Story of Yanxi Palace - An English Narrative

Episode 1.3

Meanwhile, in the embroidery workshop, the new palace maids were sitting their final exams. A single stick of slow-burning incense indicated how long they had to complete a piece of embroidery impressive enough for them to pass.

Many of them were truly skilled, embroidering various beautiful images into different fabrics. Yingluo poured all her concentration into her embroidery, everything depended on whether she could enter the palace or not. 

Then the sound of a sharp intake of breath caught her attention.

She looked up, curious, to see Jixiang frantically dabbing at her embroidery. She had pricked her finger and stained the cloth with blood. Yingluo inwardly winced, bloodstains were next to impossible to get out without water. 

Jinxiu noticed too and smirked, "To be accepted as a palace maid, one has to be intelligent and dexterous." She said in a self-assured way, "An idiot like you, will be kicked out as soon as you enter. If you ask me, don't bother wasting your time."

"What a shame...", Murmured Linglong, then returned to her own sewing.

It seemed that the Linglong had given up on helping Jixiang at all. Yingluo had noticed that the two had seemed quite friendly with each other when they entered the palace and now... 

Sure enough, Jixiang turned around, pleading, "Linglong, we grew up together, please help me think of something!"

"W-what can I do? I haven't finished my embroidery." She said then turned her head away, avoiding her eyes.

Jixiang bit her lip, looking as though on the verge of crying. None of the other girls looked up, carefully turning their heads away and suddenly becoming deaf. Yingluo weighed up her options, she had hoped someone else might help her but now no one would. She glanced at the incense. It had burned almost halfway down.

She made her choice. She stood up and quickly exchanged her embroidery for Jixiang's and returned to her place.

Jixiang simply stared at her.

"Dry your eyes." Yingluo ordered gently, "Don't let Zhang Momo see."

"Ae you crazy?" Demanded Linglong, looking utterly flummoxed, "You have to embroider her golden koi- and she's stained it with blood!"

She ignored her, "I have a few stitches left, can you embroider it for me?" she said to Jixiang, loudly and purposefully.

Jixiang hovered in an internal tug of war. On one side, she really did want to pass the test but on the other, she agreed with Linglong. Yingluo was crazy to try to attempt to finish her golden koi and she didn't deserve to fail because of her mistake! She shook her head, "No, I can't get you involved, give mine back."

Instead, Yingluo looked up and gave the tiniest of smiles.

A moment later, Zhang Momo, the lady-in-waiting in charge of the embroidery workshop and it's girls stepped in. Jixiang hurriedly dabbed her tears away and picked up the sewing needle.

Slowly, the incense burned all the way down to a stump and Zhang Momo announced, "Alright, time's up, put down everything."

Manager Wu and his disciple entered into the embroidery workshop and looked around appreciatively at the rows and rows of girls. He stepped forwards and picked up Jinxiu's embroidery of magnolia.

He nodded approvingly, "Your embroidery is delicate and elegant, not bad."

Jinxui smiled prettily, "Thank you, Manager Wu."

He proceeded down the row to Linglong, she stood up proudly, bobbing a little curtsey and handed him her hard work. 

It was yet another embroidery of magnolia but set in a fine, translucent stretch of silk. He gestured to the piece, "This is...?"