Chapter 2

Little Li was still smiling. He was the one they sent to the palace, and no matter what, he couldn't escape their grasp.

Therefore, he was not afraid of Qi Yu's temper, which was the source of his confidence given to him by Eunuch Li Chang.

The unchosen beauty was disappointed and quickly left the side hall.

Only Qi Yu, Zhou Miaoyin, and two beauties remained in the hall, named Lü Shu and Deng Yuehuai respectively.

Lü Shu and Deng Yuehuai were also pleased with the outcome. They were both girls from humble families, and once they entered the palace, they would not only have no worries about food and clothing, but they would also not have to do any work, so they were naturally happy to stay.

Lü Shu was the one who had just tugged at Zhou Miaoyin's sleeve. She had a good relationship with Zhou Miaoyin, and Zhou Miaoyin also took care of Lü Shu. It was probably because Zhou Miaoyin took the first position that she let Lü Shu take the second position.

Deng Yuehuai was the one arguing with Zhou Miaoyin. Deng Yuehuai had a short temper, and since Lü Shu had blocked her way, she naturally resisted.

Zhou Miaoyin stood up for Lü Shu, which led to a confrontation with Deng Yuehuai.

All three are good-looking: Zhou Miaoyin is confident and radiant, Lü Shu is charming and touching, and Deng Yuehuai is cute and adorable.

Qi Yu looked at the three of them and thought that four people would be enough to make a mahjong table.

Da Yan didn't have mahjong, but the blueprints were simple, so she could draw them and then hand them over to the craftsmen to make them.

The four of them had not stayed in the side hall for long when several palace maids and a eunuch whom everyone feared and respected appeared.

This person was none other than Li Chang.

He was fair-skinned and beardless, with shrewd eyes, but his features and expression were extremely kind.

Eunuch Li Chang said, "Lady Zhou, Lady Lü, Lady Deng, please follow the palace maids to the Pixiang Palace."

Qi Yu looked up and recognized the voice as that of the person who had been talking to Xiao Li behind the curtain.

Then he left to invite Wu Shiyan.

I'm afraid that if you looked through the curtains, you could clearly see the faces of the people inside the side hall.

So when she was about to lift the curtain, Wu Shiyan had been watching her for a while, and only lifted the curtain first when she made a move.

Zhou Miaoyin was confused: "Why do you call us beauties?"

Li Chang smiled and said, "These are the titles recently conferred by the Emperor. When the three beauties arrive at the Pixiang Palace, a eunuch will come to announce the decree. This servant would like to congratulate the three beauties in advance."

Deng Yuehuai hurriedly said she didn't deserve such praise, and then turned her gaze to Qi Yu: "Father-in-law, may I ask what Qi Yu's initial rank is?"

Li Chang didn't even lift his eyelids: "Didn't Consort Deng pay attention to what the Emperor said just now? Miss Qi will naturally be a concubine from the very beginning."

There is an insurmountable chasm between a concubine and a beauty.

Deng Yuehuai's expression turned somewhat unpleasant, and Zhou Miaoyin and Lü Shu also stopped smiling, not understanding why His Majesty had only taken a liking to a wooden beauty.

He was arrogant once he gained power, and didn't even respect Eunuch Li.

After saying this, Li Chang looked at Qi Yu and immediately became amiable: "Miss Qi, His Majesty is currently in the Wenshi Palace and needs you to accompany him. What do you think?"

Qi Yu said, "Please lead the way, sir."

Li Chang said "please" and led Qi Yu toward the Wenshi Palace.

Along the way, Li Chang also introduced the Greenhouse Palace, which has always been the emperor's sleeping quarters for warmth in winter. However, His Majesty is sensitive to the cold, so the palace has not been moved out of the Greenhouse Palace.

As they passed through the garden, Qi Yu glanced at the peach trees in full bloom and gained a deeper understanding of Wu Shiyan's aversion to the cold.

Li Chang, wanting to maintain a friendly relationship with Qi Yu, revealed some information, saying, "His Majesty spends nine months of the year in the Warm Palace, with hand warmers and stoves always by his side. His Majesty dislikes strong fragrances and the smell of blood, so even if you are injured, you must never show it in front of His Majesty."

Qi Yu listened attentively and nodded.

Suddenly, Li Chang abruptly changed the subject: "Along the way, Little Li offended the young lady."

His tone was very certain.

Qi Yu glanced at him and tentatively complained, "I just don't like that he wants me to enter the palace, but on the way he felt bad about me and left me behind. Now that I have just gained His Majesty's favor, he comes up to me to apologize and asks me to be magnanimous, but he doesn't give me a single penny. He's so stingy."

"Young Master Li seems to have a lot of reliance on him, but that only makes me feel disgusted."

"But I find Eunuch Li quite approachable. Why wasn't it Eunuch Li I met first?"

Two palace maids behind Qi Yu, Little Li was sweating profusely in the March heat. He never imagined that Qi Yu, who had just entered the palace, would not only fail to curry favor with them, the eunuchs, but would actually file a serious complaint against him right in front of Eunuch Li.

Not to mention that he received a lot of bribes along the way, using the money to move the carriages of those beauties forward, which resulted in Qi Yu being treated coldly.

Li Chang's face had turned cold. He only wanted to promote Xiao Li because he shared the same surname as him and Xiao Li had good fortune in his hands.

Unexpectedly, he offended a very big one.

Although it's unknown how far Qi Yu will go, given her resemblance to Madam Pei, as long as she doesn't cause trouble, she'll live a peaceful and smooth life.

Li Chang was unsure of His Majesty's intention in keeping Qi Yu, but he knew that Qi Yu was His Majesty's most important pawn, and that he could not afford to harm anyone else but her.

Who knows if Qi Yu won't become a great figure in the palace in the future?

But Leonardo DiCaprio deliberately tried to offend her.

Li Chang suppressed his displeasure with Xiao Li Zi and flattered him, saying, "This servant also finds you very kind, like Guanyin Bodhisattva. Talking to you makes this servant feel refreshed and calm."

Qi Yu smiled faintly, silently comparing Li Chang and Xiao Li Zi in her heart, concluding that Xiao Li Zi's skills were far inferior to Li Chang's.

Li Changgang was still angry, but his sudden attempt to flatter her didn't seem strange at all.

Most importantly, Li Chang had a clear understanding of the situation.

Even after meeting the Emperor, Li Zi still felt he could control her. He didn't need her to make a move; Li Chang would make Li Zi realize that things were no longer the same.

Although they sent her to the palace, Qi Yu did not want to be controlled by the eunuchs for the sake of a peaceful life in the future.

However, Qi Yu naturally did not want to antagonize Li Chang; it would be best for them to maintain a tacit cooperative relationship.

So she said, "You flatter me, sir. I am unfamiliar with the palace and its people. If anything happens, I will have to trouble you."

Li Chang softened his voice: "It is my honor to be able to help you, young lady."

Qi Yu looked at him, her smile deepening.

Looking into those eyes, Li Chang was momentarily lost in thought, realizing that it was no wonder the Emperor wanted to keep Qi Yu; Qi Yu's eyes were remarkably similar to those of Madam Pei.

Madam Pei was a kind-hearted woman who never showed any harshness towards these eunuchs and servants, and often smiled amiably at them.

However, Qi Yu's gaze was somewhat different from Madam Pei's.

Previously, without comparison, the difference wasn't obvious, but Li Chang only noticed now that Qi Yu's eyes were unfocused, while Madam Pei's eyes held a layer of sorrow.

Li Chang shook his head, feeling that he was being delusional; how could he think like that?

Zhao Wanyi was a noblewoman from a high-ranking family. She and her husband were a harmonious couple, protected by the Empress Dowager and favored by the Emperor.

No one should suffer as much as Madam Pei.

Soon, Li Chang led Qi Yu to the Greenhouse Palace.

Li Chang said, "His Majesty only allows the young lady to enter; we servants can wait outside the hall. Your maid was brought in from outside the palace and hasn't learned the palace etiquette. Perhaps we could ask a palace maid to train her for a few days, and then send her back to you once she is familiar with the palace rules and etiquette?"

Qi Yu: "Her name is Pei Jiu. Thank you for your help."

"This servant understands. His Majesty cannot wait for anyone. Please go in quickly, young lady."

Qi Yu faced the palace gate, calmly pushed it open, and stepped inside.

Upon entering the greenhouse hall, a wave of heat hit us.

It was already mid-March, and charcoal was still being burned inside the hall.

The greenhouse palace resembled a sleeping palace. Qi Yu saw several hand warmers placed everywhere, as if the owner would change them wherever he went, and take the ones filled with charcoal by the palace servants when the one in his hand became cold.

She's very easygoing, but also extremely sensitive to the cold.

Qi Yu had only been inside the hall for a short while, and hadn't even seen Wu Shiyan yet, when a thin layer of sweat had already appeared on her forehead.

Her collarbone, partially concealed by the overlapping collar, had a luminous sheen; her nose and cheeks were rosy; and her eyes were clear as water.

When Qi Yu found Wu Shiyan, he was sitting on the couch, wearing a thick fox fur coat. The white fur made his eyes look brighter, and he no longer seemed as gloomy as he had been in the side hall earlier.

Color returned to his pale face.

Qi Yu couldn't help but feel puzzled. Wu Shiyan was a powerful and ruthless man who had raised an army to pacify the world, so how could he be so afraid of the cold?

Qi Yu's thought only lasted a moment, because when she saw Wu Shiyan, she glanced at him briefly before kneeling down to pay her respects.

However, she knew nothing about palace etiquette and got stuck as soon as she knelt on the carpet.

After a long silence, she lowered her head and whispered, "Your Majesty?"

After a long silence in the hall, Wu Shiyan spoke: "From now on, when you see me... you no longer need to kneel."

Wu Shiyan probably meant these words for Zhao Wanyi, but the relationship between the emperor and his subject meant that the two could barely exchange a few words.

That's why I said that to her.

Sure enough, Wu Shiyan's next words were: "Never mind."

Whether she was taking back her previous statement or something else, Qi Yu blinked and replied, "Yes."

Just pretend you didn't hear that.

She didn't want to kneel around.

Qi Yu stood up, folded her hands in front of her, and quietly acted as a vase.

Wu Shiyan didn't look at her at first, his gaze fell on the book he was holding, but the spine of the book was crumpled from his grip and he didn't turn the page.

It's clear that finding a body double didn't put him at peace.

Sweat dripped down Qi Yu's cheeks and onto her chin. Just as she was about to wipe it away with her hand, Wu Shiyan spoke up.

He asked the same question he had asked earlier in the side hall: "Where do you live, and how many people are in your family?"

Qi Yu answered them one by one.

"Look up and look at me."

Qi Yu looked at Wu Shiyan, her eyes glistening with moisture. When she met Wu Shiyan's dark eyes, she looked even more innocent.

Wu Shiyan's voice was neither loud nor soft, his breath steady, yet it carried an extraordinary sense of oppression: "I hate being lied to the most."

Qi Yu replied without blinking, "I dare not deceive you in the slightest."

Wu Shiyan reluctantly believed him. He lowered his eyes, put down the book, and picked up the hand warmer: "Come here."

He walked toward the imperial desk.

Qi Yu followed behind him, wiping away the sweat with her sleeve and pressing her handkerchief to the sides of her forehead, finally feeling a little refreshed.

She tucked the handkerchief into her sleeve and, seeing that Wu Shiyan was already standing behind the table, quickly moved closer.

On the table were several sheets of white paper, each with an ancient character written on it.

Horizontal lines are horizontal, vertical lines are vertical; Qi Yu had difficulty distinguishing them.

Wu Shiyan said, "These are the titles presented by the Minister of the Imperial Household. Choose one."

Qi Yu said dejectedly, "...I can't read."

Wu Shiyan looked at Qi Yu, who was staring intently at those words with her head down, and paused.

I began to believe her story to some extent, as there were indeed very few literate people in the countryside.

Qi Yu suggested, "My name is Qi Yu, how about choosing the character 'yu' as my title?"

Wu Shiyan picked up a piece of paper and handed it to Qi Yu: "Yu, a beautiful jade."

Qi Yu took it, looked at it several times, and smiled, "I like this."

She held the paper in both hands, carefully pressing it against her clothes, a smile on her face, her eyes mischievous, like a clever and glossy little fox.

Qi Yu tilted her head and said cutely, "His Majesty granted all my requests after only meeting me once, which naturally makes me very happy. But if I were to tell His Majesty that I prefer the title of Imperial Concubine to Consort, would His Majesty grant it?"

Wu Shiyan looked at her, but saw no affection from her, only greed in her eyes.

She's a woman whose even her pretense seems perfunctory.

Wu Shiyan clearly realized that she had no chance of replacing Zhao Wanyi and staying by his side, allowing him to indulge in her for even a moment, because as soon as he saw her, he knew that she would only be Qi Yu, not Zhao Wanyi.

The two are irreplaceable.

Seeing that Wu Shiyan remained silent, Qi Yu curled her lips in displeasure: "If you don't want to, then you don't want to."

In the original book, the substitute was naturally a concubine, and it wasn't until the two switched places that Wu Shiyan officially became empress.

She didn't know what happened next, because she only had the female supporting character's storyline, which was clear, straightforward, and easy to follow.

However, with Leonardo DiCaprio in front and Wu Shiyan's unpredictable attitude behind, Qi Yu didn't want to feel too stifled, even if she was just a tool.

Those who knew the inside story about the concubine would only think that Wu Shiyan was doing it out of respect for Madam Pei, but the noble consort was different. She changed Wu Shiyan's decision and won it over.

Qi Yu's eyelashes were wet from the heat, but she looked rather pitiful at that moment.

Wu Shiyan knew that he would only give Qi Yu superficial favors, but not love.

Seeing Qi Yu's disappointment, he slowly said, "Okay."

Qi Yu looked up, her eyes gradually brightening, and smiled happily: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Qi Yu's palace was called Zhaoyang Palace. She couldn't stay in Wenshi Palace for long, and she was like a drowning puppy, so miserable. Wu Shiyan asked Li Chang to take her to Zhaoyang Palace.

On the way, Li Chang praised Zhaoyang Palace to the skies, even portraying Qi Yu, who lived in Zhaoyang Palace, as someone highly valued by His Majesty.

Qi Yu smiled faintly: "Your Majesty is a good person."

A good person?

Li Chang's expression turned strange for a moment, then he laughed.

Upon arriving at Zhaoyang Palace, the palace maids were selected in just half a day. The eunuch who was to announce the decree arrived shortly after them, followed by a young eunuch carrying gold, silver, and jade artifacts.

Qi Yu received the imperial decree.

Li Chang listened silently.

Everything proceeded as usual. Qi Yu was praised for her dignity, intelligence, diligence, gentleness, and virtuous character. Then, she was promoted to the rank of Consort Yu.

Upon hearing the words "Imperial Consort," Li Chang suddenly looked up at Qi Yu.

Qi Yu kept her eyes downcast, but she was not surprised by the imperial edict.

After hearing the decree, she raised her hand to receive it, saying, "Your Majesty, I accept the decree."

The imperial eunuch, announcing the imperial decree, offered his congratulations: "May Your Highness, Consort Yu, enjoy peace and prosperity. Your honor in His Majesty's harem is truly unique."

His Majesty's harem is empty, yet today he bestowed the title of Imperial Concubine upon someone. Isn't that a unique occurrence?

It should be noted that when the decree was initially drafted, she was only granted the rank of Consort, but after visiting the Wenshi Palace, she was promoted from Consort to Noble Consort.

Is it unique, or is it just a convenient term?

One of Qi Yu's aunts helped her up and gave the imperial eunuch who was announcing the decree a reward.

Qi Yu smiled, a little shyly saying, "Thank you for making this trip, Eunuch."

"Of course, of course."

Qi Yu watched the imperial eunuch leave, and when she turned back, Li Chang was already beaming with joy.

"That ignorant little Li, I'll teach him a lesson when I get back."

Qi Yu nodded: "I'm sorry to have troubled you with these matters for me, Eunuch."

Li Chang said, "It's no trouble at all. As long as Your Majesty is satisfied, that's what this servant should do."

He was even afraid that Consort Yu would not have any use for him.

In the palace, especially for eunuchs, one wrong step could turn them into someone else's stepping stone.

Qi Yu had her aunt personally escort Li Chang away.

This aunt appears to be a highly experienced person in the palace, so sending her to Li Chang is not a sign of disrespect.

Only after the two figures disappeared from sight did she begin to admire the silks, satins, gold, and jewels that had been delivered to Zhaoyang Palace.

To be precise, these were gifts bestowed upon the imperial concubine.

Qi Yu looked around Zhaoyang Palace. Zhaoyang Palace was very large, but it did not appear empty. Every place was decorated with suitable paintings and porcelain. At the head of the center of the palace, there was a throne, with tables and cushions placed on the left and right sides below.

The aunt returned shortly afterward.

She said, “Your Majesty, my name is Jinrong. I am a maid in Zhaoyang Palace and I am in charge of all affairs in Zhaoyang Palace. Would Your Majesty like to take a bath and change clothes first? The hot spring and clothes are ready.”

Qi Yu wrinkled her nose: "We'll do as Aunt says."

She didn't want to wear this outfit anymore. She had been to the Greenhouse Palace and was covered in sweat. Although she didn't smell bad, and could still smell a woman's fragrance when she looked down, she still felt unclean.

Jinrong's words were exactly what she wanted to hear.

On the way to the hot spring deep inside the palace, Qi Yu said to Jin Rong, "I am new here. If the reward money I just gave to the imperial eunuch was paid out of my own pocket, I will definitely make up for it with double the amount."

Jinrong chuckled at her silly words: "Zhaoyang Palace has a storeroom, and there is silver in the storeroom. This servant took the silver from the storeroom. Zhaoyang Palace is Your Highness's residence, so the storeroom naturally belongs to Your Highness. Your Highness does not need to replenish it."

Qi Yu chuckled and said, "Then I'll reward my aunt as well."

"This servant thanks Your Highness. However, Your Highness should refer to yourself as 'this palace'."

Qi Yu drawled, "Okay."

"But I just feel that my aunt is very kind, like an older sister."

Jinrong was old enough to treat Qiyu as her daughter, and upon hearing this, she couldn't help but laugh. Consort Yu was truly amusing and witty.

When Qi Yu arrived at the hot spring, she discovered that the bottom and walls of the pool, and even the steps leading down to the pool, were made of jade. An opening was carved into the pool wall to channel hot water into the pool.

However, she remembered what Pei Jiu had said: the royal family's rise to power was due to their ancestors discovering a large amount of jade. After becoming rich, they bought soldiers and horses to start conquering the world. They just didn't expect that they would be so extravagant as to have their bathing pools paved with jade.

Jinrong instructed the palace maids to attend to Qi Yu's bath, explaining from the side, "The water in this bath is hot spring water, and the flower petals inside were picked by the palace maids in the garden outside the palace. Your Highness, please feel free to soak in it."

Qi Yu had already entered the pool, and the palace maids slowly wet her hair with water.

She didn't have to do anything; she just had to wait for the beautiful palace maids to serve her. Someone would wash her body, and someone would feed her pastries and tea.

She even fell asleep by the pool because it was so comfortable.

Awakened by the palace maids, Qi Yu thought to herself that coming to this palace was the right decision.

When she first transmigrated, Qi Yu was naturally resistant to following the plot, but she couldn't resist meeting Xiao Li Zi after running out of the mountains, so she went with him to the capital and entered the palace.

Stepping into the palace, Qi Yu felt nothing special; meeting the emperor, she didn't find his imperial might unpredictable. However, the mere act of bathing completely captivated her.

As soon as Qi Yu came out of the hot spring, someone brought her a nightgown to wear, helped her sit down and dried her hair until it was dry, and then took her to change into new clothes.

It was a crimson robe, with wide sleeves and a narrow, straight hem.

If Qi Yu was stunningly beautiful in just a simple, light-colored coarse linen dress, then Qi Yu in a crimson dress was breathtakingly beautiful, further accentuating her fair skin and adding a touch of allure that made her impossible to look away from.

Aunt Jinrong said, "Your Majesty is already beautiful even without makeup; I wonder how much more beautiful you would be with makeup."

Qi Yu gave Aunt Jin Rong a reproachful look, and the palace maids all burst into laughter.

Two skilled hands stepped forward to style her hair, while others brought out gold and jade hairpins, gemstone waist ornaments, for her to choose from.