Mingshiyuan
The sunlight of spring passes through the carved wood windows, sprinkling in a mottled manner onto the light silk curtains fluttering gently within the room. It adds a few warm touches to this ancient and fragrant space.
Yu Yao slowly opened her eyes, and the sunlight was slanting into the room, almost nearing noon.
She lightly furrowed her eyebrows, preparing to sit up, but she felt a sharp pain in that area.
Each world has to endure the agony of the breaking melon, which is really a hassle.
Perhaps men truly have a natural gift in this regard, aside from some initial dissatisfaction, they are quite satisfied afterward.
"Miss, you've finally woken up."
Xiang Ling pushes the door in, holding a basin of warm water. Seeing Yu Yao wake up, she quickly puts down the water basin and comes to help her.
Seeing her body bruised and red, as if she had been mistreated, her eyes immediately reddened, and she couldn't help but burst into tears.
"Miss, how could the prince behave like this to you?"
Xiang Ling wiped her tears with her sleeves and could not help but feel heartbroken.
Yu Yao was initially confused, but after realizing what was happening, she could only laugh and cry. She comforted, "You foolish girl, don't cry. This is the prince's favor towards me; you should be happy for me."
She thought, she would have to educate this girl well in the future. How could she not understand such basic things?
"Really..." Xiang Ling looked doubtful, how could favor turn people into this?
This is too terrifying.
She used to see that kind of thing happen to the neighbor's Wang Grandma when she was a child.
In the evening, she cried and screamed, but during the day, she was all smiles.
And she would even boast to others about how strong her husband was.
Xiang Ling truly didn't understand, were these people all masochists?
She looked at Yu Yao with a strange look in her eyes. The mistress had also cried and screamed last night, her voice so loud that it could be heard throughout Mingxiyuan.
Xiang Ling thought her master was like the neighbor's Wang Grandma, also a masochist.
Yu Yao felt a bit uneasy when Xiang Ling looked at her with a strange expression, "What are you looking at me like that for?"
"Nothing."
Xiang Ling stopped crying and thought it was not good to harbor such thoughts about her master. Seeing the marks on her, she worriedly said, "I'll go fetch some medicine for you to apply."
Yu Yao quickly stopped her and shook her head slightly, "No need, it will fade on its own in a bit. I want hot water for a bath."
"Alright, mistress, please wait a moment."
Xiang Ling said a nod and efficiently started preparing the bath tub.
In no time, a faint rose aroma filled the entire room.
Behind the screen, a beautifully decorated large bathtub was arranged. The water surface floated with various petals of different colors, red and pink…
The steam rising blurred the surroundings, adding a touch of enchantment.
Yu Yao took off her clothes, and her body immersed in the water, squinting her eyes, enjoying the comfort of the bath.
Xiang Ling carefully washed her from the side, "Mistress, Li Grandpa just came to deliver a message that the prince has promoted you to a concubine. There are many gifts, since mistress you haven't woken up, I have taken the gifts on your behalf."
Yu Yao was pleased to hear this. Although a concubine is not as high-ranking as a secondary consort, in the prince's palace, she would be considered a somewhat significant figure, much higher in status than a favored concubine.
Even if a preferred concubine has children, she cannot raise them alone.
But a concubine has the right to raise her own children.
With the rank of a concubine, she felt she could now safely carry a child.
She secretly took three pregnancy pills when Xiang Ling wasn't paying attention.
She originally wanted to take Dragon and Phoenix pills, but she thought that Xuanyuan City was the prince, with military power in his grasp, and had such high prestige in Jingguo.
If she gave birth to a dragon-and-phoenix twins, she feared the emperor might feel apprehensive.
But she got impatient with having to give birth one baby at a time, so she swallowed three pregnancy pills all at once.
After bathing, she stepped out of the bathtub and changed into a set of simple and elegant clothes.
Standing in front of the bronze mirror, she looked at the face in the mirror that was full of exotic charm yet infinitely radiant, and she subtly lifted one corner of her mouth.
Xiang Ling helped her dry her hair and gathered it into an elegant and leisurely big bun, with a delicate and graceful lotus hairpin inserted at the bun, swaying gracefully.
She looked at herself in the bronze mirror, hand on her hairpin, and thought it was quite nice, so she went to the outer room for lunch.
The midday meal was plentiful and exquisite, with a tempting aroma that seemed to sneak into her nose.
Yu Yao had been hungry for a long time and started eating naturally, and she ate very happily.
At this time, the back courtyard of the Qin Palace was in turmoil.
The concubines who had not served overnight heard that Yu Yao had not only served the night before, but had also been promoted to a concubine and moved into Mingxiyuan. They all harbored jealousy.
It turned out that the prince had no physical problems. The reason why he had not favored them or visited their quarters was simply because he did not like them.
This idea occurred to them, and the women who had not been served overnight were very sad, quietly shedding tears.
Late Fragrance Hall.
Wu Lingyan sits alone in front of the bronze mirror, holding a once-colorless jade flower tightly in her hand, staring blankly into the mirror at her exhausted self, with a mix of emotions in her heart.
In recent days, the wind in the palace has changed suddenly, and Yu's concubine's name spread throughout every corner of the Qin Palace like peach blossoms blooming in spring overnight.
This woman not only succeeded in serving the prince but was also granted the title of concubine and moved to Mingxiyuan.
There are countless flowers blooming like a tapestry, and the sunlight is just right. This forms a striking contrast with the dimness in her Late Fragrance Hall.
"A dance girl from the West, an unworthy creature, how could she serve the prince?"
Jealousy spread like a venomous snake in Wu Lingyan's heart, and she cursed as she stood up in anger, wanting to find something to vent her fury.
However, she was surprised to find that the room was already empty, with not a single decent piece of pottery to be found.
Since she had entered the Qin Palace, she had not served overnight, and the prince never visited her Late Fragrance Hall. It was as if she didn't exist in the palace.
The palace servants, all of them being snobbish, became more and more cold to her as she was not favored for a long time.
Before Yu Yao joined the palace, no one had any favor, so it didn't seem like anything much.
The quality of food and clothing was not the best, but it was not bad either.
But since that slut entered the palace, she had distinctly felt the difference.
The palace servants became less and less enthusiastic about her, and their attitude became colder day by day. The food also decreased in quality.
And the items in the house, if something was missing, no one would bother to replenish them.
She went to the warehouse a few times to urge them, but it was as if a stone had been dropped into the sea, with no response.
Looking at the empty room with few pieces of furniture, Wu Lingyan cried in sadness.
But no one comforted her, her only close servant Dao Xie had been executed.
Li Fu, the eunuch, seemed to have forgotten about her, showing no intention of sending anyone to serve her.
Because there were no maidservants to serve her, Wu Lingyan had to personally go to the kitchen to fetch her meals.
Along the way, the servant girls' whispering made her feel embarrassing.
She gritted her teeth, remained silent and walked forward, trying to ignore those whispers.
"Look, that Wu concubine, once relying on her looks and being granted entry to the palace by the empress dowager, was so proud and arrogant. But without the prince's favor, she is now left with a lonely and destitute end."
"Yes, it's true. The Yu concubine in Mingxiyuan is the truly favored one. I heard that the prince has given her many precious objects today."
These words, one by one, clearly entered Wu Lingyan's ears.
She clenched her fists, her nails deeply imbedded into her palm, but she endured the tears and did not let them fall.
She had thought of competing for favor, but the prince had never taken notice of her. No matter how she doted on him or sought his attention, it was all in vain.
Wu Lingyan took the cold food, returned to the Late Fragrance Hall, and looked at the cold, oily dishes. She had no appetite at all.
But not eating, her stomach was actually very hungry.
She had to force herself to eat it.
She ate while shedding tears, thinking about herself as an official's daughter, and her father being at least a fourth-tier official in the court. How could she end up in this predicament?
Wu Lingyan lay on the table crying, her tears flowing in a heart-wrenching manner, her eyes puffy like walnuts.
Suddenly, she lifted her head, and an idea flashed through her mind. She was personally granted to the prince by the empress dowager.
Perhaps, the empress dowager could save her.
"Right, go to the empress dowager; she will definitely help me."
Wu Lingyan's eyes showed excitement, and she quickly dried her tears.
But the palace was heavily guarded, and she, a concubine, could not leave the palace. Let alone enter the imperial palace to see the empress dowager.
Then she thought of the oldest mother-in-law in the palace.
She remembered that the old nurse was personally granted to the Qin Palace by the empress dowager to take care of the prince's rear garden.
The Qin Palace now has no mistress, so there must be someone to take care of it.
Having made up her mind, she decided to seek help from that old nurse.
The next morning, Wu Lingyan prepared a small gift and kneeled humbly before the old nurse, expressing her request in detail.
Seeing that she looked sad, the old nurse thought that Wu Lingyan was indeed granted to the Qin Palace by the empress dowager. Perhaps the empress dowager would be willing to help her. She hesitated for a moment and agreed to convey her message for her.
Wu Lingyan left with a thousand thanks and blessings.
The old nurse also quickly went to the palace.
Inside the Confucius Palace, the candlelight flickered, casting a shadow on the empress dowager's face, which had weathered many storms yet still exuded a sense of authority.
The night outside was as dark as ink, completely silent, with only the occasional whispers within the hall breaking the tranquility of the night.
The empress dowager leaned on the soft couch, playing with a string of smooth jade beads in her hand. Her eyes revealed a trace of unnoticeable fatigue and worry.
At this moment, an elderly nurse hurried into the hall.
Her expression was anxious. After glancing at the empress dowager leaning on the soft couch, she reported respectfully, "Your majesty, Miss Wu from the Wu family, who was granted to the Qin Palace by you, has not been favored and may be enduring difficult times. She wishes to ask your majesty for help."
The empress dowager looked at the old nurse and saw a trace of impatience in her eyes. She cursed, "You useless thing, once you have entered the Qin Palace, you are a part of the Qin Palace. Whether your prosperity and decline is something I can interfere with is something you should worry about. If you can't even do this simple task, why should I keep you in the palace?"
After speaking, the empress dowager waved her hand to indicate that the nurse should leave. She was completely indifferent.
In her view, a woman who does not please her son is like fallen flowers in the palace, destined to wither away.
To blame, it's her own lack of ability.
