Red Chamber 9
A Yuan was still unaware that she had already caught the Emperor’s attention.
At this moment, she was watching several Candidate Maidens arguing over a bucket of water.
Since they lived in a communal sleeping platform, each room only had four shared palace maids, and there were only eight public Junior Eunuchs in the outer courtyard, daily life inevitably led to friction. For example, today, Candidate Maidens from two neighboring rooms were quarreling over a bucket of hot water.
Although the weather wasn’t too hot yet, it had warmed up, and moving around a little would make one sweat.
At this age where everyone cared about their appearance, and sleeping in a communal sleeping platform, no one wanted to have any unpleasant body odor. Thus, the daily demand for water was high. Even with the eight Junior Eunuchs tirelessly fetching and carrying water, it couldn’t meet the needs of over thirty young ladies.
A few days ago, they were all crying and missing their mothers, homes, and hometowns. After sleeping in the communal sleeping platform for these few days, they had already started focusing on when they could attend the bedchamber.
After all, only after attending the bedchamber could they be formally assigned to a palace, receive their Stipend Allocation and palace servants according to their rank and title.
A Yuan focused on maintaining inner peace to stay cool naturally.
Although she wasn’t a heavy sweater, she didn’t like the feeling of being damp with sweat either. Thinking of this, she felt a bit regretful—why hadn’t she asked Granny Hui to prepare a formula for Body Fragrance Paste back then? She could have even pretended it was her natural body fragrance when telling the Emperor.
What a miscalculation…
Unfortunately, the Matron Cards for the [Seek Medicine and Ask Remedies] Skill were too few, and she had to use them sparingly.
“Miss Lin, would you like to do embroidery together?” Just as A Yuan was lost in thought, a cautious inquiry came from behind her.
A Yuan turned around. The person approaching was Wang Lingxi, a Candidate Maiden also from Huzhou in Jiangnan Prefecture. She held a Basket in her hands, her face slightly flushed, and she looked somewhat nervous, as if asking this question had already used up all her courage.
“Sure.” A Yuan smiled and pointed to the round stool opposite the table. “Come sit here. It’s out of the sun, and you can still catch the breeze.”
Wang Lingxi instantly beamed, her steps lightening a little as she followed A Yuan’s gesture and sat on the round stool opposite her.
“Miss Wang is embroidering a handkerchief?” A Yuan leaned over to glance at Wang Lingxi’s Embroidery Frame, where a lively rabbit was embroidered. “Is this… Moon Rabbit Pound Medicine?”
“Yes.”
Wang Lingxi touched the rabbit. “I don’t have any other talents, only embroidery is something I can take pride in.”
During their month of studying together, her performance in lessons was barely passable, and the gap between her and someone like A Yuan, who excelled in every aspect, was still quite large. Back then, the Matron who taught them had casually remarked, ‘You have potential,’ and she had taken it to heart.
Thinking that they both came from Jiangnan Prefecture, if they could become familiar and close, she might have someone to talk to in this deep palace in the future.
“Don’t be modest, Miss Wang. Your embroidery skills can truly be called masterful.”
Wang Lingxi’s cheeks flushed slightly—she had never been praised like this before.
Seeing Wang Lingxi bury her head in her work, A Yuan also felt restless. She asked a palace maid for an Embroidery Frame and started embroidering a pouch. She used fabrics in colors like flower blue and dark blue, embroidering simple patterns like Auspicious Cloud Patterns and Bat Patterns, planning to use them to reward palace servants after attending the bedchamber and being assigned to a palace.
Thinking of rewards, A Yuan put down her Embroidery Frame and thought of her naive and sweet older brother, Lin Han.
Since being selected, she had stayed in the palace all along. She didn’t know where he was now—had he already returned to Yangzhou to study? Or was he staying in Jingcheng to help organize her dowry?
On the eve of her departure, Lin Han had brought her a dowry list to review. It included shops, estates, and a hundred acres of prime paddy fields—all golden geese that could generate income. With proper management, their annual yield would be enough to cover her expenses in the palace.
Not to mention that Lin Ruhai would also send silver into the palace every year.
All she had to do was strive to win favor, give birth to a prince, and become a powerful backing for his official career and the future of the Lin Family.
“All of you, stand against the wall.”
A dull thud was followed by the scolding of the old Matron guarding the door, and the quarreling outside instantly ceased.
Inside the room, the Candidate Maidens froze. A Yuan, too, held her needle motionless for a long while. Only after the scolding outside ended did she finally take another stitch. Meanwhile, the quarreling Candidate Maidens hurried back to their rooms, their faces flushed with embarrassment.
Having successfully been selected as Mistresses, yet still being scolded by the Matron was truly mortifying.
A Yuan couldn’t understand what was wrong with the Emperor. With thirty-eight beautiful young women waiting in Chuxiu Palace, he remained utterly indifferent—neither summoning anyone to attend the bedchamber nor even sending someone to check on them.
While the other Candidate Maidens, unaware of the circumstances, remained relatively calm, A Yuan was growing restless.
Damn it, if she didn’t attend the bedchamber soon, when would her jar of Warm Passion Liquid ever come in handy? Moreover, she had been taking such good care of her body and had already consumed the Easy Pregnancy Pill for several days. Could that wretched Emperor be as indifferent as Liu Xiahui?
Wang Xiling happened to be sitting by the window and leaned out to look around before sitting back down. “I thought I heard someone crying, but I’m not sure which room it was from.”
“Never mind, let’s finish our embroidery first.”
A Yuan buried herself in her struggle with the pouch. Her brow unconsciously furrowed, her expression serious and focused as she deftly maneuvered the embroidery needle. The stitches on the Embroidery Frame were fine and harmonious, not much different from those of Wang Xiling beside her.
Wang Xiling was startled by her speed and stopped embroidering herself, leaning over to look instead. She was immediately discouraged.
This Miss Lin was truly remarkable.
During their training, she had excelled in everything, and now her embroidery was this impressive. It really was a case of comparing oneself to others and feeling utterly inadequate… But then again, Wang Xiling felt a flicker of happiness. If Miss Lin could gain favor, perhaps her own days would be easier in the future.
With this thought, she promptly removed the handkerchief from her Embroidery Frame and replaced it with fabric of the same color as A Yuan’s. “I’ll embroider a pouch too.”
“Mm, Auspicious Cloud Patterns or Bat Patterns are fine.”
Just don’t embroider something with a strong style like the Moon Rabbit Pound Medicine on the pouch.
Wang Xiling swiftly split the thread, threaded the needle, and began embroidering.
Two more days passed, and tensions in Chuxiu Palace grew increasingly frequent. Even in A Yuan’s room, small cliques had formed. A Yuan kept her distance from everyone, only exchanging a few words with Wang Xiling. In contrast, Wang Xiling got along well with everyone. Apart from their fixed afternoon embroidery sessions, she spent the rest of her time accompanying other sisters.
Such social prowess made A Yuan sigh that first impressions were indeed unreliable.
Just as A Yuan was speculating that the Emperor might be “incapable,” someone from the Service Affairs Office arrived.
The young maids in each room hurriedly helped the Candidate Maidens tidy their appearances, and they all gathered in the courtyard, waiting for the eunuch from the Service Affairs Office to announce the selection for attending the bedchamber.
A Yuan stood in the front row.
It wasn’t that she herself insisted on being first, but rather the old Matron had arranged her position accordingly. Clearly, the old Matron also believed she could take the top spot.
A Yuan did not disappoint the old Matron’s expectations, being the first to be selected by the Service Affairs Office.
“Go now, serve with care and leave a good impression on His Majesty.” The old Matron’s voice softened several degrees when speaking to A Yuan.
A Yuan slipped a pouch to the old Matron: “I do not know what lies ahead on this journey, but please keep this for tea.”
This pouch had been embroidered over the past two days.
The old Matron nodded cheerfully: “Today I call you Miss, but perhaps tomorrow I shall have to address you as imperial consort.”
Only those with the rank of concubine or higher could be addressed as “imperial consort,” making this a blessing of sorts.
“May your auspicious words come true.”
After these brief exchanges, A Yuan followed the aunts from the Service Affairs Office out of Chuxiu Palace, heading to Qianqing Palace to prepare before attending the bedchamber. At this time, the Emperor was reading in the Imperial Study. Since most memorials were sent to Ningshou Palace, the daily memorials the Emperor could review were limited to greetings, so he was not particularly busy. Reading in the Imperial Study every afternoon had become a habit.
Of course, his mood was also irritable.
Anyone who had been Emperor for ten years and still could not personally govern would likely find it difficult to remain calm.
He was already nineteen years old, while Consort Dowager Zhen’s youngest son was only four. Thinking of his late father’s increasingly indifferent gaze toward him, Shui Cong clenched his fingers, leaned back, took a deep breath, and tried to calm the frustration in his heart.
Seeing the Emperor in low spirits, and recalling that the Service Affairs Office should have already delivered the decree to Chuxiu Palace, Chang’an suggested: “Your Majesty, Miss Lin from Chuxiu Palace should have arrived at Qianqing Palace by now. Perhaps…”
Shui Cong suddenly opened his eyes.
He had forgotten that he had already flipped the plaque this morning.
Then he remembered the two Personnel Palace Maids sent by the Service Affairs Office two days ago, and his lips tightened in disgust. He had been repulsed by those two maids and had not taken them. Now, thinking of Chuxiu Palace, he couldn’t help but recall the way those two Personnel Palace Maids had postured seductively. Despite the fear in their eyes, they still put on such an alluring act, which only dampened his interest.
He wondered if this Miss Lin, whom Matron Fang was particularly satisfied with, would also be as uninteresting.
He stood up, casually closed the book, and tossed it onto the imperial desk: “Let’s go, back to Qianqing Palace.”
Chang’an hurriedly collected the book and handed it to a nearby Junior Eunuch before quickly following.
He also hoped His Majesty would successfully consummate the marriage with Miss Lin tonight. Two days ago, the Service Affairs Office had carefully selected two beautiful and charming Personnel Palace Maids to teach His Majesty about intimate matters, but those two maids had displeased the Emperor. They had since been removed from the Service Affairs Office and sent to the Laundry Bureau.
The Imperial Study was quite far from Qianqing Palace. With both the Eastern and Western Palaces now empty, walking along the long streets felt particularly quiet.
Shui Cong enjoyed such tranquility.
Every day when he went to Ningshou Palace to pay his respects, he could hear the lively laughter of women beyond the palace walls, making him feel that Ningshou Palace was far too noisy. His own Eastern and Western Six Palaces were much better—quiet… and orderly.
Order was good!
He loved order the most, and he only hoped those thirty-eight Candidate Maidens would not disrupt his rules.
The more he thought about it, the darker his expression grew, and the deeper Chang’an bowed.
Ever since His Majesty and the Retired Emperor fell out over the matter of the Candidate Maidens, His Majesty’s temper has grown worse by the day. Even he, the much-envied Chief Steward in the imperial presence, now feels a faint urge to flee.
But there’s no way out—who else could His Majesty rely on?
It had to be Chief Steward Chang’an, and no one else!