The third year of Qiyuan, July

This summer was much more sultry than previous years

Song Zhao looked through the trellis window at the wilted flowers in the courtyard

Steam rose from the lotus pond in the blazing sun, and even the cicadas in the branches seemed too lazy to chatter

But her boudoir was very cool

Song Zhao leaned lazily on the warm seat, her delicate fingers idly fiddling with the ice placed in front of her

The icy mist lingered on her fingertips, then dissipated in a flash

Her boudoir faced west, and in fact for the whole summer she had been living as if in a steamer

It was only a few days ago, when the imperial decree for her to enter the palace as a concubine arrived at Duke of Protector's Mansion, that a steady stream of ice had been delivered to her boudoir

"Squeak

Song Zhao instinctively glanced up when she heard the sound of the door being pushed open

Maid Yun Shan walked in carrying a purple cloak, which she neatly placed in front of Song Zhao

"Second young miss, the clothes for entering the palace have arrived.

It was a purple cloud brocade cloak embroidered with su, made of top-quality fabric and workmanship

As an illegitimate daughter, Song Zhao had never even touched such fine things before

Now she had been given them, yet she looked at them unhappily

"Put them away for now. I'll wear what I have on when I enter the palace tomorrow.

Yun Shan glanced at the gray cloud-patterned shirt Song Zhao was wearing. The fabric was ordinary, the stitches crude, and the color drab. She felt uneasy

"Second young miss, I know you're unhappy, but the imperial decree has been issued, everything has been settled, there's no room left to maneuver

Seeing Song Zhao silently bow her head without speaking, Yun Shan picked up the clothes and held them against her to compare

"Look, this color makes you look so spirited! A beautiful woman entering the palace for the first time has the chance to meet His Majesty. Master said you must seize this opportunity to make the emperor notice you with one glance. If you don't gain his favor at first sight, it will be hard to earn his indulgence afterwards.

Song Zhao was silent for a moment, then asked, "What time is it now

"Noon. Tomorrow you enter the palace, so Master and Madam are waiting for you in the main hall to bid farewell

"Help me up and dress my hair

Hearing this, Yun Shan's eyes flashed with joy. "Good! It's great that second young miss is willing to pull herself together

In her eyes, the fact that Song Zhao was willing to dress up meant she hadn't completely given up on herself

Although the road into the palace would be arduous, it was still better than staying in the mansion

Her young miss was so extraordinarily beautiful that as long as she showed her face to His Majesty, there was no reason she wouldn't gain his favor

If she stayed in the mansion, who knew how much bullying she would continue to suffer from the madam and young miss

As Yun Shan dressed Song Zhao's hair, Song Zhao took out a new box of powder from the drawer and handed it to her

"My elder sister gave me this powder when she learned I was entering the palace. I'll use it today

Song Zhao had very fair skin, smooth and translucent like beautiful jade

With her heavenly appearance, even without any powder, just some rouge and lip color, she was already dazzlingly beautiful

But today, Song Zhao had Yun Shan apply an extra layer of powder on her face

Yun Shan said, "Actually second young miss looks best with her natural bare face

Song Zhao looked at her exquisite features in the mirror and smiled without replying

After dressing up, she went to the main hall where the whole family had been waiting for some time

Sitting at the head was Duke of Protector Song Shicheng. To his left and right were his principal wife, Jiang, and eldest daughter Song Yue

The three of them fixed their six eyes on Song Zhao, each with their own thoughts

Song Zhao knelt down and bowed to the high seat

"Daughter is late, making father, mother and elder sister wait. It is daughter's fault

Song Shicheng beckoned her to rise. "I thought you were being stubborn again and didn't even want to see us this last time. Sit

After she sat down, she heard Jiang sneer

"You should know, letting you enter the palace is entirely for your own good. Your elder sister felt sorry for you and gave up her own spot to enter the palace, begging your father to send you to the palace. There is endless glory and wealth to enjoy in the palace, you've gained this advantage, so don't be ungrateful

"Yes, daughter is most grateful to mother and elder sister." Song Zhao thanked them obediently. As she spoke, her fingers inadvertently scratched her cheek

Elder sister Song Yue added, "Of this batch of new palace ladies, there are only four beauties. Although you only got a placeholder position because you're illegitimate, the imperial consorts are all friendly. I'm sure they won't make things difficult for you

Song Zhao nodded. "Elder sister is absolutely right.

As she spoke, she didn't stop scratching her face, and it grew more intense

Jiang frowned. "Everyone is talking to you, what are you scratching your ears and cheeks for

Hearing Jiang's reprimand, Song Zhao forced herself to stop scratching her inexplicably itchy face and put her hands down. But then Jiang cried out again

"Oh! Your face.

Everyone looked over

Only then did they see Song Zhao's originally exquisite and beautiful face was now covered in swollen red rashes, a shocking sight

Song Zhao wept piteously as they looked on in astonishment. She covered her face and asked in confusion

"What happened to my face

Song Shicheng quickly said, "Don't touch it! Fetch Doctor Zhang here

While waiting for Doctor Zhang, everyone had moved from the main hall to the side hall. By now, Song Zhao had also seen her pustuled face in the bronze mirror

A woman's fortune depended on her looks, and Song Zhao was originally so brightly beautiful, with innate charm

Entering the palace tomorrow, she could have earned a good future relying on this face

But now her ruined complexion meant everything was over

She wept so sadly that anyone would feel pity. Jiang and daughter watched mockingly from the side, while Song Shicheng was very concerned about Song Zhao's condition

To be precise, he cared about Song Zhao's face that could entrance all men in the world

After all, he had hoped Song Zhao could gain imperial favor in the palace and do him credit

Later, after Doctor Zhang examined her, he quickly found the cause of Song Zhao's facial swelling and rashes

"My lord, this is an allergic reaction in second young miss

"Allergic reaction?" Song Shicheng asked in puzzlement. "She's only allergic to peach blossoms. Since we've known about this condition, peach trees have been banned in Duke of Protector's Mansion. How could she have come into contact with peach blossoms in July

Doctor Zhang stroked his beard. "Since the reaction is only on her face, the pollen could not have been ingested through food. Perhaps it relates to second young miss's daily toiletries.

Following this lead, Song Shicheng had people investigate in detail

Soon, the box of powder Song Yue had given to Song Zhao was presented to everyone

After careful examination, Doctor Zhang said in alarm

"My lord, peach blossom pollen has been mixed into this powder! And the pollen was ground extremely fine, very difficult to detect any problem without close inspection.

With this, the side hall immediately erupted into chaos

Before Song Yue could even try to defend herself

Song Zhao cried and accused her, "Elder sister, why are you so cruel to me