On her way out of the Palace of Tranquillity, Zi Hua saw an unexpected yet unsurprising stranger.
"That's Madame Ye from the western chamber," Qiu'er said.
Zi Hua blinked disbelievingly. The paper thin woman in a distance was Madame Ye? Despite the pleasant weather, a white fur scarf wrapped around her neck, and her clothes didn't sway in the breeze, alluding to their thick material.
She was so slight a strong gust of wind could've blown her away, and evidently her ladies-in-waiting thought the same: they supported her with both arms while sticking close protectively, occasionally pointing at a spot on the ground to avoid. Despite their master-servant relationship, it was evident Madame Ye was close to her ladies-in-waiting, for the natural trust their interactions radiated couldn't lie.
Something told Zi Hua they wouldn't appreciate being interrupted, but with Qiu'er nudging her to follow palace etiquette, she crossed their path anyway.
She started with a curtsy. "Greetings, Madame Ye. I'm Yang Zi Hua, your new neighbour from the eastern palace."
"That's right... The new consorts moved in yesterday," Madame Ye muttered.
"Mistress, this is Lady Beauty Yang," one of her ladies-in-waiting whispered.
"Ah." Despite the sound of understanding, Madame Ye's face remained blank. "My apologies. I'm Madame Ye from the western palace. If you need anyth— cough, cough!"
She started coughing mid-sentence, and one of her ladies-in-waiting whipped out a handkerchief fluidly.
"Lady Beauty Yang, as you can see, my mistress isn't in her best health, so you should go on ahead," she stated. "It would be our fault for holding you back at your first morning assembly."
Zi Hua frowned. "But I already failed to greet Madame Ye yesterday. Wouldn't this be against the rules?"
Madame Ye finally stopped coughing. She tucked her scarf tighter and wheezed, "No... Missed formalities won't hurt either one of us... and there's no head consort presiding over our palace. You can leave first."
Her instinct was right—Madame Ye wasn't the type to warm up to strangers easily. Besides, this short exchange appeared to have sucked the limited vitality from her already.
"Then, I'll go to Phoenix Palace first," she said. "Take care, Madame Ye."
A curt wave was her only reply before a new coughing fit took over the Madame.
***
"Mistress, watch your step."
"I know where I'm walking!" Luo Yin glared at her newly promoted lady-in-waiting. "Leave me alone."
Mao'er bowed her head. "Apologies for overstepping, mistress."
She fell back two steps and made eye contact with the second accompanying lady-in-waiting, Mai'er.
Mao'er: Mistress is in a bad mood, so be on your toes.
Mai'er: Is it because of last night?
Mao'er: What else would it be? Poor mistress.
Mai'er: Poor us...
In front of them, Luo Yin's thoughts reflected their laments.
Although the emperor favouring Bai Nan Feng last night was within reason—she was among the highest ranking new consorts, after all—it was still disappointing.
To add salt to the wound, she'd had to watch the Yuan Yang Palanquin enter Orchid Palace only to turn left into Bai Nan Feng's western chambers. Well, Noble Lady Bainow, she supposed.
Another teeth-grinding fact: "Noble Lady" and "Noble Beauty" may have a one word difference, but in the rear palace, half-ranks drew the line between moon and stars. And if it was one thing Luo Yin hated, it was being lumped together with common, basic, inferior—
"I was wondering why the sky seemed cloudier here, but it turns out to be your dark face."
At the familiar, annoying voice, Luo Yin's tongue reacted faster than her mind.
"Not as dark as yours, with all the outdoor gatherings you crash," she retorted.
Song Chang Ge's face darkened.
Sure, she wasn't as fair as Luo Yin; yes, she'd showed up at a few social gatherings uninvited back in the day. But her parentage was to blame for both! Not everybody was fortunate enough to be born legitimate and be the heart of every party.
Mindful that some passers-by were beginning to cast curious looks here, she squeezed out a smile.
"Noble Beauty Luo," she greeted with suppressed loathing. "Fine morning, isn't it?"
"Noble Beauty Song," Luo Yin reciprocated with a sweetly poisonous drone. "I agree, though it leaves something to be desired."
Song Chang Ge was blocking her path like a goblin demanding toll for passage. Or at least a pre-breakfast insult.
It would be impolite to refuse her.
"I'm flattered, really," she continued, flipping her hair. "The fact that you would go out of your way to 'bump into' me here speaks volumes of your unhealthy obsession with this Noble Beauty. The Amethyst Palace you were assigned is far out of the way, I recall."
"The one with an unhealthy obsession is you." Song Chang Ge smirked. "To think you paid so much attention to my whereabouts... You shouldn't have, Luo Yin."
Luo Yin cringed internally.
'I slipped up!'
"Who is obsessed with you?!" she huffed aloud. "I'm being tactical by paying attention to my enemy!"
"Whatever you say." Song Chang Ge checked her freshly-polished nails, feigning casualness. "You really should do something about your complexion, though. Even if His Majesty chose Noble Lady Bai over you last night, you shouldn't display your displeasure so blatantly. Who knows, the next thing the whole rear palace hears is you're jealous of Noble Lady Bai."
"At least I saw the Yuan Yang Palanquin, unlike you!" Luo Yin exclaimed.
Song Chang Ge dismissed her easily: "As if you saw the emperor."
"Better than someone who can only imagine what their first night would look like!"
"I didn't know you were so thick-skinned, to discuss that kind of matter in public."
"You know that's not what I meant!"
"I'm not a tapeworm in your stomach. How would I know what you meant?"
"Song Chang Ge, your metaphor is revolting!"
"Only for those who deserve it, Luo Yin!"
In the heat of their argument, neither young ladies noticed the figure hiding been a large tree near them, nor did they know of the unwilling eavesdropper's inner screams for them to wrap up and move.
Zi Hua was never taking shortcuts again. She swore on the heavenly rabbit cakes.
Not only was she trapped between a tree and verbal war zone, but she could also hear the rhythmic jingling of bells preceding a high-ranking consort's procession. And she couldn't show herself unless Luo Yin or Song Chang Ge moved.
'Should I warn them?' She bit her nails. 'They'll give me an earful, though.'
The eunuch heading the oncoming procession decided for her.
"Make way for Consort Xu—!" he announced.
'Never mind. They're alerted now.'
An ostentatious orange palanquin with peacock feather ornamentations stopped near Luo Yin and Song Chang Ge's kneeling figures.
"Noble Beauty Luo greets Consort Xu!"
"Noble Beauty Song greets Consort Xu!"
Long, red-painted nails pushed aside the palanquin's curtain, and a round, youthful face peeked out, the floral makeup on her forehead scrunched in irritation.
"Who dares to cause a scene in public?!" Consort Xu barked.
Her voice resembled the crisp clinking of pearls dangling from her golden hairpins, but the fire in her eyes was enough to make the Noble Beauties freeze up.
Their silence tested Consort Xu's short temper. "Well?"she snapped. "What happened to your passion from earlier? I could hear you a mile away! Acting like the common path belongs to you alone, you might as well argue outside Phoenix Palace! Perhaps Her Highness will be kind enough to set up a stage for your oh-so-dramatic argument!
"And don't get me started on your utter lack of respect for an Upper Third-Rank Consort—you're supposed to clear the path in advance, not stumble to your knees right in front of me. Anyone would misunderstand that I'm bullying the new consorts with the pathetic states you're in now! If this is the etiquette the Blossom Palace servants taught you, all of you deserve to be fired!
"Consorts these days!" she grumbled with a flourish, even though she didn't look any older than those present.
She took a deep breath, but just as everyone thought she was done, she glared in Zi Hua's direction.
"And the one hiding at the back: if you enjoy being a fly on the wall—or should I say, tree—then you shouldn't have entered the rear palace. How disgraceful!"
With a haughty sniff, Consort Xu turned to her servants. "I can't believe how much time I wasted here—head to Phoenix Palace at once!"
Her abrupt departure left everyone dazed on the spot.
'Consort Xu is a force to be reckoned with...' Zi Hua rubbed her ringing ears, the consort's rant still echoing in them.
Sadly, in her stunned state, she forgot about Luo Yin and Song Chang Ge. They cornered her confrontationally, their ability to speak returning now that Consort Xu was gone.
"How long have you been here?!" Luo Yin demanded.
Zi Hua gulped.
Was it too late to run...?