Little Palace Maid Desires a Higher Seat of Honor - Chapter 16

Chapter 16 “I don’t want to just be a Cairen anymore, Yun Si.”

In the Taihe Hall, the imperial consorts gradually gathered. The positions of the officials and the imperial consorts were clearly divided. Even if one or two people were missing, no one noticed. The palace was still filled with the sound of wine glasses and laughter. Ya Ling glanced around the palace and whispered, “Mistress, what if the Ladyship blames us later…”

Yang Jieyu let out a light snort through her nose, and her tone was full of sarcasm, “She’s worthy of it.”

Every move made at the palace banquet represented the face of the imperial family. Even if the Empress had handed over the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet to Consort De to manage, if there was a mistake at the banquet, the Empress would still lose face. Especially since their Empress was known for being intelligent and would not let a small concubine disrupt the palace banquet.

As for after the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet?

Lu Cairen wanted the Empress to scold herself because of her?
Perhaps her current status wasn’t enough.

It was precisely because Yang Jieyu understood the Empress’s personality and way of handling things that she dared to punish Lu Cairen before the palace banquet. She calmly poured herself a cup of wine and drank it in one gulp. Her beautiful neck was slightly tilted, and she exuded a charming aura.

Knowing that her mistress had a plan, Ya Ling immediately fell silent.

It was August, and the scorching sun wouldn’t fade until evening. Yun Si had been kept in the Central Province Hall by Eunuch Liu since she entered the palace. To be honest, she hadn’t experienced being punished by kneeling for a long time. Her knees hurt at first and then gradually became numb. The pain in her chest from the earlier collision had subsided, but the wound on her back still ached.

She didn’t have the strength to support Lu Cairen anymore. With her head hung low, she bit her teeth hard to prevent herself from collapsing to the ground.

Lu Cairen had also stopped crying, her head bowed, and she was unusually quiet. It was unlike her usual self, and it was unclear what she was thinking.

If it were any other day, Yun Si would have speculated about it in her heart, but now she didn’t have the energy to care.

Tan Yuanchu went to the Kunning Palace to escort the Empress and then accompanied her to the Taihe Hall. He knew what the Empress needed, and on such occasions, Tan Yuanchu was never stingy about giving the Empress face.

The route from the Kunning Palace to the Taihe Hall was not the same as the place where Lu Cairen and her servant were punished. The two paths almost intersected at the palace gate. After a while, a small palace maid hurriedly ran towards them, but didn’t dare to block the imperial entourage. It wasn’t until the Emperor entered the Taihe Hall that the maid dared to approach and whisper a few words to Xu Shunfu.

Xu Shunfu’s face changed color immediately, and he quickly followed into the palace.

Tan Yuanchu sat down, and when Xu Shunfu stood behind him, he glanced at him with interest and asked, “What happened?”

The slaves below wouldn’t be so tactless as to block Xu Shunfu and report something before the palace banquet was about to start, unless something had happened.

Xu Shunfu forced a smile and was about to speak when Yang Jieyu on the other side raised her cup and looked at Tan Yuanchu with shining eyes, “The concubine offers a toast to the Emperor.”

Tan Yuanchu nodded and raised his cup in response.

The words that Xu Shunfu was about to say were swallowed back down. He glanced at Yang Jieyu and for a moment didn’t know how to respond.

As a servant, one had to weigh the situation, and the Emperor’s intentions were Xu Shunfu’s standard for weighing. The Emperor did have an interest in Yun Si, but he had also favored Yang Jieyu for a long time. It seemed like an easy choice between a palace maid who had just caught his eye and a favored concubine.

Xu Shunfu didn’t speak for a long time, and Tan Yuanchu didn’t press him. If it was an urgent matter, Xu Shunfu wouldn’t dare to delay.

The banquet was halfway through, and the performers changed one after another. Finally, the mooncakes were served. They looked more like pastries than mooncakes. Tan Yuanchu couldn’t help but think of a certain scene, and his eyes darkened slightly as he thought of another protagonist.

Today was the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, and she should be accompanying Lu Cairen to the banquet. Tan Yuanchu glanced unnoticeably in a certain direction but didn’t see anyone. He frowned and looked again.

This time, he saw clearly that not only was that woman absent, but Lu Cairen was also missing. There was an empty seat at the concubines’ table. Usually, there would be two people sitting at one table, even if Lu Cairen wasn’t there, the table wouldn’t be removed. This created an awkward scene.

Tan Yuanchu realized something and looked at Xu Shunfu with a cold tone, “Where is she?”

Xu Shunfu’s whole body trembled. He had originally planned to report to the Emperor after the banquet, but he didn’t expect that the Emperor would notice Lu Cairen and her servant among the many people in the Taihe Hall.

As for who the Emperor was looking for, Xu Shunfu didn’t dare to investigate further. However, he knew that since the Emperor had asked, not reporting what he knew would be considered dereliction of duty.

Xu Shunfu sighed inwardly and didn’t dare to hesitate. He reported everything truthfully, “…On the way here, Lu Cairen was bumped into by someone from Yang Jieyu’s palace. They got into an argument, and Yang Jieyu punished them to kneel for three hours at the Yikun Gate.”

Three hours.

Tan Yuanchu hadn’t spoken for a long time. When Xu Shunfu thought the matter was over, he suddenly heard him ask, “How is she?”

The question was ambiguous, but Xu Shunfu immediately knew who he was asking about. Xu Shunfu felt a bit conflicted. The news from the palace maid wasn’t good, and he didn’t dare to hide it. He told the truth, “Not good. I heard she got hit by a tree stump while protecting Lu Cairen.”

Tan Yuanchu nodded and didn’t say anything else. Xu Shunfu stood behind him and couldn’t see his face, but he somehow felt that the Emperor’s mood wasn’t good.

Xu Shunfu lowered his head, not knowing what game the Emperor and Yun Si were playing. However, it was clear that the Emperor still had feelings for Yun Si.

The performers below were dancing, and the lead dancer’s waist was slender and graceful. Especially when she bent down, her eyes seemed to contain a hint of seduction.

Yang Jieyu frowned as she watched, feeling annoyed by the scene. She had been upset recently because of the new concubine, and seeing this made her feel even more irritable.

Yang Jieyu’s expression turned cold. She was accustomed to being favored and would often take advantage of it. Holding her teacup, she turned to look at the Emperor, her lips pouting slightly, naturally exuding a sense of displeasure, “Every time at the palace banquet, it’s always the same songs and dances. After watching them for so long, it’s really boring.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the smile in Consort De’s eyes subtly faded. The Mid-Autumn Festival banquet was organized by her, and saying that the songs and dances were boring was like accusing her of not doing a good job.

Indeed, the palace banquet often featured songs and dances. Although it might be cliché, it was unlikely to go wrong. Moreover, the performers below had to rehearse new dances every time, and no dance was ever performed twice. Ultimately, whether it was the songs and dances that were boring or not, everyone had their own opinion.

Consort De raised her eyes and smiled lightly, “Yang Jieyu is right. I’ve organized several Mid-Autumn Festival banquets, and I don’t have any new ideas anymore. I wonder if Yang Jieyu has any thoughts on this. Perhaps I can seek her advice for the next banquet.”

Yang Jieyu’s body stiffened, and she forced a smile, “Your Ladyship is joking. Your concubine doesn’t understand these things.”

Consort De smiled without saying anything, her meaning implicit – if you don’t understand, why do you have so much to say?

Rong Zhaoyi’s lips curled up, and a hint of sarcasm flashed across her face. She truly didn’t understand why this foolish person could get some favor from the Emperor, and yet people in the palace always compared her to Rong Zhaoyi herself.
It was really annoying.

Yang Jieyu was silenced by Consort De and pouted, looking at the Emperor with a grievance.

Tan Yuanchu waited for them to finish their exchange before raising his eyelids and glancing at Yang Jieyu indifferently, “If you find it boring, then go back.”

He was always like this – when he was in a good mood, he wouldn’t hesitate to pamper these imperial consorts. But when he was in a bad mood, he wouldn’t even bother to pretend to care.

Yang Jieyu’s whole body suddenly stiffened. She stared at the Emperor with wide eyes, meeting his lukewarm gaze, and immediately fell silent. She didn’t even dare to express any grievance.

There were muffled laughs from around them, and Rong Zhaoyi’s sarcastic smile was even more pronounced. Yang Jieyu clenched her fists and lowered her head in embarrassment, not daring to cause any more trouble.She had been blinded by the performers and forgotten that today’s banquet was organized by Consort De.

Although Yang Jieyu was always flamboyant, she knew her limits. Consort De had the Emperor’s only son, and just because of that, few people in the harem could surpass her. When Yang Jieyu clashed with Consort De, the Emperor naturally wouldn’t side with her.

Yang Jieyu kept telling herself that Consort De was only confident because she had the eldest prince.

The Empress watched this farce with a slightly raised eyebrow, surprised. Usually, the Emperor would indulge Yang Jieyu, perhaps thinking it was harmless and letting her have her way. But this was the first time the Emperor had been so merciless to Yang Jieyu.

The Empress sipped her wine, and perhaps because it was fruit wine, she felt a sweetness in her mouth.

Lu Cairen and Yun Si knew nothing about what was happening in the Taihe Hall. After kneeling for about two hours, they heard a commotion, and soon the sky lit up with fireworks. The fireworks illuminated the dark night sky.

Yun Si was taken aback, remembering that she had been looking forward to the fireworks when they left the Heyi Hall.

But in the end, she could only kneel here, watching the sky from afar.

No matter what, once she had expectations, they would always come to nothing. It was as if people like her shouldn’t have expectations or desires.

Yun Si looked up at the sky, and the fireworks cast a mixture of light and shadow on her face. She clenched her handkerchief tightly. People like her were supposed to be as insignificant as grass, but she didn’t want to give up.

Even from a distance, she could still see the fireworks.

So, no matter how difficult the road ahead might be, she would pave her own way.

Lu Cairen also saw the fireworks, and she leaned against Yun Si, her voice hoarse, “Yun Si.”

Yun Si responded softly, and Lu Cairen smiled weakly, “The Mid-Autumn Festival banquet must be over.”
Yun Si was taken aback, not knowing what to say. Fortunately, Lu Cairen didn’t need her response. In the night, Lu Cairen whispered, “I didn’t see Mother and Father…”

She had been tangled up for many days, deciding to wear this lake-green embroidered mandarin duck skirt, just to let her parents see that she was doing okay in the palace.

But Yang Jieyu ruined everything.

Lu Cairen looked up at the fireworks with a blank expression, and after a long time, she said word by word, “Yun Si, I don’t want to just be a Cairen anymore.”

Yun Si looked up.

Lu Cairen didn’t turn around, “Everything that happened today, I will pay back to her!”

Yun Si was stunned. She remembered the soft smile on Lu Cairen’s face when she first entered the palace, and her eyes seemed to shine when she looked at the palace maids.

At that time, she thought Lu Cairen was a girl who was pampered at home, and she looked at everything in the palace with curiosity. Even if she was dissatisfied, she would only complain.

But in the palace, innocence was hard to preserve.

Yun Si quickly regained her composure and lowered her head, saying respectfully, “No matter what the mistress wants to do, the servant will accompany her.”

Lu Cairen smiled slightly, “Good, we’ll move up together.”