The Emperor was both irate and bewildered by the supernatural anomaly, so he called out to Ying Lu. The eunuch stumbled in through the threshold: "Emperor, at your service."
"Go summon Lady."
Ying Lu responded quickly: "I shall go at once."
Soon, Lady, adorned exquisitely, strode in gracefully, curtsying: "This concubine pays respects to the Emperor."
"Hmm, rise."
"Thank you, Emperor."
Lady approached the Emperor, gently massaging his shoulders, and casually inquired: "Is my cousin in foul mood?"
Thinking of his predicament, the Emperor couldn't help but frown.
Who would believe such supernatural occurrences if spoken of?
Especially since his cousin is backed by the Ji Family, news of the Emperor encountering strange phenomena must never be leaked, lest scholars would exploit it, claiming his decrees have incurred Heaven's displeasure, leading to time's reversal, compelling him to alter them.
The Emperor had considered this possibility.
During several instances of time reversal, he had meticulously reviewed critical memorials he had previously examined.
The Emperor waved his hand dismissively: "It's matters of the court."
Given it was a matter of governance, Lady considerately refrained from probing further, softly chuckling: "When with this concubine, my cousin should forget such bothersome things, shouldn't he?"
The Emperor's heart was like an abyss; the current ruler took this to an extreme.
Even though Ying Lu had served the Emperor for years, he dared not claim to have fully understood the Emperor's temperament.
"Hmm, call for the meal."
After dining, Lady went to bathe and change clothes.
Everything proceeded according to routine; although void of tender affection, the Emperor never treated anyone harshly. Her delicate hands undressed him from the Dragon Robe, the Dragon Vein's engine ignited…
In the next instant, the Dragon Robe returned in place, the Dragon Vein's engine stalled.
The Emperor: "...?"
Did Heaven even disapprove of him propagating the Royal Family's lineage?
He truly had a throne to pass down!
He refused to resign, moments later, the Dragon Robe was undressed again, the engine reignited.
The slight removal of the undergarments returned to their position.
The clothes came on and off with no consequence.
The most crucial point was, the Dragon Vein stalled again.
Physiologically, the moment was reversed, psychologically, he was deeply repressed.
The constant ignition and stalling severely harmed the engine.
"...Emperor?"
Seeing the Emperor somberly supporting himself against the bedstead, Lady could not help but feel uneasy.
"Forget it, I am in no mood tonight, you may go back."
Though Lady wore a devastated expression, the Emperor had no mind to console her, waved his hands to have Ying Lu escort her back, Lady dared not protest, her heart weeping. Summoned to Weiyang Palace, only to be sent back without attending to the Emperor; tomorrow morning Jianzhang Palace would surely be full of ridicule!
The Emperor lay down after preparing for Lady's "sending" back.
Yet again, the time flowed normally, when he awoke leisurely at dawn, he finally had to accept reality—
Seems Heaven was against him favoring concubines.
Meanwhile, Yun Jiao woke, delighting in the chestnut pastry she carefully saved to avoid overeating by using time reversal twice last night.
The daily learning of rules was exceedingly dull.
For Yun Jiao, food was one of the few comforts.
While other concubines were more focused on the real-time dynamics within the harem.
During breakfast, Attendant Lady He came over whispering: "I can't hold it any longer, let me tell you a secret, promise you won't tell anyone."
"Alright."
"Know why Consort Ji is so joyful today? She rarely smiles at us, have a bold guess why."
"She met privately with the Emperor last night?"
"...No, you're too bold, tone it down," Attendant Lady He whispered: "Her elder sister, Lady, was summoned to Weiyang Palace last night, yet she was sent back without attending to the Emperor... Rumor suggests their relationship was poor even at home; while it seemed Lady was profoundly favored, it appears even she is not indispensable."
Yun Jiao listened, contemplating.
In the era of imperial power, the mindset truly was male-centered.
Why must it inevitably be Lady's fault?
Could it not be the Emperor's failing?
Of course, for the sake of the Yun Family's lineage and the lives of the ants before the residence, Yun Jiao didn't voice that speculation but shifted focus: "Your information is so accurate, I'm practically half-blind in the harem, I shall rely on Sister He."
Attendant Lady He said she has connections in the harem, and with her protection, life won't be too bad.
She also comforted Yun Jiao, telling her not to fear falling out of favor: "The Emperor is good and capable, but it's not the Emperor who serves us in the harem, it's the palace maids and eunuchs. Get them on your side, and you can still live well."
Yun Jiao obediently nodded: "Sister is truly kind."
Seven days later, the harem's intelligence officer, Attendant Lady He, told her: "It's bad. It seems Lady has truly angered the Emperor this time. It's been seven days since the Emperor last visited the harem and hasn't flipped anyone's nameplate!"
Yun Jiao was greatly shocked.
It appears the Emperor is truly displeased.
...
Half a month passed, and not only did the concubines in Chuxiu Palace fail to settle down, they became even more restless.
This restlessness peaked when the Chief Palace Maid by Lady's side came to Chuxiu Palace to tell Consort Ji to visit Yanxi Palace the next day and asked her to prepare well.
"What visiting to catch up, it's clearly a recommendation to the Emperor!"
"Isn't Lady the one who looks down most on her half-sister?"
"The Ji Family must have spoken up. Who can blame her when she's not fertile."
Everyone secretly grumbled.
But the next day, Consort Ji couldn't make the visit—a rash appeared on her body. The Imperial Physician treated her and told Miss Ji not to worry, it was just a common pollen allergy; if she stayed away from flowers and plants, it would soon disappear. Consort Ji, fully hoping for her sister's support, knew that if she couldn't go today, the Emperor might not give Lady such face again, and she immediately broke down in tears.
"I am allergic to tulips, and there are no tulips in Chuxiu Palace, someone must have harmed me! Nanny, speak for me!"
Chuxiu Palace was always quiet, so everyone heard Consort Ji's weeping.
Attendant Lady He ate an extra bowl of rice to the sound of her cries, packing all the snacks from Yun Jiao's share.
Unexpectedly, a while later, Nanny Ye entered with a frosty face, saying she was here to summon Servant Consort Yun.
Yun Jiao felt a tightening in her heart.
Preparedness was key; to prevent unforeseen events, she often kept a backup.
With a backup from three days ago, she felt slightly reassured.
Nanny Ye took Yun Jiao to Consort Ji's room. Beside her, Attendant Lady Zhang was angrily staring at her, and a screen was placed by the bed, behind which the sound of sobbing could still be faintly heard.
"Servant Consort Ji, this is Master Yan from the Palace Bureau."
Nanny Ye said.
Recently, Yun Jiao had been diligently learning the rules, so she knew what this was about. The Master of Ceremonies is a female official in the harem responsible for inspecting palace affairs, enforcing laws, and punishing violations. An allergic reaction among the concubines in Chuxiu Palace with questionable causes wouldn't alarm the Empress, but someone still needed to handle it, and the Master of Ceremonies was the best and most authoritative choice.
"I've met Master Yan."
Yun Jiao nodded to her.
"Now that Servant Consort Yun is here, let me briefly explain the matter."
Consort Ji had an allergic rash and firmly stated that it was impossible for her to come into contact with the allergen. Moreover, for her to have such a severe rash, it could not be due to a small accidental inhalation; it must have been someone's deliberate mischief. She insisted on investigating, and the Palace Bureau had to follow through. This investigation revealed traces of pollen on Consort Ji's bedding, and her palace maid Qing Mei claimed that she was the second person to collect the washed and dried bedding, with the first being Servant Consort Yun.
Yun Jiao silently cursed her bad luck.
For once, when she was diligent and went earlier than anyone else, she was implicated.
Attendant Lady Zhang, her eyes brimming with tears, said, "She is envious of Consort Ji and deliberately seized the opportunity to cause trouble by personally fetching the bedding."
Yun Jiao: "Isn't it possible that it's because I didn't bring a maid into the palace?"
Attendant Lady Zhang was taken aback, doubt flashing through her tear-filled eyes:
"How could anyone be without a maid?"
The sorrows of people are not interconnected; Yun Jiao simply felt that everyone else was quite well-off.
The concubines in the selection could bring a maid into the palace, and having someone with a contract of sale ensured peace of mind.
Master Yan initially remained silent and only spoke up now: "I have already investigated the palace maids who washed the bedding, and they are almost certainly not to blame."
Hearing this, what more did Yun Jiao need to understand?
Consort Ji did not need to waste a golden opportunity to advance by scheming against her. Someone else must have done it, and she was unlucky enough to be the scapegoat.
Yun Jiao calmed her mind and memorized every detail of the incident. Just then, a very unfamiliar palace maid entered and curtsied: "Master Yan, we found an unrecorded bottle under Servant Consort Yun's room."
The crimson bottle was exposed to everyone's view.
Yun Jiao: "That's not mine."
Master Yan turned her gaze over, her eyes sharp as a blade.
Yun Jiao: "My family can't afford such fine foreign porcelain."
"..."
A very persuasive statement, but Master Yan calmly looked at her: "The evidence was found in your room. Servant Consort Yun, do you have anything else to say? Since you said you cannot afford such fine porcelain, could this bottle have been given to you by someone else?"
Faced with this situation, Yun Jiao understood that, as someone insignificant, she couldn't clear her name even by jumping into the Yellow River.
She decisively chose to return to the backup from three days ago.