Little Palace Maid Desires a Higher Seat of Honor - Chapter 106

Chapter 106: “How do you know the things I like about you are only these?”

Tan Yuanchu left Cining Palace.
The conversation with the Empress Dowager had not really eased anything in his heart.

He stepped into the imperial carriage, and only when Luoyuan ordered the departure did he speak faintly,

“To Chu’an Palace.”

While Tan Yuanchu was at Cining Palace, the two edicts Xu Shunfu had been sent to announce caused a great stir in the palace.

After receiving the edicts, Xu Shunfu hesitated for a moment and first went to Zhongcui Palace, the residence of Meng Jieyu. When Zhongcui Palace received Xu Shunfu, everyone was surprised.

Meng Jieyu was still stunned as she knelt to receive the edict.

A Little  Princess?
Meng Xiurong?
Moving into the main hall of Zhongcui Palace?

After Xu Shunfu finished reading the decree, he hurried to have Meng Xiurong helped to her feet.
“Please rise, Ladyship Xiurong.”

It was as if Meng Xiurong was overwhelmed by joy and couldn’t recover for a long time. A palace maid tugged at her sleeve before she managed to ask, her voice tight.

“How would His Majesty…”

Xu Shunfu seemed to know what she was about to say. He cut her off, shook his head, and said with a smile.
“His Majesty trusts Your Ladyship, which is why he entrusts the young princess to your care. Please do not disappoint His Majesty’s trust.”

The words do not disappoint made Meng Xiurong snap fully back to awareness.

She suddenly realized that, in fact, there were not many in the palace who could serve as the Little Princess’s adoptive mother.

Taking a deep breath, she turned toward the direction of Yangxin Hall and said respectfully,
“Please convey to His Majesty that this concubine will most certainly care for the Little Princess well.”

From the corner of her eye she noticed that Xu Shunfu still held another edict in his hand. She knew he had another place to go, but she could not tell whether that decree concerned the Eldest Prince or Yun Jieyu.

Not delaying him further, she watched him leave. Beside her, Qiaozhu was beaming with delight.

“Congratulations, Your Ladyship!”

The title Your Ladyship rolled off her tongue crisply.

Qiaozhu was thinking of her mistress’s promotion in rank. Now, apart from the Empress and Consort Jing, her mistress’s status was the highest in the harem.

Qiaozhu couldn’t help adding,
“And it wasn’t for nothing that Your Ladyship yielded her seat at the morning greeting—”

Meng Xiurong suddenly turned her head toward her. Qiaozhu instantly realized she had grown too pleased with herself, and quickly clapped her own mouth, lowering her voice in regret,
“It was this servant’s slip of the tongue.”

Glancing at the surrounding maids, Meng Xiurong said nothing more to Qiaozhu. She merely stood where she was and gave an order:
“Have them move our things to the main hall. We’re going to Kunning Palace to receive the Little Princess.”

Qiaozhu nodded vigorously.

Meng Xiurong did not reproach Qiaozhu for anything.
When Qi Guipin moved out of the main hall of Changchun Palace and His Majesty delayed for a long time without announcing the Little Princess’s new residence, she had already guessed that Qi Guipin would not be able to continue raising the princess.

Consort De had a son under her care, even if she were not gravely ill, it would be impossible for all the imperial children to be raised in Consort De’s palace.

Of the remaining concubines in the harem, most had ranks too low. Meng Jieyu knew well that the young princess could only be entrusted to one of a few Jieyu-ranked palaces.

From the start, Meng Jieyu ruled out Yun Jieyu. Yun Jieyu was favored, young, and no one could say when she might become pregnant; moreover, she and Qi Guipin did not get along. It was impossible she would be chosen to raise the princess.

One must know, as long as Qi Guipin was still present, the name of the princess’s birth mother on the jade butterfly would not change.

The one Meng Jieyu truly feared was Su Jieyu.

Su Jieyu had recently suffered a miscarriage, and there were vague rumors in the palace that she had taken many questionable measures in hopes of conceiving again.

She was precisely the type to receive His Majesty’s pity, perhaps, in order to comfort her after the miscarriage, he might hand the princess over to her to raise.

It was only later that Meng Jieyu perceived the subtle discord between Su Jieyu and Yun Jieyu.

Meng Jieyu suddenly realized this was a good opportunity, perhaps one she could take advantage of.

Thus came her deliberate act of yielding her seat today. Yun Jieyu was pregnant, but had not yet been promoted; whether Meng Jieyu yielded her position during the morning greeting or not would have been acceptable. But she deliberately chose to yield it.

Yun Jieyu, arriving late for the greeting today, would not know. Meng Jieyu timed her own arrival deliberately, slightly later than Su Jieyu, so that after Su Jieyu had sat down, she herself entered Kunning Palace and took Yun Jieyu’s usual seat, forcing Su Jieyu to watch as her seat and Yun Jieyu’s were switched.

One had just miscarried, one was pregnant; one was frustrated, one was pleased, if Su Jieyu minded, there would inevitably be conflict between the two.

And Su Jieyu was never known for a good temper.

The more His Majesty valued the imperial child in Yun Jieyu’s womb, the less likely he was to promote Su Jieyu, and the less confidence Su Jieyu would have to go against Yun Jieyu.

Fortunately, this move of hers had indeed been the right one.

Meng Xiurong did not mind that His Majesty had only promoted her by one rank, seemingly for the sake of the princess rather than herself. All she cared about was that she would now have a child, and Zhongcui Palace would no longer be as cold and desolate as in the past.

Day after day of silence, it could drive a person mad.

As for the princess’s birth mother, Qi Guipin, Meng Xiurong could only say, If one does not look out for oneself, Heaven and Earth will destroy them. She herself was not living well; how could she spare the effort to pity another?

—

The news of Meng Xiurong’s promotion quickly spread through the harem.
When Yun Si heard of it, she blinked her apricot eyes lightly.

The Little Princess’s placement had been decided?

The thought had barely crossed her mind when she saw Song Fu come running in, panting, one hand pointing toward the doors.
“Master, Eunuch Xu is here with an imperial edict!”

Yun Si immediately understood. She and Qiu Yuan exchanged a glance, stood up at once, and with Qiu Yuan’s support, walked outside.

As the bead curtain was lifted, Xu Shunfu stood there holding the edict, smiling as he cupped his hands toward her.

Yun Si couldn’t help but clutch her handkerchief. She had suspected that the emperor might promote her, but third rank and fourth rank were ultimately different, and she had never been certain in her heart.

Only now, upon seeing Xu Shunfu, did the anxiety she had been holding onto finally settle, and she could no longer control the quickening of her heartbeat.

A third-rank consort.

She had emerged from the safe, quiet Central Province Hall for the sake of seeking high status and wealth, and now that high status was right before her eyes, there was no way for her to remain calm.

Leading the attendants of Panju Hall, Yun Si knelt down. This was perhaps the most willing she had ever been to kneel since entering the palace.

Xu Shunfu proclaimed loudly,

“By the Emperor’s command! Yun Jieyu of mine, refined in virtue and outstanding in grace, naturally intelligent and quick-witted, bearing the aspect of gentle brightness, now, for meritorious service in bearing an imperial heir, from this day forth, is hereby promoted to Third Rank Xiurong, granted the title Xi.”

When the imperial edict of conferment entered Yun Si’s ears, it brought with it an unusually rare trace of embarrassment.

Yun Jieyu of mine.

It was one thing for him to be flippant with her in private, but did the conferment decree really need to be written in such an intimate, suggestive way?

When Xu Shunfu came forward to help her up, Yun Si finally snapped fully back to her senses, and realized what had been said at the end of the edict. Her apricot eyes widened in surprise.

Tan Yuanchu had even given her an honorific title?

After Qi Guipin was stripped of hers, Yun Si was now the only concubine in the palace with such a title.
Consort De, being one of the Four Consorts, did not count, and the situation of Consort Jing was special, so she was often overlooked by others.

In the eyes of the court, being granted an honorific title by the emperor was even rarer than a promotion in rank.

In the nearly six years since Tan Yuanchu’s ascension, only Qi Guipin and Yun Shi had personally received such titles from him, showing just how precious they were.

Seeing her reaction, Xu Shunfu was a little puzzled.

“What is it, Ladyship Xiurong?”

Yun Si glanced at the imperial edict that Songfu was holding with such excited reverence and couldn’t help asking again, “His Majesty truly granted me a title?”

Realizing this was what she was fixating on, Xu Shunfu gave a discreet cough and lowered his voice,

“Your Ladyship may not know, several titles proposed by the Central Province Hall were all rejected by His Majesty. This character was personally chosen for you by His Majesty.”

Xi.

Even though Yun Shi was not well-read, she knew the fine auspicious meaning behind the character.

Her eyelids trembled lightly. Though Xu Shunfu had not stated it outright, she faintly sensed what Tan Yuanchu wished to convey. A surge of indistinct emotion rose in her chest, making the hand inside her sleeve tighten around the handkerchief.

She diverted her attention by asking, “What titles did the Central Province Hall propose?”

Xu Shunfu answered truthfully.

The trace of indescribable emotion in Yun Si’s heart instantly vanished without a trace. She tugged lightly at the corner of her lips, suddenly curious to know, in what way exactly did she not fit with words like respectful, obedient, and virtuous?

Embarrassment aside, if Yun Si had to choose for herself, she would still lean toward the title Tan Yuanchu had chosen for her.

To her, its meaning was different.

Xu Shunfu hadn’t come empty-handed, besides the imperial edict, he had also brought a pile of rewards from the emperor for Yun Si. After reading out the long list, Xu Shunfu only felt parched.

Yun Si asked Qiu Yuan to pour him a cup of tea to moisten his throat.

“You’ve worked hard, Eunuch.”

Xu Shunfu shook his head, handed her the list, and without lingering, took his leave.

After sending Xu Shunfu off, Yun Si ordered for all the rewards from Tan Yuanchu to be moved into the storeroom. She glanced at the imperial edict, and her gaze drifted almost unconsciously toward the main hall of Chu’an Palace.

Even the usually calm-faced Qiu Yuan was smiling, her tone meaningful.

“Congratulations, Your Ladyship, on having your wish fulfilled.”

Before going to Kunning Palace to pay respects, the two of them had discussed whether they could move into the main hall.
As it turned out, the so-called gap between fourth rank and third rank was nothing at all, so long as the emperor willed it.

Looking at the imperial edict, Yun Si suddenly gave an order,

“Send word to the Imperial Kitchen to prepare more of the emperor’s favorite dishes.”

Qiu Yuan paused, realizing the implication in her words, and couldn’t help asking with some doubt, “Will His Majesty really come?”

A faint blush rose on Yun Si’s cheeks at the question. The warm sunlight fell on her, setting off her delicate features. She couldn’t explain why, but she simply felt that Tan Yuanchu would come.

Seeing this, Qiu Yuan didn’t ask further. She made up her mind that even if the emperor didn’t come, she would go and invite him herself.

It was rare for Her Ladyship to be in such a good mood, she didn’t want anything to spoil it.

But Qiu Yuan was clearly worrying too much.

She had only just helped Her Ladyship turn to go back into the hall when footsteps sounded from behind. Yun Si, sensing something, looked back, and happened to meet Tan Yuanchu’s gaze. Her apricot eyes lit up, and she turned, lifting her skirts to run toward him.

Tan Yuanchu caught her as she leapt into his arms and gave a soft click of his tongue.

“You’re not afraid I won’t catch you?”

Yun Si knew exactly what he meant, but she deliberately twisted the meaning, furrowing her brows lightly.

“Am I really that heavy? You’re almost unable to catch me?”

Her tone made it clear she didn’t believe for a moment that he wouldn’t catch her.

Tan Yuanchu gave her waist a light squeeze, making her let out a small gasp as she twisted away, trying to escape.

She didn’t get far, he hadn’t used any real strength, so there was no worry she’d be hurt. He said with a faint huff of laughter,

“You should just be glad you’ve got a sharp tongue.”

Walking into the hall with him, Yun Si shook her head at that. Lifting her apricot eyes, her gaze seemed filled with nothing but him.

“What I should be glad about is that the emperor I met is you.”

Tan Yuanchu’s brow lifted ever so slightly.

Look at that, when she was in a good mood, she was especially well-behaved, her sweet words enough to charm a man to death.

That he liked her was the most natural thing in the world.

After all, who wouldn’t like someone who spoke so pleasantly?

In the hall, incense burned in the censer. As soon as Tan Yuanchu entered, he caught the faint fragrance, light, yet somehow refreshing and invigorating.
Yun Si followed his gaze to the censer and explained, “When I woke this morning, I’d thought to remove it. But then Imperial Physician Lin said that some incense can actually be beneficial for women early in pregnancy. This is peppermint incense, since I started smelling it, I hardly feel drowsy anymore.”

Only then did Tan Yuanchu notice that she wore no makeup; her cheeks were clean and bare. But because her skin was fair, there was no noticeable difference. Her pair of apricot eyes were as if washed clear with water. She was always a sober and intelligent one, never the sort to trip herself up over such matters.

Perhaps it was because of the deep impression left on her when Lu Pin had miscarried due to scented balm.

Thinking of this, Tan Yuanchu glanced at the woman without making it obvious and spoke in a low voice that carried a hint of reassurance.

“Since Imperial Physician Lin told you to keep it, then keep it.”

Song Fu arrived with lunch, laying out a dazzling spread on the table. Since returning from the temporary palace, this wasn’t the first time Tan Yuanchu had accompanied Yun Si for a meal. He had once thought her small appetite was an aftereffect of carriage travel. Now that he knew she was pregnant, he was even more aware that it was indeed having an effect on her.

She ate very little.

Even back in the Yangxin Hall, she had often been susceptible to catching colds and had always eaten a very light diet. Now, the only dishes that could tempt her to lift her chopsticks were ones with a stronger flavor.

Even so, she only picked up her wooden chopsticks a few times before quickly putting them down again.

Tan Yuanchu also set down his chopsticks, frowning.

“Is that all you’re eating?”

Yun Si gave a light cough, feeling a little guilty, not daring to meet his gaze.

Seeing this, Tan Yuanchu narrowed his eyes slightly and pointed toward Qiu Yuan.

“You tell me, what’s going on with her?”

Yun Si’s apricot eyes widened, and she turned to stop Qiu Yuan, but Tan Yuanchu pressed her down into the chair so she couldn’t move.

Qiu Yuan knew how to weigh her words. She bowed and said, “When Her Ladyship first returned, she did indeed have no appetite. But later, this servant discovered that Her Ladyship simply found her previous meals not to her taste.”

It had been an accidental discovery, dishes with a stronger flavor would increase one’s appetite. On those days, Her Ladyship often felt uncomfortably full.
After two or three times, she had been unwilling and had consciously begun to restrain herself in this regard.

Qiu Yuan didn’t explain too directly, keeping her words subtle.

Tan Yuanchu was nearly laughing in anger.

“Do you know that you’re carrying weight in your body right now?”

Yun Si stole a glance up at him and whispered,

“This concubine knows.”

She knew, and still deliberately dieted?

Tan Yuanchu was annoyed that she still couldn’t distinguish priorities at a time like this. Intending to make her remember the lesson, his brows and eyes grew especially cold.

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly dropped, becoming so oppressive that the servants hardly dared to breathe.

Qiu Yuan frowned. She was about to kneel and beg for forgiveness when Xu Shunfu tugged at her sleeve.
She looked at him in confusion.

Xu Shunfu shot her a glare.

She usually seemed so clever, how could she be so foolish now?
Matters between the emperor and Her Ladyship were no place for servants like them to interfere.

At times like this, the more one tries to help, the more trouble they cause.

Xu Shunfu signaled to the palace servants inside, then pulled Qiu Yuan straight out of the inner hall, clearing the space entirely for the two of them.

The hall fell into silence.

After a moment, Tan Yuanchu noticed a slight movement beside him. He lifted his eyes and saw the woman pick up her chopsticks, filling her bowl with food.
Head lowered, she bit by bit shoveled both rice and dishes into her mouth, swallowing them hastily without chewing.

Tan Yuanchu doubted she even tasted anything at all.

A faint discomfort stirred in him.

What was this?
Asking her to eat something, and she was acting as if he were sending her to the execution ground?

She seemed off.
Tan Yuanchu faintly heard her sniffle. His brows knit suddenly as he reached out to pull her toward him. She didn’t resist, but her chopsticks loosened, and the food tumbled onto the table.

Clatter.

She kept her head lowered, giving off a stifling, repressed air.

Tan Yuanchu rose directly to his feet.
Taking hold of her chin, he forced her to lift her head. When he saw her apricot eyes tinged with wet redness, he wasn’t surprised, instead, there was a sense of as expected.

His voice was low as he asked, “I tell you to eat, and it’s some great grievance to you?”

Yun Si bit her lip lightly, her voice muffled and nasal. “…No.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, the mist in her apricot eyes spilled over in a sudden fall. Tan Yuanchu’s whole body went rigid. Releasing her chin, he wiped away the tear stains from her face. Realizing something was wrong, he did not get angry.

Instead, he lowered his gaze and asked, “If you’re not feeling wronged, then why are you crying?”

She choked out, “It’s not that I don’t want to eat.”

Tan Yuanchu waited for her to go on.

“I’m just afraid…”

She buried her head, her voice muffled in her throat, carrying a hidden fear and unease. “If I become unattractive, and you don’t like me anymore, then what am I supposed to do?”

Her words were unclear, but Tan Yuanchu understood them.

She thought he only liked her for her looks. So even after knowing she was pregnant, she had consciously restrained her eating, not daring to relax for even a moment.

Tan Yuanchu froze where he stood. The faint joy that had been lingering in his heart ever since he learned of her pregnancy yesterday suddenly evaporated, replaced by a stabbing ache, sharp, stifling, and obscure.

After a long moment, he lowered his gaze, gently wiping her tears clean, his voice quiet.

“How do you know that what I like about you is only these things?”

When the words fell, the depth in his eyes grew darker, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
He slowly rubbed the tears that had dampened his fingertips.

He was not unaware that she might be putting on a performance to win his pity. But she was always clever, never telling only lies.

This sentence needed only three parts truth to leave one’s heart feeling stifled and pained.

Besides, she was hardly the only one who knew how to go along with the tide.

She wanted position; he wanted the person.

No matter how stingy or cautious she was, there would always come a day when water wore through stone.

In this relationship, whose beginning was difficult to pin down, it couldn’t always be only him who felt the joy.