The next afternoon, Qi Daiyu lay on the divan in the study, draped in a padded coat, her hair loosely tied up, lost in thought.
Since waking up, she had been trapped in a whirlwind of shock, disbelief, numbness, and confusion. Neither her body nor her mind had fully recovered.
A faint crack in the window let in the crisp scent of snow. The snowfall the night before had been heavy, leaving thick layers piled on the eaves and courtyard.
With the snow now stopped, it was likely that morning courtesies would resume the next day.
In the courtyard, Xiao Li and a few others were sweeping a path through the snow, while Putao and Xiangli were busy cataloging items from the storeroom—especially the gifts sent over that morning from the Qianqing Palace, which had to be recorded.
Typically, after a concubine’s first night with the emperor, rewards would be bestowed by the emperor, empress, and even the empress dowager. But Qi Daiyu’s situation was unusual—the empress and empress dowager were unaware of it. Only the emperor, following custom, had selected some items and sent them over via Quan Fuhai. Jiang Yuan, recalling how intense the previous night had been, had chosen particularly fine gifts.
When these treasures arrived at Yanqing Residence, the uninformed Shiliu and Putao took it as a sign that their mistress had won the emperor’s favor—these were tokens of his affection!
As a result, the entire household was practically celebrating early, their faces beaming with joy. Even the exhausting task of clearing snow was done with enthusiasm.
Hearing footsteps enter the room, Qi Daiyu closed her eyes.
It was Putao, carrying a small chest of golden melon seeds. "Mistress, the other items have been stored away, but these gold and silver pieces must be handed to you directly. I’ve counted—there are 128 golden melon seeds and twenty silver ingots, each worth twenty taels."
Such wealth forced Qi Daiyu to open her eyes.
As a jieyu, her monthly stipend was only thirty taels—360 taels a year.
But these gifts—each golden melon seed weighed roughly eight taels, totaling 1,024 taels!
Added to her savings of over 700 taels, she now had around 2,300 taels. According to the "phone’s" exchange rate, one tael equaled 1,000—did that mean she was now a millionaire?!
All this from a single night?
Suddenly, Qi Daiyu didn’t feel quite so miserable anymore…
She couldn’t help but marvel—no wonder the concubines fought so fiercely for favor. Forget vanity; even just for the gold and silver, it was worth it.
Still, she knew such lavish rewards were only for the first night. To earn more, she’d have to become a true favorite.
Qi Daiyu scooped up a handful of golden melon seeds, savoring the weight of gold in her palm. The sensation was undeniably delightful.
Maybe she should strive a little harder? The thought flickered through her mind.
But the next second, she shook her head and dropped the seeds back into the chest.
No. She refused to compete. Never again.
She’d happily live off her thirty-tael salary and do nothing!
Just then, Lianwu entered with a bowl of chicken soup. "Mistress, the soup is ready. Please have some to restore your energy."
Putao chimed in, "Yes, Mistress, you must nourish yourself properly."
Qi Daiyu’s ears burned red as memories of that morning flooded back. The emperor had already left when she woke, her mind still reeling from reality. Then Shiliu and the others came in to tidy the bed.
The disarray was stark compared to before—especially certain stains…
Shiliu had blurted out, "Goodness, how did it get so messy?"
Mortified, Qi Daiyu had nearly banged her head against the cabinet in embarrassment. Thankfully, she’d swiftly covered the traces with a blanket and ordered them out. "Leave for now. Come back later." That way, they hadn’t noticed the faint smear of dark red amidst the chaos.
Forcing her exhausted body to move, she’d cleaned up herself. But when the maids returned, her legs gave out, and she nearly collapsed. That was when Putao said, "Has Lianwu gone to the kitchen for the hen? We must stew it quickly."
And so, here they were now.
With a sigh, Qi Daiyu draped a handkerchief over her face and muttered, "Leave the soup. I’ll drink it once it’s cooler."
Assuming she was simply worn out from the night, Putao didn’t press further. She gestured for Lianwu to set the soup down, and the two withdrew.
But before they’d gone far, Qi Daiyu called out again, "Also, send word to the empress. Say I’ve caught a chill from last night’s snow and won’t be able to attend morning courtesies—or serve the emperor—for some time."
---
In the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Jiang Yuan set down a memorial and rubbed his temples.
Quan Fuhai entered promptly. "Your Majesty, shall meals be served?"
"Mm." Jiang Yuan stood, stretching his limbs. By the time he reached the side hall, the table was already laden with dishes—steaming hot but perfectly tempered, a testament to the imperial kitchen’s skill.
The food had been sampled by the tasting eunuch.
Jiang Yuan ate swiftly, finishing in under fifteen minutes before leisurely sipping his soup.
"Has there been any news from the rear palace lately?"
He directed the question at Quan Fuhai.
As chief eunuch of both the Qianqing Palace and the Hall of Mental Cultivation—and overseer of the rear palace’s eunuchs—keeping track of the concubines’ movements was part of Quan Fuhai’s duties.
Recalling recent reports, Quan Fuhai replied, "All has been quiet. Her Majesty the Empress recently had the Imperial Household Department distribute winter attire—four sets for each concubine, two for maids and eunuchs. She’s also adjusting the seasonal palace soups, a task delegated to Li Lu. He replaced the autumn loquat and pear soup with ginger tonic and ordered the kitchens to stock up on ginger."
Li Lu, chief eunuch of the Kuning Palace and deputy overseer of the rear palace, was capable but notoriously fond of skimming profits. He knew his limits, never taking too much, but always finding ways to benefit from his position.
Quan Fuhai was certain this procurement would be no exception.
He mentioned it not to expose Li Lu now, but to plant a seed in the emperor’s mind—useful if their rivalry ever escalated.
Quan Fuhai continued, "As for the Palace of Earthly Honor, it’s been unusually quiet. Apart from the imperial physician’s daily visits to check on the eldest prince, Consort Shu rarely receives guests—even Concubine An has stopped visiting as often."
Jiang Yuan knew why. It was because of Yuan Zishi.
After miscarrying, the Chaoyun County Mistress had refused to return to the Yuan household, remaining at the Grand Princess’s estate instead. Meanwhile, Yuan Zishi, half-dead from his flogging and stripped of his official post, seemed to have given up entirely—he’d gone so far as to take the courtesan he’d been involved with as a concubine. Now a commoner, even the censors couldn’t criticize him for taking a brothel woman as a lesser wife.
Thus, they had no choice but to turn their attacks on Yuan Hao, accusing him of lax discipline in raising his son and a corrupt family reputation.
With a trusted official embroiled in trouble, Jiang Yuan had to assign the tasks originally meant for Yuan Hao to others. Though inconvenient, Yuan Hao’s predicament was precisely what Jiang Yuan wanted to see. Not only did he refrain from intervening, but he also summoned Yuan Hao into the palace to reprimand him, ordering him to sort out his family affairs before resuming his official duties.
With so much turmoil in her family, the Noble Consort Shu must be seething with anger.
"Send that glazed incense burner she’s been clamoring for to Chengqian Palace. Tell her I’ll visit when I find the time." After all, she was a woman he had cherished for years—Jiang Yuan still held some genuine affection for her.
"As you command," Quan Fuhai acknowledged before shifting the topic to the harem. Having mentioned Noble Consort Shu, it was only natural to bring up Zhaorong. "The young lady Zhaorong is currently staying in the side hall of Cining Palace. Her Majesty the Empress Dowager requested your presence the other day, but you were meeting with Minister Zeng at the time and declined. Will Your Majesty visit Cining Palace today?"
Jiang Yuan frowned. "Did the Empress Dowager specify how long she intends to keep Zhaorong in the palace?"
"Her Majesty did not say explicitly, but judging by the supplies the Cining Palace servants requisitioned from the Imperial Household Department, it seems the young lady may reside there for an extended period." If the Emperor remained unyielding, she might even stay until the next imperial selection next year.
"Then let her stay," Jiang Yuan said coldly.
He had no intention of granting approval so easily. If she could endure the palace gossip and live without a title, proving her resilience, then by next year’s selection, he might deign to grant her a rank.
Quan Fuhai inwardly pitied the young lady Zhaorong—what misfortune she had drawn. Their Emperor, accustomed to smooth sailing, detested defiance above all. Yet the nobility seemed determined to oppose him at every turn. Zhaorong was merely a sacrificial pawn in their game.
Quan Fuhai refocused. "There is little else to report. Even Jingren Palace has been unusually quiet lately." Concubine Miao, who resided there, had once been the most troublesome of the harem, yet even she had fallen silent.
"However," he continued, "with the year’s end approaching, correspondence and gifts between the palace and noble families have increased. Every palace has seen exchanges." As the New Year loomed, accounts were being settled, and influential families sent money and treasures into the palace, ensuring their daughters could celebrate comfortably.
Jiang Yuan nodded—this was an annual occurrence.
Setting down his bowl, he wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and rinsed his hands.
"Make a note: issue an edict to Kunning Palace. This year’s Laba Festival preparations will be handled by Noble Consort Ning. The Empress may rest."
Quan Fuhai bowed, perplexed. Was this a whim or a calculated move? The Laba Festival was significant, traditionally overseen by the Empress. If the Emperor wished to spare her the burden, shouldn’t Noble Consort Shu—now recovered from childbirth—be the natural choice? Assigning it to her would serve as compensation.
But Noble Consort Ning?
Quan Fuhai couldn’t fathom the reasoning but kept his head low and assented.
Just then, a eunuch from the Imperial Bedchamber arrived to inquire whether His Majesty wished to summon a consort tonight.
Jiang Yuan glanced indifferently at the tray of green-headed plaques.
"Why is Yanqing Residence’s plaque missing?"
The memory of last night sent a phantom heat to his palm.
The eunuch bowed. "Lady Qi has taken a month’s leave, claiming she caught a chill and cannot attend to Your Majesty for some time."
A chill?
Jiang Yuan stiffened. Nonsense! When he left her this morning, Qi Daiyu had been perfectly well. Could she have fallen ill the moment he departed?
Recalling her previous evasiveness, his eyes narrowed. "Quan Fuhai, go to the Imperial Hospital and fetch Lady Qi’s medical records."
Quan Fuhai returned swiftly, presenting the records along with the physician’s assessment: "Lady Qi does have a slight cough, though not severe. The physician prescribed medicine, estimating recovery in three to five days. Perhaps she wishes to recuperate longer out of caution—a considerate gesture toward Your Majesty."
Considerate?
Jiang Yuan sneered. Once, he might have believed it. But after last night, with the bite mark still fresh on his hand, he knew better.
The two-faced Lady Qi—he had mistaken her public avoidance for shyness, assuming her private devotion genuine. Now he understood: the devotion was the façade; the avoidance was real.
Even her cries of "pain" during their previous encounters must have been feigned!
Last night’s passion had only surfaced because she was drunk.
Fury surged. Jiang Yuan slammed his palm onto the table.
Quan Fuhai and the others dropped to their knees in alarm. What had provoked His Majesty’s sudden wrath?
Jiang Yuan’s expression darkened. He had showered her with gifts out of pity for her exhaustion—only to be scorned?
Did she dare treat him like some beast to be avoided?
"If she is ill, let her convalesce indefinitely. Her plaque is not to reappear!"
If she wished to evade him, he would see how she survived in the palace without his favor.
