Little Palace Maid Desires a Higher Seat of Honor - Chapter 107

Chapter 107: Moving Palaces

Yun Si froze for a moment. Sniffling, she looked up at Tan Yuanchu pitifully, as if she hadn’t understood what he meant.

Tan Yuanchu didn’t explain further.

He simply rose to his feet, then sat down beside her, moving her messy pile of bowls to the side. Taking a clean bowl, he personally set out the dishes for her.

“Can you still eat?”

Before Yun Si could answer, Tan Yuanchu added coolly, “Tell the truth.”

She hesitated, then nodded.

Tan Yuanchu served her rice. Remembering what Qiu Yuan had said, he skipped over the lighter dishes and, starting from those at hand, placed each dish for her one by one.

Yun Si obediently picked up her wooden chopsticks and ate every dish he served her.

When she came across something she didn’t like, she pushed it aside, then bit her lip and glanced at Tan Yuanchu.

He didn’t speak to her, but as long as she hadn’t touched a dish, he didn’t serve it to her again. When she finished one bowl of rice, she tugged at his sleeve, her lips pursed.

“I really can’t eat anymore.”

At last, Tan Yuanchu stopped. He took a piece of brocade from the side and wiped his fingers, saying mildly, “I’ll assign you a mama. Don’t think about breaking the rules again.”

It was his oversight, he had forgotten that the people around her were all ignorant. They seemed capable enough on ordinary days, but now that she was pregnant, they couldn’t properly assist her.

Yun Si widened her apricot eyes and murmured,

“Is my credibility in Your Majesty’s heart really that poor?”

Only then did she belatedly realize that her rank had been promoted and she should no longer refer to herself as pinqie.

Tan Yuanchu ignored her, instead calling toward the outside. Xu Shunfu and the others came in, but Tan Yuanchu disregarded him and looked directly at Qiu Yuan.

“In the future, if she shows signs of relapsing into her old ways, you need not wait for My command—go directly to the Punishment Department for your penalty.”

His tone was light, without any real anger, but no one dared take his words lightly. The palace servants inside were so frightened that sweat beaded on their foreheads, and they all knelt to answer.

Yun Si choked, was that really necessary?

After accompanying her for lunch, an official requested an audience at the imperial court. Tan Yuanchu gave the woman a glance and turned to leave, but was stopped when she caught hold of his sleeve.
He halted, waiting silently for her to speak.

She bowed her head slightly, testing the waters as she asked, “Are you still angry with me?”

Tan Yuanchu thought she was asking a question she already knew the answer to. Sweeping his gaze over the palace attendants in the hall, he saw them hurriedly lower their heads. Only then did he pull his sleeve from her grasp. When he saw her frown in unease, he gently tilted up her chin, and as his fingertips brushed over her lips, he bent down so that his warm lips touched hers.

It was just a fleeting contact.

Yet Yun Si inexplicably felt her heart tighten, and she swallowed unconsciously.

He seemed to have curved his lips slightly, but when Yun Si looked closer, he had already returned to his usual impassive expression. She didn’t think it was her imagination, because Tan Yuanchu said with pointed meaning,

“Recover your health quickly.”

The slow, unhurried words made Yun Si bite her lip, a faint blush blooming on her cheeks.

Any unease or helplessness vanished in that instant. Before she could grow cross, Tan Yuanchu, as if anticipating her reaction, cut her off with a calm sentence that left her no room to retort:

“If you don’t have your people move your belongings from your palace, you won’t be living in the main hall today.”

Yun Si suddenly swallowed her words.

Tan Yuanchu’s lips curved almost imperceptibly before he turned and left.

Shamed and annoyed, Yun Si gave the pillow a few light punches. Seeing Qiu Yuan’s puzzled gaze, Yun Si gave a light cough, turned her face aside as if nothing had happened, yet in her heart she cursed Tan Yuanchu over and over again.

He just knew how to play her!

Tan Yuanchu had always been perceptive, he knew exactly what she wanted and could grasp her weak spot with ease.

She simply wanted to move into the main hall, to become the mistress of a palace. She didn’t wish to hide it, nor could she hide it.

In truth, when Yun Si told Tan Yuanchu that she was “fortunate the emperor she met was him,” she hadn’t been deceiving him.
Men in this world were peculiar, they fought each other to the death for power and status, yet expected women to be pure and flawless, and deemed them vain and greedy for the slightest ambition.

Tan Yuanchu knew she had her designs, yet he still generously gave her what she wanted, rather than viewing her as insatiable. In this alone, he was far better than most men in the world.

After a long while, once Yun Si had calmed her emotions, her apricot eyes shone brightly as she immediately ordered,

“Pass it down, take inventory of everything in the hall. Today, we’re moving into the main hall!”

—

Zhongcui Palace and Chu’an Palace were both in a cheerful bustle over their relocation. The Central Province Hall, hearing the news, quickly sent people to help. Aside from those in the two palaces, the other concubines could only force smiles in their hearts.

Yongning Palace.

Liu Gui stood on tiptoe, craning her neck to watch the lively scene across the way. Even from a distance, she could hear the noisy commotion over there.

She smacked her lips, truth be told, she didn’t quite understand what all the fuss was about.

Xi Xiurong was pregnant, and any discerning eye could see how much importance the emperor placed on this child. Her promotion in rank was the most natural thing in the world.

Meng Xiurong, without a promotion, had no right to raise the little princess.

The promotions of the two had clear reasons; what did it have to do with Su Jieyu?
Was there really a need to lose composure over it?

After watching the excitement, Liu Gui returned to the palace. The hall doors were wide open, Imperial Physicians had said that Her Ladyship needed to keep the air circulating, and no one in the palace dared be negligent.

Liu Gui stepped quickly inside to find Her Ladyship sewing clothes. She leaned in to take a look, it was a child’s garment, made of blue fabric, suitable for either boy or girl. She curled her lips.

“Xi Xiurong hasn’t even given birth yet. Is it really necessary for Your Ladyship to prepare this early?”

Consort Jing smiled gently. “If I wait until she gives birth to start preparing, it will be too late.”

Keeping herself occupied spared her from idle thoughts, and her energy was visibly improved. Liu Gui could find no reason to stop her.

Still, Liu Gui felt a faint worry in her heart. After that conversation between Her Ladyship and Xi Xiurong in the temporary palace, Xi Shurong had not once come to see her, which showed that she was not all that close to Her Ladyship. In such a situation, would Xi Xiurong really let her child wear the clothes Her Ladyship had made?

As if seeing through what Liu Gui was thinking, Consort Jing lifted her head to glance at her and said softly,

“No matter what, her child is still my own niece or nephew. Whether or not she has reservations about me, I cannot let her lack anything that ought to be prepared.”

Just like in the past, no matter how much she and her mother resisted their aunt, her aunt had never treated her with cold indifference.

Liu Gui didn’t press the matter further. This was a debt that could never be clearly settled; Her Ladyship owed Xi Xiurong’s mother a great deal, and no amount of making it up to Xi Xiurong would be too much.

She suddenly leaned closer, lowered her voice, and, her face full of excitement, gossiped,

“Your Ladyship, Qingyu Courtyard is in an uproar again. From the sound of it, quite a few things were smashed. Do you think she’s unhappy about Meng Xiurong’s promotion, or is she dissatisfied with Xi Xiurong?”

Consort Jing didn’t answer, but frowned slightly and asked coldly, “She’s making a scene again?”

When Su Jieyu had first moved into a side hall of Yongning Palace, Consort Jing had been surprised. Later she thought it over, Su Jieyu came from a distinguished family background and was likely the only one among the new consorts who could be promoted to third rank. Qingyu Courtyard was merely a temporary residence for her.

In the past, Su Jieyu had been aloof and rarely visited other consorts, so she hadn’t disturbed Consort Jing’s peace.

But all that changed after Su Jieyu’s miscarriage, she became irritable, quick-tempered, and her emotions were especially unstable.

The recent rumor about Su Jieyu using blood as a medicinal guide, perhaps the other consorts hadn’t taken it seriously, but Consort Jing, living in the same palace, knew full well that the rumor was not without basis.

Su Jieyu truly seemed a bit deranged.

Consort Jing had vaguely heard that Su Jieyu and Yun Si were not on good terms. As for who Su Jieyu’s outburst today was because of, Consort Jing more or less knew in her heart.

She glanced outside, pressed a hand to her lips, and coughed lightly.

“Go summon the Imperial Physician. Say that I have a headache and am feeling unwell, and ask him to come and see me.”

Liu Gui was surprised. Usually, no matter how Su Jieyu acted up, Her Ladyship never concerned herself. This was the first time she’d shown displeasure.

Her Ladyship’s health had always been poor, if she suddenly said she had a headache, what else could it be from?

Of course, it must be from Su Jieyu’s noise.

Liu Gui’s eyes lit up. She naturally loved watching a commotion, but she also didn’t like being too far from Her Ladyship.

“Your servant will send someone to the Imperial Infirmary right away,” she said quickly.

Once there was movement in Yongning Palace, word spread outside. When others learned why Consort Jing had called for the Imperial Physician, the Empress immediately sent people to Qingyu Courtyard, ordering Su Jieyu to copy the palace rules three times.
Until she finished, she was not to leave her quarters.

The servants of Qingyu Courtyard were also fined a month’s wages.

Yun Si received the news, her willow brows knitting faintly, her voice cool, “She really can cause trouble.”

Qiu Yuan glanced at her, thinking that although Her Ladyship claimed she was used to being alone, now that a blood relative had appeared, Consort Jing was still different to her from the other consorts of the harem.

Qingyu Courtyard.

After the people from Kunning Palace finished delivering the Empress’s decree and left, Su Jieyu remained kneeling on the ground. With her head lowered, no one could see her expression, but she stayed like that for a long time without rising.

Bai Shao dismissed the other palace attendants and looked at her with worry.

“Mistress?”

After a long while, Su Jieyu let out a self-deprecating laugh. “…Rely on?”

She had regarded the Empress as a lifeline, never willing to doubt her. Even when she suspected that her pregnancy had been deliberately plotted by the Empress, she had chosen to feign ignorance.

But how had the Empress treated her?

She had promised to protect her, yet whenever Yun Si was involved, whenever a choice had to be made, the Empress never chose her!

The Emperor was the same!

Su Jieyu lifted her head. The chill on her face was gone, replaced by an unshakable cold gloom in her eyes. She both laughed and cried, her voice sending chills down the spine:

“All my true-hearted devotion, and they’ve both betrayed me!”

Bai Shao was startled, on the verge of tears. “Mistress, please don’t frighten your servant.”

Su Jieyu braced herself, staggering to her feet. She sat down, her gaze fixed on the palace rules that had been brought by the people from Kunning Palace. A mocking smile curved her lips as she closed her eyes.

“Go tell Consort De that I agree to her proposal.”

Bai Shao was horrified and hurried to stop her. “Mistress! Consort De claims to be gravely ill, but anyone with eyes can see there’s certainly more to it. If you cooperate with her, you’re asking for trouble!”

Su Jieyu’s expression didn’t change in the slightest, and she said with biting sarcasm,

“Isn’t that perfect?”

If Consort De were still as high and mighty as before, she wouldn’t be willing to work with her. But now Consort De was already in decline, uncertain when she might succumb to illness.

Yet the Eldest Prince was only six years old, could she die without worry?

Consort De had once sent someone to find her, using coaxing words to persuade her to join forces against Yun Si.

At the time, though annoyed that the Empress favored Yun Si, she had been unwilling to cooperate with Consort De. After all, the Empress truly had taken good care of her.

But now Su Jieyu had changed her mind.

In this harem, what reliance was there?
If she couldn’t stand on her own, anyone could abandon her.

Cooperate?

Su Jieyu sneered inwardly. What she wanted was the network of people and secret lines Consort De had cultivated in the palace over so many years!

Bai Shao found it impossible.

“The connections she’s built up for years, how could she hand them over to you?”

A cold light glinted in Su Jieyu’s eyes as she enunciated each word, “Then tell her that when I miscarried, my body was injured, and I can no longer conceive.”

Consort De would have to make plans for the Eldest Prince.

And who better than her, someone who could no longer bear children, to care for the Eldest Prince after Consort De’s death?