Chapter 87: Affection for One Extends to Another
Translated by algoo | Proofread by algoo
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Unlike the singing, dancing, and boisterous revelry of the midnight banquet with the Empress, a certain hall within the inner palace was enveloped in a peaceful atmosphere. Present in this hall, besides the imperial concubines, were noblewomen and their daughters from powerful families. The most distinguished women of the Great Xia were all gathered here.
Of course, regardless of how noble the concubines or noblewomen were, none surpassed the Grand Empress Dowager in status. They were currently lined up, presenting their gifts one by one, attempting to please her.
One noblewoman held a painting scroll in her hands. With the assistance of a palace maid, she slowly unfurled it, revealing an embroidered image of Guanyin. The embroidered Guanyin was lifelike, holding a pure water bottle, a compassionate expression on her face. The noblewoman smiled and said, “Grand Empress Dowager, this is an image of Guanyin embroidered on the finest Su embroidery by skilled artisans I commissioned. I wish the Grand Empress Dowager good health, longevity, and eternal youth…”
A palace maid presented the embroidered Guanyin image. The Grand Empress Dowager leaned in for a closer look, her face lighting up with delight. “Good, good, what a beautiful image of Guanyin. You are thoughtful. Reward her…”
A matron retrieved the reward money and delivered it to the noblewoman, who curtsied with a joyful expression. “Thank you, Grand Empress Dowager…”
Although the reward wasn’t much, it was an auspicious sign. More importantly, she had earned the Grand Empress Dowager’s favor, which was invaluable.
After she retreated, several other madams from ducal and marquess households stepped forward, presenting their birthday gifts to the Grand Empress Dowager. The Grand Empress Dowager enjoyed Buddhist practices, and this was her eightieth birthday, so the gifts were mostly items like longevity scrolls, Guanyin statues, Buddha statues, lotus platforms, and Buddhist scriptures. Initially, the crowd found these gifts novel, but after seeing so many, the novelty wore off.
Just then, a stout figure stepped forward, holding an object in both hands. “Grand Empress Dowager,” she said, “this is a Longevity Pagoda my daughter offers you. May the Grand Empress Dowager enjoy boundless happiness and longevity.”
In her hands was an exquisite glazed glass pagoda, a rare item indeed.
However, the concubines and noblewomen present focused their attention not on the pagoda but on the woman herself. The noble families of the Great Xia had strict requirements for their daughters. They had to maintain ladylike demeanor at all times, learning proper etiquette, and even having strict regulations on when to dine and how much to eat at each meal.
Women from noble families might have ordinary appearances, but their poise and bearing were unmatched by ordinary women. No wealthy heiress would allow herself to become so… plump. It was simply inviting ridicule.
Looking at her, then at the young lady sitting behind the table beside her, was like comparing heaven and earth. The contrast was not only stark, but almost brutal. Even the Grand Empress Dowager couldn’t help but ask, “Which family are you from?”
Song Yuzhi, realizing she had caught the Grand Empress Dowager’s attention, quickly replied with a cheerful tone, “In response to the Grand Empress Dowager, my grandfather is Duke Ningguo…”
Unexpectedly, the Grand Empress Dowager merely shook her head and said, “Since you’re from the Duke Ningguo’s family, you should be stricter with yourself. You should eat less at every meal from now on…”
The smile on Song Yuzhi’s face froze. Had anyone else said those words to her, she would have erupted in anger. However, facing the Grand Empress Dowager, she could only force a smile and reply, “I shall heed the Grand Empress Dowager’s teachings…”
With that, she retreated to her seat, embarrassed.
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Xue Ninger’s seat was next to Song Yuzhi. After Song Yuzhi, it was her turn to present her gift. She picked up a brocade box from the table and slowly left her seat.
Song Yuzhi, still feeling humiliated, noticed a strange smile on Xue Ninger’s face as she rose.
Within the hall, the Grand Empress Dowager sat on the central seat, the Empress by her side. Further down were the Noble Consort, Virtuous Consort, and other concubines. Tonight, the inner palace was filled with women. Besides the radiant Noble Consort, the youthful and charming Xue Ninger was also a striking flower among the crowd.
As she walked forward, even several imperial concubines cast their gazes upon her.
Even they had to admit, this young lady, whoever she was, was excessively beautiful. Her demeanor and posture were impeccable. Compared to the previous young lady from the Song family… well, that comparison shouldn’t even be made.
Among the young ladies of the same age they knew, only Minghe could compare to her.
The Noble Consort didn’t look at Xue Ninger. She was preoccupied with playing with her spirit pet, thinking about whether she should ask Lin Xiu to take her out of the palace again in a few days. She craved the food from that Jiangnan restaurant, and the singing girl at the theatre had a lovely voice…
The Virtuous Consort also glanced at Xue Ninger, but as her gaze inadvertently swept across Song Yuzhi’s face, her delicate brows furrowed slightly.
By now, Xue Ninger had reached the center of the hall. Holding a palm-sized, square brocade box, she said, “This is a string of Buddhist beads held by Zen Master Huikong at the time of his nirvana. The Xue family came across it by chance. Taking advantage of this auspicious occasion, I offer it to the Grand Empress Dowager. May the Grand Empress Dowager enjoy longevity and boundless blessings…”
Zen Master Huikong was a renowned Buddhist master from a century ago. His personal belongings were naturally priceless treasures to those who practiced Buddhism. Hearing this, the Grand Empress Dowager’s face lit up with joy. “Quickly, bring it here for me to see…”
A matron stepped forward, took the brocade box from Xue Ninger, and presented it to the Grand Empress Dowager.
Xue Ninger stood respectfully in the hall, waiting, unaware of the faint, almost imperceptible smile that played on Song Yuzhi’s lips.
The elderly matron opened the brocade box in front of the Grand Empress Dowager. When her eyes fell upon the contents of the box, her expression faltered.
The box was empty.
The empty box contained nothing.
The Grand Empress Dowager’s joyful expression froze. The concubines looked towards the box, and some couldn’t help but exclaim in confusion.
“The box is empty?”
“What does this mean?”
“Is she trying to make a fool of the Grand Empress Dowager?”
The matron’s face darkened with anger. She looked at Xue Ninger and scolded, “Which family are you from, girl? How dare you present an empty box to the Grand Empress Dowager!”
Xue Ninger rushed forward, her face pale with alarm as she looked at the empty box. “Impossible! The beads were clearly inside. I checked just before…”
The matron’s expression hardened. “Are you suggesting that I took the treasure you offered to the Grand Empress Dowager?”
The brocade box had been tied with a silk ribbon and hadn’t been opened. Aside from Xue Ninger, only she had handled the box, so her anger was understandable.
Xue Ninger stared at the empty box, her pretty face ashen, murmuring, “How could this be…”
Never having imagined such a situation, she stood frozen, unsure of what to do.
Meanwhile, the noblewomen and young ladies in the hall began to murmur amongst themselves.
“Isn’t she the granddaughter of the Duke Xueguo’s household?”
“She seems like a bright young lady, but how could she be so careless?”
“The Grand Empress Dowager greatly venerates Zen Master Huikong. Now, she’s going to be disappointed…”
They didn’t suspect Xue Ninger of intentionally mocking the Grand Empress Dowager. That would offer no benefit to the Xue family and would only put her in this embarrassing situation. It was likely that she had simply lost the gift. While the Grand Empress Dowager wouldn’t severely punish her, the Duke Xueguo’s family had lost face tonight.
By tomorrow, this incident would become the talk of the town amongst the nobility of the capital.
The sudden commotion caught the attention of the Noble Consort, who was playing with her spirit pet. She glanced at Xue Ninger, then returned to her pet.
However, a moment later, she looked up again, her gaze fixed on Xue Ninger once more. More specifically, on the pair of earrings Xue Ninger was wearing.
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How could she not recognize her own belongings? Those butterfly earrings were one of her favorite accessories in her youth. As she grew older, she felt they were too youthful and had put them away.
Not long ago, she had given them to Lin Xiu. How did they end up on this young lady from the Xue family? Her jewelry was crafted by the palace’s finest artisans, each piece unique. There couldn’t be another identical pair.
Therefore, this young lady’s earrings must have been given to her by Lin Xiu. This meant they were close, possibly even romantically involved. And if she was someone Lin Xiu cared for, the Noble Consort couldn’t stand idly by.
This was called “affection for one extends to another.”
While everyone’s attention remained on Xue Ninger, the Noble Consort turned to a concubine beside her and asked softly, “Consort Wang, I heard you have a sandalwood Buddhist bead bracelet to offer the Grand Empress Dowager?”
Before the concubine could answer, the Noble Consort lowered her voice, “Give me the beads. Choose another gift for the Grand Empress Dowager. From now on, I’ll protect you in this inner palace. If anyone dares to bully you, I will stand up for you.”
Consort Wang was overjoyed. She had just entered the palace and had no backing. She had to tread carefully around the other concubines, enduring any bullying in silence. She had heard that the Noble Consort was a force to be reckoned with in the inner palace, someone even the Empress treated with caution.
If she could gain the Noble Consort’s protection, she might not be able to run rampant, but at least she wouldn’t be bullied.
How could she miss this opportunity to curry favor with the Noble Consort?
Discreetly, she passed the hard-won sandalwood Buddhist beads from beneath her robes to the Noble Consort. Her eyes swept over the concubines who often stole her palace rations and bullied her, a cold snort escaping her lips.
She was now under the Noble Consort’s wing. Just you wait, you little wretches!
As Xue Ninger stood there, embarrassed and at a loss, a figure stepped forward. The Noble Consort approached the Grand Empress Dowager and presented the beads. “Grandmother,” she said, “it’s all my fault. I saw how pretty the Xue girl’s beads were and couldn’t resist borrowing them for a look. I forgot to return them. This girl is also to blame. Why didn’t she remind me? Did she think I would keep them for myself?”
Xue Ninger stared at the Noble Consort, bewildered. When had the Noble Consort borrowed her beads? She had no recollection of such a thing. Equally shocked was Song Yuzhi. She instinctively glanced at a palace maid in the corner of the hall. The maid subtly shook her head, and Song Yuzhi turned back, looking at the Noble Consort with astonishment.
The palace maid, after touching something within her sleeve, finally relaxed, but then looked up at the Noble Consort with extreme confusion.
However, as her gaze drifted, she suddenly noticed another gaze fixed upon her.
The palace maid slowly turned her head, her eyes meeting those of the Virtuous Consort.
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