The queen merely smiled faintly and lowered her eyes to glance at the bright red nail polish on her nails, freshly dyed with balsam flowers the previous day.
"The emperor's decisions are not for you and me to question," she said, implying that they should mind their own business and not meddle in things that didn't concern them.
Concubine Zhu was rebuffed and forced to awkwardly smile before falling silent.
"Concubine Yan, I heard you suffer from a stomach ailment, so you must be careful with your diet. I happen to have some top - grade blood bird's nests from the south of the Yangtze River that were just offered as tribute. I'll bestow them upon you."
After saying that, the queen waved her hand, and Qingzhu, the maid beside her, fetched the gift and walked towards Yan Qingshu.
Yan Qingshu quickly replied, "Your Majesty, this concubine is unworthy of such a generous gift."
"What do you mean by unworthy? As the mistress of the six palaces, it's only natural for me to care about all of you. Since you're suffering from a stomach ailment, this is what I should do. Accept it." The queen frowned slightly, feigning annoyance.
Having no other choice, Yan Qingshu had Zhuyao accept the gift on her behalf.
"This concubine thanks Your Majesty, the queen." Yan Qingshu curtsied and then returned to her seat.
The other concubines all cast somewhat envious glances at her. Although the noble consort was under house - arrest because of Yan Qingshu, which allowed them to breathe a sigh of relief after being oppressed by the noble consort for so long, Yan Qingshu's sudden rise in favor was also a considerable threat.
"We are all the emperor's concubines and sisters. The emperor has enough to worry about in the court, and we, as the models for all the women in the world, should set a good example. We must never resort to such despicable means as back - stabbing. If I find out about anyone doing so, I will not show any mercy!"
The queen's stern gaze swept across the concubines.
"We will surely obey Your Majesty's order!" The concubines stood up and chorused in agreement.
The queen then gave a few more routine exhortations about bearing the emperor's children before finally dismissing the concubines.
As usual, Yan Qingshu walked at the back. The other concubines kept their distance from her and didn't want to say a single word to her.
Yan Qingshu didn't really care. She didn't want to make friends with others, and she also didn't want others to smile to her face while stabbing her in the back.
While walking on the palace path, Lady Tang walked up beside her and said, "Concubine Yan, take good care of your health."
Then, she turned off at a fork in the path without saying another word.
Zhuyao watched her back and said, "My lady, this Lady Tang seems to be a rare kind person in the palace."
Yan Qingshu stared at her back and tilted her head slightly. "Really?"
In this palace full of intrigues and hostility, could a friendly gesture truly be as innocent as it seemed?
The mistress and maid then returned to the Guanghan Palace.
In the Guanghan Palace, the new servants sent by the Imperial Household Department the previous day had already started their work on their own initiative.
When they saw Yan Qingshu return, they all knelt down to pay their respects.
"Your servant/slave pays respects to the mistress."
Yan Qingshu's gaze casually swept across them and she said with a smile, "Get up."
The maids and eunuchs exchanged surprised glances. Usually, when new servants were assigned to a concubine's palace, they would be given a warning. Why was this mistress so amiable?
"What are your names?" Yan Qingshu asked.
"I'm Xianshu. She's Shihua, she's Tanyun, and he's Xiaoqingzi," Xianshu stepped forward and introduced them one by one from left to right.
Yan Qingshu's eyes skimmed over the four of them.
"Zhuyao, Xianshu and Shihua will be second - rank maids. Tanyun will be a rough - work maid, and Xiaoqingzi will assist Xiaoluzi."
"Thank you, mistress!"
The four of them bowed.
Yan Qingshu's smiling eyes gently rested on them.
Inside the palace, the items sent by the chief of the Imperial Household Department the previous day remained untouched.
Yan Qingshu summoned Zhuyao, Xianshu, and Shihua to start registering the gifts.
These were all the things she was entitled to as a concubine of her rank. However, in the past, the noble consort had ordered the Imperial Household Department not to provide her with good food and clothing.
Watching the three of them register the items, Yan Qingshu's eyes fell on Xianshu and Shihua. Seeing that their expressions remained unchanged, she slightly lowered her eyes.
"Zhuyao, bring out the Western perfume from the storeroom."
It was time to use these perfumes.
Zhuyao nodded.
Just as they were busy in the palace, the people from the imperial kitchen brought in breakfast.
"Your servant pays respects to Concubine Yan. The emperor has ordered the imperial kitchen to prepare special stomach - nourishing meals for you. Only the finest ingredients were used. The emperor specifically instructed that you must eat them while they're still hot. Don't let them get cold."
Xiaoshunzi, the apprentice of Li Dahai, personally led the people from the imperial kitchen.
Xianshu and Shihua secretly glanced at each other. They became even more careful in registering the gifts and their expressions became more respectful.
They had originally thought that being assigned to the Guanghan Palace meant a hard life. But unexpectedly, they were lucky enough to be here when the emperor favored Concubine Yan.
In front of Xiaoshunzi, Yan Qingshu finished drinking the stomach - nourishing tonic. Only then did Xiaoshunzi leave with a smile to report back to the emperor.
On the table were the breakfast dishes from the imperial kitchen. Each dish was light and good for the stomach, with little oil or meat.
Yan Qingshu didn't have a big appetite. She only took a small portion of each dish before she couldn't eat anymore.
After bestowing the remaining breakfast to the servants, Yan Qingshu was alone in the main hall.
The sun was shining brightly that day. Yan Qingshu stood behind the window and looked at a crabapple tree in the courtyard. A few days ago, the strong wind and heavy rain had withered its leaves and branches, but now it had sprouted new buds.
"The Marquis of Zhenyuan's Mansion... I won't be under your control forever..."
Yan Qingshu murmured.
She remembered that before entering the palace, when she went to serve the noble consort's meal, passing by a courtyard, she overheard her father discussing some court affairs with others.
Perhaps this was an opportunity to bring down the Marquis of Zhenyuan's Mansion.
A smile curled on Yan Qingshu's lips.
---
In the Fengzao Palace, the sound of breaking porcelain echoed one after another.
The noble consort sat amidst the shards of porcelain, her beautiful eyes filled with killing intent.
"Slut!" Her slender hands tightly grasped the armrests. Just thinking about the scene of the emperor carrying that slut away in his arms last night made her blood boil with anger.
"How dare she scheme against me!"
The noble consort was so angry that her chest heaved like the waves of the sea.
"Your Majesty, please don't be so angry," Yinqiao boldly advised.
"How can I not be angry! When has the emperor ever punished me before? In the past, when I got rid of a few maids, or some ladies and concubines, when did the emperor ever blame me?
"Now, I just taught my half - sister a little lesson, and the emperor is so heart - broken for that slut! If it wasn't for that slut's deliberate seduction, what else could it be?"
The noble consort raised her hand and swept another tea set to the ground. Yinqiao's shoulders trembled in fear.
"Why did the emperor suddenly appear in the Fengzao Palace? Didn't I tell you to avoid being seen by others?" The noble consort suddenly realized and looked at Yinqiao.
"I... I don't know, Your Majesty..." Yinqiao whispered.
"Useless!"
The noble consort roared in anger.
Yinqiao was so frightened that she quickly knelt down and kowtowed. "Your Majesty, please calm down!"
She tried hard to recall what had happened the previous day, and the fat face of Hai Dasheng appeared in her mind.
"Your Majesty, I know who it is!"
"It's Hai Dasheng! I deliberately avoided people when I went there yesterday! When I arrived at the Guanghan Palace, that eunuch Hai Dasheng ignored Your Majesty's order and sent things to Yan Qingshu. He even fawned on her!"
"He must have gone to tip off the emperor!" Yinqiao said in a hurry.
The noble consort clenched her fists and sneered. "Good! I've spent so much silver on the Imperial Household Department, and it turns out I've raised a white - eyed wolf!"
"Go and prepare the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone! That slut Yan Qingshu dares to oppose me. Then I'll pluck out her mother's eyes as a lesson for her!"
Yinqiao didn't dare to delay and quickly went to prepare the writing materials.
After the noble consort finished writing the letter, she said, "Send it out through the little eunuch who goes shopping for the imperial kitchen, just like before."
Yinqiao nodded and took the envelope and left.
A short while later, she returned with a worried look on her face.
"Your Majesty, the Fengzao Palace is heavily guarded inside and out. I can't send this letter out..."
"I inquired. Originally, there weren't many guards sent by the emperor. But the queen said that she was following the emperor's order and added many more guards. Now the Fengzao Palace is tightly blocked..." Yinqiao whispered.
The noble consort sat back in her seat and laughed out of extreme anger.