She sat in the house for a while and then left with her bundle.
There was a little eunuch standing by the door, called Xiao Anzi, who was specially left by Lord LUXI to escort Yuyao.
Seeing her come out, Xiao Anzi approached with a smile on his face and respectfully said, "My lord, please follow me."
With that, he turned around and led the way in front.
"Thank you, Your Imperial Highness."
She politely responded and followed Xiao Anzi, walking away from the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Along the way, the palace walls stood tall, and the glazed tiles shone with dazzling brilliance in the sunlight, resembling sparkling bits of gold.
The small path in the Imperial Garden was winding, and the ancient and exquisite lanterns on either side of the path shone with a faint glow under sunlight, as if they were covered in a faint halo.
The palace maids and eunuchs who passed by her cast curious or envious glances. They huddled together in low voices.
"Huh, have you heard? This morning, the emperor has promoted a palace maid to the rank of 'Fei Ren' (Lady). They say she was working in the Hall of Supreme Harmony? And there's a title involved. Do you think it could be her?"
"It seems to be her. I heard that she has outstanding talent and is very beautiful. She was very well received by the emperor when she was working in the Hall of Supreme Harmony."
"If that's true, it would be amazing. The life in the palace harem would definitely be different from now on."
"Oh, I wonder how she won the emperor's favor. If only I could learn from her."
"……"
Xiao Anzi, walking ahead, heard the chatter around him and turned to look at Yuyao with an embarrassed expression. "These little maids gossip a lot," he said respectfully, "Please don't take them to heart, my lady."
She smiled slightly, saying, "It's fine, no big deal."
Seeing that she didn't seem to mind, Xiao Anzi breathed a sigh of relief and continued leading the way.
Soon, they arrived at the Yihetian Hall.
The red vermilion door of the Yihetian Hall was solemn and majestic, its grandeur imposing. The intricately carved designs on the eaves were exquisite, as if they had been given life by the sunlight, shimmering with soft, lively light.
A black gold silk nanmu tablet hung from the ceiling, inscribed with the three ancient and sturdy characters "Yihe Hall."
Stepping into the hall, she looked up to see the blue tiles and carved windows of the main hall glistening in the sunlight, along with the jade bricks that adorned its walls.
Following Xiao Anzi, she walked along the side corridor to reach the eastern side hall.
Xiao Anzi stopped by one side and bent slightly to say, "My lady, this is the eastern side hall."
Yuyao slipped a small pouch to Xiao Anzi and said, "You must be tired after all the trouble you've gone through."
"My lady, what are you saying? It's an honor for me to guide the way for you."
Xiao Anzi didn't hesitate to accept the purse and continued, "The main position of the Yihetian Hall is Zhuang Guifei, who is known as an old-hearted person in the palace and is very easy to get along with. The west wing houses Shu Meiren, another amiable concubine. In the rear hall, there are also several amiable concubines living there. However, Jiaocai Ren... it's better for the lady to have minimal contact with her."
This is a favor done for her. She's new to the palace, and whether she will gain favor is still unknown. It's always right to cultivate good relationships.
Yuyao heard the mention of the character "Xiao Cai Ren" and felt a flicker of interest. She walked over and whispered, "Excuse me, Sir, what kind of person is Xiao Cai Ren?"
Xiao Anzi had specifically reminded her to avoid contact with this person, clearly indicating that Xiao Cai Ren was very difficult to get along with.
Xiao Anzi looked around and lowered his voice to say, "My lady, this Xiao Cai Ren has some talent and is favored by the emperor, but she has a bad temper. She looks down on people of lower rank than her and the eunuchs who serve her, and she places a great value on the emperor's favor."
"My lady, as you are new to the palace, be cautious when interacting with her. Don't let any misunderstandings arise unintentionally."
She frowned slightly and had a slight dislike for the character "Xiao Cai Ren" in her heart. She spoke softly, "Thank you for your reminder, Sir. I will be more careful."
She didn't put this matter to heart, and if that "Xiao Cai Ren" dared to provoke her, she would make sure the other person regretted being alive in the world.
Xiao Anzi bowed and quickly turned around to leave.
Yuyao took a step forward and entered the eastern side hall.
There were seven or eight palace maids and eunuchs kneeling on the ground, bowing respectfully and calling out in unison, "The maid/eunuch pays homage to the honored concubine."
These are the palace maids and eunuchs who have been transferred to serve her from the main hall.
She was not in a hurry to have them rise, but instead sat at the table, gently tapping her fingers on the desk, producing a crisp tapping sound.
The palace maids and eunuchs knew she was establishing her authority, so they dared not breathe a word, lowered their heads, and kept their eyes fixed on the ground.
After half an hour,
"Rise, from now on, you are all people of my eastern side hall. What you say and do should be prudent. I don't expect you to be very clever or quick-witted, but I do expect loyalty."
Her voice echoed through the eastern side hall, carrying an unchallengeable authority.
She slowly stood up, looking over each person kneeling on the ground, and the palace maids and eunuchs could not help but shiver. Their penetrating gaze made them feel even more respectful.
"I understand that among you, some may have been the confidants of other concubines in the palace, but from today on, you can only be loyal to me. If anyone dares to act with insincerity or harbor ill intentions, I will not spare them."
As she spoke, her eyes suddenly became sharp and piercing, as if they could see through any hidden darkness.
The crowd exchanged worried glances, although they were filled with reluctance, they knew that this new mistress was no ordinary person.
For a moment, the crowd felt as if they were facing not a newly-promoted lady but an old demon in the palace, with her aura of intimidation even surpassing the Empress Dowager of Cening Palace.
A palace maid who appeared to be older, named Luli, though she was a bit afraid, a spark of light flashed in her eyes. She said respectfully, "We will certainly give our all and not let the lady down."
The others all lowered their heads in agreement, their voices trembling and respectful.
"Alright, you can all rise."
Yuyao lightly flicked her sleeves, indicating for them to rise, "From now on, you are my eyes and ears, my hands and feet. Our fates are closely linked."
"Yes, my lady." The crowd rose to their feet.
"What is your name?"
Her gaze fell on the palace maid who seemed steady.
The seemingly steady palace maid was actually Luli, who hurried forward and respectfully said, "I am Luli, a first-class palace maid who is responsible for serving the lady personally."
She nodded slightly and took out some silver from her sleeve to hand to Luli, "Distribute this silver among you. Two taels for each person."
"Yes, my lady."
Luli respectfully answered, took the silver and distributed it to the others with ease.
With the silver in hand, the crowd's faces lit up with joy, and the atmosphere in the hall became more cheerful.
Yuyao paid no heed to them and began to examine her new living quarters carefully.
The interior decor was primarily simple and elegant, without losing the majesty of the royal family.
Several landscape paintings were hung on the walls, with shades of ink revealing a sense of detachment from worldly affairs.
Sunlight filtering through the window lattice was cut into fine shadows by delicate carvings on the window frames, which were scattered on the golden serpent wood furniture, adding a touch of warmth and nobility.
At the center of the room was a large carved pear wood table, with an ink casket and several rolls of unopened Xuan paper placed on it, adding a hint of scholarly aroma to the hall.
On either side of the table were two exquisite embroidered stools, with intricate lotus flower patterns on the seat pads, symbolizing purity and elegance.
She walked into the inner room.
The eye caught a four-foot-wide retreat bed, which was covered with twisted gold and silver silk thread, the quilt made of twisted gold and silver silk thread, the soft cushion embroidered with gold threads, the swirling cloud patterned silk canopy, a bamboo sofa to one side, a set of yellow pear wood carved flower table and chair, as well as a matching vanity table.
There isn't much, but it's also not too little. For a mere concubine, this is more than adequate.
Yuyao was satisfied with this, and she sat on the sofa to rest for a while.
Luli walked in, holding a bowl of just brewed hot tea, "My lady is thirsty, have some tea to soothe your throat."
Yuyao reached out to take the tea bowl from Luli's hand, but she did not drink it. Instead, she gently stirred the tea and looked at Luli, asking, "Luli, how long have you been in the palace? Do you know the situation here well?"
Luli respectfully answered, "My lady, I have been in the palace for three years. I am familiar with various matters in the palace. If you have any questions, I will certainly answer them to the best of my ability."
She nodded and said seriously, "Then, you will tell me about the situation in the palace, especially the temperament and preferences of each concubine and lady in residence."
Upon hearing this, Luli pondered silently for a moment before speaking slowly, "The Empress is the empress dowager's daughter-in-law, and though His Majesty does not favor her greatly, he still respects her. No one dares to look down upon her. Princess Consort Yu is the niece of the empress dowager and the cousin of His Majesty, holding a very noble status. However, His Majesty has little affection for her."
As she spoke, Luli paused for a moment, observing Yuyao's expression. Seeing that she was paying close attention, she continued: "Among the concubines and princesses in the palace, there are two who are particularly favored: Lady Zhen and Lady Li. Lady Zhen is beautiful and emotional, while Lady Li is also very beautiful. Both have their own merits, and His Majesty is quite fond of them. During his time in the Eastern Palace, they were among the most frequent bed partners."
"Additionally, there is Princess Bao. She is not in the best of health, and His Majesty feels quite sorry for her. He often goes to visit her."
"Further down the list, there are Ladies Shu, Rong, Yue, Chun, Ning Zhao Yi, Wen Zhao Yuan... Each of them has their own characteristics. They can get a few days of favor every month. Princess Yun had a pregnancy but it did not survive, and she rarely appears in public. She can be considered a special existence in the palace."
Luli's mouth felt dry as she spoke, but she continued, "His Majesty enjoys beauty, and the harem is well-endowed with various ladies. There are many more concubines in the palace, but their favor is quite ordinary. So I will not enumerate them."
Yuyao's brow furrowed slightly. With the new emperor just ascending the throne, there were already so many high-ranking consorts. After the grand selection, undoubtedly even more people would come in, making it even more bustling by then.
So many women fighting over a shared cucumber, just thinking about it makes one feel disgusted.
Thinking like this, she wanted to give up even more, with no desire to compete for favor at all.
After all, she was pregnant. As long as she gave birth to the child and raised it well, the mission in this dimension would be considered completed.
