New Clothes

The Stewed Pork Ball were a delectable dish, and so was the sweet and sour pork. Along with the dishes Xie Ning had ordered, the diet room added two more dishes and a soup. Generally, the serving size for a Lady of Talents consisted of four dishes, but the unfavoured ones were fortunate to have two dishes. In the past, Xie Ning had only received two dishes for each meal, though she couldn’t finish due to her small stomach but now, the diet room was obligated to provide more. After all, the emperor had also dined at Haunting Fragrance Pavilion. No one could criticize her.

It was easy to imagine Xie Ning being unable to complete four meals, a soup, and a large bowl of rice on her alone. Even with Qinghe and Qingmei's assistance, the amount was still overwhelming. Thus, other people in the pavilion could partake in the excess food intended for the lady.

Xie Ning used to feel embarrassed to let them eat her leftovers, but since this was common practice, she tried to be accommodating. She would use another pair of chopsticks to take some food and then eat it with her own chopsticks. She would only eat from one side of the dish, so as not to mess up the entire plate.

Qinghe and Qingmei would divide the dishes into bowls and eat them first. The other two palace maids and eunuchs in the pavilion could also have some.

"The people from the diet room are really good at swinging in the wind. They weren't like this before..." Qingmei said, but she saw Qinghe glaring at her and didn't dare to finish her sentence.

"If you continue to be so tactless, I will have to report it to the lady and have you removed from her service. You can't stay by her side and serve her,"

Qinghe was not joking with her. Although the two palace maids were assigned to Xie Ning at the same time, Qinghe was more competent and took care of everything, big and small, within a month of arriving, while Qingmei was a bit impulsive and didn't know what to do if no one told her. She was born to be a follower.

Qinghe didn't mind her inability, but now that the lady was gaining favour, she would encounter more people and things in the future. If Qingmei continued to speak without thinking, she might cause trouble for her at any time. Qinghe couldn't allow such things to happen.

"Did you say that others are serving food based on status? Look at yourself first. Did you have such good dishes to eat before? Did you dare to complain back then? Now that the lady has gained power, you think you can show off, don't you? If you are so shallow and only know how to offend people, there are many people who want to serve the concubine and you are not the only one."

Qinghe's tone was firm, and her words carried weight. Qingmei grew anxious and quickly got up from her chair and knelt beside Qinghe: "Jiejie, Jiejie, I was wrong. I won't do it again. Please don't tell the lady to send me away."

If she were to be expelled, she would be forced to do the most menial and laborious work. Lady Xie was kind to her, and her work was easy. She would rather die than leave Haunting Fragrance Pavilion.

Qinghe remained unmoved and pushed her bowl and chopsticks away before standing up. "You're not a three-year-old child anymore. How come you can't control your mouth? Do you remember the palace maid who died by the well two years ago during the winter?"

Qingmei nodded stiffly, "I remember."

"What mistake did she make?"

"She talked too much..." Qingmei started to tremble.

Talking about that incident was really frightening. Qingmei saw it at the time, and for several months afterwards, she had nightmares. The palace maid was punished for her words. She was drenched with cold water and made to wash clothes by the well. When she was discovered, she was already dead, frozen stiff to the well platform. They had to use chisels and hammers to break the ice before they could remove her body.

"If you can't change this bad habit, not only will you suffer the consequences, but you will also bring disaster to others. This is the last time I'm reminding you. Stay here and think about it carefully. If there is another next time, I won't say another word. You will be asked to leave directly."

Qinghe didn't say anything more and went out directly. She still had a lot of work to do. As for Qingmei, they had developed some friendship over the past few years. Qinghe had reminded her several times, but this was the last time. If Qingmei couldn't change her bad habit, Qinghe wouldn't continue to be lenient.

Everyone's path is under their own feet. Others can only point out a direction for you, but whether you walk or not is up to you.

The fabric bestowed upon the emperor's favour had been taken over by Chief Palace Attendant Qi, who personally led a group of skilled embroiderers to rush the production. Despite the haste, the quality was not compromised in the slightest.

Receiving such generous support, Xie Ning could not dampen Qi's enthusiasm. She instructed Qinghe to present Qi with a purse filled with silver ingots and immediately picked up a piece of the new garment and draped it over her shoulders, praising the craftsmanship of both Qi and the sewing room.

In the palace, it was all about give and take. Qi's goodwill was not to be in vain. While Xie Ning could not provide other benefits, a few kind words were always welcome.

In terms of rank, Qi's rank was even higher than hers, a mere little Lady of Talents, and her salary was even higher. In terms of real power, Qi was one of the several Chief Palace Attendants who possessed real power in the Back Garden, even if she wasn't the first, she could certainly be ranked in the top three.

The palace maids brought the new garments and hung them up on a wooden clothes rack to show Xie Ning. One of the sets was a riding suit, with a curved Hu-style collar, narrow-sleeved gown, silk-bound trousers, and soft-soled boots with embroidered pheasant feathers.

Qi pointed to the riding suit and smiled, "It's hot now, you won't be able to wear this until autumn comes."

Xie Ning said, "I've never worn such a suit before, I don't know if it'll look good on me."

"It will definitely suit you. Your figure is slim, and your waist is slender. You will look more suitable than others wearing it," replied Qi.

After a lively and polite exchange, they finally left the Haunting Fragrance Pavilion.

As they exited the gate, a young palace maid with a crescent-shaped bang hurriedly stepped forward and whispered to Qi, "Auntie, why did you personally come to deliver the clothes today? We could have sent someone instead."

Qi smiled slightly, "Can't you figure it out? "

The maid nodded repeatedly.

"If you can't figure it out, just keep thinking about it. and when you understand, let me know."

Within the Haunting Fragrance Pavilion, Qinghe and Qingmei were bustling about, carefully organizing and storing away these splendid and dazzling new clothes into the wardrobe.

But then a new problem arose. Xie Ning's wardrobe was not large enough to hold all these clothes. The seasonal clothes and those that had been sent earlier already filled the space to capacity. The new clothes that had just arrived today simply couldn't fit.

"Lady, how about we sort out the old clothes first and put them in the wing-room to make space for these new clothes?" suggested Qinghe.

Xie Ning thought for a moment. "I remember there's a skirt that has faded, and another embroidered with peonies that has a torn hem. Take those out and leave the rest for now."

Qinghe looked a bit hesitant, eyeing the new clothes that were too beautiful to take her gaze off. "Lady, even if we do that, we won't free up much space. We still won't be able to fit all these in."

"Choose two and leave the rest for the wing-room," Xie Ning instructed. She pointed to a water-coloured trailing skirt and an elephant-coloured blouse embroidered with twin sparrows.

Qinghe held back the words that were on the tip of her tongue and followed Xie Ning's lead. She picked out the two chosen clothes and moved the others to the wing-room.

Qingmei didn't understand and was full of questions, but after being cautioned by Qinghe, she became more cautious and refrained from speaking too much.

Qinghe was always teaching her that if she didn't know what to say, it was best to say nothing at all, to avoid causing trouble. Qingmei listened and tried her best to remember, gritting her teeth to hold back anything she wanted to say.

As the two of them had finished packing the new clothes, Qinghe noticed Qingmei clenching her teeth with a sour face, as if she had some deep resentment. Qinghe shook her head and grinned. "Take a look at yourself. If you have any questions, you can ask them now."

Qingmei asked carefully, "Really?"

"Really, I'm not lying to you," replied Qinghe.

Qingmei pointed to the new clothes and asked, "Why isn't the lady interested in these new clothes? They're even more lovely than the last batch, with new and unique styles and exquisite materials. New clothes are seasonal; if you don't wear them during that season, they will become old and out of style."

Qinghe nodded and said, "I was also a bit confused earlier. People often say that clothes are not as good as new ones, and people are not as good as old friends. Who would prefer the old ones when there is something new? Lady, on the other hand, must have her own reasons for making a different choice. I suppose she doesn't want others to gossip behind her back that she's become arrogant and reckless after suddenly gaining favour."

After pondering for a moment, Qingmei realized that her lady was indeed not the kind of person who flaunted extravagance and indulgence.

"What a pity," she sighed. "These clothes are all brand-new and of excellent quality."

Qinghe refrained from commenting on Qingmei’s supposed shallowness.

She also felt a twinge of regret as she looked at the new clothes that had been sent, especially the pomegranate red scattered flower skirt. The red shade was so vivid and rare that it couldn't be achieved with dyes from the central plains. It must have come from a far-off land with unique flora that produced this vibrant red hue. If this skirt were to be sold, the money earned would be enough for an ordinary family to live on for a year. It seemed such a pity to leave it lying in a box.

However, when weighed against her maid's future prospects, these clothes paled in comparison.

Although Qinghe's words made sense, she still hadn't fully grasped Xie Ning's true intentions.

She didn't want to draw too much attention to herself, especially not in that red skirt. She hadn't seen many people wear that shade of red in the palace before. If she wore it out, it would surely invite envy and resentment. Besides, she felt more comfortable in her old clothes.

"Lady, a formal invitation has arrived from Cloud Viewing Pavilion."

"Cloud Viewing Pavilion?" Qinghe handed the invitation to her.

Not only was Xie Ning puzzled, but she was surprised as well.

Cloud Viewing Pavilion was where Beauty Liang resided.

Xie Ning had been to Cloud Viewing Pavilion once, shortly after she entered the palace. Beauty Liang invited her and some others to a gathering. Although it was said to be a get-together, it was actually just an occasion for Liang to show off her beauty and status.

Xie Ning had been inconspicuous among the crowd at the time, while Liang was surrounded by people who praised her endlessly. However, Liang’s glory was short-lived, and a few days after that gathering, Lady Li of Talents was favoured and promoted to the position of Lady of Bright Countenance.

Beauty Liang gradually faded into obscurity after that.

Receiving an invitation from Cloud Viewing Pavilion at this moment was unexpected and surprised for Xie Ning.

"I doubt that Beauty Liang would invite you for no reason. What does it say on the invitation, lady?" Qinghe asked.

Xie Ning opened the invitation and glanced at it. "It invites me to admire the camellia blossoms at Cloud Viewing Pavilion tomorrow."

Both Xie Ning and Qinghe found the reason hard to believe. They had no close relationship with Liang, not to mention that they had never heard of her having a particular interest in ending flowers and playing with grass. Why would she invite them now, out of the blue?

"Will you be going, lady?" Qinghe asked with clear disapproval in her voice.

Liang's motive was as obvious as a flea on a bald man's head. She had been out of favour for a long time, and her past glory as a Beauty had long been forgotten. In the palace, being favoured meant having everything, while falling out of favour meant losing everything. Xie Ning was currently in a position of great favour, while Liang was like burnt-out wood, forgotten and unwanted.

The banquet is not necessarily good, nor is the gathering necessarily pleasant. Why did Beauty Liang invite her for no apparent reason? Was she jealous of her current situation, or was she seeking her help and guidance like Lady Liu of Talents and Beauty Bai?

After some thought, Xie Ning replied, "She is a Beauty, and I am a Lady of Talents. Since the invitation is an official one, I should still go.”

Qinghe also agreed. Although Liang had fallen out of favour, her status was still higher than that of Xie Ning.

"I wonder if anyone else has been invited to Cloud Viewing Pavilion tomorrow? Shall I go and find out?" Qinghe suggested.

"Good idea, please do."

Qinghe's status had risen along with Xie Ning's. In the past, as an ordinary palace maid, she had been ignored by others. But now that Xie Ning was favoured, her own status had also been elevated, and many people were currying favour with her. Without even asking, someone volunteered to share some information with her as soon as she left Haunting Fragrance Pavilion.

Beauty Liang had invited more than just Xie Ning.

It was said that the palace maids from Cloud Viewing Pavilion had gone to several places to deliver invitations today. The guests invited were all the same group of people who entered the palace together, including Lady Liu of Talents, Lady Feng of Talents, Lady Sun of Talents, and Lady Li of Bright Countenance, who was now the highest-ranked among the group.

After her promotion, she had moved out of the Back Garden and was now living in the side hall of Zhaoqing Palace, which was in north of the Western Garden. She had long since distanced herself from these low-ranking and unremarkable companions who still resided in the Back Garden.

Xie Ning had not seen Li in a long time. She remembered when they first entered the palace, they were all temporarily placed in Changxi Courtyard near the imperial garden, and several people shared a room just like ordinary palace maids. At that time, Li and Xie lived in the same room. Although one couldn't say they were close friends, they did have some acquaintances.

But such acquaintance was very superficial and easily dispersed. After leaving Changxi Courtyard and having their own residences, their interactions gradually decreased. After Li was favoured and promoted, they had no contact at all.

Xie Ning's personality was like this. If they could get along, they would get along, but if their paths diverged, she would not force anything.

"Invitations can be extended, but not necessarily accepted," Qinghe remarked as she carefully inspected the dress that Xie Ning was going to wear tomorrow. She noticed a slight wrinkle in the sleeve and quickly had Qingmei bring the iron to press it smooth.

Although these were just minor details, they could not afford to be careless.

On such an occasion, her lady, being a newcomer to this circle, should wear something more gorgeous and luxurious. But Xie Ning had already picked out her dress, so Qinghe didn't say anything more.

The next morning, Xie Ning woke up early to dress herself meticulously, applying a bit of rouge to her cheeks to enhance her complexion. Regardless of the atmosphere at the event, she would at least look good.

Qinghe opened the jewelry box for her to choose from, and Xie Ning picked out a pair of double fish pearl tassels. After some consideration, she changed her mind and chose a pearl flower instead.

The pearl flower was exquisite in craftsmanship, but the materials used were limited. The jade and agate on it were not of high quality, however, when put together, it created a harmonious and elegant flower pattern, with the flower base, leaves, and vines all crafted with precision. Qinghe helped her put it on, and Xie Ning adjusted it a bit more.

It looked pretty good, not too extravagant, but still decent.

After changing into her outing dress, Qinghe accompanied Xie Ning out of Haunting Fragrance Pavilion and went to Cloud Viewing Pavilion for the gathering.