Consort of a Thousand Faces

Wu Ling stopped in his tracks. “Prince Hao has instructed me to supervise the doctors from the Imperial Physician Institute while they treat the maids from the Laundry Service Bureau. Later, I’ll be allocating palace maids from each palace to the Laundry Service Bureau. If the symptoms of the original palace maids have yet to resolve by tomorrow night, send them out of the palace.”

 

Eunuch Zhang replied, “This transfer will involve numerous palace maids. Is there still time today?”

 

“No need to worry. There are many palace maids from the respective palaces.” Wu Ling then walked towards the Laundry Service Bureau.

 

Eunuch Zhang wavered for a while. Should I inform Imperial Bodyguard Wu that the Empress Dowager is preparing to go to the Beauty Palace?

 

Seeing that Wu Ling was walking further into the distance, Eunuch Zhang cast aside the Empress Dowager’s matter. Judging from the current circumstances, the Laundry Service Bureau is still more important.

 

~~~

 

Meanwhile, Pei Yaran had commandeered a squad of imperial guards by using her status as the Empress Dowager. 

 

Commanding them to follow her to the Beauty Palace and escort all 72 women to the Laundry Service Bureau, a massive commotion quickly spread throughout the imperial palace.

 

~~~

 

Su Xi-er had just happened to be In Old Maidservant Liu’s room when the news arrived.

 

Old Maidservant Liu laughed. “There’s going to be a good show to watch now. Su Xi-er, who do you think will win between the Empress Dowager and Prince Hao?”

 

Su Xi-er replied, “The Empress Dowager is too impulsive to have done this. No matter who wins, it will cause the reputation of the imperial household and the Pei Family to fall.”

 

“As I thought, you are intelligent,” Old Maidservant Liu praised her. Finally, she sighed. “Perhaps Prince Hao has already moved to prevent this situation by sending someone to have the Empress Dowager return to her palace.”

 

With how meticulous Prince Hao is, how can he allow others to witness such a farce?

 

Su Xi-er didn’t speak, only nodding her head in agreement.

 

Old Maidservant Liu changed the topic. “However, I really want to see how the women from the Beauty Palace are going to wash the clothes after they arrive at the Laundry Service Bureau. After getting used to a lifestyle where their every whim is catered to, all of them will be on the verge of death in just a few days.”

 

“Old Maidservant Liu, where exactly do the women in the Beauty Palace come from?”

 

“Why? You’re curious?”

 

Su Xi-er smiled. “I just want to know.”

 

“There are 72 women altogether; consisting of palace maids from every palace, women from brothels in the capital, as well as women from merchants’ families in the counties. Of course, some of them are also daughters of officials; even official eldest[1] daughters.”

 

You can find women from walks of life among them.

 

Old Maidservant Liu continued, “For example, some of the daughters of officials with some status in the capital, go to the Beauty Palace for the sake of competing for the position of Princess Consort Hao. As for the others, some are aiming for the position of a Side Princess Consort[2], while some are fine with just being able to serve Prince Hao.”

 

Su Xi-er didn’t respond. These women continuously climb over the corpses of their fellows just for a man. Not only that, according to what Ye Qingzhu inadvertently divulged, the man in question won’t even give them a second thought as he doesn’t even go to the Beauty Palace.

 

“Su Xi-er, now that you have heard all of these, do you feel that Prince Hao values a woman’s appearance?”

 

Su Xi-er replied slowly, “Indeed, even the name is called ‘Beauty Palace’.”

 

Old Maidservant Liu smiled. “While some women can only be treated as entertainment, others are looking for the position of Princess Consort Hao. While he liberally collects the former, the latter is something that Prince Hao will definitely give careful consideration. With this kind of situation, women should firmly grasp what is most important, instead of worrying about how many beauties are beside their man.” 

 

Old Maidservant Liu only came to her senses after revealing a lot of details. “Why am I telling you so much? How much would you know about the matters between men and women?”

 

Su Xi-er smiled and didn’t comment. Men are the most fickle thing in this world.

 

“However, that may not necessarily be the case. Su Xi-er, you are so quick-witted and intelligent that sometimes I even suspect that this body of yours has changed its soul. Moreover, this soul must have gone through a lot.”

 

Su Xi-er looked at Old Maidservant Liu and replied indifferently, “You’re thinking too much.”

 

Old Maidservant Liu waved her hand. “Indeed, I’m thinking too much.”

 

Suddenly, the voices of palace maids could be heard from outside the door.

 

Something bad has happened? Or has someone come? What exactly is the matter?

 

Su Xi-er and Old Maidservant Liu exchanged glances with each other before they left the room and walked towards the courtyard of the Palace Side Quarters.

 

All of the palace maids fell silent upon seeing Old Maidservant Liu, not daring to speak.

 

At the palace gate of the Palace Side Quarters, the imperial bodyguards were walking over.

1. Not only is this daughter the eldest, she is also born from the main wife and thus, has a much higher status than concubine-born daughters.

2. Not the official wife of the prince but it is still a rather high status compared to merely concubines. For most novels, the number of side princess consorts a prince can have is four.