"Why is Jiayi spending so much time with Royal Grandmother?" Asked Yiqiang.

"Aiyo, what's that face for?" Asked Xiang gui ren, wiggling their clasped hands, "You're always complaining about Jiayi and ordering her around. Now that she's someone else's problem, you're jealous?"

"I'm not jealous! But Pi'er and Molan are too short and can't get kites into the air like Jiayi. And Bolin can't climb trees or catch frogs like Jiayi. I'm bored,"

Huahuan tugged on Xiang gui ren's other hand, "Xiang niangniang, wouldn't it be nice to see something at the Hall of Pleasant Sounds?"

Xiang gui ren glanced at her. It was like Yiqiang's voice went in one ear and out the other.

"It would be nice," she said before turning to back Yiqiang, "The Empress Dowager is giving Jiayi the honor to paint her portrait,"

Yiqiang's eyes furrowed, "But it only took Jiayi a few days for each of our portraits,"

"I've heard that the troupe just learned Peony Pavilion," said Huahuan, "We should ask if Royal Father wants to see it with us,"

"Huahuan, Xiang niangniang is talking to Yiqiang. Behave yourself," said De gui fei.

"Oh," Huahuan craned her head to the side and finally noticed her little brother.

De gui fei gave Xiang gui ren a worried smile. She couldn't ignore how Huahuan treated Yiqiang either. Xiang gui ren didn't know if it was better or worse that Huahuan wasn't malicious in her behavior. It was like Yiqiang was a painting or a servant. It never crossed Huahuan's mind that Yiqiang was a person, let alone her brother.

"Her Highness wants the sort of portrait you hang in the halls of the ancestors. It'll take some time," said Xiang gui ren.

"Oh," Yiqiang said as his shoulders slumped.

"Don't worry," said Molan, squeezing Yiqiang's shoulder, "Jiejie will be done in no time,"

"Meimei," De gui fei began after Huahuan and Yiqiang had gone to their lessons for the day, "I–"

"Don't apologize, jiejie,"

"No, I have to. Seeing Yiqiang, I'm filled with guilt. Even if I never said a word against him when Shu pin, I'm not better than those maids who let him get so sick. That's why Huahuan is treating him like this,"

"Jiejie," said Xiang gui ren, grabbing De gui fei's hand, "How much could you do? I heard His Majesty was so furious about that Shu pin person. You couldn't read minds. Who could've imagined how bold Yiqiang's old servants could be?"

De gui fei didn't look reassured by her words. Poor jiejie. There was always too much going on in that head of hers.

"Ow!" Xiang gui ren feigned pain and clutched the smooth ridges of the scar on her face.

De gui fei crowded close, "What's wrong? Are you hurt? I thought the doctors said you were in perfect health?"

Xiang gui ren tweaked De gui fei's nose and laughed at her outraged gasp.

"I said not to worry, and all you do is worry! Aiyo, where is the gracious, virtuous goddess the gugu described so long ago?"

De gui fei's ears blushed, and she hurried away.

"Jiejie! I was joking!" Xiang gui ren said, running after her.

De gui fei wouldn't look at her but didn't shake her off when Xiang gui ren held her hand again. Molan picked up Thunder as a mass of servants with carts of construction materials bowed to them.

"What's all that for?" Asked Xiang gui ren.

"It's that time of year for Shoukanggong* repairs," replied De gui fei.

"Shoukanggong?" Echoed Xiang gui ren, "Won't that disturb the other dowagers?"

"There aren't any other dowagers in the Forbidden City,"

"Didn't the late Emperor continue the selections until his death? All those girls couldn't have possibly died, "

"No," said De gui fei, "They exist, just not here. After the late Emperor's death, The Empress Dowager was...kind and let the other dowagers leave the forbidden city and live with their sons and daughters,"

"What if they had no children?"

"They live in the summer palace, or they were sent to temples,"

"That's allowed?"

"It wasn't, but The Empress Dowager has enough connections in court that it became allowed,"

Xiang gui ren snorted, "What? Does she think they'd form an army against her?"

De gui fei leaned in, "The Empress Dowager didn't make many friends on her journey to where she is today. Peace would not come easy with the other dowagers here,"

Serves the old bat right. What right did that old bitch have to be peaceful with how she was tormenting Jiayi? Jiayi returned from The Empress Dowager's palace stiff and drawn tight with tension each day. She refused to say anything about what The Empress Dowager was doing to her, only mumbling about the honor she was given.

"The Empress Dowager is The Empress Dowager," said Xiang gui ren, mouth sour, "What could anyone do to her?"

"Someone like Dowager Noble Consort Ling? It–" De gui fei covered her mouth, "It's not good to speak about that,"

Dowager Noble Consort Ling? The Empress Dowager feared her so much that she cast her out of the Forbidden City? That was interesting.

De gui fei's face turned grave, "Meimei, there's something I need to talk to you about, privately,"

✺

The surge of emotion that swirled through Xiang gui ren was hard to decipher. Did she want to laugh or cry? Maybe both?

"Jiejie, you're mistaken," she said in the privacy of De gui fei's rooms, "Jiayi could never be His Majesty's concubine,"

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"It's no mistake. Ever since that first night, I've had people watching her. The Empress Dowager is telling her how she'll support Jiayi's family when she becomes a concubine and how quickly she can rise through the ranks with her talents. The Empress Dowager is plying her with gifts and silks,"

Xiang gui ren threw up her hands, "So what if she's doing all these things? Jiayi would never become His Majesty's woman. She can barely stand the sight of him,"

De gui fei pursed her lips, "Meimei, you're lucky. You fell in love with His Majesty, and he brought you here to live our the rest of your days. The rest of us? We're our family's greatest hope. Each maid and eunuch here is living for their parents and for their brothers and sisters. Even if Jiayi wants no part of The Emperor, how can she say no when she has the chance to do so much for her family?"

"Even if Jiayi wanted to do this, why would His Majesty bother with her?"

"The Empress Dowager has timed His Majesty's visits during her painting sessions. His Majesty isn't a fool. He knows what The Empress Dowager is doing,"

Xiang gui ren bit her lip. This was bad. How would Jiayi live as His Majesty's concubine? What would she do when he flipped her tag? Jiayi would spend the rest of her days suffering for her family, crushed under a man who made her skin crawl. It was barbaric. It was the sort of thing she thought she left behind at the brothel.

Xiang gui ren couldn't let it happen.

However...

Maybe Jiayi only hated His Majesty because she didn't know him the way Xiang gui ren knew him. It wouldn't be so bad then, would it? She wouldn't have such a hard time. If Jiayi made the right moves then His Majesty would treat her well. Jiayi would be a good mother, too. It wouldn't be all bad. They could still be close.

Xiang gui ren put Thunder in her lap and pet the dog's wrinkly little face, "Let's say–let's say Jiayi has become a concubine. If it made her happy, would it be that bad?"

"Have you lost your mind?" De gui fei whispered, "Of course, it would be bad. The Empress Dowager is Shen huang gui fei's most powerful backer. She'll steal Jiayi away from you in a second,"

"What does Shen huang gui fei have to do with any of this?"

Xiang gui ren felt dread pool in her stomach as De gui fei revealed Shen huang gui fei's true face. Xiang gui ren knew that the other woman wasn't honest with her intentions but, she could never have imagined what a murderous snake she was.

"The Empress knows about this and says I shouldn't involve myself, but what good will that do?" said De gui fei, "His Majesty left Huabao in Mongolia. Of course, Shen huang gui fei will feel slighted. There's no telling how soon Jiayi will turn into another Wang Rong, if we let things go too far,"

Shen huang gui fei was going to turn Jiayi into another Jiang pin? Jiayi didn't have a jealous bone in her body. Besides her paints, Jiayi readily gave away almost everything. Jiayi made Thunder several little jackets out of the silks she was given on her birthday. If Pie'er even glanced at a piece of food, Jiayi would relinquish the whole plate. But what would happen if Jiayi was pushed too far? If her family was threatened? Would she decide that eliminating her former mistress was an end to her means?

✺

While it felt like Jiayi had spent an eternity in The Empress Dowager's presence, each day felt as hard as the first. The Empress never stopped mentioning and updating her on Wei Jiayi's family. She'd even threatened to send Jiayi home to visit them for the new year. It was only through sheer force of will that her hands kept steady for The Empress Dowager's portrait. Jiayi spent every second in that palace waiting for the other shoe to drop. The ink sticks that Jiayi was using were like nothing she'd ever seen before. It was too bad she was never in the mood to appreciate them.

Jiayi's mood blackened further when The Emperor stopped by which was happening more often than not. Jerjer gugu or The Empress Dowager were always finding something fascinating in the painting that His Majesty just had to see up close. Jiayi's shoulders ached with how hard she forced herself not to lean away when the man hovered over her shoulder. When The Empress Dowager concluded the sessions, she would give Jiayi an incredibly decadent piece of jewelry. A ring, another bangle, earrings, what have it. Each day, The Empress Dowager personally pressed them into Jiayi's hands.

Today, it was a gold ring with a piece of imperial jade the size of a quail's egg. The ring band was so covered in kingfisher feather's it almost looked completely blue. Jiayi slipped the ring off her finger. She walked to the same alcove Prince Han caught her with The Empress Dowager's first gift many weeks ago. These days, Prince Han was usually there, waiting for her. Each time, Prince Han would look at The Empress Dowager's gift and say it was inappropriate for a maid of such low standing to have and relieve her of it. Jiayi didn't know when it happened, but she found herself looking forward to it the most.

At the start, all Jiayi could do was thank him and return to Xiang gui ren as quickly as possible. As the days went on, her and Prince Han's conversations became longer and longer. Prince Han asked after Xiang gui ren and Yiqiang and Jiayi asked after Prince Han's health. Soon, the conversations became less stilted, less polite, and more filled with quiet smiles.

Jiayi knew men and women weren't supposed to be alone like this, but Sang'er was there, so they weren't doing anything wrong. Prince Han was her friend. She stared down at the ring and smiled. Jiayi wondered what Prince Han would say about it.

"Uglier than usual,"

"Matches the original owner perfectly, don't you think?"

A shadow stretched over the corner. Jaiyi's heart began to race.

"Jiayi!"

Sixth Prince shot around the corner and barreled into Jiayi's legs, Prince Han behind him. Sang'er struggled to hold an excited Thunder in his hands, who eventually squirmed away and began to paw at Jiayi's skirts.

"Sixth Prince, what are you doing here?"

Sang'er tightened his grip on the kites and toys in his hands, "Sixth Prince missed you so much that Xiang gui ren asked that Prince Han bring him to you to fly kites in the Imperial Garden,"

"I didn't miss her!" Sixth Prince said, glaring at Sang'er, "Only Jiayi knows how to get the kites out from the trees. And I wanted to show you all the tricks that Thunder learned,"

"Sixth Prince I–"

"Xiang niangniang already said you could!" Sixth Prince interrupted.

Jiayi smiled and fixed the collar of his cape, "Alright,"

Sixth Prince yelped as Thunder nipped at his ankles before running off.

"Little rat!" He said, scampering after her.

"Sixth Prince!" Sang'er yelled, running behind him, "Be careful! Slow down!"

Prince Han didn't spare her a glance and walked past her. Any manner of servant could see them, so it was only proper that Prince Han walk in front of her and that Jiayi trail after him, head bowed. It did sting a bit.

"No reward today?"

Jiayi caught Prince Han's eye as he snuck a glance at her.

"A ring," she whispered, "Heavy enough to break your finger,"

"Let me see,"

Jiayi smothered her smile and pressed the ring in the open hand behind Prince Han's back when the coast was clear. Her cheeks tingled as their fingers touched.

✺

Jiayi's cheeks were still sore from smiling late into the night. Prince Han was in fine form that afternoon, wrestling and running after Sixth Prince, who was tucked away in bed. Jiayi's mood was even more brightened by the fact that it was mid-month, so she was free of The Emperor's presence for the night.

As the nights grew colder, Xiang gui ren spent evenings in De gui fei's rooms. The Emperor favored Xiang gui ren but found it too far to give her the same long burning coals that higher-ranked mistresses were granted. Jiayi set down a fresh cup of tea by De gui fei and then Xiang gui ren's elbow.

"Your Highness, mistress, won't you have some tea to warm your hands?"

De gui fei glanced up at her, a peculiar look in her eye.

Xiang gui ren sighed and slapped her cards on the table, "I might as well. Jiejie is too good at this game. Lucky for me, we were playing for fun. One wrong move, and I'd have to wear your clothes back to my room!"

She took a big gulp and hummed, "That reminds me! Hupo," Xiang gui ren said, calling for De gui fei's maid, "Bring the list jiejie and I were working on today,"

"Withdraw," ordered De gui fei after taking the papers.

"Now," said Xiang gui ren, leaning over De gui fei's shoulder, "What do you think of Ying as in clever, as a name?"

Jiayi blinked when she realized Xiang gui ren was talking to her, "Ying? It's very pretty,"

"Qiao would fit her better, in my opinion," De gui fei said, her voice brittle.

Xiang gui ren scrunched her nose up, "No, no, no! Aspiring? I don't like it. I want something prettier for Jiayi,"

"For me?" Said Jiayi.

Did one of The Emperor's new women share a name with her? Jiayi would've preferred to be called A'Yi, instead of being called something completely new, but she hadn't much choice.

"Of course for you! His Majesty will probably have the Department of Internal Affairs pick a name for you, but they have no taste. Jiejie and I will pick something lovely and tell His Majesty for you,"

Jiayi was becoming increasingly confused with each sentence that came out of her mistress' mouth. Why would The Emperor or the Department of Internal Affairs have anything to do with her new name?

De gui fei picked up her tea, "I told meimei that first-class attendants aren't given honorary titles, but she was just so happy for you,"

"I don't understand what you mean, Your Highness," said Jiayi.

Xiang gui ren laughed, "Look at her still playing dumb! Jiayi, we already know. His Majesty is planning to make you his woman,"

––––––––

* Palace of Longevity and Good Health