Chapter 45 Born a slave? That's where she came from!
Yi Shuyao knelt on the ground, feeling aggrieved, and said, "Your Majesty, please understand! I... I just felt that the melody of 'Xiangzhu Yuan' was melodious and the artistic conception was serene. I thought that presenting it to Your Majesty on your birthday would add a touch of elegance."
She raised her face, which resembled that of the late Emperor Wen, towards Emperor Zhaoheng, her eyes brimming with tears, looking utterly pitiful.
"I never imagined I would go too far and offend Your Majesty! I know I was wrong, please forgive me!"
The narcissus at the head of the table calmly looked at her, and she gently stroked her slightly protruding belly: "Consort Wen, you are too kind. When did I ever say I was unhappy? It was just... that I was thinking of some old things."
"I remember when I was still working at the Yi Mansion, I happened to see Consort Wen a few times. At that time, Consort Wen was in her prime and loved the elegant and luxurious peony the most. She often wore it in her hair and her dresses were often embroidered with peony patterns. She was bright and beautiful. Everyone in the mansion knew that my sister loved peonies as much as her life."
She looked at Emperor Zhaoheng, feigning doubt, and said, "Why is it that now that you've entered the palace, you seem to have changed your nature and have developed a fondness for this cool and aloof green bamboo? This change in taste... is truly surprising."
Narcissus spoke gently, as if it were just sisters chatting casually.
However, Yi Shuyao became wary, feeling that Shui Xian was implying that she was imitating Wen Pin's fondness for green bamboo.
Yi Shuyao quickly tried to explain, her voice growing even weaker and more pitiful: "Your Majesty's observations are excellent. It's just... it's just that people's temperaments and preferences naturally change with age..."
She paused slightly as she spoke, seemingly reminded of something by the daffodils.
"I never expected Consort Jin to be so observant back then. No wonder she's Consort Yi Guichun's most trusted and capable maid..."
As soon as she spoke, she seemed to realize her slip of the tongue, quickly covering her mouth and kowtowing repeatedly: "I deserve to die! I misspoke! I had no intention of bringing up Your Majesty's past! Please forgive me, Your Majesty! Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"
Gaffe?
Yi Shuyao was clearly doing it on purpose!
Shui Xian made it clear that she preferred peonies to bamboo before entering the palace, and Yi Shuyao was about to reopen her wounds.
She wanted to point out, in front of everyone, that Shui Xian had once been a maidservant of Yi Guichun!
She just wanted to see Narcissus lose her composure because of her lowly birth!
Unfortunately, she miscalculated.
Narcissus sat upright in the superior position, her face showing no sign of embarrassment, let alone shame.
She was never ashamed of her background; it was a past she could not choose, and the path she had come from!
She gently stroked her lower abdomen, her gaze subtly sweeping over Emperor Zhaoheng beside her.
Emperor Zhaoheng's brows were already furrowed; he had a feeling that Consort Wen was talking too much today.
But seeing Wen Chang's face, which resembled the person in his memory, Emperor Zhaoheng did not want to punish her.
"Enough." Emperor Zhaoheng's voice was deep, yet it drowned out the whispers in the room.
He pursed his lips and looked at Yi Shuyao: "Wen Changzai, be careful with your words. Today is Consort Jin's birthday, and we should be celebrating with joy and peace. Now that you know you've made a mistake, you need to be even more careful with your words and actions in the future, and avoid causing any more trouble."
His tone was warning, but he didn't impose a severe punishment; ultimately, it was his face that had the effect.
Then, his gaze shifted to Consort Tuoba standing in the hall, and his expression softened:
"Tuoba Changzai's prayer dance was sincere and graceful, a very good performance to pray for Consort Jin and the imperial heir. Feng Shunxiang, I hereby reward Tuoba Changzai with a pair of red jewel and gold hairpins and two bolts of Shu brocade."
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!"
Tuoba Changzai's voice was clear and crisp as he expressed his gratitude, filled with undisguised joy.
Her bright smile contrasted sharply with Wen Changzai, who was still kneeling on the ground below.
Looking at her vibrant appearance and then at the gentle, smiling Narcissus beside him, Emperor Zhaoheng felt that the slight displeasure he felt because of Consort Wen seemed to have been greatly reduced.
Sure enough, that very night, the Qianqing Palace turned over Consort Tuoba's green plaque.
When the news reached Chuxiu Palace, Yi Shuyao was so angry that she trembled all over.
She grabbed the Xuan paper with elegant bamboo leaves painted on it from the table and tore and crumpled it up!
The snow-white scraps of paper fell to the ground like swirling snowflakes.
"Narcissus! You bitch! It's all your doing!"
Yi Shuyao gritted her teeth, her face contorted in pain, a far cry from her usual weak and pitiful appearance.
She sneered, "I underestimated you! You even put Yi Guichun in the cold palace... I will never make the same mistake again!"
Just then, her trusted maid quietly entered, respectfully handed her a rolled-up piece of paper, and whispered, "My lady, this is a message from the master outside the palace."
Yi Shuyao suppressed her anger and unfolded the note.
The handwriting above was familiar to her father, Yi Ming, but the content made her heart sink.
The letter stated that the imperial examination was imminent, and if she could find out the examination questions from Emperor Zhaoheng, it would certainly benefit the Yi family.
If the Yi family were to go into hiding while the Yi family was forced to remain in seclusion, their disciples could surely achieve great things and extricate the Yi family from their predicament!
To find out the questions for the imperial examination?!
Yi Shuyao felt a sense of absurdity.
The imperial examination system was fundamental to the imperial court, and the questions for the palace examination were kept strictly confidential!
How could a mere concubine in the harem possibly find out such information from Emperor Zhaoheng? It was practically asking her to do the impossible!
Seeing her pale face, the maid cautiously asked, "My lady, how should we reply to the master?"
A hint of annoyance flashed in Yi Shuyao's eyes as she glared at the maid.
"Tell Father that I understand and will do my best."
She sneered inwardly. Try her best? Just going through the motions!
How could Father know about matters of the bedchamber? In a few days, he could simply reply, "The Emperor is very tight-lipped; I am incompetent." Could Father possibly investigate further?
She carefully put the note away, her gaze passing over the carved window towards the direction of Yongle Palace, a surge of hatred welling up within her.
Now, for her, no amount of disciples or family plans matters as much as making Narcissus fall out of favor!
Meanwhile, inside Yongle Palace.
Narcissus had just finished reading a secret letter that had been delivered from home.
The letter was delivered by her father and written by the innkeeper; its contents were very simple:
As per her instructions, an inn named "Dengdi" has been built in the most prosperous area of the capital. It is quite large, but the interior furnishings are simple and unpretentious, costing a considerable amount of money.
After reading it, Narcissus calmly brought the note closer to the candlelight.
The flames licked at the corner of the paper, spreading rapidly until it turned to ashes.
She picked up her pen, wrote a few lines of delicate handwriting on a small piece of paper, carefully folded it, put it into an inconspicuous brocade pouch, and handed it to Yinzhu, who was standing to the side.
"Tomorrow, you will leave the palace under the pretext of visiting relatives. You will personally deliver this brocade pouch to my father... and to that Manager Zhou."
Yinzhu solemnly accepted the brocade pouch: "Yes, Your Majesty, please rest assured."
The next day, Yinzhu changed into an inconspicuous outfit, left the palace in a low-key manner, and went straight to the Dengdi Inn, located in the bustling area of the capital.
The inn's facade wasn't luxurious, but its location was excellent, with a plaque hanging at the entrance bearing the two characters "登第" (Deng Di, meaning "Achieving Success in the Imperial Examination") in vigorous calligraphy.
Just as Yinzhu reached the door, she overheard two young men dressed as scholars whispering among themselves:
"Tsk, this Dengdi Inn, the name is good, but the location... the rent must be quite high, right? The interior doesn't look very luxurious either, how do you set the room rate? I'm afraid it will lose money."
"Who can argue with that? The Zhuangyuan Tower and Qingyun Pavilion next door are both ornately decorated. You think you can attract customers just by saying 'passing the imperial examination'? You're in for a tough time!"
Yinzhu stepped into the inn lobby without stopping, her expression unchanged.
The lobby was simply furnished, with tables and chairs made of ordinary wood, but it was kept extremely clean.
A young man with a handsome face, dressed in a cotton blue shirt, was standing behind the counter. He was the shopkeeper, Zhou Yan.
He recognized Yinzhu at a glance and quickly came forward, saying respectfully, "Please come in, young lady."
Zhou Yan led Yin Zhu to a secluded private room, then quickly walked towards the backyard.
Before long, Shui Xian's father followed Zhou Yan in.
He was still wearing an apron stained with oil, and had a simple, honest smile on his face, clearly having just come from the kitchen: "Miss Yinzhu is here! Please sit down, please sit down. I just made a pot of good soup, please stay and have a taste!"
Yinzhu curtsied and said, "Uncle, you are too kind. Her Majesty has important matters to instruct me on."
She was originally a servant girl, but after Narcissus's father repeatedly emphasized it, Yinzhu still called him uncle.
Yinzhu gestured for Zhou Yan to close the door, then took out the brocade pouch from her bosom, carefully opened it, took out the plain paper inside, and spread it out on the table.
Shuixian's father was not very literate, and even when he leaned closer to look, he couldn't recognize all the characters. He just smiled憨厚ly at Zhou Yan.
Zhou Yan respectfully accepted the note, and when he read its contents, a look of surprise flashed across his handsome face!
The note clearly stated:
Starting today, the inn is open to impoverished scholars traveling to the capital for the imperial examinations, at prices far below market rates. The sole admission requirement is passing three essay questions set by Manager Zhou Yan. The questions must be relevant to current affairs, practical, and insightful. Those who excel will be admitted; those who fail will be politely declined. Do not inquire further; simply comply.
Zhou Yan's fingers, which were holding the note, trembled slightly. He suddenly looked up at Yin Zhu, his eyes filled with deep admiration!
The clever man instantly understood the profound meaning behind the unfamiliar Consort Jin's words!
This isn't just running an inn; it's clearly weaving an invisible net!
Attracting students from impoverished families with low room rates but with great talent, and then using carefully designed essay questions as a sieve to select truly insightful, promising talents who may enter the imperial court in the future!
This is a way to quietly recruit future pillars of the court using an inn, and to cultivate Consort Jin's own power base rooted in humble origins!
"Your Majesty...Your Majesty is so insightful! Zhou Yan will certainly live up to Your Majesty's expectations!"
Zhou Yan bowed deeply to Yin Zhu.
He seemed to see a broad and prosperous road unfolding before him.
Seeing Zhou Yan so excited, Shui Xian's father didn't quite understand the deeper meaning, but he knew that his daughter must have done something remarkable, and a proud smile appeared on his face.
Soon after, scholars from all over flocked to the capital. On this bright spring day, the grand imperial examination, held three years later and determining one's future, began in earnest...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com