Little Palace Maid Desires a Higher Seat of Honor - Chapter 125

Chapter 125: The Selected Ladies

The chosen maidens for the selection entered the palace in the sixth month. When Yun Si, supported by Qiu Yuan, was strolling through the quiet courtyard, she could almost hear the grand commotion of their arrival.

This time, Tan Yuanchu had deliberately narrowed the scope, yet there were still nearly a thousand maidens entering for the selection. The Central Province Hall had been busy since the previous month. The maidens entered the palace through ShunZhen Gate, their grand procession stretching from the hour of Chen all the way until the palace gates closed at night.

Having once worked in the Central Province Hall, Yun Si was well aware of the selection process.

Although the palace had been in a flurry of activity all day, this was only the first third of the process. Those who could take part in today’s initial round were all clan daughters of officials ranked third grade and above.

The preliminary selection took three days. Each maiden underwent a close inspection, eliminating those whose height, figure, or looks were lacking; even those with body odor were disqualified. By the end of the first round, the thousand maidens were reduced to just a hundred.

These hundred would reside in the Chuxiu Palace for nearly a month, learning palace etiquette, and in the seventh month, they would appear in the main hall for the final selection.

Once the maidens moved into the Chuxiu Palace, the palace’s consorts all seemed somewhat on edge.
The imperial garden saw their figures more and more often. From what Yun Si heard, the servants of the Chuxiu Palace had, in this short time, received more reward silver than their annual salaries combined.

Song Fu clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“Your Ladyship, you don’t know, this servant went to the imperial kitchens for your meal today and saw the Chuxiu Palace’s servants being pulled aside for questioning.”

Everyone wanted to know whether this batch of maidens had any particularly outstanding candidates, and whether their entry into the palace would shift its balance of power.

Yun Si had to admit she was a little curious herself.

But now, when even moving her own body was a challenge, she had little energy to spare for such matters. With Qu Mama and Qiu Yuan supporting her on either side, she took slow walks around the palace.

In the later stages of her pregnancy, following the imperial physician’s advice, she had consciously reduced her food intake.

The physician had suggested she walk more each day, to build her strength for labor. Yun Si was the sort to take advice, and although she hadn’t left the palace these past days, she made sure to take steady walks around the palace each day.

Tan Yuanchu also knew her due date was near. The midwives in Chu’an Palace had long been fully prepared, and both the side hall and birthing room had been put in order.

For fear of confusion when the time came, the delivery process had been rehearsed several times. Every palace servant in Chu’an Palace was on high alert, as though at any moment Her Ladyship might go into labor.

Perhaps because her due date was drawing near, Yun Si’s moods had inexplicably shifted a little, slightly delicate and willful, but today she was doing well. She gritted her teeth and finished the full walk without once calling for a stop.

When Tan Yuanchu was present, Yun Si would act more spoiled, after walking just a little, she would linger in his arms, sniffling that she couldn’t go on.

Whether she did it intentionally or not, Tan Yuanchu always ended up softly coaxing her while half-embracing, half-supporting her to finish the rest of the way, and he never seemed to tire of it.

Qu Mama, seeing this, always felt it was the Emperor who had spoiled Her Ladyship, otherwise, why would she turn so delicate the moment he appeared?

Yun Si had no idea what Qu Mama was thinking. In the heat of the sixth month, her heavy palace attire had already been changed to lighter spring garments, yet even the loose clothes could not conceal the high curve of her belly.

After making several rounds, a fine sheen of sweat glistened on her forehead. She sat down, sipped some chilled tea, and then suddenly remembered to ask, “How is Her Highness the Empress?”

Since the Empress had been poisoned, she had been recuperating in Kunning Palace. Even the daily greeting schedule had been changed, and Bai Zhi had been guarding against everyone like a hedgehog. Kunning Palace was closed to visitors, and Yun Si had not seen the Empress in a long while.

Qiu Yuan wiped the light sweat from her forehead and shook her head at the question.

“No news at all.”

Yun Si lightly furrowed her brows. With the selection drawing near, if the Empress did not come out to preside, then who would host the final palace selection?

Just as the thought surfaced, that evening Bai Zhi arrived at Chu’an Palace with an imperial order from Kunning Palace.

After hearing Bai Zhi’s message, Yun Si was left somewhat stunned, unable to keep the surprise from her voice.

“Her Highness wants me to preside over the selection?!”

Bai Zhi gave a muffled nod. “Her Highness is still a bit weak. The imperial physician has advised her to continue resting and not to tax her mind.”

Ordinarily, Yun Si would be happy to take on such a task, after all, presiding over the selection meant that every maiden would be chosen by her own hand, which was reassuring.

But the palace selection was set for the seventh month, her due date was also in the seventh month.

Between the two, Yun Si knew clearly which was more important.

Bai Zhi seemed to notice her hesitation and said quietly, “Your Highness also knows Her Ladyship Xi Xiurong’s concern, but Xi Xiurong’s due date is near the end of the seventh month, whereas the palace selection is in early July. There’s still some time in between, it shouldn’t be such a coincidence. Just think of it as going to clear your mind.”

Yun Si was momentarily at a loss for words.

Who could treat something as important as the palace selection as simply “clearing one’s mind”?

But Bai Zhi didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with that, and went on,

“Could it be that Xi Xiurong doesn’t want to personally preside over the selection?”

At this, Bai Zhi seemed to recall something. She couldn’t help but glance up at Xi Xiurong, then muttered, “There may not be another chance in the future.”

Yun Si assumed she meant that once the Empress recovered, she might not get to preside over another selection, even if she did, it would be hard to have everything decided according to her opinion.

After all, the Empress would still be above her then, and she could hardly overstep.

Yun Si widened her apricot eyes. She had to admit, Bai Zhi’s words stirred her just a little.

Since the Empress had fallen ill, Bai Zhi seemed to have stopped caring about appearances.

She said, “In the end, if Xi Xiurong can go at that time, then you should go personally. If Xi Xiurong happens to be giving birth then, there is still the Empress Dowager. At worst, the Emperor himself can handle the selection, it would be no great trouble.”

Yun Si realized that after the poisoning incident, Bai Zhi seemed to have completely set aside the so-called value of imperial favor. In her eyes now, nothing was more important than the Empress’s health.

Yun Si also understood that Bai Zhi was here on the Empress’s orders. This truly was a rare opportunity, especially for a new consort’s selection, which was an excellent chance to establish authority. Accepting the Empress’s goodwill, Yun Si softly said,

“Bai Zhi girl, please convey my thanks to Her Highness.”

Bai Zhi gave a muffled reply, her mood complicated. She had originally been unwilling to see the Empress bestow such favor on Xi Xiurong.

But then she remembered that after the Empress was poisoned and fell ill, everyone tried to test and probe for information about her condition, everyone except Xi Xiurong, who instead suggested to the Emperor that he issue an edict forbidding anyone from disturbing the Empress’s peace.

At that, Bai Zhi could no longer speak any words of objection.

Regardless of Xi Xiurong’s true intentions, even if she had only been putting on an act to win the Empress’s favor, at least her behavior was far more decent than the other consorts’.

In any case, since the Empress could not attend the selection herself, it was better to give this honor to Xi Xiurong than to anyone else.

With her due date approaching, Tan Yuanchu had been staying at Chu’an Palace to keep watch over her.
That day, when he arrived, Yun Si brought up the matter.

She looked both eager and hesitant.

“Your Majesty, do you think I should go?”

Tan Yuanchu dabbed a bit of medicinal oil prepared by the Imperial Infirmary onto her skin, rubbing it in for her. At her question, he didn’t even lift his eyelids.

“If you want to go but are worried, then have the selection held a little earlier.”

That way, the date would be well separated from her due date, and she would have nothing to worry about.

At this, Yun Si’s apricot eyes lit up, then quickly dimmed again. She pressed her lips together.

“It’s an ancestral rule that the maidens in the Chuxiu Palace must complete a month of etiquette training. I wouldn’t dare ask you to break precedent.”

As he smoothed the ointment and oil down from her belly, Tan Yuanchu heard this remark, its tone hard to place. He suddenly grasped her ankle. Strangely, though she had gained weight, her ankles were as slender as ever.

She loved beauty and took pride in her appearance, and lately the Imperial Infirmary staff seemed to revolve entirely around her. Ointments and oils were sent constantly to Chu’an Palace; her skin was flawless, white and fine as the best white porcelain.

Yet the lady always thought herself unattractive now, often hiding herself.

Unattractive?

Tan Yuanchu couldn’t help but glance up. The woman, her belly rounded, had her clothes half-slipped down her arms for the ointment to be applied. Her green mandarin-duck embroidered dudou hung loosely at her waist, a cord around her neck.

Her fair skin, after the rub, was tinged with a faint rosy glow. She had curled herself into a comfortable position, her slender legs half-bent. The oil was unscented, yet somehow the scene itself seemed imbued with a heady fragrance.

Tan Yuanchu’s grip on her ankle tightened slightly, his gaze lingering on her high belly for a moment before dropping again.

“You’re speaking, why the need for thorns in your words?”

His voice seemed a little hoarse, though his calm demeanor masked it. Yun Si didn’t notice anything amiss; she just blinked her apricot eyes in slight unease and said softly,

“Her Highness said the selection is in early July, so by that reckoning, it shouldn’t coincide with my delivery.”

Tan Yuanchu had already heard her bring it up twice, how could he not understand what she meant?

“Then go.”

He lifted his eyelids slightly and said unhurriedly, “Have the maidens enter later. Once you’re in Honghui Hall and everything is in order, then let them come for the audience.”

There are always more solutions than problems. If she truly wanted to preside over the selection, then naturally everything else should give way to her.

Yun Si’s apricot eyes shone brightly. With just this one conversation, her schedule for next month was settled.

Bai Zhi’s visit to Chu’an Palace was no secret, and soon the whole harem knew. Coupled with the fact that the Empress still hadn’t resumed receiving morning greetings, some people had already guessed the purpose of Bai Zhi’s trip.

Naturally, word also reached the well-informed circles of the Chuxiu Palace. The palace attendants assigned to serve there over this past month could be said to have earned a fortune.

There’s never a shortage of beauties in the world, least of all in a palace selection.

When the news spread, some of the maidens glanced toward the woman sitting at the mulberry-wood stone table, surrounded like the moon amid a host of stars.

Several exchanged glances, this was the Empress Dowager’s own niece, and she seemed utterly certain she would be chosen, making no effort to keep a low profile.

The instructress-matron, mindful of her special status, turned a blind eye to her conduct.

Someone whispered, “I hear Xi Xiurong’s beauty is unmatched, and since she caught the Emperor’s eye she’s been favored above all others in the harem. But the palace attendants all keep their mouths shut about her, so no one knows whether she’s easy to get along with.”

More than one person was worried, if Xi Xiurong truly presided over the final selection, what kind of person she was would directly determine their fates.

Only one Gu family maiden felt no anxiety at all. She swept a glance at the chattering candidates with a trace of arrogance and went straight into her chamber.

Once she left, the courtyard fell silent for a moment, until someone muttered,

“What’s she so pleased about? There’s already a Consort Jing from the Gu family, how could the Emperor possibly give the Gu women two high positions?”

The matters of the Chuxiu Palace soon reached Yun Si’s ears as well. She glanced at Qu Mama and said softly, “When it comes to teaching the proper rules, it still depends on you, Mama.”

When had Qu Mama ever taken a maiden’s background into account when teaching palace etiquette?

Qu Mama did not take the credit; she shook her head respectfully. “I am simply honored by the Empress Dowager’s and His Majesty’s trust.”

Yun Si said nothing more, but when she thought of the Gu family maiden, a barely perceptible glimmer passed through her eyes.