Early spring is often rainy; the drizzle continued incessantly.
Outside Huayang Palace, a fine mist of rain drifted through the long, wide alleyway. The bluestone pavement was damp, and water droplets rhythmically dripped from the glazed tile eaves.
"So you are Jiang Yue?"
Inside the palace, the scent of tea hung thick in the air, sealed off from the wind and rain outside. A woman arched her brows as she spoke. She was dressed in a light blue jacket embroidered with butterflies and flowers in silver thread, her waist so slender it seemed a single grasp could span it. She wore a long brocade skirt in goose-yellow embroidered with white magnolias, and a seven-treasure coral hairpin in her hair, which made her face glow like a lotus—magnificent and graceful.
Jiang Cangyue bowed. "In reply to Consort Shu, I am the maidservant Jiang Yue."
Consort Shu took a slow, leisurely sip of tea before looking at her. "The Anle Palace was being cleaned today. Why didn't you go? Or has my word lost its weight?"
Earlier that morning, when Gao Xian had come asking for people, it had left her confused; it took her quite a while to figure out who he was actually looking for. But she was merely a cleaning maid in Huayang Palace; losing her wouldn't be a great sacrifice, and being able to get information from Gao Xian would be a gain.
Faced with Consort Shu’s questioning, Jiang Cangyue feigned ignorance and replied, "May it please your Ladyship, this servant had intended to go to Anle Palace, but word came from Eunuch Gao that they already had enough people. He said that any extra hands would only be an eyesore, so he sent me back."
She spoke from outside the hall. The weather was wretched, and the slanted wind and rain had dampened her skirt, causing the fabric to cling to her calves and sending a damp, chilly sensation through her. Beyond the hall, other maidservants were sweeping fallen leaves from the bluestone under umbrellas, the rain splashing up to create ripples. In the distance, thunder rumbled dully; no one made a sound.
"An eyesore?" Consort Shu frowned and slammed her teacup down. "What madness has possessed that eunuch?"
Jiang Cangyue remained silent.
The Four Gates were a remarkable place. Every assassin there could learn things beyond the reach of a lifetime, whether it be the mystic arts of war or the depths of political intrigue. Before leaving the Four Gates, she had been among their top assassins. To her, there were too many ways to kill without spilling blood within these palace walls.
While she pondered, Consort Shu had already begun smashing things in the hall, her face twisted in fury.
Huayang Palace was laid out beautifully, ranking among the three most prominent halls in the palace. Its walls gleamed, its lattice windows caught the sun, and the craftsmanship was exquisite. The hall featured beams of aromatic sandalwood, lamps made of glazed crystal, curtains of agate, and eight-treasure shelves filled with countless treasures—though at this moment, they all lay shattered on the floor.
Jiang Cangyue waited to one side.
As she looked up, the floor was a mess of debris, and flying shards had nearly grazed a maidservant’s face. A middle-aged Mammy, wearing a blue silk jacket and a dark green vest over a dark-colored skirt, darted past her like a gust of wind.
The Mammy was about fifty-one or fifty-two, her hair piled high. Her face was lined with wrinkles, and a few dark brown spots on her cheeks were quite prominent. She rushed to Consort Shu’s side, supporting her as she cried out anxiously, "Oh, your Ladyship! Do be careful with your hands!"
Supported by the Mammy, Consort Shu sat down on a clean pear-wood chair decorated with soft flower patterns, her face still flushed with anger. "That eunuch Gao Xian—he promised to do things for me, but as soon as he left Anle Palace, he led His Majesty straight to Noble Lady Li’s quarters! How can I not be furious!"
Mammy Gui hurried to soothe her. "Your Ladyship, in this old servant's view, while that Noble Lady Li has a bit of beauty and strategy, people who rely on petty cleverness never go far. Your Ladyship must not upset yourself."
Consort Shu’s chest heaved with rage, and her gaze drifted involuntarily to Jiang Cangyue.
Could this matter have been caused by this maidservant named Jiang Yue?
Jiang Cangyue bowed her head at the opportune moment. "Your Ladyship, this servant can help you win back the favor of His Majesty."
Seeing a mere palace maid dare to make such a bold claim, Consort Shu's anger dissipated into mockery. She merely glanced at her. "What kind of clever plan could you possibly have?"
Jiang Cangyue whispered the explanation into her ear.
Consort Shu’s eyes deepened instantly. With practiced ease, she signaled for Mammy Gui to hand over a reward. This time, the look she gave her held a touch of favor and approval. "You are quite skilled. I have a reward for you."
In the palace, incense was mostly compound incense. The selection, blending, and preparation were incredibly tedious. Aside from the dragon-saliva incense used by His Majesty, they used little more than cabinet incense, sandalwood bed-curtain incense, or Yiai incense.
It was all very tiresome.
Jiang Cangyue bowed with a smile. "My ancestors made incense. It is my fortune that your Ladyship finds it worthy of notice. I am only glad that your Ladyship likes it."
Consort Shu loved this sort of talk. She smiled and smoothed the gilded jade bracelet on her wrist. "Do you have any requests?"
Jiang Cangyue claimed she had none.
The identity of an incense-maker was all benefit and no harm to her; incense, after all, could penetrate any crack or crevice.
"What a short-sighted girl," Mammy Gui remarked, sweeping her eyes over her. "Her Ladyship only asks because she values you. In the entire palace, who else would give you a second glance besides her Ladyship?"
Consort Shu stopped Mammy Gui from saying more. Now, she leaned lazily back in her chair and signaled for her attendants to hand over the reward, speaking with casual indifference. "Your name is Jiang Yue, yes? From today on, you will work in the inner hall. Huayang Palace will assign a separate room for you."
Her casual manner made Mammy Gui hesitate, but Jiang Cangyue bowed again. "This servant thanks your Ladyship for her favor."
Seeing that the maidservant knew her place, Consort Shu’s expression grew more relaxed and leisurely. "You may go."
Once Consort Shu finished speaking and Mammy Gui went to brew tea, Jiang Cangyue returned, holding a white porcelain box.
Consort Shu raised her brows. "What is this?"
"It is the Forbidden Mist incense," Jiang Cangyue replied.
Consort Shu became interested and took the box, examining it curiously. "Does it truly work? Will it do any harm to one's health?"
"It is harmless and beneficial," Jiang Cangyue said, pointing to the incense. "It contains agarwood, sandalwood, tea-infused cloves, jiangzhen incense, turmeric, and shell incense, which clears the mind and calms the spirit."
She added, "If His Majesty comes to visit your Ladyship, you may burn it."
Consort Shu looked at Jiang Cangyue again. There was not a trace of ambition or fawning in this maidservant's eyes—she was a capable one. She had Mammy Gui light the incense in the hall. "If it is truly effective, I will have further rewards for you later."
Jiang Cangyue bowed again and retreated, turning to leave.
Watching the maidservant depart, Mammy Gui finally voiced her confusion. "Your Ladyship, forgive my presumption, but for a cleaning maid, giving her a reward is already generous enough. Why assign her a separate room and bring her into the inner hall? What if she is..."
Consort Shu chuckled, using her gold-filigreed silk nail guards to poke at the burning mist incense in the porcelain box. "How does Mammy Gui know I don't have my own plans?"
Mammy Gui looked at the delicate object on the table. She certainly didn't understand such things, but that white porcelain was just the lowest grade of ware.
She thought for a moment and probed, "Does your Ladyship wish to fully bring this maidservant into your service?"
"At least you’ve figured that much out." Consort Shu’s smile faded, and she felt a touch of lingering gloom. "The last time His Majesty accidentally tripped on the threshold of Huayang Palace and fell, he stood up, cursed at me, and left covering his mouth. It’s been quite a while since he last visited."
Mammy Gui exhorted her earnestly, "Your Ladyship, that matter was not your fault."
"Are you suggesting His Majesty has no eyes, then?" Consort Shu grew angry just mentioning it. "I can't exactly go around telling everyone that His Majesty tripped and broke a tooth at Huayang Palace, can I! If I said that and caused him to lose face, it would be even worse than saying nothing at all. I suppose all those other women have been laughing at me behind my back!"
The more she spoke, the angrier she became, and she walked toward the inner rooms. "Don't speak of this again. Ensure that maidservant is properly settled."
Mammy Gui acknowledged the order and fell silent for a moment.
Finally, she sighed.