Just a Wet Nurse, Just a Plaything? Everyone Wept After My Death - Chapter 83
Chapter 83
Early the next morning, an imperial edict crashed into the tranquil waters of the imperial harem like a massive boulder, stirring up waves on every side.
“By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:
“Wet Nurse Shen of the Northern Compound is gentle, virtuous, prudent, and has rendered meritorious service in attending the Ninth Prince, greatly pleasing Us.
“She is hereby elevated to the rank of Second Attendant and granted the designation ‘Shen.’
“Furthermore, as the Northern Compound is bitterly cold and may harm her health, she is granted special permission to move into the side hall of Suiyu Pavilion. All shall obey this decree!”
Eunuch Li’s shrill voice echoed through the deserted Northern Compound.
Shen Yingyue knelt on the ground and raised both hands to receive the bright yellow scroll.
“I… thank Your Majesty for this immense grace.”
In a single bound, she had risen from a lowly wet nurse to a Second Attendant of the eighth rank. Though her position remained humble, she had gone from servant to mistress. In the rigidly hierarchical imperial harem, such a meteoric rise was virtually unheard of.
Once he finished proclaiming the edict, Eunuch Li beamed and gestured for several large chests to be brought forward. They were packed with silks, satins, gold and silver jewelry sent by the Imperial Household Department, a dazzling array that nearly blinded the eye.
“Congratulations, Second Attendant Shen. My warmest congratulations.”
Eunuch Li stepped closer, his expression ingratiating.
“Suiyu Pavilion may not be as spacious as the palaces occupied by the senior consorts, but it is warm, sunny, and close to the Imperial Garden. A sedan is already waiting outside. Once you’ve gathered your things, My Lady, shall we move you over at once? The Northern Compound is steeped in cold and gloom. It’s hardly a place for someone of your status to live.”
Shen Yingyue looked at the rewards, then at the warm sedan waiting outside the entrance. Slowly, she shook her head.
“Thank you for going to all this trouble, Eunuch Li.”
Her voice was soft but resolute.
“But I cannot go to Suiyu Pavilion.”
Eunuch Li froze. “But… why? This is a favor bestowed by the Emperor.”
Shen Yingyue turned toward the inner chamber. Xiao Ze stood by the bed, clutching the doorframe and staring at her. His eyes were filled with the terror of being abandoned.
“As you can see, Eunuch Li, the Ninth Prince has only just recovered from a serious illness. This is when he needs familiar people by his side the most. If he is suddenly moved to a new environment or placed in the care of strangers, I’m afraid his condition may relapse.”
Shen Yingyue slipped off the jade bracelet Xiao Jingheng had awarded her the previous night and discreetly pressed it into Eunuch Li’s hand.
“Please report this to the Emperor on my behalf.
“Tell him that Lady Shen is deeply grateful for his immense grace, but as the prince’s wet nurse, I must fulfill my duty.
“I wish to remain in the Northern Compound and continue caring for His Highness until he has fully recovered. As for these humble accommodations… so long as my heart is at peace, even a thatched hut is as good as a grand mansion.”
Holding the smooth jade bracelet, Eunuch Li gave Shen Yingyue a long look, marveling inwardly.
What woman in the imperial harem did not rack her brains for a chance to move somewhere better? Yet this one refused to climb even when a higher branch was placed right before her.
“In that case, I will report your words faithfully.”
…
After seeing Eunuch Li off, Shen Yingyue surveyed the rewards filling the courtyard, her expression impassive.
“My Lady, should we… put all of these on display?” asked a newly assigned palace maid in a quiet voice, her eyes gleaming at the sight of the golden jewelry.
“No.”
Shen Yingyue closed the chest without expression and ordered coldly, “Make a complete inventory and lock everything in the storeroom. Not a single item is to be displayed.”
The maid was astonished. “My Lady, these are gifts from the Emperor. Imagine how distinguished you’d look wearing them…”
“Distinguished?”
Without so much as glancing at the chests, Shen Yingyue turned and walked back into the inner chamber.
“In this palace, looking too distinguished can cost you your head. Put them away!”
She knew full well that she was now the target of everyone’s hostility. Noble Lady Li already wanted to devour her alive. Flaunting these rewards now would be no different from courting death.
…
At dusk, after finishing his affairs of state, Xiao Jingheng ordered the imperial procession to the Northern Compound.
He had expected to find a transformed Second Attendant Shen, decked in pearls and jewels. Yet the moment he stepped inside, he discovered that the Northern Compound remained as austere and desolate as ever.
The gold, silver, and jade ornaments were nowhere to be seen. She had not even added a decent curio shelf to the room.
Shen Yingyue sat beside the bed, feeding Xiao Ze his medicine. She wore a pale pink satin banner dress sent by the Imperial Household Department, with only a plain silver hairpin adorning her hair.
The setting sun spilled over her, lending her a gentle, tranquil air, yet it also cast her modest circumstances into stark relief.
“Your Majesty!”
When Shen Yingyue saw him enter, she hurriedly set down the medicine bowl and knelt in greeting.
Xiao Jingheng stepped forward and helped her to her feet. Glancing around the room, he frowned slightly.
“Li Dequan told me you refused to move to Suiyu Pavilion and insisted on remaining in this wretched place. And what about everything I bestowed upon you? Why is none of it here?”
Shen Yingyue lowered her eyes and replied in a meek, respectful voice, “Those gifts were far too precious. I come from humble origins, and the very sight of them made me anxious. I was afraid I might damage them and fail to appreciate the Emperor’s kindness, so I had them placed in storage.”
“Placed in storage?” Xiao Jingheng was so exasperated that he laughed. “I gave them to you so you could use them and wear them. Dressed as plainly as you are, anyone who didn’t know better might think I was mistreating you.”
“The Emperor has shown me kindness as weighty as a mountain. How could that possibly be mistreatment?”
Shen Yingyue lifted her head, her limpid eyes brimming with sincerity and dependence.
“It’s only that, beautiful as those objects of gold and jade may be, they feel so cold.
“His Highness the Ninth Prince is still ill. He needs peace and quiet, and an overly lavish room would only make him uneasy.
“Besides…”
She paused. A blush spread across her cheeks as she shyly glanced at Xiao Jingheng, then quickly lowered her head again.
“Besides, in my heart, the Emperor’s favor is worth a thousand, ten thousand times more than any gold, silver, or jewels. As long as the Emperor keeps a place for me in his heart, then even if I must live here in the Northern Compound, even if I have nothing but a thorn hairpin to wear… my heart will still be filled with sweetness.”
Every word rang with heartfelt sincerity. She had explained both why she refused to move, for the prince’s sake, and why she wore no jewelry, because she cared nothing for vanity and wanted only the Emperor’s affection.
The displeasure Xiao Jingheng had felt over her defiance of his order vanished without a trace.
He was accustomed to the insatiably greedy women of the harem, women who would fight tooth and nail over a single imperial reward.
But Shen Yingyue was different.
He offered her a lofty position, yet she did not covet it. He gave her gold and silver, yet she cared nothing for them. All she wanted, it seemed, was a measure of peace and a sincere heart.
“You…”
Xiao Jingheng sighed, the last of the hardness in his eyes melting into tenderness. He reached out and gently stroked the pitiful silver hairpin in her hair.
“You truly are a little fool. There is no one else in this palace as free of greed as you.”
He drew her into his arms and rested his chin on the crown of her head. Breathing in the faint scent of soapberries clinging to her, he felt an urge to protect her unlike anything he had ever known.
“Since you prefer peace and quiet and have no wish to attract attention, I will allow it.
“But the Northern Compound is far too cold. Li Dequan!”
Eunuch Li immediately answered from outside, “I am here.”
“Go to my private treasury and bring out those two white fox pelts. Have them made into a cloak for Second Attendant Shen. Then select some high-quality silver-frost charcoal and see that the underfloor heating in this side hall of the Northern Compound is repaired!
“Lady Shen has no love for gold and silver because she possesses a noble character. But no woman of mine will be allowed to suffer from the cold!”
“Yes, Your Majesty! I will see to it at once!”
Nestled against Xiao Jingheng’s chest, Shen Yingyue listened to the powerful beat of his heart. The faintest, coldest smile curved her lips.
Not greedy? Noble in character?
That was merely the image she had chosen to show him.
Because what she wanted had never been temporary rewards or fleeting favor.
She wanted this man to lower his guard around her. She wanted him to grow accustomed to her presence and come to believe that she, Shen Yingyue, was the one patch of untarnished moonlight in this corrupt and filthy palace.
Only then could she survive in this harem, surrounded by predators on every side, and… secure her footing even more firmly.
