"Clang!" A crisp sound rang out, followed by a loud cry.
"mother--"
☆, II. Negotiation
"Please inform the master that I wish to see him." Yao Bile stood outside the study of Prefect Yao. Although she was wearing a faded light blue dress, her haughty expression made her look like a princess.
"Uh—Miss Fourth, the master doesn't receive guests in his study." The maid looked at the Miss Fourth, who was so different from her previous timid nature, and didn't dare to make things difficult for her anymore. She just said it with some difficulty.
"Hmph! That lowly servant girl dares to call herself the Fourth Miss? What a pipe dream!" Yao Bile was summoned to the study by Prefect Yao. As soon as she approached, she heard the conversation between the two and couldn't help but interrupt.
Ignoring her sister, Yao Biluo was still unwilling to give up. She took out a pearl hairpin from her bosom, handed it to the maid, and said, "Take this in, and the master will definitely see me!"
Seeing that she was being ignored, Yao Bile vented her anger on the pearl flower. She slapped it, and the flower fell to the ground. She said with a coquettish laugh, "Father will never see you, you little slut. You'd better know your place and never show your face in front of us again. Otherwise, you can continue to enjoy your life in the mansion. If you anger me, I'll have Mother kick you out of the mansion!"
When Yao Biluo saw her mother's belongings being knocked down, she rushed to pick them up, but Yao Bile stepped on them and twisted them hard, shattering the pearl hairpin into pieces.
"Oh dear! It's broken! It was just a string of cheap, worthless beads anyway, so it's no big deal if it's broken! Hehe..." Yao Bile laughed happily.
"You!" Yao Biluo was furious. This was her mother's only keepsake, and she would never have taken it out if it weren't for the need to see that person.
In a flash, Yao Biluo laughed, her tone provocative and contemptuous: "I heard you have a chance to enter the palace during this year's imperial concubine selection. With your character, you wouldn't even know when you'd be eaten alive in the palace. I'm not angry with you because you won't live long!"
Seeing Yao Biluo looking at her with pity, Yao Bile felt a pang of panic. This younger sister of hers had always been gentle and timid since childhood, and had always been submissive. But since she was rescued from drowning last year, she seemed to have changed a little.
Yao Bile was furious and raised her hand to strike, but just as Yao Biluo was about to be hit in time, a voice rang out: "Stop!"
They both turned their heads at the same time.
It was Prefect Yao. He was waiting in his study for his second daughter to come and give her detailed instructions on the matters to be aware of during the imperial concubine selection. He heard the argument outside the door and initially intended to ignore it, but he was suddenly moved by the last words of his youngest daughter and opened the door. How could such words come from a girl who was only 16 years old and had never left home? He became somewhat interested in his youngest daughter, whom he rarely saw.
"Father, she—she dared to curse her daughter! You must avenge her!" Yao Bile rushed forward to complain when she saw her father.
Prefect Yao remained unmoved, his sharp gaze fixed on his frail little daughter. Yao Biluo did not flinch, her eyes resolute and bright.
After a long pause, Prefect Yao asked, "What brings you here?"
Following her pre-planned strategy, Yao Biluo said, "I want to discuss a deal with you!"
Prefect Yao raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised: "Oh? What kind of deal?"
Yao Biluo glanced at the others and said, "I want to talk to you alone."
"You—don't take advantage of me just because I've given you a little leeway! How dare you speak to your father like that? You're too presumptuous!" Yao Bile shouted.
Prefect Yao pondered for a moment and then said, "Come in with me. Le'er, you go back first."
"Father?" Yao Bile was about to argue.
"Go!" Prefect Yao waved his hand.
Yao Bile dared not disobey her father's wishes, so she had no choice but to leave. As she walked, she kicked the broken pearl flower on the ground, sending the shattered pearl flower flying into the flowerbed and disappearing from sight.
Yao Biluo felt a pang of heartache, but she didn't go to pick it up, because there were more important things to do.
Prefect Yao turned and went into the house, and Yao Biluo hurriedly followed him in.
"Speak, what do you want from me?" Prefect Yao sat down leisurely, straightening his clothes. He thought to himself that it was just a child wanting some fun toy, and she had come to ask him for it. Although he didn't interfere much with the mother and daughter, she was still his daughter. If it wasn't too unreasonable, he would agree! But her attitude? She still needed to be taught a lesson!
"I'm not begging you, I want to make an exchange with you!" Yao Biluo was not intimidated by Prefect Yao's authority and said with neither servility nor arrogance, "My mother passed away yesterday. I want you to bury her with the rites due to a principal wife and move her to the ancestral temple!"
Seeing her lack of manners, Prefect Yao thought to himself that the woman's death was no big deal, but he flew into a rage: "Is this how you speak to your own father? How did your mother raise you?"
Yao Biluo recalled the difficult years she had spent relying on her mother for the past sixteen years. She had long lost her father, and now, she had lost her mother as well. As the memories flashed by, she couldn't help but want to shed tears, but she had not yet achieved her goal for today, so she had to hold back.
So she held back her tears and didn't respond to Prefect Yao's words. Instead, she continued, "In exchange, I will accompany your second daughter to the palace. As you know, virtue and beauty are necessary conditions for being selected as a concubine. With her willful nature, it will be difficult for her to pass the selection of imperial concubines. I will help her achieve your goal."
Upon hearing this, Prefect Yao instantly forgot his anger and stared at her blankly, as if he didn't recognize his daughter at all. Yao Biluo's words today far exceeded Prefect Yao's expectations; how could she understand these things?
Yao Biluo was not in a hurry and waited quietly for his response.
Prefect Yao quickly calmed down. He no longer looked at the person in front of him with the eyes of someone looking at his daughter, but with a scrutinizing gaze, an eye for assessing value. The person in front of him seemed not to be a 16-year-old girl, but a colleague who could sit on equal footing with him and discuss important matters.
"How can you prove what you just said?" Prefect Yao asked carefully, choosing his words precisely.
Yao Biluo's lips curled up slightly; indeed, the lure of profit was more effective.
“I can’t prove it to you right now, but the selection of imperial concubines is in a month. We will use that month as a limit. I will teach Yao Bile until she is successfully selected. The day she succeeds will be the day my mother enters the ancestral temple!” Yao Biluo said calmly.
Prefect Yao lowered his head and pondered for a while, not taking his daughter's arrogance to heart at all, but thinking seriously.
"Alright! I'll give you this opportunity. However, not only will you teach Yue'er, but you—will also be considered for selection." Prefect Yao had made up his mind. Compared to his eldest daughter, who was beautiful and skilled in playing the zither but lacked cunning and was willful and unruly, he saw greater potential in his youngest daughter. Since he was going to invest, he wanted to maximize his profits!
Yao Biluo was somewhat surprised by Prefect Yao's request. The thought of entering the palace instinctively evoked a sense of resistance, but for her mother's sake—
“Okay, I promise!” Yao Biluo extended her hand, and the two made a high five to pledge their vow.
"From today onwards, you will move to Mingyue Pavilion. I will arrange two maids for you, and your clothes and jewelry will be provided in the same style as your sister's. Also, I will take care of your mother's remains, so you don't need to worry about it." Prefect Yao wanted to show his fatherly love.
Unfortunately, Yao Biluo didn't appreciate it at all, and simply gave a curt reply before leaving.
Watching Yao Biluo's departing figure, so slender yet strong, noble yet proud, Prefect Yao seemed lost in thought.
Following Prefect Yao's instructions, the maids quickly tidied up Mingyue Pavilion, the best courtyard in the mansion besides the master and mistress's residence. Surprised by the master's change of attitude, the servants whispered among themselves, discussing this astonishing change.
The Zhuyun Garden, where Prefect Yao lived, was in complete chaos. His wife, son, and daughter surrounded him, making a huge fuss and giving Prefect Yao a headache.
"Alright, stop arguing! This is my decision. I am the head of the household. Anyone who disagrees can get out!" Prefect Yao finally lost his temper.
Everyone was stunned.
Yao Bile was so frightened that she cried, having never seen her father so angry before. The eldest and third young masters also looked at each other in disbelief.
The first to calm down was Madam Yao. She was initially startled, then remained silent, pursing her lips. As the daughter of an official, she had been consumed by jealousy and lost her composure, but now, upon reflection, she understood that her husband's decision must have a deeper meaning. Therefore, she stopped arguing and said to her children, "Since your father has made his decision, then that lowly servant girl—Biluo—will be the fourth young lady of the Yao family from today onwards, your sister. You must treat her well, and brothers and sisters should get along with each other."
Prefect Yao was somewhat surprised. He glanced at Madam Yao with appreciation and slowly explained his plans.
Everyone understood the reason, but dared not say it aloud. They were indignant, thinking, "What ability does this brat have to get her younger sister/older sister selected for the palace?" However, since their parents had spoken, they obediently agreed.
That evening, Prefect Yao gently comforted Madam Yao, saying, "It's just that you've been wronged!"
Madam Yao handed a cup of hot tea to Prefect Yao and said, "As long as I can help you and the Yao family, and allow our daughter to enjoy the wealth and honor that ordinary people cannot enjoy, I am willing to suffer ten or a hundred times more."
Prefect Yao grasped Madam Yao's hand...
Under the starlight at night, Yao Biluo was also having trouble sleeping.
Lying on a soft, fragrant bed she had never slept in before, surrounded by the calming scent of sandalwood, everything felt like a dream. Gently pulling the snow-white silk quilt aside, Yao Biluo tossed and turned, her hand behind her head.
Looking back on her boldness today, Yao Biluo still has no regrets.
Since being rescued from the water last year, my mother says I've changed. Have I changed? Yao Biluo is still Yao Biluo. If I had to say what's changed, it's that I don't know why, but I often have a lot of bold ideas popping into my head. I dare to think, and I dare to do, and I've become more resilient! Compared to the old me who suffered so much but dared not resist, Yao Biluo likes herself better now.
Moreover, it seemed as if she had suddenly become enlightened and understood many things. For example, when talking about the selection of imperial concubines today, the conditions required for imperial concubines suddenly popped into her mind, as well as the situation of the struggle in the harem... It was as if she even had a vague image of the imperial palace in her mind.
And that dream...
That dream that keeps calling out to me, and in that dream there is a figure, tall and dashing.
...She couldn't see his face clearly, but she could hear him calling her affectionately: "Zijin, Zijin..." Who is Zijin? Yao Biluo seemed to be able to feel the man's deep affection, as well as the throbbing in her own heart.
Every time I have this dream, another voice appears, constantly reminding me: "Three years, you only have three years..." I can't hear what it's saying.
What does it all mean? Why only three years? Who is that calling out to me with such deep affection? And who is that constantly reminding me?
Yao Biluo sighed softly. It was just a dream! Why think so much? She should think about how to deal with that unruly young lady this month and how to get her into the palace smoothly!
"Bang—bang—bang—" It was past midnight. Yao Biluo turned over, her mind filled with thoughts, and finally drifted off to sleep...
☆、Three、Patience
The next morning, as soon as Yao Biluo got up, a maidservant nimbly came over and handed her mouthwash, water, and a damp towel. Yao Biluo didn't say anything, but quietly let the maidservant serve her. Yet, she naturally exuded an air of authority that made people dare not underestimate her.
The maids were somewhat surprised. This fourth young lady didn't seem to be from an unfavored and impoverished background. Instead, she seemed like a pampered young lady who had been served since childhood, possessing an innate air of nobility. Her composure and graceful demeanor made her appear even more noble than the second young lady. Therefore, they dared not be careless and all unconsciously lowered their breathing, acting with utmost caution.
Facing the bronze mirror, Yao Biluo sat gracefully on an embroidered stool, gently combing her long, dark hair with a rhinoceros horn comb while carefully examining her own appearance. She had inherited her mother's gentle beauty: a rosy face, red lips, and ethereal eyes that could express both joy and sorrow. Slowly rising, she donned the silk and satin she hadn't worn in sixteen years. Her slender figure seemed perfectly proportioned, and every part of her body fit her adornments. The purple dress, modeled after palace attire, appeared as if created specifically for her unique charm, complementing her perfectly, making her both mysterious and noble!
Clothes gave her beauty, and she gave clothes a soul!
The maids seemed stunned. Was this the Fourth Miss who had suffered all kinds of humiliation in the mansion, who was always dressed in tattered clothes and whose gender was even hard to tell?
"Go and invite the Second Miss here," Yao Biluo, dressed neatly, instructed softly.
"Huh?" The maids finally came to their senses, but they still couldn't believe it when they heard the Fourth Miss's order. The Second Miss was the most favored in the mansion, and no one dared to offend her! The Fourth Miss wanted to see her but didn't go to ask for an audience herself. She actually dared to invite her over. The Fourth Miss must have gone crazy with joy these past two days!
"Go ahead, this is the master's order, she won't blame you." As if seeing their concerns, Yao Biluo patiently explained.
The maids were relieved and left.
After an incense stick's time had passed, Yao Bile finally arrived late, while Yao Biluo was having breakfast.
"Fourth Miss, Second Miss has arrived," the maid whispered a reminder.
Yao Biluo ignored her and continued to slowly stir the bird's nest porridge with a spoon, then picked up a small piece of side dish and chewed it carefully.
In order to help her recover from her malnutrition as soon as possible and to ensure that she would not be emaciated and disrespectful when she went to the palace, Prefect Yao spared no expense, preparing for her meals of delicacies such as shark fin and bird's nest.
After waiting for a while and seeing that Yao Biluo hadn't come to greet her, Yao Bile's suppressed anger finally erupted. She walked over and raised her hand to slap him, but Yao Biluo spoke up: "Don't you want to go to the palace? Or do you dare to disobey the master?"
After those two sentences, Yao Bile remembered her father's stern instructions and her mother's heartfelt words. It was just a matter of enduring her for a month; once she entered the palace, they would deal with her properly.
Thinking of this, Yao Bile lowered her hand, suppressed her anger, and said, "What are you going to teach me? Hurry up!"
Yao Biluo glanced at her sister and said softly, "No rush. The first thing I'll teach you is patience! Just wait here!" After saying that, she stopped looking at her and focused on drinking her porridge.
Yao Bile gritted her teeth and angrily walked to the side to sit down.
"Did I tell you to sit down?" Yao Biluo asked.
"You?" Yao Bile was furious.
"You can't even handle this? With your family background, even if you enter the palace, your rank won't be very high. At that time, circumstances will be stronger than you. Things like today will happen every day. Do you want to be like today?" Yao Biluo stood up and faced Yao Bile, her tone stern.