Seeing that the time for the greetings was approaching, Consort Jia deliberately badmouthed Achu in front of the Empress. “This Consort Baochen certainly has quite the airs. The time is almost here, yet she still hasn’t arrived.”
Empress Fuca indeed frowned, her dislike of Achu increasing. She was already arrogant with favor despite having only just entered the palace—what would she become in the future? The Empress was about to send someone to see what was going on when a eunuch’s shrill announcement came from outside.
“Consort Baochen has arrived—”
All the consorts assumed their most graceful postures and craned their necks expectantly. Every one of them wanted to see just what sort of peerless beauty this “legendary woman” who had leaped straight to the rank of consort truly was.
As a figure slowly approached, everyone’s gaze was drawn irresistibly to the radiant young girl. A faint haze of mist and rosy clouds seemed to surround her; she was clearly no ordinary mortal.
Suddenly, there was a crisp crack.
Someone’s tea had splashed everywhere and spilled across the floor.
Yet no one paid any attention to the tremendous noise—not even the palace maids and eunuchs who should have been cleaning up the mess. Every one of them stood rooted to the spot, afraid to move lest the person before them vanish because of some sudden motion.
The young girl wore a moon-white satin banner gown embroidered with colorful flowers and fluttering butterflies. They seemed to dance with her light steps, like clouds slowly gathering and dispersing. Exquisitely embroidered magnolia blossoms adorned the hem, complementing the white-jade carved-flower tassel hairpin in her banner headdress. Her features were as elegant and fine as jade.
But what was astonishingly beautiful was the girl herself. With the simplest of colors, she seemed to embody the most exquisite beauty in the world—dreamlike and illusory.
Feeling the ardent gazes of those around her, the girl lowered her eyes slightly. A blush appeared on her jade-like cheeks, and her shy, bashful manner made people’s hearts race and their mouths go dry.
“Gulp.”
Noble Consort Hui swallowed rather hopelessly, her mind filled with a single thought: His Majesty was truly blessed!
“Your subject pays her respects to the Empress and Noble Consort Hui. May Your Highness enjoy good fortune and peace,” Achu said, bowing gracefully. Her knees bent ever so slightly, forming an elegant arc, and every gesture she made was calm and composed. She did not look like someone who had come from a palace-maid background at all.
“Rise,” the Empress said with a dignified smile. “Consort Jia and I were just talking about you, and here you are.”
Consort Jia could not even force the smile at the corners of her lips to rise. She had always prided herself on her beauty, but the moment Baochen appeared today, she had instantly been reduced to a speck of mud by comparison. The fact that she had not immediately flung up her sleeves and left could already be considered proof of her strong will.
“Come, take a seat.” Noble Consort Hui pointed to the empty place beside her and invited her over.
“Yes.” Achu answered with a smile, her brows and eyes curving sweetly. Her voice was soft and pleasant. “Thank you, Noble Consort Hui.”
Noble Consort Hui’s face flushed. She was so beautiful, and her voice was so lovely too! I like her.
As Achu sat down beside Noble Consort Hui, she imperceptibly knitted her brows. Why was there a faint scent of Lingling Incense on Noble Consort Hui?
Lingling Incense was a drug used by women for contraception. Achu had studied medicine, and with her naturally keen sense of smell, she could easily detect things ordinary people could not. Naturally, she also knew what had produced this scent.
Besides… there was more than just Lingling Incense.
“Why did Consort Baochen arrive so late?” Consort Jia said without even looking at Achu, lowering her head to sip her tea. “You must come earlier next time. Don’t make all the sisters in the harem wait for you alone.”
Damn it, what was this inexplicable sense of guilt? She had always felt great when making things difficult for people before.
Ah, was she late?
A faintly bewildered expression appeared on Achu’s face. She was slow to react, and when the beautiful Consort Jia said these things to her, she did not think too deeply about them. She assumed Consort Jia was kindly reminding her and replied with an innocent, radiant smile, “Thank you for reminding me, Elder Sister. I’ll come earlier next time.”
Consort Jia was stunned. She looked up and saw the gratitude on Achu’s extraordinarily beautiful little face, then fell silent for a moment.
Tsk! How terrifying. She actually felt even guiltier.
The Empress rubbed her forehead helplessly. This child—she hadn’t taken Consort Jia’s words as praise, had she? But in truth, the Empress felt considerably more relaxed.
Noble Consort Hui gave a half-smile. “What Consort Jia said is rather amusing. There’s still some time before the greetings, so how could Consort Baochen be considered late? Besides, Her Highness the Empress hasn’t said anything yet.”
Good. This was how things were supposed to feel.
Consort Jia instantly recovered her composure. The two of them exchanged a few barbed but harmless remarks before the Empress, exasperated, interrupted them. If she let them continue, they would never get to discuss anything important.
She called Sulian over, and Sulian pointed out the consorts one by one as they paid their respects to Achu. Achu took everything in at once and, in the process, came to recognize a great many people.
Finally, the Empress lightly moved her sleeve. “As this is your first promotion to consort, Younger Sister, I have nothing particularly good to give you. This white-jade necklace inlaid with jadeite is an exceptionally rare tribute item. There is only this one in existence.”
A palace maid serving nearby immediately understood. Holding a bright yellow brocade box set with gemstones in both hands, she walked up to Achu. Inside the box lay a white-jade, coral, and southern-pearl necklace inlaid with jadeite and gold.
The necklace possessed the warm, lustrous sheen of jade, as though moonlight had gently fallen upon a tranquil lake and stirred up layers of faint, shadowy radiance. Its main body had been painstakingly carved from top-grade white jade. The material was pure, and every bead felt incomparably warm and smooth, like congealed fat. Several coral southern pearls had been cleverly set into the white jade, their colors vivid as fire. The necklace even carried the scent of tuberose.
But the most eye-catching part was the jadeite pendant shaped like auspicious clouds, set at the center of the necklace. Its green was deep and rich, making anyone want to draw closer for a careful look.
“Her Highness the Empress is truly generous,” Noble Consort Hui said with a smile. “White jade of this size and quality is rarely seen. Even that jadeite is exceedingly rare. It is in no way inferior to the jadeite and red-gold lotus bracelet His Majesty bestowed upon me back then.”
As she spoke, she deliberately turned the red-gold lotus bracelet around her pale wrist.
The Lingling Incense was so strong.
When Achu caught the familiar scent again from the jadeite-and-white-jade necklace in the box, she instantly became wary of the dignified and gentle Empress before her. She did not want to think the worst of people, but this was only her first day in the palace, and the Empress had already tampered with the gift she had given her.
The imperial harem truly was no place for a human being to live. It was simply filled with danger at every turn.
Still, after searching everywhere without success, she had stumbled upon what she needed without any effort at all. She had been worrying about how to obtain contraceptive medicine that would not harm her body. By some strange twist of fate, the Empress’s gift was exactly what she wanted.
Thus, Achu’s eyes curved into beautiful crescents, brilliant as rippling peach blossoms, and she said sincerely, “Thank you for Your Highness the Empress’s kind intentions. I’ll wear it at all times.”
The Empress turned her gaze away and finally understood why Consort Jia had not dared look at Achu. Doing something wicked to a beauty like this placed an exceptional weight on one’s conscience.
“All right. Younger Sisters, you should return early.”
The Empress’s eyelashes trembled a few times before she dismissed all the consorts. If they stayed any longer, she was truly afraid she might lose her head and take the necklace back.
Everyone rose, paid their respects, and dispersed.
Wei Yingwan picked up a plain-silk brocade cloak with embroidered gold edging and draped it over Achu’s shoulders. After Achu had become Consort Baochen, Wei Yingwan had been transferred to her side to serve as her personal palace maid. Now that she had power and influence, naturally she would bring her sisters along to enjoy the benefits.
Seeing how close the two of them were, Consort Chun could not help saying, “Consort Baochen, you should pay more attention to the people around you.”
From their exchange, Consort Chun could also tell that this beautiful and charming Consort Baochen was innocent by nature, almost like a child who had not yet grown up. Unable to resist meddling, she continued, “Especially the disobedient servants around you. They’re very good at seducing people. Who knows? One day, one of them might climb into His Majesty’s bed.”
Wei Yingwan’s breathing caught under Consort Chun’s stare. She lowered her head and said nothing.
Seeing the strange way Consort Chun kept sizing up Wei Yingwan, Achu frowned and quietly shifted her foot, placing herself slightly in front of her.
“Thank you for Consort Chun’s concern, but…” Achu paused, and her tone turned cold. “I trust my own judgment more. Yingwan is with me day and night, and I believe she is absolutely not that kind of person. Besides, who doesn’t know that I also came from a servant’s background, as you just said? Is Consort Chun implying something about me as well?”
After spending so much time together, Achu naturally knew what Wei Yingwan was like. Compared with the baseless words of an unfamiliar consort, Achu was far more willing to trust the person who lived alongside her every day.
Wei Yingwan raised her eyes in shock. Achu’s words of defense struck the softest place in her heart.
From childhood to adulthood, no one had ever trusted her, valued her, or protected her like this—not even the childhood sweetheart she loved. Whenever she was bullied, the only thing he ever told her to do was endure it. Because she was a servant, she supposedly deserved to be looked down upon.
Only Achu, even though their statuses were now worlds apart, would still stand in front of her whenever she was bullied.
She had even used her own servant background to refute Consort Chun. Everyone knew that, for an ordinary palace maid who rose to become a phoenix on a branch, the thing she most wanted to avoid was having her origins mentioned.
As she watched Achu’s petite back, a warm current passed through Wei Yingwan’s heart. At that moment, even if Achu had ordered her to die, she would have been willing.
“I didn’t mean that, Consort Baochen. You’ve misunderstood me.” Realizing that she had misspoken, Consort Chun hurriedly apologized.
Achu truly did not look like someone who had come from a palace-maid background. Seeing Wei Yingwan by Achu’s side reminded Consort Chun of how Wei Yingwan had seduced the Emperor behind her back while serving in Zhongcui Palace. Naturally, she was worried about the young, sweet, and innocent Achu. There was no sisterly affection in the imperial harem. If Achu believed people too readily, she might end up abandoned by everyone. Was Noble Lady Shen not a perfect example? That was why she had spoken up.
Consort Chun saw Achu’s little face turned cold, yet even so, she was still impossibly beautiful. Consort Chun could not summon the slightest bit of anger toward her and could only apologize gently. “I misspoke. I hope Consort Baochen won’t take offense.”
Consort Chun apologized repeatedly. Seeing that her tone was sincere, Achu’s cool expression finally softened.
Consort Chun’s words had essentially amounted to spreading a false rumor about her. Achu hated that sort of thing, so she added, “A woman’s chastity is extremely important. In the future, I ask that Consort Chun choose your words more carefully. I know you meant no harm, but words can also kill without making a sound.”
Consort Chun smiled bitterly. Achu looked soft and mild by nature, but who would have thought that she was bristling with sharpness beneath the surface?
That was good, too. At least she would not be easily bullied by others.
For some inexplicable reason, Consort Chun felt considerably more at ease.
“Are you still not leaving?”
From a distance, Noble Consort Hui held a small, openwork hand warmer decorated with flowers and leaves. Seeing Achu and Consort Chun chatting so happily, she felt terribly uncomfortable. Frowning, she called out to them.
Achu had developed a favorable impression of Noble Consort Hui after receiving several acts of kindness from her. After bidding Consort Chun farewell, she lightly blinked her eyes, which glittered like stars, and followed after her with a smile.
All the way there, she sweetly called Noble Consort Hui “Elder Sister.” The repeated address made Noble Consort Hui’s ears turn red all the way, while the deep furrow between her brows gradually smoothed out without her realizing it.
Hmph. Such a glib tongue.