Chapter 5: The Bi-Bo Pond

Su Mi woke up early that morning. Today was the day that Consort Zheng had instructed her to visit Consort Yun at Juhe Palace. After tending to Wei Qing'er, she took the gifts and made her way to the main hall of Caiwei Palace.

By the time she arrived, Beauty Wu and the ever-present Consort Hao were already there, while Consort Zheng was still applying her makeup according to the proper rank and style.

Fragrant Luo, along with the personal maids of Wu and Hao, held their gifts and stood quietly by the door, waiting. Su Mi approached and stood beside them, patiently awaiting the arrival of the palace's master.

Consort Zheng had been selected in the last imperial selection two years ago. In a palace where "beauty fades before love does," she was no longer a fresh face at just eighteen years old. Though she hadn't yet withered, the bloom of her youth was already beginning to fade. And with the new imperial selection scheduled for next year, she knew that once new beauties entered the palace, her own beauty would be completely overshadowed.

At times, she couldn't help but think: Why did the Emperor lavish so much attention on Consort Yun, who was even older than she was? Was it because her beauty wasn't enough to catch his eye?

As she sat in front of the bronze mirror, allowing her maids to style her hair into an elegant cloud knot, adorned with vibrant pearls and jade, she couldn't help but ponder. Consort Yun was indeed stunning, but wasn't she, Zheng Peiyu, not far behind?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft voice from one of her maids: "Your Highness, everything is ready."

Startled, Consort Zheng blinked and turned her attention back to the mirror. She appraised her radiant, delicate face with a satisfied smile.

"Not bad," she sighed, "It's been so long since I've taken the time to dress so carefully."

"Your Highness is like pure lotus water— even without any makeup, you are far more beautiful than any of us painted women," Beauty Wu quickly added, her tone filled with flattery. Consort Hao nodded in agreement beside her.

Consort Zheng's mood lightened considerably. "You two are being too modest. But, the hour is growing late. Let's be on our way."

The three of them boarded the sedan chairs, with Su Mi and the others following behind, bearing the gifts. It wasn't long before they arrived at Juhe Palace, the residence of Consort Yun.

Juhe Palace was situated on the eastern side of the Inner Palace, not far from the Qianqing Palace. It was adjacent to the Bi-Bo Pond, a water-themed palace that mirrored the serene beauty of southern China's riverside towns, known for its delicate and refined architecture.

As soon as they arrived, a helpful maid from Consort Yun's retinue came forward to greet them.

The maid was dressed in a fashionable light green palace gown. She appeared to be about twenty-five or twenty-six, with striking features and a graceful manner. From the quality of her attire and hairpins, it was clear she was a servant of some standing, with several younger maids following behind her.

As they approached, the maid greeted them politely: "Your Highness and the esteemed ladies have arrived. Our mistress has been eagerly awaiting your visit since early this morning. She specially instructed me, Cai Rui, to wait here for your arrival." The maid stepped forward to help Consort Zheng from her sedan chair.

Though Consort Zheng's rank was lower than Consort Yun's by two tiers, she was still the master of a palace. Seeing that Consort Yun had only sent a maid to greet her, her face darkened slightly.

She flicked her hand dismissively, not even glancing at Cai Rui. Instead, she spoke softly, "Xiang Luo…"

Xiang Luo, seeing this, quickly handed her gift to one of the other maids and stepped forward to support her mistress.

Cai Rui, noticing that her attempt to assist had been dismissed, was not at all offended. She followed behind Consort Zheng and continued, "Our mistress was overjoyed when she heard Your Highness would be visiting. She mentioned how shy she is by nature, and that though she's been in the palace for a short time, she has long wanted to befriend all of you, but she feared you might not welcome her…"

Consort Zheng, hearing this humble and respectful explanation, finally softened her expression.

Upon entering the palace, the main consorts were led to the grand hall, while Su Mi and the others, who were carrying gifts, were directed by the palace attendants to the side chambers to store them.

Soon, the gifts were counted and registered. While their duties had ended, the maids and eunuchs could not leave until their masters did. The younger maids guided them into a side room where they were served tea and told to wait. Su Mi, feeling impatient to be wasting time, excused herself on the pretense of needing to attend to Wei Qing'er and left early.

The cold winter wind bit at the air, and even the green leaves were scarce, yet the Bi-Bo Pond before her was a sight to behold— lotus leaves swayed gently, and flowers were in full bloom. Consort Yun, a lover of lotus flowers, had persuaded the Emperor to have special varieties cultivated that could withstand the winter's chill. The Emperor had also ordered the Imperial Household to construct extensive new landscaping around the pond, with more trees and rocks to shield it from the cold winds. They had even brought in water from the Fire Dragon Spring outside the palace to heat the pond, creating a stunning scene that seemed to echo the poem: "The lotus leaves stretch endlessly across the sky, and the flowers glow in the sunlight like none other."

Su Mi, taken by the beauty of it all, felt her spirits lift. Spontaneously, she decided to walk along the pond's edge, enjoying the tranquil view. Though this route back to the palace was slightly longer, she figured the chance to take in such a sight was rare.

She walked for some time, gradually moving farther from Juhe Palace. The lotus flowers were less neatly arranged than she had initially seen, and the path was growing harder to navigate.

Eventually, she reached a corner of the pond, and, wishing to rest her feet, she decided to step into the water to wash her face. As she climbed over a small rock formation and approached the water's edge, she froze in her tracks. To her astonishment, there was someone already there—someone bathing in the pond.

A young girl, about thirteen or fourteen years old, was standing in the water, unaware of her presence. Su Mi could not tell which palace she was from.

When had Consort Yun become so tolerant?

The three pools in the palace—the Taiye Pool, the Bibo Pool, and the Weiyang Pool—had originally been created for the various concubines to enjoy leisurely strolls and relaxation. However, ever since the Emperor had extensively renovated the Bibo Pool for Yun Fei's enjoyment, the other concubines had developed an unspoken sense of discomfort. Even those living nearby preferred to walk to the more distant Taiye Pool or Weiyang Pool. Yun Fei herself was not fond of company, and it was said that a palace maid had once been beaten to death for secretly plucking a lotus flower from the pool. Once this incident spread, no one dared approach the pool again.

If it hadn't been for the excuse of delivering a gift, Su Mi would never have come here to casually admire the scenery.

The young palace maid happened to turn around just as Su Mi arrived, and upon seeing her, she couldn't help but scream. Then, as though remembering something, the scream abruptly stopped.

"Who are you?"

The young maid had a delicate face, pale but with a healthy flush, a cute nose with a slight upward tilt, and little cherry-like lips. Her overall look was that of a sweet and enchanting little sprite. Upon seeing her, Su Mi couldn't help but praise her appearance.

"This is Yun Fei's Bibo Pool. Outsiders aren't allowed to come in," the maid said, growing a bit anxious when she noticed Su Mi wasn't reacting.

Su Mi casually glanced at the maid's attire draped over the stone, smiling. "Who I am doesn't matter for now. But it looks like I've just stumbled upon a great opportunity here."

"What opportunity?" The maid asked in confusion. "You better leave quickly. I'm only being nice by not telling anyone. If someone else finds out, you'll be punished."

"Punished? Don't worry. If I tell the head eunuch that someone dared to bathe in the pool and defile it, the consequences will cancel out. Who knows, I might even get rewarded," Su Mi replied with a mischievous smile.

"Ah? Sister, please don't tell anyone! It was all Qiyan's fault!" As soon as the maid heard the words "reporting," she grew frantic and quickly began pleading.

Su Mi found it amusing how the little maid quickly realized the situation and panicked. She took another glance around. This corner was surrounded by rocks on three sides, with one side covered in bushes, and the rocks themselves were adorned with water plants like narcissus and wisteria. The air was fragrant with the scent of the lotus flowers, and the entire atmosphere was calm, almost like spring. The pool's ripples reflected the warmth of the sun, creating an idyllic scene. It was easy to see how no one would notice the little maid bathing here if they didn't climb over the rocks.

Su Mi, seeing how cute she was, decided to tease her a bit and smiled. "Don't you think bathing here is a bit too bold?"

The young maid, Liu Qiyan, seemed to calm down after hearing Su Mi's repeated reassurances that she wouldn't say anything. "Don't worry, sister. It'll be fine," she said with a relieved expression.

Liu Qiyan had only entered the palace two months ago.

In the Great Qi Empire's harem, in addition to the triannual selection of noblewomen, there was also an annual recruitment. The selection process was for unmarried girls from noble families, chosen for their beauty and talents, to serve the emperor or become consorts. These girls were usually from prestigious families.

The recruitment, on the other hand, was a nationwide event to select unmarried girls who were beautiful and of clean backgrounds, although they were not of noble birth. Most of these girls entered the palace as palace maids, with only a few exceptional ones chosen to serve as concubines.

Yun Fei had been recruited. Originally from a modest scholar family in Qianzhou, she had been known for her exceptional beauty and talent. She was so renowned that the Imperial Household Department had visited her, and after seeing her, they immediately selected her for the palace. She quickly won the emperor's favor.

Liu Qiyan, on the other hand, was the youngest daughter of the wealthy merchant Liu Quan. While Liu's family was respectable, they were still considered merchants. Thus, Liu Qiyan was destined to be a mere servant, despite her family's fortune. Liu Quan had not wanted his daughter to enter the palace, but fate was unavoidable. Nonetheless, he had spent a large amount of money to ensure his daughter's proper treatment in the palace, hoping she would be safely released ten years later.

After entering the palace, Liu Qiyan had been assigned to take care of this small lotus pool. It was a remote and secluded corner of the palace, rarely visited, so it was an easy job with no responsibility attached.

However, she was only fourteen years old, at an age when curiosity and a desire for playfulness ruled. With little else to do, she had taken to bathing in the pool for entertainment, and had been doing so for several times until Su Mi happened to stumble upon her.

After hearing Liu Qiyan's explanation, Su Mi couldn't help but marvel at her luck.

"Please, sister, don't tell Li Zongguan, or I'll surely be punished," Liu Qiyan said again, her voice anxious.

Li Zongguan, the head eunuch of Juhu Palace, had taken care of Liu Qiyan after Liu Quan had given him many gifts. He had warned her about various palace rules, and if she were found breaking them, she would certainly be punished. Liu Qiyan had no idea how cruel the consequences might be.

Punished? Su Mi thought, considering the gravity of the situation. If the punishment were just a scolding or a beating, she would consider herself lucky. The innocent girl had no idea about the cruel realities of palace life.

Just as Su Mi was about to speak, a sound of footsteps approached from a distance. Surprised, she quickly jumped down from the rocks and signaled for Liu Qiyan to remain quiet, crouching behind the rocks to peek outside.

Through the gaps in the stone, Su Mi saw two figures slowly approaching from afar.

As they drew closer, she couldn't help but be taken aback. The first figure was wearing a white jade crown, with a bright yellow robe embroidered with nine dragons soaring in the clouds. His face was pale yet handsome, with delicate features—the very same emperor she had seen days ago at Cawei Palace. It was Emperor Qi Long, the reigning ruler of the Great Qi Empire.