Tea parties are also an important duty of a consort.
Gyokuyou The consort holds them almost daily.
Jade Palace Some are held there, while at other times she receives invitations from other consorts.
(Important, important probing) Maomao for her part, doesn't much care for tea parties.
The topics of conversation are the latest trends —fashionable clothing, cosmetics, that sort of thing.
Idle chitchat laced with subtle probing—the rear palace in miniature, laid out before them.
(They may appear serene, but they are consorts after all) The one conversing with Gyokuyou is a mid-ranking consort from the West.
Maomao doesn't know the details, but it seems to concern an important matter—the future relationship between Gyokuyou's birth family and the other's.
Many of the other consorts, drawn in by Gyokuyou's cheerful chatter, often let things slip inadvertently.
Recording those slips in writing is one of Gyokuyou's duties.
(She was up so late last night—aren't she tired?)
The Emperor visits his favored consort Gyokuyou without fail every few days. It is partly to see his daughter, who has begun to pull herself up to stand, but needless to say, that is not the only reason for his visits.
The fact that he doesn't neglect his daytime duties shows he still has plenty of vigor.
When the tea party ends, Yinghua gives her a large quantity of tea sweets. It isn't that she doesn't eat them, but there are simply too many, so as usual Xiaolan She headed to her place.
Xiaolan, who occasionally spoke with a childish lisp, told her the latest rumors she had gathered as usual.
About the maid who had committed suicide, her connection to the poisoning incident, and for some reason, about Consort Shu.
"Well, for all that she holds the title of Fourth Consort, her age is what it is."
Consort Gyokuyou was nineteen, Rifa was twenty-three, Risu was fourteen.
Consort Shu, otherwise known as Ada Consort, was thirty-five — one year older than the Emperor.
She could still bear children, but in terms of the Inner Court system, Consort Ada had no choice but to quietly be swept aside.
In other words, becoming the Mother of the Nation was impossible for her from now on.
There were apparently rumors of plans to lower her rank and bring in a new high-ranking consort.
The talk had reportedly been going on for quite some time, but since she had been the Emperor's consort since his Crown Prince days and had once given birth to a son, they could not quite bring themselves to go through with it.
(So she was the mother of the previous prince who died?)
If things continued like this, Rifa Consort, bearing the Emperor's child — would she not meet the same fate?
And it wasn't just that — no one could say for certain that Consort Gyokuyou would continue to receive the Emperor's favor forever.
Even the most beautiful flowers eventually wilt.
Flowers in the rear palace bear no meaning unless they bear fruit.
Though she was growing accustomed to it, the rear palace was still at the bottom of murky dregs— that was what she thought.
Maomao brushed away crumbs of mooncake and gazed at the heavy clouds blanketing the sky.
Today's tea party guest was a somewhat different shade.
The guest was Consort Risu, a fellow member of the Four Consorts.
It was rare for consorts of the same rank to hold tea parties together, and even more so among the upper consorts.
Consort Risu, with her youthful features, arrived looking tense, bringing four attendants with her.
That poison-taster was among them.
It seemed she hadn't been punished as severely as Maomao had feared.
Since it was cold outside, the tea party would be held indoors.
Eunuchs were dispatched to prepare long benches for the attendants in the reception room.
Long benches were set in place.
The round table was inlaid with mother-of-pearl.
It was a beautiful piece featuring mother-of-pearl inlay.
The curtains were replaced with new embroidered ones.
Honestly, she didn't go to this much trouble even when the Emperor visited, but perhaps women couldn't help bristling around their own sex.
The makeup was done with particular care as well, and Maomao also applied her usual freckle makeup.
The makeup was applied with a steady hand, and red lines were drawn at the corners of her eyes in a threatening manner.
Perhaps due to her seniority, Consort Gyokuyou did most of the talking, and Consort Risu merely nodded meekly in response.
The ladies-in-waiting standing behind their mistresses seemed less interested in their own masters and more concerned with the furnishings of the Emerald Pavilion, their gazes flitting about the room.
Only the poison taster stood behind the consort, facing Maomao, and watched her with the same scrutinizing look she had once given Maomao when she was under threat.
(What a nuisance.)
First the ladies of the Crystal Pavilion, and now this—she wished they would stop treating her like some kind of monster.
(At first glance, they seem like perfectly ordinary ladies-in-waiting.)
Maomao had once reported to Gaoshun that the consort was being bullied. If she was wrong, it would be a bit awkward, but fortunately, it seemed she was correct.
Compared to the small, elite group of ladies in the Emerald Pavilion, their movements might seem sluggish, but they were getting the work done. Well, since Consort Gyokuyou was the hostess of today's tea party, perhaps there was less work to be done anyway.
Airan entered carrying a ceramic pot and hot water.
"I don't imagine you dislike sweet things? It's cold again today, so I thought something like this might be welcome."
"I do like sweet things."
Consort Risu answered Consort Gyokuyou's words.
The contents of the pot were citrus peel simmered in honey. It would warm the body and soothe the throat.
(Oh my?)
The ladies-in-waiting of the Crystal Pavilion, and now this—she wished they would stop treating her like some kind of monster.
(At first glance, they seem like perfectly ordinary ladies-in-waiting.)
Maomao had once reported to Gaoshun that the consort was being bullied. If she was wrong, it would be a bit awkward, but fortunately, it seemed she was correct.
Compared to the small, elite group of ladies in the Emerald Pavilion, their movements might seem sluggish, but they were getting the work done. Well, since Consort Gyokuyou was the hostess of today's tea party, perhaps there was less work to be done anyway.
Airan entered carrying a ceramic pot and hot water.
"I don't imagine you dislike sweet things? It's cold again today, so I thought something like this might be welcome."
"I do like sweet things."
Consort Risu answered Consort Gyokuyou's words.
The contents of the pot were citrus peel simmered in honey. It would warm the body and soothe the throat.
(Oh my?)
Risu had just said she liked sweet things, yet her complexion changed the moment she tasted it.
The poison taster gazed at the honey being poured into the teacup with an expression that seemed to say, "Are you serious?"
*(So honey is off-limits too?)* The ladies-in-waiting standing behind made no move to speak.
They simply stared at Consort Risu with exasperated looks, practically saying, *Stop being so picky.* Maomao let out a quiet sigh and whispered something to Gyokuyou.
Gyokuyou widened her eyes with a soft "Oh dear" and called for Airan.
"I'm sorry. It seems this needs to steep a bit longer. I'll bring something different."
Ginger.
"Can you drink hot water?"
"Yes. That's fine."
Her tone seemed to have regained some energy, so switching the tea had apparently been the right call.
And Maomao's prediction, unfortunately, had also proven correct.
For just an instant, she met eyes with the maid who had been watching them with a bored expression.
That evening, the usual beautiful eunuch appeared. Gaoshun trailed behind the heavenly maiden's smile. Lately, he seemed to have acquired more wrinkles between his brows — had his worries increased as well?
"So you held a tea gathering with Consort Risu."
"Yes. It was a pleasant time."
Perhaps because of his position overseeing the rear palace, this eunuch apparently made regular rounds to the other four consorts.
When Maomao had thought the pairing for today's tea gathering seemed somewhat odd, it turned out this fellow had been pulling the strings.
Before things could get troublesome, Maomao tried to slip away, but — as goes without saying — she was stopped.
"Would you mind letting me go?"
"Our conversation isn't over yet."
The moment those heavenly eyes turned toward her, all Maomao could do was lower her gaze to the floor. She must have looked like a dead fish.
"My my, you two are quite close."
"Lady Gyokuyou, if you're suffering from eye strain, I recommend massaging the area around your eyes."
Lady Gyokuyou was laughing with such genuine delight that I couldn't help firing back with a sarcastic remark.
No, no.
If I'm going to say something rude, I should keep it limited to Jinshi.
"Did you hear about the poisoning scare the other day? They say the culprit was a maid who killed herself."
I nod. From his tone, he's addressing me, not Lady Gyokuyou.
Lady Gyokuyou seemed to sense something and left the room of her own accord.
The only ones remaining were me, Jinshi, and Gaoshun.
"Do you really think the culprit killed herself?"
"That's not for me to decide."
Turning fiction into fact — that is the power of those in authority.
I don't know who passed judgment, but Jinshi was surely involved to some extent.
"Would a mere maid really have a reason to poison the Dowager Consort's dish?"
"I wouldn't know."
Jinshi smiles.
Those bewitching smiles of his, using them to deftly manipulate people.
Unfortunately, they don't work on me. He should know that I wouldn't refuse even without all that — a simple order would suffice.
"Starting tomorrow, would you mind going to the Pomegranate Palace to help out?"
What difference does it make if he tacks a question mark onto the end?
For me, there is no answer other than "Understood."