Little Palace Maid Desires a Higher Seat of Honor - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Lu Meiren

After Tan Yuanchu left, Yun Si lay exhausted on the bed, taking a long time to recover.

After a while, she finally realized that the Emperor still hadn’t told her how he had come from Lu Cairen‘s place, and Lu Cairen hadn’t even sent someone to look for her during such a long time.

Yun Si was filled with doubts, but after what had just happened, she felt physically and mentally exhausted and couldn’t help but close her eyes.

It wasn’t until the next day that Yun Si learned from Xiao Rongzi what had happened the previous day.

Xiao Rongzi said, “Yesterday, the Emperor only stayed in Heyi Hall for half an hour before leaving.”

Lu Cairen still had some scars on her knees, so it was understandable that the Emperor didn’t want her to attend to him. Moreover, the Emperor had personally visited her, which would silence the gossip in the harem.

Upon hearing this, Yun Si’s eyes darted away.

Yesterday, the Emperor had definitely not just stayed in Heyi Hall for half an hour.

After Xiao Rongzi finished speaking, there was a sudden silence. Yun Si paused, holding her chopsticks, and realized something.

Xiao Rongzi was usually cautious and meticulous. The Emperor’s actions might have fooled Lu Cairen, who was in the inner chamber, but not necessarily Xiao Rongzi.

She lowered her gaze, “You saw it?”

Xiao Rongzi responded in a low tone, feeling depressed. He didn’t know when the relationship between his sister and the Emperor had started. If he hadn’t gotten up in the middle of the night, he might still be kept in the dark.

He had long known that his sister had thoughts of leaving the Central Province Hall, so it wasn’t hard for him to accept. But he couldn’t understand, “Why did my sister still want to stay in Heyi Hall?”

Yun Si paused. When the Emperor wanted to grant her a title in the imperial study, she had actually been hesitant. But in the end, she chose not to respond.

She didn’t think the Emperor’s interest in her was serious; it was just a momentary impulse. Since that was the case, what would happen even if she became a Yunu?

Since she had offended Lu Cairen, and as the first palace maid to rise to a high position in the harem, she would inevitably attract the attention of everyone in the harem.

Most importantly, when that time came, how much interest would the Emperor still have in her?

Being a Yunu and becoming the target of everyone’s criticism was not the outcome Yun Si wanted.

Lu Cairen was the master she had chosen, and her identity was special. The Lu family was currently in a position of power, and Lu Cairen’s brother was a rising star. No matter how, even if Lu Cairen wasn’t likable, the Emperor wouldn’t ignore her.

Following Lu Cairen’s rise to power and waiting for the right moment to make changes was a more stable strategy.

No matter how many secret thoughts she had, she genuinely wanted to help Lu Cairen rise to power.

Yun Si replied subtly, “Because the outcome is far from what I envisioned.”

Xiao Rongzi instantly understood. He frowned, “Sister wants to play it safe, but this approach is also risky.”

How could his sister guarantee that the Emperor wouldn’t lose interest in her during the time she was just a palace maid?

Yun Si looked up and met Xiao Rongzi’s gaze.

Xiao Rongzi suddenly fell silent.

He had thought too shallowly. His sister was indeed playing it safe. Even if the Emperor lost interest in her, she would still be a useful person in Lu Cairen’s hands. A high-ranking servant was more powerful than a low-ranking master.

Lu Cairen wanted to attend to the Emperor, so she got up and went to the Kunning Palace to pay her respects before the Chen hour was over.

At this time, people hadn’t returned to the palace yet. Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the hall, followed by a series of joyful sounds. Yun Si looked at Xiao Rongzi, and Xiao Rongzi quickly nodded and turned to leave.

After a long while, Xiao Rongzi returned and glanced at his sister before whispering, “Lu Cairen received a reward from the Emperor.”

Yun Si thought of the long kneeling they did on the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival and immediately understood. Instead of saying Lu Cairen received a reward, it was more like the Emperor’s compensation to Lu Cairen.

Yun Si looked at him in confusion.

Xiao Rongzi said, “From today on, Lu Cairen can no longer be called ‘Cairen’ but should be called ‘Meiren’ instead.”

Yun Si was surprised. Lu Cairen’s title had been promoted?

It seemed that from now on, she should call her “Lu Meiren”.

Yun Si sat up, supporting herself, “Has Lu Meiren returned yet?”

“Judging by the time, she should be back soon.” After speaking, Xiao Rongzi added, “Yesterday, before the Emperor summoned Lu Cairen to attend to him, Yang Jieyu sent someone to invite the Emperor.”

Yun Si’s actions paused, and she let out a soft sigh. She had the same thought as Xiao Rongzi – Lu Meiren and Yang Jieyu were now thoroughly at odds.

What Yun Si didn’t know was that the morning court was exceptionally lively today.

Yang Jieyu, who had claimed to be unwell yesterday, had also appeared in the Kunning Palace. She hadn’t seen the Emperor in a long time and couldn’t afford to take a break again.

As soon as she entered, the gazes of those watching the drama in the hall turned to her. Yang Jieyu hadn’t received this kind of treatment in a long time, and her face immediately darkened.

Some people were intimidated and averted their gazes, but there were always those who weren’t just afraid.

Yun Si couldn’t know that today was going to be a particularly eventful day.

Lu Cairen didn’t know she had been promoted yet, and she smiled at Yang Jieyu, “I heard Yang Jieyu wasn’t feeling well yesterday. I thought we wouldn’t see her at the morning court today.”

Yang Jieyu’s eyebrows immediately flashed with anger when Lu Cairen publicly mocked her. However, Lu Cairen had just been sent back to the palace by the Emperor himself, and she had received the Emperor’s visit yesterday. With such clear favor, Yang Jieyu didn’t dare treat her the same way as before.

After all, in the harem, besides titles, there was something else that was extremely important – the Emperor’s favor.

She had dared to confront Rong Zhaoyi before because of the Emperor’s favor.

Yang Jieyu couldn’t maintain her angry expression and coldly huffed, “Even if I’m not feeling well, I wouldn’t dare to miss paying my respects to Her Highness.”

Lu Cairen smiled inwardly. On the day she entered the palace, Yang Jieyu was late for paying her respects. The polite words Yang Jieyu was saying now were just a way to save face.

So Lu Cairen followed up, “Yang Jieyu is right. Her Highness is indeed noble and unmatched in beauty. All the sisters in the harem respect her deeply.”

The Empress walked out at this moment, having already heard about Lu Cairen’s promotion. She glanced at Lu Cairen and smiled, covering her mouth, “Did Lu Cairen eat honey before coming to pay her respects today?”

Lu Cairen’s face turned red, and she seemed a bit embarrassed.
The Empress sat down and was amused by her own words, causing a chorus of laughter to erupt in the hall. However, Yang Jieyu felt a wave of nausea wash over her.

To everyone’s surprise, the Empress sat down and then covered her forehead, saying, “Look at me, I made a mistake just now.”

The others looked up in confusion.

The Empress gazed at Lu Cairen with a smile in her eyes. Yang Jieyu felt a growing sense of unease. The next moment, the Empress said, “I shouldn’t call her Lu Cairen anymore. The Emperor just sent word to promote Lu Cairen’s title. Now she should be called Lu Meiren.”

Lu Meiren’s eyes widened in shock, and she seemed to be in a daze, disbelieving. However, she quickly regained her composure, stood up, and smiled, “I’m grateful for the Emperor’s and Your Highness’s kindness.”

Unlike Lu Meiren, the other concubines in the hall didn’t look pleased, especially Yang Jieyu. Her face turned pale green with envy. Compared to her, the others seemed more composed.

Everyone could guess how Lu Meiren got her new title.

Rong Zhaoyi looked at Yang Jieyu with sarcasm, thinking it was a joke that she had failed to achieve her goal and ended up losing something valuable.

After Lu Meiren returned to the palace, she immediately rewarded her servants. Among them, Yun Si received a special reward. When Qiu Ling brought a bracelet to Yun Si, she couldn’t help but admire, “The mistress truly values you, sister.”

Yun Si smiled, but accidentally strained her wound, causing her to gasp in pain.

Qiu Ling glanced at her shoulder and the admiration in her eyes immediately diminished. Although Yun Si said the mistress valued her, she also suffered a lot. Looking at it this way, it seemed that Yun Si deserved it.

Qiu Ling thought of Song Rong’s recent smugness and couldn’t help but sneer, “Sister, get well soon. You don’t know how smug Song Rong has been lately. It’s really annoying.”

Yun Si pretended not to hear, “Go back quickly. The mistress can’t be left unattended.”

Qiu Ling also thought of this. Even if she didn’t get the mistress’s favor, staying in the palace and annoying Song Rong would be good enough. She quickly turned around and left.

Yun Si lowered her gaze and looked at the bracelet sent by Qiu Ling. It was made of white jade, with a smooth and crystal-clear luster. It was very beautiful. She had seen Lu Meiren wear it before, and she didn’t expect Lu Meiren to reward her with it.

Yun Si looked at it for a couple of breaths and then closed the jewelry box. She placed the box on the dressing table and didn’t have any intention of wearing it.

After Lu Meiren’s promotion, Su Meiren received the Emperor’s favor for two days. Then, other new concubines were summoned to attend to the Emperor one after another. The people in the palace couldn’t see the trend between the new concubines clearly for a while.

However, soon everyone lost interest because the Emperor summoned Rong Zhaoyi to attend to him for several consecutive days. Rong Zhaoyi’s popularity in the harem was unmatched for a while.

During this time, Yun Si finally recovered from her injuries. She stood with her back to the bronze mirror and carefully examined herself, confirming that there were no scars left. The bruises had completely faded, and she finally felt relieved.

A couple of days ago, she started serving in the palace again. When Song Rong saw her, her face fell.

Recently, the mistress had been promoted and was quite popular in the palace. She often followed the mistress around, and the people in the harem gradually got to know her. When she went to pick up food, the people in the imperial kitchen would call her “Elder Sister Song Rong” one after another, which made her feel very proud.

But now that Yun Si had recovered from her injuries, she would be superior to her in the Heyi Hall again.

Song Rong couldn’t help but ask, “Are you really fully recovered from your injuries?”

Yun Si smiled, “The mistress was considerate and let me rest for a long time. But I wouldn’t dare to forget my duties and would never delay my work.”

Lu Meiren was separated from them by two layers of curtains, and she knew Lu Meiren could hear her. Sure enough, Lu Meiren soon called out, “Is that Yun Si? Come in quickly.”

Yun Si smiled at Song Rong and turned to lift the curtain and enter the hall. Song Rong followed behind her, feeling discouraged and lowering her head.

Lu Meiren was embroidering something and beckoned to her, “Yun Si, come quickly and see how this waistband I’m embroidering looks. Is the pattern and color suitable?”

A bright yellow brocade had a white cloud pattern and a golden dragon embroidered on it. Yun Si covered her mouth, “Is this for the Emperor?”

She acted very naturally, without any awkwardness after not serving in the hall for a while.

Lu Meiren chuckled, “September 13th is the Emperor’s birthday. I thought the Emperor wouldn’t lack gold, silver, or jewels, and might be used to seeing good things. So I wanted to make something myself. But my needlework isn’t very good, so I can only sew a waistband.”

It would be difficult for her to make clothes or other things.

Yun Si nodded, indicating that her idea was good. After taking a closer look at the waistband, she said it wasn’t outstanding, but there were no mistakes either. The most important thing was the thought behind it.

Yun Si followed up, “The mistress is indeed thoughtful.”

However, no one noticed that Yun Si frowned slightly. If she hadn’t come to the hall today, she might have forgotten that the Emperor’s birthday was approaching.