Chapter 15: Entering the Palace

Chapter 15: Entering the Palace

Yan Ran was the first to marry. Fan Xueyao crafted two silver headdresses with auspicious patterns for her. Li Rong and Chen also added to her dowry, and Old Lady Fan gave her a pair of silver earrings. Privately, Fan Xueyao also gave her twenty taels of silver. With all these additions, Yan Ran, though an orphan, had a more substantial dowry than some daughters of minor officials.

Yan Ran had served her for ten years, always diligently and loyally. Despite her cold demeanor, Fan Xueyao felt grateful. However, the main reason she provided such a generous dowry was strategic. While the Fan family was wealthy, most of their wealth was communal or belonged to Li Rong's private funds. Previously, Fan Xueyao could use it freely at home, but once she entered the palace, accessing money would be inconvenient.

Yan Ran was intelligent, capable, and most importantly, extremely loyal. She was the perfect business partner. Fan Xueyao secretly discussed with Yan Ran and her husband that they would support her by doing business outside the palace to fund her needs within the imperial grounds.

Fan Xueyao also had her own private funds. Fan Minghui and Li Rong treated her like a precious gem, and her daily expenses were covered by Li Rong's private funds without revealing them publicly.

Li Rong had given her a small estate, which, after implementing various productivity measures, brought in over a hundred taels of silver annually, except during droughts or floods. This income was significant, especially considering it came purely from farming. Some families struggled to sustain their tenant farmers on barren land, let alone earn profits.

The estate was now managed by Fang, her wet nurse, who had lost her husband early and had only one daughter, Qiao Wa. When Qiao Wa was young, she suffered from a fever, and Fan Xueyao not only paid for her medical treatment but also helped her gain freedom and establish herself as a female household head. The wet nurse's family was deeply grateful and managed the estate faithfully.

After sending off Yan Ran and Leng Xiang, the imperial decree announcing the promotion of concubines arrived at the Fan residence. On this day, the Fan family adorned their home with red silk, burning incense in bronze vessels, and decorating with flowers from the garden. The entire household was silent.

Fan Yelin and other men waited outside the gate, while Old Lady Fan and the women stayed inside. A small eunuch rode up, and Fan Yelin greeted him. The eunuch said, "We're at the entrance; the procession will arrive in about a quarter of an hour."

Fan Yelin quickly sent someone to inform Old Lady Fan. After a quarter of an hour, the sound of hooves and footsteps approached. Several small eunuchs ran over, and everyone understood that the procession had arrived. They positioned themselves accordingly to welcome the officials.

The procession included eunuchs carrying incense burners, towels, embroidered handkerchiefs, wash basins, and fly whisks. Two eunuchs led a tall horse carrying the official delivering the decree.

They escorted the official inside, where he rinsed his mouth, washed his hands, burned incense, and everyone knelt respectfully to listen to the decree.

"Imperial edict: Considering the assistance in governing the inner court, the duties of the palace, and the need for virtuous ladies to aid in internal affairs, we have reviewed ancient customs and established new ranks. Fan, you possess gentle virtues and are well-versed in etiquette. Your reputation is commendable, and your position in the harem is fitting. Therefore, we hereby confer upon you the rank of Beauty. Cultivate your virtues, serve the palace diligently, and uphold the imperial favor."

It was the rank of Beauty, a fourth-grade position. Fan Minghui was overjoyed.

He had thought his daughter would receive the rank of Baolin at best, but she was granted the rank of Beauty, higher than his own.

"I've inquired about the rankings among the newly appointed concubines. You are among the highest-ranked. Only five others are above you: Lady Changsun is a Zhaoyi, as is the niece of Empress Wei. These two must be treated with caution," Fan Minghui emphasized.

"Among the others, the eleventh granddaughter of Duke Jiang is a Jie Yu, as is the daughter of Minister Shen, and the daughter of Grand Secretary Zhang. Duke Jiang is nearly eighty, with four sons, only two of whom are from his original wife. His third son, the father of Jie Yu Jiang, is a seventh-grade official. If necessary, removing him would not be difficult. Once Duke Jiang passes away, Jie Yu Jiang will be vulnerable."

"Cui Jie Yu... Minister Shen is talented, but since the emperor has just ascended, his position may change. It's uncertain what the future holds," Fan Minghui continued.

Fan Xueyao nodded. Minister Shen was a vice-premier, but in this dynasty, many officials held similar titles, making the position less significant. As a former emperor's minister, his future was uncertain under the new emperor.

"Only Zhang Jie Yu, whose father is a grand secretary responsible for compiling books. If he performs well, he could gain the emperor's favor and advance further," Fan Minghui explained.

Fan Xueyao knew her father was trying to warn her about potential dangers. However, having dealt with powerful officials in her past life, she understood that loyalty and background were not the only factors. Emotions and personal connections mattered, especially with an emperor.

She listened carefully, memorizing the relationships, knowing they would be useful. She needed to be cautious, as any mistake could be fatal.

That day, father and daughter talked for hours. Fan Xueyao returned to her room, wrote down the information in code, and stored it in a secret place.

The next morning, the imperial procession arrived. Amidst tearful farewells, Fan Xueyao boarded the carriage. Sitting in the luxurious vehicle, she watched the scenery through the gauzy windows, wondering when she would see it again. She hoped her next return would be triumphant.

The palace walls, adorned with colorful tiles, divided the sky into small sections. Ancient trees peeked out from the corners.

The carriage entered the palace gates, stopped at a small gate, and then switched to a smaller carriage. After a bumpy ride, it finally stopped at a palace.

Fan Xueyao stepped out and saw a green plaque inscribed with "Spreading Fragrance Hall."

The hall included front and back chambers, connected by flower-lined corridors. The courtyard was beautifully landscaped with blue-purple flowers and symbolic stone patterns representing longevity and prosperity. Ponds with vibrant yellow water lilies and potted flowers lined the walkways.

Satisfied, Fan Xueyao entered the back chamber, where the waiting palace maids bowed respectfully. She smiled and said, "Please rise. We'll discuss matters inside." The maids thanked her and entered.

Fan Xueyao sat down and looked around. There were sixteen maids assigned to her, four of whom worked in the kitchen. The twelve true maids stood before her, and she asked them to introduce themselves.

"Slave's surname is Mao, and my nickname is Zhu Zhu."

"Slave's name is Xiaohong."

"Slave's name is Chun Die."

...

The twelve maids introduced themselves: Xiaohong, Chuntao, Zhu Zhu, Xiaojin, Fuyun, Yuegu, Huaping, Su'e, Hong Xiao, Feng Yun, Qionghua, and Qiaoqiao.

Fan Xueyao nodded, memorizing their names and faces, and said, "Your names are fine. I'll call you by them from now on."

"Whatever the beauty commands." the twelve attendants said in unison.