The Girl Who Struggled Through Palace Intrigues to Become the Empress

Zhi Hua and Xi Ying had been chatting idly with Yun Shan for about half a stick of incense when they suddenly heard greetings at the door:

"Servants Zhi Hua and Xi Ying pay respects to young master Song Zhao."

Yun Shan peeked out the window to see who was outside, and said to Song Zhao, "Young master, they must be palace maids sent by the Inner Affairs Bureau to serve you."

Song Zhao nodded, and Yun Shan cleared his throat and sternly called out, "Come in."

Zhi Hua and Xi Ying looked to be around the same age as Song Zhao. Although they had youthful appearances, their every move was proper and poised.

After greeting Song Zhao and introducing themselves, they stood silently in place, as if waiting for Song Zhao to instruct them.

Unexpectedly, Song Zhao looked at them with a smile and kindly said, "Palace maids enter the palace at eight years old and have long since learned all the rules and etiquette, so there is no need for me to lecture you further. In the future, you will be part of my quarters. Do your duties well, and I will not mistreat you."

Other masters would usually assert their authority over new servants when entering the palace.

Take Noble Consort Li who lived in the East side hall for example. Just as Zhi Hua and Xi Ying were on their way over to Song Zhao's place, they could hear Noble Consort Li berating her palace maids from far away.

They did not expect that at Song Zhao's place, they would receive gentle words and kind treatment.

They quickly expressed their gratitude for Song Zhao's graciousness, their eyes brightening up, and busily started working.

As they went out of the bedchamber to tidy up the courtyard, Zhi Hua whispered to Xi Ying,

"I think Young Master Song has a gentle personality and will be very good to get along with. Our days ahead will be much better."

Xi Ying frowned in disapproval, clearly disagreeing with her words. "What good is a gentle personality? We are palace maids, we can only gain face if our masters favor us, otherwise we'd be lower than dirt."

As she absentmindedly pruned the branches and leaves, she continued complaining,

"Although Noble Consort Li is difficult to serve, she has status and beauty. Entering the palace as a noble consort shows how much the Emperor values her. How can we compare?"

Xi Ying glanced back at the tightly shut lattice window of the West side hall and said in disgust,

"Not only is she a daughter of common birth, but she was also born with pockmarks on her face. How could the Emperor possibly favor her?"

"Don't speak recklessly!" Zhi Hua jabbed Xi Ying with her elbow. "We must not gossip about our masters. Hurry up with your work!"

The two spoke very softly, so Song Zhao naturally could not hear anything from inside the hall.

Yun Shan brewed a pot of floral tea for her and asked, "Young miss, your father said that palace servants are most adept at flattering the powerful and bullying the meek. He told you to be stricter with them after entering the palace so they would know to fear you. Yet earlier, why were you so kind and pleasant to them?"

Song Zhao toyed with the porcelain lid of her teacup and coldly laughed.

"Why would I scold them? Don't worry, those who serve by my side will not be disloyal."

*

Early the next morning was the first day for the new beauties to pay respects and greet the Empress in Feng Luan Palace.

Song Zhao dared not be negligent and got ready early to hurry over to the Empress's palace.

She was still wearing the same outfit from when she had entered the palace yesterday.

To put it nicely, it made her look gentle and simply elegant. To put it bluntly, she would be hard to pick out in a crowd.

She had brains, and so did everyone else.

Noble Consort Li, Concubine Xiao and Concubine Liu had also arrived very early, and were dressed much more plainly than yesterday.

What still drew attention was Noble Consort Li.

After greeting the Empress, she was still holding a square jet black brocade box for no reason. Concubine Xiao and Concubine Liu asked her what was inside, but she evaded the question and refused to tell the truth.

Later, more consorts arrived one after another. Song Zhao and the other three new consorts stood properly in the hall below and followed etiquette to greet each high-ranked consort.

The first to enter was Consort Yao, who lived with Song Zhao and Noble Consort Li in Yao Hua Palace.

Consort Yao was not remarkably beautiful, nor very tall, but she had an extremely slender figure. Her ample bosom was set off by her cinched waist that could be encircled with one hand.

She clearly knew her own advantages and wore very form-fitting clothes that further accentuated her voluptuous figure.

Last night, after attending to the Empress, she had returned to Yao Hua Palace and met Noble Consort Li and Song Zhao, seeming quite kind upon first impression without putting on airs.

After her came Consort Hui.

She had willow leaf brows, peach blossom eyes, a petite nose and mouth, and rosy cheeks like a powdered peach. She looked very childlike.

Seeing Song Zhao and the others curtsy to her, she smiled gleefully and kept giggling.

"How wonderful, from now on there will be more sisters in the palace to accompany me in fun and games!"

She addressed Song Zhao and the others as "sisters", not meant to be sarcastic, but because she truly had a child's mind.

It was said Consort Hui was still not yet fourteen years old, the only consort of the older generation who had not spent the night with the Emperor.

Although she looked young, her attire was exceptionally valuable.

Just the strand of bijiu jade beads around her wrist was worth hundreds in gold.

Her family was affluent, a renowned wealthy household in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang region. During the drought in the previous dynasty, her family had provided substantial assistance to the former Emperor.

Later, it was said the former Emperor had forcibly granted her father a sinecure fourth-rank official position, just so his daughter could marry into the imperial palace and form an in-law relationship with the imperial family.

After her came Consort Yin, who Song Zhao had seen yesterday, walking in side by side with another consort of some beauty but poorer complexion.

From how Consort Yin addressed her, this should be Consort Yun.

"Consort Yun, why get so upset over this matter? Consort Chen is arrogant thanks to the Emperor's favor, this is hardly the first time."

After the two entered the main hall, Song Zhao and the others quickly curtsied for them to rise.

Consort Yin smiled and signaled for them to rise, but Consort Yun did not even glance at them. She sat down and immediately started complaining to Consort Yin again,

"This consort simply cannot tolerate her arrogant manner! Consort Shu is pregnant, and has only stopped attending the Empress the last couple days due to the hot weather. But Consort Chen, who does she think she is?"

Song Zhao listened silently on the side.

Back in the manor, she had already heard that Consort Chen was the favored one as soon as she entered the palace.

In fact, it was not surprising that Emperor Xiao Jingheng would dote on her so.

Rumor had it that Consort Chen was the most alluring beauty of the former imperial harem, and her father was the Minister of the Imperial Bodyguards.

With such a powerful maternal family deeply involved in the inner palace affairs of the previous dynasty, it was expected that she would be favored.

As for Consort Shu, she was the luckiest among these consorts.

In the three years since Xiao Jingheng ascended to the throne, he was busy governing and observing the mourning period for his father during the first two years, so he hardly spent time visiting the imperial harem. It was just last year that he started bestowing affections upon his consorts.

Although Consort Shu did not receive an overwhelming amount of favor, she was blessed with good fortune and was able to spread the joyous news early on of being pregnant.

Moreover, her gentle and low-key personality meant she never formed grudges with others. Thus, no one in the harem openly expressed jealousy over her pregnancy.

But who knew what was in their hearts?

Song Zhao kept her gaze leveled ahead while discreetly sizing up all the women in the hall.

She thought to herself:

Things are going to get lively from now on.