Little Palace Maid Desires a Higher Seat of Honor - Chapter 65

Chapter 65 – Bedchamber Duty

After the news of the Panju Hall serving in bedchamber duty spread, the reactions from the various palaces were all different. The Empress simply nodded as if it were a routine matter.

“Send that jade coral from the treasury to the Panju Hall.”

Bai Zhi’s eyes widened in shock. She blurted out, “Your Highness! That jade coral was a gift His Majesty specially bestowed upon you when you were made Empress!”

She bit her lip, speaking with resentment,

“How can it be given to her?”

Bai Zhi wanted to say more, but seeing the Empress’s calm and indifferent expression, she could only swallow her words. Still, everyone could see she was unwilling and resentful.

The Empress cast her a sidelong glance. “If His Majesty hadn’t summoned her for bedchamber duty, I would’ve nearly forgotten today is her moving-in celebration. No matter what, I should send a congratulatory gift.”

That was reasonable, but Bai Zhi still tried to persuade her,

“Your Highness could choose any other gift—why must it be this one?”

The Empress found her a bit annoying. “It’s just a piece of jade coral. In the treasury, it would only gather dust. A fine object deserves a worthy person—it won’t be wasted.”

Knowing the Empress had made up her mind, Bai Zhi, no matter how unwilling, could only keep her opinions to herself. She went to the storeroom to retrieve the jade coral, registered it, and then deliberately brought it to show the Empress.

“Your Majesty, look at this color—does it really suit her?”

The blood-red jade coral was lifelike and vivid. Red was the principal color, commonly used for main wives in this dynasty. Bai Zhi tried every possible angle to get the Empress to retract her order.

The Empress glanced at it, without the slightest ripple in her expression.

“Not long ago, the jade hairpin His Majesty gave to Su Jieyu was inlaid with a ruby. The peonies in Consort De’s palace are also crimson. If you say those aren’t suitable for them either, and I start fussing over each one—where would it end?”

Bai Zhi still wanted to say something, but the Empress interrupted her, “Bai Zhi, it’s just an inanimate object. It’s because you overthink that you assign it another meaning.”

To the Empress, this jade coral was no different from any other ornament.

She withdrew her gaze and said calmly,

“Don’t invite unnecessary trouble.”

Bai Zhi instantly fell silent.

It wasn’t that she didn’t know the Empress didn’t care, but she cared on her behalf. She always felt that the most precious and finest things in the world ought to belong to Her Highness.

Feeling gloomy, she placed the jade coral into a brocade box and personally delivered it to the Panju Hall.

Once there was movement from Kunning Palace, the rest of the harem followed suit. While Yun Si at the Panju Hall  was still waiting for her very first proper night of bedchamber duty, waves of palace staff arrived instead. By the time she had sent everyone off, the sky was already growing dark.

Before Qiu Yuan could finish cataloging the gifts, Song Fu had people bring in buckets of hot water. He poked his head in and asked,

“Mistress, would you like to bathe now?”

Yun Si had been busy and tired all day, with no time to rest. Weariness showed in her brows and eyes. She glanced at the time and nodded drowsily. “Carry it to the cleansing room.”

As she spoke, she fiddled with the jade coral that the Empress had sent.

Qiu Yuan found it familiar. After staring at it for a long time, realization finally dawned on her, and she blurted out in astonishment, “This is…”

Yun Si looked at her, confused. She didn’t recognize this jade coral. What had caught her attention was simply the overly rich color—it surprised her a bit. If someone else had sent it, that would be one thing. But since it came from the Empress, it was hard to figure out her intention.

Could it be that the Empress didn’t care about these subtle distinctions of status at all?

Qiu Yuan whispered, “I remember—this was a gift His Majesty gave to the Empress the year she accepted the Phoenix Seal.”

At that time, she had just entered the palace, still a lowly servant doing menial tasks. From a distance, she saw palace attendants carrying silver trays in a long procession, delivering rewards to Kunning Palace. The line stretched far and wide, with no end in sight. She had knelt there for a long time. Before then, she had never seen so many precious items, so the memory stayed with her vividly.

Yun Si looked up in astonishment.

Her fingertips were just about to touch the jade coral when she instinctively pulled them back. She stared at the jade coral for a long time, now almost afraid to touch it.

Song Fu, unaware of the conversation between the two, entered quickly.

“Mistress, the hot water is ready.”

Yun Si nodded, her gaze reluctantly pulling away from the jade coral. Though puzzled, she told herself that if Her Majesty the Empress said it was a congratulatory gift, it was no different from an imperial reward—there was no reason for her to refuse it.

Before entering the cleansing room, Yun Si furrowed her delicate brows and instructed,

“Place it in the inner hall.”

She pointed to the dressing table. “Just put it there.”

Seeing Qiu Yuan’s somewhat confused expression, Yun Si gave no explanation. She couldn’t understand the Empress’s intentions, so she could only leave the matter to someone who could.

Placed in such an obvious spot, Tan Yuanchu would notice it the moment he entered. As for what she should do with the jade coral—she’d wait to see how Tan Yuanchu reacted.

Yun Si entered the cleansing room. The palace maids, knowing their place, brought a basin of dried flower petals. Petals floated on the surface of the bathwater. Her robes slipped from her fragrant shoulders and fell to the floor.

The beauty entered the bath, and the sound of rippling water echoed in the hall. A few droplets splashed onto the floor, perfectly covering the sound of approaching footsteps outside.

Just as the outer room dimmed slightly, Tan Yuanchu arrived at the Panju Hall. Lanterns hung high, seeming to compete with the moonlight in brilliance.

He didn’t let anyone announce him and walked straight into the inner hall with Xu Shunfu. Unexpectedly, the room was empty. He raised his brows in surprise, but before he could ask, he heard the sound of water behind the screen.

Very faint sounds—but in the quiet hall, they rang clearly. Accompanied by a woman’s soft murmurs, a trace of languid sensuality rippled through the air.

Xu Shunfu was also in the hall, and he quickly realized what Yun Jieyu was doing. He immediately lowered his head. He had originally thought the Emperor would wait outside for Yun Jieyu to finish, but unexpectedly, the Emperor paused for only a moment before heading straight behind the screen.

Xu Shunfu clicked his tongue inwardly. He gave a look and led the palace attendants out at once.

Outside the hall, Song Fu was on duty. When he saw Xu Shunfu come out, he scratched his head awkwardly and said in a roundabout way, “Eunuch, I just had someone deliver the evening meal.”

Xu Shunfu glanced at the time, cleared his throat, and said,

“Eating a bit later won’t hurt. His Majesty certainly won’t let Yun Jieyu go hungry.”

As soon as he said this, silence fell outside the hall. A few of the more worldly palace maids couldn’t help but lower their heads, their ears flushing red with embarrassment.

Seeing this, Xu Shunfu suddenly realized what he had said. Noticing the look of shock on Song Fu’s face, he quickly spat and scolded,

“What are you all thinking! I was talking about dinner! His Majesty won’t let Yun Jieyu stay hungry for too long.”

After all, he had seen it himself—His Majesty never treated Yun Jieyu unfairly in such matters.

Song Fu gave an embarrassed laugh. “Yes, yes, we understand.”

Unaware of the comical scene outside, Yun Si leaned back in the bath. She lifted her hand and flicked the water. Droplets slid down her arm and fell into the bath.

The cleansing room was filled with warm steam; beads of water clung to her cheeks, the tip of her nose, and her collarbones. Amid the swirling mist, a faint fragrance permeated the air. She tilted her head slightly, apricot eyes gently closed.

Someone poured a ladle of water over her. The warm stream flowed down her shoulder.

Then, Yun Si heard soft footsteps. She assumed it was a maid adding hot water and didn’t pay it any mind—not even bothering to open her eyes.

After all, Qiu Yuan was still in the room. If something were wrong, Qiu Yuan would surely call her.

But she forgot—there was one situation in which Qiu Yuan couldn’t possibly alert her.

For instance, under a silent command from a certain someone.

Someone placed a hand on her shoulder and pressed it gently. Yun Si lightly furrowed her brows and suddenly opened her apricot eyes. As their gazes met, the man looking down at her raised an eyebrow in surprise and asked, as if nothing were amiss.

“So you noticed that quickly—was it because I didn’t serve you well?”

Yun Si had sensed something was off, but she hadn’t expected that, upon opening her eyes, she would see Tan Yuanchu. Her apricot eyes widened, and for a moment, she was too stunned to speak, choked by his unexpected presence.

After a pause, she tugged lightly at the corner of her lips and answered under his curious gaze.

“A palace servant with such clumsy hands would never have been let out from Central Province Hall.”

Tan Yuanchu clicked his tongue lightly. He had nearly forgotten—she, too, had come from Central Province Hall and knew palace attendants far better than he did.

Not easy to fool.

He lowered his eyes. The bathwater was mostly covered with flower petals, hiding most of her body, but a glimpse of spring scenery still slipped through. Her legs were especially beautiful—slender, straight, fair, and delicate.

At the moment, she had curled them close against the tub, as if slightly uncomfortable. Startled, she had quickly sat up, pale fingertips clutching the edge of the bath, glaring at him in embarrassed anger.

“Does Your Majesty know what you look like right now?”

Tan Yuanchu hooked a lock of her damp hair and slowly raised an eyebrow, signaling for her to go on.

Yun Si said bluntly, “Exactly like a lecher!”

Tan Yuanchu couldn’t help but laugh.
Who else dared point at him and call him a lecher?

He flicked her forehead and asked,

“If just one look makes me a lecher, then what am I when we share the same bed tonight?”

Yun Si was rendered speechless by his retort. That was clearly a different matter altogether—but she couldn’t find the words to argue back. After a long pause, she forced out a line in shame and frustration.

“You truly have no shame!”

Tan Yuanchu nodded and accepted the remark without the slightest hesitation. “Mm, you’re right.”

Being agreed with didn’t bring Yun Si any joy at all. She tugged lightly at the corner of her lips—how could someone be this shameless?

Yun Si couldn’t help but recall the screen inside the hall. She glanced around to make sure no one else was present, then lowered her voice, “Didn’t Your Majesty promise to put that screen away? Why is it now placed in my hall?”

Tan Yuanchu played with a lock of her hair. All the palace attendants had already been dismissed from the bath chamber by him, and the task of bathing the lady naturally fell to him. In truth, this wasn’t the first time—and someone was clearly enjoying himself.

He rubbed a bit of soap between his fingers, worked it into her dark hair, and while washing it, he even managed to answer her question with a straight face.

“That screen was tribute from Jiangnan—saying it’s priceless is no exaggeration. The embroidery is exquisitely done. You don’t like it?”

Yun Si took a deep breath. “You know perfectly well what I mean!”

Priceless, indeed!
When had he ever cared about such things?

Tan Yuanchu lifted his eyes and let out a faint, low laugh. “You really don’t like it? But I quite like it.”

His words were filled with implication—Yun Si naturally understood. She glared at him in anger, lifting her apricot eyes, but as their gazes met, she suddenly froze.

It was only now that she noticed the darkness deep in his eyes. A delayed awareness struck her—they were in the bath chamber.

And she was naked.

A flush instantly bloomed across Yun Si’s cheeks. She instinctively curled her slender, fair legs closer and gently rubbed them together. Biting her lip, she said, “Please leave!”

Tan Yuanchu didn’t respond—and for no apparent reason, he suddenly said, “There’s no one else in the hall.”

As his words fell, it was like a sudden spark igniting dry kindling. The bath chamber began to silently heat up. Yun Si could no longer tell whether the burning in her cheeks came from the steam in the room—or something else entirely.

She only remembered that when her eyes met Tan Yuanchu’s, she instinctively swallowed.

In this matter, she was never a match for Tan Yuanchu.

He cherished her—especially loved cherishing her in this way. Her whole body would go soft without warning, melting into a puddle in his arms. She curled up against him, sobbing softly.

Yun Si didn’t like that in such moments she was always the only one who laid herself bare. But today, her fingers landed on Tan Yuanchu’s belt—yet for a long time, she didn’t move.

Water had already soaked through his robes. At times like that, she couldn’t help but kiss him. Before long, his clothes were hanging messily off his body, revealing glimpses of cold, pale skin.

But he was truly hateful.

He deliberately took his time, moving slow and unhurried. Yet when it reached the peak, he suddenly turned reserved again. In that moment, he called her especially tenderly, “Ah-Si, don’t rush.”

Who was rushing, really?

Pulling something like this at the last moment—she always felt like sooner or later, he would torment her to death.

The water hadn’t even dried before her body was once again flushed with heat and covered in fragrant sweat. After a long while, he carried her out of the bath chamber. As they passed the screen, he let out a low laugh.

“The wrinkles have already been repaired by the Wardrobe Bureau. Ah-Si, don’t scratch it again this time—or we really won’t be able to hide it.”

Yun Si’s whole body tensed instantly. In her dazed thoughts, she still realized—he had absolutely done it on purpose!

—

The moon climbed above the treetops, and the night grew so dense it could not be dissolved.

Suddenly, a clattering sound came from within a certain hall. Yun Si tried to stand, but her legs went weak and she collapsed. Her lips trembled slightly, her voice laced with a hint of gritted teeth.

“Your Majesty, you don’t cherish this concubine at all!”

Tan Yuanchu reacted swiftly, catching her before she could fall. At her words, he showed no guilt whatsoever. His fingers tapped lightly at her waist, a trace of laughter in his voice.

“Then how else do you want me to cherish you?”

He lowered his head and kissed the tip of her nose, smiling as he claimed he was being wronged.

Yun Si wanted to push him away but had no strength. She was utterly flustered—he clearly knew that wasn’t what she meant at all!

She pouted slightly, lifting her tear-reddened apricot eyes to look at him, accusing, “You came and did this right away, didn’t even let this concubine eat, and yet you say you cherish me.”

Tan Yuanchu lowered his gaze to look at her and said lightly, “I came to have dinner with you.”

The implication being that he hadn’t eaten either—he had hurried over early just to see her.

If Xu Shunfu had been present, he could’ve vouched that there wasn’t a single lie in Tan Yuanchu’s words.

All day today, Tan Yuanchu had seemed a bit distracted—he hid it well, but it was truly there. Yun Si had served at the emperor’s side for a year, always staying in a place where he could see her with just a glance.

But today, in the imperial study, Tan Yuanchu had looked up several times, only to see Xu Shunfu and then calmly withdraw his gaze as if nothing had happened.

Xu Shunfu knew perfectly well who the emperor was hoping to see—but he could only pretend he knew nothing, eyes on nose, nose on heart.

Even so, Xu Shunfu still found it a headache. Deep down, he missed the days when Yun Si was in the Yangxin Hall.

Today, the emperor had picked on him quite a bit—for example, pushing aside a cup of tea with a light comment, “Too hot.”

Then when it was brought again, he complained it was too cold.

After repeating this two or three times, he finally drank it.

Xu Shunfu knew the emperor wasn’t trying to make things difficult—he simply disliked who had brought the tea. No matter how it tasted afterward, it just didn’t feel right.

But Yun Si knew none of this. She only thought Tan Yuanchu also hadn’t eaten, and that made her feel a little more at ease. Suddenly, she raised her head and kissed his chin, speaking softly,

“This concubine also thought Your Majesty would come dine with me, so I kept waiting for you.”

Tan Yuanchu thought she truly had some skill—making someone know full well it was just a sweet lie, yet still unable to stop the smile tugging at his lips.

Tonight’s dinner at the Panju Hall was had quite late.

The hall had its own small kitchen, which was indeed much more convenient. The food had been kept warm in the pot all along, for fear it might get cold, and there was no need to go back and forth to the imperial kitchen.

The dishes were laid out one by one on the round huanghuali wood table. Perhaps because she had just been granted a new rank today, the food delivered by the imperial kitchen was especially lavish. Plus, since she was serving in bed tonight, the meal ended up being an exquisite spread across the whole table.

Tan Yuanchu finally noticed the jade coral placed on the dressing table. He did not avoid the topic and asked directly, “Why is this thing here?”

Yun Si lowered her head, her tone sounding a bit sour. “Your Majesty remembers this piece of jade coral?”

Tan Yuanchu tapped her forehead, signaling for her to stop pretending.

“This kind of thing only exists in the Kunning Palace.”

What he said was true. In the palace, concubines might have some red in their palaces—perhaps in their clothing or jewelry—but an object that was entirely red like this one existed only in the Kunning Palace.

Tan Yuanchu would never make such a mistake.

A flash of understanding passed through Yun Si’s apricot eyes. She glanced subtly at Tan Yuanchu’s expression. Seeing that he was only a bit surprised and didn’t even take a second look, she withdrew her gaze and asked for his opinionm

“Then since Her Highness gave this jade coral to me, what should I do with it?”

Tan Yuanchu replied indifferently,

“It’s just an inanimate object. Since she doesn’t mind, if you like it, leave it in your hall.”

In this, Tan Yuanchu shared the same attitude as the Empress—it was merely a lifeless thing and didn’t represent anything; any so-called meaning was merely what others attached to it.

But…

Tan Yuanchu casually glanced at the jade coral again. The coral itself may have been lifeless, but the Empress’s intention behind gifting it was what truly mattered.

The Empress was expressing goodwill to the woman in his arms.

Tan Yuan Chu had always known that the Empress didn’t hold strong opinions about the concubines in the harem, but it was rare for her to actively show goodwill like this—up to now, there had only ever been one: Su Jieyu.

At the thought of Su Jieyu, Tan Yuanchu couldn’t help but lightly touch the abdomen of the woman in his arms.
She looked at him in confusion.

“What is it?”

Tan Yuanchu naturally brought up the topic,
“If you were to conceive an imperial heir, would you prefer a prince or a little princess?”

He asked casually, but no one could deny—it was the kind of question that could become dangerous if answered carelessly.

Yun Si was visibly stunned. After a moment, she complained, “Is Your Majesty unhappy with me for some reason?”

Otherwise, why would he always ask her these kinds of perilous questions?

Before Tan Yuanchu could respond, Yun Si continued.
“If Your Majesty wants to ask such things, you should be asking Su Jieyu. The one currently pregnant in the palace isn’t me.”

She dodged the question, prompting Tan Yuanchu to raise an eyebrow slightly.

“If you don’t want to answer, then don’t.”

Yun Si glanced at him, puzzled in her heart. Normally, weren’t these the kinds of questions a pregnant concubine would subtly ask the Emperor to test his feelings?

Why was he the one doing the asking now?

Regardless of what Tan Yuanchu was thinking, Yun Si didn’t want to talk about this topic at all.

When it came to imperial heirs, nothing was trivial. Whether a princess or a prince, either would be an heir to the throne, and choosing one over the other could easily be seen as taboo—better to say nothing at all.

Besides, was this kind of thing even something one could choose?