Little Palace Maid Desires a Higher Seat of Honor - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Conflict

The palace was dimly lit, and with Tan Yuanchu blocking some people’s view, not many saw his actions. However, Xu Shunfu stood directly opposite them, seeing everything clearly.

Xu Shunfu’s eyes widened in surprise.

The woman’s skin was fair and delicate, even in the brief touch. Tan Yuanchu withdrew his hand, and his fingers moved subtly under his sleeve.

Yun Si was in a daze, uncontrollably looking up at the Emperor. But the Emperor didn’t look at her, as if the previous action was just her imagination. Yun Si’s mind was in chaos, but her movements didn’t falter.

When Lu Cairen turned around, Yun Si put down her hands, lowered her eyes respectfully, and stepped aside. Even Xu Shunfu had to admire her composure at that moment.

Yun Si had no idea what Xu Shunfu was thinking; otherwise, she might have smiled wryly.

How could she be calm?

Even now, she felt like she was on edge.

Yun Si quickly glanced at Lu Cairen, confirming that she hadn’t noticed anything unusual. She breathed a sigh of relief, almost imperceptibly, and then composed herself to observe Lu Cairen carefully.

Compared to usual, Lu Cairen looked a bit lethargic, not because she was in a bad mood but because she seemed unwell. She took the belt from Yun Si’s hands and personally adjusted it for Tan Yuanchu. After reluctantly sending the Emperor off, she collapsed onto the bed.

Yun Si was taken aback, “What’s wrong, Mistress?”

Lu Cairen’s face was pale, and she pressed one hand against her waist, her lips pursed in a way that hinted at tears, “It hurts.”

Yun Si was shocked and quickly helped Lu Cairen undress. Lu Cairen wore a green belly band with a mandarin duck pattern, which made her skin look even fairer. However, there was a bruise on her waist, which looked quite alarming.

Yun Si frowned, gently touching the area with concern, “Does it hurt a lot, mistress?”
Lu Cairen looked like a wilted eggplant, her eyes soft and pitiful, making one feel particularly sorry for her.

Lu Cairen thought about the scene from the previous day and still felt a lingering fear. Everyone said that serving the Emperor was a good thing, and Lu Cairen had thought so too. Before entering the palace, her mother had told her that the beauty of it was something she would have to experience for herself, but she should always prioritize the Emperor’s needs.

Lu Cairen didn’t dare forget her mother’s teachings, but she hadn’t expected the Emperor to be so rough during intimacy. One night of serving the Emperor had almost taken half her life. Even after calling for water for half an hour, Lu Cairen still felt the pain and hadn’t experienced any pleasure. After it was over, the Emperor used a silk cloth to wipe himself clean, and she had to get up immediately to serve him with his ablutions.

She couldn’t even show any discomfort.

Lu Cairen pouted pitifully, feeling wronged. It really hurt, and she had thought the Emperor wasn’t very enthusiastic about it, just going through the motions. But she hurt so much that she didn’t even try to entice him and instead felt relieved when it was over.

Yun Si saw Lu Cairen’s tears falling and didn’t dare ask any more questions. Song Rong came over and saw the bruise on Lu Cairen’s body, exclaiming in shock, “How could the Emperor be so heartless!”

Yun Si frowned, thinking that Song Rong was too reckless with her words. The Emperor wasn’t someone she could criticize. In the palace, there were no secrets, and if this got back to the Emperor, the entire Heyi Hall would suffer.

Before Yun Si could say anything, Lu Cairen’s face changed color, “Shut up!”

Song Rong had always been subtly competing with Yun Si, and being scolded by Lu Cairen in front of her made her face red with embarrassment. After a while, she regained her composure and said with her head bowed, “I spoke without thinking, mistress. Please forgive me.”

Lu Cairen knew the importance of discretion and was afraid that Song Rong would cause trouble. She couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed, “Think before you speak next time. You should learn some discipline from Yun Si.”

Lu Cairen, despite her favoritism, had to admit that Yun Si was far more disciplined than Song Rong. She brought Song Rong into the palace mainly because of their long-standing relationship as mistress and servant, and also because she was used to being served by Song Rong. However, seeing Song Rong’s repeated lapses, Lu Cairen couldn’t help but feel that she was somehow inferior to other palace servants.

Lu Cairen was someone who valued face, and having a servant who couldn’t meet her expectations would make her feel like she was being outdone by others.

Song Rong sensed the subtle disapproval in Lu Cairen’s words and her lowered head turned red with embarrassment. She was too mortified to look up and see Yun Si’s expression.

Yun Si acted as if she hadn’t heard anything. She knew that Lu Cairen’s words contained criticism, but seeing that Lu Cairen didn’t show any anger, she understood that Lu Cairen still valued Song Rong. Yun Si’s eyes flickered slightly as she knelt down to break the somewhat tense atmosphere in the palace, “I’ll get a looser garment for mistress.”

Lu Cairen’s expression softened slightly, and she nodded at Yun Si.

Time passed quickly, and Yun Si went out to tell the palace servants to pick up breakfast from the imperial kitchen. Since the Heyi Hall had served the Emperor the previous day, the imperial kitchen had sent a particularly sumptuous breakfast.

Lu Cairen saw it and couldn’t help but complain, “Those servants never paid much attention to me before!”

Yun Si didn’t respond and quietly served Lu Cairen a bowl of porridge.

On the way to the Kunning palace to pay respects, Lu Cairen unexpectedly ran into Qiu Cairen. Although they lived in the same palace, they rarely saw each other except at the Kunning palace. Lu Cairen was a bit surprised and glanced at the time, “Why are you so late, Qiu Cairen?”

She had been delayed by changing clothes, but Qiu Cairen was usually early to the Kunning palace. It was unusual for her to be setting out at this hour.

Yun Si glanced at Qiu Cairen almost imperceptibly. Qiu Cairen was an old servant from the former palace and wore a deep purple palace dress that made her look serene. Qiu Cairen nodded slightly at Lu Cairen, “I accidentally dirtied my shoes and socks, so I’m a bit late.”

Qiu Cairen smiled slightly, “It’s the first time we’ve gone to pay respects to Her Majesty together since we live in the same palace.”

As soon as Qiu Cairen finished speaking, she saw Yun Si behind Lu Cairen and was suddenly taken aback. It took her a moment to regain her composure, and when she looked at Lu Cairen again, her expression was slightly unnatural.

She was a relatively inconspicuous figure in the palace, aware of her low status and careful not to cause trouble. Although she lived in the same palace as Lu Cairen, they had never really interacted, and this was the first time she had paid much attention to Lu Cairen. Seeing the maidservant beside Lu Cairen, she couldn’t understand what Lu Cairen was thinking.

There were many concubines in the palace, and opportunities to serve the Emperor were rare. Everyone wanted to seize the chance to impress the Emperor and avoid being forgotten. Lu Cairen, however, had a stunning beauty serving her, and when the Emperor visited the Heyi Hall, who would leave a deeper impression?

Qiu Cairen hadn’t noticed before, but now she found it hard to take her eyes off Yun Si. With Yun Si around, Lu Cairen’s presence was overshadowed. However, Qiu Cairen also noticed that Yun Si kept her head lowered, seemingly trying not to draw attention away from her mistress.

But such beauty couldn’t be hidden, no matter how hard one tried. Qiu Cairen was late on purpose today. With her average favor and cautious nature, she still hoped for a better life. Lu Cairen was the second-highest-ranking consort among the new concubines, with an impressive family background.

The harem and the court were closely connected, and as long as Lu Cairen didn’t do anything foolish, she would likely rise in status. Befriending Lu Cairen now, when she was still relatively low in status, might bring benefits in the future.

Qiu Cairen glanced at Lu Cairen’s carefree face and swallowed the words she wanted to say. In the harem, having too many schemes wasn’t good, but having none wasn’t advisable either. It was better to mind one’s own business and not get involved in others’ affairs.

Lu Cairen had no idea what Qiu Cairen was thinking. Since they were going in the same direction, they naturally walked together. Lu Cairen was moving slowly due to her discomfort, but Qiu Cairen didn’t rush her. Instead, she patiently accompanied her, and by the time they reached Kunning palace, they were chatting and laughing together.

When the two concubines entered together, the other concubines raised their eyebrows, wondering how they had become so close.

However, Qiu Cairen wasn’t particularly noticeable, and others didn’t pay much attention to her. Everyone knew that Lu Cairen would eventually serve the Emperor, and they were all mentally prepared. Still, seeing someone else serve the Emperor made them feel a bit sour.

Today, Rong Zhaoyi arrived early, but her mood seemed indifferent. She raised her head, glanced at Lu Cairen with her hand supporting her chin, and then looked away.

As the mistress of her own palace and holding a high position in the harem, it was clear that Rong Zhaoyi wasn’t in a good mood. The atmosphere in the palace became somewhat subdued.

Lu Cairen didn’t understand why, but she knew to follow the crowd.
She blinked and sat down quietly to drink tea.

Yun Si vaguely guessed what might be on Rong Zhaoyi’s mind. Before the new concubines entered the palace, who was the most favored person in the harem? It was naturally Rong Zhaoyi.

However, after the new concubines entered, several of them had served the Emperor, and Rong Zhaoyi hadn’t seen the Emperor once. She was naturally unhappy about it. Yet, unlike Yang Jieyu, Rong Zhaoyi hadn’t vented her frustration on the new concubines.

But it might be a bit premature to say that.

The Emperor had stopped visiting the harem. For three whole days, he hadn’t set foot in the harem. Among the new concubines, only Su Meiren and Lu Cairen had served him, and neither of them had received any rewards. In fact, Su Meiren had been fined a month’s allowance.

No one knew what the
Emperor was thinking, but the concubines couldn’t see him and could only vent their frustrations to the Empress during their court sessions.

The Empress remained calm, acting as if she knew nothing. The atmosphere in the palace became particularly restless. As time passed, Rong Zhaoyi found it increasingly hard to look favorably upon the newly entered concubines.

As the last concubine to serve the Emperor, Lu Cairen suffered greatly. On this day, Lu Cairen didn’t want to return to the palace so early and pulled Yun Si along to feed the fish. Just as they reached the pavilion, they saw Yang Jieyu being carried by her entourage. When they met, Lu Cairen quickly knelt down to pay her respects.

Yang Jieyu coldly snorted in disgust, “I wonder if it’s because of your service to the Emperor that he’s been displeased and hasn’t visited the harem for several days.”

Lu Cairen was taken aback. How could the Emperor’s absence from the harem be blamed on her?
Yang Jieyu was clearly frustrated because she hadn’t seen the Emperor in a while and couldn’t confront Rong Zhaoyi without the Emperor’s backing.
Instead, she took out her frustration on Lu Cairen.

Lu Cairen felt a bit annoyed. She was used to being pampered and hadn’t been spoken to like that before. However, she remembered their difference in status and didn’t say anything disrespectful. She replied with a hint of resentment, “Jieyu is joking.”

Yang Jieyu curled her lip, her eyes showing no sign of the anger she displayed in front of the Emperor. She sneered, “Who’s joking with you?”

Lu Cairen felt a lump in her throat. Seeing that Lu Cairen was about to lose her temper, Yun Si lowered her head and discreetly pulled on her sleeve. Yang Jieyu saw this and smiled, “Even a servant knows better than you about propriety.”

Lu Cairen’s frustration seemed to bring Yang Jieyu some satisfaction. Without further tormenting Lu Cairen, Yang Jieyu instructed her entourage to leave.

After Yang Jieyu left, Lu Cairen lost interest in feeding the fish. She was so angry that her eyes turned red, and before reaching the Heyi Hall, she couldn’t help but shed a few tears.
She cried, “This is too much!”

Yun Si gently patted Lu Cairen’s back and whispered words of comfort, “Mistress, please calm down.”

This was the first time Lu Cairen had been ridiculed in front of others, and she couldn’t calm down so quickly. After returning to the Heyi Hall, she cried bitterly, only stopping when lunch was served.

However, when she saw the food, she was even more annoyed because it was far inferior to what they had received in the previous two days. She couldn’t eat lunch due to her frustration.

This feeling of frustration continued until news came from the Emperor’s court. Perhaps the Emperor realized that he had stayed away from the harem for too long and finally started summoning people to serve him. And the first one to serve him was the Heyi Hall.

When the news arrived, Lu Cairen’s frustration dissipated, and she coldly snorted, “I’ve figured it out. In the harem, without the Emperor’s favor, nothing else matters!”

Yun Si breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Lu Cairen’s spirits lift. However, she soon lowered her eyelids, seemingly thinking of something. She subtly touched her earlobe, leaving no trace of her action.