Eunuch Dong might have his own thoughts, but since the Emperor had given the order, he naturally complied. Whether Attendant Xu could handle this favor would depend on her intelligence and luck.
When Xu Lanshan returned to Cuiyin Pavilion, Yuchan and Xiao Fuzi, who had been anxious and nervous all night, finally breathed a sigh of relief. They joyfully helped her inside.
Once inside, they helped Xu Lanshan sit down and immediately knelt together. "Congratulations, Mistress, for finally serving the Emperor successfully!"
Xu Lanshan: "…"
Although it was true, the way they said it felt a bit odd!
"Both of you, rise!" Xu Lanshan smiled, then rewarded each of them with a hollow gold peanut-shaped ingot about an inch long and the size of a little finger.
Though hollow inside, they were still quite valuable.
When she was conferred the title of Changzai, she had received a palm-sized box filled with various exquisite gold and silver ingots, around thirty in total, which were perfect for rewarding others.
Although she had a few decorative items, gold and silver jewelry, and brocades, none of those could be exchanged for money. Only these gold and silver ingots were useful, and giving them away made Xu Lanshan feel a slight pang of reluctance.
However, she couldn’t afford to be stingy.
After all, even though they shared both honor and disgrace, her relationship with Yuchan and Xiao Fuzi clearly hadn’t reached a point where money didn’t need to be discussed.
The two were delighted with their rewards, beaming with joy as they offered their congratulations again.
By this time, Xu Lanshan no longer requested hot water for a bath. Instead, she instructed Xiao Fuzi to fetch a basin of hot water for a simple wipe-down before starting her meal.
While other dishes had gone cold and were inedible, the grilled tender lamb chops were still quite tasty even when cooled, and the small pan-fried cakes remained crispy and fragrant.
After finishing four lamb chops and three small pan-fried cakes slightly larger than a copper coin, she rinsed her mouth, washed her face, and everyone retired for the night.
The next morning, she would have to go to Fengwu Palace to pay her respects to the Empress. There, she would not only meet her former mistress, Song Ronghua, but also a large group of former mistresses and current "sisters." It was bound to be a battlefield, and she needed to be well-rested.
When she woke up, the sky was already bright. Xu Lanshan got up and washed up. Yuchan helped her into a light purple gauze jacket embroidered with magnolia flowers, paired with a light apricot-colored pleated skirt. A sachet and a green jade pendant hung from her waist. Her hair was styled in a bun adorned with a jadeite hairpin inlaid with rice pearls and a caterpillar fungus flower, while a pink palace-made layered gauze flower was pinned at her temple. Her bright, clear eyes sparkled with a captivating charm, making her look exceptionally lovely and radiant.
She instructed Yuchan to let her bangs hang down, keeping her gaze lowered and rarely looking up. This diminished about a third of her striking beauty, making her barely above average among the sea of beauties in the rear palace.
Yuchan widened her eyes in surprise. "Mistress, this—this—"
Xu Lanshan smiled faintly. "Silly girl, I’m just a lowly Changzai. I can’t stand out too much."
Yuchan gasped in sudden understanding. "Oh! Mistress is so wise. I hadn’t thought of that."
Then she grew worried again. "When you go to Fengwu Palace to pay respects today, Song Ronghua will probably… probably…"
Xu Lanshan chuckled softly. "It’s not just her. Well, we’ll find out when we get there. Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing."
As a lowly palace maid, a mere servant, she had unexpectedly risen to become a mistress. Moreover, she had served the Emperor the previous night. Those who disliked her or felt offended by her rise would certainly not be limited to just Song Ronghua.
Yuchan felt a wave of relief and smiled, saying, "Indeed, indeed. The Emperor favors you, Mistress, so others wouldn't dare go too far."
Xu Lanshan smiled faintly.
Although she had served the Emperor the previous night, Xu Lanshan dared not intentionally arrive late to imply that she was too sore, exhausted, and fatigued from attending to the Emperor to get up. On the contrary, she arrived very early.
Aside from the consistently dutiful, honest, and inconspicuous Noble Lady Bai and Jiang Meiren, she was the third to arrive.
Even those who kept a low profile knew that this unfamiliar face must be Attendant Xu, who had stepped over her former mistress to seduce the Emperor and served him the previous night. Noble Lady Bai and Jiang Meiren were surprised to see her arrive so early, showing a hint of astonishment.
Xu Lanshan hurriedly paid her respects to the two: "Greetings to Noble Lady Bai, Jiang Meiren."
Noble Lady Bai and Jiang Meiren smiled and nodded: "You must be Attendant Xu, right? Please take a seat."
"Thank you, Noble Lady Bai, Jiang Meiren."
Xu Lanshan lowered her gaze and obediently took the seat at the very end.
Although the Great Wen Dynasty's harem hierarchy still included the eighth-rank Daying and ninth-rank Cainü, in Emperor Yuanyong's harem, the lowest rank was Changzai.
Noble Lady Bai held her teacup, lowering her head to fiddle with it as if counting how many tea leaves were in the bowl and admiring the uniqueness of each leaf. Jiang Meiren unconsciously twisted her handkerchief in front of her, then suddenly turned her head to glance at Xu Lanshan and chuckled softly: "Upon closer look, Attendant Xu is truly beautiful, no wonder she caught the Emperor's eye! And to have served the Emperor yesterday—Attendant Xu is truly blessed."
Since entering, Xu Lanshan had kept her head lowered, her lively and beautiful almond-shaped eyes completely hidden. With her bangs covering her forehead, her beauty was greatly diminished. She didn't believe Jiang Meiren truly thought her beautiful; the words were so sour they could wring out a whole teapot of vinegar.
It was clear that in this palace, no matter how seemingly honest a concubine was, they weren't truly honest. When faced with someone of lower rank, they couldn't help but put on airs.
Xu Lanshan forced a smile and mumbled vaguely without saying anything.
A flicker of disdain passed through Jiang Meiren's eyes. She pursed her lips, unconsciously tightening her grip on the handkerchief.
She felt a pang of sourness and dissatisfaction: What was so special about this Attendant Xu? How did the Emperor take a liking to her?
The commotion outside was soon reported by a young palace maid to the Empress in the rear hall.
Upon hearing it, the Empress chuckled lightly and said to Nanny Yan, "Nanny, what do you think of Attendant Xu's temperament?"
Nanny Yan continued combing and styling the Empress's hair without pause, smiling leisurely as she replied, "She's just a little palace maid who happened to catch the Emperor's eye. Such a person isn't worth Your Majesty's attention. No matter what her temperament is, it doesn't matter."
"That's true," the Empress also smiled, then sighed softly: "But among so many palace maids in the harem, only she managed to catch the Emperor's eye. That counts as a bit of fortune. To carve a path out from under someone like Song Ronghua is no easy feat! I almost wish she had the capability to climb higher."
A lowly background made her easy to control and posed no threat. If she truly rose to prominence, she would be the most useful blade.
Nanny Yan smiled, "That depends on whether she has the ability!"
The Empress also laughed and nodded: "Indeed, let's wait and see."
The mistress and servant chatted and joked idly, their words passing lightly without deeper thought. Neither took seriously a lowly palace maid who had climbed up to become a Changzai.
One by one, the concubines from various palaces arrived.
With each arrival, Xu Lanshan paid her respects once more.
In this palace, this was likely the most frequent task for concubines of lower ranks.
Xu Lanshan silently grumbled to herself that even if it was just to avoid having to bow so many times, she had to strive hard to rise in rank.
As more and more people arrived, Xu Lanshan heard increasingly sarcastic and envious remarks, all of which she vaguely ignored without paying any attention.
Isn't it better to shine alone?
Her beauty was not something she wanted to waste in front of them.
When Song Ronghua entered with Su Ying, the hall fell silent. After seeing her, everyone simultaneously shifted their gaze toward Xu Lanshan.
Xu Lanshan: "……"