Ms. Xie cried for several hours in front of Xie Fenghuang. Xie Fenghuang couldn’t stop her, so she almost wanted to cry with her aunt!
In the end, her cousins returned from the banquet, and rushed to persuade Ms. Xie to stop crying before she went to the backroom.
“Sis, this situation...” Ms. Lan, the wife of Xie Fenghuang’s eldest cousin, winked at other irrelevant people to go away, only leaving a few sisters-in-law to join her, apologizing to Xie Fenghuang. According to them, Yun Ju, their father-in-law, didn’t mean to do harm to Xie Fenghuang. Because of him, however, Xie Fenghuang had to join the Imperial Harem in the end. They felt guilty about this, so they begged her for mercy for the sake of their blood relationship.
The apology was half sincere to some extent. On the one hand, Xie Fenghuang was only their cousin, but she got along well with them and played an important role to balance and perfect their relationship with their mother-in-law, so they couldn’t bear to let her go through sufferings in the palace. On the other hand, they worried that Xie Fenghuang would hate them for this.
Since Xie Fenghuang had been declared by Duke Yi as the daughter of Yun Ju and his wife, they would share the glory and risks together. If Xie Fenghuang resisted the imperial decree or revenged them after being favored, Ms. Lan and others would get involved.
Luckily, Xie Fenghuang acted clear-headed, and didn’t even cry to show her grievance. She said what’s done was done. For the sake of Yun’s Family, they should ask about the rules in the palace for her so as to avoid offending the nobles and getting the family involved.
“Don’t worry about this, sis. Although our family is not that rich and noble, at least we share the same surname with Noble Consort Shu.” Ms. Lan promised immediately, “Duke Yi has surely prepared for a long time because the Fourth Miss also needs to join the Imperial Harem. We have already asked Mrs. Duke Yi about it and will prepare the same for you.”
She also said euphemistically that they would soon pack up the dowries prepared by Xie’s Family. She added, “My father-in-law has told me if time is too limited, we should use our treasures instead. Anyhow, we can’t let you feel aggrieved.”
Xie Fenghuang nodded calmly, and didn’t intend to reply. Seeing this, Ms. Lan could not think of other topics immediately, so she left after an embarrassing short chat. She said, “We will leave you to rest.”
After leaving the house, Ms. Lan asked her sisters-in-law nervously, “Any ordinary girl who encounters such a thing would cry heartbrokenly. Fenghuang is not the kind of confounded person who admires the wealth of the palace, but why was she so calm? Is it possible that she has already hated us so deeply that her heart is like dead ashes?”
Xie Fenghuang, however, was paralyzed and sitting on the couch. She asked Nian Xuan to knead her legs, and said angrily, “My sisters-in-law followed my aunt to persuade me about this. They do share the same characteristics... Since they know I’m not happy now, why don’t they let me have a rest?”
She didn’t feel heartbroken at first, but after being comforted by Ms. Xie and her sisters-in-law, her heart was broken deeply.
Nian Xuan was not as calm as her, and she burst into tears, “Miss, you really have a bad luck...”
Seriously? Again!!!
Xie Fenghuang could not bear it. She leaned her head on Nian Xuan’ shoulder, and asked, “Could you stop this for a second, okay?”
“I really feel that you are so ill-fated, My Lady. You did nothing wrong. Why are you always involved due to others’ faults?” Nian Xuan sniffed and cried, “When we were in the north, your engagement that had settled when you were a baby was ruined. After two years of peaceful life here, I thought things would be fine. Maybe Ms. Xie will find a good husband for you soon. Who knows that...?”
No wonder she felt sad. In the north, Xie Fenghuang was a legitimate daughter loved by all her family members, because she was born after her parents had four legitimate sons. What’s more, she was clever and hardworking, being allowed to read books and share the same family tutor with her youngest elder brother. The tutor often signed why she was born as a girl.
When she was 12, she was known for her beauty and talents in the local area. The family of her fiancé was complacent about the early-made engagement, and repeatedly mentioned that she should get married as soon as she became an adult, i.e., the year when she turned 15. Unexpectedly, Xie Fenghuan, her elder sister born by a concubine of her father, was captured by her husband’s family for having an affair.
The reputation of girls from Xie’s Family was inevitably ruined!
As Xie Fenghuan’s closest sister, Xie Fenghuang was involved. Not only did her fiancé break the engagement, but no one in the local was willing to marry her!
Her parents loved her so much that they couldn’t bear her to marry someone inferior or so to stay in the family temple at will, so they contacted Ms. Xie to foster her in Dijing City. They thought Dijing City was far away from the north, so the people there couldn’t know what happened to their family. When Xie Fenghuang got married and had children, she could contact Xie’s Family again. At that time, her husband’s family should know her personality well and wouldn’t suspect her just because what happened to Xie Fenghuan... If so, the storm could pass!
Xie Fenghuang and her maid had lived a peaceful life in the past two years, and she was prepared for the marriage interview, but Yun Ju made it hard for her... Thinking of that, Nian Xuan felt very angry. She said distrustfully in a low voice, “Don’t you think that Mr. Yun did it deliberately and said it was Duke Yi’s idea because he admires wealth? After all, we dare not to ask Duke Yi about it.”
“Stop.” Xie Fenghuang actually had such a guess as well, but she immediately warned the maid, “We are still depending on them for living, so it’s useless to say this. Besides, there isn’t a wall which hasn’t a rack. Even if I marry someone like others, things might be as bad as now. If not, there wouldn’t be such a saying that it is easier to find priceless treasures than a true lover.”
Nian Xuan choked, “But if you marry others, at least you are the legal wife. If so, you are the normal couple. Even if you can’t get along well with each other, you can meet less. But once you join the Imperial Harem, you will suffer a lot and even be killed by others.”
... Xie Fenghuang wanted to change a maid.
She stared at the crying girl, thinking expressionlessly that she tried so hard to comfort herself, but what the girl said really hurt her.
Nian Xuan knew Xie Fenghuang’s temper, so she dared not to cry for too long. Later, she sat up and continued her massage.
After a while, Ms. Lan came again, and brought a message from Duke Yi’s Mansion, saying that the palace would send someone to teach Xie Fenghuang the etiquette and rules to get her prepared.
Early the next morning, the palace really sent a sedan carrying a maid in cyan, who was in her 30s, but looked pretty and stern. Yun’s Family treated her very uneasily. Ms. Xie wanted to say more good words for her niece, but this maid called Xiu Fu politely stopped her, saying that she did not dare to break the order of Noble Consort Shu, and she had to teach the rules as quickly as possible.
Ms. Xie didn’t dare to stop, saying with a smile, “My niece has always been spoiled. If she does anything wrong, please...”
Before her trusted maid handed the silver for bribing, Xiu Fu corrected her indifferently, “Madam, you said it wrongly. I’m here to teach the daughter of you and Mr. Yun, not somebody like your niece!”
Ms. Xie forgot the fact that her niece had become her daughter in the list, so she immediately said, “... Yes, you are right. I made a mistake.”
When Xiu Fu led Xie Fenghuang to the side yard, she began to wipe her tears, “Poor girl! This one is just a maid of Noble Consort Shu, but she dared to embarrass me in public, not to mention how will she treat Fenghuang? How can I face her parents?”
Hearing this, Ms. Lan and others rushed to comfort her quickly. However, the more they said, the more sadly Ms. Xie cried. In the end, they all cried with Ms. Xie. Yun Ju, who had not dared to go home for a whole day, saw the scene right after he came back silently. He was frightened to sit down on the ground, “Did…Did Fenghuang commit suicide? And dead?”
“How dare you come back?!!!” Hearing the voice, Ms. Xie looked up, and suddenly became furious. She grabbed the horsetail whisk to whip Yun Ju, causing him running around the house. Ms. Xie said, “Why did you get Fenghuang involved? I’ll kill you today to make up for her!”
Although Ms. Lan and others felt that their father-in-law deserved to be beaten, as a junior, they couldn’t just be onlookers. Therefore, they tried to stop the couple at a proper time so that Ms. Xie could vent her anger and Mr. Yun could avoid getting hurt... When they were doing these, Xie Fenghuang was again corrected for the greeting manner (A form of greeting for women. They would fold their hands in front and moved their body at the lower right side), “You saluted too fast just now, and it is not dignified. You should do it in this way.”
Xiu Fu made an example for her with no expression. The one she did was neither quick nor slow, solemn and elegant, showing the peculiar sternness of the palace, which made Xie Fenghuang swallow her pain again.
In the next few days, Xiu Fu got up early and trained Xie Fenghuang on every respect, trying to make her a perfect concubine that met all the requirements of the palace.
During this period, Xie Fenghuang wanted to take a leave to meet Yun Qingman, but Xiu Fu refused her, saying that since Yun Qingman also needed to be trained, she wouldn’t have time to meet her. Moreover, both of them were sisters of Noble Consort Shu. After entering the palace, they could spend more time talking. Why bothered to meet now?
What if Xie Fenghuang failed to learn the rules due to the lack of training right now, and offended the Empress Dowager, the Queen Mothers, the Emperor, the Empress and other Consorts after she joined the Imperial Harem?
Xie Fenghuang was speechless to refute her. After learning about this, Ms. Xie embraced her and cried again, saying firmly that Noble Consort Shu was truly hostile towards her sisters, because the maid she sent didn’t allow the girls to meet, not to mention their sufferings after entering the palace... Xie Fenghuang ... Xie Fenghuang was helpless and even wanted to ask her aunt to stop feeling sorry for her, because the more her aunt said, the sadder she would be! She would rather hang herself now!
Although Xiu Fu did not allow Xie Fenghuang to go to Duke Yi’s Mansion, she did not embarrass Xie Fenghuang on other aspects. Xie Fenghuang tentatively asked about the things in the palace, and she was also willing to say something, “In the past few years, there were no new concubines joining in the palace. Among those who entered the palace when the Emperor got married, a few died. Besides the Empress, there are Noble Consort Gui and Noble Consort Shu who rank the First-Grade, and Consort Yue and Consort Xin ranking Deputy First-Grade.”
The rules of the current Imperial Court reigned from the former regime, but changed slightly.
The master of the harem was the Empress, the Super-Grade. After that, there were Noble Consort Gui, Noble Consort Shu, Noble Consort De and Noble Consort Xian, ranking First-Grade; Consort, Deputy First-Grade; Fu Ren, Second-Grade; Jiu Pin, Deputy Second-Grade; Jie Yu, Third-Grade; Pin, Deputy Third-Grade; Rong Hua, Fourth-Grade; Gui Ren, Deputy Fourth-Grade; Mei Ren, Fifth-Grade; Cai Ren, Deputy Fifth-Grade; Cheng Gui, Sixth-Grade; Bao Lin, Deputy Sixth-Grade; Yu Wan, Seventh-Grade; Feng Yi, Deputy Seventh-Grade; and Cai Nv, Eighth-Grade, which was the lowest.
There were really few concubines in Emperor Chunjia’s harem, not to mention those ranking the upper positions.
The main reason was that there were not enough concubines when he got married. During the past eight years, some died for various reasons. Therefore, the number was quite limited. After the Noble Consorts and Consorts, there were only Fu Ren Yaoning and Jiu Pin Zhaoyuan. Zhaoyuan was also from Ji’s Family, sharing the same surname with the Empress Dowager, Queen Mother Ji and the Empress.
There were no Jie Yu, Pin, Rong Hua, or Gui Ren, and only two Mei Ren, ranking Fifth-Grade, Yun Qingman included.
After that, there were a few low-ranking concubines. However, Xiu Fu said little about them. From her indifferent expression, Xie Fenghuang guessed that those might not be favored by the Emperor and shared poor family background, so she didn’t need to pay any attention.
... Of course, it was Noble Consort Shu who didn’t need to pay any attention to them. As for Xie Fenghuang, however, she dared not treat them randomly.
Xiu Fu was unwilling to talk about them, so she did not dare to ask more. She only wondered silently that if Noble Consort Shu embarrassed her as Ms. Xie said after she entered the palace... What could she do?
As soon as the days passed, it was time for them to join the Imperial Harem.
When it was still dark, Xie Fenghuang... No, Yun Fenghuang got up and dressed up according to the rules. She then said goodbye to Yun Ju and his wife, getting in the cart with Nian Xuan to the palace.Xiu Fu returned to the palace to report to Noble Consort Shu in the previous day, so Yun Fenghuang was relaxed. But after they met other noble ladies at the gate of the palace and saw the majestic palace walls and serious guarded men from the shaky curtain, Nian Xuan became silent, and Yun Fenghuang also felt a little nervous.Ever since Yun Fenghuang saw Xie Fenghuan being sunk into the river, she had rarely felt nervous.The cart ran over the palace bricks, and the four sides of the cart were covered with cyan cloth. The hairpins shined occasionally from the gap. Keeping the rules in mind, no one dared to speak. The convoy drove along the aisle for a long time before it finally stopped. After a while, a eunuch with a slightly sharp voice in the
Although Emperor Chunjia had been on the throne for eight years, he had not yet taken over the imperial affairs personally. In addition to spending time in the Imperial Harem every day, he only went to the Imperial Study, listening to lectures given by some great scholars who were appointed by the Empress Dowager.Maybe for this reason, he seemed not grave or peremptory, with long eyebrows and bright eyes, full of modest. He was like a jade. For the noble ladies who entered the palace, he attended the fete in the Ancestral Temple for having children, and he came here directly after that, wearing the imperial robe and crown of the emperor. Without his exquisite clothes, he was more like a rich man full of knowledge.“Lianniang.” The Emperor was slightly surprised when he saw the messy scene right after he entered the palace, “What’s happening?”Consort Yue’s infant name was Lianniang. Since she joined the Imperial Harem, only Queen Mother Yuan a
The next morning, Consort Yue led several low-grade concubines other than Yun Fenghuang to Yan Fu Palace to pay their respects. Before she asked for leave for the new Bao Lin, Noble Consort Shu had already asked where her sister was.“She got a cold for falling into the water yesterday and couldn’t get up this morning.” Consort Yue gave her a slanting glance and smiled lightly, “Sis, you know me. If it is someone else, I will be absolutely reluctant. After all, for a new Bao Lin who just joined the Imperial Harem, how could she miss seeing the Queen Mother and the Empress? But since she is your younger sister, I could not make you embarrassed, could I? So, I allowed her request.”These words mostly made it clear that Yun Fenghuang was indulgent and self-willed, and since she thought that she was the sister of Noble Consort Shu, she neglected to see the Empress... Well, rounding it up, it also showed that Noble Consort Shu was not so respectful to the Empres
Yun Qingman thought that Noble Consort Shu’s words were too harsh. She felt so sorry for Yun Fenghuang because Duke Yi made her join the Imperial Harem without her permission. At this moment, she was afraid that Yun Fenghuang would feel embarrassed, so she pulled Noble Consort Shu’s sleeve secretly, saying in a low voice, “Sister!”“Do you think that Queen Mother Ji is as accessible as me?” Noble Consort Shu gave her a disdainful look, but her tone softened. Before she was about to say a few soft words, Yun Fenghuang said directly, “It’s true I fell into the water, but no one pushed me.”“What?” Yun Qingman broadened her eyes and said, “Fenghuang, you dare...” Dared to frame a consort in public, the hostess of the palace she lived!Although Yun Qingman knew Yun Fenghuang was quite bold, she couldn’t help taking a cold breath to hear this!Not only Yun Qingman, Noble Consort Shu also frowned slightly, and said, “You are quite bold,
Hearing this, Noble Consort Shu froze for a moment, but Yun Qingman immediately agreed, “Yes, sister. You said yesterday that Fenghuang is different from other concubines, because the Empress Dowager personally issued the imperial decree to cordially invite her to join the Imperial Harem. So, Consort Yue must dare not hurt her. But the current situation is: Consort Yue is narrow-minded, and Fenghuang is unfortunately involved in the fight between the two groups. One is Queen Mother Ji and the Empress, the other is Queen Mother Yuan and her niece Consort Yue. What will Fenghuang’s future be if she can’t leave Hu Zhu Palace?”“... Let’s go back to Tong Xia Palace first.” Noble Consort Shu glared at Yun Qingman reluctantly. She then took a deep breath and berated her in a low voice, “Consort Yue is the hostess of Hu Zhu Palace. It’s okay for me, a Noble Consort, to privately judge her, but not for you, a Mei Ren to do the same thing. I have told you the Imperial Harem is n
Yun Fenghuang thought for a moment, looked up and asked, “Although My Lady can’t get me out of Hu Zhu Palace now, what about later in the future?”“If there is a chance in the future, I will get you out. I surely don’t want my aunt and Qingman to be sad.” Noble Consort Shu looked at her with appreciation and her tone softened, “Although you are not the daughter of Yun’s Family, you are my aunt’s niece, which makes you my cousin. We are relatives. I don’t want to make things difficult for you if I could.”“My Lady,” Hearing this, Yun Fenghuang felt like being in relief inwardly and was more daring. She asked tentatively with bright eyes, “Although Hu Zhu Palace seems to be a dangerous place, Consort Yue is not a forgiving and kind person, and I offended her greatly now... Now that you are willing to tell me the truth in detail, My Lady, does that mean I still have a chance to live?”Otherwise, she had no need to tell these things to a person doo
Yun Fenghuang gave a reward to the little eunuch who passed on the message, and awarded some silver to the inferior maids who came to congratulate her and the eunuchs who ran errands. After that, she urged Nian Xuan to serve her to bathe, dress and make up.Although she knew that Emperor Chunjia might be unwilling to name her to sleep with him...However, every man loved beauties. Even if the Emperor might be unhappy to come over, he might relent after seeing her so beautiful.She was very confident in her appearance!In addition, the Imperial Harem had the hidden rules that the low-grade concubines would be advanced after they slept with the Emperor. However, Yun Fenghuang had only seen Emperor Chunjia once, and was not clear about his character. What should she do if he deliberately found her fault, blamed her in the name of misconduct and bad service, and then demoted her grade and expelled her out of Hu Zhu Palace?
Since Consort Yue, the hostess of Hu Zhu Palace, was still grounded, Yun Fenghuang went to Tong Xia Palace with Nian Xuan after dressing up.“Be careful later.” Noble Consort Shu let her in right after hearing the reporting, enjoining her while dressing, “The Empress has planned and informed Mei Ren Xue, the one lives in Zhao Yuan Ji’s palace, to be the first one among all of you to sleep with My Majesty. However, the Emperor suddenly said that he was going to see you. I don’t know about Mei Ren Xue’s temper since she is new here. However, the hostess of her palace is tough.”If Mei Ren Xue (Ms. Xue) was an ordinary person, Zhao Yuan Ji might not be so concerned about her. While Ms. Xue, who got the title of Mei Ren firstly like Yun Qingman, was not ordinary. Her father and brother were prominent. Moreover, she was Zhao Yuan Ji’s cousin. There was a big chance that she would stand up for Ms. Xue.Yun Fenghuang was aggrieved, “I didn’t expect My