“Sister Su.” Jiang Ling obediently changed her address, calling Su Yue “sister.”
“The main room is spacious. Sister Su should move into the main room. I’ll go tidy it up right away.”
She lacked perception, unable to read between the lines. In the palace intrigue of the rear court, she wouldn’t survive even the opening credits.
Still, she was slightly better off than Xia Chunqiu—her speed in begging for mercy far outstripped her opponents’ attacks.
Su Yue had connections above and had gained favor. Competing with her was tantamount to seeking death.
Moving to the West Side Courtyard had its advantages too. Its layout was similar to the main room, only slightly narrower. It required less ice for cooling in summer and less charcoal for heating in winter.
A flicker of triumph flashed in Su Yue’s eyes before she quickly stopped Jiang Ling from getting off the bed. “Sister Jiang, you mustn’t, you mustn’t.”
Jiang Ling froze in place. Su Yue had accepted the title of “sister” yet stopped her—what was her true intention?
“I didn’t come to ask you to move out,” Su Yue said with a laugh, withdrawing her hand and dabbing the sweat at her temple with a handkerchief.
“Sister Jiang, I’ve given ice to all the sisters living in Xie Fang Pavilion. You and I are alike—our backgrounds are humble. My father is only a county deputy, while yours is a county magistrate, slightly better off. But in the rear court, how can we even mention county deputies or magistrates?”
Jiang Ling listened blankly, not understanding why Su Yue was discussing their origins. But this was just as well—at least she could learn more about details not mentioned in the original book.
“You and I lack favor in the rear court. Our families can’t help us, and we can’t pull them up either. Unfavored palace women endure scorching summers and bitter winters. Many in Xie Fang Pavilion didn’t make it, passing away at a young age.”
Thinking of her birth mother, Huang Yiniang, Su Yue felt as if her heart were pierced by needles, her voice trembling uncontrollably. Finally, she picked up her handkerchief and dabbed the corner of her eye again.
Jiang Ling instinctively watched her movements, unable to tell whether the moisture at the corner of her eye was tears or sweat.
Su Yue put down the handkerchief, a smile reappearing on her face, the dimple on her left cheek deepening, making her look charming and adorable. She took Jiang Ling’s hand and said, “Now that my situation has improved slightly, how could I bear to see my sisters suffer? We’ve all had a hard time living together in Xie Fang Pavilion these past two years. We ought to support each other.”
Jiang Ling was unaccustomed to physical contact with others, especially in summer when she was sweaty and Su Yue’s palms were sticky. She felt uncomfortable all over, standing stiffly like a block of wood.
From Su Yue’s tone, it seemed she was simply being kind, looking after her unfavored neighbors.
Jiang Ling subconsciously doubted this, her mind flashing to palace intrigue videos she had seen.
Perhaps the ice concealed poison—maybe musk or saffron. Or perhaps one might slip on the wet ice, fall, and miscarry!
Then, Jiang Ling secretly rejoiced.
Their schemes would likely be in vain because she wasn’t pregnant!
Su Yue paid no mind to Jiang Ling’s wooden demeanor, smiling cheerfully as she patted her hand. “Sister Jiang, you look weary. Then again, in such sweltering heat, even the trees are wilting, let alone people. With ice, you can cool off a bit. Sister Jiang, you should rest now.”
“Thank you, Sister Su,” Jiang Ling said, then instructed A Ruo and Fang He to pour out the ice, return the basin to Xue Yan, and see Su Yue out.
Once everyone had left, Jiang Ling let out a long sigh of relief, her chaotic thoughts vanishing instantly. Seeing the basin full of ice, she was overjoyed and quickly wrapped it in a thin quilt, then poured a bowl of tea into it to make iced tea.
Fang He spat outside, glanced at Jiang Ling, and muttered under her breath, “Just a few pieces of ice, and she has the nerve to flaunt it everywhere. And you, Cai Ren—in terms of looks, favor, or family background, how can she compare to you? Yet you had to give up the main room and call her ‘elder sister’!”
“Exactly,” A Ruo chimed in, the most indignant of them all. She plopped down on an embroidered stool, her face darkening as she began to criticize Jiang Ling. “The ice and rewards she received should have been yours, Cai Ren. It’s just that you don’t strive for advancement. In this rear palace, everyone is looking out for themselves—who would be foolish enough to push benefits away? While you’re young, seize the chance to gain more favor, bear a child or two, and secure a future reliance.”
Jiang Ling rarely paid attention to A Ruo and Fang He. Whether they sulked, complained, or grumbled, it didn’t bother her. For one, the deep palace was lonely, and without an outlet for their frustrations, they would surely go mad. For another, they had entered the palace even earlier than Jiang Ling’s original self. As seasoned members of the rear palace, while Jiang Ling was a complete novice, she had no intention of acting like a know-it-all and lecturing them on how to behave.
But now, their words were growing increasingly excessive, and they pinned unrealistic hopes on Jiang Ling, staking all their dreams of wealth and glory on her, which weighed heavily on her.
Jiang Ling had to speak up, to rein them in and assert her authority!
“You’d better give up on those ideas. I don’t have that kind of ability.”
Though it fell far short of her original fantasy of commanding awe and submission with a single imposing presence, Jiang Ling felt unusually at ease. She preferred speaking plainly—beating around the bush would only make her seem like a poor imitation.
A Ruo and Fang He exchanged bewildered glances, both looking thoroughly disheartened.
“You only see the thief eating meat, not the thief getting beaten,” Jiang Ling added slowly.
Su Yue must have humbled herself and aligned with Consort Zhao to gain favor. Above Consort Zhao was Imperial Concubine Lin. The two were rivals, and though Jiang Ling didn’t understand why Su Yue had chosen Consort Zhao, this move had placed Su Yue squarely against Imperial Concubine Lin.
Of course, the emperor held the highest authority in the rear palace—unless Su Yue could maintain his favor indefinitely and rely on his support.
In the original story, Su Yue, like her, was merely a background character. Why she had suddenly stepped into the spotlight, Jiang Ling had no clue.
Her own fate would either be to become cannon fodder in the palace intrigue or to emerge victorious in the end. Either way, Jiang Ling had no intention of recklessly involving herself.
Even the selection of palace maids required certain standards of appearance—those deemed unattractive would never be chosen. Jiang Ling studied the two: A Ruo had delicate, refined features, while Fang He was more robust, with a touch of heroic spirit.
Thus, Jiang Ling sincerely suggested, “You’re both quite good-looking. I think you should strive to catch the emperor’s eye yourselves—you might even win his favor. That’s far more practical than pinning your hopes on me gaining favor and you benefiting from it.”
Both had already presented themselves before Yuan Mingdi when he favored Jiang Ling. Back then, they were young and had not yet received his attention. Now, older, and with Yuan Mingdi’s rear palace filled with fresh, vibrant maids and imperial concubines, how could he possibly take notice of them?
Moreover, A Ruo had never aspired to gain favor. She wanted to rise as a female official—a position that might grant her an honorary title and, with permission to leave the palace for marriage, secure her a good match.
As for Fang He, she hoped to save more money, seeking permission to leave the palace around age thirty. With silver to rely on, she could live a comfortable life.
A Ruo suppressed her thoughts of marriage and retorted, “This servant wouldn’t dare aspire to His Majesty’s favor. I only wish to serve well as a palace maid and perhaps be promoted to court lady someday.”
Fang He immediately followed up, “This servant has never considered receiving imperial favor either. If the Cai Ren gains favor, this servant might receive more rewards and live more comfortably.”
Everyone has their own ambitions, and Jiang Ling naturally wouldn’t interfere with their choices. She merely offered practical advice to prevent them from constantly pushing her to compete for favor while they reaped the benefits.
“So that’s what you think. In that case, you should try to get assigned to Fu Ning Palace or Chong Hua Palace.”
A Ruo opened her mouth but ultimately couldn’t utter a word, while Fang He similarly fell silent.
How could they have the capability to pick and choose? Not to mention serving before Imperial Concubine Lin or Consort Zhao—they couldn’t even reach the level of Consort Liu or Consort Zhao.
Seeing their reactions, Jiang Ling immediately understood. Like her, they lacked that capability!
Having said her piece, Jiang Ling spoke no more. Otherwise, they might grow annoyed, and she would grow thirsty.
Ninety-nine percent of human troubles stem from the mismatch between desire and capability. The numerous conflicts in the rear palace all originate from desires—power, favor, glory, and wealth.
Jiang Ling felt quite content. She took out some iced tea and sipped it slowly.
As for Su Yue’s intention in sending ice, she couldn’t figure it out, so she stopped thinking about it.
She had no desires beyond her capabilities. As long as she stayed away from these conflicts, she could surely live peacefully until old age.
Outside, the weather was unbearably stuffy. Dark clouds drifted across the sky, with the sun intermittently visible through them.
Xue Yan hurriedly said, “Cai Ren, you should return quickly. Look at the sky—it seems like rain is coming.”
“The weather is changing,” Su Yue murmured, looking up at the sky.
Xue Yan, sweating profusely from the heat, frowned and said, “They didn’t come to congratulate you, yet you personally brought them ice. In my opinion, Jiang Cai Ren is all show—pity she has such a pretty face but is dull and foolish. She’ll never get ahead in this lifetime. The main room of Xie Fang Pavilion should be yours to live in.”
Ming Cui was as dull as wood, while Xue Yan was clever and quick-witted—Su Yue found her truly useful.
Seeing her indignation, Su Yue explained, “By personally delivering ice, I’m showing them that when I benefit, I won’t forget them. Those who follow me will enjoy good fortune. Whether they amount to anything in the future is one thing, but they can still be of some use.”
Xue Yan was taken aback, then nodded and said quietly, “You’re right. Receiving favor once is no great matter. When you’re chosen more often and grow closer to Fu Ning Palace, you might attract unwanted attention.”
A shadow crossed Su Yue’s eyes. She hummed in agreement and said, “This rear palace is full of ghosts everywhere, ready to leap out and bite when least expected. Those in Fu Ning Palace are no kind souls either. If I’m chosen a few more times, they’ll start guarding against me. I must make plans early. You should interact more with A Ruo and Fang He and give them some benefits.”
Xue Yan hesitated before saying, “They’ve been disrespectful toward you. You once said they were foolish. I fear they might be unreliable.”
“I’m not counting on them. Sometimes, fools are more useful than clever people.”
Su Yue spoke indifferently. When they reached the gate of the West Side Courtyard, she stopped and looked back at the main room.
The five-bay residence stood with its red walls and green corridors, worn and mottled with age.
A scornful sneer curled at the corner of Su Yue’s lips. “The main chamber of Xie Fang Pavilion is nothing more than a remote and neglected palace after all—what is there to covet?”