Chapter 7
Spring arrived in my third year here.
First Attendant Shu—no, she was Consort Shu now—
was pregnant. The whole realm celebrated.
The aging Emperor was ecstatic. In two years, since the Empress had borne a princess, no other consort had conceived.
Much had happened in three years.
Sadly, the Empress and Noble Consort’s struggle had reached fever pitch.
As if competing, they constantly summoned me to their palaces for “a chat.”
Happily, every major and minor affair of both departments now fell to Xiao Ying and Xiao Pei.
They arrived before dawn and returned exhausted only after night had fully fallen.
In truth, two people could finish one person’s workload by noon.
But they insisted on checking each other’s work. Their devotion made me, the actual chief, ashamed.
I had been idle for ages. Every day, I either drank tea with the Empress, drew the Noble Consort’s brows, or ate cakes with Consort Shu.
One night, the Noble Consort summoned me again.
“For three years, I permitted your friendship with the Empress and tolerated your creation of a separate faction by raising a maid to power. After three years, you owe me an answer.”
“Between the Empress and me, whom do you support?”
“Whom do I support…” I wanted to cry. Either answer would offend the other!
“An imperial decree!” It was Eunuch Li. “His Majesty summons the Noble Consort to attend him tonight. Your Highness, please hurry. This servant will wait outside.”
“What do I do?” The Noble Consort raged helplessly. “I removed my makeup!”
I looked at the cosmetics on her dressing table and had an inspiration.
“Your Highness, this servant has a plan…”
In the end, wearing the apparently-bare, sweet-and-sultry makeup I applied, she happily departed in the imperial carriage.
That night, the Emperor was delighted and praised her as a kingdom-toppling beauty.
She summoned me early the next morning, in excellent spirits.
“I never knew Chief Ah Shuang possessed such peerless skill. Look—my face seems naturally like this.” She hadn’t even washed the makeup off.
My brain raced. Another plan appeared.
“Your Highness, I know a way to make your bare face indistinguishable from your painted one.”
“Oh?” Her eyes lit up. Then she could crush that sallow-faced Empress. “Tell me.”
“But…” I hesitated.
“But what? Whatever you ask, I agree.”
“Then never again force this servant to choose between two options.”
“Deal!”
After that, I visited her palace every day.
Nothing special—I merely had to apply a face mask daily.
Now I mixed honey and milk, added egg white, pearl powder, and rose petals, then pounded them into a homemade mask.
On day N of drinking my hand-squeezed lemonade, the Noble Consort asked bleakly, “Can water this sour truly improve my complexion?”
“Trust me, Your Highness.” I thumped my chest. “At next month’s Mid-Autumn banquet, you will outshine every woman present.”
“You said it. If I fail, you answer to me!”
She lifted the lemonade again and drank with tears in her eyes.