Chapter 1: The Sickly Attendant

Chapter 1 The Sickly Answering Attendant

In early August of the thirteenth year of the Kangxi era, the feudal lords, including Pingxi Prince Wu Sangui, Pingnan Prince Shang Kexi, and Jingnan Prince Geng Jingzhong, refused to agree to the abolition of their domains and launched a full-scale rebellion, engaging in battle with the Qing army.

At this time, inside and outside the Forbidden City, white funeral banners hung high, and everything was draped entirely in white, immersed in a gloomy and sorrowful atmosphere. This was because three months earlier, Empress Hesheli Shi had passed away on the very day she gave birth to a son due to hemorrhaging after childbirth. The emperor was so grief-stricken that he vomited blood and suspended court audiences for a month. Even after the funeral, the palace remained tense and somber, especially now with the Revolt of the Three Feudatories. These were troubled times, and everyone in the palace was on edge, fearful of crossing the emperor's taboos.

Under the eaves and corridors of Yonghe Palace, white lanterns still hung. The palace maid Pan Liu carried a red-lacquered carved food box into a room in the western side hall of the rear courtyard. After setting out the meal, she informed her mistress that it was time to eat.

Fang Yu had been here for two months now. In the first month, she refused to accept the fact that she had time-traveled. She had just turned eighteen, a pampered young lady from a wealthy family, cherished and pampered by her parents. On the very first day after graduating high school, before she could even begin to enjoy herself, she found herself transported to ancient times. Who would willingly accept such a fate?

When she arrived, she was seriously ill and could only lie in bed to recuperate. During that month of recovery, she learned from her personal maid, Pan Liu, that she had traveled back to the feudal and backward Qing Dynasty during Kangxi's reign, coinciding with the funeral of Kangxi's first empress, Hesheli Shi. The palace was busy with mourning and observance of funeral rites, so no one paid attention to the original host who had already "died of illness," and no one noticed any changes in her.

In the second month after her arrival, her health improved, and she accepted the reality that she had time-traveled and could not return for the time being.

She had no memories of the original host and could only gather more information from Pan Liu and those who came to visit her. It turned out she was merely an Answering Attendant. The mistresses of the rear palace were ranked from highest to lowest as follows: Empress, Imperial Noble Consort, Noble Consort, Consort, Noble Lady, First Attendant, Answering Attendant, and Common Consort. Her rank as an Answering Attendant was at the very bottom.

Fang Yu sat down at the dining table and looked at the food laid out before her, unable to help but frown. There were only two dishes and two steamed buns: a plate of yellowed, cold greens and a plate of red-cooked pork. The weather was hot, and the red-cooked pork had already developed a layer of congealed fat on top, white and greasy, mostly fatty meat. It was clear that it had been sitting out for a long time and had been served without even being reheated. For the past two months, she hadn’t had a single decent meal. Most of the food was cold, and occasionally it even had a slightly sour smell. The meals consisted mostly of plain vegetables in clear broth, and even when there was meat, it was often like today—greasy, fatty meat that was inedible.

She had never eaten such poor food in her life. Her rank was low, and she was likely out of favor, which was why the kitchen staff dared to treat her so carelessly.

Last month, the entire palace had been busy with the empress’s funeral, and she herself had just arrived, unfamiliar with the palace rules and unwilling to cause a scene. Now that the funeral was over and the empress had been gone for three months, these people were still treating her this way.

Fang Yu couldn’t stand such a hard life anymore. She had never suffered like this before—she couldn’t even eat her fill. After enduring for two months, she finally reached her limit.

"Pan Liu, help me with my makeup. We’re going to see Noble Lady Dong."

The mistress of Yonghe Palace was Noble Lady Dong. Yonghe Palace housed five mistresses in total, with Noble Lady Dong as the head. Besides her, there was one First Attendant and two Answering Attendants.

A quarter of an hour later, Fang Yu and her maid arrived at the western warm chamber of the main hall in the front courtyard. The chamber was brightly lit, with a large kang bed near the window in the center. On the kang stood a red sandalwood kang table, on which sat a small blue-and-white vase with intertwined lotus patterns, holding freshly bloomed peonies. Noble Lady Dong reclined on the kang, her elbow resting on a cool hand pillow carved from mutton-fat jade.

The two approached Noble Lady Dong and deeply curtseyed in greeting: "Greetings to the Noble Lady. May the Noble Lady enjoy everlasting happiness."

Dong Shulan examined the two, especially Lady Uya. She had been ill for two months, and her loose, round-collared plain white embroidered orchid Qipao made her look frail and thin, as if a gust of wind could knock her over. Her pale, translucent face featured a pair of almond-shaped eyes that shimmered like water, with delicate and exquisite features that gave her a pitiful, vulnerable appearance.

The palace was full of beautiful women, and Lady Uya was among the most outstanding. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been chosen to be a mistress.

Three months earlier, the Grand Empress Dowager, concerned that the emperor had few children and that several had died young, decided to hold a minor selection within the palace. Five palace maids of the appropriate age, all around fifteen or sixteen years old, were chosen to be promoted to mistresses. Lady Uya was one of them. She was originally a bondservant from a low-ranking family and might have remained a servant for life. But fate smiled on her, and she was selected by the Grand Empress Dowager to become a mistress. However, before she could even serve the emperor, the empress passed away after giving birth to a prince. The emperor was overwhelmed with grief, and now, preoccupied with state affairs, he had not summoned anyone to serve him for three months.

Dong Shulan was wary of Lady Uya because of her striking beauty. She feared that if Lady Uya ever gained favor, she might surpass her. She had someone offer Lady Uya a seat and serve tea, then asked coolly what had brought her there.

Fang Yu took the food from the food box and placed it before Noble Lady Dong. She directly knelt down and said tearfully, "Sister Noble Lady, this is the food the kitchen servants gave me. Look, this dish even has dirt in it—it must have fallen on the ground and been picked up. How can anyone eat this? Although I’m only an Answering Attendant, I am still a mistress. Those servants are humiliating me like this. I beg Sister Noble Lady to help me."

Dong Shulan glanced at the two dishes. It was obvious that they were cold leftovers, not fit for a mistress. The servants in the palace had always been obsequious and status-conscious, treating people based on their status. Lady Uya was merely an Answering Attendant who had never served the emperor, from a low-ranking family, and had only recently been promoted from servant to mistress. It was no surprise that they treated her this way.

She responded perfunctorily, "Younger Sister, the empress’s grand funeral has just ended, and there is no one in charge of the rear palace. Perhaps the kitchen is short-staffed and overwhelmed. Just ask them to prepare fresh dishes. This is not a big matter; there’s no need for you to make a fuss."

Fang Yu thought to herself that Noble Lady Dong made it sound so simple. For the past two months, most of her meals had been like this—not just once or twice, but for two whole months. She was still sick, yet she was given such poor food. Noble Lady Dong was the head of Yonghe Palace; how could she not know? It was likely that she had tacitly allowed it. Wiping her tears, Fang Yu continued, "Elder Sister is right. It must be that those servants didn’t do their job properly. But I am a mistress of Yonghe Palace. Those servants are not only bullying me but also disregarding you, the head of this palace. Elder Sister is kind-hearted and unwilling to punish those servants harshly, but I think I should report this matter to the emperor and have him severely punish them. Only then will they dare not act this way."

Seeing that Lady Uya intended to escalate the matter, Dong Shulan frowned. She was not unaware that the kitchen servants were mistreating Lady Uya, but she had turned a blind eye. If this matter were brought before the emperor, and he started asking questions, she, as the head of the palace, would be held responsible, especially since Lady Uya was under her care.

She quickly said, "The emperor is preoccupied with state affairs. Why bother him with such a trivial matter? Rest assured, Younger Sister, I will severely punish those incompetent servants."

"Thank you, Elder Sister. I will take my leave now."

Dong Shulan waved her hand, signaling for Lady Uya to leave. She felt puzzled. Lady Uya had lived in Yonghe Palace for three months, and she had always thought her timid and weak-willed. But today, she seemed like a different person—articulate and not easily fooled.

After some thought, she summoned Chief Eunuch Liu of Yonghe Palace and sent him to the Eastern Kitchen.