Little Palace Maid Desires a Higher Seat of Honor - Chapter 108

Chapter 108: Leaving No Room

By evening, Yun Si had already moved into the main hall. Compared to Panju Hall, the main hall of Chu’an Palace was nearly twice as large. Looking over the inventory list sent from before the throne, Yun Si carefully made her selections, yet even so, she still managed to fill an entire shelf with exquisite items.

Qiu Yuan added spices to the incense burner. Knowing such things were easily tampered with, she had always refused to let anyone else handle them.

Before the hour of Chen(7-9am) the next morning, Yun Si was woken up by Qiu Yuan. She yawned sleepily, her energy flagging.

“What is it?”

Qiu Yuan’s expression was somewhat strange. She lowered her voice, “The mama His Majesty assigned to Your Ladyship has arrived.”

Yun Si instantly sobered. She blinked her apricot eyes, a little confused. A mama arriving was nothing unusual, so why was Qiu Yuan wearing that expression?
Feeling puzzled, she straightened up slightly.

“Hurry and send someone to invite her in.”

Before long, Song Fu led in a mama dressed as a matron. She was older, her face lined with deep wrinkles, but she looked extremely capable. Her face was stern, and her demeanor especially serious. Upon entering, she bowed respectfully to Yun Si.

“This servant greets Ladyship Xiurong.”

At the sight of her, Yun Si’s eyes widened in shock.

“Qu Mama, why are you here?”

It was no wonder Yun Si was surprised, she knew Qu Mama. In fact, when she first entered the palace, it was Qu Mama who had taught her the palace rules. Not only that, even in the year when Lu Pin and her group of selected ladies entered the palace, it had been Qu Mama who taught them palace etiquette.

It was said she had once served the Empress Dowager alongside Zhang Momo, and later had been assigned to attend the Emperor. After His Majesty ascended the throne, the task of instructing newly entered consorts in palace rules had been entrusted to her.

Though a servant, her position in the palace was very special, and she was highly valued by both the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. Yun Si had heard that during the selection, many of the chosen young ladies, though proud of their own status, had never dared to treat her with disrespect.

Qu Mama said respectfully, “By His Majesty’s favor, this servant will now remain with Xi Xiurong, to look after the imperial heir in Your Ladyship’s womb.”

Yun Si forced a smile, exchanging a meaningful glance with Qiu Yuan. The two looked at each other, faintly smiling in a way that was almost bitter.

Meeting each other’s eyes, they understood instantly, both of them had been trained by Qu Mama.

Well then.

No wonder Qiu Yuan had looked so strange.

Inwardly, Yun Si cursed Tan Yuanchu again and again, he had done this on purpose!

In this entire palace, who could say they had no lingering fear of Qu Mama?

With Qu Mama overseeing her, Yun Si felt she wouldn’t dare be careless about her meals from now on.
But to her surprise, when she had only a few pastries for breakfast, Qu Mama said nothing, nor did she press her to eat more.

As if sensing what she was thinking, Qu Mama said, “Your Ladyship, now that I am in your palace, I am your servant. As long as you are not deliberately starving yourself, how much you wish to eat should be for you to decide.”

If she interfered in everything, then who was the mistress here, her or the Ladyship?

She knew the palace rules well and would never overstep her role.

Yun Si was surprised. In her impression, Qu Mama had always been a very strict person, why was she so easy to talk to now?

“Instructing the selected ladies and palace maids in the rules of the palace is a task entrusted to me by His Majesty and the Empress Dowager,”
Qu Mama explained.
“Naturally, I must carry it out with my full effort.”

Whether the palace women or new consorts bore her any resentment was not something she considered.

After several explanations, Yun Si felt relieved, though she couldn’t help feeling a little embarrassed.

“It was my one-sided assumption, Qu Mama. Please don’t take it to heart.”

Hearing Yun Si’s words, a flicker of surprise passed through Qu Mama’s eyes. She bowed respectfully.

“Your Ladyship speaks too highly.”

Qu Mama had seen countless people. She knew well that the higher someone climbed from the bottom, the easier it was for them to be blinded by wealth and honor, growing proud and forgetting the caution they once had. Some, in order to distinguish themselves from their past, would constantly flaunt their status in every possible way.

She had considered what kind of temperament Xi Xiurong might have, and had heard a few stories about her past, overall, she was not one to let others off easily.

Yet after truly interacting with her, Qu Mama found her somewhat different from what she had imagined.

Outwardly strong, yet soft within, far better than those who only bullied their own people.

Qu Mama cast an unnoticeable glance at Qiu Yuan. She knew who Qiu Yuan was, a leading palace maid before the throne, yet she had willingly given up that status to follow Xi Xiurong into the inner palace.

That alone showed Xi Xiurong knew how to win people’s hearts.

Having served in the palace for many years, Qu Mama certainly didn’t see that as a bad thing. On the contrary, the ability to win people over was also proof that Xi Xiurong was a clever woman.

In this palace, only by following a clever mistress could one see a clear path ahead.

When it came time to pay respects, Yun Si hesitated for a moment and looked at Qu Mama.

“Will mama accompany me to Kunning Palace to pay respects, or remain here in Chu’an Palace?”

Qu Mama shook her head.

“This servant is old. If I were to accompany Your Ladyship, I might delay your time. It would be better for me to remain in the hall and look after matters at the rear.”

Yun Si didn’t insist. Qu Mama was personally assigned by Tan Yuanchu, and Yun Si trusted her, at the very least, the only person in this palace who would not harm her was Tan Yuanchu.

If Tan Yuanchu wanted to harm her, he had no need to borrow anyone’s hand.

Today’s audience was lively.
When Yun Si arrived, a crowd was congratulating Meng Xiurong. Meng Xiurong’s seat had changed again, she was now sitting in the place Su Jieyu had occupied yesterday. In the current dynasty, the right side was the seat of honor, and the first seat on the right had been left for Yun Si.

By rights, Su Jieyu should have been seated directly below Yun Si, but she was not.

Instead, she sat beneath Meng Xiurong, her expression cold and set.

It was plain how deeply she resisted Yun Si in her heart.

Yun Si had no desire to sit next to her either. Her own lower seat was Zhao Jieyu’s place, a round-faced woman whose smile was especially serene. She had always been low-key and well-behaved. Though her rank was already high, she rarely spoke during morning greetings.

As soon as Yun Si entered, the hall quieted. She was used to this and didn’t pause at all before taking her seat. No sooner had she sat down than Zhao Jieyu’s soft voice came,

“I have yet to congratulate Your Ladyship Xiurong on your promotion.”

Yun Si was still without makeup today, but the clothes Qiu Yuan had carefully chosen for her suited her perfectly, making her appear exquisite from the very strands of her hair to the patterns on her shoes, one could hardly look away.

At the words, she covered her lips with a light laugh, her brows and eyes aglow with charm.

“How can you say you haven’t congratulated me? Didn’t you send a gift just yesterday?”

Zhao Jieyu was surprised, she hadn’t expected her to say that. She mumbled an assent and said no more.

Yun Si also didn’t continue the exchange. She had come to realize that the few Jieyus in this palace were all of a rather dull temperament. She suspected Tan Yuanchu favored them precisely because they were obedient and proper, never causing him trouble, hence he granted them high rank.

In a way, Yun Si’s guess was not wrong at all.

What did surprise her today was how unusually quiet Su Jieyu was. Even if her face was cold, she was still quieter than usual, unlike her at all.

Ever since Consort De had fallen seriously ill, Su Jieyu would always throw a few sharp remarks at her during morning greetings, intentionally competing to assert herself.

Bored in her heart, Yun Si thought idly, perhaps now that their ranks were different, Su Jieyu no longer dared quarrel with her?

This thought had barely formed when Yun Si dismissed it.

If Su Jieyu could read the situation clearly, or if the word “apprehension” even existed in her heart, then back when she had first entered the palace, she wouldn’t have been unable to hold back and directly clashed with Yang Jieyu.

When Su Jieyu first entered the palace, she had enjoyed considerable favor, but because of her unyielding nature, that favor gradually faded. Now, she was only receiving a measure of the Emperor’s pity because of her behavior after her miscarriage.

There was nothing of real importance in today’s morning greeting, everyone was simply congratulating her and Meng Xiurong on their promotions. Yun Si’s face was starting to ache from smiling.

The Empress ended the greeting early. As Yun Si had the highest rank, she did not rise. Everyone knew that sometimes, after paying respects, she would remain in Kunning Palace for a while. Seeing her unmoving, Meng Xiurong was the first to rise and lead the others in bowing before leaving.

Yun Si’s mind was still on Su Jieyu’s unusual behavior, so her gaze inevitably drifted toward her.

That was when she noticed that, as Su Jieyu stood, she glanced her way, her gaze was different from before. Her eyes were cold, but there was no hint of resentment over Yun Si staying in Kunning Palace. Yun Si sensed something amiss and narrowed her eyes slightly, the movement so subtle it was barely noticeable.

As Kunning Palace gradually returned to quiet, the Empress looked at her.

“Do you know how to read account books?”

Pulled from her thoughts, Yun Si blinked and turned her head toward the Empress, shaking her head with a touch of embarrassment.

The Empress motioned for her to follow into the inner hall. On the desk was already a stack of account books, which surprised Yun Si.
The Empress, as if noticing nothing, spoke evenly,

“To manage the palace’s authority, you must also know how to read account books. You need to be able to tell whether the expenditures in the palace are accurate in order to know if those below you are using their positions to line their own pockets.”

Yun Si had to admit, the Empress was genuinely teaching her without holding anything back.

But she couldn’t help her doubt. Their cooperation had been about removing Consort De. Now that Consort De had already fallen, their alliance had naturally ended. She didn’t understand why the Empress was still so invested in instructing her.

She couldn’t stop herself from asking, “Why is Your Majesty going to such lengths to teach me?”

What benefit could it possibly bring her?

The Empress didn’t seem surprised by the question at all. Her tone was calm as still water. “Back then, I injured my body during a miscarriage. I’ve been trying to nurse it back to health for these past years, but handling palace affairs drains too much energy. I want to live a little longer, so I hope to have someone who can assist me.”

Yun Si looked up in astonishment.

Was this kind of hidden matter something that could be told to her directly?

She was taken aback.

Just how serious was this so-called injury that even after so many years of recuperation, the Empress still had to relinquish power?

Live a little longer.

She said it so plainly, as though it were the most ordinary thing in the world, yet Yun Si couldn’t help the sudden jolt in her heart.

Her brows knitted slightly, and she said softly, “But I’ve never heard—” of such a thing.

Halfway through the sentence, Yun Si thought of Consort De, and a sudden realization flashed in her eyes.
She abruptly fell silent.

The Empress knew exactly what she was about to say.

“When Consort De was here, as soon as I showed any sign of weakness, the palace authority would be divided into her hands. I was unwilling.”

So she would rather strain her broken body to the limit than let Consort De have her way.

Yun Si glanced at the incense burner in the hall. No wonder she had once thought she smelled the bitter scent of medicine in Kunning Palace. It seemed she hadn’t been mistaken, the incense burner’s purpose was simply to mask the medicinal odor.

Still hesitant, Yun Si asked, “But why would Your Highness choose me?”

The Empress gave a low laugh.

“You’re mistaken, it wasn’t I who chose you. It was His Majesty who chose you.”

Realization stirred in Yun Si’s mind, and she pressed her lips together lightly.

The Empress explained calmly,

“It was His Majesty who valued you. Seeing in you the hope of bringing down Consort De, I chose you.”

Besides, if Yun Si hadn’t at least attained the rank of third grade, she wouldn’t have been able to help manage the Six Palaces.

Her candor left Yun Si feeling a bit helpless, yet it was hard to hold any dislike toward such an Empress.

From the very beginning, the Empress had made her intentions perfectly clear, and the choice to cooperate had always rested in Yun Si’s hands. No longer dwelling on the matter, Yun Si focused her mind and earnestly followed the Empress in learning how to read the account books.

Before she knew it, half an hour had passed.

It was Bai Zhi who interrupted them. “Your Highness, it’s nearly noon.”

Yun Si took the hint, rose, and took her leave.

Once they had left Kunning Palace, Qiu Yuan sighed softly,

“Everyone knows that Consort Jing is frail and sickly, but who would have thought that the Empress also lives each day in pain?”

Yun Si’s willow brows furrowed ever so slightly, her voice low.

“Don’t you think she’s relinquishing her power a bit too cleanly?”

She only half-believed what the Empress had said today, she believed that her health was impaired, but she did not believe that the reason she had been chosen was simply because the Emperor valued her.

Su Jieyu also enjoyed considerable favor. What’s more, everyone could see how much she had trusted the Empress before.

If the Empress merely wanted someone to assist her, then wouldn’t Su Jieyu have been the most suitable choice?

Even if it wasn’t Su Jieyu, as long as the Empress told the Emperor about her health issues, she could choose anyone to share the burden of managing the palace. Yun Si didn’t believe the Emperor would insist on giving that authority to Consort De.

There was no way the Empress had no personal agenda.

Yun Si couldn’t help but wonder, aside from the Emperor’s favor, what set her apart from Su Jieyu?

The answer came quickly.

Not just Su Jieyu, but all the concubines in the harem, her greatest difference from them was that she had been born in poverty, with no support from her natal family in the imperial court.

The Empress had no children under her knee; her only personal interest lay with her own family clan.

Yun Si’s lips curved in faint, ironic amusement.

“You see? What everyone looks down on is exactly what gives me the advantage.”

Qiu Yuan said evenly, “And so what? As long as the benefit is real, does the reason matter?”

Yun Si had never been one to wallow in self-pity. Hearing this, she found Qiu Yuan’s words made sense, so long as she could reap the benefits, she didn’t mind making use of her own weakness.

She quickly put aside thoughts of the Empress and instead said, “Send someone to keep an eye on Su Jieyu. I can’t shake the feeling there’s something off about her.”

Qiu Yuan didn’t know where Her Ladyship had gotten such a notion, but she didn’t hesitate to agree.

On the way back to Chu’an Palace, Yun Si heard some commotion. She lifted the bead curtain and looked at the palace servants working along the path, puzzled.

“What are they doing?”

All the flowers and plants along the path had been dug out, leaving uneven mounds of soil, an unsightly mess.

Qiu Yuan went to ask, and soon returned, baffled.

“They say it was an order from His Majesty today, to plant camellias all along this path.”

Yun Si’s lashes trembled suddenly. She cut off Qiu Yuan’s words and asked again,

“What did you just say His Majesty ordered them to plant?”
Qiu Yuan, still not understanding, repeated, “Camellias.”

Yun Si lifted her gaze toward the busy palace servants, but in her mind, a conversation resurfaced—

It was on the way back to the temporary palace from Li Family Village.

Tan Yuanchu had asked her in his slow, unhurried manner. “You deliberately took me to the foot of the mountain to see the flowers, do you prefer azaleas or camellias?”

She had hesitated a moment before answering,

“When I was young, I liked azaleas. I thought they were bright and vivid. But now, I prefer camellias.”

He had raised an eyebrow and asked, “Why?”

“The back hill is covered in white camellias. I remember it especially well, when they bloom, the back hill is a pure stretch of white, so very clean.”

…

Yun Si suddenly came back to herself, her lips pressing tightly together.

Qiu Yuan, her face puzzled, asked, “Your Ladyship, what’s the matter?”

Yun Si lifted the bead curtain, an indescribable, surging emotion welling faintly in her chest. After a long moment, she lowered her gaze, her voice slightly tight.

“Turn around. We’re going to the Yangxin Hall.”

Qiu Yuan was surprised but immediately ordered the servants to turn the carriage.

On the way to the Yangxin Hall, the hand hidden in Yun Si’s sleeve gripped her handkerchief almost imperceptibly. Her apricot eyes quivered faintly as she forced herself to suppress the emotions in her heart.

When someone remembers your words at every moment, it’s hard not to feel stirred.

But when that someone was Tan Yuanchu, Yun Si had to stay clear-headed. He had always been skilled at reading people’s hearts, could he not know that this gesture would move her?

He knew, and he was doing it on purpose.

Yun Si could only think, how could someone be so wicked as to not even leave her a sliver of retreat?