Wei Yingluo suddenly smiled. “If Granny does not know this person, then why did you instantly say her embroidery was better than mine?” Wei Yingluo sighed, lifting the embroidery frame in her hand. “She was the one who taught me how to embroider. She diligently taught me, and I also diligently tried to learn…” Since young, Wei Yingluo wanted to be like her sister. Other twins wished to establish themselves as different people from their own twins, but not Wei Yingluo. She always hoped to be like her sister in everything. For this reason, she copied her elder sister’s hairstyle and fashion, her smile, her manner of walking. And of course, her embroidery style. “I’m not as talented as her. Although she taught me everything she knew, I could only replicate about 70 to 80% of it,” said Wei Yingluo. “So what you had said was correct. Wei Yingluo’s embroidery is better than mine.” Granny Zhang did not respond for a while. “...Tell me about her, won’t you?” she asked softly. “She used to work at the embroidery workshop. In fact, she probably worked under you.” “The embroidery workshop has a lot of people working there. Other than palace maids, there are also seamstresses hired from the outside.” Granny Zhang was impassive. “With us being so busy, who would remember so many names? Now that you mention this, have you finished your tasks for today?” Granny Zhang acted as if it had nothing to do with her, and changed the topic of conversation. Wei Yingluo did not want to let this great opportunity slip through her fingers. She obediently lowered her head, and put on a pleading manner. “Granny, I’m young so I still am ignorant in most matters. And I don’t know how to socialize with others. After entering the palace for so long, I still haven’t managed to make any friends. The only one who can help me is you. So please tell me what to do… Tell me what I should do so that I won’t accidentally follow Wei Yingning’s footsteps.” Granny Zhang again kept quiet. This time, Wei Yingluo did not pursue the topic any longer. Only the masters could rush the servants in running errands. And she wasn’t a master. Rather, she was someone that carried orders from Granny Zhang. To put it bluntly, she was grudgingly her subordinate. Whether Granny Zhang wanted to answer her question depended on how much affection she had gained toward Wei Yingluo in this month. And also… how big of a piece her sister had of Granny Zhang’s heart. Seconds ticked by. Wei Yingluo kept her head low. The fire in her heart started to cool. Could the reason for Granny Zhang’s silence be because one month of closeness wasn’t enough? Yes, that must be it. Wei Yingluo had been too earnest. Too much in a hurry. She should have waited longer. Spend a few more months cultivating their relationship… “...The palace has a lot of taboo topics. Like the person you had mentioned,” Granny Zhang suddenly said, her voice ringing above Wei Yingluo’s head. “The third character in her name is part of Noble Consort Hui’s given name.” Wei Yingluo quickly lifted her head in surprise. Granny Zhang’s expression was very complicated, and she did not seem happy at the slightest. Anyone interrogated by their subordinates wouldn’t feel happy either. Yet in the end she still answered her question, even after being tricked. “The name of an imperial concubine cannot be used by one of a lower social standing. Therefore, the person you spoke of would have had their name changed,” said Granny Zhang slowly. “I’ll let today’s incidents pass! Don’t mention this name again anywhere else. If Noble Consort Hui ever hears about it, you won’t have a good outcome! Alright, you can stop with today’s work. You can go!” “Granny…” “Leave!” The doors to the embroidery workshop closed behind Wei Yingluo. She had been kicked out by Granny Zhang. Dazedly, she returned to the palace maid dormitory. Since Aunt Fang saw her return so early, she gave her a few sets of shoes and socks to embroider. Wei Yingluo embroidered them without much focus. A few times, she pricked her fingers. She brought those fingers to her lips for a suck. Tasted the coppery tang of blood. “That jadeite bead bracelet is a sight for the eyes,” said Jixiang as she passed by. Wei Yingluo lowered her head. Without her knowing it, she had actually embroidered said bracelet to a handkerchief. As she stared at it, the image of a certain wrist adorned with a jadeite bracelet flashed before her eyes. Noble Consort Hui… Originally, she had wondered when she would meet this person, but never had she guessed that chance would arrive so soon. Read this at https://sleepchaser.wordpress.com. A few days later, Granny Zhang brought Wei Yingluo and Jinxiu to the front of the embroidery workshop. “You two follow me.” Wei Yingluo and Jinxiu quickly stopped what they were doing and did as told. They walked a long way through the inner courtyard, twisting here and there. After several minutes, Granny Zhang turned to them and said, “Have you remembered the way here?” “Responding to Granny, yes I have,” said Jinxiu, jumping to answer first, trying her best to leave a good impression. Granny Zhang smiled. “So you know how to return?” All of a sudden, Jinxiu could not speak. It was easier said than done. The paths before and behind her all looked the same. It was so that assassins would get lost, wasting time until the guards wiped them out. However, it was also to prevent Tnew palace maids from running around to places they had no right to be in. A moment of carelessness, and they would also become lost. If Granny Zhang actually wanted them to return by themselves, Jinxiu would perhaps spend a lot of time asking for directions. “According to palace protocol, servants must not wander around. Therefore, palace maids would not leave their area of service, unless their masters had sent them to receive or send things.” Watching her embarrassment, Granny Zhang did not reprimand her. Her voice was soft. “However, you two belong to the embroidery workshop, and will often need to take the masters’ measurements and deliver their clothes. You need to commit the paths to memory. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck walking in circles, unable to return. Careful to be punctual.” “Understood!” Jinxiu blurted. Wei Yingluo uncovered something of interest while listening to the two’s conversation. “Granny, which master are we meeting today to help make clothes?” Granny Zhang looked at Wei Yingluo meaningfully, then averted her gaze to the distance. Farther ahead, to a building with red walls and a green roof. “Noble Consort Hui.” Once the words left the woman’s lips, Jinxiu felt both excited and nervous. It was clear to Wei Yingluo that her colleague wanted to show off in front of Noble Consort Hui. But was she that easy to impress? Although they hadn’t entered the palace for long, they heard a lot about the matters regarding the masters. According to those palace maids with more seniority, year after the year the empress did not fulfill her duties in managing the inner courtyard. In fact, Noble Consort Hui was the one who controlled the entire imperial harem. This Noble Consort Hui was like a peony. She was fond of famous and expensive things, her moods changing spontaneously. When she was happy, she would throw a handful of pearls at her servants as reward. When she was upset, she would also grab a handful of pearls. But instead of throwing them at her servants, she would force them to swallow each pearl one by one… She was as gorgeous as she was malicious. A poisonous peony. “Have mercy, Your Majesty!” In the end, before the three could enter Noble Consort Hui’s courtyard, they had already heard a pitiful wail. “Hurry up and kneel!” Granny Zhang quickly said, before dropping to her knees herself. Although they didn’t know what was happening, at this moment the safest thing to do was to copy a servant who had served for many years. Wei Yingluo kneeled in a flash, then secretly watched the scene in front of them from the corners of her eyes. A woman dressed like a master ran from the courtyard and toward them. She was missing a shoe, one foot smeared with dirt. But before she could run any further, two large and strong palace maids caught her. She couldn’t help but cry, “Your Majesty, please spare this concubine!” As if on cue, a beautiful woman covered in gold and jewels parted a flowering bush and stepped through. On her right wrist hung a jadeite bead bracelet. She lightly rested her hand on her maidservant’s, fake nails accentuating the curve of her fingers. With each step she took, the jeweled ornaments adorning her body and her golden dangling hairpins trembled. An aura of gold. From a distance, she looked like a glistening person sitting among the clouds. As she approached, it became clear that she was as beautiful as the jewels she wore. This is Noble Consort Hui? thought Wei Yingluo. After so many rumors, all of which praised her good looks, none could accurately illustrate her beauty. When the peony bloomed, it eclipsed everything else in attractiveness. “What is this talk about giving mercy or not? If anyone heard you say this, they would think this palace wants to harm you.” Noble Consort Hui slowly approached the woman who was also dressed like a master. Her stare pinned the other from above, the corners of her lips tilting upward. “Noble Lady Yu, those who are ill should take medicine.” “No, no!” The one whom Noble Consort Hui had called Noble Lady Yu shook her head. “This concubine is not ill. This concubine…” “Imperial physician Liu!” Noble Consort Hui suddenly yelled. “Why haven’t you helped Noble Lady Yu take her medicine yet?” A man dressed in the attire of an imperial physician appeared from behind her, holding a bowl of medicine. Watching as the bowl came closer and closer, Noble Lady Yu started to sweat. She tried to resist, desperately yelling, “I’m not sick! I’m pregnant!” All of a sudden, everyone in the vicinity wished they were blind and deaf. Or else, in the future they might be killed as a way to eliminate witnesses. Noble Consort Hui’s expression did not change at the slightest. It were as if she didn’t hear those words at all. She only repeated what she said before. “Imperial physician Liu, why haven’t you helped her drink her medicine yet?” “Y-yes…” Wei Yingluo sneaked a peak at him, and saw that his hands were trembling. A bit of the dark medicine was split. She couldn’t help but feel upset. In the past, Wei Yingluo had only saw from operas how those in the imperial harem competed ruthlessly, those at the top of the food chain forcing abortions upon those at the bottom. Never had she thought she would witness this in real life. When this happened in an opera, the audience could yell at the characters, and could bring forth retribution in the form of throwing their money at the actors where it hurt. Or, they could petition the storytellers to change the play, so that the good would receive good endings, and the bad would face their demise. But right now, it was evil that triumphed. Like the Noble Consort Hui who stood before them. After so many rumors, all of which warned of her malicious nature, none could accurately illustrate her viciousness. Although she was in fact a peony, it was one willed with poison. “You aren’t a child anymore. Why are you making such a fuss about taking medicine?” Noble Consort Hui looked down at her arrogantly. As if she were just an ant before her. “Someone come help her.” Noble Lady Yu kept trying to push away the medicine. In order to resist, she shook her head like a baby’s rattle, until she had shaken off her hair pins. Her hair unraveled, falling to her shoulders. She looked like a crazy person. “Yes, Your Majesty,” said a few palace maids. Two of them held Noble Lady Yu by the shoulders and one pulled her jaw down, forcing her mouth open. Then the maid sent a look at the imperial physician. Seeing this, the kneeling Wei Yingluo clutched her hands into fists. She looked around. Besides the three of them and a palace maid in charge of tending the flowers, the rest were Noble Consort Hui’s people. Who would beg for mercy for Noble Lady Yu? Wei Yingluo took a deep breath... “Stop!”
Wei Yingluo suddenly smiled. “If Granny does not know this person, then why did you instantly say her embroidery was better than mine?” Wei Yingluo sighed, lifting the embroidery frame in her hand. “She was the one who taught me how to embroider. She diligently taught me, and I also diligently tried to learn…” Since young, Wei Yingluo wanted to be like her sister. Other twins wished to establish themselves as different people from their own twins, but not Wei Yingluo. She always hoped to be like her sister in everything. For this reason, she copied her elder sister’s hairstyle and fashion, her smile, her manner of walking. And of course, her embroidery style. “I’m not as talented as her. Although she taught me everything she knew, I could only replicate about 70 to 80% of it,” said Wei Yingluo. “So what you had said was correct. Wei Yingluo’s embroidery is better than mine.” Granny Zhang did not respond for a while. “...Tell me about her, won’t you?” she asked softly. “She used to work at the embroidery workshop. In fact, she probably worked under you.” “The embroidery workshop has a lot of people working there. Other than palace maids, there are also seamstresses hired from the outside.” Granny Zhang was impassive. “With us being so busy, who would remember so many names? Now that you mention this, have you finished your tasks for today?” Granny Zhang acted as if it had nothing to do with her, and changed the topic of conversation. Wei Yingluo did not want to let this great opportunity slip through her fingers. She obediently lowered her head, and put on a pleading manner. “Granny, I’m young so I still am ignorant in most matters. And I don’t know how to socialize with others. After entering the palace for so long, I still haven’t managed to make any friends. The only one who can help me is you. So please tell me what to do… Tell me what I should do so that I won’t accidentally follow Wei Yingning’s footsteps.” Granny Zhang again kept quiet. This time, Wei Yingluo did not pursue the topic any longer. Only the masters could rush the servants in running errands. And she wasn’t a master. Rather, she was someone that carried orders from Granny Zhang. To put it bluntly, she was grudgingly her subordinate. Whether Granny Zhang wanted to answer her question depended on how much affection she had gained toward Wei Yingluo in this month. And also… how big of a piece her sister had of Granny Zhang’s heart. Seconds ticked by. Wei Yingluo kept her head low. The fire in her heart started to cool. Could the reason for Granny Zhang’s silence be because one month of closeness wasn’t enough? Yes, that must be it. Wei Yingluo had been too earnest. Too much in a hurry. She should have waited longer. Spend a few more months cultivating their relationship… “...The palace has a lot of taboo topics. Like the person you had mentioned,” Granny Zhang suddenly said, her voice ringing above Wei Yingluo’s head. “The third character in her name is part of Noble Consort Hui’s given name.” Wei Yingluo quickly lifted her head in surprise. Granny Zhang’s expression was very complicated, and she did not seem happy at the slightest. Anyone interrogated by their subordinates wouldn’t feel happy either. Yet in the end she still answered her question, even after being tricked. “The name of an imperial concubine cannot be used by one of a lower social standing. Therefore, the person you spoke of would have had their name changed,” said Granny Zhang slowly. “I’ll let today’s incidents pass! Don’t mention this name again anywhere else. If Noble Consort Hui ever hears about it, you won’t have a good outcome! Alright, you can stop with today’s work. You can go!” “Granny…” “Leave!” The doors to the embroidery workshop closed behind Wei Yingluo. She had been kicked out by Granny Zhang. Dazedly, she returned to the palace maid dormitory. Since Aunt Fang saw her return so early, she gave her a few sets of shoes and socks to embroider. Wei Yingluo embroidered them without much focus. A few times, she pricked her fingers. She brought those fingers to her lips for a suck. Tasted the coppery tang of blood. “That jadeite bead bracelet is a sight for the eyes,” said Jixiang as she passed by. Wei Yingluo lowered her head. Without her knowing it, she had actually embroidered said bracelet to a handkerchief. As she stared at it, the image of a certain wrist adorned with a jadeite bracelet flashed before her eyes. Noble Consort Hui… Originally, she had wondered when she would meet this person, but never had she guessed that chance would arrive so soon. Read this at https://sleepchaser.wordpress.com. A few days later, Granny Zhang brought Wei Yingluo and Jinxiu to the front of the embroidery workshop. “You two follow me.” Wei Yingluo and Jinxiu quickly stopped what they were doing and did as told. They walked a long way through the inner courtyard, twisting here and there. After several minutes, Granny Zhang turned to them and said, “Have you remembered the way here?” “Responding to Granny, yes I have,” said Jinxiu, jumping to answer first, trying her best to leave a good impression. Granny Zhang smiled. “So you know how to return?” All of a sudden, Jinxiu could not speak. It was easier said than done. The paths before and behind her all looked the same. It was so that assassins would get lost, wasting time until the guards wiped them out. However, it was also to prevent Tnew palace maids from running around to places they had no right to be in. A moment of carelessness, and they would also become lost. If Granny Zhang actually wanted them to return by themselves, Jinxiu would perhaps spend a lot of time asking for directions. “According to palace protocol, servants must not wander around. Therefore, palace maids would not leave their area of service, unless their masters had sent them to receive or send things.” Watching her embarrassment, Granny Zhang did not reprimand her. Her voice was soft. “However, you two belong to the embroidery workshop, and will often need to take the masters’ measurements and deliver their clothes. You need to commit the paths to memory. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck walking in circles, unable to return. Careful to be punctual.” “Understood!” Jinxiu blurted. Wei Yingluo uncovered something of interest while listening to the two’s conversation. “Granny, which master are we meeting today to help make clothes?” Granny Zhang looked at Wei Yingluo meaningfully, then averted her gaze to the distance. Farther ahead, to a building with red walls and a green roof. “Noble Consort Hui.” Once the words left the woman’s lips, Jinxiu felt both excited and nervous. It was clear to Wei Yingluo that her colleague wanted to show off in front of Noble Consort Hui. But was she that easy to impress? Although they hadn’t entered the palace for long, they heard a lot about the matters regarding the masters. According to those palace maids with more seniority, year after the year the empress did not fulfill her duties in managing the inner courtyard. In fact, Noble Consort Hui was the one who controlled the entire imperial harem. This Noble Consort Hui was like a peony. She was fond of famous and expensive things, her moods changing spontaneously. When she was happy, she would throw a handful of pearls at her servants as reward. When she was upset, she would also grab a handful of pearls. But instead of throwing them at her servants, she would force them to swallow each pearl one by one… She was as gorgeous as she was malicious. A poisonous peony. “Have mercy, Your Majesty!” In the end, before the three could enter Noble Consort Hui’s courtyard, they had already heard a pitiful wail. “Hurry up and kneel!” Granny Zhang quickly said, before dropping to her knees herself. Although they didn’t know what was happening, at this moment the safest thing to do was to copy a servant who had served for many years. Wei Yingluo kneeled in a flash, then secretly watched the scene in front of them from the corners of her eyes. A woman dressed like a master ran from the courtyard and toward them. She was missing a shoe, one foot smeared with dirt. But before she could run any further, two large and strong palace maids caught her. She couldn’t help but cry, “Your Majesty, please spare this concubine!” As if on cue, a beautiful woman covered in gold and jewels parted a flowering bush and stepped through. On her right wrist hung a jadeite bead bracelet. She lightly rested her hand on her maidservant’s, fake nails accentuating the curve of her fingers. With each step she took, the jeweled ornaments adorning her body and her golden dangling hairpins trembled. An aura of gold. From a distance, she looked like a glistening person sitting among the clouds. As she approached, it became clear that she was as beautiful as the jewels she wore. This is Noble Consort Hui? thought Wei Yingluo. After so many rumors, all of which praised her good looks, none could accurately illustrate her beauty. When the peony bloomed, it eclipsed everything else in attractiveness. “What is this talk about giving mercy or not? If anyone heard you say this, they would think this palace wants to harm you.” Noble Consort Hui slowly approached the woman who was also dressed like a master. Her stare pinned the other from above, the corners of her lips tilting upward. “Noble Lady Yu, those who are ill should take medicine.” “No, no!” The one whom Noble Consort Hui had called Noble Lady Yu shook her head. “This concubine is not ill. This concubine…” “Imperial physician Liu!” Noble Consort Hui suddenly yelled. “Why haven’t you helped Noble Lady Yu take her medicine yet?” A man dressed in the attire of an imperial physician appeared from behind her, holding a bowl of medicine. Watching as the bowl came closer and closer, Noble Lady Yu started to sweat. She tried to resist, desperately yelling, “I’m not sick! I’m pregnant!” All of a sudden, everyone in the vicinity wished they were blind and deaf. Or else, in the future they might be killed as a way to eliminate witnesses. Noble Consort Hui’s expression did not change at the slightest. It were as if she didn’t hear those words at all. She only repeated what she said before. “Imperial physician Liu, why haven’t you helped her drink her medicine yet?” “Y-yes…” Wei Yingluo sneaked a peak at him, and saw that his hands were trembling. A bit of the dark medicine was split. She couldn’t help but feel upset. In the past, Wei Yingluo had only saw from operas how those in the imperial harem competed ruthlessly, those at the top of the food chain forcing abortions upon those at the bottom. Never had she thought she would witness this in real life. When this happened in an opera, the audience could yell at the characters, and could bring forth retribution in the form of throwing their money at the actors where it hurt. Or, they could petition the storytellers to change the play, so that the good would receive good endings, and the bad would face their demise. But right now, it was evil that triumphed. Like the Noble Consort Hui who stood before them. After so many rumors, all of which warned of her malicious nature, none could accurately illustrate her viciousness. Although she was in fact a peony, it was one willed with poison. “You aren’t a child anymore. Why are you making such a fuss about taking medicine?” Noble Consort Hui looked down at her arrogantly. As if she were just an ant before her. “Someone come help her.” Noble Lady Yu kept trying to push away the medicine. In order to resist, she shook her head like a baby’s rattle, until she had shaken off her hair pins. Her hair unraveled, falling to her shoulders. She looked like a crazy person. “Yes, Your Majesty,” said a few palace maids. Two of them held Noble Lady Yu by the shoulders and one pulled her jaw down, forcing her mouth open. Then the maid sent a look at the imperial physician. Seeing this, the kneeling Wei Yingluo clutched her hands into fists. She looked around. Besides the three of them and a palace maid in charge of tending the flowers, the rest were Noble Consort Hui’s people. Who would beg for mercy for Noble Lady Yu? Wei Yingluo took a deep breath... “Stop!”
