eliiizabeth translations

Among the four maids, only Ziru, the one she brought from home, was prone to acting on impulse. But she knew how to keep it under control—only ever behaving that way in front of her. So Shen Chuliu didn’t mind. A clever and capable servant was needed, and a close one was even more so. Besides, once she was officially conferred a higher rank, she would be assigned eunuchs as well. There would only be more people around in the future, but how many could she truly trust? Ziru and Zizhu brought over her jewelry. “Take a look, my lady.” Shen Chuliu glanced over it. “Very nice. Go ask Baolin Yao if she needs anything.” Zizhu replied, “I’ll go right away.” It was just a gesture—since Yao Baolin had openly expressed a wish to ally herself with her, it wouldn’t do to reject it outright. After all, they’d lived together for over a year now. She had a good sense of her character—not exactly a great person, but far more trustworthy than Lu Xiaoyi, who called everyone ‘sister’ at the drop of a hat....

As soon as the words were spoken, others were happy, but Consort Shu Feng’s face turned pale instantly. Why would the Empress suddenly bring this up? Shen Chuliu only took one glance to see that Consort Shu Feng had just been completely undercut by the Empress. Tsk tsk, this really was... The Empress truly lived up to her title. The rumors circulating in the palace these past few days were clearly instigated by Consort Shu Feng—obviously a move to curry favor. To make others grateful to her. Consort Shu Feng had always looked down on the Empress for being a foreign princess and had long sought to replace her. Even if she couldn't replace her, she still hoped the Second Prince’s presence would allow her to overshadow the Empress. So it was no surprise she released those rumors. But the Empress didn’t refute her. Instead, she went straight to Empress Dowager and Grand Empress Dowager to request the matter herself. Now that she was pregnant—though even without it—it was appropriate fo...

The news that His Majesty and Talented Lady Shen had strolled through the Imperial Garden at night spread quickly. However, since Qi Yixiu ordered the garden closed off, no one else could conveniently “run into” them there. Li Baolin smashed a teacup in frustration. “What’s so great about her? His Majesty had me serve him just yesterday, and today it’s her turn. That sharp-tongued woman is probably badmouthing me already.” The maidservants rushed to comfort her. It took quite some time for Li Baolin to calm down. “Have you heard? There’s going to be a round of promotions for the women of the inner palace during the Mid-Autumn Festival.” “Yes, after the mourning period, the high-ranking consorts all received promotions once. And now two rounds of newcomers have entered the palace—it’s time for things to shift again.” Li Baolin gently rubbed her fingers. “A promotion would be good. At least we’d know where we stand. Right now, there’s only the Empress and the Virtuous Consort—one is out ...

By midday, the young eunuch changed his story, claiming that Attendant Wei had given him ten taels of silver. He said it had only been a careless remark that had been blown out of proportion, and out of fear, he had falsely accused Shen Chuliu. The story was full of holes, but since there were three pregnant women in the palace, Qi Yixiu likely didn’t want to stir things up. So he simply ordered the eunuch to be caned to death. It was declared that the servant had acted recklessly, implicating consorts. In any case, that was the conclusion. Qi Yixiu did nothing to Attendant Wei, which meant that even if she had been wronged, she could only bear it in silence. At Cuiyun Pavilion, Chisu relayed all of this. Shen Chuliu smiled faintly. “I suppose I should thank His Majesty for being willing to hear me out.” She had long since seen through Qi Yixiu’s indifference. She wasn’t expecting love or affection. As long as she could survive each matter, she only cared about the benefits. Because of...

"You’ve misunderstood me, Sister. I really shouldn’t have said what I did earlier. It was far too easy to misinterpret—I just got flustered." Lu Xiaoyi said anxiously. "I’ve been in the palace for over a year, and it turns out I’ve been a fool," Shen Chuliu replied with a smile. "I’ve never been good at reading the room." With that, she took Zirui's hand and walked off, giving Lu Xiaoyi no face at all. A hypocrite is always more dangerous than a straightforward villain. She would much rather deal directly with someone like Li Baolin. "Chuliu," Yao Baolin approached, "are you alright?" "His Majesty promoted me. Of course I’m alright. Let’s go, time to head back." Shen Chuliu wasn’t interested in chatting further. Yao Baolin, worried that Shen Chuliu might suspect her involvement, quickly added, "The scheme today was pretty basic. Whoever was behind it likely didn’t mean to completely bring you down. There’s probably so...

“Quite the temper, isn’t she, this Shen Xiaoyi? The matter hasn’t even been clarified yet—what’s the rush? Are you in such a hurry to have this servant killed so no one can get to the truth?” Consort Shu said with a smile. Shen Chuliu understood perfectly well—this was an intentional distortion meant to make it sound like she was eager to silence the eunuch in front of Qi Yixiu. “Consort Shu comes from a prestigious family and has read plenty of books. If a few of my words could get a eunuch killed, that would truly be a blessing. If not, then why would Your Ladyship twist my meaning? As someone who currently manages the inner palace, you shouldn’t be condoning this kind of servant behavior,” Shen Chuliu said angrily. “Shen Xiaoyi, your courage is too great—speaking so casually and defying those above you. That, too, is a crime,” Consort Yi said coolly. Shen Chuliu didn’t bother with her and simply knelt down. “Your Majesty, I am willing to confront this servant face-to-face. I only as...

“What does Aunt mean by that?” Consort Shu (Feng) picked up on something in the tone. “Consort Yi is so favored—if she’s promoted, that won’t be good for you,” said Empress Dowager Feng mildly. “An Baolin or Wei shi—one of them is bound to be carrying a boy. It would be better if…” She trailed off, then waved her hand. “Go back for now. I’ll have to think on this for you. You should also be more sensible. Even if you can’t have another child, you must take good care of the Second Prince. Nothing must happen to him.” Since the Feng family produced an empress, that achievement couldn’t go to waste. At the very least, she had to ensure the Feng clan’s prosperity for three generations. Even if Consort Shu couldn’t climb higher, her son absolutely must not fall behind. Over on Shen Chuliu’s side, a palace eunuch trying to curry favor brought her a bottle of lotus blossoms just beginning to bloom. The flowers were half open, in shades of pale pink and white. Considering it was already August...

That night, the Emperor went to rest at Fengzao Palace, and the Empress brought up the matter. “I was thinking,” she said, “Consort Feng once served as the Crown Prince’s concubine. Back in the residence, when I fell seriously ill, she managed things quite well. She’s doing the same now, and the other sisters support her too. What does Your Majesty think?” The Empress wasn’t good at flattering people—after all, she was born a princess. So whenever she tried to please Qi Yixiu, it always came across awkwardly. Fortunately, neither of them sought romantic affection, so things went on well enough. “If the Empress thinks it’s suitable, then I will issue the decree tomorrow. You’re in delicate health and now pregnant—you must be especially careful. The imperial physicians will attend you at all times,” said Qi Yixiu. He didn’t usually care much when concubines became pregnant, but the Empress was a different matter. “Yes, with the nursemaids looking after me, I’ll be fine. But lately, the n...

While sipping her tea, Shen Chuliu smiled. “Isn’t that the case? The moment I’m with His Majesty, I just can’t bring myself to leave.” What a thing to say—in this harem, was there anyone who didn’t enjoy being around the Emperor? When you’re favored, everything goes your way. Given that she had previously slapped Consort Wei, Libaolin only dared to make a few veiled jabs—nothing too over the line. The higher-ranking consorts didn’t involve themselves in these petty disputes. Whether it was Libaolin or Shen Chuliu, neither was yet significant enough to warrant attention. Not worth making public comments about. After court, when Qi Yixiu went to the imperial study to speak with his ministers, his eye immediately caught that pair of twisted wire bangles. At first glance, he thought to himself that the girl's wrist must be quite slender—the opening was so small. He didn’t think much of it after that and simply placed the memorial scrolls over the bracelets. The ministers, as if collect...

It was as if she had done it countless times before. Qi Yixiu was indeed very satisfied. "Since you've worked hard today, my dear consort, what kind of reward would you like?" Qi Yixiu stood and stretched his shoulders. "Your Majesty, save the rewards for now. It wouldn’t be worth much at this moment. Once there’s more saved up, I’ll ask for something big." Shen Chuliu smiled with curved eyes, charming and sweet. Qi Yixiu sat back down and pulled her into his arms. "So greedy?" "Your Majesty, this is the study," Shen Chuliu said shyly. "Hmm?" Qi Yixiu stared at her. Shen Chuliu grinned mischievously. "Then... if Eunuch Chusi turns around, we can just pretend it’s not the study." She wrapped her arms around Qi Yixiu’s neck. "Your Majesty, I’m not exactly tired, but I am a bit hungry. If I eat a bit more tonight, you’re not allowed to stare at me. Otherwise, I’ll be too nervous to eat." Qi Yixiu was speechless. ...

At the same time, Chen Baolin, who had entered the palace with her, still hadn’t made any progress. What made people even more envious was that on the third day, the Emperor issued a decree and granted Wu Baolin the title “Li,” giving her an official rank. This wasn’t some lowborn woman like the Wei girl; Wu was a legitimate daughter from a Duke’s household. Although the title “Li” wasn’t overly dignified, it was still considered a good one. For a moment, Consort Yi’s expression turned very unpleasant. This meant that the days when she was the only one with a formal title were over. Of course, this wasn’t unexpected. Eventually, all the women in the harem would be granted titles. For now, though, Li Baolin was clearly favored. Several more days passed before it was finally Chen Baolin’s turn to attend to the Emperor. But she didn’t share the same good fortune. After one night, she received a reward, but no special decree. Things in the front court became busier, and the Emperor didn’t ...

"Good, today is just right. I had the kitchen prepare a few snacks. Let's go back and chat. You can teach me some needlework. I've been working on a dudou for a month and it's still not coming together," said Shen Chuliu. "That’s not hard. I could make it for you, but you insist on learning," Yao Baolin replied with a smile. The two walked off together, and only then did Lu Xiaoyi come out from the shadows. "I saw it clearly. She drew a little black dot by her eye. That’s how she lured His Majesty into giving her those tribute items. Normally she acts like she’s not interested in competing, but as soon as new people enter the palace, she starts dressing up. Look at her today—she’s nothing like she was before," said Shuxiang. "Keep your voice down," Lu Xiaoyi said, her expression complicated. The two made their way toward the Imperial Garden. "Now that’s a clever person. If she’d come in looking like that from the beginning, with ...