Little Palace Maid Desires a Higher Seat of Honor - Chapter 54

Chapter 54: Allergic Reaction

After confirming that Tan Yuanchu would attend the birthday banquet, Yun Si quietly lowered her eyelids.

On August 30th, Su Guipin’s birthday, the palace was bustling. As evening approached, Zhaiyue Tower was illuminated with lanterns, shining brightly like stars in the night sky. Xu Shunfu reminded Tan Yuanchu, and the Emperor finally left the imperial study.

Yun Si accompanied the Emperor, and from a distance, she saw that Zhaiyue Tower was lively, with water pavilions and song stages surrounded by light silk curtains. Before Yun Si could appreciate the exquisite architecture of Zhaiyue Tower, a voice announced the Emperor’s arrival.

The pavilion fell silent for a moment. Today was Su Guipin’s birthday, and she was hosting the banquet. Her usually cold face was filled with an unmistakable smile.

When Yun Si followed Tan Yuanchu into the pavilion, Su Guipin greeted them, bowing gracefully. “Welcome, Your Majesty.”

Tan Yuanchu extended his hand to help her up. Yun Si glanced briefly and then discreetly blended into the background, much like Xu Shunfu.

Almost all the palace concubines were present today, except for one Comsort Jing. Yun Si specifically noticed An Cairen, who wore a court dress with a pattern of cuckoo and butterfly, adorned with a step-shaped hairpin and lightly applied makeup, making her lips look rosy and delicate. Despite it being Su Guipin’s birthday, An Cairen’s attire was particularly eye-catching.

Yun Si blinked her almond-shaped eyes, wondering if An Cairen had tasted the sweetness of success after one instance of gaining favor and was now trying to repeat it. Su Guipin was three ranks higher than her; what made her think she could rival Su Guipin?

Yun Si didn’t know what emboldened An Cairen, but she knew that if Tan Yuanchu noticed her today, it would only lead to enmity between Su Guipin and An Cairen, and their relationship would likely become strained.

As fate would have it, during the banquet, a sudden cry of surprise came from below. Yun Si followed the sound and saw An Cairen frantically pushing away the dishes in front of her, her face filled with panic.

Su Guipin, who already disliked An Cairen, saw her causing a scene at her birthday banquet and immediately turned cold. However, before she could say anything, An Cairen burst into tears. The hall fell silent, and the performers on stage stopped playing.

Su Guipin felt a surge of anger. “Why are you crying?”
However, An Cairen just covered her face, crying uncontrollably. Everyone noticed something was wrong; in a short time, An Cairen’s neck and wrists had developed a rash, which made people feel uneasy and frightened.
They exclaimed, “What’s happening?!”

Su Guipin was also stunned, her brow furrowed in discomfort.

Tan Yuanchu’s voice was cold, “Summon the imperial physician.”

An Cairen’s maid, Gui Chun, quickly reacted, realizing what was happening. She protected her mistress and waited for the imperial physician to arrive. After the physician examined An Cairen, he asked, “Has the concubine been allergic to anything in the past?”

Gui Chun replied hastily, “My mistress is allergic to shrimp and crab.”

As soon as Gui Chun finished speaking, some people in the hall suddenly changed color. Rong Zhaoyi pushed away the untouched dishes in front of her.

An Cairen covered her face with a handkerchief, but even so, people could vaguely see the condition of her face. They couldn’t help but frown in shock; how could it have become so severe in such a short time?

An Cairen cried and knelt down. “Your Majesty, please avenge me!”

Su Guipin was taken aback by these words. She said cautiously, “You were careless with your allergy, and it’s not someone else’s fault. What is there for the Emperor to avenge?”

An Cairen suddenly glared at her with anger and resentment, crying. “Su Guipin, do you still want to deny it?! I would never touch shrimp or crab-like things. If it weren’t for you ordering someone to mix crab meat into the soup, how could I have eaten it and had an allergic reaction? I know you don’t like me, but you can’t harm me like this!”

Rong Zhaoyi also looked at Su Guipin coldly.

Su Guipin instinctively retorted. “How would I know you’re allergic to shrimp and crab?”

An Cairen still covered her face, crying. “During the Mid-Autumn Festival palace banquet half a month ago, every person had crab on their table, and only I didn’t touch it. If you had paid attention, you would have noticed!”

Su Guipin’s chest was heaving with anger, her teeth clenched. “Why would I observe you?!”

An Cairen was convinced that Su Guipin had intentionally harmed her. “Who doesn’t know that Su Guipin harbors resentment towards me?”

Su Guipin was left speechless, her anger and frustration evident. She indeed didn’t like An Cairen, but she had nothing to do with the incident today.

She turned to look at Tan Yuanchu, who was listening to their argument. When he heard that someone had mixed crab meat into the soup, his brows furrowed slightly, but his expression remained impassive.

Su Guipin felt suffocated. Today was her birthday, and she was not only ruined by the commotion but also had to clear her name. She knelt down in front of Tan Yuanchu.
“This matter has nothing to do with me, I beg Your Majesty to see the truth!”

Yun Si stood behind Tan Yuanchu, her eyes lowered.

Rong Zhaoyi swept a cold gaze across the hall, missing no one. Her voice was icy, “This matter must be thoroughly investigated!”

If An Cairen hadn’t been allergic to shrimp and crab and hadn’t revealed that there was crab in the soup, perhaps the person covering their face, waiting for the imperial physician, would have been her!

How could Rong Zhaoyi not be angry?!

There was one thing: was today’s incident an accident or a deliberate plot?
If it was a plot, who was behind it, and who was the target?

Her allergy to shrimp and crab wasn’t a secret, but only a few people knew about it. For a moment, Rong Zhaoyi’s gaze swept over the few people who knew, and she suspected everyone.

In the harem, if one wanted to gain favor, no one could ignore the importance of one’s face. Once the face was covered in rashes, who could guarantee that it would disappear without a trace?

Once the face was scarred, it would only be a matter of time before the Emperor grew cold.

Seeing the situation, the Empress finally frowned and spoke up, “Summon the people from the imperial kitchen.”

Eunuch Zhang from the imperial kitchen soon arrived and knelt down with a thud. He had already learned what happened on the way and was sweating profusely.
“Your Majesty and the concubines, please understand. This servant would never dare to intentionally harm the concubines!”

Eunuch Zhang felt like he was caught in a storm. He explained, “The dish ‘Fragrant Mouthful’ was made with crab meat. Su Guipin instructed us to make the birthday banquet perfect, and crab is particularly delicious during this season. This servant came up with the idea for ‘Fragrant Mouthful’ because it’s fragrant and sweet. This servant didn’t know that any of the concubines were allergic to crab meat. It’s this servant’s fault, but it’s not intentional. Please understand!”

An Cairen couldn’t accept this answer. “You dog slave! You’re still denying it! You must have been bribed by Su Guipin to harm me!”

Many people shook their heads inwardly when they heard this. Everyone knew that the eunuchs in charge of the imperial kitchen and the affairs of the harem were loyal only to one person: the current Emperor. Perhaps they had their own biases, but they would never do something like plotting to harm one concubine for another.

With her name cleared, Su Guipin became more confident. She looked at An Cairen coldly. “If I wanted to deal with you, would I need to go to such trouble?”

An Cairen was left speechless by Su Guipin’s blunt attitude. She realized that she wouldn’t be able to turn the tables on Su Guipin this time and felt a growing sense of fear. She had already offended Su Guipin, and after today’s incident, she would likely offend her even more. Su Guipin wouldn’t forgive her easily.

Rong Zhaoyi stared at Eunuch Zhang without blinking, and seeing that he didn’t seem guilty, she frowned slightly.
Was it really just a coincidence?

Tan Yuanchu suddenly spoke up, “From now on, any dishes containing shrimp or crab must be clearly labeled.”

Yun Si clenched her sleeves tightly, glanced up at Tan Yuanchu’s back discreetly, and felt a bit annoyed.
Did he care about Rong Zhaoyi that much?
Was he worried that a similar situation would harm Rong Zhaoyi?

Eunuch Zhang immediately agreed. The birthday banquet ended on a sour note. Although it was an accident, An Cairen had still suffered. Eunuch Zhang was dragged away and given ten strokes of the cane as a gesture of apology to An Cairen.

This kind of explanation made An Cairen feel that it would have been better if nothing had been done. Not only did she not gain any actual benefits, but she also offended the imperial kitchen for no reason.

After such an incident, Tan Yuanchu naturally didn’t stay overnight in Qingyu Courtyard. Before leaving, Yun Si felt that if Su Guipin’s gaze towards An Cairen could kill, An Cairen would have died countless times.

The night grew darker, and the wind rustled through the bamboo forest, making the palace seem quiet. However, there were still a few places that weren’t quiet.

In the imperial kitchen, Eunuch Zhang was carried back after being punished. Although the person administering the punishment hadn’t been too harsh, Eunuch Zhang’s old bones couldn’t withstand the ten strokes of the cane. He gritted his teeth in pain but still remembered to say, “Get Yuan Fu here!”

Yuan Fu arrived quickly, and Eunuch Zhang threw a pillow at him.
“You scoundrel! Who suggested this idea?”

When Eunuch Zhang took responsibility for the incident in Zhaiyue Tower, he knew that the dish “Fragrant Mouthful” was indeed on the menu he had planned. However, on the way back, Eunuch Zhang couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was off. Who had come up with the idea for “Fragrant Mouthful”?
After being in the palace for so many years, he knew that crab hadn’t been served at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet in previous years. He had a hunch that someone in a high position disliked crab.

Yuan Fu was startled and immediately knelt down. He looked crestfallen. “Master Zhang, you’re wronging me! How dare I plot to harm the concubines?”

Eunuch Zhang lay on the bed, his back and buttocks hurting too much to lie down properly. He had no dignity left and coldly said, “If you don’t tell the truth, you’re out of the imperial kitchen!”

Yuan Fu’s face turned pale, and he collapsed to the ground, crying uncontrollably. He crawled forward and clung to Eunuch Zhang’s leg. “Master Zhang, don’t kick me out! I’ll tell you everything! I was greedy, and when I was buying ingredients outside the palace, I accepted silver and bought too many crabs. I was afraid of being scolded by you, so I dared to suggest ‘Fragrant Mouthful’ to you. Master Zhang, I wouldn’t dare to get involved in the affairs of the concubines!”

Eunuch Zhang was furious with him.

If he hadn’t valued Yuan Fu, he wouldn’t have entrusted him with the task of purchasing ingredients. Everyone knew that purchasing ingredients was a lucrative task, and it was understandable to take a little extra. But this scoundrel had almost gotten him killed!

Eunuch Zhang was annoyed and told him to leave. “Get out! Get out! Get out!”

Yuan Fu didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he respectfully applied medicine to Eunuch Zhang’s wounds before departing. This gesture softened Eunuch Zhang’s anger.

When Yuan Fu returned to his quarters, he was drenched in cold sweat, and his legs felt weak. He had told Eunuch Zhang the truth, but he had also hidden part of it. He had indeed accepted silver and bought a large quantity of crabs, but it wasn’t a coincidence that he had suggested the dish “Fragrant Mouthful”. He had thought long and hard about how to incorporate crab meat into the dish without it being noticeable.

*********

In the Yangxin Hall, after returning, Yun Si went back to her quarters. After being by Tan Yuanchu’s side for so long, she had learned to keep her emotions in check.
She lay in bed, waiting for the night to grow quieter, before suddenly opening her eyes. She couldn’t sleep, no matter how hard she tried.

How could she sleep?

The plan had failed, and not only had it not caused any harm to Rong Zhaoyi, but it had also alerted everyone. It was now impossible to use this method to deal with Concubine Rong again. Especially after Tan Yuanchu’s instructions, she had given up on this idea entirely.

When she realized that Tan Yuanchu would attend the birthday banquet, she had guessed that all the palace concubines would be there, including Rong Zhaoyi.

She couldn’t interfere with the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet hosted by Consort De, but Su Guipin’s birthday banquet wouldn’t be personally managed by the Empress. At most, the Empress would just give instructions, and since the imperial kitchen was in charge of planning the menu, there were many opportunities for manipulation.

This was a chance that couldn’t be missed.

Yun Si immediately found Xiao Rongzi.

That’s how the incident at the banquet today happened.

But Yun Si never expected that there was more than one person in the harem allergic to shrimp and crab, and due to this oversight, her plan was exposed prematurely, allowing Rong Zhaoyi to escape unscathed.

When she saw Rong Zhaoyi pushing away the dish, she had to clench her fists tightly to suppress her regretful expression.

Yun Si bit her lip and punched the pillow in frustration, but she still kept her cool. Even though she was extremely annoyed, she didn’t make a sound.

In Kunning Palace, Bai Zhi was helping the Empress remove her golden hairpins and couldn’t help but whisper, “It’s a pity that despite Your Highness’s efforts to help her, Su Guipin still can’t seize the opportunity.”

The Empress had given Su Guipin face by hosting her birthday banquet and inviting the Emperor to attend. Everything had been arranged perfectly, but Su Guipin still couldn’t grasp the opportunity.

The Empress’s emotions were calm, and Bai Zhi glanced at her, hesitating to speak. In her opinion, Su Guipin was like a piece of rotten wood that couldn’t be carved. As the highest-ranking concubine among the new consorts, she should have been able to secure the Emperor’s favor with her beauty and noble background. However, the reality was different.

The lanterns in Qingyu Courtyard hadn’t been lit for two months.

But Bai Zhi knew that the Empress wouldn’t listen to her. After all, you couldn’t know if something wouldn’t work without trying.

Bai Zhi quickly moved on to another topic, frowning slightly. “The Emperor really values Rong Zhaoyi.”

She had been with the Empress for many years and knew about Rong Zhaoyi’s allergy to shrimp and crab. When they were at Zhaiyue Tower, Bai Zhi had felt a bit regretful. Why did An Cairen get affected instead of Rong Zhaoyi?
Not only that, but the Emperor also issued an order that would prevent Rong Zhaoyi from falling victim to the same situation again.

As soon as she finished speaking, she saw the Empress looking at her through the bronze mirror. Bai Zhi was a bit confused, “Did I say something wrong?”

Didn’t the Emperor value Rong Zhaoyi enough?

The Empress raised her eyebrows casually and asked softly, “Do you think the Emperor values Rong Zhaoyi?”

Bai Zhi was puzzled.
Wasn’t that the case?

The Empress removed the nail guards from her hands without looking up. In the bronze mirror, her lips curled up slightly, revealing a hint of sarcasm. “Don’t forget, there’s still a little princess in the palace.”

Bai Zhi didn’t understand and was confused for a while. It wasn’t until the Empress was about to sleep after her ablutions that Bai Zhi’s eyes suddenly widened in surprise.
“Does the little princess also have an allergy to shrimp and crab?!”

The Empress didn’t respond to this question. She just looked at Bai Zhi calmly.

Everyone in the harem said that Rong Zhaoyi was favored, but how much of the honor and favor she received was because of the little princess?
It was open to interpretation.

The concubines in the palace had different thoughts, but the two people who were most affected were those in Qingyu Courtyard and Jiyun Tower. One had lost the opportunity to serve the Emperor, and the other had scars on her face. The people in both palaces stayed up all night.

The next day, An Cairen didn’t attend the morning court, but after the morning court, the Empress sent gifts to Qingyu Courtyard, seemingly to comfort her.

For a time, everyone in the palace couldn’t help but wonder: what made Su Guipin so special that the Empress was so kind to her?

The same question was asked in Changchun Palace. Tong Yun frowned in confusion. “Is the Empress trying to win Su Guipin over?”

The fragrance wafted through the hall, and a wet nurse held the little princess. Rong Zhaoyi composed herself and teased the little princess. Upon hearing the words, she just curled her lips sarcastically. “Who knows what kind-hearted Bodhisattva threw away their good fortune, and it landed on our Empress, trying to win over Su Guipin? Doesn’t she fear that it’s all in vain?”

Rong Zhaoyi didn’t think much of Su Guipin, even though everyone in the palace said she was the most outstanding among the new consorts. In her eyes, all the new consorts who entered the palace last year weren’t as threatening as Yun Si.

Thinking of this, Rong Zhaoyi’s eyes turned slightly cold. “They’re all useless.”

Tong Yun didn’t dare to respond.

While the people in Changchun Palace were speculating about the Empress’s intentions, the person involved, Qingyu Courtyard, was also puzzled. Bai Shao held the jade Ruyi and a set of jade hairpins sent by the Empress and asked in confusion, “Mistress, what is the Empress trying to do?”

She whispered, “Could it be that she’s really trying to win Mistress over?”

Su Guipin stared at the jade Ruyi for a long time before closing her eyes tiredly. “Just put it on the couch.”

Bai Shao responded softly.

She knew that her mistress had been full of ambition and determination when she entered the palace, wanting to make a name for herself in the harem. But her mistress was proud and arrogant, and it didn’t take long for that pride to fade away.

Bai Shao felt a pang of sympathy. “Does Mistress really have to do this?”

Su Guipin smiled faintly and closed her eyes, saying resentfully, “The Emperor can’t be relied upon. If I refuse the Empress’s favor, where will I stand in the harem?”

She wasn’t stupid, and after a few incidents, she realized her position in the Emperor’s heart was dispensable. Otherwise, the Emperor wouldn’t have let An Cairen interrupt her night with the Emperor, and he wouldn’t have shown no reaction or compensation afterwards.

Since relying on the Emperor was useless, it was better to seek the Empress’s favor. At least in the harem, the Empress had the final say in most matters.When Su Guipin went to pay her respects again, she wore the jade hairpin given to her by the Empress on her head. She looked cold and elegant, yet beautiful, making it hard for people to look away. Some people couldn’t help but wonder why Su Guipin, with her stunning looks, couldn’t catch the Emperor’s eye. What could they rely on to gain the Emperor’s favor?

Only a few people showed a slight flicker in their eyes when they saw the jade hairpin on her head.

After that, Su Guipin was summoned to serve the Emperor several times a month. People in the harem vaguely knew that this was due to the Empress’s extra favor towards Su Guipin. After all, the Empress only needed to mention Su Guipin’s name a few times in front of the Emperor to greatly benefit her.

But even knowing this, what could they do?

They wanted to ride the Empress’s coattails, but they needed the Empress to accept them like she had accepted Su Guipin.

After the New Year, the scars on An Cairen’s face had long since faded away. She ripped apart a handkerchief in frustration. “Why her?!”

After Su Guipin gained power, An Cairen’s life became difficult. Su Guipin, with her higher rank, only needed to make things slightly difficult for her, and An Cairen would struggle. Even when she finally got to pay her respects to the Empress in Kunning Palace and complained to her, all she got was a promise that the Empress would investigate and give her an explanation.

An Cairen waited and waited, but she didn’t get any news. She realized that, just like when she was arrogant thinking the Empress wouldn’t interfere, the Empress wouldn’t bother to take her side unless…

Unless she could catch the Emperor’s eye.

In early February, the cold wind hadn’t completely dissipated, and although they had received spring clothes, no one dared to take off their winter clothes.

People were bundled up like balls. When Yun Si came out of her quarters, she shivered from the cold and couldn’t help but tremble. Qiu Yuan saw her and was a bit surprised, “Why did you come out?”

Yun Si had been ill for a while and had been lying in bed for a long time. The Emperor had ordered her to focus on recovering and not worry about attending to him.

Yun Si took a deep breath and raised her almond-shaped eyes slightly, looking a bit helpless. “If I lie in bed any longer, my bones will start to fall apart.”
Seeing that Qiu Yuan was about to say something else, Yun Si had to bring up the doctor’s words as a shield. “The physician said I’m fine now.”

Qiu Yuan had to swallow her words.

Yun Si had been ill for nearly half a month, and today was her first time out. She saw that the palace was quiet and asked, “Where is the Emperor?”

Qiu Yuan replied casually, “He was summoned by Su Guipin.”

In the past half year, Su Guipin had gained some favor, and this kind of situation wasn’t uncommon. Qiu Yuan had gotten used to it, and Yun Si was the same.

They were silent for a moment, and then Qiu Yuan sighed softly. Since no one was around, she didn’t hide her emotions. “You should make plans for the future.”

Yun Si looked up at her, and Qiu Yuan shook her head.
“According to the ancestral rules, there will be a new selection of maidens entering the palace next year in March. It’s only been a year, but aren’t you worried?”

Yun Si’s almond-shaped eyes trembled slightly. Wasn’t she worried?
Of course, she was. The longer it went on, the more urgent it felt. She knew better than anyone that she couldn’t keep going like this.

If things continued to go on without any changes, she would eventually lose the Emperor’s interest.

Yun Si breathed out softly and said, “It’s almost March, and the red plum blossoms will wither soon. Qiu Yuan, let’s go for a walk in the plum forest.”

Before she fell ill, she had made two perfume pouches, one for Qiu Yuan and one for herself. When the Emperor found out, he teased her. “Why don’t you show me some affection?”

Yun Si was speechless and promised to make one for him, but she got ill and it was put on hold. Now that she had recovered, she needed to prioritize it.

She had just recovered from her illness, and Qiu Yuan didn’t want to push her too hard.
“You should get some fresh air.”

The red plum forest was neither too close nor too far from Yangxin Hall, and it would take about 15 minutes to walk there. Coincidentally, Yun Si and Qiu Yuan didn’t meet anyone on the way, but just as Yun Si was about to pick a plum branch, she heard some noise behind her.
“Does Your Majesty think this red plum blossom suits me well?”

The sound of laughter came from behind, and Yun Si didn’t need to turn around to know who was behind her.

When Tan Yuanchu was invited by Su Guipin to appreciate the plum blossoms, he didn’t think much of it. However, when he saw Yun Si in the plum forest, he suddenly realized that he hadn’t seen her for several days.

She wore a cloud-white brocade dress with wide sleeves and a slender waist, and she had a crane cloak draped over her shoulders. Having just recovered from a serious illness, her cheeks still looked a bit pale. When she heard the noise, she turned around, standing under the red plum blossoms.

The distance between them in the plum forest seemed to make her look even more elegant. The breeze blew, and the plum blossoms above her head fell gently, as if intentionally adding to her beauty. The contrast between red and white was striking, yet somehow, both colors seemed a bit dull.

Su Guipin also saw Yun Si, and her mood suddenly sank.

Yun Si didn’t expect to run into Tan Yuanchu and Su Guipin in the plum forest, but she quickly realized that this could be an opportunity.

The woman holding the red plum blossom looked at him for a moment, then glanced at Su Guipin. Tan Yuanchu couldn’t quite read her emotions, but he saw her bite her lip slightly before she bowed gracefully, as if nothing had happened.