Chapter 82: Repaying Kindness p2
After this incident, Wei Xunqin quietly lived her life as a low-ranking concubine. Without the Emperor’s favor, and not qualified to greet the Empress, she was practically invisible. But the young Empress always remembered her, occasionally summoning her for a chat, which prevented the other palace staff from mistreating her. This was another act of kindness from the Empress.
At first, Wei Xunqin was worried that having carried the Emperor’s child would displease the young Empress. Every time she was summoned, although she wanted to see the Empress, she was also filled with trepidation. But later, she noticed that the Empress, rumored to be deeply in love with the Emperor and easily jealous, often met with Miao Qianye, the Emperor’s current favorite. They played Go, enjoyed tea, and seemed to get along well. Even the Emperor’s favorite concubine… Wei Xunqin had a strange feeling, perhaps the Empress didn’t love the Emperor as much as the rumors suggested? This thought was slightly rebellious, but it made her feel more at ease when summoned by the Empress, and she could even chat with Miao Qianye, which was unexpected.
She wanted to repay the Empress’s kindness, but in the palace, besides the Emperor, the Empress was the highest authority. And this Empress wasn’t the type to engage in power struggles and schemes. All Wei Xunqin could do was occasionally make some simple, home-style dishes for the Empress, a small gesture of gratitude, she felt useless.
But she didn’t expect that her usefulness would soon be revealed.
The rebels attacked the capital, the Empress surrendered, and the harem was confined to the estate.
The estate was dilapidated, resources scarce, even food was meager. These women, daughters of officials and wealthy families, had never had to worry about such things. They couldn’t even bear the conditions, let alone think about how to survive. The few maids and eunuchs who came with them, some were from poor families, but they were also the most opportunistic. Now that they were all confined, although these women still held their titles, who would depend on whom in the future was uncertain.
There weren’t many servants, the higher-ranking concubines had one or two, the lower-ranking ones had none. Fewer servants, more work for each. Worse food and living conditions than in the palace, no monthly allowance or rewards, a bleak future, practically prisoners, most of the servants were resentful. At first, they still performed their duties, fetching water, chopping wood, cooking, and serving. Firstly, because they were still adjusting to the situation, the hierarchy still clear, the concubines still acting superior, the servants still accustomed to being ordered around. Secondly, those who survived in the palace always kept their options open. They were just confined temporarily, perhaps the rebels would be defeated soon, perhaps they would be released.
But the young Empress, Miao Qianye, and even Wei Xunqin knew that the servants they could still control now, in a few days, seeing no hope, would become unmanageable, perhaps even rebellious. The concubines had brought some valuables with them, but… if things continued like this, using those valuables on the servants might only worsen the situation.
Unfortunately, the other concubines didn’t understand their current predicament. The young Empress wanted to talk to them, but Miao Qianye stopped her. They were all in a state of panic, revealing the harsh reality now would only make things more difficult to control. They had to experience the hardship themselves. And when they realized the difficulty, when they tried and failed to find a solution, that would be the time for the young Empress to step in, to take control and win their hearts.
Miao Qianye’s strategy made the young Empress realize that during their interactions in the palace, Miao Qianye had been hiding her intelligence. If it came to wisdom, perhaps she was even more capable than the Empress. But now, they were allies, there was no need for pretense.
On the first day of their confinement, Wei Xunqin pledged her loyalty to the Empress. To gain her trust, she revealed her gratitude for the Empress’s kindness on that snowy night and offered practical suggestions: how to repair the houses with straw and mud, what kind of fruits and vegetables were suitable for the soil, what crops could be harvested quickly, even whether they could negotiate with the guards to raise chickens, ducks, and livestock, sharing some of the produce to appease them.
The young Empress and Miao Qianye weren’t from humble backgrounds, they knew these things in theory, but they lacked practical experience. They had considered finding a few knowledgeable servants, but no one was more suitable than Wei Xunqin, whose loyalty was unquestionable. The young Empress cautiously revealed Miao Qianye’s pregnancy to Wei Xunqin and, seeing her surprise but not resentment, was relieved, and the three formed an alliance.
While the other concubines complained about the dilapidated houses, the dirty environment, and the terrible food, the young Empress, Miao Qianye, and Wei Xunqin were already planning for their survival.
The earlier porridge scene, Wei Xunqin wasn’t present, she had been trying to befriend a seemingly approachable female guard.
And the upcoming “besieging the empress” scene took place after their alliance, when the other concubines, having experienced the hardship and the futility of their complaints, were ready for a change.
The young Empress and Miao Qianye, after forcing themselves to eat the disgusting porridge, returned to their courtyard and were soon surrounded by a group of complaining concubines.
This scene involved Jiang Duo, so everyone was prepared for repeated NGs. Fortunately, the two afternoon scenes had been moved to the morning, which eased their anxiety slightly.
The young Empress and Miao Qianye sat opposite each other at a stone table, two cups of lukewarm water in front of them. The other concubines, with nowhere to sit, stood around them, continuing their complaints from the dining table.
It was just past noon, the sun was out, providing a little warmth, and they had just eaten, so they weren’t cold yet. In this relatively comfortable state, the young Empress with her cold demeanor, Miao Qianye with her serene expression, and the chattering concubines, all performed well. Even Jiang Duo’s performance was surprisingly good. With her raised voice and aggressive demeanor, she perfectly embodied the troublemaking Concubine Zhu, eager to instigate and provoke.
Everyone noticed Jiang Duo’s performance. Although they didn’t know what had triggered her sudden enthusiasm, it was a good thing. Even though they were still acting, they felt more relaxed, hoping that with Jiang Duo’s good performance, they could finish this scene in one take and go back to rest early.
After a while, the scene reached its midpoint. Next, it was Wei Xunqin’s turn, who had gone to befriend the guards, then returned with a bucket of water for the young Empress and Miao Qianye.
Jiang Lingling effortlessly carried the bucket into the courtyard, just like the Wei Xunqin in the script, accustomed to hard labor.
In the script, seeing the concubines surrounding the young Empress and Miao Qianye with angry expressions and harsh words, Wei Xunqin rushed over, put down the bucket, and started scolding them, from their useless crying when the rebels attacked the capital, to their current complaining and inability to even control the servants, to their disrespect towards the Empress. Her non-stop berating silenced the concubines, who then appealed to the Empress to control this unruly concubine.
Jiang Lingling loved this scene. She had been annoyed with these women for a long time. Although she had sent them soup earlier for strategic reasons, she still disliked them. Given a chance to vent her frustration, she wouldn’t hold back. Pan Xiang’s revised script was truly excellent, the more she acted, the more natural it felt, Jiang Lingling thought.
Carrying the bucket, she walked towards the group surrounding Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin. Just as Jiang Duo reached the peak of her rant, Jiang Lingling, aiming carefully, splashed half the bucket of water on her.
Instantly, silence. Even Jiang Duo, drenched, was stunned.
Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin also stared at Jiang Lingling, shocked.
Before anyone could react, Jiang Lingling spoke.
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