Although she was merely a Beauty, she was still a senior consort after all. When Beauty Li came to Yanqing Residence, and the Eldest Princess was also present, it was only proper to go and pay respects.
Sitting for a long time inevitably caused some wrinkles in her skirt. Qi Daiyu had spare clothes for the Eldest Princess here, so the two went together to change.
After changing, the Eldest Princess tilted her head and looked at Qi Daiyu. "I heard Consort Li is very beautiful?"
Qi Daiyu smiled at her. "Who told you that?"
The Eldest Princess covered her mouth as she laughed—she had lost a baby tooth a few days prior and thought it looked unsightly, so she covered her mouth when smiling.
"I just know. A new Beauty Li has come to the palace, and she's exceptionally pretty. Father Emperor likes her very much too!" Young as she was, she was still a child of the palace. The Eldest Princess understood very clearly what the Emperor's favor meant in the rear court.
She was full of curiosity about that Beauty Li and wanted to meet her.
"I shall take a good look later."
"What a little know-it-all." Qi Daiyu tapped her forehead and led her out hand in hand.
In the main hall, Beauty Li stood properly waiting. Trained as a dancer, her figure was slender and soft, her shoulders and back thin and straight—even her silhouette alone was enough to captivate one's thoughts.
Hearing the sounds, Beauty Li turned and bowed to Qi Daiyu.
"This humble consort pays her respects to Noble Consort Hui." Noticing the exquisitely beautiful little girl beside Qi Daiyu, she surmised this was likely the Eldest Princess, born of the Empress.
Beauty Li performed a half-curtsey. "Your Highness, the Princess."
The Eldest Princess sidestepped slightly to avoid receiving the full courtesy and returned a curtsy of her own. "Greetings, Consort Li."
She had said she wanted a good look, but she did not stare brazenly. Instead, she observed discreetly while Qi Daiyu and Beauty Li conversed.
In her heart, she mused, Beauty Li was pretty, alright, but she still thought her mother the Empress and Noble Consort Hui were the most beautiful!
Qi Daiyu took in the Eldest Princess's expression and found it amusing. At just five or six years old, where would she have the appreciation for Beauty Li's type of beauty?
The Eldest Princess did not stay long. She still had zheng practice to continue, so after explaining, she withdrew.
The room was now left with only Qi Daiyu and Beauty Li.
Qi Daiyu didn't wish to beat around the bush either and asked directly, "Might I ask what matter brings Beauty Li here?"
But then she saw Beauty Li staring straight at her. Beauty Li was born with amorous eyes; even a normal gaze seemed to hold boundless affection. Being stared at by such a beauty, Qi Daiyu actually felt her face grow warm.
Somewhat flustered and annoyed, she feigned sternness. "What is the meaning of this, Beauty Li?"
Beauty Li gave a light laugh, stood up, and curtsied to Qi Daiyu. "This humble consort has come to express her gratitude to Noble Consort Hui."
"Gratitude?" Qi Daiyu was puzzled.
"Noble Consort Hui may not remember. At the palace's New Year's banquet the year before last, during the song and dance performance, this humble consort was among the dancers. After the banquet ended, Eunuch Quan came to the Music and Dance Office, saying that Noble Consort Hui had praised this humble consort's dancing, and His Majesty specially rewarded everyone in the Office."
The New Year's banquet the year before last? Qi Daiyu didn't remember praising anyone.
She immediately called up the recording, found the one from that year's banquet, and among the various song and dance recordings, she indeed found Beauty Li. She could even see that Beauty Li back then, though just as beautiful as now, appeared nervous.
Palace dances were mostly group performances. That day at the banquet, Qi Daiyu's seat wasn't very close to the front, so she hadn't clearly seen the dancers' faces and naturally hadn't noticed Beauty Li.
Even though she found the person, Qi Daiyu was still confused. She was certain she hadn't praised Beauty Li publicly, so how could Eunuch Quan have...
Wait, Eunuch Quan?
Qi Daiyu dragged the recording's timeline back a bit further and indeed saw that while she was admiring Beauty Li's dance, Quan Fuhai brought her that plate of kumquats...
So, after sending her the kumquats and satisfying his mischievous whim, the Emperor was in such high spirits that he had Quan Fuhai reward the entire Music and Dance Office in her name?
Remembering that embarrassing incident, Qi Daiyu couldn't help but feel somewhat awkward.
"That was still the Emperor's reward. There's no need to thank me."
Beauty Li gently shook her head. "Your Ladyship doesn't know. At that time, this humble consort's elder sister had fallen ill with a fever and was waiting for silver to save her life. Thanks to those rewards, this humble consort could afford to hire a physician, and my sister's life was saved."
Regardless, it was ultimately because of Noble Consort Hui that the Emperor rewarded them.
So, it was only right that she thanked Noble Consort Hui.
"I should have come to express my thanks much earlier, but I was feeling unwell for the past few days, hence the delay until today."
"Please rise first." Qi Daiyu still didn't want to claim this credit and was also somewhat curious. "You have an elder sister?"
Beauty Li smiled, a touch of nostalgia within her charm. "Yes, my biological elder sister."
Qi Daiyu knew that dance girls either came from families of lowly status or were daughters of disgraced officials. Those of lowly status rarely had siblings, so since Beauty Li had a biological sister, she was likely the latter.
She then said, "Now that you have entered the palace and become the Emperor's consort, I imagine her life can be somewhat easier." The family's crime wouldn't be completely erased, but shedding their servant status shouldn't be difficult.
To her surprise, Beauty Li shook her head. "Although my sister survived that illness, she still passed away later."
Qi Daiyu: "..."
Seeing the apology in her eyes, Beauty Li laughed lightly again. "Your Ladyship need not apologize... It truly is as the palace servants say, Your Ladyship is kind-hearted."
Beauty Li paused. "Before coming, this humble consort thought that perhaps Your Ladyship might look down on me, similar to someone like Beauty Wei."
Though she said this, there was no resentment towards Zhao Rong in her tone, as if she didn't care much about it.
Qi Daiyu reminded her, "Beauty Wei holds the same rank as you and is quite looked after by Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager."
Beauty Li smiled again. "So what? It was she who looked down on me first. Must I then respect her? Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager, is a model of virtue for the realm; surely she is not someone so unreasonable."
"I wasn't born a dance girl. It was merely due to my family's downfall and my fall into the Music and Dance Office that I became a lowly servant looked down upon by all. But what if I had been born a dance girl? Why should a dance girl be looked down upon? We are all human beings, merely striving to survive. How can there be distinctions of noble and base?"
The corner of Beauty Li's mouth lifted in a smile, like a fox. "Beauty Wei looks down on servants, yet now I, a servant, stand as her equal. The more furious it makes her, the happier I am."
If these words of hers were spread, who knows how many people would be shocked. Qi Daiyu was also surprised, not by the audacity of her speech, but shocked that Beauty Li could harbor such progressive ideas.
Qi Daiyu felt a flicker of excitement in her heart but still cautiously pressed her lips together. "You say these things in front of me. Aren't you afraid I'll spread them?"
Beauty Li looked at her for a long moment, her tone certain. "You won't."
Since the great misfortune that befell her family, Beauty Li had witnessed the fickleness of the world. Over the years in the Music and Dance Office, she had encountered all sorts of people. If nothing else, she was confident in her ability to judge character.
And this Noble Consort Hui, her eyes were clear and pure, definitely not the gossipy type.
Consort Li: "This concubine knows these words are somewhat improper. If Your Ladyship does not wish to hear them, this concubine will not speak them in your presence again."
"It's alright, it doesn't matter." Actually, Qi Daiyu rather wanted to hear them. Everything in the palace emphasized hierarchy and status, while she believed in the equality of all people. Such a notion could not possibly blend with this world; she could only keep it silently hidden in her heart.
Hearing Consort Li's words so suddenly, she had almost thought a fellow countrywoman had arrived, but quickly realized Consort Li was not. Yet, even though she wasn't, Qi Daiyu still felt pleased.
She suddenly felt a fondness for this Consort Li. Her intuition told her they would be very compatible.
However, having just met, Qi Daiyu decided to observe a bit more, to understand her better.
"By the way, this concubine heard Your Ladyship has been practicing the guzheng recently?"
Qi Daiyu: "Indeed. Actually, the reason I wanted to learn the zheng was because of you. Your pipa playing is exquisite, utterly captivating to listen to. Truly, 'the large strings hummed like rain, the small strings whispered like a secret, hummed and whispered, and then were intermingled, like a pouring of large and small pearls into a plate of jade.' It was so beautiful it stirred my heart, making me wish to learn an instrument as well, so I began practicing the guzheng."
Qi Daiyu tentatively stated the truth. If Consort Li were narrow-minded, she would inevitably suspect her motive for learning the zheng.
Consort Li suddenly moved closer and even took her hand: "Actually, I am not only skilled at the pipa; my zheng playing is also quite good. If Your Ladyship does not mind, this concubine could teach you!"
She was too close, her beauty magnified infinitely. Qi Daiyu could see her own slightly flushed face reflected in those eyes brimming with affection.
"Has anyone ever told you your eyes look deeply at everyone?" Qi Daiyu blurted out the thought in her heart without thinking.
Consort Li seemed stunned for a moment, then laughed, her laughter making her tremble like a flower-laden branch, a hundred charms blossoming. She actually hooked her arm around Qi Daiyu's neck, very much like a beautiful serpent, exuding boundless allure.
Consort Li's breath was as fragrant as orchids. "Your Ladyship, rest assured, this concubine looks upon you with deeper feeling than upon His Majesty. After all, Your Ladyship is so gentle and lovely... this concubine felt tender affection for you from our first meeting..."
Qi Daiyu's heart pounded. She could see the teasing in Consort Li's eyes and pushed her away. "I originally thought you were proper, but you are actually so improper." Clearly, Consort Li was the one from ancient times, so why were her actions more open and bold than her own?
Consort Li pretended to be hurt. "This concubine speaks only the truth..."
Straightening her robes, Qi Daiyu said, "I only believe your offer to teach me the zheng is genuine. There's no time like the present; let's begin the lesson now."
She could not stay alone with Consort Li any longer. So delicate and charming... at this moment, Qi Daiyu even began to understand why the Emperor lingered at Xianfu Palace.
Who could withstand it!
The news that Consort Li had gone to Changchun Palace soon reached the ears of other consorts.
One was the currently most favored Beauty, the other a quite beloved Zhaoyi. Their looks were equally stunning, and just yesterday the Emperor had stayed at Zhaoyi Hui's place. What was Consort Li doing going to Changchun Palace today?
Could it be they were about to clash?
Many were watching Changchun Palace. Some, too impatient, even sent palace servants to investigate. They waited and waited, and finally news came, leaving them stunned upon hearing it.
"You're saying Zhaoyi Hui and Consort Li are playing the zheng together?"
"Consort Li and Zhaoyi Hui are playing the zheng together?" In Yikun Palace, Consort Ning also received the news.
Suihe: "Yes. The sound of the zheng cannot be hidden."
Yangxue observed Consort Ning's expression. "Your Ladyship, Consort Li has taken it upon herself to befriend Zhaoyi Hui. Shall this servant summon her for questioning?"
Consort Ning shook her head: "For now, it is not suitable to expose our relationship. Her action also serves to dispel some suspicions." Though she said this, Consort Ning still frowned at Consort Li's move to befriend Zhaoyi Hui.
Yangxue: "This servant worries that Consort Li is difficult to control and might hinder Your Ladyship's plans."
"It was always a collaboration. I helped her enter the palace, she helps me... There is no talk of control." Consort Ning walked to the window and moved the orchid pot on the table to the windowsill. She then returned to the desk and tore up a completed painting of an orchid.
"Your Ladyship just finished that painting. Why tear it?"
"Ugly," Consort Ning said flatly.
For some reason, since her mother passed, her paintings were never as good as before.
Perhaps... once Zeng Qiming is dead, it will be better. Consort Ning's gaze grew distant, settling on that pot of orchids on the windowsill.
