Jin Liangyi had been demoted to a low-ranking maid, which, in the eyes of the women in the harem, was hardly a big deal. Although Jin Liangyi had risen from a maid to the position of Liangyi through some means, the honors in the harem were given by the emperor. If the emperor decided to take them back, it would only take one word from him.
“Your Highness, that Jin Liangyi…” Shi Wu glanced at her mistress’s exquisite palace robe, carefully looking around, clearly not wanting to draw attention.
“The emperor lost his child and is upset. What’s so strange about Jin Liangyi being demoted to a maid?” Ruo Fei supported Shi Wu’s hand, pretending to wipe her lips with a handkerchief. “I heard that Jin Liangyi’s brother killed someone, and publicly boasted that his sister was the emperor’s favored concubine.” Ruo Fei sneered, “She’s just a maid who rose to a fifth-ranked servant; no wonder her family is so unremarkable.”
Shi Wu finally understood. She had wondered why the emperor had visited Jin Liangyi’s quarters several times in recent months, even though she wasn’t the most favored. So it was because of this incident, picking out Jin Liangyi from among all the other concubines.
Seeing Shi Wu’s expression of realization, Ruo Fei frowned impatiently, “You should keep your wits about you, don’t wait for me to remind you about everything.”
“Yes,” Shi Wu lowered her head, while Fu Xiu, standing on the other side of Ruo Fei, smiled faintly, offering a mocking glance before turning her attention back to serving Ruo Fei.
“Your Highness, isn’t that Zhao Pin and Yuan Fei ahead?” Fu Xiu noticed the group in front and whispered, “Yuan Fei looks like she’s in a bad mood.”
Ruo Fei stopped for a moment, examined the situation carefully, and raised an eyebrow. “Yuan Fei hasn’t been favored for a couple of years, but now she’s at odds with Zhao Pin? How interesting.” She didn’t like Zhao Pin, but neither did she favor Yuan Fei. Back when she first entered the palace, Yuan Fei had made things difficult for her. So, watching them clash was something she would enjoy.
“Your Highness, I’ve heard some gossip,” Shi Wu interjected. “I heard from some servants that the Lin family and the Zhuang family don’t get along in court. Perhaps this is why Zhao Pin is in trouble.”
Ruo Fei smiled with a hint of amusement and motioned for Shi Wu to help her. “I see. Looks like we’re about to watch a good show.”
Zhuang Luoyan felt innocent. She had been walking obediently after leaving Ye Shurong’s place, but still found herself targeted. This person didn’t use the subtle tactics of Ruo Fei; instead, they went straight for the harsh strikes.
Zhuang Luoyan didn’t know much about Yuan Fei’s background, except that she had served the emperor during his youth, and although she was nearly thirty now, her beauty was still captivating. It was a pity that, in the court, new faces always replaced the old, and her beauty was now relegated to the depths of the palace.
“I’ve heard that Zhao Pin of Taoyu Pavilion, since receiving the emperor’s favor, has become arrogant and rude. I thought it was just servants’ gossip, but seeing her now, it’s clear that she has no manners at all.” Yuan Fei raised an eyebrow with a sharp expression, extending her right index finger to pinch Zhuang Luoyan’s chin, looking down at the woman kneeling before her. She was young and beautiful, with skin like dewy petals, unlike herself, whose beauty had faded and whose imperial favor had waned.
With a sudden push, Yuan Fei left a red mark on Zhuang Luoyan’s chin. Slowly withdrawing her hand, she carefully wiped it with a handkerchief before saying, “With this appearance, you shouldn’t be so arrogant in the harem.”
Zhuang Luoyan lowered her head, silently cursing. Though Yuan Fei wasn’t favored, her seniority in the palace meant that Zhuang Luoyan, a mere Zhao Pin, could hardly avoid disaster at her hands. The only thing that could save her was the emperor or a higher-ranking concubine who didn’t get along with Yuan Fei. But thinking about the emperor’s behavior toward the harem and the many beauties there, Zhuang Luoyan rubbed her chin. She realized she wasn’t destined to be the heroine of a romance novel, so it was better to focus on how to get herself out of this mess.
“Yuan Fei, please, I truly did not intend to offend you,” Zhuang Luoyan sighed inwardly, knowing full well that Yuan Fei was targeting her, not because of anything else but simply for the power play in the palace.
“Greetings, Yuan Fei,” Ruo Fei appeared with her entourage, smiling gently as she glanced at Zhuang Luoyan kneeling on the floor. “Isn’t this Zhao Pin? I hear you’ve been attending to the emperor, and you’ll likely be even busier in the future. What’s she done to offend you?”
Yuan Fei glanced at Ruo Fei and forced a smile. “Ruo Fei, you’ve been serving the emperor, haven’t you? It must be exhausting.”
Ruo Fei walked closer, every step graceful. “Serving the emperor is a blessing for us all, how could I call it exhausting? When I served the emperor, was it ever tiring?”
Yuan Fei, hearing this, lost her smile, glared at Ruo Fei coldly, and then turned her gaze back to Zhuang Luoyan. After a long pause, she finally spoke, “Since Ruo Fei is here today, I’ll let your disrespect go this time. If it happens again, I won’t be so lenient.”
Ruo Fei smiled as she watched Yuan Fei leave, then turned to look at Zhuang Luoyan still kneeling on the floor. Her voice was gentle yet chilling. “Remember, today I let you stand, but tomorrow, I can have you kneel again. In this harem, there are plenty of people who can crush you.”
With that, Ruo Fei smiled as she helped her maid away, her entourage walking past Zhuang Luoyan, their presence mocking or indifferent.
Once everyone left, Zhuang Luoyan stood up from the floor, dusted off her knees, and showed no sign of defeat on her face. “Ting Zhu, Yun Xi, when we get back, knead my legs for me. This stone floor is uncomfortable to kneel on.”
“Yes,” Ting Zhu and Yun Xi carefully helped Zhuang Luoyan back toward Taoyu Pavilion. Yun Xi sighed, “I didn’t expect Yuan Fei to make things so difficult for you, Mistress. I heard that Lord Ye and Master Lin don’t get along, but who would have thought this would affect the harem? Also, why did Ruo Fei help you?”
“She’s not helping me; she just wanted to watch the drama and add fuel to the fire for both Yuan Fei and me,” Ting Zhu lowered her voice. “When Ruo Fei first entered the palace, Yuan Fei made things hard for her. Now that both are concubines, and Ruo Fei is favored, she just enjoys making things difficult for Yuan Fei.”
Zhuang Luoyan thought about the nature of women in the harem—how they were both failures and great at the same time. Great in their ability to endure and climb, but failures because once they reached the top, they forgot about the thorns at the foot of the mountain.
“She helps me only to remind me that she can let me live or make me die,” Zhuang Luoyan sneered, “She’s still holding that slap from Ge Jin Zi over me.” Unfortunately, Zhuang Luoyan didn’t have much self-esteem, so although Ruo Fei’s actions embarrassed her, at least she wasn’t being punished by Yuan Fei. She thought this level of insult was a fair trade and didn’t feel the pressure.
In some ways, women without pride, face, or dignity have the strongest spirit.
After Yuan Fei returned to her palace, she smashed several porcelain tea cups in anger. Zhao Pin was hateful, but Ruo Fei was a thorn in her side. A woman who had once been a mere low-ranking concubine, now on equal footing with her, flaunting her favor with the emperor—truly unbearable.
“Lin Qingyin, what a good Ruo Fei!” Yuan Fei muttered, breaking off a flower stem and sneering.
Because of Ye Shurong’s miscarriage, the emperor had been upset and hadn’t visited any women in the harem for several days. The harem, fearful of Jin Liangyi’s fate, kept quiet. Everyone stayed in their quarters, even when paying respects to the Empress, behaving properly. No one dared to show off or create trouble.
Zhuang Luoyan had been very idle lately, so she decided to start learning a necessary skill for women in ancient times—needlework. Though the original owner of her body had a temper, her needlework skills weren’t bad. Zhuang Luoyan was making the best of it and practicing embroidering handkerchiefs.
Life in the harem was quite relaxed as long as no one was making trouble. Zhuang Luoyan occasionally practiced calligraphy too. The results weren’t perfect, but her handwriting was decent enough.
“Your Highness, a new batch of incense was distributed in the palace today. Would you like to use some?” Yunxi carefully entered holding a small lacquered wooden box.
“Incense?” Zhuang Luoyan furrowed her brows. “Let me see it.”
The incense in the box was crafted well, with a light fragrance—perfect for this weather to scent clothes or the room.
Zhuang Luoyan toyed with a piece of incense. “Since the weather is still mild, there’s no need to use incense to repel mosquitoes. I’ve never liked using these to scent my clothes. Put it aside.”
In the palace dramas, incense is often associated with poison, so she couldn’t tell if these incense pieces were safe. However, she knew that prolonged exposure to such things could be harmful to the respiratory system, so she decided to avoid them.
Yunxi carefully packed away the incense and left, likely understanding Zhuang Luoyan’s concerns.
“Your Highness, are you worried?” Tingzhu gently massaged Zhuang Luoyan’s shoulder and quietly explained, “These incense pieces were sent through the palace department, so there’s a low chance they’re problematic. If not, then everything we use here could be compromised.”
Zhuang Luoyan lazily leaned back in her chair and smiled. “But this palace is still under the control of the emperor, the empress dowager, and the empress.”
Tingzhu was surprised. She hadn’t thought about this layer of complexity. She had assumed the courtly struggles between concubines were small-scale, but never considered that the palace’s inner affairs could be tied to state politics.
“I see, I was too short-sighted,” Tingzhu said. “Your Highness is sharp, far more perceptive than me.”
“It’s not that you didn’t see it, it’s just that I’m overthinking,” Zhuang Luoyan waved her hand and yawned. “Forget it, I’m a bit tired. I’ll rest for a while.”
Tingzhu guessed her mistress didn’t want to think too coldly of the emperor, so she served Zhuang Luoyan in her rest. Of course, she wouldn’t know that her mistress was genuinely tired and not seeking to avoid anything.
It had been nearly ten days since the emperor last entered the harem, and the mood in the palace had grown a little restless. The empress, being the emperor’s wife, didn’t want to voice any concerns to him, while the empress dowager was still occupied with religious duties, leaving the harem to simmer in anticipation.
“Your Majesty, the empress requests an audience,” Gao Dezhu approached the emperor, who was reading memorials, and lowered his voice.
“The empress?” Feng Jin frowned slightly, his tone indifferent. He lowered his head to continue reading the documents. “Let her in.”
The empress entered the hall and bowed properly. Seeing the emperor’s indifferent expression, she spoke softly, “Your Majesty, with the recent state affairs, please don’t neglect your health.”
“You’ve worried for me,” Feng Jin stood up, walked to the empress’s side, took her hand, and sat down beside her. “Is there unrest in the harem? If there is, you needn’t report to me; simply punish them according to the rules. We’ve been married for years, there’s no need to be so cautious.”
“Your Majesty’s concern for me is my blessing,” the empress smiled, her expression softening. “I’ve noticed that you haven’t visited the sisters in the harem lately. I was wondering if you were tired, but it seems you’ve come today for something more important.”
“Caifu, why say such things?” Feng Jin smiled in response. “We’ve been married for over ten years, so there’s no need for such formality. It’s just that I’ve been busy with state matters, and the child from Ye Shurong…”
“Your Majesty need not be so upset. There will be other children,” the empress reassured him, seeing his sorrow. “The women in the harem will surely give birth to many beautiful and talented children.”
“Enough,” Feng Jin gave a forced smile. “I’ve made you worry. You’ve been tired as well, go back and rest. I will take care of things.”
The empress, seeing his expression, didn’t say much more. She left with concern and affection for him.
Once the empress left, the smile on the emperor’s face disappeared. “Gao Dezhu.”
“Your servant is here,” Gao Dezhu entered the room, noticing the emperor’s cold expression, and lowered his head.
“Send for the eunuchs from the Inner Palace.”
The eunuchs from the Inner Palace entered carrying a tray of tokens, neatly arranged, with nearly thirty tokens, some with names the emperor didn’t even recognize.
The tokens were sorted by rank, and Feng Jin casually flipped through them before picking one. “This one.”
The eunuch carefully took the token and exited the hall.
“His Majesty’s decree: Tonight, the lights in He Le Palace will be managed.”
Gao Dezhu lowered his head. He Le Palace? It seems that Empress Ruo would be the target of jealousy from the other concubines tomorrow.
“Gao Dezhu!”
Upon hearing the emperor’s summons, Gao Dezhu hurriedly responded, “Your servant is here.”
“Distribute the silks from Jiangnan to the empress and several of the concubines in the palace,” Feng Jin paused. “Also to Yanyi Gui and Zhaoji.”
“Yes.”
Yanyi Gui and Zhaoji? It seems these two are still in favor.
Lucien On ABRWF Chapter 34.1