The commotion in the courtyard was interrupted by the creaking of doors on the second-floor corridor. The figure that sauntered out was clad in white, an over-robe of similar colours hanging loosely around frail shoulders. Even though there was no one around worth seducing, his every move had a languid boneless grace that, in jealous eyes, seemed calculated to tug on the heartstrings of gullible men.
Without a doubt, this had to be First-class Attendant Yan.
Lady of Bright Deportment Zhang Qian had heard a lot of rumours about him in recent times, some lauding his appearance but others sour. She'd turned her nose up at him too, unable to reconcile herself with having to share a man with a brazen hussy. So what if he wasn't lowborn? The time he'd spent as a slave would be more than enough to eradicate any of the fine upbringing that he had undergone during his formative years. She was confident that when they met, he would fall far short of her in terms of dignity, would not be a true competitor for the emperor's affections.
The emperor might have given his face a second glance but it meant nothing, right? After all, His Majesty hadn't even bothered summoning this person from Zheshan Palace after allocating him a place here. That 'mesmerising visage' that had been so touted might have its charms but was still unforgettable at the end of the day. Without social status and a family to back him up, this Yan Yun was nothing more than a small plaything, a pet dancer for the amusement of men.
She had comforted herself by telling herself all these things but it hadn't worked. Therefore, when Big Sister Hui had invited her this morning to go for a walk in the Yuanxi Gardens, which were near the palaces used to contain the new arrivals to the palace who hadn't yet received formal training on servicing the emperor, she immediately thought of paying this Yan Yun a visit.
She had dressed up to the nines, choosing whichever ornaments were the most lavish in her collection. At first, her maids had been worried that Big Sister Hui would take offence at her for outshining her in terms of dressing. But Big Sister Hui had been kind as always, tucking a stray strand of her fringe behind her ears and telling her that she was a real beauty who stood out so much it was only a matter of time before she caught the emperor's attention for good.
Zhang Qian privately thought so too. Back when she'd been living in the Zhang Household, her looks were already prized by her family. She knew that she was outstanding and that her father would have no qualms using this to garner himself a steady alliance. She had no issues with this either. After all, why not? If her beauty could buy her a better life, she was more than willing to use it.
She had always compared herself secretly to all the other concubines in the palace and found them lacking.
Until now.
The figure in white slowly made its way towards the stair landing. He wasn't deliberately taking his time. Even from this distance, Zhang Qian could see the slight tremble in his slender frame, which reminded her of slim willow branches swaying in the breeze by the river. She tried to muster her disdain—how could a man be so weak—but it was quickly overshadowed by a horrible feeling of inadequacy.
When he finally approached them, this inadequacy threatened to drown her.
Yan Yun might have been a slave before entering the palace but years of this humiliation hadn't left a blemish on him. His skin was as luminous as hers, if not more, but the difference was that she bathed every evening in a mixture called 'Red Jade Salve' (1). This salve was made of almonds, soapstone, camphor, musk, and egg white, amongst other things. It was an expensive combination that emphasised her status as a concubine to the most powerful man in the country.
But despite this, she still lost out to a male slave. She took in his thick black hair, which gleaned like rivulets in a dark waterfall that cascaded to a waist so slight that she could only be envious.
Then there was his face. Even if she didn't want to admit it, she could see why the emperor had chosen to snatch him from the fourth prince. If she'd been in that position, she would have been tempted to. Every feature on his face seemed carved by a sculptor, whose sole purpose was to drive men crazy with want. She knew that it wasn't fair to blame him for looking like this. Logically, no man would want to be in his position. But she couldn't help it. Jealousy gnawed at her liver, made her eye redden with angry tears.
The unnatural flush on Yan Yun's cheeks just made matters worse. The stupid little eunuch who came running out in a sweaty frenzy to greet them just now had spouted a bunch of silly excuses about his little master being sick but this wasn't what it looked like to Zhang Qian. Her biggest kept secret was that she was still a virgin. Despite the emperor summoning her once, long ago, she'd done nothing but sleep on a pallet behind a painted screen until the time was up and the eunuchs came to carry her back to her palace.
But she didn't need to experience the ways of the bedroom to imagine that this was what Yan Yun would look like squirming underneath a man's strong body, cheeks red, eyes shiny and glazed over with pleasure. Perhaps his fingers would twist in the folds of the sheets beneath him, or in black and gold silk robes, crumpling the dragon motif sewn in fine thread—
Ah, how she hated him.
Yan Zheyun walked up to the entourage slowly. There was a fine sheen of sweat on his brow and his breathing was uneven as he presented them with a fist and palm salute like he would another scholar or gentleman. He wasn't certain whether this was the appropriate etiquette but he didn't have time to come up with something else.
"Yan Yun greets Imperial Concubine Hui and Lady of Bright Deportment Zhang," he said, reciting the titles he heard earlier on and thanking his lucky stars that he'd always had a good memory for names and faces. This was another skill his father had cultivated in him, dragging him for all sorts of social events and testing him after on all the distinguished guests he'd met earlier in the evening. He kept his tone pleasant but just a tinge too light like he was unable to conceal his fatigue. "What brings such distinguished guests to this corner of the imperial city?"
The implication was that Zheshan Palace was too paltry to be worth their effort but Zhang Qian chose to interpret it as an arrogant dismissal. Rage swelled in her. Coupled together with the mistake he made in his greeting, she had good enough ground to cause him trouble.
"Kneel!" she ordered. "After a whole week of entering the imperial city, this lady sees that you still haven't changed your uncouth ways."
Imperial Concubine Hui reached out and touched her gently on the arm. "Little Sister," she said with a twinkle in her eyes that Yan Zheyun noticed but Lady of Bright Deportment Zhang overlooked. "Hold your temper, our little brother here is new to the palace and perhaps a bit spoiled by the emperor's favour, he will need a bit more time to learn the rules."
Learn the rules? Yan Zheyun diverted his gaze onto the cobblestones that he'd lowered himself gently onto. They were uneven beneath his knees, which had just recovered from kneeling on the dance platform a week ago. Xiao De had begged the Imperial Medical Bureau for a soothing balm to rub over the bruises. He was going to need it again tonight.
"In response to Imperial Concubine Hui," Yan Zheyun murmured. "This attendant has not been taught the rules of the palace yet…" He trailed off with visible discomfort and this display of weakness greatly pleased them.
"Aiya, Big Sister," Lady of Bright Deportment Zhang gloated. "You're right, of course. We shouldn't expect so much from a mere slave. No one trained him in manners before letting him pollute the air in the imperial city. Don't you think we should complain to Noble Consort Li that the Wu Household don't know how to train their dogs?"
[…that's going overboard, Little Sister.] But Yan Zheyun didn't voice his thoughts aloud. He didn't allow his pity for her to show either. This young, feisty little girl lording it over him had no idea that she was being used by her kind and caring 'big sister' as a weapon.
But far be it from Yan Zheyun to lend her a helping hand. If she hadn't had such an obnoxious personality, she wouldn't be so easily used either. She could only reap what she sowed with her own two hands.
A smooth hand seized at his cheeks roughly, sharp nails scratching at his flawless skin and leaving a red mark behind. This Lady Zhang was so fortunate and she didn't even know it. Only the rich and noble could afford to keep long nails in this era and for men and women alike, this had become a symbol of status. Women would don nail protectors as ornaments, whereas men would ensure that their nails were kept clean and filed neatly, but were visible enough to show off that they didn't have to do a day's hard work in their life.
What was that saying again? 'Ten fingers that have never touched yangchun water.' Yangchun water meant cold river water in March. The poor would often have to go to the river to wash the laundry in such harsh conditions, their hands developing chilblains and callouses as a result. Once upon a time, this host body's hands were as smooth as Lady Zhang's too and if this were the original Yan Yun, he might have felt a frisson of sadness and shame for the current state of his hands, which were rough with wear and tear from a year of hard labour. It was the only tell of his lowly status.
But this was CEO Yan Zheyun, whose hands had always been weathered with callouses from self-defence classes and weight-lifting at the gym. Smooth, unblemished hands and long nails? What a joke.
"Such a pretty face, what a pity it belongs to such a rude, disobedient creature," Lady of Bright Deportment Zhang goaded. "Big Sister Hui, be sure to report back to Noble Consort Li about his poor behaviour, he needs an Instructor to discipline him immediately."
A look of difficult reluctance passed over Imperial Concubine Hui's face. "This…Little Sister, calm down." She folded her hands in front of her demurely, providing an elegant contrast to Lady of Bright Deportment Zhang and letting no one mistake her for the lesser woman. "We shouldn't presume to instruct Noble Consort Li on how to handle affairs of the inner palace."
Yan Zheyun scoffed inwardly. Just one week in and he already had the dubious pleasure of meeting his first film empress. This Imperial Concubine Hui was far more formidable than the stupid little sister she lugged around like a shield for all her nefarious acts. He wondered how many people she'd sabotaged before pinning the blame on this poor Lady of Bright Deportment.
Lady of Bright Deportment Zhang sneered. "I don't believe that Noble Consort Li would refuse!" she declared. "What if this ill-mannered brat met with the emperor and accidentally offended him because he still hadn't learnt how to behave yet? Who would face the dragon's wrath?"
This seemed to 'convince' Imperial Concubine Hui but she still spoke up for Yan Zheyun with a kindness that didn't reach her eyes.
"Little Sister, the new beauties will be arriving soon and an instructor will be allocated then to Zheshan Palace, there's no need to…"
"I don't care!" Lady of Bright Deportment Zhang seemed to forget that she was talking to someone of a higher rank than her too. The head palace maid who was supporting Imperial Concubine Hui's arm furrowed her brows and opened her mouth to admonish her but Imperial Concubine Hui stopped her with a mild shake of the head.
Lady of Bright Deportment Zhang pushed Yan Zheyun's head back. He could resist her but he didn't forget that he was playing the part of a harmless, meek attendant. He followed the momentum and let his body collapse back against the floor with a quiet cough. His arm scraped against a stone and fresh blood stained the outside of his white sleeves.
Xiao De gasped. "Little Master!" he cried out and tried to rush over to help him but Lady of Bright Deportment Zhang wouldn't have it.
"A small wound like that, why are you making such a big fuss?" she accused. "Like master like servant, none of you have any manners." She didn't seem to realise she was being hypocritical, going so far as to openly mock Yan Zheyun for his plight. "Or maybe it's because the both of you reek of a servant's stench. Do you think that's why the emperor hasn't summoned you yet? His Majesty can't tolerate your smell?"
Yan Zheyun let out another cough. He propped himself up slowly, sliding his knees back beneath himself into a proper bow once more, his every movement executed with measured poise. He could feel Imperial Concubine Hui inspecting his every move like a predator sniffing out weakness.
"Lady of Bright Deportment Zhang." He dusted off his robes before placing his hands on his knees. There was no way to fault him for his manners when he presented himself like this, his behaviour displaying every ounce of his young master upbringing. He might have messed up the greeting etiquette uniquely used in the palace but was now using his own way to wordlessly prove to everyone present the irony of Lady of Bright Deportment Zhang calling him ill-mannered.
Yan Zheyun smiled suddenly. "Are you presuming to guess what His Majesty is thinking?"
Zhang Qian blanched.