CHAPTER 92: CHAPTER 91 THE WANSHOU FESTIVAL

Xia Ruqing pondered for a moment. Since there’s nothing else to do, I might as well go and have a look, she thought.

It wasn’t exactly a friendship; at most... they weren’t enemies.

Honored Lady Lan was pleased when she saw her nod in agreement.

As they chatted, they walked towards Yaoyue Palace.

「Yaoyue Palace」

Inevitably, they ran into Consort Yun.

Surprisingly, Consort Yun didn’t make things difficult for her; instead, she greeted her generously with a smile.

"What kind of wind has blown Lady Xia my way today?"

"Consort Yun..." Xia Ruqing lowered her eyes and stepped forward to pay respects.

She thought to herself, This will be the only time; there won’t be a next.

"All right, rise. I am off to pay a visit to the Noble Consort. Do as you wish..."

With that, she left.

Xia Ruqing was a bit stunned.

This isn’t right. This is too out of the ordinary. Whenever I encounter Consort Yun, isn’t it always bad luck... Why is this time different?

"Elder Sister Xia, what’s wrong with you?"

Xia Ruqing suddenly snapped back to reality, glanced at her, and hurriedly mustered a smile.

"I’m fine, let’s go..."

"Okay!" Honored Lady Lan nodded with a smile.

Xia Ruqing wanted to ask if Consort Yun had always been this nice to them.

But she opened her mouth and still didn’t ask.

It has nothing to do with me.

The two of them entered.

Xia Ruqing didn’t stay long; she left after sitting for about the time it takes to drink two cups of tea.

She hadn’t really wanted to come in the first place; it was just a courtesy visit.

...

「Lijing Pavilion」

Honored Lady Hu was lying on the bed, asleep.

There wasn’t a single person in the room, no one to serve her.

The windows were shut, preventing any sunlight from entering, casting an eerie feel over the space.

"Someone..."

"Someone! I want water!"

She called out hoarsely.

One of her palace maids had gone to fetch meals, and the other had gone to prepare medicine. This was still one of the better scenarios. If she were more unlucky, and they learned she had lost favor, they would betray their mistress. There were always those who looked for a better opportunity, and this was not unheard of.

After a while, the maid returned with the meal.

"Mistress, I have prepared your meal. If you can move, please eat by yourself. I am going to help Lv Luo with the medicine," she said and left.

Earlier, Rong Qiu had been sent to the Laundry Bureau for striking someone. The Empress then gifted two palace maids to serve her. One was named Lv Luo, the other, Lv Zhu. They had only served her for a month and hadn’t formed much of a bond. Given the current circumstances, this was considered not too bad.

Honored Lady Hu had no choice but to bear the pain and shakily get out of bed.

She looked at what was laid out on the table: a dish of bean sprouts, a plate of tofu, and two other dishes of dried vegetables from the previous year.

It was nearly April. Although seasonal vegetables were scarce, they weren’t non-existent. Who in the palace still ate dried vegetables? After all, no matter how one might describe dried vegetables, they were no match for the taste of fresh ones, right?

Moreover, the plate of stir-fried bean sprouts consisted entirely of broken pieces; there wasn’t a single whole sprout. It looked as though someone had cooked a large pot, scooped out all the good parts, and left behind the dregs.

And the two soups? Don’t even mention them. The salty one had a thick layer of oil floating on top along with a few slices of fat, while the sweet soup contained only a handful of rice, scarcely different from plain water.

Four dishes and two soups? This is a far cry from when I was Liyi. How am I supposed to eat this?

Honored Lady Hu had never expected that one misstep would ruin her future.

Without favor, even a Noble Consort would have a hard life, let alone a mere Honored Lady like herself. Without favor, who else would the palace attendants torment if not her? Just look at how difficult Consort Zheng Pin’s life was to know the truth.

On the day before the Wanshou Festival, the Empress decreed that Honored Lady Hu should rest well in the palace; the Wanshou Festival would be hectic, so there was no need for her to attend.

Upon hearing this, Honored Lady Hu spat out a mouthful of blood in anger. But there was nothing she could do; she had to put away the clothes she had prepared for the event.

...

「Xifu Palace」

Noble Concubine Shih was drinking her fetus-preserving medicine.

When Consort Yun entered, she paid her respects and was granted a seat.

"How is everything?" Noble Concubine Shih asked.

"Your Grace, those two Honored Ladies are very obedient, calling out ’Elder Sister’ ever so sweetly!" Consort Yun chuckled lightly.

Noble Concubine Shih laughed along.

"You’ve done well. Since the Empress has given them to us, we naturally can’t treat them poorly. Keep a close eye on them; you never know when they might be of use."

"Your Grace is indeed the one who thinks of everything!"

...

「Time passed quickly.」

The Eighth of April, the day of the Wanshou Festival, soon arrived.

Early that morning, all the concubines went first to pay respects to the Empress. Then, led by the Empress, they all proceeded to the Empress Dowager’s Ningshou Palace to pay respects. Ladies of the Royal Clan and Princess Consorts were present too.

The feast was set in the Imperial Garden, with men and women naturally seated separately. However, since everyone was from the Royal Clan, it was deemed sufficient to be divided by just a screen.

After everyone had paid respects and wished the Emperor good health and longevity, they took their seats.

With the exception of Honored Lady Hu, all the ladies of the harem had arrived. Honored Lady Xi had almost recovered from her injury, and Noble Concubine Shih was only pregnant; neither condition warranted being bedridden.

Unsurprisingly, Xia Ruqing found herself seated at the very edge again.

The Emperor, Empress Dowager, and Empress sat in the front row. Behind them, in the next row, were the Noble Consorts, Princess Consorts, and Imperial Noble Consorts. Then came the other ladies of the palace. On the other side of the screen were the Princes, the Emperor’s brothers, and the Prince Consorts of the Royal Clan. The members of the Royal Family, both senior and junior, probably totaled around a hundred people.

At the very front was the stage. The theatrical troupe was very lively with singing, playing, and dancing.

But Xia Ruqing could only see the back of several rows of heads.

So boring. This must be the dullest banquet ever. Mainly because there’s a pile of pretty but unappetizing food on the table in front of me. How annoying!

But her boredom was soon alleviated, as the presentations of gifts for the celebration began.

Among the women, the Empress was the first to offer her gift.

Xia Ruqing perked up her ears to listen.

When she heard that the Empress had gifted an entire handwritten copy of the Diamond Sutra, there was a buzzing of astonishment from below. Some admired, some praised, but there were also those like Noble Concubine Shih who felt envious and resentful. Her inner thoughts:

Humph! What’s the use of offering a lousy scripture? If she’s so capable, let her bear a Prince for the Emperor! A hen that doesn’t lay eggs! Pah!

Zhao Junyao’s expression did not change. Although he felt that the state of his empire had nothing to do with so-called Heaven, the Empress’s intent was good, so he responded indifferently, "The Empress is thoughtful..."

"It is my duty," she replied, repeating the familiar rhetoric about Heaven blessing Great Chu with prosperity and the Emperor with health.

Zhao Junyao gave a faint smile and let it pass.

...

When it was Xia Ruqing’s turn, the banquet was nearly at its end, and she ultimately presented just a nightgown.

As for the pattern, Xia Ruqing had tried to learn embroidery but hadn’t succeeded, so she had reluctantly stitched a simple four-leaf clover onto it.

"Hmm, not bad either!"

I feel pretty good about myself! she thought.

...

That day, Zhao Junyao received countless robes and a heap of sachets and purses. Pearls, jewels, rare gems—he received them all.

Zhao Junyao was not fond of those and simply had them all stored in the warehouse.

At the end, Zhao Junyao intended to go see the Empress, but after thinking it over, he headed towards the Imperial Study Room instead.

"Emperor?"

Li Shengan was somewhat puzzled. What does His Majesty mean by this? he thought.

Zhao Junyao waved his hand. "No matter... I will not summon any concubines tonight."