The next morning, after breakfast, Qi Daiyu and Qin Saizhu took a small sedan chair to the South Garden.
Their palanquins moved side by side, and Qin Saizhu studied Qi Daiyu with a smile. "It was absolutely the right decision to bring you along."
As previously discussed, both women had dressed more formally than usual today.
Qi Daiyu wore a pine-frost green ruqun with a white-fur-trimmed collar, her hair styled in a cascading moon bun, adorned with bamboo-shaped pearl earrings. Her delicate willow-leaf brows and dewy eyes, paired with the faint blush on her cheeks, gave her an ethereal, fragile beauty.
"If I were a man, I would surely marry you and keep you sheltered at home," Qin Saizhu teased. "I'd shield you under my wings, worrying endlessly—afraid you'd shatter in my hands or melt in my mouth. No amount of pampering would be too much."
Qi Daiyu believed everyone had their own unique charm. "I think your beauty is just as striking," she replied. With soft contours and a plump, radiant face, Qin Saizhu exuded an air of prosperity and serenity, evoking joy in those who saw her.
"If it were just me, outsiders would only praise the imperial kitchen’s fine cooking," Qin Saizhu joked self-deprecatingly. "Those other court ladies might assume the imperial consorts are nothing special. With you here, at least my reputation gets a boost."
She was well aware of her own looks—while distinctive in the palace, she couldn’t compare to the refined features of the Noble Consort Shu, Lady Hui, or Lady Mei.
The conversation lapsed as they arrived at the South Garden.
Nanny Bai and Nanny He were already waiting. Both were highly respected in the palace, having served the Dowager Consort. Despite the recent mishap, Qin Saizhu and Qi Daiyu showed them due deference, maintaining proper decorum.
"Nannies, please take us to see Lady Ye first," Qin Saizhu requested.
"Of course," Nanny Bai replied, leading them inside. They passed through a spacious courtyard, turned twice, and arrived at the residence for the court ladies—a three-story building called "Huifang Tower."
"Lady Ye is on the first floor. After the incident, I had her roommate moved elsewhere, leaving only one close friend to watch over her at night."
During their month at the temporary palace, the court ladies were not permitted personal maids and relied solely on the palace servants.
"Her Majesty the Empress instructed me to bring a physician and fine medicinal ingredients. Yesterday, the physician confirmed Lady Ye’s injuries aren’t life-threatening. She should wake today," Qin Saizhu said.
Qi Daiyu walked beside her, her sharp eyes scanning Huifang Tower. Though the courtyard and corridors appeared empty and eerily quiet, she sensed many watching from behind the windows.
As they entered Ye Qiong’s quarters, a hushed tension lingered.
Upstairs, in one of the rooms, three anxious court ladies huddled around a woman in yellow. "Lady Zhang, what do we do? The imperial consorts are here—they’ll investigate thoroughly. If they find out—"
"Enough!" Zhang Nuofu cut her off, her gaze piercing. "We did nothing wrong. Why are you panicking?"
"But—" The interrupted woman trembled, confused. Hadn’t they—?
Zhang Nuofu hissed, "Remember—this has nothing to do with us. It was an accident. Ye Qiong was just unlucky. And even if it wasn’t an accident, she must have enemies. That day, we were learning flower arrangement from the nannies. How could we be involved?"
"Right, we can’t be linked to this. But Lady Zhang, are you sure you’ve covered all traces?" another asked.
Zhang Nuofu lifted her chin. "Of course. Money moves even ghosts. The palace servants here rarely see their masters and are easily bought." She had taken care of everything the night before—no evidence would lead back to them.
"But… what if Ye Qiong wakes up?" Lady He, who had been silent, whispered fearfully. Since the incident, she had been tormented by dread. She never should have agreed to Zhang Nuofu’s plan.
Zhang Nuofu scoffed. "She has no proof. And honestly, she brought this on herself!"
The roof tile could have fallen anytime. They had only meant to scare her—who knew Ye Qiong would foolishly push the others out of the way and fail to dodge herself?
The others nodded, reassured.
Downstairs, in Ye Qiong’s room, Qin Saizhu sighed. "Such a lovely girl. What a shame she had to suffer like this."
Even pale and unconscious, Ye Qiong’s delicate, refined beauty was evident.
Qin Saizhu turned to Lady Chen, Ye Qiong’s roommate. "How is she?"
Lady Chen kept her head bowed, trembling. "She’s improved these past two days. Her breathing is steadier."
"I heard you were there that day. Tell me exactly what happened. If you lie or withhold anything, you’ll regret it."
Lady Chen dropped to her knees. "Lady Consort Qin, I truly don’t know! That day, Lady Wang, Lady He, Ye Qiong, and I were chatting under the pear blossom pavilion when the roof tile suddenly fell. Ye Qiong reacted quickly and pushed us aside, but she was struck. We rushed to call the nannies for help!"
Qin Saizhu said nothing, only glancing at Xiangchun, her maid.
Xiangchun stepped forward. "Why were you at the pear blossom pavilion? And why linger there?"
The pavilion was used for music lessons and was usually closed outside instruction time.
Lady Chen sniffled. "We had a music lesson that day. Ye Qiong is skilled with the qin, and the teaching nanny praised her. After class, we asked her for advice. We got carried away talking and stopped under the eaves."
She regretted it now—she should have waited until they returned to Huifang Tower.
Xiangchun frowned. Lady Chen’s timidity made further questioning difficult. Court ladies weren’t servants—without evidence, pressing too hard could harm her mistresses’ reputations.
Just then, Lu Song arrived with news. Xiangchun stepped out to listen, then returned to whisper in Qin Saizhu’s ear.
Qin Saizhu’s eyes brightened. "Nanny Bai, we shouldn’t disturb Ye Qiong’s rest. Please arrange an empty hall and gather all the court ladies from the four gardens."
"There’s a spacious courtyard in front of Hede Hall where the ladies usually assemble. Please follow me, Lady Consort Qin and Lady Consort Qi."
As the court ladies were summoned, Qin Saizhu and Qi Daiyu waited in Hede Hall, sipping tea.
Qin Saizhu turned to Qi Daiyu. "What do you think?"
Before Qi Daiyu could speak, Qin Saizhu added, "Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed anything. Even I can see through such a simple trick."
Qi Daiyu was momentarily speechless. As an upright and righteous person, she wasn’t versed in schemes and plots. But these days of watching palace dramas and reading palace intrigue novels hadn’t been for nothing—she had indeed sensed something amiss.
Since Qin Saizhu had asked, she had no choice but to reply, "The schedule for the imperial candidates' lessons is fixed, and the music class is always held at the Pear Blossom Pavilion. The time and place are predictable, and someone took advantage of that."
"And how could that person be sure Ye Qiong would stand exactly there?"
Now she was being tested. Qi Daiyu shot Qin Saizhu a glance, one so full of charm that Qin Saizhu’s heart skipped a beat.
Qi Daiyu said, "Weren’t there three others accompanying her? All it took was one of them to keep Ye Qiong talking in that spot, and she wouldn’t be able to leave." Without waiting for Qin Saizhu’s next question, she continued, "Now we just need to figure out how the roof tile fell. Didn’t Lu Song already report back? The truth must be out by now."
"Pfft!" Qin Saizhu laughed and instructed Xiangchun, "One was Lady Wang, who twisted her ankle, and who was the other? Your Lady Hui has already spoken. Why are you still standing there? Go find those two!"
After Xiangchun and Putao left, Qin Saizhu finally said, "Lu Song did find out what was on the roof tile—just ordinary flower honey. He had the eaves of the Pear Blossom Pavilion inspected and discovered termites hidden between the tiles. It was their activity and gnawing that loosened the tile and caused it to fall."
Qi Daiyu mused, "Soaking a ceramic shard in honey and placing it among the tiles to lure termites and dislodge the tile… That’s hardly a foolproof method."
The speed at which termites gnawed couldn’t be controlled.
"Exactly. That fool just got lucky. Such a crude trick actually worked." Though Qin Saizhu smiled, her eyes remained cold.
For mere imperial candidates to scheme like this, and with such amateurish tactics—Qin Saizhu didn’t care how they fought among themselves. But using the palace’s structures for their schemes was unacceptable, especially since it undermined the task entrusted to her by the Empress.
When Nanny Bai entered, she announced, "Noble Consort Zhuang, the imperial candidates have arrived."
Qin Saizhu didn’t move. "Hmm. I still have other matters to attend to. Since they’re here, let them wait a while longer."
Qi Daiyu hesitated, glancing outside. There was no sun today, and the air was chilly. She opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing.
Nanny Bai’s expression remained unchanged, understanding that Noble Consort Zhuang intended to discipline them. "As you wish."
In the second month of the year, with the palace situated on the mountainside, even nearing noon, the air carried a biting chill.
Over two hundred imperial candidates stood in the courtyard before the Harmony Hall. Some shivered, but with palace maids and eunuchs watching their every move, none dared fidget too much. Knowing a consort was present, they suppressed any hint of displeasure.
Among them, the only one who dared show impatience was Zhaorong.
Familiar with palace customs, she recognized this forced waiting as the simplest form of punishment. Still, she seethed inwardly—what did the incident at the South Pavilion have to do with her? Why should she suffer?
But when her gaze flickered to Nie Zhiyu, standing composed and unbothered, Zhaorong reined in her temper. No matter what, she couldn’t let Nie Zhiyu outshine her.
Half an hour later, the doors of Harmony Hall finally opened. Nanny Bai and Nanny He stepped forward first, bowing. "This servant pays respects to Noble Consort Zhuang, to Noble Lady Hui!"
The imperial candidates followed suit, curtsying in unison. "This humble one pays respects to Noble Consort Zhuang, to Noble Lady Hui!"
"Rise," came a gentle voice.
As they straightened, many couldn’t help but look up, their eyes widening at the sight of the two women standing at the center of attention before Harmony Hall.
Especially the one behind—Noble Lady Hui.
"Delicate as a flower reflected in water," "fragile enough to inspire pity," "serene as the cold moon"—such phrases could only begin to describe her.
During the New Year celebrations, rumors had spread that the Imperial Consort Shu was peerlessly beautiful, her radiance outshining all others at the banquet. Many wondered just how breathtaking one must be to earn such praise.
Yet now, seeing Noble Lady Hui, they already felt she was beyond compare. How stunning, then, must Imperial Consort Shu be?
Were all the imperial consorts in the palace this exquisite?
For some candidates, the first flickers of doubt began to stir.
