GD Chapter 3

Emerging from the Eastern Palace, a dim sheep horn lamp softly illuminated the green bricks underfoot.

 

The residence of the female officials wasn’t far from the main hall ahead; it was still within the Eastern Palace area. Heading north along the corridor, near the gates of the Yichun Palace, there were two courtyards—one was the imperial kitchen, and the other was the residence for titled ladies. Although the Eastern Palace was within the Imperial City, his residence formed a separate system due to the Crown Prince’s special status. From south to north, all living necessities could be self-sustained within the Eastern area. The titled ladies’ residence was prepared for the Crown Prince’s inner court, such as the ladies-in-waiting, palace attendants, and lesser consorts below the Crown Princess, who didn’t have the privilege of living in the main palace. They were usually accommodated here. However, because the Crown Prince’s quarters were currently vacant and Su Xinghe had borne a false reputation, she had been assigned to stay there by the Crown Prince.

As for the Crown Prince himself, upon first meeting him, most would mistakenly take him for a good person. When he looks at you, his gaze is clear and transparent, and you feel he is honest and sincere, untainted by worldly concerns, so you trust him. However, after spending time with him, his profound scheming catches you off guard, and the term “good person” disappears like a fleeting moment. Many years later, when you think back, you feel frustrated for being so blind at the time. Countless words are reduced to a simple realization of misjudging people because that guy was beyond reason.

 

However, the Emperor’s sons are never simple. The current Emperor has four sons and six daughters. Apart from the Crown Prince, Huo Qingzhu, there are also Prince Jianping, Huo Qingluan; Prince Minxing, Huo Qingxiao; and Prince Xin, Huo Qingfu. In the Great Yinfu Dynasty, the Emperor’s sons were not all immediately granted the title of prince upon birth. Typically, they are first given a title with two characters, and whether they can climb higher depends three parts on their abilities and seven parts on luck.

Some say all things are equal, and everyone is born equal. That’s all nonsense. There’s a word of difference with the same father but different mothers. What is luck? Your birth status is the first stroke of luck. Among these four brothers, are the two princes with two characters in their titles inferior in strategy and martial prowess? Not necessarily. They didn’t have the luck to be born from a top-tier mother’s womb. But falling behind in title doesn’t matter; it doesn’t stop them from having boundless ambitions. Who wouldn’t want the best of everything with imperial power within reach? Sibling rivalry in royal families is not uncommon; it wasn’t just in the previous dynasty but will surely happen in this one.

 

Looking up at the sky, a slender new moon hangs like a thread. Walking between the towering walls on either side, people become shorter and more insignificant. They were nearing the small palace gate. In the dark corners of the imperial kitchen, the solid outlines were visible in the night. The musical sound of the palace bell echoed, and from the dark corner emerged a eunuch carrying a lantern, strolling. When he reached her, he bowed respectfully.

She nodded. “Is the kitchen all dispersed?”

 

The eunuch replied, “The kitchen received orders that the Crown Prince is resting tonight and doesn’t need refreshments. The servants have extinguished the stoves.” As he spoke, he looked up and continued, ” Su Xinghe, you’ve worked hard. Here, I’ve prepared some snacks from the fourth-ranked kitchen. There aren’t many, just two pieces each. It’s a new style from the imperial kitchen, a gift for you to taste.”

 

With that, he hung the lantern pole from his belt, holding the small bundle with both hands and presented it to her.

 

She expressed her gratitude. “Thank you.” Reaching out to take it, the bundle hung from her fingertips, and a slip of paper fell into her palm.

 

Turning the corner to the west, the air seemed to clear as she left the alley. Someone in the courtyard opened the door and, carrying a silver basin, began to sprinkle water against the wall. Upon seeing her, they set down the basin and approached her.

 

“Madam Xue, finished with your duties already? That’s early today!”

 

Early? It was already past midnight. She handed the small bundle to her. “Some snacks made by the imperial kitchen. Enjoy.”

 

Lan Chu smiled, her eyes bright. “Another new style? I always get to taste them before the Crown Prince.”

 

Even servants have their little joys, such as this food. When the imperial kitchen comes up with a new idea, they won’t rush it to the main hall; there’s a process of research and improvement. Tasting food from the imperial kitchen is quite common for those inside, but it’s a luxury for those outside. Thanks to Madam Xue’s favor, Lan Chu enjoys this privilege more than other palace maids. She feels that her mouth must have accumulated a lot of merits in her past, rewarded enough in this life. Regarding the snacks in the Eastern Palace, she’s probably eaten more than the Crown Prince.

“Wow, I’ve heard of these,” she exclaimed excitedly, sitting cross-legged on the Kang bed and listing the names of the dishes, “Flower Cup Longan, Jam-Filled Golden Cake, Coconut Cup, and there’s even Pigeon Glass Rolls!” She picked up a pastry and held it out. “Would you like one, Madam?”

 

Su Xinghe shook her head, standing in front of the mirror using her hand as a comb, carefully tying up her hair.

 

Lan Chu stuffed the pastry into her mouth, tilting her head to look at her. She could never understand why after the Crown Prince had done “that,” Madam Xue wasn’t allowed to comb her hair. Was it to look disheveled for the maids?

 

A pair of phoenix eyes glanced over from the bronze mirror. “What are you pondering about now?”

 

Lan Chu said, “Doesn’t His Royal Highness intend to marry Madam?”

 

“Marry?” Su Xinghe chuckled, but there was nothing more to explain. “Perhaps he thinks it’s just right this way.”

 

As Madam Xue’s only personal maid in the Eastern Palace, Lan Chu felt indignant on behalf of her superior. Since a man has had dealings with a woman, providing a legitimate status is a responsibility that men must bear. How could he eat and not wipe his mouth? Female officials could return home to marry after serving for a certain years. The Crown Prince’s behavior was entirely indulgent and extremely immoral… Of course, her heart was boiling, perhaps because she was just a commoner. After all, the Crown Prince didn’t care, and Madam Xue never seemed in a hurry.  At their level, matters outside of wealth and status were trivial.

She brushed off the crumbs from her mouth. “This Pigeon Glass Roll looks better than it tastes.”

 

Su Xinghe ignored her. Turning, she saw a black shadow on the window lattice and exclaimed, “What season is it now? How come there’s still one of these!”

 

It was a gecko, known colloquially in the capital as a “scaly tiger”. If it wasn’t caught now, it might end up on the bed later.

 

Lan Chu was daring, rolling up her sleeves and climbing the ladder confidently, crouching on the wall like an even bigger gecko. She grabbed its neck and caught it. The gecko twisted its body and broke its tail, landing on the table with a thud. The small piece of tail continued to wiggle as if it could still live.

 

Out-of-season things were simply wrong. Su Xinghe watched coldly, then suddenly noticed Lan Chu covering her mouth with her hand, not moving for a while. Thinking she was scared, Su Xinghe asked what was wrong. Lan Chu said, “This thing seemed to exhale at me. My mouth feels crooked.”

 

She pushed the window open the gecko far away, then hurriedly left, nursing her injuries in her room.

 

She left that she didn’t even have time to close the door. Su Xinghe had to get up and close it herself, latching it shut.

 

The candle on the desk flickered, casting a golden glow over the room. Only now did she take out the note from her sleeve and read it. The familiar handwriting, a short line, was written from a superior position: “Investigate the neighboring room.”

 

She sat there blankly for a while, then took off the lampshade and lit the note on fire.

 

The Emperor held court outside the Taiji Gate, and the princes and ministers had to arrive at the Dongxi Gate before the hour of the Rabbit. In winter, dawn came late, and the hour of the Rabbit barely showed a hint of light blue. The Crown Prince some grace by saying she didn’t need to accompany him to court, but sometimes you could only hear half of what he said. If the master was already up, how could she sleep comfortably? So Su Xinghe had to get up before the hour of the Tiger and return to the Lijing Hall from the Chamber of the Courtiers.

The Crown Prince saw her with a faint expression, neither welcoming her nor dismissing her. The attendants serving him were dismissed halfway through their duties, and he decided not to have them serve him anymore. Turning around, he stood straight in front of her.

 

Su Xinghe sighed inwardly and helped him fasten his collar. He tucked the papers into his sleeve and then turned to leave.

 

Outside the Chongjiao Gate, a sedan chair awaited him. Unlike the Emperor, the Crown Prince used a sedan chair for court attendance, but of a slightly lower status. Eunuchs carried incense burners and lanterns, and the procession stretched several yards.

 

Usually, the Crown Prince carried himself with the nobility and decorum befitting his status. As he ascended the sedan chair and looked ahead, the purple fur collar and warm hat framed his profile like flowing clouds and flying snow. Su Xinghe led the others to bow, while the Chief Eunuch, Dequan, raised his hand to signal, and the sedan chair smoothly glided forward. In the long corridor, a series of neat and swift footsteps resounded.

This kind of practice takes place every few days. It’s the Crown Prince’s ceremony now, and in the future, when it’s the Emperor’s turn, it will be even more impressive.

 

After the attendants bid farewell to the Crown Prince, the palace hall needs to be cleaned. There are still female officials in charge of affairs in the Eastern Palace. The beds and accountants’ offices temporarily lose their duty to attend, which is also very boring. They took the initiative to take on the cleaning, smiling to please Su Xinghe: “It’s too hard for you, madam. We can help you clean. Madam, take a break in the side hall while it’s dark outside and nap. When breakfast is ready, we will bring it to you.”

She originally had no interest in dealing with these trivial matters in the Eastern Palace. since someone was willing to share the burden.

 

“The fruits in the hall need to be removed, and with the beginning of winter approaching, the curtains need to be replaced with thicker ones. Since you’ve volunteered, I’ll assign these tasks to you. But let me be clear, if you do well, there will be rewards. If you mess up, there will be consequences.”

 

After saying this, several delicate female officials looked at each other. Originally, she had tasks on her hands, was too busy to catch her breath, and had no time to chat with them. Although her words were not pleasant to hear, they understood clearly that there could be no shirking of responsibilities later on, and a good start was essential for a successful outcome.

Taking on the tasks herself, she couldn’t just shrug off responsibility because someone spoke bluntly. The female officials smiled until their jaws ached. “Don’t worry, Your Excellency. We know what we’re doing. Serving in the palace isn’t something new to us. Even if you don’t instruct us, we understand.”

 

She said that was good to hear, ignoring them as she slipped into the side hall.

 

When the sun was high in the sky, she made a wide circle, entering through the Jia You Gate of the side courtyard, crossing the Thousand Step Corridor, and arriving at the Phoenix Nest Palace. Left Imperial Consort Zhaoyi was in charge of the Phoenix Nest Palace. By tradition, there should be one or two lower-ranking concubines residing with the principal consort, but this imperial favorite was highly regarded, with the Emperor frequently visiting. She couldn’t leave such an opening for those girls to exploit.

Having taken on the tasks herself, she couldn’t simply brush off responsibility because someone spoke bluntly. The female officials smiled until their jaws ached. “Don’t worry, Your Excellency. We know what we’re doing. Serving in the palace isn’t something new to us. Even if you don’t instruct us, we understand.”

 

She found that reassuring, ignoring them as she slipped into the side hall and was comfortable.