[This work is not historical! It's a fictional Qing Dynasty time-travel novel! It follows the rules of the Qing Dynasty but isn't the same as the historical Qing Dynasty.]
Lying on the bed, Ye Zao stared with wide eyes, looking as if she would die unwillingly, gazing at the pink canopy above her.
It was too suffocating! Too suffocating!
To time-travel into an ancient woman was already frustrating enough, but to end up in the Great Qing Dynasty, as a mere concubine in the Fourth Prince's harem... was this pushing her to death?
Three months had gone by, and she still hadn't found an answer—what heinous act had she committed in her previous life to deserve this?
Was it necessary? She was a good person, wasn't she? She always fed stray cats and dogs. Was Heaven really blind? A concubine! What was that? What sort of existence was that?
Closing her eyes, then opening them, she still felt suffocated.
The original body she inherited was pathetic enough, having played herself to death within half a year of entering the residence. Now, what a mess she had to deal with! With neither a father's affection nor a mother's love, and having never even met the Fourth Prince, how was she supposed to survive?
If you wanted to die, why couldn't you have done it after winter? Now look at the timing, it's already September, and winter is approaching. She still didn't know if she would manage to secure some coal for heating.
"Miss, you can't sleep any longer, get up. Before the family banquet, you should at least dress up a bit."
Tao Hong, the maid, came in carrying a basin of hot water.
Ye Zao got up sluggishly, "Dressed up or not, it's all the same. The Master has just returned, and he won't come to me anyway."
Speaking of this little concubine, she had one decent perk, and that was living alone in a dilapidated pavilion. Although it was run down, it was peaceful!
"Miss, don't lose heart. There's always a chance. Having the Master remember you is an opportunity, isn't it?" Tao Hong wasn't keen on serving either, but she had no choice.
Ye Zao had no choice but to get up, wash her face, and change into a light pink, slightly worn banner dress.
There weren't many outfits in the wardrobe, all somewhat worn, the more she looked, the more disheartened she felt...
She decided not to look anymore.
After doing her hair, and with no good jewelry to wear, she casually adorned herself with a few pieces of sterling silver. As for those gold-plated pieces, she was too lazy to even look at them. They were out of style, bulky, and not as nice as the sterling silver.
Once dressed, there was still plenty of time left: "Let's go, wandering around the garden for a while should be enough." A concubine always needs to arrive early.
"Alright." Tao Hong took the lead with the lantern in front.
It wasn't dark yet, but it would be upon their return. In their pavilion, there were a total of three people: an old woman, her, and a maid.
They didn't need to wait for someone to come and fetch them later.
As they entered the garden, it was dim, and they didn't yet need the lantern.
Tao Hong looked at the blooming chrysanthemums, "Miss, would you like me to pick one for your hair? Your head looks too plain."
"No, no, let others enjoy the view! With my appearance, wearing a flower would be an insult to the flower itself," Ye Zao thought. Chrysanthemum! Is she mourning for someone?
"Look at what you're saying! Wearing a flower would brighten you up considerably, and wouldn't it make you look more festive to the Master? Even though the Elder Prince has been gone for less than a year..." Tao Hong chuckled.
"Tao Hong, with my status, I'm not in a position to worry about the Elder Prince," Ye Zao laughed it off.
"Fine, if Miss says so, let's just go," Tao Hong seemed a bit disheartened. But she also knew that for a concubine to rise up was not an easy feat.
After they left, a person in a precious blue robe appeared from behind the rockery, spinning his thumb ring, and asked, "Su Peisheng, who is that?"
"Responding to the Master, that's Miss Ye from the Jinyu Pavilion, entered the estate in January, a child from the servants below," Su Peisheng replied with a forced smile, thinking, perhaps the Master has taken a liking to her? Did he find her attractive?
Indeed, she was quite a good looker!
Fourth Master grunted in response, seemingly uninterested, and then he stepped out, heading away.
He stood tall and straight, with his hands always clasped behind his back. His cold and aloof face, though handsome, was unapproachable. His thin lips pressed lightly together, he looked every bit the embodiment of indifference.
Su Peisheng dared not even breathe heavily and followed behind.
In the main courtyard, Ye Zao had arrived early, and the other princesses and concubines didn't dare to delay and all were present.
At the head of the room, Lady Ulaanala of the Fujin rank had not yet appeared, nor had Li Fujin.
To the right sat Princess Song and Lady Yin. Ye Zao hurried over to pay respects: "This servant pays respects to Princess Song, Princess Yin."
"Rise," Lady Song said indifferently.
After Ye Zao stood up, she exchanged formal greetings with her fellow concubines, Lady Zhang and Lady Chang.
Then she stood quietly.
A concubine could not sit casually; they could only sit down after the master or the Fujin had offered a seat. Ye Zao inwardly lamented her lowly status once again!
A while later, she saw several maids coming out, approaching and helping a distinguished lady to come out.
It was none other than Fourth Fujin, Lady Ulaanala. She was dressed in a lotus-colored banner gown adorned with large peonies. The jewelry set with kingfisher feathers on her hairpin shone with exquisite beauty.
Her complexion was somewhat pale, perhaps a sign of her recent recovery from a serious illness.
At the beginning of the year, after Elder Prince Honghui had passed away, she had been ill for a long time.
Now, she clearly was slowly emerging from the grief of losing her son.
Seeing her come out, everyone quickly knelt to pay their respects.
"Everyone rise, take your seats, you few as well," Lady Ulaanala said with a smile as she sat down.
Watching her, Ye Zao thought to herself that Lady Ulaanala truly seemed a woman of virtue and quietly took her seat.
Once seated, the Fujin began speaking with Lady Song. Lady Song was an old-timer; she had been in the residence even before the Fujin.
However, she was a woman with status but not favor. She had lost one princess, and while pregnant with a prince, she miscarried, a loss occurring at five months when the fetus was already formed.
Now her health was deteriorating, and she was no longer much favored.
But after all, as the senior figure, she was treated differently. Listening to them chatting about household matters, Ye Zao silently gave Consort Fujin Li another thumbs-up in her mind.
This lady knew how to make an entrance. Everyone who should have been there was present, yet she had not arrived. She did, after all, have both an elder princess and a second prince. It was almost unfathomable how she could be so late.
Now in the residence, she was the only one with children—living proof that could incite jealousy throughout the entire back court!
Musing, Ye Zao heard some commotion outside.
Consort Fujin Li had arrived. She was dressed in an orange-red jacket with gold splashes, under which was a matching qiángróng banner gown embroidered with golden chrysanthemums, far more striking than the Fujin's attire. Wearing a large traditional hairpin and gold and agate jewelry, she was unspeakably delicate and lovely.
With a radiant complexion, she was immediately affable to all who saw her.
As she entered, she laughed: "It was all because of the Second Prince. He clung to me, insisting on eating first, and that's why I'm late. I ask the Fujin not to take offense. Elder Princess, Second Prince, come and pay respects to your rightful mother!"
As they spoke, the two children busied themselves with their greetings. To be precise, it was just the elder princess since the Second Prince was still too young to speak.
In the few months since Ye Zao had arrived, she was caught up in Fourth Master's accompanying the Imperial Carriage on the southern inspection tour and to Mongolia. So accurately speaking, it was her first time in the main courtyard.
She now realized that this Consort Fujin Li was favored, bold, and not entirely submissive to the Fujin.
No wonder her end was so tragic. Tsk, asking for trouble, wasn't she?
"Everyone rise, having children naturally makes you busier, please sit," said the Fujin with a smile, seemingly unfazed as if she hadn't been slighted at all.