Chapter 14 Roasted on the Fire
As night fell, a eunuch held a large umbrella over Jiang Ling's head, and the group, surrounded by attendants from the Huangliang Zhongshang Palace, slowly departed.
Lanterns were hung in front of the door. Gao Cairen stood by the door, his face appearing exceptionally pale in the dim light, whether from the cold or something else.
Jiang Ling never looked back, leaving Gao Cairen behind.
Because she has new worries.
This sudden stroke of good fortune filled her with trepidation. To wear the crown, one must bear its weight. Her neck was thin, and her strength was insufficient; she could not afford the precious crown.
There are already four beauties in the harem, so adding her wouldn't be too many. Her title isn't particularly eye-catching; the real importance lies in the Fan Ying Pavilion.
The area that originally belonged to the central palace, though separated, still carries a different meaning.
All of this puts Jiang Ling in a very difficult position!
Upon entering the gate of Fanying Pavilion, Jiang Ling paused slightly and looked around.
The courtyard is lush with vegetation, resembling a magnificent pavilion, with osmanthus, camellias, and sweet osmanthus in full bloom. On the east and west sides, wisteria and grapevines are planted respectively.
The vermilion walls and green corridors, along with the yellow tiles on the roof, gleamed in the lamplight.
Not all palace roofs were covered with yellow tiles, which symbolized royal prestige. Apart from the main halls of the outer court, only a few palaces in the inner palace, such as the Central Palace, Chonghua Palace, and Funing Palace, were covered with yellow tiles.
For example, the residences of imperial concubines, such as Xiefang Pavilion, all had gray tile roofs.
The building has seven bays, with seven thick pillars that take two people to encircle, lined up in a row, exuding solemnity and majesty.
According to the rules, only the emperor, who held the highest position, was allowed to build a house with nine bays.
There were also regulations regarding the use of seven-bay residences; only the residences of empress dowagers, princes, and the main halls of royal temples were permitted to use them.
Jiang Ling felt as if the seven pillars were a mountain pressing down on her, making it hard for her to breathe.
Huang Liang pointed to the two palace maids standing respectfully to the side with their heads bowed and said, "These are Wen Juan and Qing Wen. They will serve Consort Jiang from now on. Besides them, there are four other maids and eunuchs who will be at Consort Jiang's beck and call."
Wen Juan and Qingwen stepped forward to greet them. Both of them were beautiful, with clear eyes and bright features, and looked intelligent and quick-witted.
Jiang Ling didn't know who had sent them, so she could only passively accept it. She forced a smile and nodded to them, saying, "I'll have to trouble you from now on."
"No, no." The two quickly curtsied again, and Wenjuan said, "This servant will go and pack Consort Jiang's luggage first."
Jiang Ling preferred to use A Ruofanghe, since she was familiar with them and they weren't particularly clever, but she could handle them.
Everyone worked quickly and tidied up. Zhong Shanggong stepped forward and said, "Consort Jiang, please take a look and see if there is anything you are not satisfied with. If any items are missing, I will replace them immediately."
The room was spotless, with incense burning in a bronze incense burner, its fragrance lingering in the air. The huanghuali wood tables and chairs, the exquisite silk embroidered screens, and the display cabinet adorned with small and delicate vases and other ornaments all exuded wealth and luxury.
It was infinitely better than Xiefang Pavilion. Jiang Ling had no complaints; she only felt it was too good and wished she could move back.
Zhong Shanggong led the palace maids to take their leave. Huang Liang was also preparing to return to Chuigong Hall to report his mission when he hesitated for a moment and reminded her, "Consort Jiang, don't forget to go and thank the Emperor."
Jiang Ling stood there, stunned, thinking to herself that she didn't want to see Emperor Yuanming at all, especially since he should have summoned someone to his bedchamber at this time. If she went, it would be a common tactic for vying for his favor.
"Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty!" Jiang Ling had a sudden inspiration and solemnly curtsied towards the direction of the Chui Gong Hall.
Huang Liang: "......"
Well, he already warned me anyway. Some people are just dense and clueless, while others are just lucky.
Huang Liang had no interest in what kind of woman this Jiang Meiren was, so he bowed and took his leave.
It was getting late. Wenjuan helped Jiang Ling wash his hands, and Qingwen brought back the food. A'ruo Fanghe was as anxious as a grasshopper, jumping around trying to get forward, but she was always a step ahead of them and couldn't get a hand in.
Jiang Ling observed this without uttering a word. She thought it was good; competition breeds progress.
A'Ruo Fanghe and her companion are ambitious and snobbish, clearly vying for the position of personal maid.
She didn't know Wen Juanqing's background, but A'ruo Fanghe would definitely be keeping a close eye on them, and would come to her to complain if anything seemed amiss.
The meal was the same as before: two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and a bowl of soup, with the addition of fresh fruit. The dishes tasted and looked fresh, but the difference was more than tenfold. The water spinach was emerald green, and the steamed fish was so delicious it made your eyebrows fall off.
Jiang Ling was extremely satisfied while eating, but after finishing his meal, he lay down on the couch, looking troubled.
This blissful life is truly unsettling!
Qingwen carried the brocade into the room, smiling as she said, "What style of clothes does the beauty prefer? Tomorrow, I will go to the Imperial Clothing Bureau to summon someone to take her measurements and have the clothes made. If we can expedite the process, they can be finished by His Majesty's birthday."
Jiang Ling sat up and said, "Let's leave it for now. It's His Majesty's birthday, so the winter clothes we made should be ready by now. We won't lack new clothes."
The brocade was inlaid with gold thread, shimmering with light. She needed to keep a low profile; to flaunt her power again would be suicidal.
Qingwen didn't try to dissuade her further, and said with a smile, "This servant will put it away for you, my lady."
"I usually keep the beauty's things with Fanghe, give them to me." A'Ruo put down her needle basket and rushed to take the cloth.
Qingwen smiled, handed the cloth to Aruo, and curtsied, saying, "This servant will wait outside. Just call out to me, my beauty."
Jiang Ling hummed in agreement, blinked, and subtly probed their backgrounds, "Where did you work before?"
Qingwen said, "This servant and Sister Wenjuan both serve in the Emperor's presence."
It turned out that they were Emperor Yuanming's men. Jiang Ling couldn't tell for a moment whether it was safer for him or for other concubines to have someone planted by his side.
Jiang Ling hadn't had so many things to do in a long time, and he felt completely exhausted. It wasn't physical exhaustion, but rather the mental fatigue from meeting so many people and encountering so many things.
Jiang Ling yawned, and Qingwen immediately said, "This servant will help the beauty to rest."
After washing up, Jiang Ling, still half-asleep, lay down on the bed and fell asleep wrapped in the soft blankets. Wen Juan lifted the curtain and peeked over. Qing Wen straightened the bed curtains and turned off the lamp.
"What's wrong?" Qingwen asked as she tiptoed out.
"The Emperor has arrived," Wenjuan said.
Qingwen quickly said, "I'll go wake up the beauty."
"Hey, hey, don't rush." Wenjuan pulled her back, gesturing for her to come out of the room together, and whispered, "His Majesty was taking a walk to digest his food when he passed by. He asked a few questions about whether the beauty had settled in properly, and then he left."
Qingwen froze. The rain lessened, falling like fine hairs. A gust of wind blew, carrying a biting chill.
The Chuigong Hall is spacious, with enough room for Emperor Yuanming to move around in the sleeping quarters alone.
Wenjuan, with an expression that spoke volumes, saw that the candles in the west wing where Aruo and Fanghe were staying had been extinguished and the windows were dark, and said, "Let's go and rest too, and be more vigilant at night."
Jiang Ling didn't need anyone to keep watch at night, so the two of them went to the east wing to rest.
Fang took off his outer robe and lay down when the gatekeeper, a young eunuch, came running up, panting, and knocked on the door of the side room, saying urgently, "Sisters, hurry, hurry, the Emperor is here!"
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