From CEO to Concubine-Chapter 150: Jade Bird

Hui Shuxian wasn’t a vain woman. At least, not in the way Zhang Qian was. She knew that her sultry looks could get her to most places but the inner palace of the emperor was unfortunately not one of them. Her imperial physician father wasn’t that prestigious; he didn’t even manage to make it to the head of the imperial academy of medicine. The tenuous connection to the dowager that he had afforded her had stopped serving its purpose once the emperor had made it clear that he was wholly uninterested in the women of his harem.

Without a powerful family name to support her, without the emperor’s love and the dowager’s charity, the future was decidedly bleak. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

That being said, Hui Shuxian wasn’t a stupid woman. Whilst some of the foolish younger girls were too enamoured with the concept of being in love with the most formidable man in the empire, spending all their days wrapped up in their silken daydreams of his reciprocation and fighting tooth and nail with each other to compete for his attention, Hui Shuxian knew better than to place her hopes on a broken sleeve. The way she saw it, just as she was entitled to covet his station and his riches, he was entitled to frolic in the sheets with whoever caught his fancy.

If left to her own devices, she would have been more than happy just living a luxurious life in her palace, with fine robes to adorn herself with and the best delicacies from the imperial buttery.

But she still had reason to fight. Concealed deep within her heart, she harboured a secret that she didn’t even dare think about it she wasn’t alone in her bedchambers at night, shrouded by darkness and the curtains of her bed.

Hui Shuxian reclined back in her seat and reached out for the tea that her servant girl promptly stepped up from behind her to present. Only the finest Longjing (1) for Imperial Noble Consort Yue, it seemed. The tea was a pleasant pale green colour. She waved idly for the teapot to be shown to her, ignoring the side glances the other concubines shot at her as she studied the dredges. Elegant, long whole leaves that were uniform in shape and size. She was willing to bet her family honour that this tea was picked from the best plantations in Lin Nan and before the pre-Qingming Festival, which made it the best grade.

Hui Shuxian was not often a jealous woman, but what could she say? Imperial Noble Consort Yue had the unique talent of bringing out the worst in her. She was a child of the old noble clans. She didn’t have it all. But even so, Imperial Noble Consort Yue had even less. Why, without the emperor, he had nothing. Slavery had robbed him of all opportunities in life but had also granted him the most important one; a chance to captivate the one man who could offer him the world on a platter.

And now, as she admired the elegant reception hall that she was seated in, she couldn’t help but let out a little laugh. That the harem had convened here, under this roof, to wait to pay respects to an ex-slave, was testament enough that the emperor had indeed given to this nobody everything that the rest of them could only dream wistfully of.

Some people have all the luck.

Take this Aiyun Palace (2), for example. Once, it had been known as Yongshou Palace, the Palace of Longevity, often bestowed upon the emperor’s favourite concubine as he wished for endless days with them. Now, however, the inscribed board hanging over the entrance to this grand palace had been changed to one that read the Palace of Beautiful Clouds. This would have been a lot less galling if the calligraphy on it were less familiar or if the word ’ai’, weren’t also a homophone for love.

There was nothing discreet about this profession of the emperor’s affections. The character ’ai’ could also mean ’mugwort’, and Hui Shuxian had heard some of the other concubines making bitter remarks about how the emperor could subtly be insinuating that his new Imperial Noble Consort was worth little more than a common herb but it was all too obvious that they were just deluding themselves. Whether the emperor had intended for the little ex-slave to be a replacement for his lost love or not didn’t change the fact that he had given him the best palace, the best furnishings, the best treatment one could have in the inner palace without being emperor himself; after taking one long hard look at just the reception hall, Hui Shuxian could safely say that even an empress would have a hard time competing with these standards. Instead of the colours preferred by the women of the harem, the overarching theme was an elegant blend of blue hues and dark wood, but the sober tones didn’t detract from the finery. Plush carpets, cloisonne ornaments, and in the centre of the dais, framed by velvet (3) curtains, was a chair made wholly of black ebony and mother of pearl. It was probably worth more than the entire cumulative wealth of Hui Shuxian’s family.

She might not love the emperor but it was difficult not to wish he loved her instead.

This feeling only intensified when that irritatingly unflappable young eunuch, Xiao De, announced the presence of his master, forcing the rest of them to their feet as they waited for him to take his rightful place in the centre of the room. There was no hint of his past of servitude in Imperial Noble Consort Yue’s regal bearing as he settled down into his seat, leaning against the soft cushions and adjusting his long flowing sleeves so that they fell neatly about him like gentle waves. The subtle changes in his attire were captured by Hui Shuxian’s discerning eyes. Unlike the usual light colours that he favoured, he donned a rich robe the shade of jade blue (4), the intricate embroidery of tranquil orchids (5) serving as a beautiful contrast. Tranquil orchids were a metaphor for a gentleman; "the orchid grows in the tranquil valley, it has no audience and yet remains fragrant". These were the qualities that a man of proper upbringing should possess; he ought to be refined but unassuming, and he ought to be confident but not ostentatiously so.

Imperial Noble Consort Yue was no gentleman. Who knew how many others he’d spread his legs for before the emperor? Hui Shuxian had to turn her gaze away from his splendid visage to conceal her quell her urge to sneer. No amount of wealth or glory would ever conceal the dark stain on his past.

A ray of sunlight streamed in through the lofty windows, illuminating the pure jade guan that fastened Imperial Noble Consort Yue’s bun. The complementary shades hinted that it was customed to match his current outfit. The sticks that fastened it in place—carved from jade too—were so elaborately crafted, a magnificent bird soaring in a sea of clouds with its beautiful plumage spilling down from the ends, more resplendent than any of the precious metals or jewels dangling from the tips of the hairpieces of the other concubines.

"Good morning." Imperial Noble Consort Yue gestured for them to take their seats before some tea delicacies were served by the entourage of servants. Just like the tea, they were finer than any of the refreshments from the palaces where the assemblies were once held.

Hui Shuxian smiled. "We sisters and brothers haven’t seen Imperial Noble Consort Yue for a short period, and already Imperial Noble Consort Langjun’s looks have improved leaps and bounds. Really, if we were unable to compete before, we are now left far behind on the ground whilst Imperial Noble Consort Langjun has soared high into the skies."

"Is this how we’re planning on starting the day? By stating obvious truths?" Before anyone else could speak up, Gracious Consort Yao’s smooth drawl cut into the conversation. He never failed to send a frisson of irritation coursing through Hui Shuxian. Out of everyone in the harem, Gracious Consort Yao was one of the hardest for her to read; she could not comprehend his motivations. As the concubine who was once regarded as the emperor’s favourite, he was lacking the bitterness one would expect after losing favour.

Unfortunately for her, she was too low in rank to chastise him for the interruption, could merely flash him a sheepish smile and nod. "Gracious Consort Langjun is right, of course. This concubine was merely too taken by how beautiful Imperial Noble Consort Langjun is."

But not everyone present was as cautious with their words as Hui Shuxian was. And she wasn’t the only person to have paid attention to the intricate details of Imperial Noble Consort Yue’s dressing today.

"Imperial Noble Consort Yue Langjun, is that a phoenix in your hairpiece?" Second-class Attendant Wu asked abruptly.

The reception hall fell silent. Hui Shuxian raised her cup to conceal the satisfied quirk on her lips. She could always trust Wu Yusi to stir up trouble at any given opportunity. The flat unfriendly look on the jealous girl’s face...she didn’t know how to measure up her strengths and weaknesses before pitting herself against others. A foolish, spoiled brat that was perfect to be used for many purposes. Hui Shuxian had no idea how the once-illustrious Wu Family managed to raise such an idiot but she had to thank them for it.

"Oh, is it?" Imperial Noble Consort Yue replied at last, after calmly finishing his bite of osmanthus cake. "This consort did not have a chance to take a good look at His Majesty’s gift this morning."

As predicted, Attendant Wu’s face darkened. Hui Shuxian couldn’t blame her. Who would appreciate having an ex-slave of their household climb the ranks so swiftly they now sat head and shoulders above their original master? The chasm between a lowly second-class attendant and the highest concubine position in the harem was unfathomable.

"E-even if it were a present from His Majesty, Langjun should know better than to break the rules of the inner palace, or is Langjun above the rules as well?"

This was Hui Shuxian’s cue to intervene. Attendant Wu resided under her roof, after all. She had to demonstrate an attempt to keep her in check, however insincere she might be. Hui Shuxian had worked hard to earn Attendant Wu’s trust and convince her that they were on the same side. This has made her rather compliant with instructions although she sometimes still charged on ahead like a wild horse.

"Mind your insolence, Attendant Wu," she said sharply, before rising to her feet to curtsy. "Please forgive this concubine for not instructing the little sisters that live in Xueyu Palace well. As the head of the inner palace, no one would know how the rules work better than Imperial Noble Consort Langjun. If that truly were a phoenix on Langjun’s headpiece, this concubine is confident Langjun’s well-trained servants would not have been so bold as to choose it for your attire today."

The accusation that Attendant Wu had levelled was no trivial matter but judging by the imperial noble consort’s imperviousness, he was unbothered by it. He merely nodded at Hui Shuxian in acceptance of her apology, as though willing to dismiss the issue.

But someone else spoke up on his behalf. Lord of Bright Deportment Chen’s derisive snort made a Hui Shuxian look over at him in surprise.

"Unable to distinguish between a phoenix and a luan, Attendant Wu’s upbringing has been wasted on her."

She found herself alarmed. What had possessed Lord Chen to display his support so openly for Imperial Noble Consort Yue’s camp? She had prided herself on being a good judge of character, had recognised his sense of superiority and had assumed that he would have found it beneath him to mingle with those of a less privileged background. When had he been won over? What was this bizarre spell Imperial Noble Consort Yue seemed capable of weaving on men?

"Those that resemble the phoenix bear five colours; that which is predominantly red is the phoenix, blue is the luan, yellow the yuanchu, purple the yuezhuo, and white the honghu, (6)" Noble Lady Zhao chipped in with a quote. "Lord Chen’s point stands; His Majesty must have intended for this auspicious bird to be a luan and not a phoenix."

And it wasn’t just the men, it seemed. Hui Shuxian had always detected the hint of respect and admiration Lady Zhao held for the ex-slave, and had thought her ridiculous for it. Had even gone so far as to consider whether she could exploit it to take down the new imperial noble consort. But they were far too careful in their interactions for her to find any fault.

"Luan is good, nice and auspicious and also a symbol of faithfulness to one’s spouse." Noble Consort Dao, in her rightful position of the first seat below the dais on the female side, gave the imperial noble consort a gentle smile. "This consort congratulates Yue Langjun."

Imperial Noble Consort Yue inclined his head politely. "This consort accepts as much as His Majesty would grant me," he replied. "I do not seek to overstep my boundaries."

As though anyone would believe that. Hui Shuxian’s thoughts were wry as she considered his ambitious climb to the top. There had to be some way to stop him, just as how there had to be some way to promote herself into a position where she could better influence the harem.

Then and only then could she be of more help to that person...

Through months of patient manipulation, she had finally convinced Attendant Wu to reach out to her family to engineer a ploy against their ex-slave. She was aware that these were turbulent times for the disgraced Wu Household and that the cowardly Minister of Rites was reluctant to make a move right now but the hunt was coming up soon and there wouldn’t be many good opportunities after—oh no, wait. There was one.

The banquet of ten thousand years. The emperor’s birthday.

It would take a lot of planning to set things up in place, to lay her traps one by one for their sweet imperial noble consort to wander into. It would start with the hunt...and he was her prey. She couldn’t be faulted for going after the most treasured white deer, could she?

"Imperial Noble Consort Langjun," she said winsomely. "Has the list of attending concubines for the autumn hunt been finalised?"