As April arrived, the weather gradually warmed, and the traces of the previous months’ heavy snow and desolation had long since vanished from the palace. Even the high palace walls could not contain the vibrant life threatening to overflow from within.
“Mistress, this way. Watch your step, we’re almost there.” Banxia carefully supported Li Wanran as they walked, her attention divided between her mistress and any potential obstacles on the path, terrified that Li Wanran might trip at any moment.
Li Wanran gripped Banxia’s arm tightly, treading with trepidation. She glanced down at the high “flowerpot” platform shoes on her feet and felt a surge of annoyance. “If I had known I was coming out today, I wouldn’t have washed my other shoes yesterday.”
There hadn’t been much sun lately, and it took days for shoes to dry. Every time she practiced walking in these platform shoes, she felt an immense wave of respect for the women who could practically fly in them.
Just after she had finished washing her shoes yesterday, Mistress Song had sent her maid to invite Wanran over for a chat today.
Li Wanran had been in the Prince’s quarters for two months, but she had avoided all contact with the other women in the Fourth Prince’s backyard. Until Mistress Song’s invitation, both sides had maintained a state of mutual non-interference.
Her luck hadn’t been particularly good. When she participated in the “Small Selection” this year, her family had already made arrangements for her to be rejected so she could return home. Yet, for reasons she couldn’t fathom, she was somehow sent straight into the Fourth Prince’s household.
The governess who escorted her into the Prince’s quarters spent the whole walk telling her how lucky she was. But while Li Wanran was still in a daze, confusedly tidying her new living space, news arrived that the Fourth Prince had been sent out of the capital on official business and wouldn’t return for at least two months.
Consequently, she hadn’t even seen a glimpse of the man’s shadow!
Being a newcomer and off to a bad start, Li Wanran didn’t dare wander outside her courtyard. She could only task Banxia and the eunuch Xiao Yuzi—both sent by the Imperial Household Department—to gather information about the backyard whenever they went to fetch meals. As for herself, she stayed indoors as much as possible to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Fortunately, the Fourth Prince’s household was relatively simple, making it easy to get the lay of the land.
Although the Emperor had already designated a Primary Consort for the Fourth Prince, the wedding was set for June, so the grand marriage had not yet occurred. Currently, including the newly arrived Wanran, there were only four women in the backyard: Mistress Song and two concubines.
Mistress Song had been specifically assigned to the Fourth Prince by Consort De during a previous selection to serve as his “initiation” woman. According to the news Banxia gathered, the Fourth Prince did not visit the backyard frequently. When he did, he mostly went to Mistress Song’s quarters, making her the undisputed favorite. The two concubines, on the other hand, were quite neglected.
All of that was manageable, but what worried Li Wanran the most was her own identity. She had been investigating and realized there was no other Mistress Li of Han Martial Banner descent in the household.
In short… barring any accidents, she was likely the historical Consort Qi—a woman who was favored in her youth but spent the next several decades pushed into a dusty corner by newer, more favored consorts.
The thought of her historical counterpart—who not only lost her favor but also saw her children meet tragic ends—made Li Wanran’s heart turn cold. If she had known she would transmigrate into a historical figure, she would have memorized the history books instead of only knowing the bare basics. She only knew what she did from various palace dramas and gossip threads—like who the “True Love” of Emperor Yongzheng actually was.
After all, who doesn’t love a bit of gossip?
The problem was, none of that was necessarily true! Li Wanran felt a massive headache coming on.
Having been reincarnated as a baby and living in the Qing Dynasty for over a decade, she had assumed she was on a “slice-of-life farming” route. She never expected to be suddenly thrust into the “palace intrigue” route.
The biggest issue was that after more than ten years of a carefree, happy life, Li Wanran didn’t believe her current brain was a match for these women. To expect her to dominate the backyard like some novel protagonist was out of the question; she simply wasn’t capable of it.
Fortunately, she had one saving grace: adaptability. She always tried to make herself comfortable wherever she was.
Since she knew her potential fate, she had spent her time in the Fourth Prince’s backyard preparing. She refused to simply drift with the current. There were at least twenty years before Yongzheng’s “True Love” was supposed to appear. That was more than enough time to plan a way to avoid her historical ending.
As Li Wanran was lost in her reflections on the past two months, she heard Banxia whisper in her ear, “Mistress, we’ve arrived.”
She snapped back to reality and looked up to see the gates of Mistress Song’s courtyard. Li Wanran gave Banxia a small smile and braced herself for the encounter ahead.
Mistress Song’s courtyard was neatly laid out, with simple and elegant furnishings. As soon as a maid led Li Wanran inside, a wave of warmth hit her. The windows were all shut, left open only a crack for ventilation.
Li Wanran was so busy observing her surroundings that she didn’t notice several pairs of eyes fixed on her. When she finished scanning the room, she realized her lapse. She quickly masked her curiosity with a polite smile and looked toward the others.
She saw a woman dressed in an azure Manchu robe, leaning slightly against a daybed with a faint smile. Her lower half was covered by a champagne-colored fur-lined blanket, and a brazier nearby was burning brightly. Beside the brazier sat two women in simple attire, their hair adorned only with velvet flowers.
Judging by their clothes, Li Wanran deduced they were the two concubines.
When Mistress Song saw Li Wanran enter, a flash of complexity crossed her eyes, though it vanished a second later. She lifted her blanket, stood up, and approached to take Wanran’s hand, offering a light, complimentary laugh.
“I finally get to see you today, Sister. Ever since you arrived, I’ve heard the servants talk about your stunning looks. Unfortunately, I wasn’t feeling well and couldn’t receive guests, otherwise I wouldn’t have waited until today to meet such a striking beauty.”
Despite the praise, Mistress Song felt a bitter twinge in her heart. When Mistress Li first arrived, Song was mourning the loss of her daughter and had no energy to care. Though she had heard the new girl was beautiful, she hadn’t taken it to heart. This was the palace, after all; there was no shortage of beautiful women. How much better could she really look?
But now…
With eyebrows like emerald mist, a powdered face, and vermillion lips, Li Wanran’s autumn-water eyes carried an effortless charm with every glance. To be such a peerless beauty at such a young age—there was no telling how captivating she would be once she fully matured.
At the thought, Mistress Song inwardly gritted her teeth. She had always prided herself on her own beauty, but standing before Mistress Li, she felt like a common maidservant. Ultimately, she could only comfort herself with the thought that the Fourth Prince was not a man of lust, but a proper gentleman who wouldn’t be easily led astray by a pretty face.
Furthermore, Mistress Li hadn’t even met the Prince yet. He probably didn’t even remember she existed. With that thought, much of the frustration in Song’s heart dissipated.
Hearing the praise, Li Wanran appeared shy. Her jade-like cheeks flushed a faint pink, looking like a budding flower in spring, quietly waiting to be discovered. She looked at Mistress Song with a smile, her voice tinged with a hint of shame. “Mistress Song, you flatter me. Your grace is what truly brings joy to the eye. By right, I should have visited when I first entered the palace, but I was afraid of disturbing your recovery. I’ve let time slip away until today; it is I who should apologize.”
As the saying goes, sincerity is the ultimate killing move. She couldn’t bring herself to call them “sister” this and “sister” that, so she opted for mutual compliments on their looks. She wasn’t lying, either; Mistress Song was indeed beautiful, resembling a lady from an ancient scroll painting.
Then, Li Wanran recalled another reason she hadn’t visited earlier. Banxia had discovered that the reason Wanran was chosen for the Prince’s household was likely because Consort De of the Palace of Eternal Harmony was displeased that Mistress Song’s child had died just a few days after birth. Consort De blamed Mistress Song’s weak constitution for the infant’s death and had the governess pick someone else for the Fourth Prince during the selection.
Thus, Li Wanran was selected and sent in with her bags. Because this situation was so awkward, she hadn’t wanted to initiate contact.
Mistress Song was momentarily stunned by the response, unsure if the girl was being sincere or sarcastic. Seeing the genuine look in Wanran’s eyes, she cleared her throat and changed the subject, introducing the two standing nearby.
“These two also serve the Fourth Prince: Concubine Zhang and Concubine Yi.”
As soon as Song finished, Concubine Yi gave a crisp, polite bow to Li Wanran. Seeing this, Concubine Zhang looked impatient. She gave a perfunctory, half-hearted gesture before straightening up and pretending to stare intensely at the handkerchief in her hand, as if the embroidery had suddenly come to life.
“Like me, they have been wanting to meet you, Mistress Li, but haven’t had the chance. Knowing I invited you, they rushed over early this morning,” Mistress Song said with a smile, leading Li Wanran to sit on the daybed with her.
“Then I must thank the two of you for your kindness,” Li Wanran replied with a bright smile and a nod toward Zhang and Yi, saying nothing more. She could guess their real reasons for being so “eager” to see her.
Mistress Song continued, “In the future, you must come out and move about more. It’s so dull to stay in your room alone. We are all sisters; it’s good to gather, chat, and drink tea when we’re bored. If you have any difficulties, just say so. We should all look out for one another.”
She spoke in a gentle, soothing tone, looking for all the world like a caring elder sister. Her words were so filled with concern that Li Wanran felt as though she would be ungrateful if she didn’t agree.
“As long as no one finds me bothersome,” Li Wanran replied politely.
“How could that be? If you don’t mind, Mistress Li, I would love to be with a beauty like you every day. Even if we do nothing but look at you, it makes one’s mood brighter.”
To Li Wanran’s surprise, these words came from the quiet Concubine Yi. Not only was Wanran shocked, but Mistress Song and Concubine Zhang were also stunned. They stared at Yi as if she were a total stranger. Was this the same “mute” Concubine Yi who usually couldn’t be prodded to speak?
They were both used to Yi’s silence. They couldn’t understand why she was suddenly being so proactive with Mistress Li—even saying she wanted to spend every day with her. Zhang and Song exchanged a look, both wondering if Concubine Yi had been replaced by an impostor.
Ignoring their shock, Concubine Yi leaned forward slightly, her eyes full of expectation as she waited for Wanran’s answer.
Li Wanran tried to ignore the intense gaze and looked seriously at Concubine Yi. After a moment, she smiled and said, “You are welcome anytime.”
Concubine Yi was a delicate, “girl-next-door” beauty. Perhaps because of her lower status, news about her was usually tied to Concubine Zhang. She was typically dominated by Zhang, appearing cautious and reclusive. Thus, Li Wanran was quite surprised by this olive branch. However, whether Yi was being sincere or not, Wanran didn’t mind. If she wanted to visit, she could visit. It was just another person to chat with.
In fact, among the backyard colleagues, Yi seemed like the most suitable candidate for a companion.
Having received a positive response, Concubine Yi smiled at Li Wanran and then sat back on her stool, returning to her original quiet and reserved state. Concubine Zhang rolled her eyes in annoyance, unable to understand why Yi was sucking up so much. In Zhang’s view, no matter how beautiful Mistress Li was, she was already “ruined”—she might even be less favored than herself in the long run.
Zhang huffed softly, thinking Yi was truly brainless. Suddenly, her eyes shifted. She covered her mouth with her handkerchief as if she’d just remembered something. She glanced at Li Wanran and said in a curious tone, “Speaking of which, seeing Mistress Li today reminded me of something.”
She paused, looking at the others in the room. Her lips curled into a smirk as she fixed her gaze on Li Wanran.
“When I was a child, the elders used to say that splashing oneself with water and pomelo leaves can drive away bad luck. You should hurry up and do that, Mistress Li, or else…”
She broke into a muffled laugh, her eyes scanning Li Wanran up and down with malicious intent. Her unspoken implication was crystal clear.
Li Wanran’s eyebrows shot up. Concubine Zhang was using the Fourth Prince’s sudden departure to call her “bad luck.”
She didn’t let it show on her face, but she felt a small sense of pride that she had understood the insult immediately. She gave herself a mental pat on the back for her “wisdom.”
After privately praising herself, Li Wanran looked Zhang up and down. Just as she was about to speak, Mistress Song suddenly brought up the Prince. “The Fourth Prince has been away for over two months. He should be on his way back now.”
The moment the words were spoken, the tension in the room vanished. Concubine Zhang’s face lit up with joy, and even Li Wanran’s heart skipped a beat. She subconsciously bit her lip, feeling nervous but mostly curious.
A historical celebrity! And a future Emperor!
But then she remembered the portraits of emperors she had seen online, and her heart sank. Heaven help me, please let Yinzhen not look like those paintings!
She prayed to every deity she could think of. She didn’t need the Fourth Prince to be a legendary beauty—she just didn’t want him to be ugly. She was a “fresh flower” and she absolutely could not be “planted in cow dung.” If he really looked like those portraits or was hard on the eyes, all her preparations would be for nothing!
Mistress Song, seemingly oblivious to their reactions, turned and patted Li Wanran’s hand. “When the Fourth Prince returns, he will surely like you, Sister.” As if, she thought.
As soon as she finished speaking, a mocking voice rang out: “Tsk, it’s a question of whether the Fourth Prince even remembers Mistress Li.”
Naturally, it was Zhang again.
Li Wanran’s gaze darkened. She turned her eyes toward the sneering Concubine Zhang and slowly curled her lips into a smile.
Enough is enough. I can endure some things, but this is the third time. If I don’t lose my temper now, she’ll think I’m an idiot!