Chapter 442

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Main Character:

Shen Yao

Furong Palace is located on the east side of the Imperial Palace, not far from Qianqing Palace in terms of position; stepping out the door leads directly to the Imperial Garden, a riot of flowers and brocade — simply a superb spot for viewing scenery.

After briefly meeting the palace staff of Furong Palace, Shen Yao had Xiao Fu and Xiao Ji go retrieve the items sent in advance by the Imperial Household Department, while she herself sat sideways by the window of the main hall, gently and serenely admiring the scenery within the palace.

The scenery of Furong Palace lives up to its name; hibiscus trees can be seen everywhere, in extremely large numbers.

The hibiscus tree is also known as the silk tree; its blossoms are quite distinctive, half red and half white, with filaments like threads, hence the name "velvet flower."

The flowering period of the hibiscus tree is in May and June; Shen Yao entered the palace in early to mid-April, and gazing at the hibiscus trees that had already sprouted bud after bud, she marveled that the Emperor had truly picked a good place for her.

Bustling clamor came from outside the door; Xiao Fu stretched out a hand to direct the crowd to store the items delivered by the Imperial Household Department, then arranged for Xiao Ji to keep watch over them, while she herself turned and entered the room to report to her master.

Shen Yao turned back and beckoned, "Do you know how many imperial consorts reside in the rear hall of Furong Palace?"

Xiao Fu said, "There are three or so elderly people in the rear hall who entered the palace in earlier years; this servant privately inquired, and they are not very favored."

That is to say, before the Master took up residence in Furong Palace, no Main Position had yet appeared here.

Upon hearing this, Shen Yao let out an "oh," thinking to herself: no wonder those Furong Palace slaves were so excited and delighted to see her — turns out they want to climb up and cling to a powerful patron.

"Later, take some jewelry suitable for gifting and make a trip to the rear hall of Furong Palace on behalf of this Palace.

Just say that this Palace has just entered the palace gates, and tomorrow still has to go to Fengyi Palace to pay respects to the Empress Dowager, so it is not yet convenient to receive them; please ask them not to take offense."

"Where do these words come from, Bieyu Niangniang? Blame this weak body of mine, unable to shake off the illness," Zhang Nü, lying on her side on the bed, looking emaciated with a hoarse voice, raised a hand to signal her maid to send away Xiao Fu who had come to visit, then turned and coughed lowly again.

Although the rear hall of Furong Palace is also within Furong Palace, it is worlds apart from the front hall where Shen Yao resides.

Xiao Fu smiled and declined Zhang Nü's good intentions, left the jewelry in her hand, bowed, then turned and left.

Similar to Zhang Nü's situation, the other two — Hou Baolin and Yuan Cainv — also each had their own minor ailments.

After completing this trip for her master and returning smoothly, Xiao Fu temporarily set her mind at ease.

Although thinking this way felt somewhat improper, seeing is believing; given the current physical conditions of those three, they likely cannot cause trouble for her master for the time being.

"Since they are quite ill, then have people take extra care of them on a daily basis.

We have just arrived; other matters aside, Furong Palace must be guarded well."

One's own back garden must not have any mishaps; letting someone steal the home would be a laughingstock.

Xiao Fu nodded in agreement upon hearing this, indicating she would certainly arrange for people to take extra care of those elderly residents in the rear hall — whether feigned or real, they must not be allowed to run out and obstruct the Master's sight.

Shen Yao waved a hand to let Xiao Fu go down and rest; she hadn't rested a moment since entering the palace. "There are matters to attend to tomorrow as well; the palace situation needs you and Xiao Ji — relax appropriately, don't keep yourselves wound too tight."

The situation in the palace is intricate and complex, especially those few Main Positions.

Shen Yao patted her cheeks to rally her spirits, stood up, went to the inner room, and sat by the bedside to rest.

"System, first tell me about the three Main Positions who entered the palace with me; there are so many residences in the palace, one must know oneself and the enemy to arrange the next step."

Compared to using her own people to laboriously investigate, Shen Yao chose to ask the System.

System:...

Host, harvesting wool isn't done like this; no matter what, you have to respect its authority as a System.

"Isn't this exactly respecting your authority?" Shen Yao perfunctorily placated it for two sentences. "Hurry up and tell me the situation; the Emperor flips a name card tomorrow night, he'll definitely choose among us."

The rules of the Yu Guo Imperial Palace are truly either good or bad, rotten or not.

Say it has many rules — I've bypassed quite a few; say it has few rules — a pile of inexplicable rules.

Shen Yao shook her head speechlessly, casually found a comfortable position, and lay down.

The System had already answered Shen Yao's question: "Those three Main Positions are respectively Zheng Xiurong residing in Lanxin Palace, Deng Chongyuan residing in Yuqing Palace, and Consort Shen residing in Xuan Ting Ge."

Shen Yao had the System display the palace map, marking the positions of those three respectively.

Among them, Lanxin Palace has the best location; although not the closest to Qianqing Palace, its palace gate connects in all directions — one can go anywhere; Yuqing Palace and Xuan Ting Ge are set further back, but also extremely befitting the two's backgrounds.

Compared to herself, this Bieyu who got a bargain, Shen Yao stroked her chin. "Feels like I'll be targeted."

Her origin isn't high, her background also somewhat lowly, plus her own appearance isn't absolute beauty yet could attract the Emperor's special regard... she always feels she'll become cannon fodder in the harem, the first target for everyone to focus fire on.

System:...

The System thought to itself: the Host is actually this sharp; her thinking is not wrong at all.

Of course she'll be targeted; even the Host has already got a big fat label stuck on her in front of the Noble Consort and the Virtuous Consort.

"Not afraid; not being envied is mediocrity." Am I an ordinary person? Being envied is good — the more others envy and jump in anger, the more the Emperor will value her.

How else would one say the Favored Consort is a character setting of "hated by ten thousand, loved by one"?

Waving a hand to let the System go find a place to play on its own, Shen Yao took the opportunity to nap; when she opened her eyes again, the sky outside had already darkened.

Xiao Fu and Xiao Ji cooperated with each other, and had already sorted out the general situation of the entire Furong Palace.

Although the Furong Palace slaves still don't know good from bad, time reveals the heart; as long as they interact enough, there is no one who cannot be figured out.

"Master, shall this servant have the late dinner brought over?"

Xiao Fu walked to Shen Yao's side, helped her up, and escorted her to sit properly at the dressing table.

"Mm, bring it."

Just right, she was a bit hungry; today the whole day she hadn't eaten a proper meal.

Shen Yao let Xiao Fu undo her disheveled hair and comb it anew; finally, when the other moved to insert hairpins, she refused: "Not going out, this is fine."

No need to insert them until her head jingles and clatters like a moving jewelry display case; Shen Yao doesn't have the Noble Consort's kind of flamboyant aesthetic.

Mentally grumbling a little about the Noble Consort's attire during the initial final selection, Shen Yao sat by the Eight Immortals Table, waiting for all the dishes to be served before slowly starting to eat.

"Although the taste is somewhat light, it is also refreshing and not greasy; from now on, meals shall follow the standard of what was delivered today," Shen Yao put down her bowl and chopsticks and instructed a couple of sentences, then stood up and went to the courtyard to move about.

It is precisely the turn of spring to summer; places in the palace with many trees will be a bit cold.

Shen Yao wore a single-layer robe that was not thick, and Xiao Ji, seeing this, hurriedly fetched a cloak to drape over her.

"No need to busy yourselves. Today you and Xiao Fu have worked hard; each take some silver to the Imperial Kitchen in this palace's name and add a dish for yourselves."

The palace had clear ranks; Shen Yao faring well did not mean her maidservants necessarily fared well.

Hearing this, Xiao Ji hurriedly thanked her mistress for her concern, thinking her mistress was truly kind.

That afternoon she complained with Elder Sister Xiao Fu that everyone in the palace judged by appearances; they went to the Imperial Kitchen, did nothing, yet still had to pay money and smile, all because their mistress held the Main Position.

If they served some unfavored lowly mistress, they wouldn't even dare to imagine such a thing.

Waving Xiao Ji away, Shen Yao strolled through Furong Palace as if no one else were present.

On the road she met palace slaves of old, each looking at Shen Yao with fawning expressions, clearly taking her for a noble consort who could lead them out of their bitter nest.

"People all seek profit and avoid harm, especially those in the palace who have seen the warmth and coldness of human relations."

Whoever entered the palace would not hold a mindset of eating bitterness and suffering, so mutual strife was inevitable.

"Tomorrow there is still the main show to perform; we must rest our spirits," Shen Yao said idly, toying with the hairpin on her head.

The system wondered, "Host, perhaps Her Majesty the Empress will not receive you?"

Shen Yao disagreed, "Not receiving us would be even better; if the Empress is unwilling to offer even superficial perfunctoriness, how long can the Emperor tolerate her?"

"No matter what the Empress relies on to keep the Empress Position, you must know that the one sitting on the Dragon Throne is the current Emperor."

These words were spoken with implied meaning; the system understood somewhat and did not understand somewhat, but this would not affect the cheat it provided Shen Yao.

After resting well, she got up and put on makeup the next day, refreshed and spirited.

Shen Yao changed her previous low-key manner, having Xiao Fu and Xiao Ji fetch that long skirt that sparkled like a galaxy in the sunlight, paired with a gold hairpin with tassels hanging to her shoulders, "When paying respects to Her Majesty the Empress today, we naturally must be grand and respectful."

Xiao Ji, Xiao Fu:...

But dressed like this, would our mistress seem too grand and respectful?

Shen Yao's expression was cold and indifferent, but her tone allowed no one to interject; even if Xiao Fu and Xiao Ji hesitated further, they could only wholeheartedly do as their mistress said.

Soon, a beauty in dazzlingly splendid attire appeared in the copper mirror.

Shen Yao turned around once, nodded in satisfaction, "Let us go."

Fengyi Palace was not far from Furong Palace; since Shen Yao chose to make a grand entrance, she would be grand to the end.

She directly had a sedan chair prepared; as a Main Position of one palace, she had this exception (even though she had not yet served in the bedchamber, her rank had been conferred).

After walking for the time it takes to finish a cup of tea, Shen Yao appeared in the corridor outside Fengyi Palace.

She was naturally not the first to arrive, and was nearly the last.

Including Zheng Xiurong, who held the highest rank among this selection's consorts, had already brought palace attendants to wait outside; upon looking up and seeing Shen Yao casually riding in a sedan chair, stepping down radiantly, she felt sudden disdain and contempt in her heart.

Thinking her a clever person, but she turned out to be stupid; it seemed this position of Imperial Concubine would not last long either.

"Guess what they're thinking of me? I bet there are no kind words."

After saying this playfully to the system, she smiled and greeted everyone with a curtsy.

Pleasant voices rose and fell, for a moment dazzling the onlookers.

Shen Yao's grand arrival could only be called an interlude; the Virtuous Consort and Noble Consort arriving in quick succession made the atmosphere even livelier.

But when Nainai Gui of the Empress's palace came out to explain that the Empress was unwell and could not receive them, only allowing them to pay respects and offer greetings at the palace gate, the people who had originally hidden their dissatisfaction now openly displayed their emotions on their faces.