Chapter 5

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Author: Xiao Yao

Chapter 4 – Title – Chapter 6

The habit she gained from living for decades as a palace maid had already melted into her flesh and blood, so when the watchman’s clapper knocked on the fourth of the five-night watch period1 outside, Hui Ming, who was lying on the head of the kang2, immediately opened her eyes.

Today was her turn to serve. Please read at insidethemirror. DO NOT REPOST.

It’s was dawn in the winter and the hour of chen3 was yet to arrive, so the room was still dark, making people’s heart quiver, Qiu Ya on the side seemed to have noticed the movement of the person around her getting up and she slightly opened her eyes to glance at her, she gave her a vague greeting, then turned over and fell back to sleep in a daze again.

There were not many opportunities for a maid to sleep in so Hui Ming didn’t bother her when she saw this, she touched the black kang which had the hot water that had been warmed on the brazier last night, then she gently tidied up and organized herself, after wearing the azure coat that she had just received last month she went out of the room.

The snow had stopped, and only the crescent moon was descending diagonally in the sky, faintly reflecting the accumulated white snow with it’s clear light, but she didn’t worry about not being able to see the place where she was going, and accompanied by the creaking and squeaking, Hui Ming stepped along under the cold light and into the side door of the Hall of Heavenly Virtue.

It was time for the palace servants to change shifts, and in addition to His Majesty’s sleeping quarters, there was also a quiet dimness that was separated by layers of canopies, the west hall had already been lit with candles and it became busy with people doing their errands, the palace maids and eunuchs that were serving treaded with silent steps, coming and going like flowing water, in the huge Hall of Heavenly Virtue they never made any sound, and those occasional people that needed to talk to each other, there were proper places that clear and simple words pressed against their throats could be said, but being a palace maid in the imperial palace, even just a meaningful glance, could make people all know what to do.

Hui Ming stood slightly frozen at the door for a moment, she raised her eyes and saw Wei-gugu, who was in charge of the Hall of Heavenly Virtue, that beckoned to her, when Hui Ming who had been waiting walked closer, she lowered her voice and said in a soft sound: “His Majesty woke up twice last night, maybe wanting to see people, you should prepare the hair straps, since he is still not feeling well, try to pick those that are comfortable and light, don’t squander nor take out those burdensome things.”

Wei-gugu was the aunt in charge of the imperial palace, she descended from female attendants that served in the bedroom, she had a gentle temperament, but was careful and cautious almost never making any mistakes, although she was a little older now and no longer served in the bedroom, she was still the most convenient palace maid among the emperor’s attendant that served around him, His Majesty as early as two years ago, used his golden mouth and pearly words4 and promised her to a distinguished person in the future, if it weren’t that there wasn’t such a caring person to attend around His Majesty’s side, she would have already become a proper master.

Because of this, Wei-gugu’s position in the Hall of Heavenly Virtue was very detached, although she still bore the name of a palace maid, she had the indistinct dignified air of being a noble, ignoring the trifling matters next to her, only devoting herself to waiting on His Majesty’s daily necessities, and towards more than a dozen or so female servants they were often instructed by her.

And Hui Ming, who had a social connection with Su-gonggong, became the top priority of Wei-gugu’s concern, not to mention when she first came, but when she had been working in the imperial palace for two years, and had already become familiar with doing errands, Wei-gugu still told her several times every day, that without the help of others, she could be compared to being dreadful.

Remembering this, Hui Ming didn’t say anything, but silently curtsied, and went to the rear chamber, then she took out a small copper key to open the gold-plated wooden box, and following the instructions of Wei-gugu she found the strip of pure gold satin lace, it was made from fine material that came from Yunzhou as a tribute, embroidered with a few moiré patterns that used feather threads on top, fitting properly and wouldn’t cause any discomfort, with only a piece of concentric warm jade buckle pendant5 that hung on the lower part.

The jade pendant was but the size of a copper coin, and it was warm jade, so it wouldn’t get in the way, but after Hui Ming looked at the jade buckle for a while, she simply took out the needle and thread then carefully took it apart.

It wasn’t that Hui Ming was doing unnecessary things, but she suddenly remembered that when she took this hairband out in her last life, after Wei-gugu saw it, she said that this jade buckle might bother His Majesty and told her off in front of everyone until she understood, which almost made her miss the time to attend.

At that time, Hui Ming was flushed with embarrassment at the various eyes of everyone looking at her, and she couldn’t help but wish to find a place to disappear in, she didn’t even dare to look up at another person for several days, but now that she thought about it, it’s just an unusual wave in the river, if she hadn’t seen this jade pendant at this moment, she would have never remembered it at all.

But now that she remembered it, Hui Ming would naturally not wait for the same thing to happen again, so after removing the jade clasp, she carefully looked at all the things she took out, and when she was sure that there was nothing wrong, she carried the wooden landscape lacquer tray filled with ornaments and stood firmly outside the bedroom door.

By comparison, being in charge of the accessories was a light task, and it also had the least number of people delegated among the imperial maids, after waiting for two more cups of tea6, Hui Ming stood outside the canopies, and saw two court ladies also serving the emperor carrying clothes in lacquer trays coming one after another.

These two were birth sisters, both had round faces and curved eyebrows, tender and lovable, originally, the Palace Household Department sent them to serve in the bedroom, it’s just that His Majesty had not been nice to young girls in recent years, and although seeing that they were fresh and radiant, but looked childish, he simply called for a change of duty for them, attending to his clothings first until they were a few years older.

The imperial maids were all named after teas, and Hui Ming still remembered these two sisters, the older one was called Ku Kou, while the younger one was called Yu Gan, they were both average sized, so after not seeing them for a long time, it was really difficult to tell who was older and who was younger.

Fortunately, His Majesty was still laying inside, and the court ladies were not qualified to chat and laugh, so it was not a hindrance for Hui Ming to be unable to distinguish them, at that moment, both just bowed their heads and gave way, invisibly nodding their heads, which was considered to have nicely mutually inquired about each other.

If it was a normal day, this would have been the time for His Majesty to have gotten up, but now that the dragon body had not yet healed from the weight of the disease, one couldn’t tell how long one would have to wait, the rest of the palace maids serving tea and water were afraid of the water turning cold, so simply didn’t go in and just waited outside with the porcelain pot and tea cups, that way they could exchange the hot water to be ready for use anytime.

People like them have practiced their skills to stand still since childhood, so Hui Ming stood in the same place, recalling the faces and names of the remaining palace maids, and as the light in the hall lit up little by little, the curtains were finally lifted up, then finally the joyous voice of Yun Hua the maid serving in the bedroom came: “Your Majesty is awake?” Please read at insidethemirror. DO NOT REPOST.

Accompanied by this sound, the entire Hall of Heavenly Virtue moved as if woken up by something, a few small eunuchs came in through the door to put away the curtains hanging by the bed, and the whole hall instantly lit up, Wei-gugu came out to say her greetings, while the maids in charge of food that were guarding outside holding the warm water and tea used to wash the mouth entered the dragon bed one by one, then Wei-gugu personally served as he washed his face and rinsed his mouth.

Hui Ming and the two sisters Ku Kou and Yu Gan silently took a few steps back, although His Majesty was awake, but he was still ill, so he needed to be seen by an imperial doctor first, if he still couldn’t get up, then they who were carrying the clothes and accessories outside still had to pack them up and put them away.

Sure enough, it didn’t take long for Concubine Xian who was waiting in the side hall to rush into the inner hall like a gust of wind, then after another cup of tea, Su-gonggong took two more white-bearded imperial doctors from outside while holding a medicine cabinet, and respectfully kneeled outside the canopy in greeting.

Su Jin obviously also saw Hui Ming on the side, and when their gazes met, he just still slightly nodded, and immediately turned around to enter inside appearing in front of His Majesty’s presence, then after a few words, he asked the imperial physicians to enter.

After a while, the few palace ladies who were carrying the water and holding the cloths used to wipe all backed out, and quietly stood behind Hui Ming, then Wei-gugu, who was serving next to His Majesty, came out to confirm the clothes and accessories brought by Hui Ming, looking at it, it seemed like the state of his illness had eased a lot, and he was already energetic enough to summon the palace maids in charge of helping with his clothes.

Hui Ming stood steadily, allowing Wei-gugu to look over it, she thought that there should be nothing wrong, but who knew that after seeing the jade buckle she had removed, she frowned slightly and said with concern: “You removed the concentric buckle, I’m aware that you were careful, but if those that are unaware sees this, there wouldn’t be anything that could be said against being careless, and this hair band without the buckle pendant would even be used on His Majesty, then wouldn’t that become our fault?”

“Serving by His Majesty’s side, it’s good to be willing to be attentive, just I’m afraid doing this makes it look like you’re fancying yourself as clever.” Wei-gugu’s words was still as soft and gentle as always, but the meaning behind what she said made people more frightened as they listened.

Last time, when she did not take the trouble to remove the jade buckle, Wei-gugu said before everyone that she was not careful enough in doing her duty, this time, although she did what Wei-gugu said, she turned out to be someone trying to be smart, and having an attitude of showing off?

Hui Ming’s complexion remained unchanged, but the palm of her hand holding the lacquer tray slightly stiffened, without even having to look up, she could clearly notice the unhappy gazes of the palace ladies around her, even the two sisters, Ku Kou and Yu Gan, both intentionally or unintentionally made a step, and moved further away from her.

Yes, to be a palace maid serving the emperor, they were originally chosen from one in a hundred and this was a place where no mistakes could be made, she having relied on “sharing food” with Su-gonggong was reaching heaven in a single bound7, but that was all, if unluckily and one was inappropriate while serving and was told off as not being good, and still got into trouble, who would be willing? Being fed up from being alienated was simply the most normal reaction.

In this way, when she was in the Hall of Heavenly Virtue in her previous life, and had been isolated consciously or unconsciously by everyone, in addition to her heart filled with worry and her unpleasant behavior, how many others aimed at instigating dissent by having ulterior motives?

Being reborn, if she still couldn’t perceive Wei-gugu’s malicious intent and intentional slandering of her, Hui Ming who had served in the imperial palace for so many years would really be a fool, being aware that something was wrong, and letting Wei-gugu’s action afterwards stay in her heart, Hui Ming’s eyes grew darker and deeper.

Although she had also noticed Wei-gugu’s anxiousness and dissatisfaction with her in her previous life, as the person in charge of the palace maids, it was indeed normal not to like her as a palace lady who relied on “sharing food” to reach the position of serving in front of the emperor, if it were not for this opportunity of rebirth, Hui Ming would have never thought that Wei-gugu who would have a distinguished position in the future towards her, Song Hui Ming, this little palace maid was secretly being slandered by in a deliberate way.

Except for feeling wronged at the current moment, Hui Ming would have simply been flattered.

Many thoughts flashed across her mind, but in the face of this situation, Hui Ming just bowed her head and looked down, then according to the rules just thought to thank the other party for their “kindness” and consider it again later, then from the side came Su-gonggong’s deep voice: “What’s the matter?” Please read at insidethemirror. DO NOT REPOST.

TRANSLATOR’S NOTES:

1. 四更: 01:00-03:00 in the morning ↩

2. 炕: is a kind of surface that is used to sleep in like a bed, coal can be burned underneath, so that the temperature can be maintained in winter. ↩

3. 辰时: 07:00-09:00 in the morning ↩

4. 金口玉言: originally referred to the words of the emperor, but later also referred to the irrevocable authoritative words ↩

5. Warm jade buckle pendant ↩

6. 一盏茶: one cup of tea is not very long or 10 minutes ↩

7. 一步登天: attain the highest level in one step; have a meteoric rise ↩

If there are any mistakes, please do not hesitate to point it out.

Chapter 4 – Title – Chapter 6

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