THe story only used the name Great Qing but everything else is fiction. I, the author, liked watching shows with setting in Qing Dynasty, therefore it only made sense that I made a book on it. Hope you enjoy.
"Mistress, You dealt with that situation in a proper manner, you played safe," said Jinxi.
"I know. We can't stay in such a low rank forever, but I don't want to be troubled by the harem affairs, so let's stay low for now," said Noble Lady Jing.
"Yes, Mistress."
Meanwhile somewhere in the Forbidden Palace
"AHHHHHHH!!!"
"Niangniang, I didn't do anything! I only delivered your message to His Majesty! They are lying to you! AHHH!" the servant of Consort Wan cried as she was beaten by the stick alternately.
"Oh, who is lying on you? Yu Chen Gonggong* came here to inform me of your despicable behavior in front of Huangshang, you hussy!" Consort Wan seethed, pointing at the servant on the punishment bench, clenching a handkerchief in her hand.
"Niangniang! Niangniang!Niang-,"
"Someone! Stuff her mouth. Were you trying to damage the reputation of this palace, of me," Consort Wan pointed to herself, "Your Mistress? Ha! The rest of you use this an example, you go behind your master and you will meet death!" She stated in anger turning to Yu Chen Gonggong.
"Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Yu Chen Gonggong." She said with an upset face.
"It is just my duty. As such, His Majesty will not be with you for dinner tonight, therefore enjoy the rest of your day Consort Wan." Yu Chen bowed and then left her palace grounds to His Majesty's aide.
Consort Wan was so angered by the news that she fainted.
Upon waking up, Consort Wan couldn't help but think over her current predicament . It was only natural as her princess was losing favor, and her palace and rank in the palace were only surviving because of her father's merits as a general. She had no prince nor the Empress Dowager's favor. Her palace was basically the cold palace, and she has to deal with that haughty Consort Liang who recently birthed a princess. Luckily, His Majesty gave her princess the third rank or she would have been on the same ranking overall with that b!tch. Now her only shot at being in His Majesty's favor was gone, she couldn't help but be angry at this incident all over again.
"Where is that ungrateful servant!" She questioned weakly, sitting up in her bed, with a forehead cover.
"Mistress, nucai kept her in the storage room." said a servant by her bedside.
"Drag her out of the palace without any pay and blind her, may she never betray another again." Consort Wan closed her eyes, sighing.
----
"What did you just say?"
"Mistress, His Majesty has sent news that he will have dinner here tonight." a maid said.
"Oh gosh! Such little time to prepare. We shall prepare a feast, His Majesty is a big eater. Oh! Dress me in pink, His Majesty said that pink fits me well." said Imperial Concubine Jiang (Pin- 5th rank).
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
(Her clothes above)
" His Majesty the Emperor has arrived," bellowed a eunuch.
Quickly brushing down her dress, she bent with impatience. Her voice as fine as string, "Nucai greets His Majesty the Emperor."
His Majesty suddenly felt a headache. How could he forget that this concubine has such a fine voice. He couldn't help but stay at the door frame, looking down on the concubine, having a mental debate on whether he should enter or not.
Noticing that His Majesty hasn't entered the room, the impatient concubine stood up and fragged His Majesty inside to have a seat saying, " Huangshang, nucai has been waiting on you for a long time. After the last visit, I made sure to not make the same mistake. See," she said, getting up, spinning around to showcase her outfit. "Haha! Huangshang... Huangshang? Huang-!"
How did she pass the selection? "Yu Chen?" "Yes, Your Majesty." "Find a nanny to reteach Noble Lady Jiang the mannerism of the palace." "Huangshang you must be joking I have been promoted to Jiang Pin" she said holding her handkerchief infront of her mouth laughing.
His Majesty stayed quiet. "Let's go." "Yes, Your Majesty."
Yu Chen lifted the door cover and allowed His Majesty way to go through the door frame, exiting her palace hall.
"What does that mean? But Huangshang, he didn't even compliment my pink, he didn't touch any of the food!" She complained loudly on the verge of tears.
———————
Meanwhile at Noble Lady Jing's Palace
In her nightwear, with her hair down.
Pottery, she thought, I want to try it. As she was spinning cotton, another thing she had interest in these days. "Jinxi, tomorrow I want to try making a tea pot set. Can you supply me with those materials?" She questioned, as she spinned the wheel, Jinxi by her side twisted several single threads together. "Mistress, you seem to want to be busy everyday with trivial activities." Jinxi smiled whilst focusing at the task at hand.
"Being a woman of the palace has forced me to be like this." She said with a small smile.
Jade, who is organizing the painting section of the activity room and Suoxin, who is micromanaging the intel room came from those areas to sit by and watch the spinning of the material, later started collecting the pool of material and placing them on the reel for weaving.
" Jinxi, our mistress has always been like this." Jade said rolling her eyes in a playful manner.
"It's true. Mistress would make money for us in many ways, either by story making and selling, restaurants, tea shops, jewelry making and selling, even makeup stores. She did many things at once, but what she loved the most was her mini farming area. She would spend a whole year in there, had no one been tending to her." Suoxin explained with admiration.
They all went back to focusing on the material.
Li Yu entered with the materials for making a sutra flag. Laying them down on the table, Li Yu stood in the entrance of the activity room and watched the four make the material. It truly was fascinating, how a woman of high status did something tedious neither losing patience nor focus.
Hearing a knock on the closed palace gates, Li Yu exited the inner hall and went to the palace gates. Opening the gate, he saw Yu Chen waiting.
