Zi Hua awoke to a sore body, a greyish blue sky, and a cold bed.
He was gone.
"Mistress, are you awake?"
She rubbed her bleary eyes and sat up, wincing slightly. "Qiu'er? Is that you?"
The figure behind the curtain got closer. "Yes, it's me. I'll help you get dressed now, mistress."
With a 'swish', Qiu'er pulled aside the only thing hiding Zi Hua's modesty. She quickly grabbed the blanket to cover up, but Qiu'er already saw. The twenty-something lady-in-waiting blushed and averted her eyes, but didn't shirk from her duties.
While getting dressed, Zi Hua looked around and asked, "Where's Yue'er?"
"Answering mistress, she stayed up all night awaiting your return yesterday and only fell asleep at the Yin hour. I volunteered to come here so she could rest," Qiu'er replied, guiding her to a dressing table for hair and makeup.
Zi Hua sighed. "Let me guess—you couldn't wake her up."
Qiu'er stifled an embarrassed squeak. "Uh... How did you know, mistress?"
"We've been living together for twelve years, and that girl can sleep through anything," Zi Hua shared, a nostalgic smile crossing her face. "The only person who could wake her up on the dot was her mother with a ladle and a pot."
Against her will, Qiu'er laughed, her fingers shaking slightly. She immediately swallowed and finished up her mistress's hairstyle.
"Don't let that deter you, though," Zi Hua joked. "She's rarely not punctual."
"I understand, mistress... I'm done with your hair. Will you go and greet the empress now?"
"I was favoured last night, so yes. Let's go."
Just then, a servant with silver embroidery on her uniform entered the room with a washbasin. When she saw Zi Hua, she dropped into a surprised bow.
"Lady Beauty Yang is up already?" she said. "This servant came to relay the message that His Majesty has exempted you from the morning assembly today..."
Zi Hua shook her head. "I shouldn't keep Her Highness the Empress waiting. Tell Zhe— I mean, tell His Majesty I appreciate the gesture."
"If you insist, Lady Beauty Yang."
After leaving Dragon Palace, Zi Hua's footsteps grew heavier, the dream of the night before fading into reality as the sun gradually rose from the horizon.
There was no time to think about Zhen. A battle awaited at Phoenix Palace.
***
Phoenix Palace.
Zi Hua didn't expect to survive the morning assembly unscathed, but she didn't anticipate an attack the moment she stepped foot inside, either.
"If it isn't the Lady Beauty who caught His Majesty's eye against all odds last night!" Concubine Lin tutted, a sharp glint in her almond eyes.
When she was certain everyone was alerted, she continued like Zi Hua wasn't right there, "I didn't catch her name yesterday though. What was it? Ye? An?"
"Sister Lin, that's Lady Beauty Yang," Noble Concubine Gong corrected. "It's understandable you forgot, as a lot happened during yesterday's morning assembly."
"No wonder..." Concubine Lin trailed off, looking Zi Hua up and down with a grimace. "I wouldn't have recognised this mediocre face anywhere."
Harsh snickers were muffled behind silk handkerchiefs, but some were more blatant.
Zi Hua inhaled and walked towards the smallest stool placed against a wall.
'Ignore them, Hua. Act like they're air...'
"What, is Lady Beauty Yang above greeting her betters?!"
'...Air you have to respect.'
Zi Hua changed course halfway and curtseyed in a general direction. "Good morning, everyone," she said.
Concubine Lin frowned. "You—"
"Her Highness the Empress is entering!"
Relieved, Zi Hua joined the ranks of standing consorts.
"We greet Your Highness the Empress!"
Empress Zhao's flat voice sounded above them. "Sit."
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
Before Zi Hua could get comfortable, she sensed the empress looking in her direction. Sure enough, her second sentence was: "You're here, Lady Beauty Yang? Earlier, His Majesty sent word you would be absent."
'Relief? What's that?'
Zi Hua stood up again, resigned to the consequences. "Answering Your Highness, it would be against the rules to be absent after my first night, hence here I am."
"That's very rule-abiding of you," Empress Zhao praised. "Keep up this mindset."
Before she could reply and get over this chapter, Noble Consort Meng cut in, "That's a flawed judgment, Your Highness. In what part is staying overnight in Dragon Palace an exemplary mindset one should stick to? If anything, it is more unacceptable than being absent to the morning assembly!"
"Sister Meng has a point. According to tradition, only the empress may spend the night in the emperor's private quarters," Virtuous Consort Liu said. "Sister Yang is the first to..."
"Rules are made by people, and people obey the emperor," Empress Zhao countered. "Our duty is not to question His Majesty's choice..."
As the high-ranking debate escalated, its cause was left forgotten on the side, the treatment reminiscent of Bai Nan Feng's at the Palace of Longevity.
Not that Zi Hua minded remaining standing if it meant nobody noticed her... but a glare had been piercing a hole through her for awhile now. She abruptly looked to the side and caught Bai Nan Feng red-handed. The Noble Lady stiffened and turned back to her teacup, but someone else had already caught whiff of this brief interaction.
"I almost forgot," Concubine Lin said loudly, "Noble Lady Bai was punished by Her Highness the Empress Dowager yesterday. A pity His Majesty was too busy to console you."
Although she called it "a pity", her schadenfreude was barely concealed.
"Concubine Lin, to call it 'punishment' is inadequate," Qiu Rong pointed out. "Imperial Aunt was merely providing Noble Lady Bai an opportunity to display her filial piety and calligraphy skills."
Concubine Lin pressed her lips together, deciding it wasn't worth arguing with Empress Dowager Qiu's niece. "Yes, yes. I'm sure Noble Lady Bai appreciated that opportunity, Noble Lady Qiu."
When they were done, Virtuous Consort Liu spoke up, "Sister Bai, did you not sleep well last night? You look even paler than yesterday. I find spine date seed is best for curing insomnia; I will have a servant send some to your palace later."
Bai Nan Feng suppressed her bubbling irritation and curtseyed. "No thank you. This is my natural complexion."
Virtuous Consort Liu gasped, aghast. "This is more serious than I thought! Don't tell me you spend your days cooped up indoors to study the Four Arts? If so, the price is too steep. Youth may be a shield for your health now, but in a few decades—"
"Ahem!" Empress Zhao cleared her throat, nipping what would surely have become a long lecture in the bud.
Virtuous Consort Liu coughed. "This won't do. I will send you a few more medicinal herbs later. You should call an imperial physician for a checkup as well, Sister Bai."
Bai Nan Feng resisted an eye roll. "Do whatever you want, Virtuous Consort."
"Young consorts these days..." Virtuous Consort Liu grumbled at her lack of manners, but fell silent under the empress's warning stare.
Zi Hua found her words very familiar. As if another senior consort had said the exact same phrase recently...
Empress Zhao broke the silence, addressing the ordinary-looking woman beside Virtuous Consort Liu. "Consort Chen, how is the First Prince?"
The consort absent yesterday was visibly tired, with faint dark circles under her eyes. "Thank you for the concern, Your Highness. He has completely recovered," she said in a voice as still as a dead pool.
Empress Zhao was easily satisfied. "Good to hear. Usually, spring fever is abound this time of the year. Those of you who have children should take extra care."
Virtuous Consort Liu and Noble Concubine Gong hastily nodded. "We heed Your Highness's words."
Concubine Lin rubbed her stomach, a genuine smile gracing her face for the first time this morning. "Hearing Your Highness the Empress caring for the other imperial children, I can't wait to let this little one meet their kind Imperial Mother, too. I wonder if it is a boy or a girl..."
"That's right, Concubine Lin is four months along now," Consort Chen mused. "Time sure flies."
"No matter the gender, all princes and princesses are equal to me," Empress Zhao assured.
Noble Consort Meng looked at Concubine Lin with unveiled envy. "If it is a prince..." she muttered, trailing off.
"A princess would be nice, too. She could keep the First Princess company," Virtuous Consort Liu commented, picking up where the Noble Consort left off. "Don't you agree, Sister Gong?"
A few seats away, Noble Concubine Gong blinked, snapping out of her reverie.
"Hm? Oh, yes," she said, sinking into thought right after. About what, nobody knew.
For the next few minutes or so, childcare tips were shared among the two consorts, the mother-to-be, and the empress, until...
"I am tired. We will leave off here today," Empress Zhao announced.
"Then we shall take our leave, Your Highness," Virtuous Consort Liu responded, followed by many others.
Empress Zhao nodded. "Oh, and Lady Beauty Yang—you need not attend the morning assembly from tomorrow onwards."
Zi Hua just realised she had been standing for a whole half shichen. Thank heavens the courtier training was worse.
"Yes, Your Highness," she said meekly.
But inwardly, she was cheering with joy.
'My peaceful life starts tomorrow!'