She felt a bit panicked inside. This Lady Xia, seemingly unaware... how did she become so favored to this extent? She really was careless!
Zhao Junyao’s lips slightly curled, his gaze turning towards the Empress. "Which rule in the palace states that one cannot be promoted by two ranks at once?"
"This..." The Empress was left speechless; indeed, there was no such rule.
"But..."
"There’s no need for any ’buts’!"
"It’s only a Fourth Rank, not a primary position. Empress... are you going to cling to this?"
The Empress, upon hearing this, hurriedly knelt down. "Your servant dares not!"
Zhao Junyao smiled faintly, his gaze softening a fraction. "There’s no need for formalities; you are, after all, my Empress!" So, whoever I wish to promote, you have no right to obstruct!
The Empress bowed her head. "Your servant is fearful..."
Zhao Junyao waved his hand and ordered, "Li Shengan, escort the Empress out."
The Empress’s heart sank again. She wanted to say something, but ultimately, she dared not speak. She could only perform a respectful bow and withdraw.
「At the beginning of the twelfth lunar month.」
The decree for promotion was issued. Lady Xia was promoted to Jieyu of the Fourth Rank. The former Lady Cheng and Lady Song were promoted to Sixth Rank Honored Ladies.
The Harem was in an uproar. "Only three people were promoted!" And most importantly, they weren’t among those promoted. On that day, no one in the Harem knew how many teacups were shattered or how many handkerchiefs were torn!
Xia Ruqing herself was also very shocked. Am I on the cusp of danger now? she mused. I wanted to keep a low profile, but it seems impossible!
Zi Yue then said, "My lady, we will definitely need to add more servants here. You should consider what to do..."
She was somewhat at a loss, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "What else can be done?" she murmured. If we need to add people, then we’ll add them. I can’t just refuse out of fear of trouble, can I?
In the afternoon, the rewards and congratulatory gifts from the various palaces arrived. The Empress sent a pair of plum blossom-etched hairpins, a screen depicting an oriole singing in spring, and a Southern Ocean Shi Chen clock with a crystal glass cover. All were precious items. But... no matter how she looked at them, something felt off.
Xia Ruqing was stunned for a moment before laughing. "The Empress’s rewards... are quite interesting." The word for ’plum’ sounds like the word for ’misfortune.’ And isn’t a Shi Chen clock simply a clock? The phrase for ’gifting a clock’ sounds dangerously like the phrase for ’seeing someone to their grave’! As for the screen depicting an oriole singing in spring... the Empress probably meant: You’re just a trinket for amusement, something that pleased the master to gain favor and climb the ranks! In other words: You’re just a plaything, so don’t get too pleased with yourself!
The Noble Consort’s gifts were even more bizarre. She directly sent over several plum branches, battered by rain and snow, looking half-dead. She claimed, "These are rare treasures! Take good care of them, and they will bloom soon!"
Xia Ruqing was so exasperated she laughed. "Is this her way of saying that no matter how proudly I defy the snow, I can’t bloom alone in the biting cold? That she also has ways to ruin me like this?"
Zi Yue’s expression was troubled, and she didn’t know how to respond.
Xia Ruqing looked around at the pile of gifts again but ultimately found nothing more bizarre than what the Noble Consort had sent.
"Forget it. Store all these in the warehouse and record them in the ledger!" she instructed. "Also... those half-dead plum branches? Plant them in the small garden out front and take good care of them! Display this oriole screen. I’ll wear these hairpins tomorrow when I pay my respects!"
"As for this Shi Chen clock..." She paused. "Never mind, just put it away." One can’t react to every provocation, right?
Zi Yue acknowledged each instruction.
In the afternoon, when Xia Ruqing rose from her nap, she went with Zi Yue to express her gratitude. In truth, she only visited the primary ladies of each palace; there was no need to visit those of lower rank than herself. It took just over half a Shi Chen before everything was done and she returned.
Xia Ruqing took off her cloak and lay on the soft couch, stroking her cat while warming herself by the fire. "After this afternoon’s rounds, I felt like a living target!" Thinking back on it now, she still felt a shiver of fear! The Harem truly was a place that could devour people!
She sighed as she spoke. "The days ahead are not going to be as comfortable, I fear! Right, Da Bai?"
Da Bai, nestled in her embrace, lazily indulged herself, too lazy to even glance at her mistress.
Xia Ruqing gently touched a burnt patch on Da Bai’s fur. "You’re too lazy; you deserved to get singed!" Cats dislike the cold, and Da Bai loved the warmth of the brazier. Curled up beside it, she had carelessly gotten a patch of fur on her back singed. Because of this, Xia Ruqing had specially ordered a small garment made for her. When the cat’s fur grew back, she could take the clothing off. Then she wouldn’t look so unsightly!
Zi Yue prepared a hand-warmer and tucked it into Xia Ruqing’s embrace. "My lady, you mustn’t overthink. This promotion is something many others can only dream of!"
Xia Ruqing smiled. "I’m not overthinking. In the Harem, if you don’t climb, you’ll be trampled to death. Your master understands this principle! Don’t worry... life will certainly get better and better!" She had to contend; of course, she had to contend! She would fight for every inch, for every second!