Needlework

She woke up naturally the next morning, and the room was filled with bright light from the window. She was then sent back to the pavilion by sedan chair.

Qinghe and Qingmei had prepared hot water and freshly cooked millet porridge, and they had been waiting for her. She should have returned more than an hour ago, as usual, but they waited and waited, and the hot water had cooled down and had to be heated up again before Xie Ning finally returned.

Qinghe couldn't contain her joy and hurried over to help her in.

Having been pampered twice in a row, it was already a foregone conclusion that their lady was favored. Qinghe had been so delighted the previous night that she couldn't sleep for half the night.

Not to mention that their lady had only just returned so late today. It was evident that she had been favoured greatly the previous night. Furthermore, they had returned so late and looked unwell. Without asking, they knew she had overslept. And since she was able to sleep in for such a long time, the emperor must have regarded her highly.

"Lady, please freshen up first, and I'll go reheat the porridge. After having some, you can take a good rest."

This was a well-considered arrangement.

After Xie Ning woke up, she washed up briefly, but she still felt uneasy because she was not in her own place. However, this time Qinghe had prepared water at just the right temperature, so she washed up comfortably again and changed into a clean and soft undergarment. She sat on the couch with her hair down and drank the thick, hot, and mellow porridge, which softened her stomach.

Qinghe was gently wiping her hair when she heard someone outside. It turned out to be Ruan Daliang, a disciple of Bai Gonggong. Qinghe and Qingmei did not dare to be disrespectful and quickly went to welcome him with smiles.

Ruan Daliang smiled even more warmly and amiably than the two of them. His master had sent him to thank their lady, which was a favour for him. Seeing that Xie Ning was gaining power, it was better to establish a good relationship early on. If they waited until she had risen to power, it would be too late for them to get on her good side.

"May I ask what brings you here, Ruan Gonggong?"

"I am here at the behest of the emperor to deliver a gift to Lady Xie of Talents."

Upon hearing this, both Qinghe and Qingmei exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with joy.

Following this favour, rewards soon followed. After accepting the gifts, Xie Ning paid her respects from a distance before rewarding Ruan Dalang and seeing him off. Once he was gone, Xie Ning led Qinghe to see what the emperor had bestowed upon her.

There were four pieces of silk, two pairs of gemstone-studded gold bangles, and two exquisitely designed boxes of various silver trinkets. In addition to these customary rewards, there was also a tea set and a calligraphy book.

Xie Ning was surprised that the emperor remembered to reward her with a tea set. Upon opening the brocade box, she discovered a set of plain-coloured tea ware. The glaze was crystal clear, with a touch of bluish-green that truly resembled the "sky clearing after rain and clouds parting" as described in books. It was truly breath taking.

Knowing that the emperor had specially ordered this gift, Xie Ning felt the weight of its value.

"This is a royal gift, so it must be precious. And porcelain is fragile; I must be careful not to break it," thought Qinghe to herself.

"Let me put it away carefully."

"Just use it," Xie Ning replied.

If it was given to her, it was meant for her to use, not to keep as a display. Besides, who knew if there would be another opportunity for rewards like this? While she was still young, she should treat herself a bit better.

As for the calligraphy lesson, it only left Xie Ning more conflicted.

What did the emperor mean by rewarding her with a calligraphy lesson? Did he think her handwriting was ugly and wanted her to practice more?

The next two or three days in Haunting Fragrance Pavilion were a tumultuous affair.

If Xie Ning was willing to pick up her brush and write some notes about life in the imperial harem, then the chapter's title could be "The Joyful Honor Bestowed Upon Lady Xie, with the Haunting Fragrance's Doorway Crowded with Visitors ".

Indeed, it was bustling with activity.

More people came than the last time, and they were even more diverse. Xie Ning was just a minor Lady of Talents, and she couldn't afford to offend anyone. She couldn't let one person in and shut the door on another. But once they came in, they would start asking about the emperor after just three sentences. Xie Ning was speechless.

Was the emperor friendly? What did the emperor like to eat? What was the emperor's favourite colour? When would the emperor come to the Back Garden again? Did the Emperor do this? Did the emperor fancy that?

…...

Xie Ning felt they were annoying, but she couldn't say it out loud. She felt sorry for them at the same time, but she wasn't a bodhisattva and didn't have the ability to fulfil all their wishes.

The thing was that even when she restrained herself and allowed them to come in, chat and ask questions, they didn't appreciate it at all. They thought she was very cunning and malicious, because she didn't divulge any useful information.

They saw Xie Ning as a favoured one, who had even shared a meal with the emperor, and he had even visited Haunting Fragrance Pavilion for half a day. But when they asked her anything, she either said she didn't know, or she didn't dare speculate on the emperor's intentions. In short, she was afraid that someone might snatch away her favour if they got any useful information from her.

After finally managing to send the noisy group of people out of the house, Qingmei couldn't help but vent her frustration while tidying up the teacups. "Who are these people? Our lady is too kind. She shouldn't have let them in."

Qinghe glared at her. "Just do your work and don’t gossip."

Although their lady was favoured, she had not been promoted or moved to a more prestigious palace. How could they refuse to entertain these people? If they dared to shut the door and not let them in, their young lady's reputation would be ruined before nightfall.

Qinghe was also upset. She didn't believe a word of what those women, Lady Liu of Talents, Lady Zhong of Talents, Beauty Li, Beauty Liang, and Lady Bai of Talents, had said. If only their lady could be promoted, even one rank higher, these people wouldn't be able to brazenly show up at their door, no matter how envious they were.

Xie Ning had a headache from the noise those people had caused. Qinghe finished tidying up the mess and brought in tea and fruit. "Lady, have some tea and fruit and rest a bit."

Xie Ning saw the pomegranates on the plate and asked curiously, "Where did these pomegranates come from?"

"The kitchen specially presented them to our lady."

The pomegranates were large and round, bright red in colour, and probably weighed over a pound each. They were quite sizeable fruit.

Qinghe noticed Xie Ning's interest and quickly said, "They offered to peel them for us, but I said it was unnecessary. If lady wants to eat it now, I can peel it."

"I'm not hungry now. Let's leave them like this. They look pretty on the plate," Xie Ning replied.

Following her words, Qinghe took two big pomegranates and placed them on the plate. The red fruit contrasted with the white jade plate, adding a splash of colour to the room.

"Is Qingmei still sulking?" Xie Ning waved her hand and said, " I am not angry anymore, and she doesn't have to be either. Let’s indulge in a delectable feast tonight. How about savouring the succulent braised lion's head meatballs?"

Qinghe, too, smiled and responded, "She forgets easily. She won't hold onto the grudge for long. But won't the lion's head meatballs be too oily? The tofu balls the diet room made last time were exquisite. They even managed to infuse the vegetarian tofu with a meaty essence, without being cloying."

Xie Ning replied, "I don’t find the lion's head meatballs greasy at all.” In fact, she had a distaste for counterfeit meat dishes. She believed in relishing the natural flavours of vegetables, without drowning them in excessive oil and red sauce. Perhaps Xie Ning's bias prevented her from detecting the supposed meaty savour. But to her, all he could taste was the overbearing oil and sauce.

The tofu balls were undoubtedly delicious. However, today, she yearned for the aromatic and tender lion's head meatballs. Despite Qinghe's attempts at persuading her otherwise, she remained adamant about her decision.

Although the lady possessed many admirable qualities, she was overly preoccupied with food. Qinghe desired to counsel her that, for the sake of her slender figure, the women in the palace refrained from indulging in heavy and spicy dishes. If she continued to obsess over food, she would undoubtedly rue her decision. Perhaps, in her leisure time, she should endeavour to explore other avenues.

"Recently, since lady has some free time, why not make something for the emperor?" Qinghe suggested.

"Do some work?" Xie Ning asked, somewhat surprised.

Qinghe nodded and said, "Lady's needlework is quite good..." Qinghe felt a bit guilty saying this since lady's embroidery skills were actually not presentable. However, if she put in some effort and made it finer, it would turn out good.

"Lady could embroider something for the emperor, like a purse or a tassel. They would all be great," Qinghe said, leaving the rest unsaid, figuring that lady could probably understand what she meant.

Lady could make something carefully and present it to the emperor. Even if he didn't wear it, he would appreciate the sentiment. And if he did wear it, he would think of the person who made it for him. It was a way to please the emperor, and everyone else would be happy to do it, but her lady just didn't seem to get it.

However, considering lady's skills, perhaps it was better not to.

Xie Ning's first reaction was to shy away from the idea.

She had been clumsy with her hands since a child and had never been properly taught. She had been practicing writing for so long, but the emperor had just laughed at her. If she exposed her shortcomings again, she might ruin her image.

She felt the thin needle was always disobedient, poking out from the right side when she meant to poke from the left. And whenever she stitched two threads together, they would somehow knot themselves. She had no idea how that knot had formed, and even if she tried to replicate the original pattern, she wouldn't recognize what she had made.

To give the emperor something she had embroidered would be like mocking herself.

Qinghe wanted to encourage her further, but Xie Ning quickly changed the subject, " I'll think about it. By the way, besides lion's head meatballs tonight, I also want sweet and sour pork."

What a glutton!

Qinghe reluctantly agreed and cursed the lion's head several times in her heart before going out to give orders to Qingmei.

As it turned out, Qingmei was not as suspicious as Qinghe had feared. When she heard that lady hadn't made a fuss in the afternoon and had even ordered some food, she happily went to the diet room to pass on the message.