The Empress Dowager issued a decree to summon Prince Hao into the Compassionate Peace Palace. But not only did Prince Hao defy the edict, he even did so with a completely indifferent attitude.
Pei Yaran slammed her palm into the armrest of the chair. With Eunuch Zhang still present, she was unable to save her face. He actually didn’t give me face. Even using my status as the Empress Dowager is no use.
Pei Yaran was livid to the point that she felt she had to personally seek out Prince Hao for an answer. “What exactly am I to you?!”
He Ying anxiety spiked when she saw that the Empress Dowager was about to leave the palace hall. “Empress Dowager, you are going to look for Prince Hao?”
“Since he won’t come to see this Empress Dowager, I can only make a trip myself.”
“Empress Dowager, Prince Hao is not in the Prince Hao Residence, but the imperial palace. His Majesty’s Dragon Heaven Palace.”
Pei Yaran sneered. “This Empress Dowager will go to the Dragon Heaven Palace now.”
She was about to walk forward when He Ying grasped her sleeve firmly.
A reluctant expression appeared on He Ying’s face. “Empress Dowager, please forgive this servant for being unable to let you go there. Commandery Prince Xie is also in the Dragon Heaven Palace.”
As soon as she heard the words ‘Commandery Prince Xie,’ Pei Yaran’s expression changed. “Commandery Prince Xie is also there?”
He Ying lowered her head and answered softly, “Yes.”
Pei Yaran smiled ruefully. “Xie Yun is present. As expected, he really doesn’t give face to this Empress Dowager.”
Eunuch Zhang had kept his head lowered, not daring to look at the Empress Dowager’s expression. It looks like the rumours of a special relationship between the Empress Dowager and Prince Hao may hold some credibility after all.
“Since he doesn’t give this Empress Dowager face, I will return the favour. Instead of pulling from the other palaces, the palace maids needed to support the Laundry Service Bureau can be taken directly from the Beauty Palace. They are after all, 72 women.” Pei Yaran’s words carried a trace of sarcasm.
Eunuch Zhang felt his heart leap into his throat as soon as he heard her words. The Empress Dowager won’t instruct me to go to the Beauty Palace to assign the palace maids, right?
Right after this thought had flashed through his mind, he heard the Empress Dowager’s voice. “Eunuch Zhang.”
Eunuch Zhang’s body trembled. “This old servant is here.”
Pei Yaran noticed his reaction and chuckled. “Eunuch Zhang, are you afraid? Afraid that this Empress Dowager will have you go to the Beauty Palace to assign the palace maids?”
“This old servant doesn’t dare. But as a eunuch, it isn’t very appropriate for me to go to the Beauty Palace.”
Pei Yaran’s slender eyebrows were scrunched up. Eunuch Zhang is refusing tactfully. Everyone is afraid of Prince Hao: a man who covers the sky with one hand. Nobody dares to offend him!
But I refuse to back down today! I am the Empress Dowager! On the surface, my position is higher than his!
Since he doesn’t care about me and doesn’t pay attention to me, I’ll make something happen! I’ll seize this opportunity to disrupt your Beauty Palace!
With her mind already made up, Pei Yaran couldn’t be bothered to think twice before she stepped out of the Compassionate Peace Palace.
He Ying pursed her lips and immediately followed. Oh no!
Eunuch Zhang was rooted in place. I originally came to request the Empress Dowager’s edict, but who would have thought that the situation would become like this? What should I do now?
Keeping his anxiety to himself, Eunuch Zhang quickly walked out of the Compassionate Peace Palace, only to find Prince Hao’s personal bodyguard, Wu Ling, along the way.
“Imperial Bodyguard Wu,” Eunuch Zhang called out.
Eunuch Zhang replied, “This transfer will involve numerous palace maids. Is there still time today?”
“No need to worry. There are many palace maids from the respective palaces.” Wu Ling then walked towards the Laundry Service Bureau.
Eunuch Zhang wavered for a while. Should I inform Imperial Bodyguard Wu that the Empress Dowager is preparing to go to the Beauty Palace?
Seeing that Wu Ling was walking further into the distance, Eunuch Zhang cast aside the Empress Dowager’s matter. Judging from the current circumstances, the Laundry Service Bureau is still more important.
~~~
Meanwhile, Pei Yaran had commandeered a squad of imperial guards by using her status as the Empress Dowager.
Commanding them to follow her to the Beauty Palace and escort all 72 women to the Laundry Service Bureau, a massive commotion quickly spread throughout the imperial palace.
~~~
Su Xi-er had just happened to be In Old Maidservant Liu’s room when the news arrived.
Old Maidservant Liu laughed. “There’s going to be a good show to watch now. Su Xi-er, who do you think will win between the Empress Dowager and Prince Hao?”
Su Xi-er replied, “The Empress Dowager is too impulsive to have done this. No matter who wins, it will cause the reputation of the imperial household and the Pei Family to fall.”
“As I thought, you are intelligent,” Old Maidservant Liu praised her. Finally, she sighed. “Perhaps Prince Hao has already moved to prevent this situation by sending someone to have the Empress Dowager return to her palace.”
With how meticulous Prince Hao is, how can he allow others to witness such a farce?
Su Xi-er didn’t speak, only nodding her head in agreement.
Old Maidservant Liu changed the topic. “However, I really want to see how the women from the Beauty Palace are going to wash the clothes after they arrive at the Laundry Service Bureau. After getting used to a lifestyle where their every whim is catered to, all of them will be on the verge of death in just a few days.”
“Old Maidservant Liu, where exactly do the women in the Beauty Palace come from?”
“Why? You’re curious?”
Su Xi-er smiled. “I just want to know.”
“There are 72 women altogether; consisting of palace maids from every palace, women from brothels in the capital, as well as women from merchants’ families in the counties. Of course, some of them are also daughters of officials; even official eldest(*) daughters.”
You can find women from walks of life among them.
Old Maidservant Liu continued, “For example, some of the daughters of officials with some status in the capital, go to the Beauty Palace for the sake of competing for the position of Princess Consort Hao. As for the others, some are aiming for the position of a Side Princess Consort[**], while some are fine with just being able to serve Prince Hao.”
Su Xi-er didn’t respond. These women continuously climb over the corpses of their fellows just for a man. Not only that, according to what Ye Qingzhu inadvertently divulged, the man in question won’t even give them a second thought as he doesn’t even go to the Beauty Palace.
“Su Xi-er, now that you have heard all of these, do you feel that Prince Hao values a woman’s appearance?”
Su Xi-er replied slowly, “Indeed, even the name is called ‘Beauty Palace’.”
Old Maidservant Liu smiled. “While some women can only be treated as entertainment, others are looking for the position of Princess Consort Hao. While he liberally collects the former, the latter is something that Prince Hao will definitely give careful consideration. With this kind of situation, women should firmly grasp what is most important, instead of worrying about how many beauties are beside their man.”
Old Maidservant Liu only came to her senses after revealing a lot of details. “Why am I telling you so much? How much would you know about the matters between men and women?”
Su Xi-er smiled and didn’t comment. Men are the most fickle thing in this world.
“However, that may not necessarily be the case. Su Xi-er, you are so quick-witted and intelligent that sometimes I even suspect that this body of yours has changed its soul. Moreover, this soul must have gone through a lot.”
Su Xi-er looked at Old Maidservant Liu and replied indifferently, “You’re thinking too much.”
Old Maidservant Liu waved her hand. “Indeed, I’m thinking too much.”
Suddenly, the voices of palace maids could be heard from outside the door.
Something bad has happened? Or has someone come? What exactly is the matter?
Su Xi-er and Old Maidservant Liu exchanged glances with each other before they left the room and walked towards the courtyard of the Palace Side Quarters.
All of the palace maids fell silent upon seeing Old Maidservant Liu, not daring to speak.
At the palace gate of the Palace Side Quarters, the imperial bodyguards were walking over.
(* Not only is this daughter the eldest, she is also born from the main wife and thus, has a much higher status than concubine-born daughters.)
(** Not the official wife of the prince but it is still a rather high status compared to merely concubines. For most novels, the number of side princess consorts a prince can have is four.)
