Chapter 6: Paying Respects in the Six Palaces

Chapter 6: Paying Respects in the Six Palaces

After chatting idly for about half an incense stick’s time, they heard a greeting from outside:

"Servants Zhihua and Xiying, paying respects to Miss Song."

Peering out the window, Yunshan informed Song Zhao, "Miss, it seems they are palace maids sent by the Imperial Household Department to serve you."

Song Zhao nodded in acknowledgment, and Yunshan cleared her throat, then solemnly said, "Come in."

Zhihua and Xiying, appearing about the same age as Song Zhao and looking youthful, conducted themselves with great propriety.

After bowing to Song Zhao and introducing themselves, Zhihua and Xiyin stood there, seemingly waiting for Song Zhao to lecture them.

Unexpectedly, Song Zhao looked at them and said with a smile, "Palace maids enter the palace at the age of eight and learn all the necessary rules early on. There's no need for me to preach to you. As long as you do your tasks well in my service, I won't treat you unfairly."

Other masters in the palace would typically put on airs with their servants.

Take Noble Lady Li in the eastern wing, for example. When Zhihua and Xiyin came to Song Zhao's place earlier, they could hear her scolding her servants from a distance.

To their surprise, they found themselves treated kindly and respectfully by Song Zhao,

They quickly thanked her and, feeling motivated, began their tasks.

As they stepped out to tidy the courtyard, Zhihua whispered to Xiyin,

"I think Miss Song is gentle and easy to get along with; our days ahead should be easier. Lian'er, who's assigned to Noble Lady Li in the eastern wing, might find her service quite challenging."

Xiyin, with a slight frown, clearly disagreed, "What good is a gentle nature? As palace maids, we are servants. We only gain respect if our master is favored. Otherwise, we're less than nothing, lower than dirt."

She continued pruning the branches absentmindedly, her complaints never ceasing,

"Although Noble Lady Li is demanding, she has noble birth and beauty. Her status as a noble lady upon entering the palace shows the Emperor’s favor. How can we compare to that?"

Xiyin glanced back at the closed latticed windows of the western wing with disdain, "Being a concubine’s daughter is bad enough, and she even has a face full of red sores. How could the Emperor ever favor her?"

"Don’t talk nonsense!" Zhihua nudged Xiyin with her elbow, "We shouldn’t gossip about our master. Let's get back to work!"

Their conversation was quiet, and naturally, Song Zhao inside the palace could not hear them.

Yunshan brewed a pot of flower tea for her and asked, "Miss, the master said that servants in the palace tend to fawn over the powerful and bully the weak, advising you to be strict with them so they would fear you. But why were you so amiable to them just now?"

Song Zhao, playing with the lid of her teacup, replied with a cold laugh,

"Why should I be harsh to them? Rest assured, those who serve me will be loyal."

*

The next morning was the first day for the new maidens to pay respects to the Empress in Fengluan Palace.

Song Zhao didn’t dare to be negligent and got ready early to visit the Empress's palace.

She was still wearing the same outfit as when she entered the palace the day before.

To put it nicely, her attire was modest and elegant; less kindly, it was unremarkable and easily lost in a crowd.

She was smart, and so were the others.

Noble Lady Li, Xiao Changzai, and Liu Changzai also arrived early, dressed more plainly than the day before.

Still, it was Noble Lady Li who drew attention,

She was not only there to pay respects but also carried a black and gold brocade box,

Xiao Changzai and Liu Changzai asked what was inside, but she avoided the question and didn’t reveal the truth.

As other consorts gradually arrived, the four newcomers stood respectfully at the bottom of the hall, completing all the proper etiquettes for the higher-ranked consorts.

The first to enter was Consort Yao, who also resided in Yaohua Palace with Song Zhao and Noble Lady Li,

Lady Yao, not particularly striking in appearance or tall, stood out with her graceful figure, with a slender waist and ample curves,

She knew her advantages well, dressing in form-fitting clothes that accentuated her voluptuous figure.

Last night, after attending to the Empress's illness, she returned to Yaohua Palace and had met Lady Li and Song Zhao,

At first glance, she seemed amiable and not at all arrogant.

Following her into the palace was Concubine Hui,

With willow leaf eyebrows, peach blossom eyes, a small nose and mouth, and cheeks like rosy peaches, she had a youthful appearance.

On seeing Song Zhao and the others, she greeted them cheerfully, smiling incessantly,

"How wonderful, the palace will now have more sisters to keep me company~"

Her calling Song Zhao and the others 'sisters' was not sarcastic; she genuinely had the mind of a child.

It was said that Concubine Hui had only just turned fourteen, making her the only one among the older concubines who had not yet served in the Emperor's chamber.

Despite her youthful look, her attire was exceptionally valuable.

Just the tourmaline bead bracelet on her wrist was worth a hundred gold pieces.

Her family was wealthy, well-known in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang region, and had significantly aided the late Emperor during a drought.

Later, it was rumored that the late Emperor had even granted her father a nominal fourth-rank official position, solely to allow his daughter to marry into the palace and create ties with the royal family.

Next to enter was Lady Ying, whom they had met the day before, accompanied by a beautiful concubine who looked somewhat unwell.

From Lady Ying's address, this person seemed to be Concubine Yun.

"Why should you fret over this, Sister Yun? Chen Fei's arrogance due to favoritism is not new."

As they entered the main hall, Song Zhao and the others quickly paid their respects,

Lady Ying gestured for them to rise with a gentle smile, but Concubine Yun, seemingly oblivious to their presence, turned and sat down, resuming her complaints to Lady Ying:

"Last night, the Empress Dowager suffered from her heart ailment, and we all took turns attending to her in Fengluan Palace. But what about her? She just strolled around as if at a fair, then whispered something to the Emperor and managed to lure him to her palace again!

Today, when the newly selected beauties came to pay respects to the Empress Dowager, she excused herself from attending due to ‘post-service fatigue’. She’s becoming increasingly brazen!"

Lady Ying replied with a wry smile, "She has always been like this over the years. If the Emperor likes it, what can we say?"

Impatiently, Concubine Yun rolled her eyes, "I just can't stand her frivolous ways! Concubine Shu is pregnant and only stopped visiting the Empress Dowager because of the hot weather these past few days. And what gives Chen Fei the right to do the same?"

Song Zhao listened silently,

Having heard about Chen Fei’s favoritism even while at the Song residence.

It was not surprising that Emperor Xiao Jingheng favored her,

Rumor had it that Chen Fei was once the most enchanting woman in the palace, and her father held the high rank of a First Grade official, commanding the imperial guards.

With such a powerful maternal family backing her, Chen Fei's favored status was expected.

As for Concubine Shu, she seemed to have the best fortune among the concubines.

During Emperor Xiao Jingheng's first three years on the throne, preoccupied with mourning and state affairs, he seldom visited the harem, only favoring the concubines last year.

Concubine Shu wasn't favored often, but she was fortunate enough to announce her pregnancy early.

Plus, her gentle and unassuming nature prevented her from making enemies, so her pregnancy was openly accepted without jealousy in the harem.

But who knows what people really think behind closed doors?

Song Zhao looked straight ahead, her gaze fixed, but she surreptitiously observed the women filling the room from the corner of her eye,

Privately thinking:

From now on, life is going to get quite lively.

(Ps: The setting is a fictional background, using the hierarchy of the Qing Dynasty harem. From lowest to highest, the ranks are: Official Female, Daying, Changzai, Noble Lady, Concubine, Consort, Noble Consort, Imperial Noble Consort, and Empress.)

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