and became overbearing. With repeated miscarriages in the harem, and now Yun Jieyu being pregnant, he will no longer tolerate it.”

Zhang Momo fell silent.

After a long while, the Empress Dowager suddenly called her name. Zhang Momo looked up in confusion, only to hear Her Majesty murmur distractedly.
“So, my son is nothing like him in this regard.”

Before Zhang Momo could respond, the Empress Dowager closed her eyes and pulled her lips into a somewhat self-mocking smile.

“I once thought all emperors were the same.”

Realizing what the Empress Dowager meant, Zhang Momo suddenly found herself at a loss for words.