Chapter 21: An Unexpected Turn

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Industry competition really doesn’t need to be this intense.

Wan Anran had to coax and persuade for quite a while before she could finally get Haitao to give up on the idea of using Yuyong Powder to give her a massage. Even then, Haitao still looked regretful and started asking Jubai in detail whether she had heard any other stories about the imperial consorts.

Jubai thought for a moment and actually did come up with several:

For example, Consort Hui, who had been in the palace the longest among the consorts. It was said that she drank a rejuvenating tonic soup daily and always included tofu in her meals—this was supposedly the secret behind her flawless, porcelain-like skin and delicate glow.

Another example was Consort An. As the foremost among the Eight Consorts, she had the habit of washing her hair every day with a soap made from polygonum multiflorum root. Even the water she bathed in had to be infused with medicinal herbs boiled into a decoction.

All these bits and pieces left everyone wide-eyed and speechless.

Not just Haitao and Zisu were surprised—even Wan Anran couldn’t help but look at Jubai with new eyes. She reached out and poked Jubai on the forehead, sighing with admiration:

“So our little Jubai is a clever one after all!”

Jubai stuck out her tongue sheepishly.

Blushing, she lowered her head and said, “This maid doesn’t like talking much, but the other sisters often like to pull me aside and chatter away…”

So Jubai was essentially an emotional dumping ground.

Wan Anran patted her on the shoulder. “That’s not a bad thing! From now on, we’ll rely on you for all the juicy palace gossip!”

Jubai lifted her head slightly.

Her eyes sparkled. “R-really? I can?”

Wan Anran nodded enthusiastically. “Of course you can!”

Then, lowering her voice slightly, she said, “Come on, Jubai, tell us more—what other rumors are going around the palace?”

“Hmm… then this maid will tell another one…”

“What!? There’s really something like that?”

“There’s more, there’s more…”

“Gasp… That’s terrifying.”

“This maid remembers…”

“Tsk tsk tsk, only the palace could have stories like this, right?”

…

If it hadn’t been for Haitao remembering that tomorrow was the first day of the Lunar New Year, they might have talked all night long. Even so, Wan Anran was still reluctant to stop and repeatedly said they must continue chatting later.

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The first day of the Lunar New Year was a good day.

Starting with the two Empress Dowagers, followed by the Emperor, the Empress, Imperial Noble Consort Tong, and all the consorts ranked Consort and above, gifts were sent in one after another.

The Grand Empress Dowager’s gifts were noticeably more generous than the usual share.

Several of the items made Zisu beam with joy. “Mistress, these are the allotments meant for a Noble Lady!”

The palace was under strict regulations.

Without approval from higher-ups, such a misallocation of gifts was nearly impossible. So what did it mean that a Noble Lady’s share had been sent? Not only Zisu, but even Haitao and Jubai couldn’t hide the excitement in their eyes. A thought quietly rose in all their hearts.

Wan Anran felt a rush of excitement before calming herself.

How could the Kangxi Emperor casually grant a title? Don’t overthink it, don’t overthink. She waved her hand and instructed the three of them to properly store the Grand Empress Dowager’s gifts. Then, with great enthusiasm, she started examining the rest.

The Empress Dowager and the Emperor’s gifts were fairly standard.

As for the Empress’s gift, Haitao said it was clearly better than what Xu Changzai next door received. It included four bolts of the newest silk, as well as a generous amount of wild rabbit, fox, lamb, and bison pelts—a truly lavish gift.

Imperial Noble Consort Tong’s gift was also extravagant.

Wan Anran glanced at it twice before setting it aside disinterestedly. In the past, she might have been delighted and displayed it on her antique shelf for admiration. But ever since Lord Kangxi had filled her antique shelf in one go last time, her small side room had no more space for these grand but useless things.

She continued flipping through the rest.

If the Empress’s gift was high-quality and rare fabrics, then Consort Xuan’s was made up of high-quality common fabrics and mid-grade ordinary fabrics. The former was clearly for her personal use, while the latter was meant for distributing to others. Wan Anran naturally understood Consort Xuan’s kind intentions. She picked out the bolts and, smiling brightly, pushed them toward Haitao, Zisu, and Jubai.

“These are for you three! You can make yourselves a couple of new outfits for the New Year!”

Maidservants’ clothing followed strict templates.

But during holidays, they were allowed slight modifications for festivity’s sake—or to tweak the design of their palace uniforms. Rumor had it that a few palace maids had caught the Emperor’s attention this way. Of course, more often than not, people would take the fabrics home to their families instead, which also counted as a nice perk.

Haitao, Zisu, and Jubai were overjoyed.

They knelt down and kowtowed.
“This maid thanks the Young Mistress for the reward!”

But that wasn’t all!

New year, new spirit—Wan Anran waved her hand generously and handed out New Year’s red envelopes: ten taels each for Zisu and Jubai, and a full twenty taels for Haitao! Considering that palace maids usually only earned three to five taels a month, such generosity left the three of them grinning from ear to ear.

Compared to the joy in the east wing, the mood in the west wing was quite the opposite—palace staff there all wore gloomy expressions. Forget holiday gifts or bonus money—Xu Changzai had been ordering the three of them around non-stop since dawn.

And what was it all for?

Of course, for the palace banquet tonight!

The New Year’s Day palace banquet was held in Cining Palace. Unlike the heavily ceremonial “family banquet” at Qianqing Palace the day before, which hardly felt like a family gathering, tonight’s banquet was the real chance to encounter the Emperor.

Xu Changzai clenched her teeth.

Since Wan Changzai wouldn’t be attending today, she had to seize the opportunity to get the Emperor’s attention!

As for everything else—

Xu Changzai had long tossed it aside. “Once I rise to the top, won’t you all get whatever you want anyway?” After bustling about to perfect her appearance, the determined Xu Changzai stepped out right as the gifts arrived. She glanced over at the east wing, still full of laughter and joy, then let out a cold snort and strode off toward the main hall.

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The noise in Xianfu Palace gradually faded.

There was no longer the cheerful clamor of Ninth Prince Wan Fu, nor the exasperated chatter of Consort Xuan and Noble Lady Nara. The entire palace now felt empty and silent.

Wan Anran was now the only remaining mistress in residence.

But she wasn’t stingy. She sat leisurely under the eaves, warming her hands over a handwarmer. Whenever a servant came to greet her, she casually grabbed a handful of silver scraps and handed them out as New Year’s gifts. From Nanny Xia to the little eunuch sweeping the floors, everyone got something. Very quickly, the staff of Xianfu Palace wore genuine, heartfelt smiles.

The palace people gathered in the courtyard.

The chirping laughter at last gave Wan Anran the real feeling of celebrating the New Year. Still, eating the festive dishes all alone did feel a little lonely. After some thought, she simply gathered the remaining staff of Xianfu Palace and started a barbecue in the courtyard again.

Wan Anran clapped her hands and called out:
“Let’s all celebrate the New Year together!”

The palace staff originally wanted to decline, but when they saw the hopeful look in Wan Changzai’s eyes, one by one, they began to hesitate. Haitao was the first to agree, and soon, voices of agreement rang throughout the courtyard.

“Let’s celebrate the New Year together!”

The blazing fire seemed to melt everyone’s hearts. The palace people who had previously been cautious and fearful now gradually broke into smiles. As the aroma of grilled meat wafted through the air, the sound of laughter and chatter grew louder and livelier.

Suddenly, there was a deep “boom” beside their ears.

Wan Anran looked up and saw brilliant fireworks lighting up the sky in a burst of gold. That was just the first one. Then came the second, third, fourth… Red light, purple light, yellow light bloomed one after another in the sky.

A dazzling display of lights and colors lit up the heavens.

Wan Anran engraved the splendid fireworks deep in her heart, so much so that she didn’t even notice Haitao’s calls. It was only after a long while that she finally heard her:

“Young Mistress, someone’s here from Cining Palace!”

A eunuch bearing the imperial decree approached with a beaming smile.

He stepped forward respectfully.
“Young Mistress Wan, these are dishes sent as a reward from the Emperor.”

Wan Anran was truly stunned this time.

She had stayed quietly in Xianfu Palace the entire time—what had she done to deserve being remembered by the Emperor? Haitao, Zisu, and Jubai were so overwhelmed they could hardly stand straight, while even Nanny Xia and the others were left utterly baffled.

This was truly beyond anyone’s expectations!