In mid-May, the mornings still held a pleasant temperature—neither too cold nor too hot. In the west-facing room at the rear of Pifang Hall, the young palace maids gradually began to stir.
Bai Liu, drowsy-eyed, rose from her narrow bed that barely allowed her to turn over. She splashed cold water fiercely onto her face before finally waking up.
Efficiently tidying herself up, she donned the standard blue attire of a palace maid and firmly pinned her hair into a bun with a fixed silver hairpin.
Bai Liu examined her appearance in the water’s reflection and seemed satisfied. She then smoothed her bun to ensure it wouldn’t come loose.
Stepping outside, she glanced at the sky, which was still dimly lit. Turning around, she passed through the carved corridor and encountered a woman dressed in the same attire. Bai Liu promptly bowed, offering a smile as she greeted her. “Sister Bai Xing, why not sleep a little longer? Our lady won’t stir until the hour of Chen.”
Bai Xing, now a senior palace maid of some standing, returned the greeting.
“Have you forgotten? Today is the fifteenth, the day for the six palaces to pay respects at Zhengyang Palace. Yesterday, our lady instructed me to wake her half an hour earlier.”
Bai Liu maintained her smile. “Sister, you always have everything under control. No wonder our lady can’t do without you. We juniors simply lack your thoughtfulness.”
Bai Xing knew Bai Liu was flattering her. As the leader of the newly arrived young palace maids, Bai Liu was the most clever and adept at handling affairs.
Having somehow learned the art of hairstyling, she had caught the lady’s attention within just a few days of arriving. How could she possibly forget about the day of the audience?
With this thought, Bai Xing felt a sudden chill and decided not to engage further. She simply instructed, “Our lady will wake soon. Go check if the hot water has arrived.” Dismissing Bai Liu casually, she turned and entered the hall.
Inside the palace chamber, lamps had already been lit, and palace maids moved about with nimble, silent steps.
Beside the bed, within the tea-white gauze curtains embroidered with blooming vines and wisteria, a wrist as fair and smooth as lotus root extended outward.
With a swish, the curtains were drawn aside. A restful night’s sleep had left Xue Dongyu’s face with a lovely blush, accentuating her fair, flawless skin. Even Bai Xing, a woman herself, felt her heart flutter and her cheeks flush. She quickly stepped forward to assist the Meiren as she rose.
After washing up, Xue Dongyu sat before the dressing table. Behind her, Bai Liu asked, “What hairstyle would you like today, my lady?”
Still groggy from waking, Xue Dongyu replied lazily, “Just the usual concentric buns.””
Bai Liu paused, looking troubled. With your celestial beauty, even the everyday concentric hair bun would be beyond reproach. But today, you’ll be paying respects at Zhengyang Palace. Shouldn’t it be a bit more formal?”
The Concentric Bun (Tongxin Ji) was relatively simple in style, typically involving gathering the hair to the crown of the head and twisting it into a single bun.
The hairstyle was simple and required few accessories, often worn for casual occasions. Thus, Bai Liu worried that if her lady made her first appearance before the six palaces with this hairstyle, she might be looked down upon.
Xue Dongyu inwardly scoffed. When a concubine pays respects to the principal wife, no matter how elaborately you dress up, you’ll likely only provoke jealousy. Though the rules of the imperial household differ, a woman’s envy remains unchanged.
Immortal Gazing Bun”
The Wangxian Bun was luxurious and elegant. Ordinary women often lacked enough hair and had to use extensions, or the style simply didn’t suit them.
The original host had exceptional hair—not only was it twice as thick as average, but it was also jet-black and glossy, shimmering under sunlight. The Immortal Gazing Bun would look exquisite on her.
Bai Liu softly acknowledged the order, her movements light and swift. In just a few strokes, she finished styling the hair, then began selecting from the dazzling array of jewels and jades in the dressing case.
On both sides, she adorned the hair with ornate hairpins, sprinkling delicate gold foil amidst the thick locks, creating a strikingly beautiful effect. Two white jade tinkling hairpins were then inserted diagonally, framing the cloud-like hair and flower-like face—a sight of breathtaking beauty.
Gazing at the beauty in the mirror, Xue Dongyu felt overjoyed. In her previous life, although she had delicate features and could be considered a pretty girl when dressed up, she was nowhere near as stunning as she was now—a true great beauty.
Since her transmigration, what satisfied her most was this face of hers.
The young eunuch Liu Tong, responsible for fetching meals, returned. Among the three newly arrived palace maids and two young eunuchs, Bai Liu and Liu Tong took the lead. Bai Liu, skilled in hairstyling, was brought into the inner chambers to serve, while Liu Tong, with his connections to the kitchen, took on the task of fetching meals.
Bai Xing went out to receive the meal box, which had four layers of drawers. The top layer contained crystal buns, small steamed dumplings, and shaomai. The second layer held three plates of cold dishes: spiced radish assorted pickles, marinated goose breast, and cold mixed three delicacies.
The third layer held a large bowl of cold noodles, while the bottom layer contained chilled fresh milk and almond cheese.
“How is there chilled milk and cheese? These are rare delicacies,” Bai Xing asked in surprise as she helped arrange the dishes. Liu Tong replied while setting the plates, “Our lady is currently in favor. Guanjia has been busy with state affairs these past few days and rarely visits the rear palace. Apart from visiting the one in Ninghui Hall, only our lady receives frequent rewards—gold, pearls, jade treasures, silks, and satins flow in like water. Those in the kitchen are sharper than monkeys when it comes to flattery—how could they not try to curry favor with our lady?”
Only then did Bai Xing seem to understand. The palace was, after all, the most opportunistic and status-conscious place. It was said that even the stones at the corners of the palace could speak, let alone people.
Seeing Bai Xing’s reaction, Liu Tong secretly felt disdain. If it weren’t for the bond forged through hardship with their lady, someone as thoughtless as Bai Xing would have long been pushed aside by newcomers, with no place to stand.
But who could blame their lady for being sentimental? In a way, this was good—who in the palace wouldn’t want their master to be humane?
He had fought tooth and nail, using all his savings over the years to bribe his superiors just to be assigned to Lady Xue. Now was the time to show his worth to his mistress.
These fine delicacies were also thanks to his sharp eyes and smooth tongue—though, of course, it helped that the head chef was his uncle.
Xue Dongyu had long been hungry. Once the table was set, she took the chopsticks handed to her by Bai Xing and began eating heartily.
In the time it took to finish a cup of tea, Xue Dongyu was full. The leftovers on the table were, as per old custom, bestowed upon the servants below. They would not disdain them; on the contrary, they would be overjoyed.
What good food could palace maids and eunuchs usually eat? Their bellies were often empty of rich fare, so any rewards from their mistress would be devoured clean. Thus, Xue Dongyu never worried about wasting the abundance she enjoyed.
Xue Dongyu glanced at the sky. “Let’s go. It’s time to pay respects at Zhengyang Palace.” She took a step forward, paused, and her beautiful eyes swept past Bai Liu, who wore an expectant expression, before settling on Bai Xing. “You shall accompany me to pay respects. Bai Liu, stay and watch the room.”
After all, she was more familiar with Bai Xing, and the two of them could converse more easily. Although Bai Liu had performed well, the days when Bai Xing had diligently cared for her during her illness held a special place in Xue Dongyu’s heart.
Bai Xing instantly beamed with joy, answering crisply, “Yes.” Bai Liu showed no disappointment, for there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.
As a consort residing in Pifang Hall, she naturally had to pay respects together with Consort Meng. Xue Dongyu, accompanied by Bai Xing, hurried to the front hall.
Consort Meng was already prepared to depart, appearing composed and at ease. For her, this was a routine long mastered, and she exchanged a few casual words of daily life.
It was already late when they left the hall. Only those holding the rank of Cairen or above in the palace were entitled to sedan chairs for transportation, which Xue Dongyu naturally did not have.
However, as a Jieyu of the third rank, Consort Meng’s sedan chair was spacious and ornate, more than enough to accommodate two people. Feeling sympathy for her delicate and pregnant cousin, Consort Meng invited Xue Dongyu to share the ride. Xue Dongyu accepted without hesitation.