Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Noble Consort was exceptionally favored.
She was the Emperor’s childhood sweetheart. Back when the Emperor was still the unfavored Fifth Prince, she had used her entire family’s influence to stand behind him, helping him succeed in the struggle for the throne.
This debt of gratitude was enough for the Emperor to remain thankful to her forever, not to mention that Noble Consort possessed peerless beauty; every frown and smile of hers was as lovely as a celestial being.
Thus, since the Emperor ascended the throne, Noble Consort had enjoyed his undivided devotion.
She was merely waiting to give birth to a prince before she could be officially invested as Empress.
Even though she was currently only a Noble Consort, she effectively held the power to manage the Six Palaces. The fates of all the women within these palace walls were clutched in the palm of her hand.
At this moment, Noble Consort used her long finger guards to tilt my chin up. Her vermilion lips curled into a smile like a poisonous petal.
“Liu Ying, do you want to stay by my side and serve me?”
In the harem, choosing the right master is of paramount importance. When the master is favored, the servants naturally rise along with them.
Not to mention becoming a personal maid to the Noble Consort; in this palace, that was an existence akin to being half a master oneself.
So, I nodded hurriedly, the expectation in my eyes plain to see.
Noble Consort had long expected this reaction, and her smile deepened.
She pinched my chin, her nails sinking into my skin. I shuddered from the pain but did not dare make a sound.
Noble Consort said in a sinister tone, “But Liu Ying, you are far too beautiful. I don’t feel at ease.
“How about this?”
Noble Consort casually plucked a hairpin from her personal maid’s head and threw it to me.
“Slash your face, and I will feel at ease letting you serve me personally.”
I looked up, staring at the hairpin, my whole body trembling.
“Ah, you don’t dare?”
Noble Consort shook her head with regret.
“Then forget it. Regardless, cleaning commodes at the Jingshi Office is also a fine job.
“Liu Ying, what do you think?”
I remained silent.
Noble Consort stood up, no longer bothering to look at me.
Just as she was about to turn and leave, I suddenly grabbed the hairpin and slashed my face ruthlessly!
Fresh blood flowed down, dripping onto the floor and pooling into a dark red river.
Noble Consort looked back, glanced at my face, and smiled with satisfaction.
“Very good, Liu Ying. You didn’t disappoint me.
“From this day forward, you shall serve me personally.”
…
Serving the Noble Consort personally was no easy task.
In the backyard of her palace, she had modeled a torture device after the cruel punishments of the previous dynasty-a giant pit five zhang deep, which she called the “Chaipen.”
Living inside the Chaipen were thousands of snakes.
If a palace servant violated the rules, they would be stripped naked and thrown into this deep pit.
I had been in the Noble Consort’s palace for barely a month, and already seven maids had been thrown into the Chaipen.
Some had merely spoken a few extra words in front of the Emperor; others had simply worn clothes of a vibrant fabric.
When the Emperor visited again, he would never see those maids again.
There would only be another set of white bones, gnawed clean by snakes, at the bottom of the pit in the backyard.
…
However, half a month later, misfortune found its way to me.
The Emperor came to the Noble Consort’s palace for a meal, and she ordered me to serve the dishes.
This was the task most likely to result in a point of no return. Many of the previous maids had died because of this.
I was cautious, keeping my head bowed as I served the Emperor. My eyes were fixed only on the tips of the chopsticks, as I tried my best to make myself invisible.
Yet, the Emperor’s gaze still fell upon me.
Noble Consort noticed the Emperor’s gaze and smiled.
She said generously, “Liu Ying, lift your face and let the Emperor have a look.”
I obediently raised my head.
The scar that traversed my face was thus exposed to the Emperor’s eyes.
The Emperor sucked in a cold breath. “How did this happen to a perfectly good face?”
Noble Consort leisurely picked up a piece of salted pigeon and placed it on the Emperor’s plate. “Liu Ying is young. It’s inevitable to run and play in the palace. I don’t know how she was so careless, but it ended up like this.”
The Emperor frowned. “Is Yan’er’s palace so short of people? To actually let such an eyesore of a servant serve so closely.”
Noble Consort laughed. “There are too many beauties in the palace. It’s like seeing too many pretty kittens and puppies; occasionally seeing an ugly one is quite refreshing.”
She said nothing more, continuing the meal with the Emperor while smiling brightly.
All the eunuchs and maids around us breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone knew that as long as I didn’t speak further, I would have survived this ordeal.
However, I took the initiative to step forward, placing a prepared porcelain tureen on the table.
The soup was originally meant to be served individually, but I placed it only in front of the Noble Consort, skipping the Emperor.
Before Noble Consort could open her mouth to scold me, I immediately bowed and reported, “Your Majesty, please forgive me. This is a medicinal cuisine prepared by this servant, specifically to treat the Noble Consort’s recent nightmares.”
Upon opening the porcelain vessel, inside was a bowl of dark brown liquid that carried a bitter, medicinal scent.
The Emperor paused, turning to the Noble Consort. “Have you been suffering from nightmares often lately?”
In the brief moment she hesitated, I stepped forward to report.
“The Emperor has not visited Wanchun Palace much recently. Her Ladyship missed Your Majesty so dearly that her longing turned into an illness, which is what caused these nightmares.”
The Emperor looked at the Noble Consort with heartache. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Having regained her composure, the Noble Consort immediately lowered her eyes, her gaze appearing pitiful and fragile. “I was afraid Your Majesty had important matters to attend to. I didn’t want to cause you any more worry.”
The Emperor rose and placed an arm around her fragrant, jade-white shoulders. “Nothing is more important than you.”
Before this, the Emperor had been so preoccupied with government affairs that he hadn’t stepped foot into the inner palace for many days.
This time, he had only intended to stay for a meal before returning to the Imperial Study to review memorials.
But that night, the Emperor did not leave. He stayed to accompany the Noble Consort as she slept, even personally feeding her medicine.
The next day, after the Emperor finally departed, the Noble Consort came before me in her nightgown. I knelt to serve her, helping her into her shoes.
The tip of her Suzhou-embroidered shoe tilted my chin up. She looked down at me and smiled.
“Good girl. You’re a clever one. At such a young age, you already know how to help me keep the Emperor’s heart.”
She then turned her head and lashed out at the other palace maids. “Unlike these vixens! They claim to be loyal to me, but in truth, every single one of them is thinking of how to seduce the Emperor!”
The other maids trembled, not daring to lift their heads.
Only when the Noble Consort was away did they cast secret, envious glances at me.
I acted as if I didn’t notice, continuing to serve her with unwavering loyalty every day.
After the nightmare incident, the Noble Consort tasted the sweetness of success and began to frequently feign illness.
It was never anything serious-just minor headaches, fevers, or a common cold.
The Emperor truly doted on her, so every time she cried out that she was unwell, he would immediately come to accompany her in person.
Consequently, everyone knew the Emperor favored the Noble Consort above all others, even setting aside state affairs for her sake.
The Noble Consort had proven her place in the Emperor’s heart once again, and she grew increasingly prideful.
I watched her radiant face after she had received his favor and sneered inwardly.
She shouldn’t have faked being ill.
The phrase my Elder Sister said most often was: “All medicine is thirty percent poison.”
Just like the Noble Consort-she relied on feigning illness to gain favor, so naturally, she would suffer the consequences of that deception.
In this palace, people were already becoming very dissatisfied with her.
***
Sure enough, after paying respects at the Empress Dowager’s palace, the Noble Consort returned in a foul mood.
When we were alone, she smashed a porcelain vase and hissed hatefully, “That old hag. All she knows is how to give me attitude every day. If our Wei family hadn’t helped her son take the throne, how could a concubine who hadn’t seen a drop of favor in years ever become the Empress Dowager!”
I stepped forward at the right moment to support her arm.
“Please do not be angry, Your Ladyship. Do not let it ruin your health.
“Paying respects is merely Your Ladyship giving the Empress Dowager face. In my humble opinion, since the Empress Dowager doesn’t know how to appreciate it, then Your Ladyship need not give her that face anymore.
“In any case, it is winter now with heavy snow and freezing temperatures. Your Ladyship can simply claim a relapse of an old ailment and say you are unable to pay your respects.
“I can go in your stead. That way, we humiliate the Empress Dowager without giving her any grounds to find fault with Your Ladyship.”
The Noble Consort’s frustration vanished, and she gave a brilliant smile. “Liu Ying, you really are clever.”
I lowered my eyes respectfully. “It is my duty to ease Your Ladyship’s burdens.”
***
And so, I went to the Empress Dowager’s palace alone.
The Emperor happened to be there as well. I reported the Noble Consort’s illness to both of them.
The Emperor immediately defended her. “Imperial Mother, Yan’er’s health has been poor ever since her miscarriage years ago. It truly is easy for her to fall ill in the winter.”
The Empress Dowager’s expression remained unchanged. After a long silence, she nodded. “The weather is cold, and it is a great ordeal to travel from Wanchun Palace. Since that is the case, the Noble Consort is excused from paying respects.”
The Emperor breathed a sigh of relief.
However, the Empress Dowager suddenly looked up at me. “Has the Noble Consort’s health truly been this poor lately?”
I quickly added fuel to the fire. “Reporting to the Empress Dowager, her Ladyship’s constitution is indeed very weak. She often needs to remain bedridden.”
The Empress Dowager turned to the Emperor. “Noble Consort Wei falls ill every few days; her body is clearly not robust. Does the Emperor believe she is capable of bearing an Imperial Heir?”
The Emperor, who had previously only been concerned with his pity for her, was stunned by the Empress Dowager’s sudden reminder.
The Empress Dowager took a sip of hot tea and said calmly, “I know you favor her and wish to make her Empress after she gives birth to the eldest legitimate son.
“But it has been several years now. If she remains childless forever, will you simply wait forever?”
The Emperor fell silent.
A heavy stillness filled the hall. No one noticed me standing there with my hands lowered.
My face was a mask of respect, but waves of intense satisfaction surged within me.
I knew that the thing the Noble Consort hated most-and the thing I looked forward to most-was finally coming.