A cold wind whirled through the courtyard, plucking the last withered leaf from the old parasol tree.
Rendong scurried back to Yongning Palace, carrying a food box.
Compared to other palaces in the imperial harem, this place was secluded and remote, with somewhat sparse furnishings.
A single charcoal brazier barely managed to warm the room.
Yanshu was warming herself by the brazier. Seeing Rendong return, she immediately asked, "What are we eating today?"
Rendong took out the items from the food box one by one, saying, "We have stuffed shiitake mushrooms, braised duck with bamboo shoots, stir-fried assorted vegetables, eight-treasure tofu, and since it's the Laba Festival today, we also have Laba porridge!"
Yanshu came to the table, "I love stuffed shiitake mushrooms the most, and the palace's Laba porridge is delicious too. Not bad at all!"
As she spoke, she popped a shiitake mushroom stuffed with three-flavored meat filling into her mouth.
Mmm, the flavor was rich and the juice plentiful. The tender meatiness blended perfectly with the slight chewiness of the mushroom - perfect with rice!
Of course, this was thanks to Rendong's nimble feet. If she had walked slowly and let the dishes cool, the taste would have certainly suffered.
The hierarchy in the imperial harem was strict. Higher-ranking concubines had palace maids from the Imperial Kitchen to serve their meals, but Yanshu was only a beauty, so she could only send her own people to fetch food.
There were only eight eunuchs and maids in total at Yongning Palace, and Rendong, who came from Yanshu's family, knew her tastes best. So Rendong was always the one to fetch meals.
"By the way, mistress," Rendong continued, "I heard there's a New Year's Eve banquet tonight. Earlier, Dewang from the Office of Imperial Treasures was carrying a package to Concubine Zhang's place. Who knows what he was delivering this time."
Mentioning this, Rendong felt indignant on behalf of her mistress—
The clothing and accessories of the concubines were all regulated according to their rank. Yanshu's position was low, so naturally, she couldn't compare her attire with the higher-ranked concubines. However, Concubine Zhang, despite having an even lower rank, managed to bribe the palace eunuchs with her wealthy family background, frequently acquiring fine fabrics, jewelry, rouge, and powder from various sources, always trying to outdo her mistress.
"I think you're actually prettier than all the other ladies," she sighed softly, "If only we had some spare money to grease a few palms, to get you dressed up even better, you'd surely outshine them all."
Yanshu, however, was nonchalant, "Those things are useless. Even if I dressed up like a celestial maiden, His Majesty wouldn't come tonight anyway."
Tsk, this was already her third year in the palace, yet she hadn't even caught a glimpse of the Emperor's robe hem.
Speaking of which, the current Emperor could be considered a legendary figure. When the late Emperor's royal line was weak, and the various princes of the clan were eyeing the throne covetously, he, at a young age, fought his way through, inheriting the throne amidst bloody turmoil. He then used just three years to stabilize the country and put the court affairs in order, showing considerable skill.
Most importantly, rumor had it that he was exceptionally handsome, beyond comparison to ordinary men.
However, during these three years, this monarch had never set foot in the harem, and rarely showed his face even at festival banquets.
Yanshu's rank was too low to qualify for an audience with the Emperor, so she hadn't had the chance to verify whether the rumors of his divine beauty were true.
Nevertheless, despite this, the palace concubines had not given up hope. Some formed cliques, others chose sides, and like Concubine Zhang, they exhausted every means possible in hopes of entering the Emperor's line of sight. Everyone except Yanshu.
Hearing her speak like this now, Rendong hurriedly advised, "Even if His Majesty doesn't come, you could still make an appearance before the Empress Dowager. What if the Empress Dowager takes a liking to you and often calls you to the Palace of Benevolent Peace for a chat? Wouldn't that increase your chances of seeing His Majesty?"
Yanshu was just putting a golden-brown piece of eight-treasure tofu into her mouth. She mumbled, "Forget it. Even Noble Consort Zhou is the Empress Dowager's niece, and she's still in the same boat, isn't she? Mmm, this tofu is crispy on the outside and so flavorful inside!"
Rendong: "..."
Ah, with her mistress's looks, if she had even a bit of ambition, she would have probably already risen above the crowd! But all she cared about every day was what to eat and various gossip she heard from who knows where.
Just then, she heard Yanshu say, "By the way, Duke Cheng'en and his wife have been having a major fight at home these past couple of days. I wonder if Noble Consort Zhou and the Empress Dowager have heard about it."
Rendong's eyes lit up, "Could it be that the Duchess found the Duke's sixth mistress?"
"Correct."
Yanshu nodded as she ate, "This Sixth Concubine is indeed quite scheming. She took advantage of her pregnancy to spread rumors, causing quite a stir with the Duchess. But the Duke will always care for his own flesh and blood. The Duchess can't win against his wishes, so the Sixth Concubine will likely be officially brought into the household."
Rendong clicked her tongue, "If the Fifth Concubine had been this cunning last time, she might not have met such a tragic end. Come to think of it, the Duke is getting on in years. He's still full of such lecherous thoughts, isn't he ashamed?"
"Men are mostly like that."
Yanshu took a sip of Laba porridge, finding it sweet, smooth, and fragrant all the way down to her stomach.
She tasted a piece of duck meat next. Mmm, the imperial chef had perfect control over the heat. The duck was tender and delicious, with bamboo shoot's fresh aroma permeating its texture. The meat was savory without being greasy, perfectly seasoned.
She had transmigrated from the modern world. In her previous life, her health had been poor, and she had been raised on medicine. There were many things she couldn't eat. She barely made it to her youth before succumbing to the torment of illness.
Although she had transmigrated to ancient times in this life, she was grateful to have a healthy body with no worries about food or drink.
Moreover, after entering the palace, she had obtained a gossip system that occasionally provided her with all kinds of fresh, first-hand gossip. Family secrets, harem stories - every day was filled with excitement. It couldn't be more thrilling.
Just then, the system's voice appeared in her head again, [New gossip: The Linwu Marquis's heir isn't actually his.]
Yanshu almost choked on her Laba porridge. [There's such a thing?]
Everyone in the capital knew that the Linwu Marquis only had one son, whom he cherished like the apple of his eye. How could he not be his?
...
After lunch, the cold wind outside blew even fiercer.
Yanshu was in the middle of consuming the juicy gossip about the Linwu Marquis's household when she heard someone outside the door say, "Is Li Beauty in?"
The voice belonged to Concubine Zhang, whom Rendong had mentioned earlier.
Yanshu's rank was low, and other concubines disdained to bother with her. She also didn't seek attention from others. This Concubine Zhang was quite different, though. Despite being the lowest-ranking concubine in the palace, she often came to seek validation from Yanshu, who was second from the bottom.
Since the person was already at the door, it wouldn't be polite to refuse. Yanshu had Rendong open the door.
Sure enough, Concubine Zhang stepped into the room and greeted her, "Sister Li, have you finished your meal? I came by to chat with you as I had nothing else to do."
Yanshu smiled politely, "Please, have a seat. Isn't it cold outside?"
"It's alright, I'm wearing thick clothes, so I didn't feel it much."
Concubine Zhang smiled sweetly and slowly removed her brocade cloak with dark patterns, which was clearly expensive at first glance. She deliberately adjusted the snow-white sable fur on the brim of her hat before slowly sitting down in a chair. She said, "There's a New Year's Eve banquet tonight. I heard His Majesty will also attend. Are you ready, sister?"
As she spoke, the golden plum blossom hairpin on her temples trembled slightly, catching the afternoon sun that streamed into the room, dazzling to the eye.
Rendong was furious inside. Wasn't this Concubine Zhang deliberately coming to mock her mistress's poverty by wearing a new cloak and new jewelry?
However, she saw Yanshu frown, tiredly rubbing her forehead, and hurriedly covering her mouth to cough twice, putting on a weak appearance as she said, "Unfortunately, I caught a chill yesterday. I'm feeling a bit unwell today, so I'm afraid I won't be able to go tonight."
Rendong: "???"
Unwell? Hadn't she just devoured a bowl of rice and two bowls of hot porridge earlier?
Concubine Zhang's eyes lit up, but she quickly tried to hide it, saying, "That's such a pity, it's a rare chance to see His Majesty. I was thinking if you didn't have any jewelry, I could lend you a couple of pieces!"
Yanshu covered her mouth and coughed twice more, "Thank you for your kindness, but I'm afraid I won't be able to use them."
Probably fearing catching her illness, Concubine Zhang quickly stood up, "Then please rest well, sister. I won't disturb you any further."
With that, she put on her newly made sable fur cloak again and left with her maid.
The room fell quiet. Rendong looked at Yanshu with a pained expression, "Didn't you hear that His Majesty will be there tonight? What a great opportunity, why are you pretending to be sick?"
Yanshu was unconcerned, "Even if I went, I'd be at the very end of the line. With more than ten people between us, His Majesty wouldn't even have time to look at the others, let alone notice me."
Rather than watching those boring concubines vying for favor, she'd rather stay in her room and continue consuming gossip. She had only gotten halfway through the juicy story about the Linwu Marquis's wife earlier, and it was just getting interesting!
But Rendong said, "You are the hope of all the people in our Ande County! Our county has finally produced a palace lady in history, how can you be so unambitious and self-defeating?"
Yanshu: "..."
She just wanted to be a happy, carefree fish. She couldn't bear such a heavy moral burden, could she?
However, before she could speak, the little palace maid Lianxin entered the room and said, "Beauty, just now an edict came from the Empress Dowager's palace. The Emperor will be attending in person tonight, and all the ladies are requested to be present at the New Year's Eve banquet in the Hall of Gentle Ceremony."
Yanshu: "..."
Well, there goes any chance of slacking off.
As dusk fell and the lanterns were lit, the palace grounds became a sea of brilliance.
Living far away, with low status and no palanquin to ride in, Yanshu trudged through the cold wind all the way to the Hall of Gentle Ceremony, her little face flushed red from the chill.
Fortunately, the hall was warm, quickly fading her rosy cheeks, which actually left her complexion looking quite nice.
Due to the news of the Emperor's personal attendance, the concubines arrived especially early tonight, all adorned in gold and silver, with powdered faces and rouged lips, looking extraordinarily splendid.
Even Concubine Zhang was dressed more lavishly than when they had met in the afternoon, wearing a palace gown with golden plum blossom patterns, and a golden hairpin adorned with jeweled flowers and butterflies. Her lips were painted bright red, making her look quite eye-catching.
In comparison, Yanshu wore a light lotus-colored jacket and skirt with subtle patterns, her hair adorned only with a pearl dangling ornament, looking so plain as to seem almost pitiful.
Rendong felt quite helpless. She had wanted to properly dress up her mistress, but Yanshu had insisted on light makeup, to the point of having almost no presence at all, so she had no choice but to comply.
Now, Yanshu sat at almost the very end of the banquet seating, and compared to the heavily made-up consorts at the front, she indeed had very little presence.
In contrast, Concubine Zhang at the same table was quite different. Rendong could clearly sense the daggers being glared at her, intentionally or not, by Noble Consort Zhou, Consort Ning, and others seated higher up.
In an instant, it all became clear, and she finally understood her mistress's intentions - to stand out in such an occasion was simply asking to make powerful enemies!
Concubine Zhang was truly bold.
However, Concubine Zhang herself didn't seem to notice, currently sitting upright with perfect posture, displaying her best manners while waiting for the imperial arrival.
In comparison, Yanshu was just there to make up the numbers, listening to the system's gossip while eyeing the desserts on the table, wondering when they could start eating.
Hmm, the pastries at such a grand banquet were clearly different - those lotus cakes looked especially tempting.
Before long, with a cry of "The Emperor arrives...", tonight's main character finally made his entrance.
Everyone saw a figure clad in a black dragon robe stride into the hall, tall and imposing, with a face as if carved from stone beneath the golden crown, each step exuding power.
The concubines in the hall, hearts racing, rose in unison to bow and greet him with tender voices, "We welcome Your Majesty."
Yanshu followed suit perfunctorily, but since it was a rare opportunity, she tried to sneak a peek. Unfortunately, she was too far away and could only vaguely make out his straight nose, thin lips, and chiseled chin. He did indeed seem quite handsome.
Just then, with a 'ding' in her ear, the system's voice sounded, [I've got some big gossip about the Emperor.]
