Heavy snow whirled through the sky, covering everything in a cloak of silver.
In the Cold Palace, Ruyi struggled to lift a bucket of water.
“Your Highness, that’s hard work.” Suoxin hurried over to lend a hand. “Let this servant do it.”
“I can help you.” Ruyi did not let go.
“I’ve already finished washing the clothes,” Suoxin said gently. “Your Highness, go hang them up.” Seeing that her mistress was determined to do some work, Suoxin could only find her something less strenuous.
This was already their second year since entering the Cold Palace, and the second winter they had spent there. There was nothing in this place, while the meals sent by the Imperial Household Department were cold and fishy. The only other residents of the Cold Palace were the former imperial consorts who had been imprisoned there for half their lives and had long since gone mad.
At first, Ruyi and Suoxin had been frightened and helpless. Gradually, however, they had found a way to survive. They began supporting themselves, earning money to maintain their daily lives in the Cold Palace.
They had Jiang Yubin, Suoxin’s fellow townsman, and Ling Yunche, a guard stationed at the Cold Palace, to thank for that. Without their assistance, the two of them would probably have died in the Cold Palace that winter, leaving behind nothing but wandering ghosts.
At this point, Ruyi still held out hope for Hongli. The deep affection of their youth was not something she could abandon and sever so easily. Thus, compared with the women in the Cold Palace who had gone completely deranged, her face remained calm. She had not lost hope in life.
“So she’s Consort Xian?” Achu recognized her at a glance. Even in the Cold Palace, she still wore nail guards[1]Decorative protective coverings worn over long fingernails, especially by elite women during the Qing dynasty. Often made from gold, silver, jade, or other precious materials, they protected the … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3729182_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3729182_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); while working; only someone who had once been an imperial consort could retain such dignity. Peering secretly over the wall, Achu could not help sighing. “The Cold Palace really isn’t a place for human beings. Two perfectly lovely women have been ruined like this.”
The clear, elegant beauty of their faces had been marked by the passage of time. Of their former beauty, only three parts remained.
Achu had been terribly bored, so she had come wandering around near the Cold Palace. Few people came here, and those she encountered were mostly guards and palace servants without any authority. Jinzhong had also told her plenty of gossip about Consort Xian and His Majesty. Since she had never seen any of the women from the inner palace herself, her curiosity had gotten the better of her. Despite the bitter cold, she had crawled out of her bedclothes and secretly come here alone.
Having satisfied her curiosity, Achu was about to climb down the tree when—
“Are you the Pear-Blossom Fairy[2]A poetic description comparing a beautiful woman to a celestial maiden surrounded by pear blossoms. In Chinese literary imagery, white pear blossoms often suggest delicate beauty, purity, and … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3729182_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3729182_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });?” a soft, delicate voice slowly asked, cautious and careful, as though afraid of disturbing something.
Achu followed the sound and looked over. It was Ruyi and her maidservant, and the one who had spoken was the gentle-looking Suoxin.
Achu tilted her head and gave a small, pursed-lip smile. Just then, pear blossoms drifted down on the wind, scattering over the young girl’s temples. She was as beautiful as a celestial maiden, unlike anyone of the mortal world—truly the very “Pear-Blossom Fairy” Suoxin had spoken of.
Unfortunately, by the time the two women recovered from that smile, Achu had already vanished. Had they not seen it with their own eyes, they would never have believed that such a beauty existed in this world. One woman alone, with one smile, was worth an entire army.
Achu jogged away, mortified. She had been caught spying on them. Run, run, run!
“Ah—”
She collided head-on with someone. Acting on instinct, Achu grabbed the person’s belt and steadied herself.
When she looked closely, she saw a red python robe, with a purification whip hanging at his side. Achu was not without discernment—this was the chief eunuch! She hurriedly lowered her head.
“This servant didn’t mean to. Eunuch, are you all right?”
In her panic, she even forgot to let go of the belt in her hand.
Li Yu was a handsome man, especially when anger flushed his face red; he was truly a feast for the eyes. Gritting his teeth, he said, “Are you going to let go?”
“Ah—oh, oh.” At first, Achu did not understand what he meant. Then she suddenly realized, released his belt, hurriedly took a large step backward, and saluted.
“Which palace are you from? How can you be so careless?” Li Yu asked with a frown. “What if you had offended some noble person? Could you bear the consequences?”
“I’m sorry, Eunuch. This servant knows she was wrong.” Achu lowered her head even further and spoke in a timid, submissive voice.
Li Yu had a gentle temperament. As he looked at the young woman who had not raised her head once from beginning to end, his gaze tightened slightly. There was no other reason—Achu’s bearing was simply too extraordinary. She did not look like a palace maid; rather, she seemed like a daughter of a noble family.
He opened his mouth, apparently intending to say something more, but his words were interrupted.
“Master, His Majesty is looking for you,” Jinbao said discreetly, stepping in to smooth things over.
Although Li Yu still felt somewhat inexplicably unsettled, he put His Majesty’s affairs first. Before leaving, however, he asked almost unconsciously, “What is your name?”
“This servant is called Xiao Meng. I serve in the Cold Palace.” Achu answered without hesitation.
Her lowered face was twisted with unease. Jinzhong had told her that Chief Eunuch Li Yu was ruthless. On the surface, he appeared refined and gentle, but deep down he was extremely vengeful. He was especially skilled at settling accounts later, so whenever one encountered him, it was best to avoid him if possible.
Fortunately, there were many palace maids in the imperial palace, and the clothes Achu wore that day were nothing more than an ordinary maid’s uniform. That gave her the confidence to lie. Perhaps her tone had been too sincere; perhaps no one had ever dared lie to him. Either way, Li Yu believed her.
In a mild yet serious tone, he said, “I’ll forgive you this time. But you mustn’t be so reckless again.” He then turned to Jinbao. “Jinbao, let’s go.”
Jinbao withdrew his gaze without leaving a trace. “Yes, Master.”
Achu kept her head lowered. Only after she sensed their footsteps gradually fading into the distance did she finally relax. It really was safer to stay with Aunt; today was clearly an unlucky day to go out.
Still shaken, Achu repeatedly regretted her sudden impulse. She did not want to cause trouble for Aunt and Jinzhong. The two of them were already busy enough in their daily lives, and Achu did not want them to have to worry about her as well.
Not far away—
Li Yu continued walking at his usual pace. After they had gone some distance, he suddenly said, “Go investigate that palace maid. If there’s nothing suspicious, transfer her to serve before the Emperor.”
Most palace maids assigned to the Cold Palace had neither power nor influence. They did not have the money to curry favor with their superiors, either. From that girl’s plain clothing and the fact that she had hurried about in the freezing weather without a single decent piece of jewelry, it was obvious that she was penniless and had no one in the palace to rely on.
For some reason, Li Yu could not bear to see that little palace maid looking so pitiful and helpless as others bullied her.
After saying this, he hurried toward the Imperial Study. As the chief eunuch, he had far too many matters to attend to.
Perhaps this was one of the rare occasions on which his kindness had shown itself.
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