Chapter 5: The Birthday Banquet
It was always a good thing to receive a reward.
Zirui went to check if the messenger had been given silver. Zizhu said yes, they had.
Listening to the two maids muttering, Shen Chuliu lay down on the imperial concubine’s couch in the outer room and drifted off to sleep.
Meanwhile, in Empress Dowager Feng’s palace, Consort Shu Feng wore a dejected expression.
“You... how many years has it been? The Second Prince is already four years old. You’re a Shufei now, but still not favored. Right now, you're only a Shufei because of me. What about when I’m gone? The Second Prince isn’t favored either—and he’s the Emperor’s only son. Now that Cao Meiren is pregnant, what if she also gives birth to a prince? The Empress has no heirs, and Cao Meiren’s background isn’t noble—her son certainly won’t be raised by her. In the future, any prince eligible to become Crown Prince will most likely be born of a concubine. So there’s no longer any real distinction between high and low birth. But look at you now—how will you protect your child?”
“Aunt, what can I do? His Majesty likes Consort Yi, and I’ve tried to be on good terms with her. She doesn’t have a powerful family background either, so if she wants to secure her position, she’ll need someone to lean on...”
“Enough. Take it slowly.” Empress Dowager Feng sighed, disappointed.
Consort Shu Feng understood everything well but kept up a helpless act.
After all, she had given birth to the Second Prince. Whether old or new, few in the harem could easily surpass her.
Consort Yi might be favored now, but having no children was a real issue.
With her humble background, how many years of favor could she truly expect without an heir?
New consorts kept entering the palace. The Emperor would eventually turn his gaze elsewhere.
“What do you think of the new girls this year?” the Empress Dowager asked as she sat down.
“Aunt, I think Lu Baolin is quite interesting. Good family, scholarly lineage. His Majesty may not summon her often, but I believe she’s made an impression on him,” Consort Shu replied.
“Mhm, I think so too. That Shen Baolin was supposed to be promising, but now she seems rather ordinary.”
“Indeed. Though she’s the legitimate daughter of the Jing’an Marquis’s household, she’s from the second branch. Her parents died early, and she must’ve been raised under others’ thumbs. How capable could she really be?” Consort Shu said.
The Empress Dowager nodded, though privately she wasn’t so sure. If someone had been suppressed for over a decade and still turned out fine, perhaps that was proof of capability.
Still, after observing for a year and seeing no sign of ambition or action, it seemed Shen Baolin really was just mediocre. Not worth cultivating.
On the ninth day of the fifth month, it was the Empress Dowager’s birthday.
The palace and even the capital bustled with excitement. From early morning, consorts began arriving at Cian Palace to offer congratulations. Noblewomen and princesses from the imperial clan came as well.
Gifts from all the consorts had already been delivered earlier in the day.
Shen Chuliu wore a light green ruqun. Her look was simple—neither too eye-catching nor too plain to break decorum.
At an event like this, many consorts would be trying hard to stand out. As a low-ranking Baolin, there was no need for her to be in a hurry.
Zirui was fuming, stomping her feet, but couldn’t convince her mistress otherwise.
She muttered angrily, “Stubborn as an ox, never listens to advice.”
Shen Chuliu only smiled, not minding her maid’s complaints, but still refused to change her mind.
Since there was no main seat at Cuiyun Pavilion, the two Baolins finished getting ready and made their way to the Empress Dowager’s Cian Palace.
Normally, they weren’t qualified to visit. Higher-ranked consorts paid respects to the Empress Dowager on the first and fifteenth of each month, but their rank was too low. They simply went home.
Only after reaching the rank of Fifth Pin Meiren would one be allowed to formally greet the Empress Dowager.
That signified that the Empress Dowager acknowledged her son had taken a legitimate concubine.
Of course, even Meiren weren’t allowed to raise children. To elevate the status of princes and princesses, when lower-ranking consorts gave birth, the children had to be raised by higher-ranking women.
So when a low-ranking consort had a child, even if she avoided being schemed against, her position still triggered a power struggle among those above.
After all, if the higher-ranked consorts had no children, their positions were hard to maintain.
While Shen Chuliu was lost in thought, other consorts began arriving too.
They exchanged greetings and headed to the Empress Dowager’s palace together.
Cian Palace was filled with festive noise, but for low-ranked women like them, it was all just bowing and formalities.
By the time they finally found a moment to rest, they were already exhausted.
No one was watching them at that point, and since the banquet hadn’t started yet, a few of them wandered into the Empress Dowager’s private garden.
The palace was truly vast—even her “small” garden was sizeable.
“Did you see? The young ladies from Lord Liu’s and Lord Han’s families look like they’re about to enter the palace,” whispered Li Baolin.
“Hard to say. It’s not like they’ll ever see the Emperor,” another replied.
Shen Chuliu didn’t chime in. In Dayi, beauty selections weren’t frequent. Her group had entered the palace through a draft in the third year of Qingyuan—just last year.
But according to Dayi tradition, drafts were only held every five or six years—and sometimes skipped altogether.
When there was no formal draft, noble daughters would enter the palace directly.
That meant most harem women came from powerful backgrounds, which only made palace intrigue fiercer.
Of course, there were exceptions—like Consort Yi now, and Imperial Concubine Dowager Yang from the previous emperor’s reign.
But despite all her past glory, Imperial Concubine Dowager Yang still ended up spending her old age quietly at Qiufeng Garden.
Shen Chuliu never placed her hopes in her family. Though they were her backing now, she had a ten-year-old cousin—delicate, beautiful, raised with great care. Though nothing had been said outright, who was to say the girl wasn’t being groomed for the palace?
“What are you thinking, Sister Shen? We called you but you didn’t respond,” Yao Baolin nudged her gently.
“Oh, I was distracted—just thinking that we have a pomegranate tree like this one at home,” Shen Chuliu replied.
“Missing home, aren’t you? Sigh... I haven’t seen my family in years. Guess I’ll need to become a Meiren first...” Yao Baolin sighed.
They were all just Baolins, below even the Yunu rank. Seeing family was out of the question.
After a while, they returned to the hall, where preparations for the banquet had begun.
The Emperor soon arrived, bringing along princes of the imperial clan. The banquet was held right there at Cian Palace.
When Empress Dowager Feng entered, the Emperor personally greeted her, addressing her affectionately as “Mother.”
It won him praise for his filial piety.
The two empress dowagers sat together, looking quite close.
Once the banquet began, the atmosphere grew lively.
Shen Chuliu and the others sat at the lowest end among the consorts. Across from them sat the lower-ranking ladies of the imperial clan.
Up above, the Emperor and princes offered toasts, followed by the Empress and higher-ranking consorts.
Of course, this had nothing to do with Shen Chuliu and her group—even Meiren didn’t have the right to offer toasts here.
One prince offered a performance in tribute, and as the yunban clapper struck, the music began, followed by a series of dances.
A pair of dancers entered wearing soft pink skirts, their long sleeves and hems decorated with tiny bells that jingled pleasantly with every movement.
The lead dancer looked around sixteen or seventeen, her hair coiled high to reveal a smooth forehead, her bun styled like a flying immortal.
She held something like a handheld bell.
Swaying it gently as she danced, her movements were graceful and light. With every fluttering glance, her charm was impossible to ignore.
When the dance ended, everyone murmured in admiration—truly breathtaking.
Author's Note (Harem Ranks Reference Table):
Superior Rank: Empress
First Rank: Guifei, Xianfei, Shufei, Defei (among the First Rank, Guifei holds the highest status)
Second Rank: Fei (up to four consorts)
Fifth Rank: Meiren (nine women)
Seventh Rank: Xiaoyi (twenty-seven women)
Eighth Rank: Baolin (twenty-seven women)
Ninth Rank: Yunu (twenty-seven women)
Last Rank: Gengyi (unlimited number)
This rank system is loosely based on the Sui and Tang Dynasties, which used a system of four wives, nine concubines, twenty-seven attendants, and eighty-one handmaids. The four “fei” (Guifei, Xianfei, etc.) are consistent with those periods. In some dynasties, Guifei was considered a Zheng Yipin (Formal First Rank), but here all four are equally First Rank with status determined by title order.
The original “eighty-one handmaids” included titles like Cainu, which I found unpleasant, so I changed them to Xiaoyi, and adjusted the titles accordingly.
Also, Fei of the Second Rank did exist in history; I've simply grouped them differently here.
Zirui went to check if the messenger had been given silver. Zizhu said yes, they had.
Listening to the two maids muttering, Shen Chuliu lay down on the imperial concubine’s couch in the outer room and drifted off to sleep.
Meanwhile, in Empress Dowager Feng’s palace, Consort Shu Feng wore a dejected expression.
“You... how many years has it been? The Second Prince is already four years old. You’re a Shufei now, but still not favored. Right now, you're only a Shufei because of me. What about when I’m gone? The Second Prince isn’t favored either—and he’s the Emperor’s only son. Now that Cao Meiren is pregnant, what if she also gives birth to a prince? The Empress has no heirs, and Cao Meiren’s background isn’t noble—her son certainly won’t be raised by her. In the future, any prince eligible to become Crown Prince will most likely be born of a concubine. So there’s no longer any real distinction between high and low birth. But look at you now—how will you protect your child?”
“Aunt, what can I do? His Majesty likes Consort Yi, and I’ve tried to be on good terms with her. She doesn’t have a powerful family background either, so if she wants to secure her position, she’ll need someone to lean on...”
“Enough. Take it slowly.” Empress Dowager Feng sighed, disappointed.
Consort Shu Feng understood everything well but kept up a helpless act.
After all, she had given birth to the Second Prince. Whether old or new, few in the harem could easily surpass her.
Consort Yi might be favored now, but having no children was a real issue.
With her humble background, how many years of favor could she truly expect without an heir?
New consorts kept entering the palace. The Emperor would eventually turn his gaze elsewhere.
“What do you think of the new girls this year?” the Empress Dowager asked as she sat down.
“Aunt, I think Lu Baolin is quite interesting. Good family, scholarly lineage. His Majesty may not summon her often, but I believe she’s made an impression on him,” Consort Shu replied.
“Mhm, I think so too. That Shen Baolin was supposed to be promising, but now she seems rather ordinary.”
“Indeed. Though she’s the legitimate daughter of the Jing’an Marquis’s household, she’s from the second branch. Her parents died early, and she must’ve been raised under others’ thumbs. How capable could she really be?” Consort Shu said.
The Empress Dowager nodded, though privately she wasn’t so sure. If someone had been suppressed for over a decade and still turned out fine, perhaps that was proof of capability.
Still, after observing for a year and seeing no sign of ambition or action, it seemed Shen Baolin really was just mediocre. Not worth cultivating.
On the ninth day of the fifth month, it was the Empress Dowager’s birthday.
The palace and even the capital bustled with excitement. From early morning, consorts began arriving at Cian Palace to offer congratulations. Noblewomen and princesses from the imperial clan came as well.
Gifts from all the consorts had already been delivered earlier in the day.
Shen Chuliu wore a light green ruqun. Her look was simple—neither too eye-catching nor too plain to break decorum.
At an event like this, many consorts would be trying hard to stand out. As a low-ranking Baolin, there was no need for her to be in a hurry.
Zirui was fuming, stomping her feet, but couldn’t convince her mistress otherwise.
She muttered angrily, “Stubborn as an ox, never listens to advice.”
Shen Chuliu only smiled, not minding her maid’s complaints, but still refused to change her mind.
Since there was no main seat at Cuiyun Pavilion, the two Baolins finished getting ready and made their way to the Empress Dowager’s Cian Palace.
Normally, they weren’t qualified to visit. Higher-ranked consorts paid respects to the Empress Dowager on the first and fifteenth of each month, but their rank was too low. They simply went home.
Only after reaching the rank of Fifth Pin Meiren would one be allowed to formally greet the Empress Dowager.
That signified that the Empress Dowager acknowledged her son had taken a legitimate concubine.
Of course, even Meiren weren’t allowed to raise children. To elevate the status of princes and princesses, when lower-ranking consorts gave birth, the children had to be raised by higher-ranking women.
So when a low-ranking consort had a child, even if she avoided being schemed against, her position still triggered a power struggle among those above.
After all, if the higher-ranked consorts had no children, their positions were hard to maintain.
While Shen Chuliu was lost in thought, other consorts began arriving too.
They exchanged greetings and headed to the Empress Dowager’s palace together.
Cian Palace was filled with festive noise, but for low-ranked women like them, it was all just bowing and formalities.
By the time they finally found a moment to rest, they were already exhausted.
No one was watching them at that point, and since the banquet hadn’t started yet, a few of them wandered into the Empress Dowager’s private garden.
The palace was truly vast—even her “small” garden was sizeable.
“Did you see? The young ladies from Lord Liu’s and Lord Han’s families look like they’re about to enter the palace,” whispered Li Baolin.
“Hard to say. It’s not like they’ll ever see the Emperor,” another replied.
Shen Chuliu didn’t chime in. In Dayi, beauty selections weren’t frequent. Her group had entered the palace through a draft in the third year of Qingyuan—just last year.
But according to Dayi tradition, drafts were only held every five or six years—and sometimes skipped altogether.
When there was no formal draft, noble daughters would enter the palace directly.
That meant most harem women came from powerful backgrounds, which only made palace intrigue fiercer.
Of course, there were exceptions—like Consort Yi now, and Imperial Concubine Dowager Yang from the previous emperor’s reign.
But despite all her past glory, Imperial Concubine Dowager Yang still ended up spending her old age quietly at Qiufeng Garden.
Shen Chuliu never placed her hopes in her family. Though they were her backing now, she had a ten-year-old cousin—delicate, beautiful, raised with great care. Though nothing had been said outright, who was to say the girl wasn’t being groomed for the palace?
“What are you thinking, Sister Shen? We called you but you didn’t respond,” Yao Baolin nudged her gently.
“Oh, I was distracted—just thinking that we have a pomegranate tree like this one at home,” Shen Chuliu replied.
“Missing home, aren’t you? Sigh... I haven’t seen my family in years. Guess I’ll need to become a Meiren first...” Yao Baolin sighed.
They were all just Baolins, below even the Yunu rank. Seeing family was out of the question.
After a while, they returned to the hall, where preparations for the banquet had begun.
The Emperor soon arrived, bringing along princes of the imperial clan. The banquet was held right there at Cian Palace.
When Empress Dowager Feng entered, the Emperor personally greeted her, addressing her affectionately as “Mother.”
It won him praise for his filial piety.
The two empress dowagers sat together, looking quite close.
Once the banquet began, the atmosphere grew lively.
Shen Chuliu and the others sat at the lowest end among the consorts. Across from them sat the lower-ranking ladies of the imperial clan.
Up above, the Emperor and princes offered toasts, followed by the Empress and higher-ranking consorts.
Of course, this had nothing to do with Shen Chuliu and her group—even Meiren didn’t have the right to offer toasts here.
One prince offered a performance in tribute, and as the yunban clapper struck, the music began, followed by a series of dances.
A pair of dancers entered wearing soft pink skirts, their long sleeves and hems decorated with tiny bells that jingled pleasantly with every movement.
The lead dancer looked around sixteen or seventeen, her hair coiled high to reveal a smooth forehead, her bun styled like a flying immortal.
She held something like a handheld bell.
Swaying it gently as she danced, her movements were graceful and light. With every fluttering glance, her charm was impossible to ignore.
When the dance ended, everyone murmured in admiration—truly breathtaking.
Author's Note (Harem Ranks Reference Table):
Superior Rank: Empress
First Rank: Guifei, Xianfei, Shufei, Defei (among the First Rank, Guifei holds the highest status)
Second Rank: Fei (up to four consorts)
- Those above this rank manage their own palaces.
- These can manage a residence and raise children.
Fifth Rank: Meiren (nine women)
- From this rank up, one may live independently and receive the Emperor.
Seventh Rank: Xiaoyi (twenty-seven women)
Eighth Rank: Baolin (twenty-seven women)
Ninth Rank: Yunu (twenty-seven women)
Last Rank: Gengyi (unlimited number)
This rank system is loosely based on the Sui and Tang Dynasties, which used a system of four wives, nine concubines, twenty-seven attendants, and eighty-one handmaids. The four “fei” (Guifei, Xianfei, etc.) are consistent with those periods. In some dynasties, Guifei was considered a Zheng Yipin (Formal First Rank), but here all four are equally First Rank with status determined by title order.
The original “eighty-one handmaids” included titles like Cainu, which I found unpleasant, so I changed them to Xiaoyi, and adjusted the titles accordingly.
Also, Fei of the Second Rank did exist in history; I've simply grouped them differently here.
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