Little Palace Maid Desires a Higher Seat of Honor - Chapter 66

Chapter 66: Morning Greeting

The next day, when Yun Si woke up, Tan Yuanchu was already gone from the Panju Hall. She lay half-asleep on the soft pillow as Qiu Yuan drew back the bed curtains and glanced at her instinctively.

Yun Si, being looked at like that, was slightly puzzled.

“What is it?”

Qiu Yuan shook her head: “This servant thought you’d be upset not seeing His Majesty.”

After all, back at the Yangxin Hall, her mistress had seen the Emperor every day. Qiu Yuan had thought she might feel a sense of loss now.

Yun Si was momentarily dazed before realizing what Qiu Yuan meant. She replied indifferently, “There’s court this morning.”

Even if Tan Yuanchu wanted to stay and wait for her to wake up, he couldn’t.

Yun Si glanced at the hourglass in the hall and, seeing it was nearly the hour of chen, sat up. Today, the palace attire Qiu Yuan prepared for her was less formal than yesterday’s, a cloud-white gauze dress.

Two loose strands of black hair draped over her shoulders, hiding the marks on her neck but still adding a touch of allure. In the bronze mirror, the woman’s skin was like congealed cream, fairer than frost or snow. Her almond-shaped eyes were beautiful and bright; when she looked up, she was captivating.

Only one thing was off, the woman didn’t seem to have slept well, as before long, she yawned sleepily again.

While Qiu Yuan attended her during breakfast, she suddenly said, “This servant went through the list of congratulatory gifts from yesterday, Changchun Palace wasn’t on it.”

There had been friction between Yun Si and Rong Zhaoyi, this wasn’t a secret in the harem. Qiu Yuan only knew a little of the background, but it was clearly not just about Rong Zhaoyi’s surface-level hostility.

Yun Si didn’t care whether Changchun Palace sent a gift or not, but she understood what Qiu Yuan meant: the entire palace had sent gifts, only that one hadn’t.
It stood out too much.

Yun Si ate two pieces of cake to sweeten her tasteless mouth and said calmly,

“The little princess’s low fever hasn’t subsided. It’s natural she wouldn’t have the mind for palace trifles.”

Using that as an excuse to not send her a congratulatory gift was, in a way, a subtle expression of disfavor.

Just before the hour of chen, Yun Si left the Panju Hall. Songfu had already prepared the ceremonial escort early on. She arrived at the Kunning Palace neither early nor late. Inside, only Consort De and a few scattered concubines were present, all gathered around her chatting. The moment Yun Si entered, the hall fell silent for a brief moment, then all turned to look at her.

Yun Si bowed respectfully to Consort De. “Greetings to Your Ladyship.”

Consort De, in her usual good temper, allowed her to rise. Seeing that she had arrived so early, she covered her lips and smiled,

“You served in bed last night, how are you here so early?”

Having once served under Lu Cairen, Yun Si was well aware of the subtleties involved in these morning greetings. She knew exactly how to answer Consort De’s question. With lowered eyes and a soft voice, she said,

“Your concubine is newly arrived and had Your Ladyship in mind, so I slept uneasily.”

Bai Zhi was just instructing the palace maids to pour tea and serve water. Upon hearing Yun Si’s words, she looked over in surprise, clearly pleased with the response. Her resentment about having to send the jade coral to Panju Hall yesterday diminished quite a bit.

No matter what Yun Si truly thought, at least she was willing to show respect to Her Ladyship on the surface.

Consort De nodded, her smile unchanged as she looked at Yun Si. Unless one looked closely, it would be hard to notice the faint indifference in her gaze.

She glanced at Yun Si as if nothing had happened.

Yesterday, she had invited Yun Si in front of Kunning Palace to occasionally visit Yihe Palace, but Yun Si had only given a perfunctory response. And now, here she was putting on such respectful airs toward the Empress in front of her. Even though Consort De knew it wasn’t out of line, she couldn’t help but feel Yun Si was lacking in tact.

She didn’t believe Yun Si had failed to understand the real meaning behind yesterday’s invitation.

Yun Si returned to her seat. Consort De took a sip of tea without saying anything more to her. Yun Si took it well.
To be honest, if she and Qiu Yuan’s suspicions about the Empress and Consort De were true, then there was absolutely no way things were peaceful between them.

She had no desire to get involved in this matter at all. If a choice had to be made, Yun Si thought she would rather choose to stand on the Empress’s side.

It was a very simple choice.

Consort De had an imperial heir under her name, which secured her status in the palace, but for Yun Si, that wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

The thought flashed by, and Yun Si quickly pulled herself back from her wandering thoughts. The concubines in the hall gradually arrived as well. Today, Rong Zhaoyi still didn’t come to pay respects. Yun Si merely glanced at the empty seat and then bowed together with the others to give greetings.

Yun Si could tell that the Empress looked in good spirits today, with a smile on her face that was noticeably brighter than usual. Someone picked up on it and curiously asked,

“Is something making Your Highness especially happy today?”

The Empress didn’t deny it. She gently nodded toward the questioning concubine and then smiled as she replied, “It can indeed be considered a happy matter. This year has been hot, and His Majesty intends to go to the summer palace to escape the heat. He has just asked this palace to draft a list of concubines to accompany him.”

As soon as the words fell, the eyes of all the concubines in the hall lit up at once.

Inside these palace walls, divided by so many barriers, concubines without favor could go nearly a whole year without seeing the emperor’s face. But once at the summer palace, things were different—fewer restrictions, and the trip itself was meant for leisure and escape from the heat, so the chance of running into His Majesty increased significantly.

Yun Si was a bit surprised too. She had just seen Tan Yuanchu yesterday, yet he hadn’t mentioned this matter at all.

Before Yun Si could think further, she heard a concubine say, “This concubine recently made many sachets in the palace. I picked the best one and meant to present it to Your Highness yesterday, but something came up to delay me. I wonder if Your Majesty will like it.”

Something delayed her?

What happened yesterday?
The only notable event was Yun Si being granted her title.

Upon hearing this, Yun Si turned to look at the concubine who had spoken. She wasn’t unfamiliar—this was the very same An Cairen who had suddenly appeared the day Yun Si and Rong Zhaoyi had confronted each other. An Cairen wore a soft, gentle smile and gave her maid a look.
Soon, the maid presented a sachet.

The sachet was finely crafted and truly couldn’t be considered perfunctory.

Yet none of the other concubines in the hall could find words of praise. Odd glances kept darting toward An Cairen. The Empress had just mentioned drafting the list of concubines to accompany the Emperor to the summer palace, and An Cairen immediately stepped forward to curry favor, how shameless.

It had all happened so suddenly that it caught everyone off guard. No one had expected An Cairen to be so well-prepared!

The hall fell silent for a moment. The sachet was brought to the Empress, who raised her eyebrows slightly. She gave it only the briefest glance before offering praise.

“An Cairen has always been skillful with her hands.”

Yun Si watched carefully. She suspected the Empress hadn’t even clearly seen what pattern was embroidered on the sachet. Realizing this, Yun Si lifted her teacup and took a sip, inwardly admiring the Empress’s ability to maintain appearances.

Today was certainly eye-opening. All the concubines in the hall had been riled up by An Cairen’s move. In no time, they each began showing off their own skills like immortals crossing the sea, trying to one-up each other. They flattered the Empress so thoroughly that she barely stopped smiling the entire time.

Yun Si glanced at Consort De. The consort sat calmly, but when Yun Si looked at the teacup near her hand, she noticed that it was already empty.

The tea had long since been drunk, yet she hadn’t asked for a refill.

The greetings session lasted nearly half an hour before the Empress finally brought it to a close. She shook her head slightly and said,

“The list of those going to the summer palace will be finalized tomorrow. Once I’ve reviewed it with His Majesty, someone will notify you. It’s getting late—go back and rest.”

Yun Si blinked her almond-shaped eyes. The list wouldn’t come out until tomorrow?

She didn’t believe the timing was something the Empress mentioned casually. Yun Si glanced at the only empty seat in the hall, then subtly shifted her gaze away.

After the greeting ceremony ended, Yun Si didn’t rush back to her palace. Song Fu and the others led the ceremonial procession away, while Yun Si and Qiu Yuan strolled back at a leisurely pace. At some point, someone else had joined her side.

Yun Si turned her head to look at her.

“Qiu Baolin, aren’t you in a hurry to return to your palace?”

The one who had joined Yun Si was none other than Qiu Baolin. Yun Si and she were considered old acquaintances, back when they were both at Heyi Hall, they used to see each other frequently.

Qiu Baolin lowered her eyes respectfully and said softly, “It’s been a while since I’ve seen Mistress Yun Jieyu. I just wanted to have a chat with you. I hope you don’t find me bothersome.”

Her posture was especially proper. Though it looked like she was walking alongside Yun Si, she always remained a little behind. She had seen firsthand how Yun Si used to serve Lu Cairen, yet now she acted completely unfazed. Unlike other concubines who might feel awkward about it, her attitude toward Yun Si was no different from how she treated other high-ranking consorts.

Yun Si had always known that Qiu Baolin was someone who saw things clearly, so she wasn’t at all surprised by her attitude now. She chuckled softly:

“There aren’t many people in the palace as quiet as you, Baolin. Why would I find you annoying?”

Both women were speaking in veiled language. Yun Si understood Qiu Baolin’s attempt at goodwill and responded with acceptance. Her so-called “quiet” didn’t mean Qiu Baolin was invisible in the palace.

Rather, it referred to how, back in Heyi Hall, when Yun Si had been serving, Qiu Baolin had clearly noticed something was wrong, but chose not to speak out or warn Lu Cairen.

When they reached the Imperial Garden, the two of them encountered Liu Yunu. She looked surprised to see the two walking together. Biting her lip, she glanced at Qiu Baolin several times, but Qiu Baolin gave her no response. Left with no choice, Liu Yunu turned away in disappointment.

Yun Si took in the whole scene and raised an eyebrow.

Back then, Qiu Baolin and Liu Yunu had a good relationship, otherwise, they wouldn’t have worked together to make scented balm. But after Lu Cairen’s miscarriage, things between the two of them didn’t seem the same as before?

Yun Si glanced at Qiu Baolin with a questioning look. Qiu Baolin didn’t hide anything and said calmly, “I’m not the same kind of person as her. There’s no need for us to walk the same path.”

Yun Si understood. Saying “not the same kind of person” was just another way of admitting that Qiu Baolin had realized she was used by Liu Yunu in the incident with Lu Cairen.

Yun Si gave Liu Yunu another glance. She had previously served in the Yangxin Hall, so she wasn’t well informed about palace matters. That meant now, she actually needed someone like Qiu Baolin.

Qiu Baolin was clever and quickly said,

“After Lu Pin passed away, Liu Yunu frequently visited Yihe Palace for a while.”

In her heart, Yun Si always referred to Lu Shi as Lu Cairen, but since she was buried with the rank of Pin, the palace now generally referred to her as Lu Pin. Yun Si didn’t find it strange, and a thoughtful look flickered in her eyes.

If what Qiu Baolin said was true, then Liu Yunu must have long since aligned herself with Consort De. After Lu Cairen died, and no one cared about the matter of her miscarriage anymore, only then did Liu Yunu dare to associate with Yihe Palace.

At that point, Yun Si finally understood what Qiu Baolin was trying to do.

She had wondered why someone as low-profile as Qiu Baolin would suddenly reach out to her.

Qiu Baolin had been doing well in her role as a Cairen, but after being used by Liu Yunu, her status in the palace dropped sharply. Naturally, she harbored resentment.

Liu Yunu alone wasn’t worth much, but behind her stood Consort De.

In that case, if Qiu Baolin wanted revenge, she also had to choose a patron. That patron didn’t need to be particularly powerful, but at the very least, had to make Consort De feel that going against her for the sake of Liu Yunu wasn’t worth it.

—

In the afternoon, Yun Si heard that Tan Yuanchu had gone to Changchun Palace, accompanied by Imperial Physician Chang.

Yun Si was surprised. “The little princess’s illness still hasn’t gotten better?”

There was doubt in her eyes. They all knew very well how the little princess got sick, Rong Zhaoyi was only using it as a means to gain favor. How could she be so cruel to the little princess?

Yun Si originally thought the little princess would only be unwell for a day or two at most.

But when she heard that Tan Yuanchu had personally brought the imperial physician to Changchun Palace, Yun Si knew she had guessed wrong.

She furrowed her brows, finding it hard to understand. “Is she crazy?”

In her vague memories, her own mother had been an especially gentle woman. Even when bedridden, she had wanted to give her the best things in the world. After her mother died, her father cherished her like a precious jewel. He refused to remarry, and to give her a better life, he often went deep into the mountains, ultimately losing his life.

So, she couldn’t understand how Rong Zhaoyi could bear to let the little princess suffer like this, just for a moment of favor.

And yet, Rong Zhaoyi had always shown extreme affection for the little princess. Her behavior didn’t seem fake at all.

Qiu Yuan said, “I heard it was just a slight fever at first, but the little princess seems to have been frightened. Her condition has gone up and down, growing more and more serious.”

Yun Si understood the meaning of the word “frightened.”

A mother who had always doted on her suddenly becoming a stranger, forcing her to suffer against her will, of course a little princess, who had been raised delicately, would be terrified.

Yun Si hadn’t slept well the entire previous night. She had originally planned to take a nap, but Songfu soon came to inform her that the Empress had also gone to Changchun Palace.

Yun Si had to change her mind and followed Song Fu’s suggestion.

“Prepare the procession. We’ll go to Changchun Palace too.”

Chu’an Palace was not close to Changchun Palace. The procession took more than a quarter of an hour, and by the time Yun Si arrived, quite a few people had already gathered at Changchun Palace. Among them, Yun Si also spotted Consort De’s entourage.

Inside the hall, a dense crowd of people was standing. Yun Si followed the direction of the crowd’s gaze, not the main hall, but rather the side hall where the little princess usually stayed. Yun Si vaguely heard some crying from the little princess. She exchanged a glance with Qiu Yuan, and the two of them entered the hall, finally getting a clear view of the situation inside.

Rong Zhaoyi’s face looked slightly haggard. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and the once finely dressed beauty hadn’t even bothered to fix her hair or appearance. She collapsed beside the bed, staring unblinkingly at the little princess and Imperial Physician Chang, who was taking her pulse.

Imperial Physician Chang’s brows were tightly furrowed.

The little princess sobbed in a choked and broken voice, her small face flushed red from crying. She must have cried too much over the past two days, her voice was already a bit hoarse. Like a sick little kitten, her body trembled with each sob.

Yun Si rarely saw Tan Yuanchu’s face look so cold.

As soon as Imperial Physician Chang let go of the pulse, Rong Zhaoyi moved to pick up the little princess. The little princess paused in her crying, looking at Rong Zhaoyi with teary eyes, wanting to draw near but afraid at the same time. The sight made everyone present feel a wrenching pain in their hearts.

Yun Si couldn’t help but frown faintly.

She had to admit something, she didn’t particularly like the little princess. But that didn’t mean she could remain indifferent seeing such a scene.

In these times, people valued grandchildren over children, but now, Tan Yuanchu bent down and directly picked up the little princess. The little princess recognized him, clutching tightly to his robe. Her tears spilled out uncontrollably as she softly cried out,

“Father Emperor… hurts…”

Her whole body hurt, her head hurt too. She raised her chubby little hand to Tan Yuanchu, her voice soft and hoarse, “Hurts.”

In the past two days, when the physicians came to check her pulse, they had given her acupuncture. She couldn’t explain exactly where it hurt, but she remembered the incident clearly. She also remembered it was because of her mother that she ended up being pricked with needles.

The little princess was full of grievance, pouting and crying in hiccupping sobs, making everyone’s heart ache to watch.

Tan Yuanchu gently patted the little princess on the back, coaxing her in a low voice,

“Father Emperor is here. Where else does An’er hurt? Tell Father.”

The little princess nestled obediently in his arms. After Tan Yuanchu coaxed her a few more times in a low voice, she finally stopped crying. Seeing this, Rong Zhaoyi couldn’t help but step forward.

Tan Yuanchu clearly felt the little princess shrink back in his arms. His expression turned cold immediately.

“Can’t you see she’s afraid of you?”

He had never spoken so coldly to Rong Zhaoyi before, so much so that she froze on the spot, stunned. Everyone else in the hall was equally shocked, and the room fell into a sudden silence.

Tan Yuanchu seemed unaware that anything was amiss. After successfully coaxing the little princess into taking her medicine, the effects of the medicine began to set in, and she finally fell peacefully asleep.

Throughout the entire time, Rong Zhaoyi remained standing where she was.

Just as Tan Yuanchu was about to turn and leave, she suddenly grabbed the sleeve of his robe. Her eyes reddened all at once, tears rolling down her cheeks as she bit her lip and softly called out,

“Your Majesty!”