“Miss, it’s time. We need to go pay respects to the Empress today,” Qing Yuan said, glancing at the time as she came in to wake Yun Mengqing.
Yun Mengqing had slept well the night before, and when Qing Yuan woke her, she didn’t delay.
“Alright, help me freshen up.”
She sat in front of the dressing table, while Qing Yuan stood behind her, gently combing her long black hair. The woman in the mirror was so beautiful it could intoxicate anyone.
“What would the Miss like to wear today?”
After spending the entire day with His Majesty yesterday, there was surely plenty of gossip in the harem. What she wore didn’t matter much.
“You decide,” she said indifferently, looking at her reflection in the mirror.
“Miss, you’ve been with His Majesty for the past two days. The ladies in the harem might target you today. Perhaps something simple and elegant would be better?”
“Bring the ‘Butterfly Playing Among Narcissus’ dress that His Majesty gave me yesterday. I’ll wear that.”
Yesterday, along with her promotion, she had received numerous rewards: a night-shining pearl, a pair of jade bracelets, a string of pearls, a narcissus jade hairpin, a ruby ring, and two sets of dresses, one of which was the ‘Butterfly Playing Among Narcissus.’ There were also silks, satins, and gold nuggets.
No wonder everyone fights for favour. It’s not just about a man’s love; wealth and nobility are equally tempting.
“Then, Miss, pair it with the narcissus jade hairpin. It’s perfect.”
Qing Yuan skillfully combed the long black hair, neatly coiling it into an exquisite bun. The style was both unique and elegant, and finally, she inserted the narcissus jade hairpin diagonally into the bun.
“Miss looks pure and elegant, like a fairy.”
But Yun Mengqing wasn’t entirely satisfied with the subtle makeup. Today was her first formal meeting with the concubines of the palace, and a favoured concubine was naturally not low-key.
To enhance the overall look, making it more luxurious and fitting for a favoured concubine, she slowly put on pearl earrings and the pearl necklace gifted by His Majesty, adding a touch of nobility.
But it still felt a bit plain. “Bring the ruby ring that His Majesty gave me.”
Qing Yuan took the ring out of the jewellery box and placed it on her.
Yun Mengqing then applied her own eye makeup and lipstick, stood up, and twirled before Qing Yuan. “How does it look?”
A fairy descended into the mortal world, beautiful and lively.
Qing Yuan was at a loss for words; her Miss looked even more stunning.
“Miss is so beautiful, so beautiful that I don’t even know how to describe it. But… could this outfit be too high-profile?” she asked, a little worried.
“Qing Yuan, after spending all of yesterday in the Palace of Heavenly Purity and then walking with His Majesty, everyone in the harem has already set their sights on me. I can’t avoid it today.
If I dress low-key, people will think I’m scheming. It’s better to dress high-profile so they think I’m spoiled and foolish.”
“Miss is so wise. I’ve learned something,” Qing Yuan nodded seriously.
Even in plain clothes, Miss’s beauty couldn’t be hidden. It was better to stand out.
“Let’s go. Time to pay respects to the Empress.”
T/N Also there will be the full ranking list at the bottom of this chapter.
They had woken early, and by the time Yun Mengqing arrived at the Empress’s palace, only five concubines were there.
The Empress’s Kunning Palace was large and imposing, fully demonstrating the dignity and style of the imperial family.
The palace’s internal structure was intricately designed, with multiple halls and rooms. The concubines gathered to pay respects in the main hall, which could accommodate about 30 of them.
Emperor Shengwu had far more than 30 concubines, but not all could come. Generally, the less favoured concubines only needed to pay respects to the leading concubine of their palace. Then, the leading concubine would take one or two favoured concubines to pay respects to the Empress.
A beauty like Yun Mengqing, living alone in a palace without holding a higher-ranking “主位” (zhǔ wèi: master position or head concubine), would naturally be envied by other concubines.
After all, paying respects to the palace master comes earlier than paying respects to the Empress. If the palace master is difficult to deal with, one must serve tea and water in the morning, like a servant.
The early arrivals today were Li Guipin and a Changzai from her palace, along with Rong Fei and a Guiren and a Meiren from her palace.
Upon entering, greetings were exchanged.
“This concubine greets Li Guipin and Rong Fei. Wishing you good health.” Yun Mengqing bowed to the two higher-ranking consorts as part of the formal greeting ritual.
Rong Fei, seated second from the left, and Li Guipin, sitting below her, were both momentarily stunned as Yun Mengqing entered the hall. It wasn’t until Yun Mengqing bowed and greeted them that they finally came back to their senses.
They had never imagined that such an extraordinarily beautiful woman could exist in the world—graceful, with a well-proportioned figure, a slim waist, and an elegant posture. Her stunning appearance was further enhanced by the butterfly-playing-daffodil dress, making her even more captivating.
No wonder His Majesty favoured her for two consecutive days—not just the typical two nights of staying in the palace, but having her accompany him in the Qianqing Palace for the entire day. Even the Empress likely hadn’t received such treatment.
“Rise. You must be the new beauty by His Majesty’s side, Yun Beauty. You truly are beautiful,” Rong Fei said, smiling as she praised her after recovering from her amazement.
“Indeed, as soon as Yun Meiren arrives, she will outshine all the other concubines in the palace,” Li Guipin teased, though she concealed her jealousy.
“I am but a humble concubine with no remarkable qualities, far inferior to the noble and gracious Li Guipin and Consort Rong. Every sister in the palace has her own unique charm,” Yun Mengqing humbly replied.
“She certainly knows how to speak,” Rong Fei remarked lightly as she elegantly sipped her tea.
She didn’t say anything further. The other concubines, whose ranks were lower than hers, stood up to greet her. After Yun Mengqing exchanged greetings with Ding Meiren
In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, more concubines arrived one after another, until only the Guifei had yet to appear.
The first seat on the lower left of the Empress remained empty, while the seats on the right were occupied by Shufei and Defei. The four consorts— Gui, Shu, De, Xian—had their designated positions, with only the seat for the Virtuous Consort currently vacant.
T/N The four types of consort from highest to lowest:
Noble consort (贵妃; guìfēi)
Pure Consort (淑妃; shūfēi)
Virtuous Consort (德妃; défēi)
Worthy Consort (賢妃; xiánfēi):
Yun Mengqing wasn’t bored while waiting in her seat. The cakes and tea in the Empress’s palace were quite delicious. Though the Empress and the Guifei hadn’t arrived yet, the atmosphere was calm, with only occasional glances from the other concubines toward Yun Mengqing.
“Lin Guifei arrives——,” a sharp eunuch’s voice suddenly pierced the quiet.
The Guifei entered, dressed in a luxurious brocade robe embroidered with gold thread. The neckline was adorned with exquisite jewels, which matched the necklace she wore, adding to her aura of extravagance and nobility.
Her wide, flowing sleeves were embellished with intricate patterns at the cuffs. A magnificent belt, encrusted with gems and pearls, was cinched around her waist.
Her makeup was striking and alluring, with upturned eyes, heavy eyeshadow, and full red lips. She was, without question, stunningly beautiful—rightfully known as the Noble Consort who had overshadowed the women of the harem for ten years.
Calm and composed, she walked to the only empty seat beneath the Empress’s throne and sat down. At that moment, all the concubines stood to pay their respects.
“Greetings to Lin Guifei.”
“You may all rise. I served His Majesty last night and woke up late. It seems my sisters were early today,” she said with a hint of a smile.
“It’s hard work serving His Majesty, Lin Guifei. Arriving a little later is of no consequence. The Empress hasn’t even arrived yet,” Li Guipin chimed in. She had entered the palace in the third year of Emperor Shengwu’s reign and had aligned herself with the Noble Consort a year after her entry. Ever since, she had acted as her loyal spokesperson.
“Sister Guipin is right. Lin Guifei worked hard to serve His Majesty yesterday, and she did not forget to come and pay her respects to the Empress this morning. But Yun Meiren is weak and frail, so His Majesty took pity on her and exempted her from paying respects after her first night serving him,” remarked Hu Jieyu, who was dressed in a green palace gown and was known for her beauty.
(胡婕妤, Hú Jiéyú)
Before Yun Mengqing could respond, Zhu Jieyu, wearing a yellow dress, teased, “I remember that last time, several sisters in the palace were exempted from paying respects after their first night with His Majesty, but they still came to Kunning Palace to show their respect to the Empress.”
(朱婕妤, Zhū Jiéyú)
Lin Guifei nonchalantly added, “Where is Yun Meiren? It was dark last night, so I didn’t see her clearly. His Majesty praised her beauty last night, saying it was rare in the world. Come over here and let the sisters take a look.”
Yun Mengqing, being of lower rank, was seated near the door on the second row to the right. It was understandable that Lin Guifei couldn’t see her well. However, her remark was essentially commanding Yun Mengqing to stand in the centre of the hall for everyone to examine. By mentioning that the Emperor had praised her beauty the night before, Lin Guifei effectively stirred up jealousy among the other concubines.
Indeed, the palace concubines were difficult to deal with. With just a few words, they had already labelled Yun Mengqing as someone who didn’t follow the rules, lacked respect for the Empress, and seduced the Emperor with her beauty.
Sighing inwardly, Yun Mengqing stood up and walked slowly to the centre of the hall under the watchful eyes of Lin Guifei, She gave a half-kneeling bow in her direction.
Lin Guifei raised her eyelids and looked down at Yun Mengqing from her elevated position. “Indeed seductive!” she thought to herself.
Lin Guifei had always prided herself on her beauty within the palace, but now, seeing Yun Mengqing’s stunning appearance, she realised that Yun’s beauty made all the other women seem plain by comparison.
Suppressing her frustration, Lin Guifei took a sip of her tea, making no move to tell Yun Mengqing to rise.
The other concubines merely watched the scene unfold, pretending not to notice Lin Guifei’s deliberate attempt to make things difficult for Yun Mengqing.
Although Yun Mengqing had slept well the night before and her legs weren’t as sore, her body was still weak, and the half-squat position was painful.
Her face had turned slightly pale, but she couldn’t let the accusations go unchallenged. Frowning slightly and with a pitiful tone, Yun Mengqing said, “Sister Jieyu, before I met His Majesty, I had been recuperating in the palace for half a year. Suddenly receiving His Majesty’s favour caught me by surprise. The next day, His Majesty spared me from paying respects because he felt sorry for my weak health. His Majesty’s concern is something I dare not refuse, and it is not that I do not follow the rules,” Yun Mengqing said.
Tears gradually filled her eyes, crystal clear and fragile.
Because she was still in a half-squatting position, her body trembled slightly. Qingyuan had accompanied her, but while Yun Mengqing was half-squatting, Qingyuan was kneeling on the ground, unable to help her.
Lin Guifei had originally only wanted to assert her authority. But seeing Yun Mengqing’s pale complexion, she became even more disdainful. How could such a frail woman have the qualifications to serve His Majesty?
“Yun Meiren, please rise. I was too busy enjoying the White Hair Silver Needle tea in the Empress’s palace and completely forgot about you,” she said coldly.
T/N 白毫银针 (Bái háo yín zhēn): This is a reference to a premium Chinese white tea known for its delicate flavour and aroma, often served in royal palaces.
“Thank you, Your Highness. I’m fine,” Yun Mengqing replied, her voice choking with emotion.
Hu Jieyu, who had never liked weak beauties, saw Yun Meiren trembling after saluting for a short while, with tears in her eyes, as if Hu Jieyu had bullied her. She thought to herself, “How good she is at putting on an act.”
Hu Jieyu then said aloud, “What’s wrong with Yun Meiren? It looks like Lin Guifei had bullied you.”
“I dare not!” Yun Mengqing immediately knelt down, her head lowered as tears fell uncontrollably. Her body trembled slightly, her hands clenched into fists as she struggled to contain the grievances in her heart.
Seeing her in this pitiful state, Hu Jieyu looked down on her even more. “I heard that the reason you needed half a year to recuperate was because An Meiren accidentally pushed you into the lake?”
An Meiren, who followed Zhang Zhaoyuan into the hall today, saw Yun Mengqing at first sight and cursed her in her heart. This wretch, how is she even more beautiful than she was half a year ago? How could she not have drowned after being in the water for so long? Truly lucky.
(安美人, Ān Měirén)
(张昭媛, Zhāng Zhāoyuàn)
In just one night, Yun Mengqing was promoted to the same rank as her. Over the past six months, An Meiren had tried hard to please Zhang Zhaoyuan and the Empress, earning a slight favour from His Majesty. She had just been promoted to the rank of Meiren by the Empress, but what did Yun Mengqing have? Just her looks?
Hu Jieyu’s attack was just what she had hoped for.
An Meiren immediately responded in a panic, “Sister Jieyu, I entered the palace at the same time as Yun Meiren. Back then, I noticed that Yun Meiren hadn’t earned His Majesty’s favour yet. To comfort her and prevent her from feeling depressed, I invited her to the lotus pond. Unexpectedly, Yun Meiren was too frail and fell into the water.”
Kneeling on the ground, Yun Mengqing felt like every concubine in the palace was an actor.
What a complete reversal of right and wrong! At that time, it had only been the two of them at the lotus pond, so of course, An Meiren could say whatever she liked. Yun Mengqing sneered internally.
However, her expression became even more pitiful, her eyes sincere, and her voice choked with sobs. “Yes, at that time, An Meiren invited me to the lotus pond for a talk and asked me not to bring a maid. She said it was late autumn, and the fish in the pond were especially active, so she wanted me to enjoy the view.
I ended up slipping and falling into the water, struggling for a long time before a passing eunuch rescued me. At that time, An Meiren must have been so panicked that she didn’t immediately call for help.
I know that An Meiren didn’t do it on purpose, and as her younger sister, I won’t hold a grudge.”
Yun Mengqing’s bright eyes fixed on An Meiren, her face full of innocence, giving the impression that she truly believed her fall into the water had been an accident.
The other concubines listened to her story, but their lips twitched. How naive had Yun Mengqing been back then? Being told not to bring a maid, and she actually obeyed? It was late autumn—what fish would still be active in the lotus pond? Watching the flowers in the spring or summer would’ve made more sense.
When Lady An first entered the palace, she was bold—daring to harm others so blatantly.
Yun Mengqing said these words on purpose. If it hadn’t been for An Meiren deceiving the innocent original owner and convincing her not to bring along her maid Qingyuan, Yun Mengqing wouldn’t have been stuck in the lotus pond for so long before being rescued.
An Meiren was filled with resentment. That little wench is clever now, speaking in such a roundabout way, but still hitting straight at the vital point.
Hu Jieyu, seeing that An Meiren was so useless—unable to retort after being jabbed at by Yun Mengqing’s few words—looked down on her. Not only was her appearance unremarkable, but her methods were clumsy. She was truly a waste.
This An Meiren, who had entered the palace alongside Yun Mengqing through the selection process, was clearly no good either.
“Yun Meiren is fortunate. Even after half a year of recuperation, she still managed to regain His Majesty’s favour. As for An Meiren, I think it was simply an unintentional mistake on her part. Since entering the palace, she has always been humble and respectful, never breaking the rules.”
“But… Yun Meiren has just been favoured by His Majesty, and she has already broken the rule that no concubines are allowed to stay overnight in the Qianqing Palace. Not only that, but as a concubine, she stayed in the Qianqing Palace for the entire day yesterday.”
“For two consecutive days, she has broken the rules. Does she not respect the Empress? Or does she believe that, because she is favoured by His Majesty, she can become arrogant and ignore the palace rules?”
Zhang Zhaoyuan saw that Yun Mengqing was mockingly insulting An Meiren from her own palace. Though she, too, felt that An Meiren was foolish, she couldn’t stand by and let a mere beauty bully someone under her protection. She could reprimand An Meiren however she pleased, but no one else had the right to do so. Thus, she also joined the camp to attack Yun Mengqing.
Yun Mengqing glanced at Zhang Zhaoyuan, noting her bright, dignified features. She spoke with strict adherence to the rules, leaving no room for reproach.
“Your highness Zhang Zhaoyuan,” Yun Mengqing responded, “I have not broken any rules. It’s just that His Majesty said that his words are the rules. They are an imperial decree, and I dare not disobey.” Her tone was stubborn, yet tinged with sadness and pity.
It was Emperor Shengwu who asked her to stay overnight, so why did all the concubines have to make trouble for her? Their sarcastic remarks only deepened her sense of grievance, but she knew that all she could do now was silently endure.
Yesterday, when Emperor Shengwu went to Changning Palace, Lin Guifei noticed the pleasant atmosphere and casually mentioned that it was against the rules for Yun Meiren to stay overnight in the Qianqing Palace. His Majesty’s expression immediately darkened, and he said, “It was I who told her to stay in the Qianqing Palace. Does Lin Guifei have any objections?”
Afterwards, he simply checked on the prince and then went to sleep.
Thinking about this, Guifei’s hatred towards Yun Mengqing almost overflowed from her eyes.
“Yun Meiren certainly has great charm, but His Majesty broke the rules for you, and not only did you fail to advise him against it, you became arrogant, relying on his favour. Today, you will kneel in the Empress’s palace for half an hour,” Lin Guifei delivered the punishment with a calm air.
A Guifei punishing a mere Meiren—what could Yun Mengqing possibly argue?
“Your highness, Lin Guifei, I have served His Majesty with all my heart and have never broken the rules. If Your Highness wishes me to kneel, then I accept.”
After speaking, Yun Mengqing straightened her back, knelt down on both knees, and bowed her head to conceal her feelings of grievance and unwillingness.
“You don’t realise your mistake?” Lin Guifei sneered coldly. Could it be that she, the esteemed Guifei, was using her power to oppress others?
“I know my mistake,” Yun Mengqing bit her lip and swallowed all of her discontent.
“Since you admit your mistake, then kneel and reflect on it properly.” The corners of Lin Guifei’s mouth lifted slightly into a contemptuous smile.
It wasn’t until Yun Mengqing had been kneeling for half a quarter of an hour that the Empress finally approached with slow, deliberate steps.
These are the ranks that have been mentioned in the novel:
Errrmmm also I also forgot that in previous chapters I mentioned “De Fei” and “Shu Fei” in the rankings. But that time I mentioned it’s as a surname and “fei” as in consort but maybe it’s as two types of consorts.. Haha.. sorry.. But I will be more careful in the future.
1.Empress (皇后; huánghòu): Empress Wang
The four Consorts (妃; fēi):
2.Noble consort (贵妃; guìfēi): Lin Guifei
3.Pure Consort (淑妃; shūfēi): Shu Shufei
4.Virtuous Consort (德妃; défēi):
5.Worthy Consort (賢妃; xiánfēi):
*Also, it doesn’t mention what type of Consort “Rong Fei” is so let’s just say Rong Fei.
6.Noble Concubine (貴嬪; guìpín): Li Guipin
7.Concubine (嫔; pín):, Liang Pin
8.Lady of Bright Beauty (昭媛; zhāoyuàn): Zhang Zhaoyuan
9.Lady of Handsome Fairness (婕妤; jiéyú): Hu Jieyu, Zhu Jieyu
10.Lady of Beauty (美人; měirén): Ding Meiren, Gao Meiren, An Meiren, Yun Mengqing (Yun Meiren)
11.Noble Lady (貴人; guìrén): Use to be An Meiren
12.Lady of Treasure (寶林; bǎolín): 3 positions
13.Lady of Talent (才人; cáirén): Ren Cairen
14.First Class Attendant (常在; chángzài): Use to be Yun Mengqing, 1 other position
15.Second Class Attendant (答應; dāyìng): Ji Daying
16.Lady of His Majesty (御女; yùnǚ):
17.Selected Lady (采女; cǎinǚ):
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