Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 119: Yanxi Palace

   After the release-of-life banquet ended, the noble ladies gradually returned to their palaces.

“Your ladyship, last night His Majesty summoned Wei Yingluo to serve in the bedchamber.” On the way back to the palace, Zhener reported the news she had just gathered to the Step Empress. “That woman really is restless!”

Noble Consort Xian… that is, the current Step Empress, curved her lips into a smile. “Isn’t that quite interesting?”

She shifted into a more comfortable leaning position. The sedan curtain was lifted by a gust of wind, revealing several palace maids passing by her sedan, each holding a jade tray. On the trays were fresh lychees, plump and perfect, still glistening with a few drops of dew.

Noble Consort Chun loved lychees the most. Because of the heat, she insisted on lychees washed with spring water. These lychees were already impressive, but the spring water used to wash them had been specially fetched at full gallop from the palace’s own spring — a whole group of people working themselves to exhaustion just so she could eat one chilled fruit.

This display, this level of imperial favor, faintly reminded people of the Noble Consort Hui of years past…

“Noble Consort Chun has been prideful for too long,” the Empress said lightly. “It’s about time she had an opponent, don’t you think?”

Zhener was taken aback for a moment before venturing a guess: “Does Your Ladyship mean… to support Wei Yingluo and use her to deal with Noble Consort Chun?”

“I have no spare time to prop anyone up,” the Empress replied with a faint smile. “Whether she can win the Emperor’s favor and suppress Noble Consort Chun depends entirely on her own ability.”

Zhener glanced around cautiously, then lowered her voice: “No one else will do? It has to be her? Aren’t you worried that once she learns the truth…”

“What is there to worry about?” The Empress laughed softly. “From beginning to end, my hands have remained perfectly clean. If anyone should be afraid right now, it’s Noble Consort Chun!”

Zhener thought it over carefully and realized it was indeed the case.

   It was Noble Consort Chun who bribed the chief steward of the Fire Department.

   It was Noble Consort Chun who orchestrated the tragedy at Changchun Palace.

   And even afterward, when she tried to silence witnesses by killing Ming Yu and Wei Yingluo to cover her tracks—it was still Noble Consort Chun.

   What did any of it have to do with the Empress? Throughout the entire affair, the Empress had merely offered Noble Consort Chun a few subtle hints at the critical moments…

   “Your Ladyship is truly wise,” Zhener said with a relieved smile once she understood. “Then where should we arrange for Wei Yingluo to be placed? In my humble opinion, why not simply put her in Zhongcui Palace? That would surely make things very lively!”

“You,” the Empress chided with amusement, “how can you be so deliberately obvious!” She pondered for a moment, then opened her eyes with a smile. “Let her go to Yanxi Palace.”

Yanxi Palace.

   Wei Yingluo looked around at the new residence where she would soon be living.

It appeared to have been uninhabited for a very long time. The palace hall was dilapidated: the red lacquer on the pillars had peeled away, thick cobwebs hung in the corners, and fine dust filled the air, making Ming Yu cough repeatedly.

“Noble Lady Wei,” Wu Shulai said, “this is Yanxi Palace. From now on, this will be your residence.”

“Chief Steward Wu, thank you,” Wei Yingluo replied, showing no trace of dissatisfaction on her face. She called out, “Ming Yu.”

Ming Yu reluctantly produced a red envelope and handed it over. Wu Shulai smiled and tried to decline: “Noble Lady Wei is too courteous.”

Wei Yingluo insisted: “This is proper etiquette. Chief Steward Wu need not refuse.”

Only then did Wu Shulai accept the red envelope. “In the future, if Noble Lady has any instructions, just call for this servant. I will do my utmost to assist.”

Wei Yingluo: “Thank you.”

After seeing Wu Shulai off, Ming Yu closed the door and said worriedly, “I’ve inquired about it. Among the six eastern and six western palaces, Yanxi Palace is the most remote and isolated—practically a cold palace. What are we going to do?”

Wei Yingluo gave an indifferent smile, brushed the dust off a chair, and sat down. “Don’t be impatient. Just endure for now.”

She knew her own situation clearly. Entering the palace this time through irregular means meant she was destined to suffer at the beginning. She simply didn’t know what other hardships Hongli still had in store for her beyond this rundown palace.

Less than half an hour later, Wu Shulai returned, bringing with him a group of palace maids.

Every single one of them was a familiar face.

Zhenzhu, Hupo, and the other former servants of Changchun Palace all knelt and greeted her in unison: “This servant pays respects to Noble Lady.”

“Rise,” Wei Yingluo said.

The moment she finished speaking, the group quickly stood up. Amber stepped forward with a cheerful giggle: “It’s been so long, Yingluo…”

Wei Yingluo was momentarily stunned. Before she could respond, Ming Yu beside her reacted first: “Hupo, who gave you permission to address the Noble Lady that way? Can’t you distinguish between high and low?”

Amber pouted. “We used to serve Her Majesty the Empress together. Has Noble Lady really forgotten all of us?”

Wei Yingluo’s expression darkened.

Privately, of course, they could be casual and informal with her, reminiscing together about the days in Changchun Palace. The problem was that Wu Shulai had not yet left; he was still watching with great interest from the side. How could they, at such a moment, keep calling her “Yingluo” one after another, as if she were not their master but merely a servant of roughly the same status as themselves?

In the palace, hierarchy and respect for superiors were taken most seriously. If word of this got out, no one would think she was kindly and approachable toward her servants. Instead, they would say she still had the servile nature of old, with not the slightest trace of a mistress’s dignity—she was an utterly hopeless “Ah Dou” who could not be propped up.

Over time, who would still regard her with proper respect? How could she possibly hold her ground in the rear palace?

But losing her temper with them right then and there was not a good option either, so she could only give a faint smile: “Ming Yu, I’m tired. I’ll go inside to rest first.”

This was not entirely an excuse. After traveling dusty roads and moving from the Yuanmingyuan into Yanxi Palace, she really was exhausted. It was time to conserve her energy and then figure out how to deal with them properly.

Ming Yu, however, did not have that kind of patience. After seeing Wu Shulai off, she immediately turned her anger on Hupo and the others: “Hupo, what was that just now?”

“Ming Yu, what’s wrong with you?” Hupo asked, feigning innocence. “After the late Empress passed away, the few of us were scattered in different places. Now that we’ve finally managed to reunite, aren’t you happy?”

“Happy?” Ming Yu almost wanted to spit in her face. “This is Yanxi Palace. Noble Lady Wei is now our master. You openly called her by name in front of everyone—that is blatant insubordination. The fact that she didn’t severely punish you was already showing extraordinary mercy, yet you still refuse to repent!”

“How would she dare?” Hupo replied with a charming smile, sounding almost smug and fearless. “Noble Lady Wei has only just entered the palace. Naturally she has to build a reputation for benevolence and virtue. If she openly punished former colleagues from Changchun Palace, people would only say she forgets her roots.”

Hearing this, Ming Yu nearly exploded with rage, feeling as though her soul was about to leave her body: “Hupo, don’t go too far!”

A group of palace maids leaned together, giggling and watching her with amusement. Clearly they had already formed a tight little clique, united in their scheme to manipulate Wei Yingluo.

The phenomenon of strong servants oppressing a weak master was not at all rare in the palace.

Some masters who had neither powerful birth nor any backing often lived worse than the servants around them. Every bolt of fabric or monthly stipend issued to them would be entirely skimmed off by the servants at their side. The most miserable ones couldn’t even get a hot meal and had to eat the cold leftovers their servants had discarded.

Ming Yu didn’t know whether Hupo had similar intentions, but she saw Hupo’s eyes flicker. Suddenly Hupo smiled at her with exaggerated warmth: “Ming Yu, you have far more seniority than Wei Yingluo, and you’re much prettier. Isn’t it a pity to be nothing but her yes-woman? She can become a Noble Lady—why can’t you?”

This cheap wench! She was actually trying to drive a wedge and pull her into their little gang too!

   Ming Yu trembled with fury and said coldly: “Hupo, you know Noble Lady Wei’s temperament better than I do. I advise you not to stir up trouble. Otherwise, no one will be able to save you!”

Hupo’s smile froze. It seemed she had suddenly remembered the ruthless methods Wei Yingluo had employed back in the day.

Ginger only gets spicier with age; ruthlessness only grows sharper.

   In the end Hupo no longer sounded so confident. She only dared mutter a few words under her breath: “The Emperor sent her to Yanxi Palace, the most remote and desolate hall in the whole complex. Ten years could pass without His Majesty ever setting foot here. What is there to be afraid of in a person like that…”

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