After experiencing a tremendous shock, Xue Dongyu returned to the rear hall of Pifang Hall.
"What's wrong with you, my lady? Did someone upset you?" Bai Liu asked while deftly helping Lady Xue remove her outer garment, secretly exchanging a glance with Bai Xing.
Bai Xing shook her head; she didn't understand either. Although Consort Zhang's incident had occurred during the morning greetings today, it hadn't affected their lady. Yet, Lady Xue had indeed been lost in thought the entire way back.
Xue Dongyu leaned back on the beauty couch, a large pillow thoughtfully placed behind her. She surveyed the spacious inner hall, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She felt that her mindset needed to change.
Ever since transmigrating here, not only had she been under the gentle protection of Consort Meng, but she had also discovered she was pregnant after only a few days of enduring the hardships of a low-ranking concubine.
Her treatment had instantly improved dramatically. Her living quarters had moved from a cramped side room to this magnificent rear hall, and the standards of her daily meals had been elevated.
She had begun to think she was playing an easy version of the palace intrigue game.
Who would have thought that Noble Lady Zhao, a consort far more respectable than herself, would be slapped without hesitation just for saying the wrong thing?
Seeing the small details reveals the bigger picture. In the imperial harem, you must either have rank, favor, or offspring—you need at least one of these three. Otherwise, you can only keep your head down and survive.
Among these, Xue Dongyu personally believed that favor was the most important in Emperor Renzong of Song's palace. Upon careful consideration:
The most famous favored consort of Emperor Renzong's era, Consort Zhang, and a princess, Princess Fukang, had vastly different treatment during their lifetimes, let alone the princess's mother.
Next was offspring. Although Emperor Renzong was historically most famous for being unable to produce sons, including those who died young, he only had three sons and thirteen daughters.
Only four daughters survived. But Xue Dongyu felt her luck wasn't that good; even statistically speaking, the child in her belly was likely a daughter.
As for rank, her starting point wasn't high, nor was she a chosen one like Consort Zhang who could rise against the odds.
Apart from a handful of individuals, most in the palace advanced by seniority, which ultimately still depended on whether they could gain the emperor's favor.
Xue Dongyu hated being bullied the most. In modern times, she had chosen to be a homebody precisely because she didn't want to endure mistreatment in the workplace.
After all, she had rental properties for income. Now in ancient times, was she supposed to live timidly for the rest of her life? Human nature is to seek a better life for oneself, and Xue Dongyu was no exception.
Rallying her spirits, she put down the eight-treasure tea in her hand, looked at the concerned Bai Xing and Bai Liu beside her, and said with a smile, "Alright, I was just lost in thought for a moment. I woke up too early today; I'm going to take a nap."
Hearing that her lady was fine, Bai Xing didn't overthink it and replied crisply, "I'll go make the bed for you."
Bai Liu, however, kept her lady's unusual behavior today in mind, planning to inquire about what had happened that morning later. She understood the principle of shared glory and shared downfall; although she had her own minor schemes, her intentions were wholly devoted to her mistress.
Xue Dongyu changed into soft, lightweight sheer silk gauze. Bai Xing made the bed and then lit some Yilan incense to aid sleep, while Bai Liu went to the inner room to bring out the ice container, adding more ice.
Because Xue Dongyu's rank wasn't high, her ice allowance was originally meager—only three basins a day. Now, as it wasn't yet the hottest time, the issued ice had been reduced by one basin, so she only used one basin of ice while sleeping.
"In order to have ice for summer and enjoy shaved ice desserts, I must work hard too," Xue Dongyu thought to herself as she lay down.
Watching Lady Xue close her eyes, Bai Xing and Bai Liu both quietly withdrew.
Bai Xing had also risen early and was now feeling drowsy. Worried she might doze off in the afternoon, she decided to take a short nap.
Bai Liu remained in the inner chamber to keep watch. She picked up some embroidery work, stitching while keeping an eye on the lady inside. With ice placed in the hall, she felt quite comfortable.
Approaching noon, Bai Xing was the first to rise from the small side room. She went to the tea room to fetch a pot of hot water, mixed it with cold water in a copper basin to reach a suitable temperature, and draped a snow-white towel over it. Then she went to wake Dongyu.
Having slept soundly, Dongyu felt refreshed. She took the towel handed to her by Bai Xing and wiped her face.
She sighed inwardly at how powerful the sugar-coated bullets of feudalism truly were—in just over half a month, she had already grown accustomed to Bai Xing’s meticulous care.
At this moment, Liu Tong announced from outside that the additional midday meal had been brought back.
During the Song Dynasty, although some regions had adopted three meals a day, most people still followed a two-meal system.
The palace was no exception. Formal meal times were only from seven to eight in the morning and from four to five in the evening.
Of course, for the imperial consorts, if they felt hungry at other times, they could request additional meals from the Imperial Kitchen, as long as they did not exceed their personal allowances.
However, most consorts preferred to eat as little as possible.
After all, the Song Dynasty favored slender, graceful beauties with delicate waists.
Thus, requests for extra meals were rare, usually limited to a plate of pastries or a bowl of bird’s nest soup.
Xue Dongyu’s current rank was Jun Furen, and her daily provisions were modest.
In terms of salary alone, she received forty thousand coins per month. During the Song Dynasty, the exchange rate was roughly two thousand coins for one tael of silver, meaning Xue Dongyu’s monthly salary amounted to twenty taels of silver.
This money was merely the pocket allowance given to consorts by the palace.
Her daily food provisions included one pig, three sheep, fifteen chickens, and fifteen ducks per month, along with three plates of vegetables daily, one hundred and fifty catties of white rice, and twenty catties of japonica rice.
In addition, she received three bolts of silk, three bolts of satin, and fifteen bolts of cotton cloth each month, with extra rewards during festivals. Other miscellaneous items such as incense, medicine, ice, tea, and special holiday supplies were too numerous to detail.
It was actually quite a substantial allowance, especially since the Song palace did not have the extreme regulations of the Qing Dynasty. A consort’s provisions were meant not only to support her but also the maids and eunuchs serving her.
Yet it still wasn’t enough, as many things—such as fish, shrimp, fresh produce, and fruits—were not included. If she wanted them, she had to deduct from her allowance of livestock like cattle, sheep, chickens, and ducks.
This was still relatively good. When Xue Dongyu was still a Hong Xiapei, her situation was even worse. Her monthly salary was only slightly higher than Bai Xing’s, at six thousand coins, with just half a pig, five catties of mutton, and three chickens or ducks per month. If not for Consort Meng’s assistance, she would have long perished.
Fortunately, after her pregnancy was discovered, due to the scarcity of imperial offspring, Empress Cao, to enhance her reputation, proposed while Empress Dowager Liu was still present that all pregnant women in the palace, regardless of status, could enjoy the salary and monthly provisions of a princess in advance.
According to Song Dynasty customs, princes and princesses resided with their mothers. Thus, if a consort gave birth to a princess, the monthly allowance would remain with her. If she gave birth to a prince, her allowance would be increased.
A princess’s monthly allowance was approximately one hundred and fifty thousand coins, equivalent to seventy-five taels of silver, with abundant provisions of meat, fruits, vegetables, tea, incense, and charcoal.
Xue Dongyu’s current freedom to order meals so lavishly was entirely thanks to the child in her womb.
Of course, due to certain reasons, Xue Dongyu had gained the favor of the Guanjia, who frequently bestowed gifts upon her. The palace’s guiding principle was to follow the Guanjia’s lead in all matters, so the Imperial Kitchen naturally dared not neglect her.
Xue Dongyu never had to ask twice for anything she wanted, and there were often little tributes as well. Just these past few days, in ancient May, she had enjoyed orange shaved ice, yogurt, cheese, and cherries.
These were within the purview of the kitchen's authority. Things like Qingming tea, shad fish, and ice—either too precious or too scarce—were beyond Xue Dongyu's reach, after all, there were over a dozen people ahead of her.
Liu Tong entered the room, first performing a brisk bow before saying, "My lady, today the kitchen steward collected some beef. I remembered you mentioned wanting braised beef the other day, so I begged Chef Sun, who is most skilled with beef, to prepare it. I hope it pleases you."
Xue Dongyu exclaimed joyfully, "Braised beef today? Wonderful!" She nearly teared up—finally, she could eat beef!
In modern times, she had been a devoted carnivore, especially fond of beef. In this ancient era, Xue Dongyu held an immense passion for food.
Ancient ingredients were fresh, all natural without pesticides or feed additives. Combined with the imperial chefs' masterful cooking techniques, even a simple stir-fried magnolia petal dish left Xue Dongyu in awe.
Yet she still craved meat, particularly beef.
However, in an agrarian society, cattle were vital for production. The authorities prohibited slaughter, and randomly killing plow oxen was illegal. Even Guanjia, to lead by example, rarely ate beef.
Thus, beef was exceedingly rare. After so long, this was her first time seeing it. She knew Liu Tong made it sound simple, but with such a delicacy, regardless of personal preference, every palace attendant fetching meals would surely request a portion.
That Liu Tong could obtain it was a testament to his capability. Xue Dongyu sighed inwardly—never underestimate anyone.
Seeing Lady Xue's undisguised delight, Bai Xing shot Liu Tong a sharp glance.
This bootlicker scoured heaven and earth for fine goods, and today he finally seized his chance. Now the lady would surely value him even more, pushing aside that fellow Guo Bao who came with him until he barely sees the lady's face.
Liu Tong noticed Bai Xing's look, knowing she despised his sycophancy and pitied that dull Chen Bao being overshadowed by him.
But Liu Tong paid no mind. It was always about ability—those with skill eat well, those without make do. A principle unchanged for millennia.
Unaware of the silent exchange between the two, Xue Dongyu's gaze was fixed on the delicacies spread across the table. Today, the imperial chefs were performing as splendidly as ever.
For desserts, a palm-sized white porcelain bowl rested on a dish filled with crushed ice. The bowl was thin-walled, delicate and charming, holding pure white yogurt topped with a dollop of bright red cherry sauce. Beside it were plum blossom fragrant cakes, jade dew cakes, and mint jade belt cakes.
Also arranged in order were a bowl of lotus leaf and lotus seed soup, a plate of cold mixed three shreds, and a dish of crispy quail.
Then today's highlight: braised beef, its rich reddish-brown sauce enveloping tremblingly tender chunks of meat, utterly enticing.
The main course was a bowl of chilled locust leaf noodles, perfect for relieving summer heat.
Xue Dongyu eagerly took up her chopsticks and tasted the cold noodles.
The locust leaf noodles, carrying a fresh herbal fragrance, were invigorated by the ice water, making them delightfully chewy. Paired with the richly sauced braised beef, it was truly sublime. She interspersed bites with quail and the three shreds.
Within a quarter of an hour, Xue Dongyu finished the entire bowl of locust leaf noodles. Bai Xing picked up the small white porcelain bowl, handing the yogurt to her lady, saying, "My lady has been eating well these past few days without any aversions. It must be because the prince in your womb is considerate of you."
Xue Dongyu was enjoying the happiness of a bowl of yogurt after her meal and somewhat agreed with Bai Xing's words.
According to modern obstetrics, she was already 13 weeks pregnant. Most morning sickness occurs around this time, yet she felt no discomfort at all. Not a single blemish had appeared on her face—in fact, she had grown even more beautiful. It seemed she really was carrying a considerate and adorable little Princess.
Having eaten her fill and with nothing else to do, she thought about how she still didn’t know her own financial situation, so she said, "There’s nothing to do this afternoon. You all should organize the items, register them clearly, and store what needs to be stored." Everyone around her agreed.
The two senior palace maids, Bai Xing and Bai Liu, along with the lower-ranking maids Yu Huan, Yu Chai, Yu Xin, and Yu Lian, sorted through the valuable gold and silver jewelry, jade ornaments, gems, silk fabrics, gauze, as well as precious medicinal ingredients and food supplies.
Liu Tong and Guo Bao were responsible for moving and inventorying the larger items like vases, screens, decorative pieces, and furniture.
After a period of bustling activity, everything was finally put in order. Bai Liu, who was literate, reported to Xue Dongyu: "Madam, you have thirteen complete sets of jewelry, including two sets of eighteen pieces, five sets of thirteen pieces, and six sets of eight pieces. All are either gold or silver inlaid with gems or made of jade. Other non-matching hairpins, hair clasps, pendants, rings, and bracelets are also recorded here."
"There are also twenty-three bolts of various gauze, eighteen bolts of various silk, and fifteen bolts of brocade. Among them, three bolts of Shu brocade are particularly precious—they were specially awarded by the Guanjia when Shu brocade was last presented as tribute."
"For winter furs, there are only three fox pelts, two gray squirrel pelts, three silver squirrel pelts, and one sable fur. These were all gifts from the Guanjia and other ladies in the palace."
"There are eight gold ingots of ten taels each and ten silver ingots of five taels each, along with seven taels and eight mace of loose silver. In total, there are eight hundred and fifty-seven taels." At this point, Bai Liu couldn’t help but swallow.
"As for decorative items… Madam, that’s pretty much everything," Bai Liu paused and took a sip of tea.
The others also understood: Madam’s assets were quite substantial. Although the Guanjia had bestowed gifts, most were jewelry, fabrics, and decorative items, with little cash.
Now, with so many possessions, aside from the silk, furs, and some jewelry, the bulk of the gold, silver, and complete jewelry sets must have been brought by Madam herself.
Xue Dongyu hadn’t realized until she checked—she was actually this wealthy. In modern times, real gold jewelry was so expensive, let alone priceless jade. In her previous life, Xue Dongyu had only owned a dozen or so gold bracelets and necklaces.
Looking at the list of gold and silver jewelry, Xue Dongyu recalled in her memory the original owner’s family and why she had entered the palace in a state of anxiety, carrying such a vast fortune.