The tenth was one of the days for paying respects to the Empress Dowager, which came every five days.
Yue Li got up in the morning with a scowl on her face. She really didn’t want to go chat with that old woman.
She tried her old trick of feigning illness, but Lianqiao hurriedly dug her out from under the covers:
“Your Highness, have you forgotten? You only just feigned illness at the last greeting, and you attended His Majesty two days ago. If you don’t go, it will surely displease the Empress Dowager.”
“The Empress Dowager already doesn’t think well of you…” Lianqiao’s voice trailed off, remembering how, when Yue Li first entered the palace, she had learned the palace etiquette so poorly that she’d driven away the nanny the Empress Dowager had sent.
And back then, behind the curtains of Zhuoyu Palace, there had been light songs and graceful dances, sweet warbling like an oriole. Every time Yue Li went to pay her respects, her eyes and brows were full of springtime allure, her slender waist swaying like a willow branch. The palace had never seen anyone like her, so naturally the Empress Dowager disapproved.
As Lianqiao dressed her, she kept chattering: “When you get there later, you really must restrain yourself…”
Yue Li pursed her lips. “I know.”
Her displeasure lasted all the way until she arrived at Yanfu Palace.
The moment she saw Beauty Zheng’s hands, swollen like pig’s trotters, she burst out laughing with a “pfft.”
Beauty Zheng’s face flushed red then pale, angry and humiliated all at once—but Yue Li had no intention of letting her off:
“Oh my, Sister Zheng, what happened to your hands?”
Beauty Zheng’s rank was low, and out of shame she had been standing at the very back since arriving, so few people had noticed her. But Yue Li’s exclamation drew everyone’s eyes straight to her.
The Empress’s gaze drifted lightly over Beauty Zheng’s red, swollen hands—the palms were even beginning to fester. Yet because it was His Majesty’s punishment, Beauty Zheng dared not summon the imperial physicians and could only apply medicine herself in her own palace.
The various scrutinizing gazes were like slaps across Beauty Zheng’s face. She lowered her head even further, not daring to look at anyone’s expressions, feeling this was the most humiliating moment since she’d entered the palace years ago.
And it was all thanks to that lowly creature Yue Li!
Yue Li couldn’t care less how much the woman resented her. If Beauty Zheng displeased her again, next time she’d slap her face.
Consort Jin glanced at her and said casually, “Later I’ll have someone send you some medicine.”
“Many thanks, Your Ladyship.”
There seemed to be a trace of contempt in Consort Jin’s eyes. If the First Prince’s recorded birth mother on the imperial registry weren’t still Beauty Zheng, she couldn’t be bothered to care about this fool.
Still, foolishness had its advantages. Beauty Zheng cared too much about the First Prince, and so could only follow Consort Jin’s lead.
Just as the atmosphere grew awkward, Nanny Yang lifted the curtain and came out:
“My ladies, the Empress Dowager summons you.”
Inner Hall.
The Empress Dowager sat in her chair, leisurely sipping tea. Two people were already at her side: the Marchioness of Shou’an and her eldest daughter, Xiao Mingyue.
“We pay our respects to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager. May Your Majesty enjoy golden health.”
The Empress Dowager was past fifty, with streaks of gray at her temples, and even her heavy makeup could not quite hide her faint weariness.
“Rise, all of you.”
The Empress Dowager’s manner was fairly warm, and the Marchioness of Shou’an rose to greet the Empress.
“With the year’s end approaching, the palace affairs have been so busy that I have been unable to attend at Mother’s side and show my filial devotion as often as I should. Fortunately, the Marchioness of Shou’an often comes to the palace to keep Mother company.”
The Empress Dowager smiled kindly: “It is enough that you are thoughtful, Empress. You are busy with your duties; I would not presume to keep calling on you for idle chat.”
“How could you say so?” the Empress said with a smile. “It is our fortune that Mother does not find our visits a bother.”
Aside from the Empress, only a few high-ranking consorts could exchange a few words with the Empress Dowager; the rest sat properly below, mere decoration.
Yue Li was on her period, her lower back aching and weak, and growing tired of sitting, she leaned back against a soft cushion.
How she missed that year in her past life when she hadn’t had to pay morning greetings.
“Consort Yu.”
The Empress Dowager suddenly called on her.
Yue Li’s lashes fluttered; it took her a beat to react, and Lianqiao hurriedly helped her rise.
Today she wore an indigo palace gown patterned with pear blossoms. The dangling ornaments in her hair swayed gently with her movements, chiming crisply and pleasantly, while her jade-colored sash outlined a waist slender enough to encircle in one hand. Even the motion of her slow curtsy carried an effortless, natural allure.
The Empress Dowager frowned almost imperceptibly.
Among the crowd of dignified, demure consorts in the palace, she truly stood apart.
“I heard you were ill. Are you fully recovered now?”
Yue Li couldn’t tell whether the Empress Dowager was genuinely concerned or being sarcastic, so she could only reply properly: “This concubine is no longer unwell. Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager.”
The Empress Dowager gave a slight nod. “The New Year is almost upon us. It’s good that you’re well.”
“I have a book here. I’ve heard Consort Yu has beautiful handwriting—why don’t you make a copy of it for me?”
As she finished speaking, Nanny Yang presented a book to her.
Yue Li glanced at it. Two large characters graced the cover—Admonitions for Women.
She lifted her almond eyes and looked at the Empress Dowager with a somewhat helpless, puzzled expression.
That little performance made the Empress Dowager frown again.
Far too seductive.
A fair, luminous little face, as if carved from fine jade—beautiful to just the right degree. Even having seen every kind of beauty in the rear palace, the Empress Dowager could think of no one who could surpass her.
His Majesty already paid little attention to state affairs, and now with such a bewitching creature at his side, he would likely grow even less focused.
Yet she couldn’t interfere too much herself, so she could only think of properly instructing Consort Yu—at the very least, so that at the New Year’s Eve palace banquet in a few days, the girl wouldn’t breach etiquette and embarrass the Emperor.
Lianqiao secretly nudged her from behind, signaling her to rein it in.
Yue Li belatedly knit her brows.
But this wasn’t her fault!
She had spent over a decade in the Spring Breeze Pavilion, and this was exactly what she’d been taught. The moment she spoke, her voice turned coquettish without her meaning to; the moment she raised her eyes, they sparkled and fluttered of their own accord. Among this crowd of noble-born ladies in the palace, she truly was out of place.
“Consort Yu?”
Nanny Yang prompted her in a low voice, and only then did Yue Li reply, somewhat reluctantly: “Yes. This concubine will follow your instructions, Your Majesty.”
After the greetings ended, Yue Li was taken to a side hall to copy the Admonitions for Women.
She sat at the desk by the window, far too lazy to lift her brush, and after a long while managed to scrawl three large characters in a perfunctory manner—
“Rule One.”
“Your Highness, shall I copy it for you?” Lianqiao felt sorry for her—her mistress still had injuries on her hand. Copying such a thick book, who knew how long that would take?
Yue Li’s eyes lit up. “Oh yes, please!”
“Good Lianqiao—when we get back, I’ll reward you with that whole chest of pearls.”
Lianqiao muttered under her breath, “I don’t want them. Your Highness, just don’t show off in front of the Empress Dowager next time…”
The two swapped places, and only then did Yue Li sprawl bonelessly onto the couch, thoughtfully closing the window as well.
An hour later, Yue Li presented the copied pages to the Empress Dowager, who frowned as she skimmed them, then looked up at her.
Yue Li let herself be scrutinized without a change in expression.
“Never mind. It’s getting late. Copy the rest at home and give it to Nanny Yang when it’s done.”
“Yes, this concubine will take her leave now.”
Leaving Yanfu Palace, Yue Li had only taken a few steps when she saw a woman approaching from ahead. It was someone she had seen in the hall earlier—the eldest daughter of the Marchioness of Shou’an.
Xiao Mingyue had come to brew tea for the Empress Dowager, but unexpectedly ran into Yue Li. Her face immediately filled with spite:
“So you’re the Yangzhou courtesan His Majesty brought back from outside the palace?”
Hearing such rude words, Lianqiao instinctively wanted to retort, but Yue Li stopped her.
In her past life, there had been this Xiao Mingyue as well. The Marchioness of Shou’an and the Empress Dowager were close friends, so Xiao Mingyue could be considered one of He Yanchen’s cousins.
She loved He Yanchen and had repeatedly begged the Empress Dowager to allow her into the palace.
Yue Li remembered that in her past life, it was a year later that Xiao Mingyue finally got her wish and entered the palace. But He Yanchen barely remembered this cousin, and Xiao Mingyue’s temperament was not to his liking. Even with the Empress Dowager’s persuasion, he would never force himself to favor a woman he looked down upon.
Going from a marquis’s daughter to a neglected woman languishing in the deep palace, Xiao Mingyue naturally could not bear the stark contrast. She caused trouble again and again, until she was finally confined to her own palace.