Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 202 Harem Ranks

Before entering the Prince's Mansion, Hua Yan received training along with the Second Miss and learned about the imperial concubine system from Madam Yun.

In the imperial harem of the Great Zhou Dynasty, below the Empress were four consorts: the Noble Consort, the Virtuous Consort, the Wise Consort, and the Wise Consort. These were four consorts with titles, among whom the Noble Consort's status was second only to the Empress.

Below the Fourth Lady are the Imperial Concubines, and below the Imperial Concubines are the Nine Concubines, the Twenty-Seven Ladies-in-Waiting, and the Eighty-One Imperial Wives. [Note 1]

The Nine Concubines included Zhaoyi (the head of the Nine Concubines), Zhaorong, Zhaoyuan, Xiuyi, Xiurong, Xiuyuan, Chongyi, Chongrong, and Chong'ai;

The twenty-seven ladies-in-waiting were divided into nine each of the ranks of Jieyu, Meiren, and Cairen.

The eighty-one imperial wives consisted of twenty-seven Baolin, twenty-seven Yunu, and twenty-seven Cainu (also known as Xuanshi).

In addition, the harem was a large palace, under the jurisdiction of the Empress, and consisted of six Shang and twenty-four departments. Among them, the Lady Min whom Hua Yan met in the palace was a female official of the Shangyi Bureau.

"Congratulations, Consort Chun. The golden book and gold seal for your consort rank will be handed over on the day of the conferment ceremony, as His Majesty has other instructions."

"...The Empress is pregnant with the Emperor's child and should not overwork herself managing the affairs of the six palaces. Consort Chun is virtuous, gentle, and prudent. Therefore, after entering the palace, Consort Chun is temporarily appointed to assume the authority over the six palaces. Consort Chun should be dutiful and impartial, and must not fail my expectations."

Hua Yan's eyes lit up, and Aunt Mei couldn't hide her excitement.

The emperor's words were a promise that the second young lady would assume the responsibilities of the empress after entering the palace.

They could consult and assist on matters such as the rules and regulations for imperial concubines, the allocation of palace servants, and the preparation of festivals and celebrations; their power was considerable.

Although it was a means for the Emperor to check and balance the Empress, controlling the six palaces was not only a power but also an honor. Given Consort Chun's rank, it would not be difficult for her to be promoted again after this.

This reveals a glimpse into the machinations of emperors.

Thunder and rain, all are the emperor's grace.

Conferring the title of consort upon the second young lady and bestowing upon her the title "Pure" seems meager considering the Tang family's achievements, but at the same time granting her the power to govern the six palaces, such a series of measures would surely bring some comfort to the head of the family and Madam Yun.

As Hua Yan pondered, Consort Zhen, now Consort Chun, kowtowed to express her gratitude and said in a soft yet clear voice, "Your Majesty, I accept your decree and will obey your orders. I will do my utmost to live up to your grace."

Jingming stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and placed the imperial edict in Consort Chun's hand. When he looked up, his gaze towards Hua Yan behind Consort Chun was somewhat meaningful.

Before Your Majesty ascended the throne, you received General Jiang's urgent war report, which described the war that had lasted for more than three months in great detail. Although there were only a few words about Zhou Bai, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere, his achievements were considerable.

As a capable eunuch by the new emperor's side, he had already learned through the Dragon Guard's investigation that Hua Yan, the concubine brought into the palace by Consort Chun, was actually Zhou Bai's only living relative.

Hua Yan took in that gaze and became suspicious.

"This servant still needs to go to the Red Calyx Courtyard to deliver the imperial decree, so I will take my leave now."

Consort Chun nodded, and after standing up, she said softly to Hua Yan, "Hua Yan, go and see off Eunuch Jing."

Consort Chun had just noticed Jingming's unusual behavior.

Hua Yan gracefully escorted him to the outside of the hall. With light, lotus-like steps, she took out a purse from her sleeve and, with a gentle smile on her face, handed it to Jing Ming.

"I'm sorry to trouble you, Eunuch Jing, to run back and forth. I'm afraid you won't have any free time these days. You must take good care of your health and not overwork yourself."

Jingming touched the contents of the purse; it didn't resemble gold or silver. Just as he was wondering about this, he heard Huayan continue speaking:

"The other day, Madam came to the mansion to visit Consort Chun and brought a few Ginseng Nourishing Pills and Jade Ointment from Yong'an Pharmacy. Jing, who is trusted by the Emperor, is certainly not short of a few pills, but it is Consort Chun's thoughtful gift."

Jingming was stunned. He wanted to brandish the whisk at his waist and shout, "No, I desperately need these pills!" Ginseng Nourishing Pills were fine, but the Jade Ointment, whose main ingredient, Rehmannia glutinosa, was said to grow only in Huaiqing Prefecture and was extremely rare.

If Doctor He were here, they would probably be robbing him.

Jingming was still young. When he was in the Prince of Jin's mansion, he only had the title of someone who had accompanied the Prince of Jin since childhood. Now that the Prince of Jin has ascended the throne, he has risen in rank and become the Director of the Inner Palace.

Unlike Granny Gui and others in Ruyi Palace who only sent gifts of gold and silver, Hua Yan's act of showing concern, though not immediately winning people's hearts, was still quite clever.

Jingming carefully tucked it into his waistband and said to Hua Yan, "Thank you for the gift, Consort Chun. I am extremely grateful."

"Once Consort Chun enters the palace, there will be many complicated matters in the palace, and it will be difficult to handle many things properly. At that time, I will have to ask you for advice, and I hope you will give me more guidance."

"Miss Hua Yan is too kind. The Tang family head and your uncle have made great contributions. In the future, I will probably have to rely on Miss Hua Yan's help."

Hua Yan was slightly taken aback. She hadn't received any news about her uncle in the past few days. According to Jing Ming, it seemed that her uncle had made great contributions in the war in the Northwest. Hua Yan slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, and her body and mind relaxed.

The coronation ceremony will be held three days later, and the second young lady's investiture as a concubine will be the day after the coronation ceremony.

Judging by the days, my uncle should be arriving in the capital soon.

I will be entering the palace in three days. I wonder if I will have the chance to see you again before I enter the palace.

Jingming led the palace servants to and fro in the various courtyards, as if the inner quarters of the Prince's mansion were being manipulated by an invisible hand. After Hua Yan returned to Yunyi Palace, she sent Ruizhu and Xiao Yuanzi away. Half an incense stick later, the ranks of Guo Zhaoxun and the others in the mansion after entering the palace became clear.

After Ruizhu spoke for a while, Consort Chun looked at Huayan, her eyes sparkling like bright stars in the night sky.

She sincerely praised, "Hua Yan's earlier guesses were all correct..."

It's not hard to guess that Hua Yan was only making this inference based on the other person's rank during their time as a prince and their family background: [Note 2]

Guo Zhaoxun was promoted to the rank of Consort, and became a Xiuyi of the third rank, residing in Dieqiong Pavilion.

Although Song Chenghui had not yet served the emperor, the Song family had rendered meritorious service in the war in the northwest. After entering the palace, she was granted the rank of Jieyu, a fourth-rank concubine, and resided in the Hanxiang Pavilion.

Consort Shen, a fifth-rank beauty, resided in the Qianying Pavilion.

Qu Liangyuan's rank was promoted by one rank after entering the palace because her father was promoted to Hanlin Academician. She became a sixth-rank talented woman and lived in Qianying Pavilion with Shen Meiren.

Wu Xuanshi, promoted to the eighth rank of Imperial Concubine, resided in the Magnolia Pavilion.

......

Note 1: The titles of "Four Consorts," "Nine Concubines," "Twenty-Seven Ladies-in-Waiting," "Eighty-One Imperial Wives," etc., are based on the Tang Dynasty's imperial harem system, which indeed totals 121 people. However, due to the emperor's personal preferences and political factors, the actual number of women was not always sufficient.

Note 2: The ranks and positions of the imperial harem are described in the dialogue.