Chapter 138: A Stern Warning

Chapter 138: A Stern Warning

Not all of these well-born young women were from common families; some were from families of minor officials. However, those from truly noble families would have been directly appointed as imperial consorts, not starting as palace maid trainees.

These young ladies from official families harbored many thoughts, but Fan Xueyao knew well that she had no intention of choosing any of them. There was no reason to pick someone who would only cause discomfort.

It was common knowledge that these girls from official families were not entering the palace merely to serve as maids or female officials. Their true aim was to join the emperor’s imperial harem as proper consorts.

If she chose them, they would only attempt to seduce Chu Nan. It would only add to her frustration. Why would she want that trouble?

The female official wondered if Fan Xueyao would select girls from official families, while the young ladies from official families wondered if they would be chosen. They certainly desired a better start, but the emperor hadn't pre-selected them, leaving them uncertain. Could it be that the emperor didn’t plan to favor them?

If that were the case, it might be better to be chosen by Fan Zhaoyi to serve as a maid in her palace rather than elsewhere. Even the Empress Xu’s main palace was not as good as the Spreading Fragrance Pavilion. The emperor visited the Spreading Fragrance Pavilion more frequently than any other palace.

If they became maids in the Spreading Fragrance Pavilion, they would have more opportunities to appear before the emperor. As long as they caught his eye, they could prove themselves and strive for a position as a consort.

Fan Xueyao scrutinized the palace maid trainees. First, she eliminated those who were overly ambitious and eager to become consorts. She also dismissed those who were too timid or servile. After careful observation, Fan Xueyao selected six girls, motioning for them to step forward. The message was clear—these six were the ones she had chosen to fill the vacancies in her service.

The female official and eunuchs examined the six selected girls. They were responsible for training these palace maid trainees and knew their backgrounds and abilities well. They were puzzled as these six were not the most outstanding in terms of appearance, skills, or family background. They couldn’t understand Fan Xueyao’s criteria for choosing them.

The female official worried that selecting these six, who were not the best, might cause the emperor to question whether they had been negligent in their duties toward this favored consort. She hurriedly advised, “Imperial Concubine, would you like to take another look? While these six are competent, they are not the most qualified.”

Given Fan Xueyao’s status, the female official discreetly pointed to one of the girls in the line and said, “This is Li Yuniang. She excels in hairdressing and is very clever…” As she spoke, she subtly observed Fan Xueyao’s reaction to gauge whether she approved of the recommended girl.

Fan Xueyao looked at Li Yuniang. Indeed, she was skilled in hairdressing. At that moment, although Li Yuniang wore the same double-loop hairstyle as the others, it was clear that she had put a lot of effort into making it look more refined. Even the pattern of the red ribbon used to tie her hair was neatly arranged.

When Li Yuniang heard the female official mention her, she quickly bowed to Fan Xueyao, cautiously lifting her head just enough to display her meticulously styled hair.

She was confident in her hairdressing skills but uncertain about whether she would be chosen. After all, this was Fan Zhaoyi, deeply favored by the emperor and unrivaled in the palace. Why would such a person need to favor a mere maid like her? Li Yuniang felt insecure. She was frustrated by the fact that as a maid, she could only style her hair in a double-loop hairstyle and couldn't make more elaborate changes. But if she weren’t a maid, she wouldn’t need to rely on hairdressing to curry favor.

Fan Xueyao nodded slightly without saying a word.

The female official assumed she wasn’t impressed and was about to introduce another girl. However, Fan Xueyao waved her hand and said, “These six will do. Any deficiencies can be addressed by the senior maids. They will be trained in no time. These six will do.” Her expression showed no hesitation, clearly indicating that her decision was final.

Seeing this, although the female official felt uneasy, she had no choice but to comply. She instructed the court historian to take the six girls to pack their belongings and prepare to be sent to the Spreading Fragrance Pavilion.

The other palace maid trainees, realizing they had not been chosen, sighed in disappointment and stretched their necks, hoping Fan Xueyao might change her mind. But when they saw her boarding her small palanquin, surrounded by palace attendants, and leaving, they had no choice but to accept their fate.

Among the disappointed girls, Zhang Xiu'er pressed her long nails into her palm. Her face remained composed, but her heart was in turmoil.

She hadn’t been chosen by Fan Zhaoyi! How could this be? What should she do? Was she destined to serve a low-ranking concubine like a Jieyu? These women could hardly catch a glimpse of the emperor. How could she attract the emperor’s attention in the little time available?

Feeling her future was uncertain, Zhang Xiu'er was filled with panic.

At that moment, Zhang Xiu'er didn’t know that Chu Nan’s method of favoring consorts was through summoning them to spend the night in his chambers. When this happened, the eunuchs and female officials would escort the consort, but only a couple of her personal maids could accompany her, and even they had to wait outside the bedroom until their mistress had finished spending the night.

In this situation, even if she succeeded in gaining the favor of a consort and became a personal maid, she would have almost no chance to see the emperor. Attempting to seduce him would be out of the question. In the emperor’s palace, any attempt to act boldly in front of him, even showing the slightest intention of seeking favor, would result in immediate punishment.

In the entire harem, only Empress Xu and Fan Xueyao could invite Chu Nan to their quarters. The former was the Empress of the main palace, with a status like no other. For the Empress, summoning would be too frivolous.

As for the latter, Fan Xueyao was Chu Nan’s beloved. He preferred to go to her residence, to be enveloped in her presence and experience her daily life, enjoying the warm atmosphere that naturally led to intimate moments, rather than the direct, cold, and formal summoning.

It would be much later when Zhang Xiu'er learned this distinction, and by then, she would truly despair.

“There are those who do not see the emperor for thirty-six years.”

This was no idle saying.

Upon returning to the Spreading Fragrance Pavilion, Fan Xueyao went directly to the rear hall. With Hua Ping’s support, she carefully sat on the couch and sighed comfortably, “The selection took only two quarters of an hour, but the preparation, dressing up, and traveling required so much effort.”

Huaping knew that she was mostly complaining about the tedious process of dressing up, so she said with a smile, "That's why we need to dress up properly. We need to show them the elegance of our consort. Let them see that they can't compare to you, no matter how much they pride themselves on their beauty. Seeing you, they should realize their true standing."

Qiaoqiao brought a cup of pre-brewed cold tea, handed it to Fan Xueyao with a smile, and said, "It made me think of when we first entered the palace. We were much younger than them back then. We had to be extremely cautious, remembering every word from the senior ladies and fearing punishment. We didn’t dare to speak unnecessarily or look about. Yet these girls are so bold, daring to gaze around in front of the consort."

Yuechan chimed in, "We endured much training and hardship under the senior ladies for a long time. They’ve only been learning for a short while and have only copied the outward behavior. Just wait, they still have much hardship ahead of them."

Fan Xueyao drank the cold tea to calm her irritation from being outside, sighed in relief, and thought about how her son was doing. However, she felt too lazy to move. Huaping's shoulder massage was so comfortable that she asked Yuechan, "Go see what the little prince is doing."

Yuechan responded with "Yes," and crossed through the partition screen to the eastern room. Faint sounds of her talking to someone could be heard. Shortly after, she returned and said, "The wet nurse had laid out a bamboo mat in the middle of the room for the little prince to play on. When I went in, the little prince was playing with the woolen dolls the ladies had made."

Perhaps it was a common belief in the royal family that indulging in toys could lead to losing ambition, so there were few toys in the palace. The only toys suitable for a child like Chu Xu, who was about two years old, were things like stuffed tigers. Chu Xu had long grown tired of those. So, Fan Xueyao had the maids make some woolen felt dolls, along with many clothes for different identities, and animal dolls like puppies, kittens, and birds. This allowed Chu Xu to exercise his cognitive skills, creativity, and imagination through play.

Yuechan asked, "Should we bring the little prince over?"

"No, let him play. We’ll be having lunch soon, and I don’t want to disturb him," Fan Xueyao shook her head. Although she dearly loved Xu'er, she could go without him for a while.

After resting briefly, Fan Xueyao got up to change her clothes. Outside, she had to dress formally and appropriately, but in her own quarters, she preferred to dress for comfort. She changed out of the tight-fitting crimson jacket into a looser one with a white base and gold-embroidered red brocade. It was cooler inside the palace than outside, making the jacket just right for the temperature.

Sitting in front of the dressing table, Huaping and Sue quickly helped her remove her jewelry. Once all the various pieces, large and small, were taken off, Huaping was about to remove the hairpins holding her bun when Fan Xueyao stopped her, saying, "Leave the bun. I used so much hair oil this morning, and it feels too greasy on my head. After lunch, prepare hot water and the necessary tools to help me wash my hair."

Huaping advised, "It's said that one shouldn’t wash their hair after a meal or bathe when hungry. Since there’s nothing else to do now, why not prepare the tools to wash now?"

Ever since Fan Xueyao became pregnant, she had grown more lethargic. She knew it wasn’t good to wash her hair after a meal, and she had even told Huaping and the others this. But now, she was just too lazy to move. She wanted to postpone the hair wash until after lunch, right before her nap. Wash her hair and then lie down to sleep—wouldn’t that be wonderfully comfortable?

But since Huaping had said so, she had no choice but to nod in agreement.

"Alright then, prepare quickly."

Huaping and the others went to prepare for the hair wash. Washing Fan Xueyao’s hair was a complicated process. There were cloths specifically for washing her hair, eggs, and floral dew already prepared, but the hibiscus leaf extract needed to be freshly pounded, and hot water had to be constantly boiled. At least several large buckets were needed to ensure that boiling water was available.

While waiting, Fan Xueyao sat at the chessboard, arranging a game. Xiaojin and Xiaohong entered, carrying a large engraved silver basin. This basin was oval-shaped and much deeper than ordinary basins—they had brought in two of them. Then, on a tray, they carried the cloths, hibiscus leaf extract, silver bowls containing three beaten egg whites, jasmine floral oil, a wide-toothed ox horn comb, and more.

Xiaojin and Xiaohong made several trips to bring all the necessary items. They laid down waterproof oilcloth on the floor and brought in the small couch Fan Xueyao used for hair washing and massages, along with stools and other tools. A junior maid had already carried in hot water boiled in the tea room.

Xiaohong came to invite Fan Xueyao, "My lady, you can wash your hair now."

Fan Xueyao rose and moved behind the screen to lie on the small couch. The couch was only as wide as a person and sloped downwards from head to foot, with the silver basin placed at the head. Fan Xueyao lay down, and Xiaojin served her by undoing her neat bun, then combing her hair smoothly and evenly with the ox horn comb, neither too lightly nor too harshly, before starting the hair wash.

Xiaojin and Xiaohong specialized in bathing duties, while Huaping, Yuechan, and Sue assisted from the side. Xiaojin held Fan Xueyao's smooth, black hair as Xiaohong mixed half a bucket of cold water with a small amount of hot water to reach the right temperature. She then scooped a ladle and gently poured it from Fan Xueyao’s forehead, wetting her scalp and hair. The water fell silently into the silver basin below, where a cloth had been placed to prevent any noise.

Fan Xueyao closed her eyes to relax and enjoy the care of the maids.

First, they washed her hair with egg white, which cleaned dirt and oil from her hair while also treating dryness, leaving it smooth and soft. After that, they washed her hair again with hibiscus leaf extract.

After the wash, Xiaojin supported Fan Xueyao’s neck as her head was placed into warm water, allowing the slightly hot water to soak her scalp and hair. After this, Xiaojin stopped, and Xiaohong, having exchanged a glance with her, stepped aside.

Xiaohong then stepped forward, after soaking her hands in warm water to make them soft and warm. Her head massage techniques were better than Xiaojin’s, so she always took over at this point.

Xiaojin had privately practiced for a long time, believing her skills were equal to Xiaohong’s. But since Xiaohong had always massaged Fan Xueyao without any mistakes, Xiaojin never had a chance to recommend herself and always had to step aside at the last moment.

Xiaohong’s massage techniques were indeed superior, and as she massaged, Fan Xueyao felt herself on the verge of falling asleep.

When her hair was half-dried, Xiaohong took a jar from the side, opened it, and a fragrant aroma filled the air. Inside was jasmine floral oil. She dropped a few drops into her palms, rubbed them together to warm the oil, and then used her fingers as a comb to apply the thin layer of floral oil to her hair. She then used the remaining cloths to dry it, and by the time all twenty cloths were used, Fan Xueyao’s hair was almost completely dry.

The amount of floral oil was just right—neither too greasy nor too little. It not only moisturized her hair, making it black and shiny, but also gave off a subtle, pleasant scent.

After re-applying the fragrant ointment, Fan Xueyao carefully re-coated areas that had gotten wet—such as her forehead, nape, and behind her ears—with a nourishing balm.

Once her hair was washed, Hua Ping loosely coiled it into a bun in front of the mirror. Despite using twenty cloths to dry her hair, Fan Xueyao still felt a slight chill. With the sun shining brightly outside, she decided to have Hua Ping bring a spring bench to the veranda so she could sit and bask in the sun to warm herself and dry her hair.

The six newly selected palace maids had already been sent over, but they arrived just as she was washing her hair. The young maidservants didn’t dare approach to report, so they were told to wait in the courtyard.

As soon as Fan Xueyao stepped out and saw them, their cheeks slightly red from the sun, they couldn’t help but keep staring at her. She had changed into a new outfit, her makeup removed, and her hair loosely tied in a fluffy bun as she came out to enjoy the sun.

Noticing the young maidservants staring, Fan Xueyao gestured for them to come up to the veranda to speak with her.

"Greetings, Zhaoyi," the young maidservants said cautiously after approaching.

Fan Xueyao didn’t instruct them to stand in the shade. She knew that if she was too gentle with the new maidservants from the start, it might encourage disrespect. Instead, she smiled and said, "Just now, the other ladies were serving inside. Now that they have some free time, they will show you to your quarters later. From now on, you are all maidservants in the Spreading Fragrance Hall. You need to get along well and serve diligently together. There is one thing you must remember: the Spreading Fragrance Hall is not like the Yeting Bureau where you came from. There are many rules in the palace. Learn well from these senior maidservants. Given time, you will be able to stand on your own. But if you are foolish or stubborn, I am more lenient by nature, but there is the first prince to consider. If you disturb him, it won’t just be a simple reprimand."

The young maidservants, who had always held a deep reverence for the royal family, felt their hearts tighten and their faces pale at these words. A maidservant with almond-shaped eyes and a round face spoke nervously, "This servant understands and will definitely keep it in mind." Following her lead, the other maidservants also tried their best to pledge their loyalty, though it remained to be seen if they truly meant it.

Fan Xueyao didn’t want to admonish them too much at the start; if they didn’t take her words to heart, there was no point in saying more. She instructed Hua Ping and Qiaoqiao to take them to the lower quarters to settle in.

The new maidservants had just arrived at the palace and had few belongings, only several sets of spring and summer palace attire made after they joined. As low-ranking maidservants, they had only some basic cosmetics and hair ties for personal use. As for money, they had none—whatever meager wages they earned were given to the ladies who taught them.

Hua Ping and Qiaoqiao led the six girls to the lower quarters. Inside, the few maidservants who weren’t on duty in the front courtyard were neatly dressed and either resting or doing chores. The new girls looked around the room, feeling somewhat overwhelmed.

They had stayed with the ladies-in-waiting before, so they were already familiar with what the lower quarters looked like. In reality, the lower quarters were mostly the same size everywhere—small and crowded, housing several people per room. The maidservants' quarters in the Spreading Fragrance Hall were only slightly cleaner and tidier than elsewhere. What truly set them apart was the people here.

The senior maidservants wore pale green palace dresses and standard palace shoes, but their clothes were made of spun silk with delicate embroidery. Although palace maidservants weren’t allowed to wear heavy makeup, these senior maidservants wore a light touch of powder. They adorned their buns with layered silk flowers, the style quite novel and charming. Even though the new girls were young, they couldn’t help but glance at the beautiful flowers.

What truly distinguished these maidservants was their air of efficiency, vitality, and radiance.

When Hua Ping and Qiaoqiao brought the six girls inside, the maidservants in the room looked over. Only two of them reacted—Hong Xiao, who was in charge of sweeping the courtyard, and Xiaoyue, who served in the front hall.

Hong Xiao stood up, glanced at the six girls, and then smiled at Hua Ping and Qiaoqiao. "Sisters, what brings you here at this time?"

Hua Ping replied calmly, "The lady has selected a few young maidservants, and we need to arrange their lodging. There are six of them. See if you are willing to let them stay in the same room with you."

Upon hearing this, Xiaoyue put down the half-finished knot she was working on and looked the six girls over, her gaze landing on their heads. Frowning, she said, "Have they shaved their heads?"

Hong Xiao glanced at them and said, "Their hair looks even thicker than mine."

The six girls all wore ring buns, their hair real. They had only been in the palace for a few months; if they had shaved their heads, they would need some miraculous hair-growing elixir to have hair long enough for such large ring buns. Clearly, they hadn’t shaved their heads.

Xiaoyue immediately shook her head. "Sister Hua Ping, this clean and tidy place of ours—how could we let them stay if they’re unclean? Even though we don’t serve inside the hall, we still have to greet the lady and the first prince daily. If they were to offend the lady or the prince, it would be a serious offense."

The young maidservants understood. Xiaoyue and Hong Xiao thought they were unclean and didn’t want them staying in the room. A girl with a melon seed face and long, fine eyebrows turned red with anger and protested, "I’m not dirty, and I don’t have lice!"

The other girls also looked indignant. They had been selected from the best of the new batch of virtuous young women by the Yeting Bureau to be presented to Fan Xueyao. If they were lucky, the emperor might favor them, granting them red or purple sashes, distinguishing them from other maidservants. If they served well and caught the emperor’s attention, they might even earn a formal title after a few imperial favors.

But these senior maidservants treated them as if they were from some dirty place. Although these senior maidservants served a favored concubine and enjoyed status and prestige, the new girls still felt offended.

Seeing their dissatisfaction, Xiaoyue sneered at Hua Ping. "Sister Hua Ping, is the palace short-handed because they’re sending out the older maidservants?"

Her eyes swept over the six girls. In the past, they would have been more tactful in their speech to avoid giving anyone ammunition. But now, they wanted to assert dominance over the new girls, so they made their words a little blunter.

Hua Ping smiled and glanced at the six girls, whose expressions had darkened with anger. "They’ve only been trained for a few months, so it’s a bit short. But they’ve been taught the basic rules. If we watch over them and guide them a bit, they’ll get there."

Though the words weren’t entirely pleasant, they were a form of support, and the six girls’ expressions improved slightly.

Xiaoyue said, "Even if we take them under our care, they need to listen and follow orders. Sister Huapin, just look at them. Do they look like they will follow instructions?"

Huapin looked at them and saw that they indeed had defiant expressions, just as Xiaoyue had said. She smiled and replied, "Why wouldn't they? They are all clever and well-behaved young ladies. Come now, greet us. This is Aunt Xiaoyue, and this is Aunt Hongxiao. These aunts may look very young, but they have been in the palace for many years, serving Consort Zhaoyi flawlessly. Everyone admires their service. You will learn a lot from them in the future, and it will benefit you greatly."

Although the six still felt some resentment in their hearts, Huapin's words left them no room to refuse. They had to relent and promised to listen carefully and follow the aunts' guidance in the future.

Hongxiao nodded slightly, wearing a faint smile, but Xiaoyue just snorted. Huapin smiled and looked at them for a while before saying, "All the people in our hall live in these annexed rooms. With more people, we will arrange for you to stay in a room, one person per room. This way, it will be more convenient and also easier for the aunts to guide you..."

The six young girls, only thirteen or fourteen years old, listened silently to Huapin's arrangement, their hearts filled with unease and hope for the future.

That night, the palace maids assisted Fan Xueyao in washing and changing into her night clothes. After she lay down to rest, Huapin and Qiaoqiao went to prepare for the night duties.

Inside the bedroom, Fan Xueyao had already gone to rest. Huapin came out and entered the east wing. Seeing that the candles were still lit, she came in and asked softly, "Why aren't you resting at this hour?"

Chundie replied, "The first prince had already fallen asleep, but he woke up to relieve himself. After changing the diaper and cleaning up, he was unable to fall back asleep immediately. Look, he's still wide awake."

Chu Xu, with his fair skin inherited from Fan Xueyao, was lying on the bed, covered with a gauze quilt. His large round eyes were wide open, smiling at her. Huapin couldn't help but smile back and waved at him. Then she turned to the maids serving the first prince, Chundie, Sanhua, and the wet nurse, and said, "Why did he wake up at this time? Didn't you make sure he relieved himself before sleeping? This is quite troublesome. If he cries and disturbs Lady Fan's rest, how will you explain yourselves?"

The wet nurse explained, "I saw that the first prince had just relieved himself not long ago, hadn't drunk much water, and was yawning, so I thought it wasn't necessary and helped him fall asleep."

Huapin didn't blame the wet nurse but turned to Chundie and said, "Lady is advanced in her pregnancy and is naturally lethargic, loving sleep. Shouldn't you all be more alert?"

Chundie pouted and said, "It's not that I wasn't being careful. I was very thirsty and went to the servants' quarters to drink water. When I came back, the first prince had already fallen asleep. I thought he had already relieved himself, so I didn't realize he hadn't been attended to. I deserve to be scolded for this."

Sanhua quickly chimed in, "It was our negligence. I also thought the first prince was dozing off and was afraid to disturb his sleep."

"Although it's not a big issue, now that there are newcomers in the hall, it's a time to be extra cautious. To maintain our own dignity, we should be attentive and avoid mistakes." Huapin saw that they had turned pale and decided that the scolding was enough. She then smiled and said, "Since you all know your mistake, I'll let this one slide. Just remember this in your hearts and don't make the same mistake again."

After speaking for a while, they fell silent, afraid that their voices might disturb the first prince. They lowered the bed curtains and covered the candles with a gauze shade, plunging the room into darkness. They sat by the partition door, using the faint candlelight from the adjacent room. After checking twice over a period of time, they saw that Chu Xu was still awake. It wasn't until Sanhua checked again after a while that she saw his eyes were closed, asleep. His pink, moist little mouth was slightly open, and his long eyelashes cast a small shadow over his eye sockets.

"He's finally asleep," Sanhua said softly as she came out.

Chundie smiled and said, "He's finally asleep. I'll go back to the servants' quarters to rest now." She brought her hand to her mouth to stifle a yawn, a tear forming at the corner of her eye. It was Sanhua and the wet nurse's turn to be on night duty for the first prince. Chundie didn't need to stay and could rest. However, she had delayed leaving because of Huapin's earlier scolding. Thinking about the new palace maids in the room, she feared she might not get a good night's sleep and couldn't help but feel a little disheartened.

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