Chapter 3 Why did Su Yue act that way?

"Sister Su," Jiang Ling obediently changed his address, calling Su Yue "sister."

"The main room is spacious, Sister Su, please move to the main room. I'll go and tidy up right away."

She lacks tact and cannot understand hidden meanings; in the palace intrigues, she wouldn't even survive the opening credits.

However, she was only slightly better than Xia Chunqiu; she begged for mercy much faster than her opponent made a move.

Su Yue has powerful connections and enjoys favor; to compete with her is tantamount to courting death.

Moving to the west wing also has its advantages. The layout is similar to the main house, only the rooms are a bit smaller. In summer, less ice is needed for cooling, and in winter, less charcoal is used for heating.

A flash of smugness crossed Su Yue's eyes, and she quickly stopped Jiang Ling, who was about to get off the bed: "Sister Jiang, you mustn't, you mustn't."

Jiang Ling stood there, stunned. Su Yue had accepted the title of her sister, but then stopped her. What was her intention?

"I'm not here to move my sister out." Su Yue smiled, withdrew her hand, and dabbed the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief.

“Sister Jiang, I’ve sent ice to all the sisters who live in Xiefang Pavilion. You and I are of humble origins. My father is only a county magistrate, while Sister Jiang’s father is a county magistrate, which is slightly better. But in this inner palace, how can a county magistrate or county magistrate be presentable?”

Jiang Ling listened blankly, not understanding why Su Yue was bringing up their backgrounds. But it was for the best; at least she could learn more about things not mentioned in the original book.

"We are both out of favor in the harem, and our families can't help us, nor can we support them. Unfavored palace women endure the sweltering heat of summer and the bitter cold of winter. Many of them in this Xiefang Pavilion didn't make it through and died young."

Thinking of her birth mother, Aunt Huang, Su Yue felt a sharp pain in her heart, and her voice choked with sobs. Finally, she picked up a handkerchief and dabbed at the corner of her eye.

Jiang Ling subconsciously stared at her movements, unable to tell for a moment whether the tears or sweat in the corners of her eyes were tears.

Su Yue put down the handkerchief, and a smile returned to her face, revealing a deep dimple on her left cheek, making her look charming and lovely. She took Jiang Ling's hand and said, "My life has improved a little, how can I bear to see my sister suffer? We've been living together in Xiefang Pavilion for the past two years, and neither of us has had an easy time. We should help each other out."

Jiang Ling was not used to physical contact with others, especially in the summer when she was sweaty and Su Yue's palms were sticky. She felt uncomfortable all over and stood there stiffly like a piece of wood.

Judging from Su Yue's words, she meant well and was taking care of these unfavored neighbors.

Jiang Ling subconsciously suspected something, and the palace intrigue videos she had seen flashed through her mind.

The ice might contain poison, such as musk or saffron. Or, you might slip and fall on the wet ice, and then slide!

Immediately, Jiang Ling felt a secret sense of joy.

Their scheme is likely to fail, because she is not pregnant!

Su Yue didn't mind Jiang Ling's dullness and patted her hand lightly with a smile: "Sister Jiang looks unwell. Well, it's true, even the trees are wilting in this hot weather, let alone people. Ice will help cool you down, Sister Jiang, please rest."

"Thank you, Sister Jiang." Jiang Ling thanked her, then had A'Ruo Fanghe pour out the ice, returned the basin to Xueyan, and saw Su Yue out.

As soon as the person left, Jiang Ling breathed a long sigh of relief, all those chaotic thoughts vanishing. Seeing the basin full of ice, she was overjoyed and quickly wrapped it in a thin blanket, then poured in a bowl of tea to make iced tea.

Fanghe spat outwards, glanced at Jiang Ling, and whispered, "It's just a few pieces of ice, yet she has the nerve to show it off everywhere. As for the Consort, in terms of looks, favor, and family background, how can she compare to her? The Consort actually had to give up the main room and call her 'elder sister'!"

"That's right." A'Ruo was furious. She plopped down on the brocade stool and began to berate Jiang Ling with a long face.

"The ice she received, the reward, should have belonged to the talented lady. It's just that she lacked ambition; once she entered this harem, everyone was looking out for themselves. Who would be foolish enough to pass up a good opportunity? While she's young, she wants to gain favor more often, bear a child or two, and have someone to rely on in the future."

Jiang Ling rarely paid attention to A Ruo Fang He, and she didn't care whether they gave her the cold shoulder or complained and cursed.

Firstly, the deep palace is lonely, and without an outlet for his emotions, he will eventually go mad.

Secondly, they entered the palace earlier than Jiang Ling's original self. As veterans of the harem, Jiang Ling, being a complete novice, would not presume to teach them or instruct them on how to do things.

Now they're going too far with their words, and they have unrealistic hopes for Jiang Ling, betting their wealth and fortune on her, which puts a lot of pressure on her.

Jiang Ling must speak up and intimidate them!

"You should give up on that idea. I don't have that ability."

Although it was a far cry from her original vision of a tiger's body trembling and all sides kneeling in submission, Jiang Ling felt unusually relaxed. She was good at speaking her mind directly; beating around the bush often resulted in a clumsy imitation.

Aruo Fanghe looked at each other, both of them looking depressed.

"We only see the thief eating meat, but we don't see the thief getting beaten," Jiang Ling added slowly.

Su Yue must have humbled herself and sided with Consort Zhao to gain favor.

Above Consort Zhao is Consort Lin. The two are rivals. Jiang Ling doesn't know why Su Yue chose Consort Zhao, but Su Yue's move puts her in opposition to Consort Lin.

In the harem, the emperor is undoubtedly the most powerful, unless Su Yue can remain in favor and have the emperor's backing.

In the original book, Su Yue, like her, was just a background character. Jiang Ling was also completely baffled as to why she suddenly jumped out.

Her fate will either be to become cannon fodder in the palace intrigue, or to have the last laugh.

Jiang Ling would not meddle in either of them.

There were appearance requirements for selecting palace maids; those who were ugly or deformed would definitely not be chosen. Jiang Ling sized up the two women. A'Ruo had delicate features, while Fanghe was more strong-willed and had a certain heroic air about her.

So Jiang Ling earnestly suggested, "You are both quite good-looking. I think you could try to get in front of the Emperor and maybe win his favor. It's more realistic for you to enjoy good fortune together than for me to be favored."

The two women had already made their appearance when Emperor Yuanming favored Jiang Ling, but they were still young then and had not yet been favored. Now that they were older, Emperor Yuanming's harem was full of beautiful and charming palace maids and concubines, so why would he take a liking to them?

Moreover, A'Ruo never wanted to be favored by the emperor. She wanted to be promoted to a female official, who might receive an official title and be granted permission to leave the palace to marry, thus securing a good marriage.

Fanghe, on the other hand, was hoping to save up more money so that she could ask for permission to leave the palace when she was around thirty. With money on her side, she could live a more comfortable life.

A'Ruo concealed her thoughts of marriage and retorted, "This servant dares not covet the Emperor's favor. This servant only hopes to be a good palace maid and be promoted to a female official in the future."

Fanghe quickly added, "This servant has never thought of being favored. If a concubine is favored, this servant can also receive more rewards and live a more comfortable life."

Everyone has their own ambitions, and Jiang Ling certainly wouldn't interfere with their choices. She would only offer practical guidance to prevent them from constantly pushing her out to compete for favor, which they could then benefit from.

"So that's what you're thinking. In that case, you should try to find a place to work in Funing Palace or Chonghua Palace."

Aruo opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word. Fanghe also fell silent.

They have no ability to be picky. Let alone serve Consort Lin or Consort Zhao, they can't even get close to Consort Liu or Consort Zhao.

Jiang Ling, seeing their reactions, immediately understood. They, like her, lacked the ability!

Having said all she could say, Jiang Ling said no more. Otherwise, they would find it tiresome, and she herself would be thirsty.

Ninety-nine percent of people's troubles stem from the mismatch between their desires and their abilities. Many of the power struggles within the imperial harem arise from desire, power, favor, and wealth.

Jiang Ling was very pleased. He took out some iced tea and sipped it slowly.

As for Su Yue's intention in sending the ice, she couldn't figure it out, so she stopped thinking about it.

She had no desires beyond her capabilities, and as long as she stayed away from these conflicts, she would surely live a peaceful life until her death.

It was unbearably hot and humid outside, with dark clouds drifting across the sky and the sun peeking through them.

Xueyan hurriedly said, "Cairen, you should go back quickly. Look at the sky, it looks like it's going to rain."

"The weather has changed," Su Yue murmured, looking up at the sky.

Xueyan was sweating profusely and frowned, saying, "They didn't come to congratulate Consort Jiang, but Consort Jiang herself came to bring them ice. In my opinion, Consort Jiang is just a pretty face. It's a good thing she has a pretty face, but she's slow and stupid. She'll never get ahead in this life. Consort Jiang should live in the main room of Xiefang Pavilion."

Mingcui is as honest and simple as a block of wood, while Xueyan is clever and quick-witted; Su Yue only has her to rely on.

Seeing her indignant, Su Yue explained, "I came to deliver the ice myself to tell them that I'll benefit them and I won't forget them. Following me will ensure they live a life of luxury. Whether they amount to anything in the future is another matter, but they'll always be of some use."

Xueyan was stunned, nodded in agreement, and said in a low voice, "That's true. It's not a big deal for a concubine to be favored once. But if she gets chosen by the emperor's name more often and gets close to the Funing Palace, I'm afraid it will get in the way of others."

A dark glint flashed in Su Yue's eyes. She gave a soft "hmm" and said, "This harem is full of ghosts and demons who might suddenly pounce and bite you. And the people in Funing Palace are no pushovers either. If I get chosen by the emperor a few more times, they'll start to be wary of me. I need to make plans in advance. You should associate more with A'Ruo Fanghe and give them some benefits."

Xueyan hesitated for a moment, then said, "They treat Cai Ren with utter contempt. Cai Ren once said that the two of them are stupid, and I think they are probably unreliable."

“I don’t rely on them. Sometimes, idiots are more useful than smart people.”

Su Yue said something indifferently, and when she reached the gate of the west courtyard, she stopped and looked back at the main house.

The house has five bays, red walls and green corridors, and is old and mottled.

Su Yue sneered: "The main house of Xiefang Pavilion is just a remote and cold palace after all. What's so special about it!"