On the other side of the palace, the lead consorts of each hall in the inner court received the latest news from Yukun Palace one after another.
Upon learning that Lin Pingzhi had once again led the procession of Concubine Yi’s dowry chests into Yukun Palace, the various consorts and concubines turned pale with rage. Each of them tore at their delicate handkerchiefs in a fury, hating Concubine Yi to the core. Yet, they all cherished their own reputations and did not dare to strike at her lightly.
“Damnable woman! That Fu wench—are you certain she truly had no private history with the Emperor before entering the palace?”
Every consort who received the news harbored the same doubt. However, the reports sent back by their capable spies were consistent: in the six months prior to entering the palace, Concubine Yi had not stepped a single foot out of the gates of the Duke of Jingwei’s manor!
As the ruler of the Shangyi Kingdom, Emperor Taiyong received this news even faster. His grasp on the reactions of everyone in the harem could be described as absolute.
“Eunuch Lin, for such a small matter of mine, I’ve troubled you once again.”
Fu Lingxi was supported by Ziluan, who had hurried over to steady her as she descended the steps of the main hall. She smiled at the approaching Lin Pingzhi.
“Please, have a seat. Xiao Dingzi, bring your Grandpa Lin a bowl of green bean soup to dispel the summer heat.”
Before Lin Pingzhi had even entered the palace gates, Little Yezi had been called away by Xuduo. On the side, Eunuch Fang directed the remaining four young attendants to move quickly, setting up seats for the master and the guests below the steps of the main hall. Naturally, a rosewood chair was prepared in the lower position specifically to welcome a favored personal attendant like Lin Pingzhi.
A eunuch was still an official—an internal official of the Emperor—and could not be treated with neglect.
“Concubine Yi is too polite. This is a matter of internal affairs for your servant; I wouldn’t dare call it a trouble.”
Lin Pingzhi gave a slight bow. Although his words were courteous, under Concubine Yi’s friendly gesture, he sat firmly in the rosewood chair. He took the green bean soup offered by Xiao Dingzi, turned slightly to be polite, and finished it in a few gulps.
Don’t be fooled by Eunuch Lin’s arrogant demeanor; that was merely his public persona. His willingness to sit showed a clear attitude of being happy to be close to Concubine Yi.
At that moment, Little Yezi led the other young attendants to provide cool water to the eunuchs who had carried the chests. Subsequently, Suran and Xuduo handed out small pouches as “red envelopes” to the visitors, each containing varying amounts of silver nuggets.
The eunuchs who carried the chests each received six qian of silver, while two who were clearly Lin Pingzhi’s confidants were given a one-tael silver ingot. Naturally, they didn’t forget a bonus for the leader, Lin Pingzhi, who was directly handed a three-tael silver ingot.
With this distribution, more than half of a Concubine’s monthly stipend of forty-eight taels was gone in an instant! If the Duke of Jingwei’s dowry chests didn’t satisfy Fu Lingxi, she certainly wouldn’t let the matter rest easily.
As it turned out…
When the chests were opened and the various items inside were revealed, Fu Lingxi was greatly surprised and satisfied. Even Emperor Taiyong, who had received the news earlier, ate an extra bowl of rice because of it!
Whether it was because Ruan Ji was too beautiful or the “moonlight” was too enticing, Ruan Ji ended up staying in Qianqing Palace to attend to the Emperor that night.
Concubine Yi currently had no means of knowing this news from the Emperor’s quarters. Instead, she learned from Lin Pingzhi’s own mouth that these chests had been personally prepared by the Duke’s Second Madam, Fu Chu-shi.
When opened, the chests revealed a dazzling array of riches. They were truly filled with gold and silver—ingots, beads, melon seeds, and nuggets—chest after chest, stuffed to the brim. Furthermore, the nanmu chests no longer contained rubbish, but exquisite and sparkling jewelry of the latest fashions, accessories, and ornaments. Even the fabrics were fine silks, satins, and gauzes fit for tribute.
Seeing this dowry, Fu Lingxi finally believed one thing: Fu Chu-shi was definitely her biological mother!
With a joyful expression, Fu Lingxi saw off Lin Pingzhi and the other eunuchs.
“Eunuch Fang, Suran, lock these nanmu chests immediately. Take people and move the chests containing the precious gold and silver ingots into the inner hall’s treasury right away.”
Fu Lingxi’s expression turned solemn as she gave the order in a low voice. “Ziluan, go help them. Wandong, stay here to serve.”
“Yes, Master. Your servants will go at once.”
Xuduo, who had just returned from seeing the guests off, noticed her master’s unusual expression and stepped forward to ask for a task as well.
As the organization took place, time slipped away until the stars and moon shone brightly in the sky. Throughout the process, Fu Lingxi remained seated in the treasure chair, keeping her eyes on the gates of Yukun Palace.
She knew she could only suppress the news for a short while to prevent it from spreading too wide, but… mouths belonged to the servants. Lin Pingzhi wasn’t the only one who saw her dowry chests. There were thirty-six carrying-chests in total; even if they were transported by palanquin, there were at least twenty attendants in the procession.
With so many mouths, she couldn’t possibly suppress the information coming out of Yukun Palace. The fact that the Duke of Jingwei’s manor had sent more dowry to Yukun Palace would surely cause a sensation throughout the entire harem.
At this moment, Fu Lingxi stared at the valuable nanmu chests in the courtyard. She slowly calmed her mind to think through the situation. Something felt off everywhere she looked.
Is the Emperor of Shangyi Kingdom actually a broke loser?
Where there is smoke, there is fire. Fu Lingxi felt something was wrong, and when she asked Xuduo, she truly uncovered a cause.
This time, among all the noble ladies who entered the palace through the selection, only Concubine Yi, the two Ladies (Jieyu), and Ruan Ji were able to enjoy the benefit of double dowries. Well, this was also a benefit Ruan Ji earned for saving the Second Princess.
Because the two princesses had fallen into the lake, the Emperor discovered the hardships of being a father. Now that the candidates were entering the palace, as biological fathers, how could they not feel pity and affection? The Emperor, empathizing with them, granted an exceptional grace:
Any consort ranked Lady (Jieyu) or higher could enjoy the special grace of a double dowry from their father’s clan. Any consort ranked Concubine (Pin) or higher was granted the favor of bringing one personal maid into the palace.
In this round of selection, there was one titled Concubine, two Ladies, and the exceptional case of Ruan Ji—exactly four people.
[Is the Emperor so poor he’s going crazy?!]
Those able to participate in the selection were all high-ranking officials or titled noble families. Even for a concubine-born daughter raised with less care, most legal mothers would hire dowager nannies to ensure the girls learned proper rules and etiquette.
Despite Madam Qi’s jealousy and malice, the rules and etiquette the original owner had learned were top-notch. One couldn’t rule out that the legal mother had intentionally hired harsh nannies to make things difficult for her… but Madam Qi’s malice ultimately became the foundation for the original owner’s rise! If the original owner hadn’t been forced to strictly learn noble etiquette in the manor, she might have failed during the second round of selection, just like the fifth young lady of the second branch, Fu Lingjing.
Here is a brief overview of the original owner’s family.
The current Duke of Jingwei refers to Fu Shipu—the original owner’s biological father. The Old Duke, Fu Songhe, was of advanced age. Having suffered many sword and arrow wounds on the battlefield in the past, his old age was plagued by frequent bouts of rheumatism, making movement difficult. He had long ago allowed his eldest son, Fu Shipu, to inherit the title and manage the household.
Fu Songhe had only one wife and one concubine in his life. His two sons and one daughter were all born to his primary wife, Madam Nian. After Madam Nian gave birth to her youngest daughter, she suffered from postnatal migraines and was unable to manage the household. Out of pity for his wife, the Old Duke selected an honest woman from a good family, Madam Qiu, to be his concubine to take care of his daily life and assist Madam Nian in managing the manor.
Once the eldest son married, the household management was handed over to the heir and his wife. However, no matter how carefully Madam Nian was cared for, her strength eventually faded, and she passed away from illness. Only on her deathbed did Madam Nian arrange the marriage for her younger son, though the joyous occasion failed to change her fate.
The Old Duke was a sensible man. He chose Madam Qiu as a concubine not only because she was the fiancée of his lieutenant who had died young—and she had remained a widow for him for three years, showing her character—but also because before bringing her into the manor, he informed her that she would never have children of her own. Upon receiving her consent, he personally watched her take a sterilization decoction for half a day before officially taking her as a concubine.
Unfortunately, the Old Duke’s shrewdness and stability were not inherited by his two sons.
In this first selection of the fifth year of Taiyong, the Duke of Jingwei’s manor had four young ladies of age to participate. Besides Fu Lingxi from the first branch, the other three were from the second branch.
The fourth young lady, Fu Lingqing, was concubine-born and already seventeen years old. She had been engaged to a fiancé from a scholarly family, but unexpectedly, the man died in a brothel less than three months after leaving for his travels, leaving her as a “maiden widow.” Because of this, someone of her status was not eligible to enter the palace for the selection.
Of the remaining two:
The fifth young lady was legitimate. Having been spoiled and yet ignored by the Second Madam since childhood, her grasp of etiquette was coarse; she barely lasted until the second round before being eliminated.
The seventh young lady was concubine-born and a year younger than Fu Lingxi. She had learned the rules well and made it to the final selection. However, this seventh lady clearly had bad luck. Before it was even her turn to be reviewed, the Emperor—furious over the First Princess falling into the lake—wilfully threw out the remaining unreviewed candidates and sent them all home to their mothers!