Meanwhile, in the side hall of Pifang Hall, Xue Dongyu had just woken up. She hadn’t fallen asleep until at least the Yin hour (modern 3–5 a.m.) the previous night and couldn’t get up in the morning. Bai Xing and Bai Liu didn’t dare wake her, so Xue Dongyu slept until the Si hour (10 a.m.) before opening her eyes.
Aching all over, Xue Dongyu was helped to wash up. As usual, Bai Liu did her hair, working quickly and skillfully.
Softly, she said, “The Palace Domestic Service sent over several bottles of fine hair oil the day before yesterday. This servant smelled them—rich, sweet, and not at all frivolous. They must have been made from flowers aged for several years. There are jasmine, rose, and osmanthus scents. Would you like to try them, Mistress?”
“Bring them here for me to see,” Xue Dongyu said curiously. She had been here for so long but had never seen hair oil before. Her hair was thick, dense, glossy, and smooth, so she never needed to use false hair like other noblewomen when styling it into high buns. Thus, Bai Liu’s task was simple: just comb it smooth and tie it up.
Holding a strand of hair in her hand, Bai Liu glanced at Yu Huan, who understood and opened the third drawer on the left side of the dressing table. Inside were small white porcelain bottles painted with different flowers, eight in total.
Yu Huan placed them one by one in front of Xue Dongyu, who asked her to open them. Various floral scents, some delicate and others rich, wafted from the yellow oil inside the bottles.
Sniffing the fragrances, Yu Huan said dreamily, “Mistress, these smells are truly delightful.” They were indeed pleasant, but Xue Dongyu had no intention of using them. In the sweltering heat, she already sweated a lot, and the thought of adding a layer of oil to her hair made her shudder.
So, despite Bai Liu’s hopeful gaze, Xue Dongyu politely declined.
Ancient cosmetics were truly scarce. Though her dressing table was now adorned with a dazzling array of jewelry, the actual makeup items were just one eyebrow pencil, a few boxes of limited-shade lip rouge, and face powder that looked unnaturally pale when applied—nothing like the variety of modern cosmetics.
In her past life, as an unemployed drifter, Xue Dongyu had once tried to ride the wave and become a beauty blogger. But lacking creativity and funds, she was quickly lost in the vast sea of content.
There was a time when ancient-style cosmetics became trendy, and she had followed the trend, so she knew a bit about them. She planned to try making some herself when she had time.
For breakfast, Xue Dongyu always kept it simple: salted egg yolk with water chestnut flour porridge, a bowl of bird’s nest soup, and an herbal drink of honeyed pear and loquat water.
A true food enthusiast at heart, she felt comforted by the consistently excellent performance of the imperial chefs, soothing both body and mind after being tormented by takeout in her previous life.
While Xue Dongyu was enjoying her meal, Zhang Maoze arrived with several of his apprentices.
Upon reaching Pifang Hall, Zhang Maoze first paid his respects to Consort Meng, the mistress of the hall. Seeing the Imperial Edict in his hand, Consort Meng quickly grasped the situation. Worried that Xue Dongyu, receiving an edict for the first time, might make a mistake and invite criticism, she accompanied him to the side hall.
The guard Chen Bao caught sight of them and scurried inside to report, “Mistress, Eunuch Zhang from His Majesty’s side is here.” Xue Dongyu hurried out.
Zhang Maoze cleared his throat and read the edict, his stern face softening instantly as he respectfully handed the bright yellow Imperial Edict to Bai Xing, who stood nearby.
Xue Dongyu hadn’t yet snapped out of her daze and stood there frozen. Consort Meng, having already guessed what was coming, reacted quickly. She said to Zhang Maoze, “You’ve worked hard, Father-in-law. Please accept this small token for tea.”
As soon as Consort Meng finished speaking, Fang Fei behind her, with perfect understanding, took a purse and placed it in Zhang Maoze's hand. The tradition of giving rewards in the palace had long existed. For a consort like Consort Meng, who had lived in the palace for many years, purses for rewarding people were always kept on hand, and the one given to Zhang Maoze was naturally the finest among them.
For a senior eunuch like Zhang Maoze, he did not accept rewards from just anyone. He accepted Consort Meng's purse, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then withdrew.
The hall was filled with joy. From Bai Xing and Bai Liu to Liu Tong, Chen Bao, and even a few low-ranking palace maids, everyone's face was beaming with bright smiles. With Lady Xue being promoted to Cairen, they too would naturally rise along with her.
Especially for newcomers like Bai Liu and the others, back when Lady Xue was just a pregnant minor consort with an uncertain future, they had spent money to come to her side precisely to take a gamble. Now that they had won the bet, how could they not be overjoyed?
Although there were many consorts in the palace, most held low ranks. After all, following the deposition of Empress Guo, a large number of consorts had been expelled from the palace. Most of those who remained had originally held low ranks, and the later batch of entrants also started from the positions of Xianjun and Jun Jun.
Generally, for consorts to be promoted, aside from the few occasions of large-scale en masse promotions where everyone benefited, the rest relied on favor and offspring.
As for offspring, many became pregnant, but few gave birth, and only one Princess had survived. Moreover, Guanjia was not particularly enthusiastic about women, and in the harem, only the former Consort Zhang stood out, enjoying exclusive favor and repeated promotions.
Currently, in the palace, only Shi Shuyi and Consort Miao held the rank of consort, along with the three Jieyu—Meng, Yu, and Zhou—and a few Meiren such as Consort Zhang, Consort Shang, and Consort Liu.
Thus, Xue Dongyu's current position as Cairen could actually be considered one of the notable ranks in the harem. Not to mention that she had jumped several levels in less than a month. Although her pregnancy played a part, it could not overshadow the depth of favor she herself had received.
At this moment, Xue Dongyu also regained her composure. She first thanked Consort Meng for smoothing things over for her, then announced that everyone would receive an additional three months' allowance, with Bai Xing and Bai Liu, who attended to her personally, receiving an extra five taels of silver. As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall grew so heated it seemed ready to burst through the roof.
Consort Meng led Xue Dongyu into the inner chamber, helped her sit down, and felt a mix of emotions. She never imagined that the little sister from before had grown so accomplished. Taking a sip of tea to steady herself, she said, "Yesterday, you went out with Guanjia, didn't you?"
Xue Dongyu, blushing, asked eagerly, "How did you know, Sister?"
Consort Meng tapped her forehead. "You, you… After all, I am the mistress of Pifang Hall. I knew when you went out last night. You returned several hours later, accompanied by Guanjia. How could I not know?"
Fearing that Consort Meng might misunderstand, Xue Dongyu quickly explained, "We just met while admiring the moon and talked for a while."
Consort Meng looked at her anxious expression with affection. The sparkle in a woman's eyes when mentioning a man could not be hidden, even though she knew it was not yet love, only a vague fondness.
Her only family in the palace was A-Yu. Even her family outside the palace held no attachment for her after her mother's death. She hoped A-Yu would never be hurt.
Consort Meng began, "Do you know what women in the palace fear most?" Without waiting for Xue Dongyu to answer, she continued, "It is love. Love makes people numb, makes them suffer—especially when the one you love is Guanjia."
"Even if you give him ten parts of love, you may only receive half a part in return, or perhaps not even a trace. That feeling can drive one to despair."
Xue Dongyu couldn't help but ask, "Sister, have you also…" Otherwise, why would she say such things? Consort Meng was taken aback by the question. She had entered the palace at sixteen, never favored, yet she cared little, neither competing nor striving. The late Empress Dowager Liu once said she was born to be a Xianfei. But upon hearing Xue Dongyu's question, it was not Guanjia she thought of, but another person.
Consort Meng leaned back slightly and said, "I have not. It's just that I've seen too much. Just within the palace, take Consort Miao and Consort Zhang—both are utterly devoted to Guanjia. Consort Miao is better off; though she cannot avoid heartache over Guanjia, at least she has the eldest Princess."
"As for Consort Zhang, she met Guanjia when her youthful heart first stirred, and he cherished her like a treasure. With her stubborn and naive nature, I fear she may never turn back." Wasn't this the ancient version of meeting someone too perfect in one's youth?
"Either she truly wins Guanjia's undivided devotion, or she suffers from unrequited love, unable to let go and tormenting herself, leading to a short life," Consort Meng asserted. Xue Dongyu thought to herself: historically, Consort Zhang indeed died at only thirty-one. Was this the reason? Love for a man who could not be devoted, and the pain of losing a daughter too soon.