CHAPTER 30: CHAPTER 30: MY CARRIAGE IS VERY, VERY SPACIOUS

Concubine Li certainly didn’t hit her.

If Attendant Lady Xi was sent onto the carriage with a slap mark, the Emperor would first ask her what happened, and she wouldn’t fall for this scheme: "Get up, freshen up and prepare to leave."

"Concubine Li sister, I’m ill and can’t go."

Yun Jiao’s voice was even more tender when she was extremely sleepy.

Concubine Li tried to lift her up, but Yun Jiao just leaned back onto her soft white cushion and continued to doze off: "You can’t not go, what if you don’t go and the Emperor doesn’t let me accompany him? Wake up!"

Concubine Li vigorously shook her.

But a strong person never complains about their circumstances, and Yun Jiao found the midst of wind and rain particularly conducive to sleep.

Yun Jiao wasn’t heavy, but Concubine Li was a delicate woman too, and seeing her lady was nearly out of breath from pressure, two palace maids had to team up to lift Attendant Lady Xi up.

"You drooled all over me!"

Concubine Li looked down to see a suspicious damp spot spreading across her chest, her mood cracking once more.

She sat down heavily beside and commanded Xue Ya, "You, go fetch water."

Then she pointed at Gong Mei, "You, go get a towel."

"Since your lady doesn’t want to get up to wash, then wash her in bed."

Concubine Li said, resentful.

Xue Ya brought a basin of water at the right temperature, using a towel dipped in water to help her lady wash her face and brush her teeth, taking care to say soothingly, "Little mistress, don’t swallow the water, spit it here." Someone else was ready to catch it.

After being attended to completely, Yun Jiao gradually came to her senses.

She blinked and immediately paid respects to Concubine Li.

"Enough, hurry up and dress, just now seeing Attendant Lady Xi like that, I really thought you had passed away and were beyond saving." Concubine Li endured until now, just to mock her a bit to avenge her own grievance.

"Yeah, I’ve always slept like the dead."

Unexpectedly, she was quite comfortable with this description.

Xue Ya reminded her, "Little mistress! You cannot say taboo words inside the palace."

Yun Jiao thought for a moment, "Then I always sleep very peacefully, very deep in thought."

The verbal skills of harem women were nothing to Yun Jiao, who had encountered modern internet trolls. Concubine Li swung a fist into the cotton, reluctantly watching her dress and change until she was done. Until they went outside, Concubine Li got on her own sedan chair, wiping nonexistent sweat: "Oh, I’m exhausted. You all keep an eye on Attendant Lady Xi, don’t let her sneaks back... Can’t you perk up a bit! Do you need me to vacate the sedan chair for you!"

Yun Jiao raised her head and said shyly, "That’s too embarrassing."

"You actually know what embarrassment is, walk along instead."

Yun Jiao pouted and followed Concubine Li’s sedan chair with small, delicate steps.

...

When the Emperor goes out, the entire harem must come to see him off.

The Empress Dowager had caught a bit of a headache from the wind, not severe enough to keep the Emperor to tend her yet unable to make the trip as well, thus only coming to send him off.

This was Yun Jiao’s first real look at the Empress Dowager, unlike the old ladies in TV dramas, the Empress Dowager was well looked after, appeared in her early forties, didn’t show any signs of aging, yet maintained a dignified demeanor. The Empress Dowager entrusted the Empress with many words, performing exceptionally well in displaying a harmonious mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship, Lady stood with a taut face below, visibly displeased.

However, times when she was happy were few, everyone was accustomed to it.

The procession stretched out, with the dragon flag-bearing team at the front fluttering in the wind, carrying various articles Yun Jiao had only seen in TV shows such as the red guiding banner, Yi Huang, Purple Square Umbrella... etc., Yun Jiao found it fascinating, Gong Mei whispered, "Each concubine has their own procession, if you work harder you too can have a show of grandeur."

She seized the chance to incite her mistress to compete for favor.

But Yun Jiao only saw those oddly shaped items as resembling weapons from online games, appearing to release some sort of skill with a casual swing: "Talking about grandeur, nothing matches its grandeur."

Of course, Yun Jiao was referring to the golden carriage the Emperor sat in.

The common folks on either side of the road could glimpse the Emperor seated inside through the curtains surrounding the carriage. Directly staring at the Emperor was a serious crime, although the law doesn’t prosecute everyone, commoners dared not truly stare intently at the curtains, using the corner of their eyes with reverence to catch a glance at the Emperor’s features.

The Xie Family had no ugly members, and today’s Emperor was exceptionally handsome.

The Imperial Palace’s atmosphere nurtures its inhabitants, not to mention laborers at the docks of the Capital City, even the sons of wealthy merchants couldn’t cultivate his aura of elegance. For the people born into ingrained reverence for imperial power, the Emperor appearing like a Heavenly Immortal was undeniably extraordinary.

"Little mistress, stop looking outside, you’ll get scolded if you’re caught."

Xue Ya reminded.

Yun Jiao then put down the curtain: "Attendant Lady’s carriage is so small."

The Emperor had clearly promised to bring her over.

Whether she saw the Emperor mattered not; the condition of the carriage was paramount! An Attendant Lady’s carriage only sat three, not allowing her to lie down and rest, and had no chamber pots; although Xue Ya had prepared one, if it were needed, both palace maids would have to surround her, asking each time if her business was done...

She couldn’t stand it!

Once they exited the city, without common folk surrounding them, Yun Jiao found a way to sneak onto Concubine Li’s carriage.

"Don’t you have your own carriage?" Concubine Li was puzzled.

"It’s too small, I can’t stretch out. Lady, could you take me in?"

Faced with Attendant Lady Xi’s audacity, Concubine Li had no choice; the jerky and prunes she brought were mostly eaten by Yun Jiao, she originally didn’t want to give them, but a palace maid advised her, "Lady, if Attendant Lady Xi has nothing to eat she’ll talk even more, isn’t that more irritating?"

Concubine Li thought it over and agreed, handing out snacks in exchange for peace.

The carriage shook enough to make her dizzy, leaving her unmotivated to eat, idly pondering if the Emperor might summon her to accompany him... The journey to the hunting grounds was a long one, and the Emperor often summoned company; Concubine Li investigated, hearing that Lady personally prepared snacks and sent them to the Emperor: "Oh dear, if Lady has taken action, then it’s hopeless."

Sure enough, before long, Lady got her wish and moved to the Emperor’s carriage.

Concubine Li said sourly, "No wonder she’s the Emperor’s cousin, he favors her especially," thinking of her own long absence from favor, she felt disheartened, and unwilling for Lady’s family to single dominate, she nudged Yun Jiao with her foot, "So useless, didn’t the Emperor promise to bring you?"

Yun Jiao looked up blankly.

Just then they arrived at a relay station, the convoy stopped to rest, shortly after, the pearl curtain was lifted by Ying Lu who respectfully greeted with a smile, "Servant presents respects to Concubine Li and Attendant Lady Xi."

Concubine Li asked, "What’s your business, Eunuch?"

"To inform Lady, the Emperor calls for Attendant Lady Xi to accompany him."

Concubine Li was surprised: "Has Lady returned to her own carriage?"

At this, Ying Lu shook his head with an awkward expression.

Xie Zhixing hadn’t forgotten his promise to Attendant Lady Xi, but Lady being with him undeniably held prestige, she rarely requested him, saying she was unbearably bored without him and missed him greatly, hence she came! Of course, a monarch’s word stands; Yun Jiao’s promise had to be fulfilled too.

As a ruler of feudal times, he didn’t feel this arrangement was problematic at all.

After all, His Majesty’s carriage was quite roomy!