==Chapter Six==
Shen Shiyuan was led southward until they stopped before a palace. She looked up at the plaque above.
Changle Palace.
She glanced back—the Imperial Garden they had just passed was not far behind. People often said she wasn’t clever, but when it came to matters concerning her own interests, her mind worked faster than anyone else’s.
The walk hadn’t taken long, and the Imperial Garden was so close. It was clear that Changle Palace must be a desirable place.
The eunuch leading the way was Xiao Shunzi, a servant from the imperial presence. The two had often interacted in Wuzhou, and Shen Shiyuan considered herself familiar with him. After glancing around, she lowered her voice to ask:
"Does anyone else live in Changle Palace?"
Xiao Shunzi almost laughed. Shen Meiren’s eyes darted about, her curiosity completely unconcealed.
Xiao Shunzi was actually quite happy to speak with Shen Meiren. Whether it was the noble ladies in the palace or ordinary commoners, people always looked at eunuchs with strange eyes once they knew their identity. But Shen Meiren was different—she looked at them no differently than she would at ordinary people.
They were servants, but no one was born wanting to be a servant.
Xiao Shunzi didn’t need reverence; being treated as an ordinary person was enough to put him at ease.
Shen Shiyuan had no idea what Xiao Shunzi was thinking. She knew her own background—with such origins, she was often looked down upon. Who could truly distinguish between high and low between them? At least Xiao Shunzi was a favored servant in the imperial presence.
Even if she were foolish, she knew the saying: "A servant at the prime minister’s gate holds the rank of a seventh-grade official."
Was it her place to look down on him?
Zhou Liming had specifically sent him to lead the way, implying that he was allowed to share information with Shen Meiren. Suppressing a smile, Xiao Shunzi replied respectfully:
"Changle Palace also houses a Qin Baolin. Rest assured, Shen Meiren, Qin Baolin lives in Jingya Pavilion on the west side, while you will reside in Yuzhao Hall on the east side. Your rank is higher, so naturally, you are the most esteemed in Changle Palace."
As soon as he finished the first sentence, he noticed her spirits drooping and quickly added the latter part.
He wasn’t wrong. Currently, Shen Meiren held the highest rank in Changle Palace, and with her striking beauty, once she gained more favor in the future, even the palace’s head eunuch would show her preference.
In the palace, people always stepped on the lowly and flattered the high.
Shen Shiyuan only brightened up after hearing the last part. She knew many in the palace outranked her, but if they lived separately and someone still tried to suppress her behind closed doors, she wouldn’t feel comfortable.
Xiao Shunzi left after escorting her inside.
A Meiren’s rank entitled her to six attendants, but Yuzhao Hall only had four—two eunuchs and two palace maids. This was because a Meiren was allowed to bring two personal servants into the palace, and the Empress had left these two positions vacant when making arrangements.
No one had expected Shen Shiyuan to enter the palace alone.
Just as Shen Shiyuan had the kneeling servants rise, she heard noise from outside. Puzzled, she turned to see someone leading two palace maids in.
Su Yuande swiftly bowed in greeting:
"This servant pays respects to Shen Meiren."
Shen Shiyuan told him to rise and looked curiously at the maids behind him, waiting for him to explain his purpose.
Su Yuande smiled amiably and respectfully. "His Majesty ordered this servant to bring two capable palace maids for Shen Meiren’s use. Please see if you are satisfied with them. If not, this servant will replace them for you."
After speaking, Su Yuande motioned for the two behind him to pay their respects to Shen Shiyuan.
The two stepped forward respectfully, curtsying:
"This humble servant Lüe greets the mistress."
"This humble servant Qingzhi greets the mistress."
Upon hearing that these were people sent by Qi Chuyan, Shen Shiyuan accepted them without hesitation. Having come to the imperial palace alone, Qi Chuyan was the only person she could barely trust.
Seeing this, Su Yuande secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The intention from the imperial presence was clear: to send two loyal and capable palace maids. Though it seemed like a simple request, Su Yuande found it difficult to select suitable candidates. Finding loyal ones was easy—just choose maids with shallow roots in the palace. But capable ones?
To earn a master’s praise as "capable" was no simple matter.
Fortunately, such candidates were not impossible to find. Qingzhi had served in the Crown Prince’s residence when the Emperor was still the Crown Prince. After His Majesty ascended the throne, she followed into the palace to continue her service. She had once served another mistress, but that mistress died in the lotus pond not long after entering the palace. Qingzhi was subsequently assigned to the Shangyi Ju.
Such a person, having stayed in the palace for so long and lived so peacefully, naturally possessed some skills.
Lüe, on the other hand, had only recently entered the palace, but her background was clean. Su Yuande selected her to serve in Yuzhao Hall because he observed her usual steadiness and cleverness.
Su Yuande discreetly observed Shen Meiren, inwardly marveling. As long as this Shen Meiren did not act foolishly, with her face alone, her future prospects would be extraordinary.
After Su Yuande left, Yuzhao Hall fell quiet.
Shen Shiyuan was exhausted from the long journey by carriage. She had no mind to focus on the palace maids, only giving Qingzhi and Lüe a brief glance. Lifting her chin slightly, she adopted an air of authority:
"From now on, the two of you will serve by my side."
Qingzhi and Lüe naturally looked delighted, curtsying and saying, "This humble servant thanks the mistress for your grace."
Serving by the mistress’s side meant the treatment of a first-class palace maid, which was indeed a grace.
Shen Shiyuan, carefree by nature and thinking Qi Chuyan would visit her that evening, only wanted to catch up on sleep quickly to conserve energy for dealing with Qi Chuyan later.
Qingzhi steadily supported her arm, helping her walk more steadily:
"Mistress has just returned to the palace and likely hasn’t eaten yet. Would you like to have a meal before resting?"
Shen Shiyuan paused, finding this suggestion perfectly aligned with her thoughts, and agreed without hesitation: "Then have them serve the meal."
Seeing this, Qingzhi lowered her head and smiled softly.
When she first learned that Eunuch Su wanted her to serve the newly arrived Shen Meiren, she hesitated for a moment. She had previously served Yu Meiren, who entered the palace in the fourth year of Hanyu. From the moment she entered, she held the rank of Meiren, esteemed in status and proud of her beauty, carrying an air of arrogance.
But among the imperial concubines in the palace, which one was not from an official family? Many held statuses more esteemed than Yu Meiren’s.
Yu Meiren, lofty and proud, was the foremost among her batch of concubines upon entering the palace and thus looked down on the others. She considered herself on par with the Virtuous Consort and others.
Qingzhi wanted to offer advice, but Yu Meiren only trusted the two maids she had brought into the palace, leaving Qingzhi powerless despite her intentions.
Less than three months after entering the palace, Yu Meiren’s body was found floating in the lotus pond. This incident served as a harsh wake-up call for the newly arrived concubines, and the somewhat restless atmosphere in the palace quickly settled down.
The final investigation concluded merely that Yu Meiren had accidentally drowned.
After this ordeal, Qingzhi's spirits were nearly shattered. She had come to serve her mistress with ambitions of her own, but as a newcomer, she could not gain her mistress's trust. No matter how much effort she put in, there was nowhere to channel it.
If not for Su Yuande informing her that Shen Meiren had not brought any palace attendants with her into the palace, she likely would not have come to serve at Yuzhao Hall this time.
She had no desire to relive the situation she had experienced while serving by Yu Meiren's side.
While harmony reigned between master and servant in Yuzhao Hall, the atmosphere in the other palaces was not as pleasant.
In Kunning Palace, Chaolu gently fanned The Empress as she softly relayed the news:
"His Majesty ordered Zhongsheng Hall to send two palace attendants to Yuzhao Hall."
The Empress covered her mouth and coughed twice, then waved her hand. Chaolu immediately withdrew the round fan, her eyes filled with concern as she looked at Her Majesty.
The Empress shook her head. "I am fine."
Only after the tickle in her throat subsided did The Empress look up toward the latticed window, her tone gentle as she said:
"Shen Meiren entered the palace alone, and with such delicate charm. It is only natural that His Majesty would take some extra care."
Chaolu remained silent.
All matters of the inner palace should rightfully be handled by Her Majesty. Under normal circumstances, even if Yuzhao Hall were short of attendants, someone should have informed The Empress, allowing Her Majesty to assign additional personnel. This time, however, the Emperor bypassed Her Majesty and issued the order directly—clearly intending to protect Shen Meiren.
Otherwise, given Shen Meiren's intellect, she would merely be another Yu Meiren.
With just one encounter, everyone in the palace had gained an understanding of Shen Meiren's foolishness.
Chaolu was genuinely perplexed: how could His Majesty value such a simple-minded person?
As if reading Chaolu's thoughts, The Empress smiled and shook her head. "A shallow mind has its advantages."
Ultimately, aside from bearing heirs, the imperial concubines in the inner palace served only to please the Emperor.
His Majesty's daily dealings with court affairs were already mentally exhausting. When he entered the inner palace, he sought only relaxation and had no desire to expend further effort on the concubines.
In the Emperor's eyes, the imperial concubines were no different from the wild beasts he had once kept.
At this thought, a shadow passed over The Empress's eyes. Gazing at the scenery outside, she murmured softly:
"Our Emperor is… exceedingly self-centered."
Her last few words were spoken so faintly that Chaolu could not make them out. Puzzled, she looked up at Her Majesty, but The Empress merely shook her head and said no more.
Changle Palace, Jingya Pavilion.
Qin Baolin irritably tugged at her handkerchief, occasionally glancing toward the neighboring quarters. The commotion there had already ceased, and the entire Changle Palace had quieted down once more.
Her emotions were in turmoil, and she asked her attendant uncertainly:
"Tell me, should I go and pay my respects to her?"
They resided in the same palace. She had arrived first, while Shen Meiren came later, but Shen Meiren held a higher rank. However, since Shen Meiren was not in the principal position, there were arguments both for and against paying respects.
Qingwen hesitantly offered a suggestion:
"If you are conflicted, Mistress, perhaps you should go once?"
Qingwen held back her unspoken thoughts: after all, Shen Meiren's rank was higher than her mistress's, and she did not seem particularly broad-minded. What if she took offense, feeling slighted by the lack of respect, and later caused trouble for her mistress?
Qin Baolin choked back her words. If she were willing to go, she would not be so agitated in the first place.
Qingwen did not understand. She asked hesitantly, "Are you unhappy that Shen Meiren has moved into Yuzhao Hall, Mistress?"
Qin Baolin paused, lowering her gaze as she tugged at the corner of her mouth and said:
"What does it matter whether I'm happy or not?"
After saying this, she took a deep breath, as if having come to a realization: "With her arrival, at least the Changle Palace will be lively for a while, and my chances of seeing the Emperor will increase. That's actually a good thing."
Qingwen didn't dare to speak. She observed her mistress's expression, which didn't seem happy at all.
Of course, Qin Baolin was not happy. No matter how lively the Changle Palace became, it belonged to someone else—what did it have to do with her?
Watching others rise to prominence before her eyes, the bitterness in her heart was something only she could understand.
In the end, Qin Baolin still stood up:
"Let's go, we'll pay our respects to Shen Meiren."
Qingwen breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly helped her mistress out.
But in the end, Qin Baolin was unable to pay her respects to Shen Shiyuan.
Because Shen Shiyuan had already retired for the night.
Author's Note:
Daughter: (Eyes sparkling) So impressive!
Xiao Qi: You… never mind.
[No ellipses allowed!]
[Let me explain again to the sisters: Daughter Yuan Yuan is the type of person with an extremely high sense of entitlement. She blames everything and everyone but herself, and she can be quite domineering—unyielding even when she's in the right. She's the kind of character who believes everyone has wronged her and that she herself has done nothing wrong. I don't know if you sisters will like her like this.]