Chapter Thirty-Four: Trivial Matters in the Palace

Xuexue rubbed her brow and stepped out of her bedchamber. The weather outside was pleasant, sunlight scattering gently across the grounds. Walking into the light, she crossed the rear courtyard, her pale robes fluttering in the breeze. Soon, the faint sound of Yao Qianqian’s quiet weeping drifted to her ears.

Though dressed simply as a palace maid, Yao Qianqian’s beauty could not be concealed, and her tearful sorrow only made her seem all the more delicate and pitiable. Alas, Xuexue could not see her appearance; it was the sound of her crying that grated upon her nerves.

"Who is it, weeping here?" she asked, her voice indifferent, as though none of this truly concerned her.

"Your Grace, this servant greets you..." Yao Qianqian hastily curtsied, her slender form appearing almost fragile in the morning light.

"This maidservant greets Your Grace," echoed Qi Wanliang, who stood nearby. Unlike Yao Qianqian’s tearful distress, she seemed rather composed, though her face betrayed a hint of unease, as if troubled by fear and anxiety.

"Yao Qianqian, what business brings you here in tears?" Xuexue stood firm upon the steps, intent on discovering what scheme this restless girl might be plotting.

"Your Grace, it is Qi, the chosen attendant. I was diligently cleaning the garden today when she deliberately disrupted my work. Even if I am temporarily serving as a palace maid, I am still a lady of status. How can I suffer such humiliation?" Yao Qianqian wept with pearly tears, her sorrow seemingly boundless.

"Oh? Tell me, how did the chosen attendant humiliate you?" Xuexue asked, her face expressionless.

"I had made the garden spotless, but the maid beside the chosen attendant deliberately tossed rubbish upon the ground, forcing me to clean it again. It was truly intolerable," Yao Qianqian replied between sobs, her small face marked with indignation and grief.

"Qi, you speak," Xuexue commanded. She stood unmoved, exuding such quiet authority that everyone nearby instinctively lowered their heads—even Yao Qianqian softened her cries, cowed by the oppressive air.

"Replying to Your Grace, I did indeed pass through the garden with Shu'er. But I swear Shu'er did not fall on purpose, nor did she mean to spill the soup she carried. That is all," Qi Wanliang explained, her voice tinged with guilt but clear as she recounted the incident.

"You dare say so? Your maid even bumped into me, almost soiling my clothes..." Yao Qianqian interjected, seizing upon what she saw as Qi Wanliang’s fault.

She could not abide this low-born official’s daughter ascending to the rank of imperial consort, especially to the prestigious position of chosen attendant. As a minister’s legitimate daughter, why should she be beneath this outsider? Thus, she aimed to humiliate her, to make clear that a title does not grant one a true mistress’s fate.

"Is that all?" At last, Xuexue spoke. "Guards, take Yao Qianqian away and give her ten strokes with the rod."

Yao Qianqian was stunned by the order. She looked up at the woman above her. "Your Grace, I haven’t finished explaining. Besides, this matter was not my fault, how could you—"

"Do you wish to remain in the palace forever?" Xuexue’s voice was serious. "If that is your desire, I can easily fulfill it."

"Your Grace, surely this is not how things should be... My father is a court minister!" Panic rose in Yao Qianqian’s heart. This blind Queen did not seem to be making idle threats.

"Indeed, you never consider the consequences. Do you take me for a plaything? Or do you suppose that being a minister’s daughter grants you the right to behave as you please? Who gave you such confidence and authority to disregard me?"

"I did not, I..." For a moment, she could find no words to defend herself.

"Enough. The matter is settled. Let Yao Qianqian serve as an example to any who dare defy the rules of the palace." With that, Xuexue turned and departed the front courtyard, her retreating figure as calm and indifferent as ever.

Yao Qianqian was left speechless by Xuexue’s words. Was this a reminder that her current station was merely that of a palace maid?

When the Yao family learned of her conduct within the palace, cold sweat broke out in anxious waves. At home, Yao Qianqian had always lived at her ease, which had inevitably fostered her arrogance. Yet to repeatedly show such disrespect for the Queen—Lord Yao could only go, trembling, to beg forgiveness from Ji Wuqing.

"A proud daughter is no great fault, given her status as your legitimate child," Ji Wuqing remarked, a faint, unreadable smile on his lips as Lord Yao nervously pleaded for mercy. "But I do wonder about your abilities, Lord Yao. Are you so busy with affairs of state that you cannot teach your own daughter, or is there some other reason?"

At these words, Lord Yao’s heart, which had only just eased, leapt into his throat again.

"It is my dereliction, Sire. I will ensure that unruly girl is strictly disciplined," he replied, falling to his knees, unable to find peace within himself.

The root of this matter lay with them; it was no surprise the sovereign’s wrath was aroused. Yet he could not fathom the King’s intentions—though angered, Ji Wuqing concealed it with a smile, speaking lightly of the affair.

"Quite right. Discipline is essential," Ji Wuqing nodded, his handsome face shadowed with depth.

Because of her inability to restrain herself, Yao Qianqian became a lesson to others and a laughingstock throughout the palace. Cao Xingyu, meanwhile, was far more astute: she kept her head down, striving only to leave the palace as soon as possible and escape the scorn of others.

As she pondered these things, a pair of blue-soled, high-heeled shoes came to a halt before her. The hem of a black-orchid skirt brushed the tops, noble and graceful, exuding a gentle elegance.

Cao Xingyu glanced up and saw a face at once familiar and distant—still just as gentle and beautiful as she recalled, but now marked with even greater dignity.

"Your servant greets Lady Xiliang," she hurriedly curtsied, feeling awkward and ill at ease.

"It’s been a year, Sister Cao. You’re being so formal," Lady Xiliang reached out to help her up, her voice melodious and soft, soothing the heart.

"It’s just... this sort of meeting must amuse you, Lady Xiliang," Cao Xingyu kept her head lowered.

"I hadn’t planned on seeking you out, truly—I feared you’d be uncomfortable. But since we’ve met, walk with me for a while," Lady Xiliang said, taking her hand with the intimacy of old friends.

"As Your Ladyship commands," Cao Xingyu replied, though wary in her heart. She had little acquaintance with Lady Xiliang, remembering her only vaguely.

"Don’t be so reserved," Lady Xiliang laughed, her expression gentle. "Is it so strange to wish to speak with an old acquaintance? The palace is such a lonely place, after all."

At these words, Cao Xingyu’s guard softened a little.

"Honestly, I’m rather glad you weren’t chosen as a consort," Lady Xiliang said as they walked side by side, surrounded by blooming flowers.

In terms of beauty alone, Cao Xingyu’s striking looks far surpassed Lady Xiliang’s more understated charm. But Lady Xiliang’s bearing was superior, her attire dignified and graceful, lending her an air of captivating warmth.

"Isn’t becoming a royal consort what every woman aspires to? Does Your Ladyship not feel the same?" Cao Xingyu thought privately, perhaps once something is attained, it is no longer so desirable. She eyed Lady Xiliang’s rare and exquisite garments—the sort even a minister’s daughter could not hope to wear.

"Enough of that," Lady Xiliang said lightly. "Tell me, what is life like outside the palace now?"

She wore an easy smile, her demeanor warm and inviting, as if confiding in a friend.

"Your Ladyship, as an unmarried girl awaiting her wedding, I know little of the world outside," Cao Xingyu replied. In truth, she had never cared to know; her heart had been set on entering the palace and serving the King. But fate had intervened, and her ambitions were thwarted.

At this thought, her resentment toward the blind Queen and Yao Qianqian burned anew. Had it not been for their interference, she would never have been reduced to a palace maid, her dreams of glory slipping further away.

That foolish Yao Qianqian, always provoking the blind Queen, was now the laughingstock of both palace and gentry. If not for her, Cao Xingyu would not have shown the Queen disrespect at the start, nor would she now be in this pitiful position.

"I see," Lady Xiliang said, a trace of regret in her eyes.

She glanced sidelong at Cao Xingyu’s shadowed expression, her own gaze flickering almost imperceptibly. "It’s a pity, Sister Cao, for someone of your beauty. In this palace, you are second to none. And as you so wished to serve the King, it’s truly unfortunate..."

"Your Ladyship need not say more. All of this is my own fault," Cao Xingyu said, lowering her head, her face growing darker.

She had been but a step away from a consort’s rank, yet someone had to ruin it all. The more she dwelled on it, the more she resented the Queen.

"Actually, in the palace, only the Queen truly holds sway. The Empress Dowager might also have influence, but she seldom involves herself. Still, she did personally inquire into your and Yao Qianqian’s affairs, which is why the King decreed you both would be sent home in three months," Lady Xiliang remarked casually, causing a light to flicker in Cao Xingyu’s eyes.

Of course, she had forgotten about the Empress Dowager. It had been the Dowager’s own attendant who had selected her for palace service.

"My lady, you have always avoided palace intrigues. Why, then, did you help Cao Xingyu against the Queen? And I can see that Cao Xingyu is hardly respectful toward you," Lady Xiliang’s chief maid asked in confusion. Her mistress had always stayed clear of such struggles, believing the King would never favor them.

"It’s not about targeting anyone," Lady Xiliang replied with a mischievous smile. "If someone is so desperate to enter the palace, I’ll oblige her—let her see for herself the loneliness here. Besides, the Empress Dowager is unlikely to support her. Everyone knows she and the King are close; she would not oppose him on this."

Perhaps she had grown lonely herself, and could not resist stirring the waters for once.