Red Chamber 23
If asked what was different after being Appointed as Consort?
It would definitely be in the Stipend Allocation.
Many fabrics she couldn’t wear before, jewelry she couldn’t wear, and decorative items she couldn’t display were all delivered the day after her appointment. Although the Emperor had bestowed many gifts before, most were within the Regulations. Now that she had been promoted, even the items from the Emperor’s Private Treasury offered much more room for choice.
It seemed the Emperor’s excitement hadn’t worn off yet. For three consecutive days, he moved things from his Private Treasury to Yongshou Palace.
A Yuan accepted everything without hesitation. It was a joke—if she didn’t take more now, once a new imperial consort came along, she, this Yesterday’s Flower, would be completely forgotten.
She didn’t think this Emperor was the Chaste type.
“Mistress, come and try this Almond Milk.” Bao Qin walked in holding a Jade Bowl, a smile on her face, her voice softer than usual, as if afraid of startling the little one in her mistress’s belly. “Yesterday, Mistress said the Almond Milk tasted fishy, so Si Qi revised the recipe overnight.”
Almond Milk was a beverage A Yuan had loved before. After becoming pregnant, her tastes changed, and she found the Almond Milk fishy, but she still craved it. Although Si Qi had previously managed the small kitchen, it was done privately. Whatever A Yuan wanted to eat, only Si Qi would research it. Now that the Emperor had officially granted the small kitchen its Stipend Allocation, the Imperial Household Department assigned two chefs skilled in Southern Cuisine. As a result, Si Qi had fewer responsibilities to manage.
Afraid of losing her duties and falling out of favor, Si Qi had been trying her best these days to please her mistress.
Bao Qin delivering the Almond Milk was also to help Si Qi.
A Yuan took the Jade Bowl and took a small sip. It was indeed smoother than before, with no fishy taste and a faint, refreshing aroma. “This does taste smoother.” However, her tastes had truly changed, and after a few sips, she still found it a bit cloying. “Si Qi is also skilled at brewing tea. She has a talent in this area. Have her acknowledge Aunt Jin as her master. It would be good for her to prepare nourishing soups for me in the future.”
Bao Qin was happy for Si Qi in her heart, but her expression remained composed. “Yes, imperial consort.”
After leaving, she hurried off to tell Si Qi the good news.
The four of them had been selected together by the chief steward to serve the imperial consort. After spending time together, they had naturally formed a small group, and they all hoped each would be valued by the imperial consort.
Aunt Jin watched her cheerful back and smiled as she entered the room. “That girl Bao Qin is still not steady enough.”
“She’s just a girl in her teens. At that age, she’s still a child.”
A Yuan yawned, leaning against a cushion to the side, speaking in a leisurely manner that made her seem like an old lady.
Aunt Jin climbed onto the edge of the kang and helped A Yuan adjust the cushion behind her back. She noticed the imperial consort’s posture was a bit awkward and worried she might be uncomfortable, but she said with a smile, “Your imperial consort is only a year older than them.”
“This consort is naturally youthful and beautiful.” A Yuan glanced at her sideways.
Aunt Jin was momentarily speechless.
She couldn’t help feeling the two of them weren’t thinking along the same lines.
“Your imperial consort, now that you’ve been promoted in rank and title, the number of people in the palace should also increase. The Imperial Household Department has prepared some candidates and is waiting for us to go and select them.”
A Yuan waved her hand. “You go and pick them. No need to bring them here.”
No wonder Bao Qin was in such a hurry to help Si Qi deliver the Almond Milk—she was afraid a new person with ambitions might come along.
Now that A Yuan’s quota for Senior Maids is full, there are still two openings for Second-rank Maids. They also fear that if they aren’t valued by their mistress, they might be demoted to Second-rank, which would be both humiliating and detrimental to their future prospects.
“Don’t worry, Mistress. I’ll definitely pick a few honest, well-behaved ones who won’t cause trouble,” Aunt Jin said with great enthusiasm.
However, she soon sighed again.
A Yuan looked at her in confusion. “Why the sigh?”
“It’s nothing,” Aunt Jin replied, moving closer to massage A Yuan’s legs as she began talking about the system.
When the system first attached itself to A Yuan, it was intact and fully functional. Inside, there were not only the ‘Matron Card’ pool but also card pools like ‘Eunuch Card’, ‘Imperial Physician Card’, and ‘Palace Maid Card’. The previous Hosts she had followed all completed Tasks step by step, accumulated Points, and drew cards.
With multiple card pools, the focus on card drawing becomes scattered.
That’s why SSR cards were rarely drawn in the past. Most of the time, a team was formed with four purple cards. With good luck and compatible skills, the Host could sweep through obstacles and rise to the top. But with bad luck, if the purple cards had conflicting attributes and poor synergy, they could even send the Host to their downfall.
Nowadays: “…Mistress’s unconventional methods have caught the old masters off guard, and our lives have become more comfortable. But many things have also become more difficult.”
It must be said that the previous Hosts were quite talented. Teams composed of four card pools were quite formidable.
People are greedy, and so are cards.
SSR Aunt Jin has already begun fantasizing about the system being repaired, with her mistress drawing SSR cards from the other three card pools to work alongside her in serving their mistress.
She has even chosen the Binding Target for the ‘Eunuch SSR Gold Card’:
—That would be the Chang’an Chief Steward!
“Purple cards are that amazing?” A Yuan was shocked. She had always thought purple cards were the most unpredictable, as their spawn points were random. No one knew what skills a newly awakened purple card Matron would possess or what their temperament would be like.
Aunt Jin tensed up for a moment before immediately refuting, “Of course not. They have to form a team to be effective.”
What use is a single purple card Matron alone?
What if she turns out to be someone who scrubs Toilet Buckets?
A Yuan opened the System Warehouse. Inside, gray and green cards were the most abundant, while there were only a dozen or so purple cards. Their card designs looked mysterious, with all their introductions marked as question marks, but at least they were humanoid.
A Yuan felt a growing urge. “How about we give it a try?”
Aunt Jin frowned. “What if…” it really is someone who scrubs Toilet Buckets?
Then the card would be wasted!
“We’ll have to use them eventually anyway. Let’s experiment with one first,” A Yuan said. She was always a person of strong action and immediately used a card.
A flash of purple light appeared, and the card vanished.
“Now we just wait.”
With good luck, it might be a high-ranking Matron who would likely arrive soon. But with bad luck, if it really is an old Matron from a Cold Department, then the wait could be long.
A Yuan nodded, closed the system, and set the matter aside. She had always been the type to not dwell on things.
She got off the kang, took Aunt Jin’s hand, and left the main hall, strolling leisurely around the courtyard. She didn’t suffer from morning sickness, but she often felt lazy and unwilling to move. Still, she knew that staying cooped up wasn’t good, so she forced herself to take a fifteen-minute walk every day.
Aunt Jin held her mistress’s arm, and soon beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
A Yuan was also hot, with sweat forming in her palms.
She took out a handkerchief and wiped her temples. “This wretched weather is getting hotter and hotter.”
The spring floods had just passed, and now it seemed a severe drought might be looming.
“This year is likely to be quite unsettled,” Aunt Jin also had this premonition, as the weather had indeed turned hot unusually early this year.
Her gaze fell once more on her mistress’s belly, and she silently prayed that at least during this pregnancy, the heavens would remain calm. Otherwise, there would surely be those wicked individuals who would blame the natural disasters on the prince in her mistress’s womb.
Aunt Jin had seen many hosts with catastrophe-prone constitutions, and it was truly… even if bird droppings landed on their hat brims, it would be blamed on the host’s hindrance and conflict.
After pacing a couple more circles, A Yuan, who had been quiet all along, suddenly spoke.
“Any movement from the Rear Three Palaces?”
“Naturally, they’re making quite a fuss. As the weather grows hotter, those girls have no official status, and the Imperial Household Department is struggling with what Stipend Allocation to assign them. If they give too much, they fear the imperial consorts will be displeased; if too little… those rooms are unbearably stuffy and hot, and they worry it might lead to fatalities. These past few days, they’ve been arguing fiercely over the ice basins.”
At this point, Aunt Jin couldn’t help but sigh.
Although the girls in the Rear Three Palaces were her mistress’s ‘enemies,’ they were all daughters from good families. Back in their own homes, they may not have commanded servants left and right, but they certainly hadn’t suffered as they did now.
“Has Ningshou Palace shown no response?” Consort Dowager Zhen was still in charge of palace affairs, after all.
“So far, it seems there’s been no movement.”
Aunt Jin also felt that Consort Dowager Zhen had gone too far. Even if the girls in the Rear Three Palaces had no official titles, they were still reserve candidates for the Emperor’s consorts. At the very least, she should provide some guidelines. This current neglect was utterly unreasonable.
A Yuan also thought Consort Dowager Zhen had lost her mind.
She probably found the palace authority too hot to handle and was eager to discard it.
But A Yuan was no longer a Noble Lady; she was now the Master of a Palace. Though only at the rank of Concubine, she still had the authority to intervene in palace matters!
“Go to the small kitchen and have them prepare more mung bean soup. Once it’s cooled, send it to the Rear Three Palaces.”
A Yuan didn’t mind using the Emperor’s resources to build goodwill. “Tell them that I pity them for being far from home and that this year’s heat is particularly harsh, so I’m bestowing this mung bean soup upon them.”
Aunt Jin immediately accepted the order. “Yes, imperial consort.”
“See if there are any promising candidates.” That was the key point.
Aunt Jin nodded.
As her mistress’s SSR, she naturally shared a deep understanding with her. She knew exactly what her mistress meant, of course. However, when delivering the message to the Rear Three Palaces, her mistress’s words would need some artistic refinement; otherwise, it would create enmity rather than goodwill.
After Aunt Jin left, A Yuan rested her chin on her hand and opened the System Interface once more.
The scrolls on it were growing in number, and they were densely concentrated in the Rear Three Palaces.
It seemed the resentment was indeed strong; otherwise, the system wouldn’t have captured it. Unfortunately, they were all minor tasks with meager rewards, offering only fifty Points each upon completion.
Still…
Every little bit adds up, and those girls truly deserved to have official titles.
Rather than letting Shui Cong, after venting the joy of impending fatherhood, take the initiative to summon the Candidate Maidens from the Rear Three Palaces, it would be better to strike first while their affection was still strong. This would deepen Shui Cong’s sense of guilt toward her, allowing her to secure more ‘paternal love’ for her child.
She had also considered whether to give Shui Cong a long-term supply of Contraceptive Medicine.
With more consorts and concubines in the imperial harem, there would naturally be more children. Having children born too close in age was never a good thing.
But upon further reflection, once she gave birth to this child and had the pretext for the Emperor to personally handle state affairs, the court officials would inevitably petition for another Imperial consort selection. This time, the candidates would not be Commoner Candidate Maidens but daughters from genuine Noble and Prestigious Families.
It was even possible that an Empress of the Central Palace would be welcomed.
By then, the stage of the Imperial harem would truly be set.
What were the girls of the Rear Three Palaces? Merely appetizers.
Her real rivals would arrive alongside the child in her womb. That would be the true battlefield of the Imperial harem.
Of course, Contraceptive Medicine still had to be given, but only for a short period.
After her child was born and before the High-ranking Consorts entered the palace, the Emperor’s paternal affection during this time must be reserved entirely for her child.
She was a thoughtful person and would certainly lift the medicine from the Emperor a few months before the High-ranking Consorts entered the palace, allowing several pregnancies in the harem to welcome these noble-born imperial consorts who would hold high positions upon entering the palace.
Aunt Jin had left, and A Yuan could not be without someone by her side, so she called Bao Qin to accompany her for a walk.
After another two laps with Bao Qin, she returned to her room. Shishu quickly brought a damp towel to wipe her mistress down. It was hot outside and cool inside; such sudden changes in temperature could easily lead to illness. Now that her mistress was heavily pregnant, she absolutely must not fall ill.
Once refreshed, A Yuan felt somewhat drowsy.
Bao Qin and Shishu helped her into the bed curtain to lie down, and she slept until noon before rising. Yawning, she instructed Bao Qin: “Have the small kitchen stew a bowl of Mung Bean and White Fungus Sweet Soup, Cooled it, and send it to Qianqing Palace. Say that I miss His Majesty and invite His Majesty to Yongshou Palace for lunch.”
Bao Qin was still an Unmarried Maiden and had never heard such straightforward words before. Her ears turned red, but her expression remained serious: “Yes, imperial consort.”
With that, she prepared to head to the small kitchen, but just as she reached the door, A Yuan called her back.
“Give this to His Majesty as well.”
A Yuan handed over a Plain Kerchief, embroidered with only a few small flowers in the corner.
Bao Qin didn’t understand but didn’t ask further. Taking the kerchief, she left.
[A Plain Kerchief to Convey Mutual Understanding]
Now that she was pregnant and free from the physical Low-grade Interests, it was time to engage in something more refined with the Emperor…
Like falling in love, for instance.
She vowed to hook the Emperor into becoming a Hook Mouth!
The small kitchen quickly prepared the Mung Bean and White Fungus Sweet Soup. Bao Qin carried the Food Box along with the Plain Kerchief to Qianqing Palace. Blushing, she relayed her mistress’s message in full to the Chang’an Steward, then handed over the box containing the Plain Kerchief: “This is from our imperial consort to His Majesty. She said His Majesty will understand upon seeing it.”
Chang’an entered the room, holding the Food Box in one hand and the box in the other.
“What are you carrying?” Shui Cong looked up at the sound and couldn’t help but laugh at Chang’an’s appearance.
Chang’an was also smiling broadly. Honestly, he had only ever seen the imperial consorts of Ningshou Palace sending soup to Yangxing Hall. This was the first time he had acted as a Messenger Dove, helping his own Emperor’s imperial consorts deliver soup.
“Reporting to Your Majesty, the imperial consort of Yongshou Palace has sent Mung Bean and White Fungus Sweet Soup. She also said she misses Your Majesty and invites Your Majesty to Yongshou Palace for a meal.”
Even Chang’an, a eunuch, flushed bright red at such direct words.
Shui Cong’s eyes lit up: “Oh? Mung Bean and White Fungus Sweet Soup?”
“Yes, presumably the imperial consort noticed the hot weather and specifically instructed the small kitchen to prepare this cooling sweet soup.”
“Then why not present it?”
Shui Cong had just finished processing a batch of memorials, and the new ones had not yet been brought over, so the desk was relatively clear. Chang’an instructed You Fu to tidy the surface before personally retrieving the jade bowl from the food box. He first used a small spoon to take a little for the poison-testing Junior Eunuch to sample, and only after a moment carefully placed it on the imperial desk.
“Her Ladyship had it cooled; it’s perfectly refreshing to drink now.”
Upon hearing Chang’an’s words, Shui Cong immediately picked up the bowl and took a sip. It was sweet, smooth, and cool, instantly dispelling the morning’s summer heat. As he drank the soup, he glanced at another small box: “Did Zhen Pin send this as well?”
“Yes.” Chang’an presented the box.
Shui Cong set down the bowl, took the box, and opened it to find only a plain kerchief inside. He was momentarily stunned, then broke into a smile—a very hearty one.
He grabbed the plain kerchief and tucked it into his robe, abandoning the tremella soup altogether as he stood up and strode out. “Didn’t you say Her Ladyship misses me? Let’s go to Yongshou Palace.”
Chang’an: “…”
There was really no need to explain that part.
He hurriedly followed. The quick-witted You Fu had already prepared the imperial sedan. As soon as Shui Cong stepped outside, he boarded the sedan and headed straight for Yongshou Palace.
A Yuan was waiting early at the entrance of the main hall. As the announcement “His Majesty has arrived—” echoed, she gracefully bent her knees to curtsy. But before she could fully lower herself, Shui Cong, who had rushed over with long strides, pulled her up: “You are with child; there’s no need for such formalities.”
He then added a touch of reproach: “Why did you come out to greet me? Take better care of yourself.”
A Yuan’s face, initially beaming with joy, gradually lost its smile. She lowered her eyes, pouted, and twisted the kerchief in her hands into a mess, murmuring with a hint of grievance: “This consort… this consort simply missed Your Majesty…”
Hearing this, Shui Cong could no longer bring himself to scold her. Taking her hand, he led her inside: “It was my fault for misunderstanding you.”
A Yuan obediently allowed herself to be led into the room.
The Western Warm Chamber had already been tidied. Since A Yuan spent most of her days there reading, the ice basin was also placed in the Western Warm Chamber, and the midday meal was naturally set there as well.
Bao Qin and Shi Shu brought mouthwash and a water basin for the emperor and consort to wash their hands.
After they were seated, a Junior Eunuch first tested the food for poison before the imperial couple sat down together. A Yuan picked up her chopsticks and served Shui Cong a portion of stir-fried asparagus: “The weather is hot, and this consort cannot tolerate greasy food. This asparagus was freshly picked this morning—exceptionally fresh.”
Shui Cong obliged by taking a bite. However, he preferred meat and had only a moderate appreciation for such vegetables. After that one bite, he refused a second.
“This room is your study; now it’s tainted with the smell of food, which seems rather inelegant. Is the ice allowance insufficient?” Shui Cong held his chopsticks and looked around. The Western Warm Chamber had been arranged by A Yuan with great elegance and tranquility. Inside the green gauze cabinet, only a grass mat was spread, with a low table atop it holding a chessboard—on which lay an unfinished game.
Looking further in, one could see a writing desk fully equipped with brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. In a vase on the corner of the desk, Chinese crabapple flowers were arranged. Moon-white gauze curtains hung by the window, swaying gently in the breeze, enveloping the crabapple blossoms in a hazy, ethereal beauty—exuding a serene and refined atmosphere.
Such an environment truly clashed with the dining table.
Upon hearing this, A Yuan sighed: “This consort’s ice allowance is naturally sufficient. However, hearing that there have been several disputes over ice in the Rear Three Palaces, this consort thought to conserve some herself, so that peace might be maintained there.”
Shui Cong was also aware of the affairs in the Rear Three Palaces, but the more those women quarreled, the more displeased he became.
Women should prioritize being chaste, serene, and knowing propriety, yet those people would bicker over trivial matters and even resort to mutual assault. He still remembered the last time a Candidate Maiden was moved out of the Six Palaces to Yanqing Hall. Now that her injuries had healed, she had been sent to the Sizhi Repository to serve as a palace maid, with no future prospects left.
Thus, when Shui Cong heard A Yuan say this, his first thought was that the Rear Three Palaces were causing trouble again.
It was at this moment that Aunt Jin returned to report.
“Has the Mung Bean Soup been delivered?”
Aunt Jin nodded repeatedly, her face beaming with a bright smile: “They are all grateful to the imperial consort. Several young ladies, thinking of the imperial consort’s kindness, even said they would embroider pouches as tokens of gratitude.”
A Yuan finally breathed a sigh of relief: “Gratitude isn’t important. What matters is that they stop causing trouble. His Majesty is busy and should not be troubled by matters of the Imperial Harem.”
Touched, Shui Cong reached out and gently squeezed A Yuan’s hand, then picked up a piece of asparagus for her: “The imperial consort thinks of me, and I am deeply comforted.”
A Yuan immediately blushed, her gaze toward the Emperor soft and moist.
Seeing this stirred the Emperor’s heart, but when he lowered his eyes and saw her still-flat abdomen—where his royal child lay—the heat in his heart instantly dissipated without a trace.
After finishing the midday meal and accompanying A Yuan for a short nap, the Emperor quietly rose when it was time for his studies.
“Do not disturb your imperial consort.”
After instructing Aunt Jin, Shui Cong boarded the imperial sedan and prepared to return to Qianqing Palace.
As they approached Longfu Gate, he saw several palace-dressed women walking together along the long street toward Yongshou Palace. The Emperor ordered a halt and had Chang’an summon the Candidate Maidens for questioning.
Upon hearing it was the Emperor, the Candidate Maidens immediately knelt in fear and paid their respects: “Your humble subjects pay homage to His Majesty. May His Majesty enjoy boundless fortune and peace.”
“Rise.”
Shui Cong looked down from above, his voice cold and authoritative, his gaze probing: “Are you heading to Yongshou Palace?”
“Your Majesty, Zhen Pin sent Mung Bean Soup this morning. We sisters came together to express our gratitude to the imperial consort,” replied one of the bolder ones, her voice trembling.
“The imperial consort is still asleep. Return for now.”
With that, he paid no further attention to the Candidate Maidens and left directly through Longfu Gate.
After the imperial sedan disappeared from sight, the Candidate Maidens exchanged glances, unsure of what to do.
“Perhaps… we should return. His Majesty said the imperial consort is asleep.”
They could not defy His Majesty and insist on thanking Zhen Pin. Doing so would not only disturb Zhen Pin’s rest but also make His Majesty think them inconsiderate.
However…
“His Majesty treats Zhen Pin so well.”
Although his tone was plain, the way he uttered the words “imperial consort” carried a tender and affectionate feeling, as if it were not merely an ordinary title but an intimate endearment.
“Indeed.” They were deeply envious of Zhen Pin.
They had all entered the palace together, yet someone had ascended to heaven in one step, not only becoming an imperial consort but also bearing a royal child, while they…
In the following days, A Yuan began her romance tactics.
That plain kerchief was also carried close to Shui Cong’s person, leaving even Chang’an feeling quite puzzled.
Shui Cong also visited Yongshou Palace daily, occasionally staying overnight. Even though A Yuan was pregnant, Shui Cong still couldn’t let go of her. The feeling of waking up refreshed and clear-headed was simply too important for an emperor prone to overthinking and worry.
Shui Cong himself felt that he might have developed genuine feelings for Zhen Pin; otherwise, why would he feel such Attachment?
Yet, after all, he was a man—a young and vigorous, physically robust man.
So when she heard that Shui Cong had summoned a girl from Chuxiu Palace to his bedchamber, she didn’t feel particularly disappointed.
Since it was never about love between a man and a woman, where would any emotional turmoil come from?
Instead, it was Bao Qin who looked at her mistress with great concern, appearing as if she wanted to offer advice but didn’t know how to begin.
A Yuan smiled without saying a word, simply blew out the lamp and went to sleep.
However, the next day, after Shui Cong finished the morning court assembly, he saw You Fu pacing back and forth at the entrance of the rear hall. Upon spotting Shui Cong and Chang’an, You Fu seemed to have found a savior.
He hurried forward and swiftly performed a bow.
“What’s the matter?”
For some reason, Shui Cong’s heart felt heavy—a sensation he had been carrying since the previous night, which he referred to as a “foreboding premonition.”
Instinctively, his thoughts turned to Yongshou Palace.
“Your Majesty, Aunt Jin has reported that the imperial consort of Yongshou Palace felt unwell upon waking this morning. As soon as the palace gates opened, she sent for the Imperial Physician.”