Rules of Horror: Survival Begins in the Haunted Harem - Chapter 78

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Xie Nuange and Su Ye had barely returned to the Palace of Eternal Spring when the rewards from the Empress and Noble Consort arrived.

They were followed by rewards from the Emperor and gifts from the mistresses of the other palaces.

Biyu carried a small celadon jar sealed at the mouth with red wax.

Calming Incense.

When Biyu handed the jar to Su Ye, she instructed softly, “Her Ladyship said to burn this incense only briefly before sleep. Burning it too long will cause excessive dreams and prevent restful sleep.”

She curtsied and left.

The Emperor’s rewards also consisted of fabric and other ordinary items.

Xie Nuange looked at everything arranged on the table, delighted.

She wondered if any of it might be a ghost item.

Even if none of it was, money could make even ghosts turn millstones. Having wealth was still better than being empty-handed.

She studied the Calming Incense and suspected it was the Benzoin Incense she needed.

Perhaps its tendency to cause vivid dreams was the very effect they wanted.

As Su Ye sorted the gifts, she spoke softly.

“I think Liu Feng attended the Emperor. I mean, really attended him in bed.”

“She was very careful about what she said today. And I was watching everyone when they talked about your bedchamber service.”

Su Ye glanced at Xie Nuange. “Zhao Ning and Ye Wan were both surprised. Liu Feng wasn’t surprised at all, and she gave you that look.”

Xie Nuange’s hand paused over the hairpin Consort Qi had sent. She stared at Su Ye in surprise.

“You mean… she…”

“It’s possible, but we can’t be certain.”

Su Ye looked at Xie Nuange. “Did you ask for that incense because it’s useful?”

Xie Nuange murmured an assent and set the jar aside. “The Noble Consort might be able to lure the Emperor away once, but she can’t do it every time.”

She studied the palm-sized jar in her hand. “My rank is too low, so I’ll definitely have to go to the Palace of Receiving Grace. I need to find a way to bring this incense inside.”

Su Ye considered this. “If I make it into the banquet, would that count as both of us succeeding?”

Xie Nuange looked at her. “You want to go in and help carry serving trays?”

Su Ye nodded earnestly. “They’ll definitely need people to carry dishes and clean during the birthday banquet. If I get inside that way, would it count?”

Xie Nuange genuinely did not know, and neither did Su Ye.

They stared at each other.

“Where do you think all those palace maids went?” Xie Nuange asked suddenly.

“The palace candidates who came out of Yinghua Hall on their own—Liu Feng and Zhao Ning—were all assigned palace maids.”

She looked at Su Ye. “Where are the Chosen Players who became palace maids? Will they be reassigned after everyone enters the palace?”

“I haven’t seen them either.”

Thinking back over the past several days, Su Ye realized she truly had not seen any of the palace maids who had cleared the stages alongside her.

“Your Ladyship, His Majesty summons you to attend his meal at the Palace of Heavenly Purity.”

The announcement outside interrupted their conversation.

Xie Nuange looked down at her clothes. They were clean, but they were not red.

Su Ye had already opened the wardrobe and pulled out a peach-red banner gown.

Peach red was still red, and the Emperor liked red.

Xie Nuange changed, then stood before the mirror and secured Jiang Fan’s hairpin in her hair.

Once she was ready, the two followed the young eunuch toward the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

The palace was even larger than the Palace of Phoenix Grace and farther away. It was the first time Xie Nuange and Su Ye had explored this new part of the map.

They walked until Xie Nuange had almost broken into a sweat before the Palace of Heavenly Purity came into view.

The young eunuch stopped outside the threshold. A eunuch wearing the dark-blue uniform of a chief eunuch emerged from within and led Xie Nuange into the hall.

“Your Ladyship, His Majesty is already waiting.”

“Thank you for your trouble.”

Xie Nuange glanced at Su Ye, who had been stopped outside, and nodded to her.

Su Ye dipped her head in response.

An enormous round table of red sandalwood stood inside, already covered with dishes.

The Emperor sat beside it. When Xie Nuange entered, a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes.

Xie Nuange swiftly glanced at the food from the corner of her eye, then approached, lowered her head, and curtsied. “This concubine greets Your Majesty.”

“Come here.”

The Emperor looked at Xie Nuange and extended a hand.

She rose, walked to him, and placed her hand in his palm, allowing him to close his fingers around it.

“I heard the Noble Consort rewarded you today?”

The Emperor’s thumb gently stroked the back of Xie Nuange’s hand.

Xie Nuange stole a glance at him before softly murmuring, “Mm.”

“Her Ladyship gave this concubine some incense.”

As she answered, she searched her memory for the rules governing attendance at imperial meals that she had learned in the Palace of Gathered Elegance.

How to serve the dishes, how many times one could take food from each plate…

“Sit and eat with me.”

The Emperor tugged her hand, indicating that she should sit beside him.

The good news was that she did not have to serve the dishes. The bad news was that she had to eat.

Xie Nuange carefully perched on the front third of the stool.

A servant of the Palace of Heavenly Purity approached and stood beside her.

Xie Nuange considered balancing meat and vegetables and tried to focus on dishes she could easily identify.

“Did you pay your respects to the Empress today?”

The Emperor had a servant place a slice of goose breast on Xie Nuange’s plate.

“Yes.”

Xie Nuange looked at the meat, set down her chopsticks, and turned to answer him. “Her Majesty also rewarded this concubine.”

The Emperor regarded her with smiling eyes. “You’re a sensible girl. A consort need not pay her respects on the morning after attending the Emperor, lest it prove too exhausting.”

Xie Nuange’s smile froze. Why had no one told her?

It had not been written in the rules either.

“Serving Your Majesty is not tiring for this concubine.”

She looked at him bashfully. “Nor does this concubine find paying her respects to the Empress tiring.”

The Emperor’s gaze settled on her hair. “I’ve never seen the Noble Consort give anyone a gift. You must be quite lovable.”

Feigning casualness, he asked, “Did anything else happen during the morning greeting?”

“Her Majesty also mentioned the Empress Dowager’s birthday.”

Xie Nuange looked up at him, her tone tentatively coquettish. “This concubine doesn’t know what the Empress Dowager likes or what sort of gift she should send.”

The Emperor’s chopsticks paused. “The Empress Dowager places great importance on rules and ceremony.”

His gaze was deep, revealing nothing. “You would only feel constrained if you went.”

Disappointment flashed through Xie Nuange’s eyes. “This concubine will obey Your Majesty.”

The Emperor did not reject the idea outright. “I’ll think about it.”

Xie Nuange raised her eyes and smiled at him.

At the sight of that smile, the Emperor reached over and pinched the rim of her ear.

When the meal ended, he did not dismiss her.

Holding Xie Nuange’s hand, he led her across the great hall and out through a small door in the rear chamber.

“I won’t have time to accompany you for the next few days. Once I’m free, I’ll send for you.”

Xie Nuange walked slowly beside him as he gently toyed with her fingers.

“Several more younger sisters have entered the imperial harem. After Your Majesty has met them, could you…”

Her fingertip lightly scratched his palm. “Could you let this concubine see you again?”

That way, she could test the incense.

The Emperor stopped and turned to her.

Xie Nuange’s eyes held anxiety and expectation. He watched her for a moment, recalled the previous night, then drew her into his arms.

“Very well.”

His voice sounded above her head. “Once I’m less busy in a few days, I’ll summon you.”

He patted her back twice, then released her.

“Your Majesty, Noble Lady Liu requests an audience. She says she has prepared sweet soup for you.”

A eunuch’s voice came from the far end of the covered walkway.

Noble Lady Liu.

Liu Feng.

Something stirred in Xie Nuange’s mind. Seeing that the Emperor did not refuse the audience, she lowered her lashes.

“This concubine takes her leave. She will wait for Your Majesty.”

The Emperor nodded and murmured an acknowledgment.

At the gates of the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Liu Feng stood holding a food box. When she saw Xie Nuange emerge, she smiled at her before walking inside.

Xie Nuange took two steps, then turned to glance back at the palace.

Liu Feng had accused her of going too far, but Xie Nuange had never seen anyone go further than Liu Feng.