Chapter 7: First Meeting with the Empress

Chapter 7: First Meeting with the Empress

The idle chatter of Concubine Yun and Lady Ying ceased when an eunuch solemnly announced, "Her Majesty the Empress has arrived."

The high-ranked concubines, who were already seated, stood up, facing the direction of the main hall's corridor, and bowed deeply,

"Your servants humbly greet Her Majesty the Empress, wishing her boundless peace and prosperity."

Song Zhao, among the crowd, followed suit, her gaze catching glimpses of the Empress as she gracefully approached the throne.

The Empress wore a bright yellow robe embroidered with peonies and phoenixes, a gold phoenix crown inlaid with jade, and triple-pearl phoenix earrings. Her entire attire was dignified and majestic. She moved with such poise that the fringes of her robe barely seemed to sway.

Only after the Empress settled on her throne and permitted everyone to rise did Song Zhao get a clear view of her appearance.

Her eyes were phoenix-shaped, with upturned corners, full and red lips, and a high, straight nose, exuding a natural air of grace and dignity.

However, her makeup seemed slightly thick, as if intentionally concealing her ill complexion.

After observing the newcomers, the Empress spoke with a gentle smile:

"You all entered the palace yesterday. Are you accustomed to living away from your family homes?"

Everyone nodded in unison, with Lady Li at the forefront, eagerly flattering the Empress,

"I am grateful for Your Majesty's care. The eastern annex of Yaohua Palace, where I reside, is planted with gardenias, my favorite flowers. My home has many of them too. Moving in there felt as warm and cozy as being in my own home~"

The Empress replied kindly, "I'm glad you like it. Arranging your accommodations should have been my concern, but these past few days I've been suffering from heart trouble, so I entrusted Lady Ying with these tasks."

Turning to Lady Ying, she nodded with a smile, "Your meticulous attention to detail is commendable. Thank you for your hard work."

Lady Ying quickly responded, "Her Majesty flatters me. It’s my fortune to relieve Her Majesty of some trivial matters."

Lady Li, adept at diplomacy, hastily expressed her gratitude to Lady Ying, "I am deeply thankful to Lady Ying for her kindness."

Lady Ying glanced at her indifferently and responded with a nonchalant 'hmm', acknowledging her.

The Empress continued, "Yesterday was a joyous day for your entrance into the palace, and you were all supposed to meet the Emperor. Unfortunately, my sudden heart ailment detained His Majesty. Please don’t take it to heart."

Everyone hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, such concern from you is overwhelming for us. Your well-being is of utmost importance."

Unable to contain her impatience, Concubine Yun rolled her eyes and spoke indignantly:

"How could we blame Her Majesty? When we were attending to the Empress yesterday, we all heard Her Majesty persistently urging the Emperor to meet the new concubines, so they wouldn’t feel neglected.

If it weren’t for Chen Fei cunningly luring the Emperor to her palace, we might have already met His Majesty yesterday."

Words must be interpreted by their tone,

Song Zhao could tell that Concubine Yun's remarks were meant to incite resentment among the new concubines against Chen Fei, whom they hadn’t yet met.

The Empress, listening to Concubine Yun and not stopping her, indicated her own displeasure with Chen Fei's actions yesterday,

But as the central figure of the harem, such jealous remarks were not fitting for her to voice.

Later, the Empress inquired about their daily lives, and Song Zhao stood silently, not joining the conversation.

Only when she heard the Empress cough weakly did she notice Lady Li making a move.

Lady Li had her maid present a lacquered ebony box, offering it respectfully to the Empress,

"Yesterday, upon hearing of Your Majesty's heart ailment, I was greatly concerned. This century-old wild ginseng was brought by my father for me to bring into the palace. It's excellent for nourishing and invigorating, and I hope Your Majesty won’t disdain it."

Song Zhao sneaked a peek at the wild ginseng in the ebony box, indeed of exceptional quality,

The Empress also smiled, "This wild ginseng is of superb quality, Lady Li. You are thoughtful."

As soon as she finished speaking, the chief palace maid, Shuangruo, stepped forward to receive the gift.

At that moment, Concubine Yun suddenly let out a cold laugh, "Ah, Lady Li is thoughtful indeed, but before showing such concern, one should inquire about Her Majesty’s symptoms.

Her Majesty’s recent heart trouble is due to the hot weather causing internal heat and accompanied by a condition of yin deficiency and excessive fire. These symptoms definitely do not warrant the use of your 'thoughtful gift'."

Lady Li’s face changed upon hearing this, and she hastily explained:

"Your Majesty, please forgive me... I am ignorant in these matters, and I beg Your Majesty not to hold it against me."

The Empress smiled graciously, "Your good intentions are clear to me, how could I blame you? I will accept your gift, but would you mind if I re-gift it to someone else?"

Lady Li, smiling obligingly, replied, "Of course, I wouldn’t mind."

The Empress then said, "Concubine Shu is pregnant and needs nourishment. This fine quality wild ginseng is perfect for her. Today, I’ll re-gift it to her."

Today, while Concubine Shu was absent, her palace maid Qingyue was present.

She came to report Concubine Shu’s absence and to listen to the events, to relay them back to her.

Qingyue stepped forward and received the lacquered ebony box from Shuangruo,

"I express deep gratitude on behalf of Concubine Shu for Your Majesty’s generosity."

The Queen nodded slightly, "Remember to tell your master that all these are courtesies from Lady Li."

Naturally, Lady Li was pleased,

She gave a gift, earning recognition in front of the Queen and Consort Shu. Although the wild ginseng was expensive, it was worth its value.

The new consort's green entry plaque was to be delivered to the Respectful Service Chamber tonight. She thought, during today's greeting, she performed the best, perhaps she might be chosen for the honor of serving the Emperor tonight.

Later, the Queen, feeling tired, suggested that everyone return to their own palaces,

The dismissal of the consorts from the greeting was in order of their rank,

Being a mere Attendant, Song Zhao had the lowest rank, so she was the last to leave.

She had just left the Phoenix and Luan Palace when she heard someone calling her from behind,

"Attendant Song, wait."

She turned around and saw it was Shuang Ruo, a maid from the Queen's side, following her.

Shuang Ruo held a pearwood box the size of a palm, and handed it to Song Zhao,

"This is Purple Gold Blood-Activating Ointment, excellent for treating skin irritations. The Queen has sent me to deliver this to you, instructing to apply it evenly on your face morning and night. Within five days, the redness and rash on your face should completely disappear."

Song Zhao accepted the pearwood box, her face beaming with joy, and said,

"I deeply thank the Queen for her gracious favor. With such care from Her Majesty, I must express my gratitude in person."

Shuang Ruo said, "Her Majesty the Queen is tired today and has instructed that there's no need for you to express your gratitude. You may return now."

After saying this, she turned and went back to the Phoenix and Luan Palace.

Song Zhao handed the pearwood box to Yun Shan, instructing her to take good care of it, then turned towards Yao Hua Palace.

A little further away, Yun Shan whispered to Song Zhao, "Her Majesty the Queen is indeed as the rumors describe, a maternal figure to the nation, kind and affable."

Song Zhao didn't respond, merely uttering a soft 'hmm'.

She thought to herself, in this deep palace, if kindness alone sufficed, how could the Queen maintain her position under the heavy pressure of the favored consorts for so many years?

And today, during their first meeting, how did the Queen know in advance about the skin irritation on her face and even have the specific ointment ready to give her?

Lost in thought, she suddenly heard a stern female voice behind her,

"Who's there?"