To be honest, since the tenth year of the Jianyuan era when The Emperor ceased to visit the rear palace, Su Qingyao could only see him once a year apart from the New Year's palace banquet. And even then, she sat far in the corner of the banquet hall, stealing only a fleeting glance.
In her previous life, she had never spoken to him alone.
Later, when he abdicated at sixty to Emperor Xingwu and they moved together to the Jianyuan Garden, Su Qingyao never saw him again.
In the final years of her life, she simply focused on leisurely passing her days in Cihe Palace, hardly ever thinking of him.
His face had long since blurred in the depths of her memory, and to this day, she couldn't recall a single detail.
She vaguely remembered that he was very handsome in his youth, tall, and many palace consorts were quite fond of him.
Hearing that he was coming today, Su Qingyao felt even more intrigued. After all, getting to see this majestic and noble Emperor again was quite a pleasing sight.
She followed Sun Xuanshi in stepping back, and before she could steady herself, she saw a tall figure stride into the main hall. The palace consorts rose swiftly, their greetings far more enthusiastic than when they had welcomed the Noble Consort earlier: "May Your Majesty be at peace."
Emperor Jianyuan's expression was indifferent. He went straight to the main seat that Shen Ruxin had just vacated, sat down, and glanced over the graceful beauties below.
They were all daughters of good families, each one beautiful and affectionate. Emperor Jianyuan looked them over unhurriedly before lowering his eyes. "Rise."
Seeing that he had made a special trip at this time, Noble Consort Shen felt greatly honored. Even with her dignified composure, her cheeks couldn't help but flush. She gracefully sat beside Emperor Jianyuan and spoke softly, "Why has Your Majesty come at this hour? The weather outside is terribly hot. Would you like a sip of the sour plum soup I brewed this morning?"
Emperor Jianyuan Chu Shaoyuan turned to look at her. Seeing the spring-like glow in her eyes, his somewhat displeased expression softened slightly.
"Thank you, Noble Consort."
Saying this, he only lightly touched the rim of the bowl before refusing to drink any more.
Noble Consort Shen then said, "Today, new sisters have come to pay their respects. Your Majesty has met them all, but I recall there is one who has yet to attend the bedchamber. Your Majesty probably doesn't know her yet, right?"
The first two Selections of Beauties after Emperor Jianyuan's ascension were personally handled by the Empress Dowager. The Emperor was preoccupied with state affairs and paid little attention to the rear palace. He only learned what the consorts looked like when they attended the bedchamber, but… he didn't take it to heart, usually distinguishing people by their attire.
Prompted by Noble Consort Shen, he vaguely recalled that among the eight consorts who entered the palace this time, there was indeed one whose nameplate he hadn't flipped.
As for why one remained unflipped, it was simply because his mood had been so poor lately that he didn't even want to see the last one.
Seeing that he said nothing, the Noble Consort called out to Su Qingyao, "Sister Su, come forward quickly to pay your respects to His Majesty."
Su Qingyao hadn't expected the Noble Consort to help her like this—something that had never happened before. Thus, her steps forward were somewhat hesitant, and her eyes revealed a hint of surprise.
Other consorts might not have noticed, but Chu Shaoyuan, who spent his days among ministers, saw it at a glance.
Being actively recommended by the Noble Consort, she wasn't pleased but instead showed surprise inside and out. Young as she was, she was remarkably composed.
"Greetings to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless fortune and peace."
"Hmm, step back."
Chu Shaoyuan had seen too many people, each seemingly possessing a cunning heart, so he did not pay much attention to this Xuanshi Su. Moreover, with his splitting headache today, he truly did not wish to speak much. He merely watched her indifferently as she performed her curtsy, then waved his hand to dismiss her.
Su Qingyao: …
So I was just called up to kneel one more time?
Su Qingyao lowered her head, deciding to shrink back and remain silent.
Because Chu Shaoyuan had arrived, today's morning greetings were unusually lively. Noble Consort Shen was very skilled with words, coaxing Chu Shaoyuan with soft and gentle speech, even managing to elicit a faint smile from the usually stern young emperor, which made the imperial consorts present envious.
Currently, there were only a handful of notable consorts in the palace. Apart from the Noble Consort of the first rank, only two of the four consort positions—De, Shu, Yi, and Xian—had been filled: one was Consort Yi, Luo Zixi, and the other was Consort Xian, Xu Pingting.
Of the nine pin positions, only four were occupied, leaving more than half of the ranks still vacant.
The number of Zhaoyi and Jieyu positions was not fixed. Those who entered the palace during the first year of Jianyuan and enjoyed some favor were now granted the titles of Zhaoyi or Jieyu. To date, there were three Zhaoyi and four Jieyu in the palace. Adding these up, there were over a dozen consorts of significant rank. The remaining mistresses were all newly selected palace ladies this year.
Although His Majesty visited the rear palace, he never involved himself with palace maids. Therefore, all the titled consorts in the palace had entered through selection. Apart from Wu Jieyu, who was promoted after attending the bedchamber for three consecutive days, only the eldest granddaughter of Grand Secretary Xie, the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, was granted the title of Cairen. Following them were Xuanshi Su and Xuanshi Sun, while the remaining four were Virtuous Ladies, whose ranks were too low to attend today's morning greetings.
From this perspective, there were only slightly over twenty imperial consorts in the palace. Even if each took turns for one day, they could complete three cycles in two months.
However, His Majesty was not one to distribute his favor equally. Many consorts attended the bedchamber at most three times before losing his favor. Apart from the most favored few, the others rarely had the chance to see His Majesty's face.
Thus, as His Majesty sat there with an indifferent expression, the consorts were like dogs seeing a meaty bone, eager to approach and lick a few times.
Su Qingyao hid at the back, watching as the consorts ahead exchanged coy remarks and playful banter, creating a lively scene.
She stole another glance at His Majesty. After so many years apart, seeing his youthful, handsome face again still filled Su Qingyao with contentment. Emperor Jianyuan was exceptionally handsome, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, a tall nose, and slightly red, thin lips below—naturally possessing the appearance of a romantic and passionate man.
But at this moment, only Su Qingyao knew he was not a man of many passions.
Perhaps Su Qingyao's gaze was too focused, for the emperor, surrounded by a hundred flowers, suddenly raised his eyes and glanced in her direction.
His gaze was deep, carrying an indescribable, profound light that made Su Qingyao's heart tremble slightly.
Su Qingyao was startled and quickly lowered her head, pretending to be oblivious. Given her current status and position, even with the memories of a lifetime, she could not afford to provoke him lightly.
Chu Shaoyuan thoughtfully looked at the peach blossom hairpin on her head, pursing his lips slightly. "My beloved consorts," he said, pausing briefly. "You may continue enjoying yourselves. I shall return another day."
Without waiting for the Noble Consort to stop him, he stood up briskly and walked out, exiting the gates of Fengluan Palace directly.
Shen Ruxin accompanied him all the way outside the palace gates before reluctantly returning to the Main Hall, where she precisely took the seat Chu Shaoyuan had just occupied.
"The Emperor rarely has time to visit, and it is a blessing for all you sisters. It is getting late today, so let us all retire and rest," Shen Ruxin said softly.
Once the Emperor left, it seemed as though he had taken the hearts of all the women in the room with him. Shen Ruxin had no desire to waste further words on them and promptly dismissed everyone.
Su Qingyao lingered at the back, originally intending to return with Sun Xuanshi, but unexpectedly, Shen Ruxin called out to her: "Sister Su, please stay."
This was indeed a rare occurrence. Su Qingyao paused, turned around, and curtsied to Shen Ruxin. After everyone had left, she lowered her voice and said, "Your Highness, please speak."
Shen Ruxin looked her up and down, noting that her attire today was simple yet elegant—neither ostentatious nor plain—and recognized her as a clever person. Thinking that it might soon be her turn to attend the bedchamber, Shen Ruxin pursed her lips and finally said, "In a few days, it may be your turn to attend the bedchamber. When the time comes, perform well. Do not disappoint the Emperor, and do not disappoint me."
Su Qingyao:…
This was a difficult statement to respond to.
Shen Ruxin was only a Noble Consort, not the Empress. She had no authority over how the women in the palace served the Emperor, nor could she dictate whether the Emperor would be disappointed. Yet, having spoken to this extent, Su Qingyao had no choice but to reply.
She curtsied to Shen Ruxin and said, "Understood. Thank you for your guidance, Your Highness."
Shen Ruxin waved her hand, signaling for her to withdraw. Just as Su Qingyao reached the door, Shen Ruxin called out to her again: "Sister Su…"
Su Qingyao paused slightly and stood by the door, waiting for her instructions.
Shen Ruxin looked at her youthful, still-childlike face, clenched her hands tightly, and ultimately said nothing.
"You may go."
Su Qingyao was filled with confusion. With an expressionless face, she left the Main Hall, found Liu Qin waiting outside, and led her back to Biyun Palace.
Seeing that her mistress's expression was still calm, Liu Qin whispered, "Did the mistress see His Majesty? Earlier, we stayed in the Corner Room and heard quite a commotion outside."
Su Qingyao nodded. "Yes, His Majesty just came."
Liu Qin carefully observed her expression again before finally letting out a sigh of relief.
It seemed nothing unpleasant had happened.
Upon returning to Biyun Palace, Su Qingyao immediately washed her hands and prepared for breakfast. Having gone hungry all morning, even a simple bowl of plain porridge seemed delicious.
As a Xuanshi, her daily breakfast consisted of only two cold dishes, two types of pastries, and two kinds of soup. Although Liu Ye's attitude was not particularly respectful, her work was passable, which was why Su Qingyao was in no hurry to replace her.
Given her current rank, no one who replaced Liu Ye would likely be better. After all, she was more familiar with Liu Ye and knew many things that might happen in the future. A little more time made no difference.
In her later years, nothing she ate ever tasted particularly delicious. Now, having returned to her youth, Su Qingyao savored her breakfast earnestly, finding even a small dish of eight-treasure pickles flavorful.
After breakfast, Su Qingyao rested. She could not recall what she had enjoyed doing in her youth and feared that acting strangely might give her away. Instead, she sat by the window, lost in thought.
Although she had become calm and composed from experiencing many things, everything that had happened today still felt like a dream, somewhat unreal.
Yet, the various changes of the day and the many details she had never paid attention to in the past filled her with anticipation for this new life.
Just as she had thought that morning, this life was essentially a freebie anyway, so she had to live it to the fullest, not wasting the life bestowed upon her by the heavens.
At that moment, an unfamiliar voice came from outside the window: "Congratulations, Mistress Su. The Emperor has chosen your name card. Please prepare to attend the bedchamber tonight."
Author's note:
Xuanshi Su: Haha, I'm about to reach the peak of my life!
The Emperor: You're overthinking it, dear.
Let me mention here that everything that happens after the rebirth is from the female lead's perspective—what she sees is the world. What kind of person the male lead is will be gradually discovered by the female lead, so please be patient and keep reading~ It's truly a sweet romance with both leads experiencing first love, no more spoilers.