The Job of an Imperial Concubine

Chapter 58: Mask (面具)

As the imperial concubines were paying respects to the empress, just as expected, there were many who, under the guise of being deeply concerned over Zhuang Laoyan, stabbed her with a soft knife¹. Among them, Noble Imperial Concubine Yan and Xiuyi Su were the most ruthless. However, Zhuang Laoyan did not give them much of a response. She only put on a hurt appearance. After she let everyone think they had succeeded in making her depressed, she put on the sorrowful appearance of a woman after a miscarriage.

As for the other imperial concubines, they happily watched this show, not helping either side.

After the empress watched the show for a while and saw Zhuang Laoyan’s expression grow worse and worse, she said, “It seems the new year will arrive the day after tomorrow. We ought to pay respects to the empress dowager.”

Surprised, Zhuang Laoyan arched a brow. She had thought the empress dowager went back into seclusion. She recalled when the empress dowager had interfered in the harem in the past, then inexplicably returned to Kang’an Palace to pray to Buddha. After that, she no longer interfered with the imperial harem. Zhuang Laoyan couldn’t understand. She didn’t know whether it was the empress or the emperor who had done this, who had caused the empress dowager to stop interfering with the harem.

There were also the palace maids and eunuchs that had been struck to death by lightning. Not to mention, why did the empress dowager have a palace maid caned to death? Such an action did not conform to her benevolent facade.

Noble Imperial Concubine Yan noticed that Zhuang Laoyan had her head lowered without a word. And she thought she was still traumatized by the miscarriage. A smile graced her lips. “Xiuyi Zhao’s complexion doesn’t look good. Are you unwell?”

“Thank you Noble Imperial Concubine Yan for the concern. I’m fine.” Zhuang Laoyan forced a smile, getting up from her seat with everyone. From her weak appearance, everyone could tell that she hadn’t recovered yet.

Noble Imperial Concubine Yan watched as Zhuang Laoyan left with the support of her maidservant’s hand. She snorted in a cold and quiet manner. “Who’s she putting on this pitiful appearance for?”

Consort Rou, who was passing her by, arched a brow as she glanced at her. With a fake smile, she softly said, “You might not like to see it, but others do.”

Consort Rou did not explicitly say who, but everyone knew who she was referring to. Noble Imperial Concubine Yan glared at Zhuang Laoyan’s back resentfully, before glancing at Consort Rou who had on a fake smile. She curled her lip and then caught up with the others.

Within the empress dowager’s Kang’an Palace drifted the faint scent of sandalwood incense. In a docile manner, Zhuang Laoyan listened as the empress dowager and the empress greeted one another amicably. It really made it hard for others to see the two’s prior open strife and veiled struggle.

“This grieving one heard that Chongyi Zhao had miscarried?” asked the empress dowager, finally moving the subject of conversation to Zhuang Laoyan.

Everyone present was aware that the Ye family was the empress dowager’s paternal family. Both the Ye family sisters had been demoted, and both demotions involved miscarriages. Now that the empress dowager brought this up, and referred to Zhuang Laoyan as a chongyi, everyone could tell the empress dowager didn’t like her.

Expression not faltering, the empress replied, “Imperial Mother, His Majesty has recently promoted Younger Sister Zhuang to a xiuyi.”

“Oh, this grieving one had yet to know that. This grieving one only knew that Wange was demoted to a noble lady. Why did this happen?” The empress dowager stopped the empress from responding, turning to Zhuang Laoyan. “Chongyi Zhao, tell me what happened.”

To face the empress dowager still calling her a chongyi, Zhuang Laoyan did not reveal a bit of embarrassment on her face. She rose to her feet and saluted to the empress dowager. “Reporting to Your Majesty the empress dowager, this was His Majesty’s decision. This concubine does not know the reason, but believes His Majesty must have one.”

The empress dowager’s expression was gloomy. It was obvious this Zhuang Laoyan was using the emperor to shut her up. However, she could not say that there was anything wrong with the emperor’s decree. As she recalled the things the emperor had shown her in the past², the empress dowager could only suppress her anger for the time being. “Since that’s the case, when the emperor comes to pay respects, this grieving one will ask him.”

Although the empress dowager did not especially make things difficult for Xiuyi Zhao, everyone present understood she was unhappy with Xiuyi Zhao. What a pity that the empress dowager no longer paid attention or managed the affairs of the imperial harem. Otherwise, the imperial concubines could have watched many good shows.

Ronghua Ye’s expression was the same as always. She did not appear flustered because of the empress dowager’s words. It truly made others unable to tell that she had caused Ye Wange’s current situation.

The empress sneered as she glanced at the empress dowager. No one else knew, but she was very clear on the matter. The emperor and the empress dowager were not close. He didn’t even pay respects to her daily. If the empress dowager wanted to question the emperor because of this matter, it would only inspire more disgust from him.

The Ye family had long since lost its glory of the past. And the emperor’s surname was Feng, not Ye. The empress dowager only thought of her paternal family’s glory, but forgot about this.

“This grieving one is tired. You all can leave after saluting. Ronghua Ye and Noble Lady Ye can stay.”

Once Zhuang Laoyan had reached the doorway, she looked behind her at the backs of the Ye family sisters. Was the empress dowager trying to annoy the emperor by brazenly keeping the Ye family sisters behind after everyone had saluted before leaving?

After Zhuang Laoyan had stepped foot outside the Kang’an Palace that smelled of sandalwood incense, Tingzhu draped a thick cloak over her shoulders. She carefully supported her master up the sedan and instructed the eunuchs carrying it, “The road is slippery. You will have to be more careful.”

 “Respectfully sending off Xiuyi Zhao,” said Virtuous Imperial Concubine Jiang and the other lower-ranked concubines in a deferential manner. They watched as Zhuang Laoyan and her procession left.

“Look at her frivolous appearance,” said Xiuyi Su, a scowl on her face as she boarded her sedan. “Let’s return!”

Virtuous Imperial Concubine Jiang once again respectfully sent off someone. She gazed at Xiuyi Su’s back and then lowered her eyes. With this kind of brain, it’s no wonder that although she and her cousin Noble Consort Shu were both beautiful, one was a noble consort and one was a xiuyi.

Within Kang’an Palace, the empress dowager pointed at Ronghua Ye with an unsightly expression. She said in a stern voice, “Explain what you did. Now that the positions of you sisters have dropped so low, what use are you?”

Ronghua Ye pouted. “But I never thought the emperor would punish Elder Sister. I just thought that if I expose that palace maid, the emperor would pay more attention to me.”

“How smart are you? That palace maid is a capable first-rank palace maid of your elder sister. So how would the emperor not punish her?!” The empress dowager was angered to the point of hurling the jade ruyi in her hand. The handle smashed against Ronghua Ye’s forehead, blood flowing out straight away.

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Seeing that appearance of hers, the empress dowager waved with impatience. “Leave!”

Once Ronghua Ye had left, the empress dowager shifted her cold gaze at Ye Wange, who she had never quite liked. “You’re also useless. You’re dismissed.”

Noble Lady Ye paled. Then her expression darkened, and she retreated.

“Master, is your forehead alright? This slave will have someone summon an imperial physician,” said Ronghua Ye’s personal maidservant. With concern, she looked at the silk handkerchief upon her master’s wound, which was already dyed red.

“I’m fine.” Ronghua Ye pressed the silk handkerchief against her forehead, expression calm. “Besides, right now His Majesty has spurned me. How could there be any good imperial physicians willing to treat me? If their medical expertise isn’t adequate, then I rather not have them come.”

“But—”

“Don’t talk about this anymore.” Expression tranquil, Ronghua Ye boarded her sedan. Gazed at the pure white snow upon the ground. “This outcome was predetermined, so this is fine too.”

She had been favored in the past. During that period, everyone fawned on her. Paid respects to her unceasingly. Nowadays, she had lost favor. Let’s not talk about being fawned on. It was only because she was the empress dowager’s niece that the items she needed daily weren’t skimped on. Now, even the empress dowager spurned her. One would fear that, from now on, her days in the harem would prove quiet.

Although things had reached this point, it was better than losing one’s life in the end. Her aunt, the empress dowager, perhaps hadn’t thought things through. But she herself understood that the emperor no longer wanted the Ye family. It was the same case with the Zhao family.

Ronghua Ye and Zhuang Laoyan never had much contact. For this reason, whenever they met on the same path, she could see clearly this Xiuyi Zhao that continued to receive favor. She wasn’t the most beautiful in the harem, and even her complexion wasn’t good due to her miscarriage. How could such a woman be promoted from a wanyi to a xiuyi in a short year?

Zhuang Laoyan also did not expect to encounter this Ronghua Ye who had used her miscarriage to trap her sister. Taking in her sorry appearance, Zhuang Laoyan almost could not remember she used to possess the glory of a lesser second-rank shuyi. It wasn’t until the other party had disembarked from her sedan to pay respects that Zhuang Laoyan recalled this.

“No need to be so polite, Ronghua Ye.” Zhuang Laoyan looked at that docile appearance of hers. In a short half of a year, this person seemed to have lost the vulgar, ugly side of her. As if this was her original appearance, and the former appearance had been but a mask.

Ronghua Ye rose to her feet after paying respects. From start to finish, her line of sight only reached the chin of Zhuang Laoyan, not meeting her gaze. “This is the first time we have met by chance. This concubine is lacking in manners³.”

“Ronghua Ye’s forehead wound is bleeding a lot. Have you summoned an imperial physician yet?” Zhuang Laoyan didn’t want to ponder which appearance was that of the true Ronghua Ye. In this imperial harem, there were too many women who could act. If it was unnecessary, one should not be too curious.

“Thanking Xiuyi Zhao for the concern. This is merely a wound that resulted after accidentally bumping myself. It’s not serious,” replied Ronghua Ye in a normal tone.

Zhuang Laoyan turned her head to a eunuch behind her. Said, “That’s no good. A woman’s face is something one must be most careful about. Go to the Imperial Academy of Medicine and summon Imperial Physician Hu to examine Ronghua Ye. Tell him to be careful in his treatment.” Then she turned to Ronghua Ye. “Just now, His Majesty sent a decree to summon me. I shall not dally any longer.”

 “Respectfully sending off Xiuyi Zhao.” Ronghua Ye watched as eunuchs and palace maids attentively served Xiuyi Zhao as she made to leave, complicated emotions that could not be put into words painting her face.

“Master, Imperial Physician Hu is an expert at healing skin. Your honored self definitely will not scar,” said the palace maid by her side, face full of joy.

Without the emperor’s favor, what difference did it make if her face scarred or not? She boarded her sedan and said in a neutral tone, “Let’s return.”

Once Zhuang Laoyan entered Qianzheng Palace, she was met with the sight of the emperor sitting comfortably in an armchair. A few stunning dancers were dancing beautifully. At the side, musicians played the accompanying music. The whole scene could be described as very cozy.

“This concubine greets Your Majesty.” Before Zhuang Laoyan could even finish saluting, the emperor pulled her into his lap. He said, “The Music Bureau⁴ specially prepared this dance. We noticed that you are fond of watching these types of dances, and as such had you come experience it.” 

Zhuang Laoyan felt too awkward to tell him that she wasn’t looking at the dance. She was looking at the beauties who were dancing. However, she wasn’t that foolish to dampen his spirits.

Sitting on a human cushion, Zhuang Laoyan put on the act of a favored imperial concubine, watching in high spirits as the beauties spun and bent their backs backward. Truly a sense of comfort that could not be put to words. She even neglected the hand the emperor was playing with.

Her intuition said the reason the emperor had her come here wasn’t as simple as just wanting her to see this dance.

After all… with the emperor’s high IQ, he wouldn’t be able to do such a simple thing.

Hmm, is ZL just being nice to Ronghua Ye, or is this to pave the way to future connections in the future?

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