Charmed by Jiang Xian's gentle attentiveness, the Emperor was tempted to stay.
The desire to slack off is a universal human sentiment.
It was like the Empress on a cold winter's day, not wanting to wake up early. She would wish the Noble Consort would overstep her bounds and confine all the women of the Six Palaces. Then, if she were the only one left, she could feign illness, skip paying respects at Jianzhang Palace, and have a perfectly legitimate excuse to stay in bed.
But in the end, it was just a fantasy.
Likewise, the Emperor soon remembered the stack of memorials he had yet to process in Qiankun Palace. The late Emperor, in addition to securing the dynasty, had also established the tradition of secret memorials. These memorials bypassed the officials of the Six Ministries and went directly to the Son of Heaven, preventing anyone from deceiving him or hiding the truth.
The late Emperor had been a true workaholic, granting a thousand officials the right to submit secret memorials.
The current Emperor was also diligent, but he was merely human, so he had reduced the number to five hundred. Even so, the workload was staggering. It was like playing an emperor simulation game on hell mode. The desire for meticulous, bone-deep control led to constant overwork.
"I must return now. When the instructor from the Inner Music Bureau arrives, she will stay here in Yizhu Pavilion. She is to follow all of your arrangements and will only return after she has taught you."
The Emperor rose to his feet. Noticing Jiang Xian's hesitant expression, he understood at once.
As Shu Changzai's rank was low, Yizhu Pavilion was only a pavilion, not a proper palace. Its side halls were smaller than those of other residences, barely large enough to house the palace attendants allotted to a Changzai. Squeezing one more person in would be difficult.
But having the instructor stay in the main hall would be an even greater breach of protocol.
The Emperor declared, "Learning to dance is not a short-term endeavor. You shall move into the main hall."
By moving into the main hall, the vacated side hall would have more space to accommodate her attendants. It would also pave the way for future promotions.
'I'm getting a bigger office!'
Joy lit up Jiang Xian's face as she thanked him for his grace.
The Emperor didn't find her petty or short-sighted for being so openly pleased by such a small favor. He simply felt gratified that his kindness was so joyfully accepted, and his eyes curved in a pleased smile. The noble ladies from the Capital he usually encountered were always so self-possessed, rarely betraying any delight. In contrast, Shu Changzai's willingness to be happy over a small treat made him want to spoil her even more.
'Punishment and reward are both forms of imperial grace. Hidden benefits are still benefits, and I'll take all the allowances and subsidies I can get.'
"Next time I visit, once you're settled into the main hall… I imagine it will be more comfortable," the Emperor said, patting her hand.
It took Jiang Xian a moment to process the boss's unexpected innuendo.
'So, from now on, when I'm not being summoned to Weiyang Palace, I can just work from home.'
All in all, it was a good thing.
※
Seeing off the Emperor was an affair for the entire staff of Yizhu Pavilion.
Chen Daying was among them.
The palace maid Mian Xia glanced over and saw her looking unsettled. 'She must be jealous of my mistress's favor,' Mian Xia thought, 'so jealous she's become haggard.' Only after the Emperor was far in the distance did Chen Daying rise. "Why didn't the Emperor stay the night with you? I thought for sure he wouldn't leave."
'How dare she mock my mistress!'
Mian Xia clutched her handkerchief tightly.
Jiang Xian gave her palace maid's hand a reassuring pat and answered casually,
"The Emperor has memorials to review in Qiankun Palace, so it wasn't convenient for him to stay."
"I really thought the Emperor would be staying with you. I'd already tucked myself in for a nap, but then the call to see him off came, and He Xiang woke me up."
Jiang Xian glanced up and saw that Chen Daying's hastily done bun was indeed threatening to come undone. So that was the reason for her unsettled look—she had just fallen asleep when she was abruptly woken up. Her almond-shaped eyes were as unfocused as vigorously shaken egg yolks; she wasn't faking it. "Why don't you go back and get some more sleep then?"
"I'm too awake now. I came to see what new tricks you're up to, Sister."
Chen Daying ordered He Xiang to fetch a basin of water so she could wash her face.
The two had developed something of a friendship, so even after Jiang Xian's promotion to Changzai, they didn't pay much mind to the formalities of rank when they spoke.
And there were always new activities over in the West Wing.
If it wasn't a pre-dawn jog, it was practicing strange maneuvers in the courtyard. Shu Changzai even liked to make her own palace attendants practice with her.
So, the palace attendants in the East Wing envied their counterparts across the courtyard, whose mistress had the Emperor's favor and could get supplies from the Imperial Household and Imperial Kitchen without being looked down upon. Meanwhile, the palace attendants in the West Wing envied the quiet life in the East Wing, where their mistress didn't put them through such intense training.
"We're not doing anything else today. We have to move my things into the main hall."
Jiang Xian told Chen Daying about the Emperor's order for her to move into the main hall.
Hearing this, Chen Daying was immensely pleased. "He Xiang, see? Was I right or was I right? I knew our neighbor would be moving into the main hall soon."
He Xiang, who had been looking at the floor, looked up in alarm. "Whatever you say is right, my lady."
'All I can do now is pray my mistress doesn't tell Shu Changzai what I said before.'
She secretly peeked at Shu Changzai's expression.
Jiang Xian still wore a faint smile, her expression unreadable.
Jiang Xian could guess what He Xiang had said to Chen Daying. A slight smile touched her lips. "So, Chen Daying, you've been wishing me well all this time."
"I can't seem to catch the Emperor's eye, so from now on, I'll have to rely on you."
Chen Daying said it plainly.
She paused, then continued, "Besides the Noble Consort's Zhaoyang Palace, even high-ranking consorts like Princess Consort Zhang share Changchun Palace with He Cairen. You like to fiddle with all sorts of strange things here in Yizhu Pavilion. If word of that gets out, there will surely be gossip. It's better to let me occupy the East Wing. Isn't our established friendship better than having some stranger moved in?"
He Xiang shot her mistress a surprised look.
'I can't believe my mistress understands her value to Shu Changzai so clearly. She's just here to fill a spot and be a companion.'
Meeting her palace maid's astonished gaze, Chen Daying wasn't offended. Instead, she grew even more smug. "Didn't expect that, did you? I'm quite perceptive myself."
He Xiang: "…"
'I may not be well-read, but even I know that's not how you use the word "perceptive."'
'Which of the six paths of reincarnation is my mistress placing herself in?!'
Jiang Xian couldn't help but chuckle. She took Chen Daying's hand and swayed it gently. "As long as you're honest with me, we can stay on good terms for a long, long time. And I'll be honest with you, too. If you find a way to win the Emperor's favor and get promoted, I won't stand in your way. A rising tide lifts all boats, after all."
She wasn't the type of friend who worried when you were struggling but grew jealous when you started driving a Land Rover.
Jiang Xian added, "The Emperor has arranged for a female instructor to teach me the fundamentals of dance. Since she'll be here anyway, it makes no difference if she teaches one person or two. Why don't we learn together when she arrives? If an opportunity to perform ever comes up, you'll also have a skill to win his favor."
'Living in the same pavilion means we're on the same team.'
And Jiang Xian had the self-awareness of a team leader.
'She didn't just want to learn dancing; she wanted to learn singing too. If Chen Daying could be her "backup dancer" in the future, they could come up with all sorts of new performances.'
Before Chen Daying could hesitate, He Xiang hastily accepted on her mistress's behalf. "Thank you, Shu Changzai, for thinking of my mistress. We will follow your arrangements." As she spoke, she gently tugged on her mistress's sleeve, signaling that they should discuss it back in the East Wing.
※
Back in the East Wing, Chen Daying said, "You were certainly quick to accept for me!"
Life was difficult for low-ranking concubines. Afraid of causing trouble if they wandered the harem, they could go years without seeing the Emperor. They tended to stick to their own small corners, forming alliances with others in their residence and often growing close to their palace maids. He Xiang understood her mistress's nature and advised, "Since Shu Changzai is offering her help, you must seize this opportunity, my lady."
The instructors from the Inner Music Bureau don't just teach anyone.
In any case, with Chen Daying's status in the palace, even though the Dancing Girls had to bow to her, she had no authority to command anyone from the Inner Music Bureau.
This time, even He Xiang began to see their neighbor, Shu Changzai, in a new light. Forget concubines—even palace attendants who devised a new trick would guard it jealously, terrified of having their ideas stolen or being taken advantage of, unlike Shu Changzai, who seemed perfectly willing to share with her neighbor.
"I was wrong before," He Xiang reflected.
Chen Daying waved her hand. "Don't worry! It's not like Shu Changzai knows you were egging me on to try and steal her favor."
Seeing how nonchalant her mistress was, He Xiang opened her mouth, but said nothing.
'I'm sure Shu Changzai knows.'
Before entering the palace, palace maids had to learn the rules under extremely strict disciplinary matrons. Before these matrons, a young palace maid could hide nothing; they could deduce not only your secret actions but also see right through your petty schemes. In He Xiang's eyes, Shu Changzai had the very same aura as one of those matrons. Compared to her, her own mistress was like a person made of dough.
If Jiang Xian knew of this assessment, she wouldn't be proud.
'In my humble life, I've only supervised a few batches of interns. That's all.'
"SIGH," He Xiang lamented. "There must be eight hundred schemes brewing in Yizhu Pavilion." 'And Shu Changzai is responsible for seven hundred of them.'
Chen Daying nodded. "I suppose I am a bit of a deep thinker."
"…"
'On second thought, I underestimated Shu Changzai,' He Xiang thought. 'She must have one thousand and fifty of those schemes, while my own mistress is short two hundred and fifty.'
"Enough of that. When is the instructor arriving? I want to learn a new skill too."
Chen Daying was full of enthusiasm.
Her fervent passion for learning, however, vanished the instant she saw Yu Su, the instructor from the Inner Music Bureau, helping Jiang Xian with her stretches.