Walking through the gates of Xianfugong was like stepping into another world. The sun bounced off the bright gold roof and lacquered red walls. Jiayi took a deep breath. Even the air was fresher here. The courtyard was bustling. Stacks of luxurious fabrics and stately decor were piled around the door of one of the side halls. Eunuchs and palace maids were scurrying in and out. The eunuch, sick of her already, grabbed her shouldered and steered her inside.
"Wang gugu, here's another maid," he pushed her forward and ran off.
Jiayi bowed. You couldn't not bow to The Emperor's chief maid, Wang Langhua. Jiayi had heard of her but never seen her in the flesh. Fairly often, Jiayi gained a bunkmate thanks to Wang gugu. She had no mercy for maids who tried to crawl into the bed of The Emperor or did their mistress' unsightly biddings. The only maid in the palace with more power was Jerjer, The Empress Dowager's chief maid.
Wang gugu barely glanced at her, busy watching the servants scuttle to and fro.
"Rise," she said, "Do you have your uniform?"
Jiayi shook her head.
"Molan!" Barked Wang gugu, "Take this one and have her change into an extra uniform,"
"Yes!"
Jiayi was dragged into what she assumed was the maid's rooms by a short, round faced girl.
"What's your name?" The girl asked as she rummaged through a chest.
"Wei, er, Wei Jiayi,"
"I'm Shang Molan. Nice to meet you. Catch!"
A bundle of cloth hit Jiayi in the face.
Molan didn't mind that Jiayi was stripping down to her underclothes and proceeded to talk Jiayi's ears off about anything and everything.
Jiayi learned that Molan was 15 and a bond servant from the bordered blue banner clan, Cui. She learned that there were two other maids here, Li Ming and Ping'er. She learned that even though Xiang gui ren was going to live in a side hall, His Majesty was decorating her room with things far above her station. The Emperor had even inspected the rooms personally.
"I'm ready," said Jiayi, smoothing down her silken waistcoat. She couldn't keep her hands off of it, it was the nicest thing she'd ever owned.
"Really?" Asked Molan, "You don't have anything for your hair?"
Jiayi reached and patted her plain liangbatou, "I like a simpler look," she lied.
"Simple won't do!" Molan walked over to the foot of her bed and dug around in a small chest. She pulled out a velvet flower hair pin and placed it on Jiayi's hairpiece, "Much better. If I wasn't so sure that Wang gugu wasn't going to come in here and drag us out, I'd do your makeup, too!"
The only response they got from Wang gugu when they returned as a strong glare.
"Who are you?" A skinny girl asked, stepping in front of her.
"Wei Jiayi,"
"Well, Wei Jiayi, make yourself useful and go wipe the walls," the maid shoved a bucket into her chest and stomped away.
Molan huffed and glared at her back, "That's Li Ming. She's miserable here and taking it out on everyone else,"
"Really?" Jiayi took the bucket and began scrubbing. Molan kept herself busy dusting the decorations dotted along the walls.
"Of course! She comes from one of the upper three banners. I heard she was planning to kill herself when she learned who she was serving, but Wang gugu told us that The Emperor would start telling their families that they were punished for adultery,"
"What's all this?" A sweet voice asked.
Wang gugu and the other servants bowed so Jiayi followed suit.
"Greetings to Jiang gui ren, An gui ren," said Wang gugu.
Jiang gui ren waved away the formality with a gold tipped hand.
"Things are coming along quite nicely, Wang gugu. You don't mind if I look around?"
Wang gugu stepped to the side and bowed her head.
Like all the Emperor's women, Jiang gui ren and An gui ren were beautiful. The beauty of An gui ren's small, gentle face was overshadowed by the look of plain hunger she wore, eyes always looking to the nearest coattail to ride. Jiang gui ren had an elegant face and sweet lips. A bright smile could have you staring for quite some time.
Said beauty was overshadowed by the sheer amount of adornment that she liked to wear. The sun streamed through the windows and bounced off of the numerous gold hair accessories that decorated her liangbatou. Jiang gui ren's changfu* was a deep green with gold and silver lotus embroidery. She was certainly not afraid of rings and wore two or three on each hand. All three pairs of earrings glistened in the sun. It was the sort of decoration you would expect of woman who slept in the main hall†.
"His Majesty is truly pampering Xiang meimei," said Jiang gui ren as she stepped into the bedroom, "I'm sure that fur is from the Western tributes. Not even Shen jiejie has something so nice,"
Jiang gui ren turned to the servants who had tucked themselves against the walls.
"It looks like these new slaves aren't so bad,"
"This lowly servant thanks you for your grace!" Replied Li Ming.
Grimacing, Jiang gui ren pressed her handkerchief to her nose,
"But these rooms smell...odd,"
"Perhaps it's the incense, my lady," said her eunuch, Haoyu.
"Yes," she replied with a sigh, "I'm used to a different quality,"
"Let's go back to your rooms so you don't damage your health," said An gui ren.
Jiang gui ren and her entourage swanned away and the servants bid her farewell.
"It's getting late. Go to the kitchens and eat. Don't take more than 15 minutes," said Wang gugu.
Molan stuck to her like glue as they walked through the streets of the Forbidden City.
"You know I don't think I've seen you before. How old are you?"
"18,"
"Oh, so you're Jiayi jiejie! Where did the send you during the last draft? Or did you come from the one before?"
Jiayi swallowed. She knew that she would have to make up a lie about her background but she didn't think she would have to do it so soon.
"Does it matter where she came from? She ended up here so she couldn't be that good," Li Ming walked by, knocking her shoulder into Molan's.
"Li Ming meimei, don't forget, you're here, too! Why do you suddenly care about being good or bad? I saw how much time you spend staring at the guards who pass by, its obvious you want to show them how good you can be,"
Furious, Li Ming's face turned a splotchy red all over, "Shut your mouth," she snapped grabbing at Molan's collar.
"What's wrong with you?" Jiayi hissed, throwing Li Ming's hand away, "If you keep acting like this Wang gugu will have us all sent to the hard labor camps and as sinjeku as well. You wouldn't last a day in there,"
"Mind your own business," Replied Li Ming as she yanked her hand back. She glared at them before walking ahead.
Jiayi just walked along with a shake of her head. It was just her luck that she was serving alongside such a petty girl. If The Empress or the Imperial Noble Consort had passed by and saw their little display, they would be as good as dead. While it would still be a step above from being sent back to Su gonggong, Jiayi wasn't going to let childish fight and churlish behavior stand in the way of her new, simple life.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Jiayi walked through the courtyard of the Imperial Kitchen and felt her stomach grumble. At the hard labor camp, breakfast was thin congee and steamed wilted vegetables that were one step above pig feed. It was late in the day now and she was feeling drained from all the excitement.
The servants entered a side door to collect their meals and could sit and eat in the back courtyard or return to their palace. When the kitchen servant handed her a bowl of brilliantly bright fried rice, Jiayi thought she had ascended. It had been so long since she'd eaten food with color, spice and flavor! There were even bits of pork hiding in the rice. Pork!
"Fried rice again?" Muttered Molan as they sat down to eat, "It's always the same stuff,"
Jiayi didn't bother to respond to her griping and gulped down her food. She tried to savor it, but one mouthful became ten very quickly.
Molan gaped at Jiayi's empty bowl. Not a single grain of rice was left behind, "Finished already?"
"I was hungry," Jiayi replied.
That wasn't a lie, at least. If she wasn't so sure she'd get slapped, she'd go back inside and ask for another bowl.
"Ah, it's Shiyi gugu, tidy up," said Molan. She put bowl to the side and stood.
Like Wang gugu, Shiyi gugu, The Empress' chief maid, was a figure of legends. The rumors that trickled to the outer place told of the countless plots the Shiyi foiled in the name of her master.
"Shiyi gugu," Jiayi bowed her head as the older woman stood in front of them.
"What palace do you belong to?" Shiyi gugu asked, her voice clear and crisp.
"This servant belongs to Xianfugong," replied Jiayi.
"Whatever troubles the Household department may have doesn't excuse this sloppy behavior,"
Sloppy? Yes, she was wearing a maid's uniform but Jiayi still thought they were beautiful! She looked down at her chest, did some rice fall? Did her greasy fingers leave a stain?
Shiyi gugu picked up her arm, "Your clothes don't fit, girl,"
"Oh,"
Jiayi held out her hands and realized that the sleeves were halfway up her forearms. Her ankles felt a bit breezy too, so she could tell without looking that her pants were also a bit short.
Molan bowed her head, "It's this servant's fault. It was the only spare uniform in Xiang gui ren's rooms,"
Shiyi gugu sighed, "Before your mistress arrives you should do your best to appear as modest and clean as possible. Go to the Clothing House and find clothes that fit. If you I see you like this again, I'll have you flogged,"
"Yes!" Jiayi replied, her heart racing. Fung gonggong hadn't been joking. All Jiayi did was wear clothes that were a bit short and now she was being threatened by The Empress' chief maid!
With a final sniff, Shiyi gugu went on her way.
Molan put a hand on her shoulder, "Do you want me to come with you?"
Jiayi shook her head, "No, it's alright. I'll grab a new uniform and head back. But, can you remind me how to get to the Clothing House from here?"
There were a few twists and turns and a scolding from the momo†† in charge but Jiayi returned Xianfugong with a new uniform that hopefully fit. Jiang gui ren's side of palace was empty and the other servants had returned from lunch.
"Miserable bitch..."
Jiayi paused and looked around. She walked deeper into Xiang gui ren's apartments.
"Smug, know-it-all bitch..."
The furious muttering was coming from the maids' rooms. Jiayi crept closer to the door and peeked inside. Li Ming was crouched under Molan's bed, fiddling with something. There was a jangle of metal and the scrape of old wood. Jiayi walked backwards silently and let her feet hit the ground as she walked to the doors once more.
Li Ming had scurried over to her own bed and was pretending to fold something.
"What are you doing here?" She spat.
"Shiyi gugu told me I was looked sloppy so I came back here to change," Jiayi replied.
"I'm not surprised," said Li Ming looking Jiayi up and down, "Just look at you. No lipstick, no rouge, and you can barely dress yourself. You're barely a woman,"
"I'm a maid, not a gêgê,§" Jiayi replied, stepping close to the bed next Li Ming.
"Stop there! I won't have you anywhere close to me. There's an empty bed over there by that idiot,"
"Fine!"
Jiayi stomped over to the furthest bed. It was obvious why no one slept there, it was directly underneath the window. Rain, snow; she'd be pelted by it all when the time came. Sighing she dropped the new uniform and began to undress.
"You're certainly some kind of woman," said Li Ming, "Taking off your clothes with no shame. Shiyi gugu was right to house you here,"
"You're the one staying to look,"
Li Ming huffed and left the room. Jiayi redressed in the new uniform and was pleased to see that it fit much better than before. However her happiness was short-lived. She knew Li Ming was being petty, but her words poked at her like an annoying splinter. As a child, Jiayi loved to dress in pretty silks and decorate herself with her mother and little mother's jewelry. However, as she got older, she began to grow.
And grow.
And grow.
She began to feel awkward dolling herself up so much when she was so much taller than girls her age. All it did was draw attention to how different she was. It's why she picked up drawing. She could draw the beautiful hair and red lips of an imaginary beauty and pretend that it was her. When it came for her family to be punished for her father's crimes, they initially wanted to give her away as a concubine before confirming her age.
Thankfully, she stopped growing a few years ago, but her aversion to beautiful things remained. She found it too unfair. Li Ming was beautiful but didn't deserve it at all. All she did was spew ugly words from a pretty mouth. Not to mention whatever she was doing to Molan's bed.
What was Li Ming doing under Molan's bed?
Jiayi strained to hear the sounds of anyone in the pavilion or in the courtyard. When she confirmed that she was truly alone, Jiayi crouched down near Molan's bed to see underneath. There was nothing there. But that couldn't be. Jiayi heard something when she saw Li Ming down here. A memory of an old bunkmate hiding food under the floorboards until it spoiled came to her. Jiayi began to press against the floorboards before finding a shaky one. She pried it open and stuck her hand inside to feel cool metal. She pulled it out and gasped.
It was a gold buyao¶. An imperial green piece of jade carved like a rose sat on top while the tassels were made from hundreds of tiny pearls and diamonds. Jiayi distinctly remembered admiring this buyao on the vanity in Xiang gui ren's bedroom.
Jiayi walked over to Li Ming's bed and stuck the hair pin in between the mattress and the frame. Jiayi had to think of her future. With Li Ming's attitude, Jiayi would be doing Xiang gui ren a disservice if she allowed the miserable maid to stay.
It would be better for everyone.
✺
"Jiejie is so talented," gushed Molan as she shuffled through Jiayi's collection of drawings as the maids readied themselves for bed. It was well into the night when Shiyi gugu was satisfied with their work.
"This frog is so cute," said Ping'er, "It's fishing!"
Ping'er had crawled over to Molan's bed to take a look. At 13 years old, Ping'er was full of giggles and smiles. She'd only been in the palace for a few months.
"Shut up over there," Li Ming snapped as she turned down her bed spread, "If you still have the energy to chat bullshit so late at night, Shiyi gugu obviously isn't working you hard enough,"
Molan rolled her eyes, "Whatever. Jiejie, do you do portraits? You should draw me,"
"And me!" Said Ping'er.
Jiayi took the papers and tossed them under her bed, "We can talk about it in the morning. I'm exhausted!"
Ping'er doused the lamp and they all crawled into bed. Jiayi closed her eyes and settled into her bed. No longer did she sleep on a hay filled mattress with a coarse cloth that masqueraded as a blanket. It far an above then anything she could've dreamed of after being forced to serve in the palace. Jiayi vowed to live a good life as a palace maid. She would let nothing snatch this comfort from her for the second time in her life. Jiayi closed her eyes and fell into a deep, dark sleep.
Only to jolt out of bed hours later as stinging licks walloped her legs and chest. Screams and shouts rang through the room.
"Shut up!"
Jiayi cradled her body and knelt on the ground. In the darkness she couldn't see a thing. What was going on? Who would have the gall to cause such a ruckus like this? Were they being punished?
"Get up! Up!"
A hand yanked at her nightclothes and dragged her outside. Jiayi tripped over the ledge to the receiving room and fell to the ground. She heard her roommates being thrown into the room with her. The lamps were lit and Jiayi looked up in terror at Wang gugu's cold face. Standing next to her were a few momos, each holding a thin stick of bamboo.
"Gugu," Ping'er cried, "What's going on?"
Ping'er screamed as a momo whipped her across the back.
"Shut up!"
"Confess," ordered Wang gugu.
"We..we are ignorant and dimwitted," whispered Molan, "Please guide us!"
A momo raised her stick to whip Molan but Wang gugu held out her hand.
"There is a thief in Xianfugong. Men!"
A troop of eunuchs trailed inside, "Your servant is here," they chorused.
"Search their rooms," Wang gugu told the eunuchs before turning to the momos, "Whip them until it's found. If its not found, take them to the Department of Careful Punishment and whip them to death,"
Jiayi hissed as the first hit lashed across her back. She tried to flinch away but the momo wrenched back upright. The red hot pain blistered across her back. Jiayi was sure she bit her lip bloody holding in her screams. The world around deafened to a buzz as cold sweat dripped down her face.
A eunuch returned to report to Wang gugu, "We've found it,"
Wang gugu looked at momos who stopped their whippings at once.
"Show me," she ordered. The eunuch led Wang gugu to the back room.
Jiayi fought keep upright. Every flinch or twist made her back erupt with pain. Ping'er, Molan, and Li Ming were no better. Ping'er wouldn't stop screaming so the momos stuffed her mouth with a rag. It looked like every drop of blood had drained from Molan's face. Wang gugu came back, holding the gold buyao in her hands.
Smirking, she said, "You're all very lucky,"
"This lowly one thanks you for your grace," Jiayi nodded her head and hoped that sufficed as a bow.
Wang gugu pointed at Li Ming, "Take her away!"
Li Ming jolted in shock, "Impossible! Impossible! Wang gugu, you've made a mistake!" She cried as the eunuchs grabbed her.
"Oh?" Said Wang gugu, "Says who?"
"Those worthless dogs don't know a thing!" Li Ming said, sagging in between her captors, "They don't know who's bed is who's!"
"Sun Li Ming," Wang gugu said, "When did I say this was found in a bed?"
Li Ming's eyes widened, her mouth quivering, "Wang gugu–"
"Chen momo," Wang gugu began, addressing one of the heavier set women, "Take special care of her when she comes to you,"
Chen momo bowed, "This servant understands," She nodded to the eunuchs holding Li Ming, "Go!"
"Wang gugu!!"
Sucking her teeth, Chen momo pulled the wet rag from Ping'er's mouth and shoved it in Li Ming's.
"You'll wake the entire city with your stupidness," Chen momo said as she shook her head.
"We'll take our leave,"
Li Ming was dragged away and the servants followed after.
Jiayi stared at the open door way, dazed. Ping'er was quietly sobbing and Molan slumped over to the floor. Wang gugu stepped over her and into Xiang gui ren's bedroom. She delicately lifted the lacquered jewelry box lid and softly placed the hair pin inside.
"You understand your mistake?"
"This lowly one understands," Jiayi replied.
"Good," Wang gugu said with a smile.
–––––––––––––
*A type of everyday informal robe with 1 side slit and 5 buttons.
†Concubines of the ranks noble lady and below lived in side halls or side rooms in palaces. Imperial concubines and above slept in the main halls of palaces, which were the largest and most opulent. Imperial concubines and above could call themselves the 'master' of a palace
††Title given to elder maids
§Title given to young, upper class Manchu, unmarried women
¶Hair stick with hanging tassel