Chapter 1

I entered the palace three days after coming of age. The family was in such a hurry because my elder sister had failed to conceive.

In her five years there, the influence of our clan had raised her to Consort Chun, but she had never borne an imperial son.

The family might have been willing to wait, except that the Xu family—our greatest political rival—had sent a daughter into the palace the previous month, and she was already pregnant.

If she gave birth to a prince, she would inevitably eclipse Consort Chun, and the Xu family would overwhelm our clan at court as well.

So the family decided to send in another woman to shore up its position. I was the lucky one.

Lucky, because there were no legitimate daughters of a suitable age in the clan. I had been born to a concubine, but for the sake of my palace entry, they added me to the genealogy as a legitimate daughter. My skeletal birth mother, Concubine Song, was moved out of the woodshed, and my sickly younger brother, who had been coughing up blood, finally received treatment again.

Before I left, Father told me, “Once you bear a prince, your mother can be raised to the status of equal wife. Your brother will become a legitimate son and enjoy everything that comes with it.”

I smiled and nodded, but I knew what he had left unsaid. If I failed to bear a prince, Mother and my brother would suffer ten times more than they had before.

The advantage of being born to a great clan with someone already in the palace was that the Imperial Household Department dared not make trouble for me, and even the Empress showed me a measure of consideration. At least I was not lodged in the most remote courtyard.

My residence was called Plum Court. There were indeed plenty of plum trees in the courtyard, but it was not winter, so the place looked particularly desolate.

No sooner had I settled in than gifts arrived from every palace residence. The most lavish came from the Empress and Consort Chun.

The maid who delivered Consort Chun’s gifts was Caiqing, her personal attendant and a member of her original bridal household. She looked at me with open contempt.

I knew she despised me. Back at the family estate, I had lost count of how many times she had slapped me. My wretched circumstances had eased only after she accompanied Consort Chun into the palace.

Once the gifts had been counted, Caiqing shot me a sidelong glance.

“Talented Lady Yao should go pay her respects to Consort Chun.”

I smiled, nodded, and had someone see Caiqing out.

My personal maid, Xiaolian, asked, “My lady, are we going to pay our respects to Consort Chun now?”

I studied the jewelry and bolts of cloth Consort Chun had sent and smiled. “No.”

Xiaolian jumped. “The master told you to support Her Highness. If you don’t go and he hears about it, Concubine Song and the young master’s lives will only grow harder. There’ll be no hope for them at all.”

I shook my head. “Silly Xiaolian. If I go, that is when all hope will truly be lost.”