NOVEL WEB Chapter 2: Chapter 2 This is not what was imagined
Lian Hua made her way, turning over in her mind that this was not like the tales in the picture books; indeed, the Emperor had given her a title, but she had been promoted to a mere Cainv.
A Cainv, after all, was but a lowly figure in the palace, a strange mix between a half servant and a half mistress, part of the lowest rank of concubines. They ranked just slightly above the servants, yet they were not true mistresses of the household.
She was granted a dwelling in the loneliest part of the imperial palace, the Canglan Court. Though the name sounded pleasant, it was located near the Cold Palace and was desolate. It was seldom visited, and the palace was said to be in such disrepair that it was nearly abandoned.
The Bureau of Palace Attendants assigned her a Little Palace Maid named Xiao Qing to serve her. They claimed she was there to take care of her, but the girl was only a half-grown child and barely knew anything, having just entered the palace. It was unclear who would end up taking care of whom.
Lian Hua had a sneaking suspicion that she had been shortchanged. She had not yet seen anything fragrant or spicy, yet she had already lost so much and could not take it back.
She bolstered her spirits, reminding herself that her status had improved after all. It was certainly better than the never-ending chores of a palace maid, and she now had her own courtyard to live in—it was a step up from her previous situation.
Arriving at the front of Canglan Court, she saw a courtyard nestled amidst tall weeds. The rooftops of the buildings within were broken here and there; it would definitely leak when it rained. Seeing this, Lian Hua felt a chill in her heart.
"Young Master…, are we going to live here from now on?" Xiao Qing asked, tugging on Lian Hua's sleeve with a hint of fear. Everyone said the Imperial Palace was grand and luxurious, but this courtyard seemed worse than her disaster-stricken home.
Lian Hua was on the verge of tears. There was neither spice nor fragrance, only an abundance of weeds. Her fantasies had completely shattered, and she regretted her choices so deeply. If she could do it over, she would never climb into that bed again. The tales in the picture books were all lies.
What choice did she have but to pull weeds, replace broken tiles, and do some serious tidying up? She had chosen this path, and she would see it through, tears or no tears. Fortunately, Xiao Qing had grown up in a farming family and was capable of doing quite a bit of work.
Two years flashed by, and Lian Hua had honed herself into a skilled hand at manual labor.
In the beginning, there was more work than when she had been a palace maid—pulling weeds, clearing fields, repairing roofs, fixing up the house, and so on. She could hardly see an end to the daily tasks, but after finishing them, she merely needed to have Xiao Qing maintain everything, leaving only the issue of food to fill their stomachs.
The once barren courtyard was now well-ordered, filled with blooming flowers, herbs, and fruits.
Growing vegetables in the palace was seen as a loss of status, something only coarse villagers would do. But one could not ignore the demands of an empty stomach.
Furthermore, the court was secluded, hardly ever visited throughout the year. Thus, Lian Hua did not fret over these details. After all, a Cainv's monthly salary was only six taels, and it was not easy to support two people in the palace. Without finding her own solutions, she would truly starve.
One evening, as the cool breeze of early summer wafted gently, Lian Hua took Xiao Qing and the painstakingly prepared Dew Tea along the paths of the Imperial Garden to celebrate Xu Zhaoyi's promotion.
As a minor Cainv in the palace, Lian Hua was seldom noticed. Strictly speaking, high-ranking consorts would hardly value a meager gift from such a lowly figure. But Lian Hua was still determined to present her offering.
Xu Zhaoyi was now a troublesome but highly favored consort within the palace, reportedly the Emperor's most cherished. Everyone in the palace afforded her some respect. If Lian Hua could curry favor with her, perhaps she would be held in higher esteem by others, and the eunuchs from the Bureau of Palace Attendants may not dare deduct from her salary at will.
Lian Hua was confident in her Dew Tea, a secret family recipe unique in all the land. Not only was it refreshingly sweet, but it also had the power to clear the mind in summer or soothe the dry chill in winter.
Before her family's downfall, they would make a considerable sum each year just from selling this tea. But after her family's ruin, Lian Hua was sent into the palace for refuge. Nonetheless, the secret recipe was not lost and was known only to her family, which made her confident that Xu Zhaoyi would appreciate it.
The tea for making Dew Tea was discovered by Lian Hua during her leisurely strolls in the Imperial Garden. The palace garden was splendid, gathering rare and exotic herbs from all over the world. Wandering here and there, she could gather a basket full of delicious finds.
The Bitterwood Tea tree used for Dew Tea was one such treasure she found while foraging in the garden. Apart from its bitter leaves, no one suspected that the tree's leaves could be used to brew such delightful tea. By chance, Lian Hua's ancestors knew how to remove the bitterness and turn it into sweetness, making the tree a veritable treasure in her eyes.
"Young Master, let me carry it. It's not right for the mistress to hold things while the servant is empty-handed," Xiao Qing insisted, trying several times to take the container without success.
"No, no, to make the tea taste good, it must be carefully preserved, away from human sweat. Look at you, drenched in sweat and sticky hands. How can you carry it? I'd better hold it." Lian Hua took this gift-giving opportunity very seriously; her future well-being could depend on this moment. She handled everything personally, leaving Xiao Qing without an opportunity to help.
The Emperor, after spending the day attending to memorials and discussions, walked into the Imperial Garden to relieve his fatigue. The weather was exceptionally pleasant, helping to dissipate days of accumulated irritation.
Passing a tranquil little garden, he heard footsteps and occasional soft conversations ahead—pleasant to the ear. The Emperor halted the eager Chief steward Zhang Qing from calling out and continued walking towards the source.
He saw the figures of two women come into view. The one wearing a light blue gauze long skirt appeared to be the mistress, her face somewhat familiar. With a touch of baby fat on her cheeks, a delicate nose, and slightly upturned almond eyes beneath arched eyebrows, she had a cute yet subtly charming countenance. With a pink peach blossom pinned in her hair, she looked lively, firmly clutching a small jar in her hands. The other seemed to be a maid, repeatedly attempting to take the jar but fearful of handling it too roughly and damaging it, her face full of concern.