Chapter 13.1

This is not a professional translation; you have been warned. ʘ‿ʘ

Someone really can’t sit down, at least the east chamber was anxious.

For several days, Zhao Mama was busy attacking the minions in the east chamber. Naturally, they were not the servants brought into the palace, but the servants assigned from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Living in the same courtyard, it’s noisy here and there, but they can’t help but listen to the noise there. Pan Er is calm. She knows that when a new person enters the door, the prince must make a face for the Crown Princess. Will he come to the yard for a while or not? But the person next door can’t sit still.

Not only the other side, even Aunt Qing secretly discusses with her if she wants to find a way. But Pan Er did not explain clearly, she can only that say she’s not in a hurry. Just then, Bai Zhu came in and reported that Xiao Dezi asked for a meeting. Pan Er calculated the time in his mind, thinking that it was almost the time.

Soon, little Dezi came in and kowtowed to Pan Er at the door.

“Get up, what’s up?”

Xiao Dezi hurriedly got up and stood on the edge of the kang bed.

“The servant only heard about it. The Jide Hall was ordering people to ask about the little days of the masters in the various courtyards.”

He spoke especially in a low voice. This kind of voice and distance give a feeling that he and Pan Er are talking privately. People in the palace are just like this. They never forget to build momentum for themselves. Naturally, this momentum is made for others to see. It makes people feel that they are close to the master and others dare not look down on them.

“Our palace is not the same as the others. The princess arranges the bed serving schedule at the beginning of each month. First of all, they inquired about the little days of the masters of the last month. According to the example, they avoided some days to arrange the next month’s bed time for the masters. There used to be six masters in our palace, five days for each concubines and five days for the princess. Now there are two more. I’m afraid that the palace won’t be very peaceful these days.”

Xiao Dezi’s words are on point up to the end. This is waiting for Pan Er to ask. He is also afraid of saying the wrong thing to cause trouble for himself, but actually Pan Er knows about it.

This rule is set by the Crown Princess for the concubines. It is said to prevent the principal wife and the concubines from competing for favors. To prevent any harm, everyone’s turn to serve the bed should be set in advance. If there is this kind of rule, no favors should be invited intentionally.

Therefore, there is a special glass lamp in the East Palace, which will be hung outside the courtyard when it’s someone’s turn to serve. It’s convenient for the prince to come to the backyard and remember to rest there tonight. After all, the prince is not like the emperor, that has a green card or something.

Of course, if the prince insists on going to other places, no one can impose on him. But as far as Pan Er knows, this kind of thing hasn’t happened, at least not in her previous life. The Crown Prince always gives the Crown Princess face. He won’t make her lose face, but Pan Er also thinks because he is very indifferent. Whether it’s because of this and that, the crown prince is not very keen on coming to the backyard.

Because of this rule, the Crown Princess also got a virtuous name in the palace. Princess Zhou and Princess Gao didn’t tell Princess Qi and Princess Chu less about it, which means that they should learn more about the magnanimity of the Crown Princess.

However, Pan Er knows that there are other purposes for the Crown Princess’ move. This reason will not be elaborated here at the moment.

The favor of a woman in the harem is directly related to the bedchamber. The bedchamber is not only related to favor, but also to children. If a woman in this palace does not want heirs, she will have them later.

No wonder Xiao Dezi will come here in a hurry, which should be the most concerned thing in the courtyard at present. Sure enough, it is clever!

“Has someone came to our courtyard and asked?”  Pan Er’s words are on the point.

Bai Zhu lowers her head, and Xiao Dezi shrinks his neck. Only Aunt Qing looks thoughtful.

Finally, little Dezi spoke.

“Not yet. Maybe it’s our turn later.”

A bit late?

If people will come later, how can Xiao Dezi come in such a hurry? All the other yards have finished, but they didn’t come to this courtyard. The meaning of Jide Hall can’t be more clear, they’re holding them deliberately, waiting for them to take the initiative to ask, just like in the past.

Since Pan Er and Zhao Xi Yue entered the East Palace, the Crown Princess has never actively left two people to talk. The two are too ‘peaceful and honest’, the princess does not let them stay, and they do not take the initiative to get close to each other.

Pan Er is thinking about it. I’m afraid Zhao Xi Yue is still arrogant, in addition, the eldest madam and the second madam are not in harmony. She doesn’t want to bow her head to the Crown Princess. As for Pan Er herself, she was eager to stay away from the Crown Princess, and naturally didn’t want to have any business with her.

Now if I don’t take initiative, they’ll let you take the initiative.

“Master, why don’t you go to the Crown Princess and talk?” Xiao Dezi suggested in a low voice. It must have been in his heart for a long time before he said it.

“Let’s see what’s going on in the opposite direction first.”

The truth is Pan Er decided not to go.

The same topic is going on in the opposite east chamber.

However, it’s already afternoon when it was known. The news of the east chamber is not as good as that of the west. Zhao Xi Yue is not as calm as Pan Er. After listening, her teeth were almost broken.

“What does she want to do? Revenge? To embarrass me on purpose?”

Zhao Xi Yue’s nanny, Zhao Mama, said in a low voice, “Miss, please keep your voice down. If you let those people hear you, then it will spread out. She might give you ^[1] tight shoes to wear.”

Zhao Xiyue’s face is stiff, but tears are turning in her eyes. “How else to wear it? The next day I came here, she punished my servants and rub it on my face. I had been in the house for more than ten days. She didn’t even persuade the prince to come to the courtyard. Now she doesn’t even plan to arrange me for a day to serve. She wants to force me to beg her.”

Zhao Mama with a bitter face, sighed and said, “Why not try? Let’s go and ask? People have to bow their heads under the eaves. Let’s take advantage of her to find a chance to serve. When the girl became pregnant, naturally, we don’t need to ask for her again.”

“She didn’t give birth to a son of her own. Would she let me have one?”

“Isn’t Hu Liangdi pregnant? This is not like outside the palace. It’s also important for the royal family to pay attention to heirs. She’s been married for five years. She hasn’t laid an egg yet. If she can’t give birth, she can lift the status of the girl in the opposite chamber?”

After hearing Zhao Mama’s words, Zhao Xi Yue thought about it and there was some truth about it.

“The Chen family is begging us to have a son and want to give her the idea of raising a son under her name.” Zhao Xi Yue knew this for a long time, and the eldest madam also spoke with her.

“Even if you think about the past, as long as the eldest madam is still there, who can cross you? You are different from others. No matter how much she hates you, she dares not start with you. Otherwise, the relationship between the Chen and Zhao families will be broken. Moreover, when the child is born, you can’t help her. You have accepted the favor and gave birth to a son for the prince. You will depend on your son to support you. She won’t have the ability to seize it.”

“But don’t forget, there is another one across. It’s better to let her give birth than you. The other one is helpless. It’s said that the salt merchant surnamed Pei accepted her as a righteous sister. In fact, she’s just an outsider, and an outsider is better.”

“That’s why you need to be ahead. When you get in touch with the prince, then it doesn’t matter what happens to the other side. Now that everything else is in the starting point, the first thing you have to do is to get the prince’s favor.” Zhao Mama said, convincing her.

Zhao Xiyue was persuaded by her and her mind was alive.

“Then I will go now?”

“The sooner, the better.” Zhao Mama agreed. Yu Ping and Yu Xia were also called in to dress Zhao Xi Yue. As for the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Zhao Xi Yue has not yet asked them to come in to serve her.

After finishing, Zhao Xi Yue hesitated again.

“Or wait, lest I’ll be seen from the opposite side, and she’ll laugh at me somehow in her heart.”

Zhao Mama hurriedly pulled her up. “My girl, is this the time to care about face? Ridicule? When you have favor and there’s none for the opposite side, it’s when you laugh at her.”

Zhao Xiyue was persuaded out of the house by Zhao Mama, and Yu Ping follows her carefully.

T/N: The princess is really ridiculous. Why on earth would you arrange something like that? (>ლ) SRSLY.

• [1] tight shoes to wear – [chuān xiǎo xié] <穿小鞋> lit. to make sb wear tight shoes (idiom); to make life difficult for sb

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