Chuxiu Palace

When Gu Yunxi came back under the umbrella, she came across the surprised Lanxin.

"You have returned!"

She stared at her good friend as Gu Yunxi shut the umbrella and leaned it against the wall corner.

The drop of water flowed down the smooth oilpaper to the ground, which formed a squiggly and slender water line that flowed to the bottom of the steps.

"Oh, where does the umbrella come from?"

Lanxin asked.

Gu Yunxi looked down. Her cheeks were a little hot. She stammered,

"Well, when I came back, I came across a sister who came to the Garden during the same period with me. She gave it to me."

Before Lanxin finished, Gu Yunxi had already retreated to her bedroom. She took off her wet shoes and socks beside the bed and wore a clean court dress.

Lanxin looked at the umbrella while frowning and feeling suspicious.

She knew that the ordinary palace maid used the same kind of umbrella whose rib was made of orchid-bamboo and whose umbrella fabric was coated with tung oil.

However, Gu Yunxi's umbrella was bigger than the ordinary ones. And the umbrella fabric and edge were dotted with stripes when it was shut. When the umbrella was put up, there must be delicate patterns.

The most prominent part was the top and umbrella stem which were different from the red agate of carved wood.

What an influential person she had been acquainted with in the Garden who could afford such kind of umbrella!

Lanxin thought of this but did not ask more. She scratched her head and went to work.

But Lanxin soon found that her friend was abnormal.

Throughout the night after finishing her shift, she sat by the bed without moving quietly, wiped the magnificent umbrella in her arms again and again with a clean handkerchief. Her expression was ever-changing. Sometimes, she was lost in deep thought. Sometimes, she laughed and felt happy. Sometimes, she felt uneasy and sad.

Seeing her like this, Lanxin worried about her good friend.

She must have fallen in love judging by her state of immersing herself in her own world.

The umbrella she held in her arms which she liked so much must be given by the person she loved.

But she said that the umbrella was given by a sister she knew in the Garden.

Oh, my God. Had she been unable to bear the loneliness and fallen in love with a maid with higher status?

Lanxin's imagination made her break out in a cold sweat. She was worried.

The love between two different men was already unacceptable. Who could accept the love between two different women?

Lanxin made a secret decision.

No, she would help her friend. She would not allow her to go astray due to loneliness in the Palace and to seek consolation from another woman.

She wanted to seek help from Mr. Fan tomorrow and ask him to introduce an imperial bodyguard who had good morality and appearance and was as young as her to Muxue among the Honour Guards when he was free.

...

The morning sun shone in the spacious and superb palatial garden. Another day had begun.

Gu Yunxi had adapted to the work in the kitchen.

Now she was a rank-fifth chief maid. She just needed to open her mouth without the need to work with her hands.

With Concubine Xu's preference, she could go in and out of the Main Hall at will. Therefore, she often went between the Main Hall and the kitchen. The physical exertion of Gu Yunxi was not less than that of the rank-seventh female slave of the palace before.

At the beginning of autumn and the end of summer, the air was not damp, hot, or heavy anymore. People felt clearer and more refreshed.

The masters of the imperial harem were happier to walk out of their palatial garden, wander in the garden, and visit each other.

Before lunch, several masters came to Chuxiu Palace together.

The staff in the kitchen did not dare to delay. Gu Yunxi cooked in person with her heelers. They cooked several unique cakes and pastries in the shortest time and sent them to the Main Hall together with the honey drinks.

Soon, Gu Yunxi was ordered to serve in the Main Hall, which was conveyed by Yan Gui.

Gu Yunxi tidied up her clothes under the corridor in a hurry and followed Yan Gui to the Main Hall.

The palace hall was very lively. Several concubines were sitting around the pear flower console table. They were talking, laughing, and drinking tea. The copper furnace beside them was perfumed with spices.

When Gu Yunxi was walking, one of her hands curled around the other one and she raised her eyes slightly to take a glance at the masters around the table.

Well, except Concubine Shu, Meiren Li, Cairen Zhao, and Xuanshi Rou who were newcomers, why was Jieyu Jin also here?

Gu Yunxi went to the table. When she was saluting Concubine Xu and other concubines, Meiren Li was tasting the cakes and pastries.

After biting the small half, her eyes were filled with joy. She praised,

"The cakes and pastries of Your Grace are so special. These are also ordinary cakes and pastries made from white sugar and glutinous rice flour. Why could I feel the whey in my mouth after I took a bite?"

She was so good at eating!

These cakes and pastries with milk and honey were made by Gu Yunxi with special processes. She cut up the fresh water chestnut, added the glutinous rice flour and the osmanthus, and stirred them together. Then she added the milk, honey, and duck egg yolk as the stuffing. Compared with the traditional ones, these cakes and pastries would taste better naturally.

In the production process, she spent much time filling the pastry skin with milk stuffing which had been pulpified.

Concubine Xu held the teacup and took a sip with a little smile.

"Why? This was made by Muxue. Now she is serving me. If you do not taste good, I will punish her."

Though Concubine Xu was saying this, she would not bear to give her any punishment. She knew Muxue's craftsmanship.

Gu Yunxi smiled and knew that Concubine Xu was praising her with put-down words. So, she was cooperative and walked to the back of Concubine Xu to pound her back and said in a light and gentle voice.

"Even if I am punished, I am still thankful to Your Grace. You have given me such a face to serve so many masters so that I can show off myself."

"Oh my God..."

Concubine Shu lifted her eyes and looked at Gu Yunxi up and down with gentle eyes. She praised,

"This new chief maid is really clever. She is ingenious and has a sweet mouth which is sweeter than the cakes and pastries. Well, it is so good to be young."

Gu Yunxi saluted Concubine Shu immediately.

"Your Grace overpraises. It is my duty to serve the master. I do not dare to claim credit for myself."

"You are so good at talking."

Concubine Shu smiled with satisfaction. She looked down and picked a sweet fruit from the bloomed peony. She held the fruit with her handkerchief carefully, chewed carefully, and swallowed slowly.

After Meiren Li ate one pastry, she took another one and said without thinking.

"Are you kidding me? I will laugh in a dream after tasting such delicious food. How could I feel that they are not delicious enough?"

After she finished, Jieyu Jin sitting beside her rolled her eyes towards Meiren Li and said in a cold tone.

"It's almost lunchtime, so do not eat too much. Otherwise, you will be too full to have lunch!"

Meiren Li shrugged her shoulders. A corner of her chubby mouth turned up. She did not mind.

"It does not matter. I can skip lunch."

Gu Yunjin's face clouded over. She glanced sideways at Meiren Li wittingly or unwittingly. Her eyes were as sharp as the knife.

Concubine Xu was talking and laughing naturally. She said to Meiren Li,

"If you like it, you can take back some."

Meiren Li looked very happy.

"I can feel at home here. Obedience is better than politeness."

"That's good."

Concubine Xu answered with a smile and continued to talk cheerfully and humorously.

Gu Yunxi was standing beside Concubine Xu. She fixed her sharp eyes on Gu Yunjin.

She was sitting on the chair and magnificently dressed up. She did not talk much. Her charming face was dark and numb which seemed to be repressed by layers of haze.

Gu Yunxi and Gu Yunjin ate and slept together when they were young. How could Gu Yunxi not know what kind of person Gu Yunjin was?

She was proud and arrogant. She liked to be superior and cherished. She hoped that she could be the focus of attention wherever she was. She would not be willing to accept such treatment of being ignored.

Perhaps she had a good relationship with Cairen Zhao, Meiren Li, and several other concubines with a lower rank at ordinary times. So, she was asked to come together when they came to Chuxiu Palace.

Her eyes were fierce, malicious, insidious, and atrocious when she looked at Meiren Li, which were like the knife blade with poison. Whoever saw her eyes would feel uneasy.

As the door curtain was raised, a nanny was holding the little prince, Huanan Lin, in her arms. She walked into the Main Hall and saluted the concubines.

It was time to eat an extra meal before lunch.

Gu Yunxi asked the female slave of the palace to bring the steamed egg custard and give it to the nanny. The nanny was permitted to feed the little prince with the steamed egg custard in front of Concubine Xu.

A eunuch said that Zhaoyi Yu from Xiaoye Chamber came to present her respects to Concubine Xu.

Everyone was silent immediately. All of them with different eyes and expressions came to the door together.

Gu Yunyao wore delicate makeup. She walked into the Main Hall with a cyan and magnificent dress. Song Qin was beside her and two other young female slaves of the palace were behind her.

After seeing that Gu Yunyao had pulled herself together, Gu Yunxi felt very happy and delighted.

Concubine Xu was also pleasantly surprised and stood up to welcome with a smile.

"Welcome to you!"

Gu Yunyao saluted Concubine Xu and other concubines. Then she asked Song Qin to present what they brought to the palace maid of Chuxiu Palace.

"It is a good day today. I want to come out for a walk and pay respects to Your Grace. What's more, it will be the mid-autumn day in the next month. So, our sisters in the imperial harem will do some manual work. I especially come to bring some ink and colorful paper. I did not expect that all sisters were here. It is a blessing for us to get together here."

"That is true. Come quickly. We are eating snacks and waiting for you."

While Concubine Xu was saying, she pulled Gu Yunyao to the table. One female slave of the palace brought a chair. Jinzhu placed another pair of chopsticks and plate on the table.

Gu Yunyao happened to sit face to face with Gu Yunjin. When they raised their eyes, they might see each other with no words and indifferent expressions.

Concubine Shu was next to Gu Yunyao. After seeing that Gu Yunyao had taken her seat, she smiled and asked amiably,

"Your face looks much better. So, have you recovered?"

Gu Yunyao lowered her eyebrows and answered in a low voice.

"Thanks for your concern. I have been ill in bed for one year. I am much better now."

All people were silent for some time. The atmosphere was awkward and weird.

Except for Concubine Xu who was entertaining the prince with a calm and peaceful expression, other people did not speak. They seemed to be in harmony but were actually at variance. Everyone was deep in thought.

Everyone knew that Zhaoyi Yu was from a humble family. But she ever won the exclusive love of the Emperor and had seen better days.

In that year, she was ill. The Jingshi Office prevented her from serving the Emperor, which brought benefit to many newcomers in the imperial harem.

But now she was radiant. Her temperament was dignified and her face was as charming as before. It was not impossible for her to get the love of the Emperor again.

Women of the imperial harem were so pitiful! They seemed to be living a very decent life. In fact, they were enduring extreme misery. Who would like to compete with another woman to win their husband's love?

Without the order of Concubine Xu, Gu Yunxi could not go away arbitrarily. So, she had to stand aside, straighten her back, and nod. Occasionally, she peeked at the present concubines. All changes in their expressions were seen by her calm eyes.