The Job of an Imperial Concubine

Zhuang Laoyan looked at her elder sister from a different mother, a trace of happiness on her face. “Has Elder Sister mostly recovered from your illness? I have some more nourishing medicine in my palace. In a little while, I’ll have Yunxi send some over to you.”

“Those medicinal ingredients are extremely precious,” said Jieyu Zhuang, curtsying. “This concubine still has some left over. Your Highness the xianrong need not bestow any more.”

“This palace almost forgot. You two are actually sisters.” Noble Consort Shu glanced at the two in a meaningful manner.

Jieyu Zhuang’s expression changed a hint as she performed a curtsy for Noble Consort Shu. “This concubine is not as beautiful as Her Highness the xianrong. It’s only natural Your Highness Noble Consort Shu does not remember this.”

“Perhaps Elder Sister has forgotten. Back then, when Xianrong Zhao first entered the palace, I said she looked similar to Jieyu Zhuang,” said Xiuyi Su with a smile. “However, for some reason, Xianrong Zhao and Jieyu Zhuang no longer stayed together later on. As such, you forgot that they were sisters.”

Such words overtly and secretly pointed to Zhuang Laoyan not helping her sister, her heart ice cold. Everyone pretended to choose a hairpin, not wanting to get involved. Consort Rou shot a look of disdain at Xiuyi Su. This one thought she and Noble Consort Shu had a good sisterly relationship. But she’s merely stupid dog in front of Noble Consort Shu.

Feng Jin noticed the movements behind him. Turned his head to look. He saw Zhuang Laoyan standing in front of Xiuyi Su with a stiff smile. And from the corner of his eyes, he caught sight of Jieyu Zhuang standing in a corner expressionlessly. In a light manner, Feng Jin said, “Wasn’t Jieyu Zhuang ill? Why is she able to come outside?”

His voice wasn’t loud, but everyone was able to hear it. In a flash, Jieyu Zhuang paled. The emperor’s words clearly held the intention of spurning her, foreordaining that she would never have a day where she could climb back up.

The empress noticed the emperor’s hard-to-read expression. She supported the Moutan Peony hairpin by her temples and smiled. “Your Majesty, today is the Birthday of the Flowers. The imperial concubines must offer sacrifices to the flower deity. Perhaps Jieyu Zhuang came out today because she has already recovered.” She was well aware that Jieyu Zhuang’s “illness” was merely the excuse the emperor used for removing her name tag from the selection. She simply wasn’t ill at all. Now that the emperor had said such words to her, it truly did not give her any face.

Glancing at Zhuang Laoyan in a thoughtful manner, the empress smiled in ridicule in her heart. This Zhuang Laoyan had actually entered the emperor’s heart. Otherwise, why would the emperor protect her like this?

“Your Majesty, Elder Sister has just recovered. Today, the weather is pleasant. Coming outside for a breath of air isn’t a bad idea.” Zhuang Laoyan approached the emperor and curtsied. “It’s not good to keep Elder Sister shut inside, despite your honored self doing this out of loving her dearly.”

Feng Jin’s gaze fell upon Zhuang Laoyan. Her smile was infectious. “You’re even more knowledgeable in medicine than the imperial physicians.” Then he selected a hairpin with a pomegranate flower. One from a tray a palace maid held next to him. He made his way in front of Zhuang Laoyan. Removed the pink lily hairpin from her temple. Then he slipped the pomegranate flower into her hair. “We remember you really like eating pomegranates. Perhaps this pomegranate flower is most suitable for you.”

Zhuang Luoyan supported the pomegranate flower in her hair. Tilted her head, beaming. “Your Majesty only remembers that this concubine likes to eat pomegranates. But this concubine also likes peach blossoms.”

“Actually, We have heard someone say that the more peach blossoms there are, the more peaches there will be.” Then he flicked her forehead lightly. Smiling, Feng Jin said, “Don’t say that you like any more flowers. We feel embarrassed for you.”

The empress watched as the emperor teased the naive and innocent-looking Zhuang Laoyan. And the smile on her face somewhat chilled. She dropped the hand that was supporting the Moutan peony in her hair. “Your Majesty should not continue teasing her like that. This concubine fears that Xianrong Zhao would use this reason to take more than half of the pomegranates in the palace this year.”

Without much care, Feng Jin said, “If she only likes to eat pomegranate, then We wouldn’t be teasing her for her love of food.”

The empress forced a smile. She didn’t know how to continue this conversation. Today was the Birthday of the Flowers, yet the emperor deliberately bestowed a pomegranate flower, which symbolized fertility and good fortune, to Zhuang Laoyan. As such, she could not bear to think too much.

Noble Consort Shu twirled the tuberose hairpin in her hand. With a frigid gaze, she looked at the Xianrong Zhao who was younger than her and whom the emperor favored. For a moment, she felt upset. Even the tuberose, which she had always been fond of, wasn’t as spotlessly white as it had been in the past.

Noble Imperial Concubine Jiang watched the scene before her eyes with a normal expression. Last year, on the same day, the emperor personally helped put on flower hairpins for Noble Consort Shu and Noble Imperial Concubine Yan. Now that he had a new favorite, Xianrong Zhao, even Noble Consort Shu had to step aside. Next year, who knew whom the emperor would help put on a flower hairpin for?

As Zhuang Laoyan and the emperor were joking around, she caught from peripheral vision the pale-faced Jieyu Zhuang in a corner. And her smile grew.

“Alright. We will no longer participate in the matters of you women. After you have finished offering sacrifices to the flower deity, return here for your meals. We will have Shangshi Bureau arrange a feast here,” said Feng Jin with a gentle tone as he glanced at the women present. As though he were a considerate husband.

If it weren’t a group of women before him, but a single woman… As one of those women, Zhuang Laoyan rolled her eyes. If she used her life to act out a play, then the emperor acted out a play as if it’s real life.

As one of the well-known favored imperial concubines in the harem, Zhuang Luoyan sighed in lament. With this extremely difficult mission of winning the emperor’s heart, she could only have success and not failure.

She had felt upset when someone had bullied her after she had just arrived here.

Once the crowd arrived at the incense burner table specially built for this event, Zhuang Laoyan shifted her gaze to the flower deity’s statue and followed the empress in kneeling.

Kneeling by her left was Zhaorong Xu. To her right, Xiuyi Su. Zhuang Luoyan looked left and right, catching sight of their pious appearances.

They took turns praying to the flower deity in accordance to rank. When it was Zhuan Laoyan’s turn, she looked up at the ice-cold statue of the flower deity. What use was it for the imperial concubines to place their hopes on this flower deity? If the emperor didn’t like you, it was useless no matter who you prayed to.

Once they were done, the imperial concubines started to return to the previous location, when a sound of a tear filled the air. Sure enough, a corner of Xianrong Zhao’s dress had been torn. And Jieyu Zhuang had fallen down the stone steps, face full of hatred as she looked at Xianrong Zhao.

Gaze cold, Zhuang Laoyan returned Jieyu Zhuang’s stare, the other woman lying on the ground in pain. She ignored the accusatory glare of Xieyu, her sister’s personal attendant, and before the empress could utter a word, she calmly said, “Elder Sister, with your current position, you ought to be behind Jieyu Zhang. Why did you knock into me?”

It grew silent all around. Xieyu froze in her action of kowtowing to the empress. No one had expected Xianrong Zhao to not explain or cry out a grievance. Rather, she had used these words.

The empress had also been startled. In a flash, she said rather dully, “Jieyu Zhuang, how did this happen?”

With much difficulty, Jieyu Zhuang kowtowed to the empress. “This concubine was not careful while walking and collided with Your Majesty. May Your Majesty grant forgiveness.”

“The one you collided into is not this palace, but Xianrong Zhao.” The empress no longer looked at her and left. But she also did not tell Jieyu Zhuang to rise, as though she were merely dust on the ground.

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The imperial concubines shot glances full of mockery at Jieyu Zhuang. Then they followed the empress away. That Jieyu Zhuang was hilarious. If Zhuang Laoyan wasn’t this favored, then this act of framing would be effective. What a pity that currently, Zhuang Laoyan was very favored. How could the empress flare up against her in such an obvious framing attempt?

No matter how impressive the empress was, how could she compare to the emperor?

Everyone else had already taken a few steps away from Jieyu Zhuang, but Zhuang Laoyan was still standing at the stone steps. She towered above the wretched Jieyu Zhuang as she looked at her, gaze filled with ridicule. However, her tone carried unspeakable grievances and sorrow as she said, “Elder Sister, why do you treat Younger Sister like this? Could it be that Elder Sister still bears grudges against Younger Sister for insisting to enter the palace?”

The empress slightly paused in her tracks, before continuing off without looking back.

But Noble Consort Shu did. And she saw Zhuang Laoyan with her head lowered, standing on the stone steps. Her appearance carried a desolate aura that could not be put into words. If she were a man, she would for certain find the current Zhuang Laoyan pitiful. Unfortunately… she was a woman. Naturally, she could tell what was an act and what wasn’t.

After everyone was far away, Zhuang Laoyan approached the side of the still-kneeling Jieyu Zhuang, whose body was pressed toward the ground. She bent her waist down and said in a low voice, “Elder Sister, this palace remembers that when I was kneeling outside of Jingyang Palace, I also appeared as wretched as you.”

She stood up straight. Then, in a way that seemed to be her sighing in regret yet also cherishing the memory, she said, “At that time, Elder Sister also looked at this palace like how this palace is looking at you now. This palace still hasn’t forgotten your gaze back then.” Following that, Zhuang Luoyan made to leave. Once she had taken two steps, she turned her head again. Smiled at Jieyu Zhuang, whose face was filled with hatred. “Although Jieyu Zhuang’s words offended this palace, due to our sisterly affection, this palace will absolve you of your crime.”

Then she said to one of her first-ranked palace maids, “Send the medicinal ingredients given by Donghan Prefecture as tribute to Jieyu Zhuang, so that she can recover properly. This palace thinks Jieyu Zhuang is still ill. Otherwise, how could she not be able to stand steady?”

With a twisted expression, Zhuang Wanqing watched as Zhuang Laoyan led her two first-ranked palace maids away. She had bitten her lower lip until blood trickled out, gaze permeated with hatred.

Worried, Xieyu supported her to her feet. Flustered, she said, “Master, why did Xianrong Zhao…”

“From the start, she was one to seek revenge for the smallest grievances. However, I didn’t think she would wait until now to do so. She has matured a lot from before.” Zhuang Wanqing lifted her hand. Noticed that it was already bleeding from the scrapes.

Xieyu’s complexion changed, her voice somewhat trembling as she said, “Could it be that Xianrong Zhao already knows she lost favor back then because of Master?!” At present, the emperor heavily favored Xianrong Zhao. If she wanted to take revenge for what her Master had done in the past, it would be too easy a task.

Zhuang Wanqing’s complexion also changed a little. If Zhuang Laoyan truly knew she had been the one to frame her in the past, one would fear things wouldn’t be settled this simply.

After Feng Jin had finished going through the memorials and proposals, the moment he returned to the imperial gardens, he encountered the empress and the others. He relieved them from paying respects, before having the palace servants start preparing the feast.

Then Feng Jin noticed that Zhuang Laoyan’s dress was torn. He frowned. “Is Xianrong Zhao alright? Just what happened?”

The empress said, “Just a while ago, Jieyu Zhuang was not careful and slipped down the stone steps. By chance, she grabbed onto the corner of Xianrong Zhao’s skirt.”

“Did Xianrong Zhao fall?” said Feng Jin in a worried tone, looking at Zhuang Luoyan. “If you fell, We will have someone summon an imperial physician.”

“Your Majesty, this concubine is fine.” Zhuang Laoyan smiled. However, the smile seemed somewhat forced.

Today, Zhuang Laoyan had been dressed in red and in the attire of a xianrong. Now that someone had torn off a piece, naturally she wouldn’t be happy. Feng Jin looked at the torn spot. Furrowing his brows, he said, “Today is the Birthday of the Flowers, yet someone ruined your clothes… Gao Dezhong, send Our order. Have Shangyi Bureau make a few more sets of these clothes.”

Zhuang Laoyan knelt in thanks, her head lowered. In Feng Jin’s eyes, such an appearance seemed delicate and touching.

“Empress, just now, who did you say tore Xianrong Zhao’s clothes?” asked Feng Jin after he let Zhuang Laoyan sit down.

“Reporting to Your Majesty, it was Jieyu Zhuang.”

“The Birthday of the Flowers is a time where one offer sacrifices to the flower deity. Jieyu Zhuang had a failure of etiquette in front of the flower deity, and knocked into her superior. She truly is not suitable for the position of jieyu. She will be demoted to a noble lady,” said Feng Jin with indifference.

Once Zhuang Wanqing, who had just arrived at the imperial gardens, heard those words, the will power she had relied on to keep moving disappeared. She leaned against a willow tree, dejected. She did not have the energy to approach and enter that crowd of beautifully-dressed women.

However, in the empress’ heart hid fear. She did not say which stone steps Jieyu Zhuang had fallen from, so how did the emperor know this happened in front of the flower deity? Had people long since informed the emperor?

If so, that meant the emperor did not demote Jieyu Zhuang out of impulse. Rather, he had decided on this after hearing the news?

The empress couldn’t help but take a few more looks at Zhuang Laoyan, who was sitting at the side. Did the emperor really place Zhuang Laoyan in his heart?