Chapter 3: Intrigue and Amusement

The Emperor had not summoned any consorts to his bed for quite some time.

Thus, when Yun Ying was summoned last night, it drew the attention of the entire palace.

The generous rewards she received today further proved the Emperor was pleased with her.

What would happen next remained to be seen.

The consorts, with different thoughts in their minds, sent various gifts to Qingzhu Pavilion.

Biwu and Biliu carefully counted the items, understanding that after last night, their mistress had become the center of attention. As senior palace maids, they now needed to be even more cautious in how they conducted themselves.

“Mistress, Consort Xian, Consort De, Zhaoyuan Jiang, and Concubine Lü all sent gifts,” Biwu reported to Yun Ying. The items were mostly luxurious fabrics, hairpins, and jewelry.

“If they’ve sent them, accept them,” Yun Ying said lazily, reclining as usual on her beauty couch. “Just remember to thank them according to palace etiquette.” These rules had already been taught to her by her nanny, so Yun Ying didn’t need to worry about it.

Biwu acknowledged the order and went off with Biliu to handle it.

Yun Ying, flipping through the storybook she hadn’t finished, idly turned to a new page.

By palace custom, after serving the Emperor, a consort was supposed to pay respects to the Empress.

But with the six palaces currently without an Empress and the Empress Dowager forbidding any disturbances, the tradition had temporarily been suspended.

Had it been time to pay respects to Consort Xian, Yun Ying might have had to meet other consorts.

Luckily, she had already paid respects yesterday.

So today, she remained cozily at Qingzhu Pavilion.

She couldn’t be bothered to guess the Emperor’s thoughts.

So long as she wasn’t punished and continued receiving fine rewards, she was content to accept everything with peace of mind.

As for what the other consorts thought of her—she wasn’t concerned.

After one night of favor, the smart ones wouldn’t rush to target her. The foolish ones? Easy to deal with.

Rather than waste time thinking about all that, she might as well read a few more pages of her storybook. Much more interesting.

Engrossed in a particularly emotional tale, Yun Ying was sighing over the tragic ending of a certain female character when Biliu approached, holding a gilded purple sandalwood box.

“The jewelry bestowed by His Majesty has been properly sorted.”

“Mistress, would you like to have another look?”

Without lifting her eyes, Yun Ying closed her book and said, “No need. Go fetch me a few more storybooks instead.” After a pause, she added, “Choose ones with happy endings.”

Just then, a young palace maid came in to report that Gu Zhenzhen had come to visit Qingzhu Pavilion.

Having heard last night that the Emperor had chosen Yun Ying’s nameplate, Gu Zhenzhen hadn’t slept a wink.

Now that she’d also heard of the many rewards Yun Ying had received, she couldn’t sit still any longer.

Just days ago, it had been she who stood out in front of His Majesty.

Among the newly entered consorts, she had been the first to receive his favor.

So why was Yun Ying the first to be summoned to his bed?

The thought stuck in Gu Zhenzhen’s chest like a stone. It was unbearable.

Especially since she had just flaunted her reward in front of Yun Ying in the imperial garden yesterday.

Now, in less than a day, she had been thoroughly humiliated twice!

She was dying to know what method Yun Ying had used to make the Emperor choose her.

But curiosity or not, such questions could never be voiced aloud.

Her visit today was to warn Yun Ying not to get too full of herself.

After all, Yun Ying was merely a Cairen, a rank even lower than her own as a Meiren.

Having heard the palace maid’s report, Yun Ying couldn’t help but chuckle.

See? There’s the brainless one, right on cue.

“Biliu, open the box for me. Let me take a look.”

Changing her mind, Yun Ying gave her order before gesturing for the maid to invite Gu Zhenzhen inside.

Soon after, Gu Zhenzhen entered the outer room and saw Yun Ying seated beneath the window on a luohan couch.

“Mistress, Lady Gu is here,” the palace maid announced and withdrew.

Gu Zhenzhen immediately noticed the large gilded purple sandalwood box on the table beside Yun Ying.

The box was open, its contents a dazzling array of gold hairpins and ornaments that shimmered in the light. Just one glance revealed their extraordinary value.

Gu Zhenzhen felt another jolt of irritation.

She had indeed received rewards from the Emperor, but compared to this, hers felt… lacking.

“Greetings, Lady Gu,” Yun Ying rose as Gu Zhenzhen’s expression changed slightly. She politely invited her to sit and smiled innocently, “What brings you to Qingzhu Pavilion today?”

Snapping out of her thoughts, Gu Zhenzhen quickly composed herself and returned the smile. “Naturally, I’ve come to congratulate you, Cairen Yun.”

She sat on the opposite end of the couch. Even if she didn’t look directly at the box, the glittering jewelry was impossible to ignore from the corner of her eye.

Gu Zhenzhen forced herself to remain calm, saying with a tight smile, “It pleases me to see that Cairen Yun was able to serve His Majesty so well.”

Biliu stepped forward to serve tea.

The table was mostly occupied by the oversized jewelry box, so Yun Ying, ever so considerate, pushed it aside to make room.

This made it even easier for Gu Zhenzhen to see the stunning pieces inside.

Gu Zhenzhen: “……”

Her smile froze. Yun Ying, as if oblivious, gently stroked a gold hairpin inlaid with pearls and precious stones, beaming. “Thank you, Lady Gu. I never expected His Majesty to bestow so many gifts.”

It was the truth.

After all, she hadn’t exactly pleased the Emperor last night.

But to Gu Zhenzhen, the words sounded insufferably smug.

Thinking of yesterday’s incident in the imperial garden, and now having these lavish gifts rubbed in her face, it felt like deliberate flaunting—provocation, even.

The idea that Yun Ying might be secretly laughing at her pushed Gu Zhenzhen over the edge.

“Cairen Yun, many have received the Emperor’s favor,” she said coldly, her smile fading. She pointedly adjusted her own gold double-butterfly hair ornament inlaid with gems, silently reminding Yun Ying that she, too, had been rewarded. Lifting her chin slightly, she added, “If you become arrogant just because of this, it won’t end well.”

She heavily emphasized the words Cairen, clearly trying to put Yun Ying in her place.

Yun Ying understood, but couldn’t be bothered to argue.

Instead, she plucked the elaborate butterfly hairpin she had admired and examined it. It was more refined than Gu Zhenzhen’s.

And this wasn’t even the finest among the pieces she’d received.

Holding it up with exaggerated interest, she said, “Lady Gu, do you think this would suit me?”

Without waiting for a response, she summoned Biwu to help put it on.

Then, one by one, she pulled out even more exquisite ornaments from the box and had Biwu adorn her hair with them all.

In no time, her head glittered like a walking treasure chest.

Gu Zhenzhen was stunned. With so much clutter, even the finest jewelry lost its beauty.

Yet Yun Ying seemed entirely unaware.

She even called for a mirror and admired her absurd appearance with great satisfaction.

“No wonder—anything gifted by His Majesty looks wonderful no matter how you wear it.”

“Don’t you think so, Lady Gu?”

Giggling as she admired herself, Yun Ying looked genuinely delighted with the ridiculous result.

Gu Zhenzhen: “……”

She had no words.

How had she not realized before how vulgar and shallow Yun Ying was?

Such treasures were completely wasted on her.

Gu Zhenzhen felt regret for ever coming to Qingzhu Pavilion—and bitter resentment that even someone like Yun Ying had received the Emperor’s favor first.

Less than a quarter-hour later, she excused herself and left.

Yun Ying asked Biwu to escort her out, then slowly put down the mirror with a smile.

“Mistress, why were you provoking Lady Gu like that?” Biliu asked, unable to hold back her laughter. To her, all that jewelry must’ve been worn purely to spite Gu Zhenzhen.

“Help me take all this off,” Yun Ying said, rubbing her sore neck. Wearing that much weight on her head was exhausting.

But no, she hadn’t done it to provoke Gu Zhenzhen.

Dealing with someone that simple-minded didn’t require much effort. A taste of her own medicine was more than enough.

Anything more subtle would’ve been wasted—Gu Zhenzhen wouldn’t understand anyway.

What Yun Ying really wanted was for word of this to reach the ears of those consorts who had recently started paying her attention.

That was her true aim.

A consort who appeared foolish and harmless was much less threatening than one with ambition and scheming.

She had no desire to fight for the Emperor’s favor—nor to repeat the palace intrigues of her past life.

Without imperial favor, she didn’t have the qualifications to engage in such games anyway. Better to let everyone think she was even more brainless than Gu Zhenzhen. It would give her some peace.

Biwu returned after escorting Gu Zhenzhen out and, with Biliu, carefully removed the mountain of ornaments from Yun Ying’s head. After such a scene, Yun Ying found the jewelry rather unpleasant to look at and immediately told them to store it away in the pavilion’s small treasury.

By midday, word of what happened at Qingzhu Pavilion had spread among the consorts.

And not just them—the Emperor, Zhao Chong, heard about it too.

“I think Cairen Yun is simply a naïve and adorable girl,” Consort De, Chen Xuezhen, said with a smile as she presented sweet soup to the Emperor. “So happy with His Majesty’s gifts that she just had to wear them all at once.”

That Cairen Yun really has no brains, she thought.

Fortunately, His Majesty dislikes brainless women. Her favor will end here.

Zhao Chong listened to her words with no visible reaction—but he heard the thoughts behind them as well.

Yet what Consort De saw as evidence of Yun Ying’s stupidity only intrigued Zhao Chong further.

No brains? Not likely.

Recalling Yun Ying’s internal monologue from last night and this morning, and her odd behavior today, he grew more curious.

“She’s just a young girl with a lively nature,” he said blandly.

Then he added, “I still have memorials to review. You may go.”

Though reluctant to leave, Consort De curtsied obediently. “Since Your Majesty is busy with state affairs, I won’t disturb you further. Please take care of your health as you work. I—”

Zhao Chong looked up, and the rest of her sentence—‘I’ll be waiting for Your Majesty at Qionghua Hall’—never made it out.

All she said was, “Your concubine takes her leave.”

He nodded. Consort De left with visible reluctance.

Zhao Chong didn’t think further on Yun Ying after that and resumed reading his memorials.

“Your Majesty, it’s time to flip the nameplates,” a eunuch said as evening approached, bringing in a tray of the consorts’ plaques.

Zhao Chong didn’t even lift his head. “Go to Qingzhu Pavilion,” he said casually.