Chapter 6, Queen Su

After Su Ying bowed her head, she slowly raised her face, yet her gaze still dared not meet the Empress's eyes

The empress has heard that Miss Liu has quite a talent for perfume blending and wishes to invite her to the palace for a perfume appreciation session. The eunuch said with a smile, looking up and down at Su Ying with great satisfaction: "The empress has recently taken a liking to this craft, and if the young lady puts her heart into it, she will certainly not be treated poorly."

It was unexpected that the young Master Bai was actually the Deputy Guard of Danxi Palace... Since he was not in the Eastern Palace's official residence, he was certainly not the nephew of the Seventh Concubine, and thus not the person who almost became her future husband. Su Ying felt a sense of regret—although she rarely judged based on appearance, she could sense that Master Bai was an exceptionally outstanding young man

"Miss Liu, please wait here. Someone will call you in shortly." The eunuch brought Su Ying to a shaded area under a side corridor and left after giving a brief instruction

With Mr. Cui's hints from a few days ago, Su Ying had already known that the Empress was not an ordinary person. She subtly indicated to Su Ying that she should not mention the previous perfume blending incident, and Su Ying naturally understood

The Danxi Palace was filled with a sweet fragrance—Su Ying knew that this scent was called "Tianshan Mist Heavy," which, when burned to the end, would emit a delicate purple mist. This fragrance has the effect of calming the mind and refreshing the spirit, and as Su Ying gently inhaled a few breaths, her mood also began to ease.

Upon thinking of this, Su Ying's cheeks flushed red, and her eyes sparkled: she probably understood what signal this incense burner was conveying

The queen listened with great satisfaction and said with a smile, "You truly have a way with words! I merely asked someone to prepare a fragrance to help me sleep, and you have turned it into 'a remedy for worries' and 'a means to relax'... Well then, let this fragrance be called 'A Remedy for Worries', which is quite elegant. What do you think, Wen Fengxiang?"

She did not raise her head to look at their appearance, nor could she know that these two princesses would be entangled with her endlessly in the future

The messenger from Danqian Palace arrived at the Su Mansion before any word came from Danpin.

She has been waiting for a long time, yet no one has come to call her. Su Ying is unsure where things went wrong and cannot help but repeatedly reflect on her words and actions along the way. Although there is no one around to observe her, she does not dare to show even the slightest impatience, and her demeanor becomes increasingly respectful and cautious

The female official standing beside her bowed and said: "The Empress has bestowed this name, it is the creation of this fragrance." The voice of this person was crisp and pleasant; if it were not for the constraints of propriety that prevented her from raising her head, Su Ying truly wished to take a glance at her.

"Su Ying, this golden hairpin belongs to you now." The Empress said as she lifted Su Ying and placed the hairpin in her hair.

Su Ying thought back and forth, unable to discern the trick within, and could not help but lament that her own thoughts were still not sharp enough

How could I not know? Su Ying looked at herself in the mirror and sighed, "What if I enter the palace to serve as a fragrance attendant? Wouldn't I just be a servant to others?"

The queen gently patted Su Ying's shoulder and said, "This Wen Fengxiang is the fragrance attendant of the Danxi Palace and comes from a prestigious background. You two should interact more in the future. 'Jie You' was created under her guidance"

Another female official whispered a few words beside the queen. The queen smiled faintly and said, "There are other matters today, Su Ying, you may return first. I will summon you another day."

Su Ying said: "The items in the palace are not something one can see every day. I merely do not dare to show my joy in front of Your Highness, lest I cause you to laugh at me."

A faint blush swept across Su Ying's face, and suddenly I felt utterly ashamed in her presence

Su Ying also knew that this long corridor originally did not exist. Many years ago, when the emperor was young, he had to rely on his mother, Empress Dowager Su, to govern the state. The Empress Dowager Su disliked the distance between the Chongyi Hall, where the Empress Dowager resided, and the main hall, and was unwilling to move out of the Danxi Palace. She ordered the construction of this painted corridor for her convenience in coming and going. Since then, many Empress Dowagers Su, who were reluctant to leave the Danxi Palace, and the Empress Su residing in the Danxi Palace would walk through here to the main hall, either to assist their young children in managing the country or to share the burdens and difficulties alongside their husbands, ensuring the harmony of the Rui and Su families and maintaining the control over the country. The Danxi Palace of the Empress and the Yande Hall of the Emperor are interconnected, and no one can sever this bond.

Su Ying hurriedly greeted Wen Fengxiang, feeling perplexed: I heard that Fengxiang from Danxi Palace had her nose cut off, so why is she still in the palace? Seizing this opportunity, she stole a glance and saw that Wen Fengxiang had all her features intact; although her face could not be described as a beauty of heavenly proportions, it was still ninety-nine percent beautiful.

Xuan Ye seemed to have a premonition, hesitating while combing Su Ying's hair, murmuring to herself: "If the young lady were to enter the palace from now on, it would be a great blessing. However, the maid would no longer be able to live on..."

The queen said to Su Ying with a soft laugh: "Fortunately, they are the emperor's favorites; otherwise, with their lack of decorum and reckless speech, they would have faced countless hardships in the palace."

The little girl shouted, "Sister won't give me that!" as she tussled with her sister while trying to snatch it away, "She has two, and I don't have any!"

Su Ying hurriedly expressed her gratitude

Uncertain whether he discerned something from that glance just now. For a moment, Su Ying thought, "I wonder if he finds me familiar."

A warm feeling surged in Su Ying's heart as she raised her eyes to gaze at the deep red palace standing not far away, and she could almost smell the ancient fragrance it emanated

The palace maid smiled and said, "Miss Liu is too modest. I am Apu, merely a runner in the Danxi Palace, how could I dare to call myself sister!"

Su Ying stepped into the palace gates, only daring to lower her head and gaze at the red and blue interwoven carpet beneath her feet. As for where to go and to what place, it all depended on the palace maid beside her. They walked until they reached a colorful beaded curtain, at which point the palace maid finally let go of Su Ying. Su Ying understood that this was the place where she was to kneel in reverence, and she naturally knelt down to pay her respects towards the curtain.

At this moment, she still did not see the appearance of the queen, only noticing that she was wearing a white satin dress adorned with deep and light green small flowers, the pattern being exceptionally elegant. Moreover, this embroidered dress had been scented with perfume, as if each flower emitted a faint fragrance. On the Hu bed, there were also two young girls seated. Su Ying could not see their faces, but she caught a glimpse of one who was taller, approximately fourteen or fifteen years old, dressed in a yellow satin dress embroidered with large deep red flowers. The other girl, wearing a green dress embroidered with purple flowers, had very small hands and feet, likely only five or six years old. She restlessly fidgeted beside the older girl, mumbling, "Give me that! Give me!"

At this moment, he had turned mute! Su Ying, unsure of this person's reliability, said softly: "Su Ying wishes to consult the esteemed elder on a matter: What is the background of Wen Fengxiang? The Empress has instructed Su Ying to have more interactions with Wen Fengxiang, but Su Ying knows nothing about her..."

The queen was somewhat displeased, and immediately a female official lightly rebuked, "Your Highness, that is not correct! The matters within the palace are for Her Highness to decide. Moreover, whatever Her Highness does, as her daughter, it is not appropriate to refute."

Su Ying was taken aback and quickly said: "I am deeply honored by your praise, Master Bai. I feel unworthy. I am afraid I might embarrass myself in front of Her Highness and the ladies."

Su Ying smiled faintly without answering. She did not dare to speculate recklessly about the Empress's words, as she remembered Mr. Cui had said that this Empress had mentioned in her youth that if she truly had any thoughts, she would not express them for others to know

The queen scoffed lightly: "Really, Ning! You must not behave so unruly!"

The queen chuckled softly and praised, "Indeed, as the eunuch Bai said—she is truly a girl who knows her place."

Su Ying respectfully bowed and took her leave, but suddenly heard the Empress ask again: "Have you seen the incense burner I bestowed? Why are you so indifferent? Could it be that you have seen something better before, and thus find it lacking in novelty?"

The two individuals walked silently along the corridor, and the eunuch said: "The Danxi Palace is already in sight."

The matter of Su Ying paying respects to her father has not been made public; only the Ju and Su families are aware of it. Although there are various rumors circulating in the capital, very few can be substantiated. The confidence with which Lord Bai speaks indicates that his information is more reliable than that of others. Su Ying hurriedly said: "So it turns out that Wen Fengxiang is new here"

Su Ying initially had an interest in experimenting with spices, partly for fun and to pass the time, and partly because, although perfumery was not a grand endeavor, it was a skill she possessed that none of her sisters did. However, upon discovering the existence of a term she had never heard of before, "Lingxiao Luoying," within the realm of fragrances, it instead ignited her hidden competitive spirit, leading her to think that since she was going to learn, she might as well make a name for herself.

However, the eunuch in front seemed to have heard her innermost thoughts and chuckled, saying: "Miss, there is no need to feel embarrassed. The girls from the Su family, upon seeing the Danxi Palace, cannot help but be captivated. If one pretends to be indifferent, it would be even more hypocritical." He paused for a moment and continued: "Are you wondering how I know what you are thinking and doing? In this palace, one cannot afford to be without foresight."

Ah! Su Ying let out a long sigh in secret, her heart pounding: everyone said she would never have a connection with the Danxi Palace in her lifetime, yet here she was standing in front of it. However, even standing here, she still could not belong to this place. Joy and disappointment surged simultaneously in Su Ying's heart, and she hurriedly lowered her eyelids, taking two deep breaths.

Based on the fragrance that Su Ying smelled today, Wen Fengxiang is indeed highly skilled. However, Wen Fengxiang is also too beautiful, and the Empress does not like to have such a beautiful person by her side

Master Su pondered for a moment, believing that the people in the palace were meticulous and would not reveal any clues. A few days later, Concubine Dan sent a message through someone, asking him to purchase various spices on her behalf. The variety of spices in the palace was not as abundant as that in the market, and some spices were managed by the Imperial Kitchen, making them inconvenient to request. During the last fragrance competition, the Empress had clearly used outside spices to secure the top position, which left Concubine Dan feeling dissatisfied. She also instructed her young maid to practice blending fragrances. Master Su hurriedly procured a variety of spices and specifically told the messenger: "Miss Liu is particularly skilled in fragrance blending; please remind Concubine Dan that if there is an opportunity, it would be even better to have Aying by her side"

He seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, fully aware of her every move. Su Ying did not even dare to breathe.

Su Ying slowly rose to stand beside the queen. As she lowered her gaze, she caught sight of the queen's countenance and could not help but tremble all over, marveling inwardly: Such beauty exists in the world!

She possesses things that you will never be able to obtain, no matter how hard you strive for them throughout your life. If you do not learn to be content, it is you who will wear yourself out. The queen lightly hummed a remark and turned away, no longer paying attention to the two girls.

Indeed, she is just like Consort Dan. What a graceful young lady! The Empress smiled at the people on both sides and said, "Let her come in and take a seat"

Two palace maids quickly came to assist Su Ying, while another two lifted the beaded curtain, and yet another two placed a cushion under the Hu bed. Su Ying obediently sat at the feet of the Empress, leaning forward to attentively listen to the Empress's instructions

Su Ying knew where that long corridor led - to the Yan De Hall - the imperial court of the northern kingdom, where all officials paid their respects to the emperor. This corridor is a symbol: among the harem, only the mistress of the Dan Xi Palace is qualified to enter the main hall directly from her own chamber

Furthermore, she privately speculated that the chancellor, due to his discontent, would have her nose cut off. Her pursuit of the art of perfumery was originally the chancellor's intention; should she fail, although she is a Miss Su, she could not predict how he would treat her, nor could she foresee whether her lack of talent would bring trouble to her brother. Given the circumstances, aside from working even harder to learn from her master, Su Ying had no other thoughts.

As Su Ying stepped out of the Danxi Palace, she saw a young man of refined appearance holding a guqin, waiting outside the palace—he was presumably the queen's musician, ready to perform for her. Observing his calm demeanor, neither servile nor arrogant, Su Ying realized that he must be quite favored by the queen. As she walked past him, she instinctively caught a whiff of a lingering fragrance emanating from him, which seemed to be similar to the floral scent wafting from the queen's embroidered gown. Su Ying was taken aback and hurriedly walked a considerable distance away before she could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

The ox cart stopped at the entrance of the forbidden garden. Su Ying knew that with her status, she could only walk in, so she obediently got off the cart and followed the eunuch. Although she was curious in her heart, she did not dare to casually look around.

Su Ying thus learned that the older girl was the Second Princess Rong An, while the younger girl was the Little Princess Zhen Ning

It was still Eunuch Bai who escorted her out of the palace. Su Ying softly expressed her gratitude: "I hope Eunuch Bai will speak highly of me in front of Her Majesty."

"Miss Liu, please do not stand on ceremony." The tone of the palace maid was very warm, yet her actions were unremarkable, as she walked neither too close nor too far ahead of Su Ying, saying: "The Empress has just found some free time and immediately called for Miss Liu to come in. Master Bai seldom speaks well of others, yet just now he praised Miss Liu in front of the Empress—now everyone in the palace is waiting to see what Miss Liu looks like"

Apuh brought Su Ying to the palace gate, and after making the announcement, stood respectfully outside. It turned out that she was merely a low-ranking palace maid, not even permitted to enter. Inside the palace, there was a palace maid of higher rank than Apuh who came to the gate, taking Su Ying's hand and leading her into the palace

After walking for a while, the eunuch in front suddenly nodded and praised her: "It seems that Miss Su is someone who understands the rules. This is good, as our lady is most annoyed by those who are self-righteous"

Su Ying no longer asked anything, having understood the intricacies involved: on the day she was to prepare perfume for the Empress, the previous perfumer had his nose cut off. The Empress had to present someone skilled in the art of perfumery to provide an explanation to everyone. Thus, Wen Fengxiang was chosen by her.

As it was getting late, Su Ying did not dare to engage in a war of words with her, and as soon as she tidied up, she followed the eunuch.

Old Bai smiled but did not speak

Xuan Ye murmured: "Then you will know in the future, but for now, you still do not know."

A few steps outside the beaded curtain is the queen's low couch, where she seems to be fiddling with something. Su Ying hears a faint jingling sound, like metal clinking, which is particularly clear in this quiet palace.

Some time has passed since the fragrance incident, and no one from the palace has come to reply. Master Su feels uncertain and keeps asking Su Ying what the incense burner looks like. Su Ying avoids answering and only says that the incense burner is made of copper and has no patterns.

Su Ying contemplated numerous thoughts, most of which were boundless fantasies

The little princess Zhenning beside her chattered, "This is something from the palace and cannot be given away casually"

The queen may not have noticed her momentary distraction, yet she continued to play with the incense burner as if nothing were amiss, saying: "This incense burner has accompanied me for many years, and the fragrance it emits is always so unhurried—Su Ying, you are someone fated to be connected with incense, so I shall give this incense burner to you."

It is said that the Empress Su should be thirty-two years old this year, but due to her meticulous daily care, she appears to be only in her twenties. Her face is delicate, her makeup is exquisite, her brows and eyes are infinitely beautiful, her nose is finely shaped and straight, and her lustrous red lips are slightly pursed, exuding a hint of youthful shyness

If the princess's lady-in-waiting were half as attentive as Cui Bingyi, I would feel much more at ease. The queen cast a glance at the lady-in-waiting, revealing no sign of either pleasure or displeasure.

Her hands were fair and plump, seemingly translucent, with no visible joints or veins. Su Ying calmly took the incense burner, first bringing it to her nose to smell, then lifting the lid and gently using a gold hairpin to sift through the incense ash. She praised, "In response to Your Highness: this particular incense is exquisitely blended, with the ingredients finely ground and layered with care. As a result, within an hour, it will emit four distinct fragrances—first a refreshing scent, followed by a warm aroma, then a sweet fragrance, and finally a deep, rich scent—this is an incense for soothing the mind and alleviating worries."

It is she who has won the first prize in fragrance selection for the empress. " Bai Gonggong looked at Su Ying with a meaningful glance, "Unfortunately, she is too beautiful.

This palace is the largest in the harem, resembling a tightly closed mysterious treasure chest. Its design is quite unique, with the hall being extremely tall, the height of the roof occupying nearly half of the structure. The surrounding massive columns lean slightly towards the center, further enhancing the palace's towering and stable appearance. On the side of the palace gate, there is a long corridor, and at the turning point, a small pavilion is built in a style similar to that of the Danxi Palace, resembling an inverted golden bell flower, steadily immersed in the warm and fragrant atmosphere of early summer

Although the art of perfumery may seem like a trivial matter, opportunities in life often arise from such small things—currently, there is a trend for perfumery in the palace, and if she puts forth her best effort, it may very well be her chance. Naturally, Master Su understands this reasoning as well, and he quickly agreed, urging his daughter to groom and change her clothes.

Suying felt that he talked excessively, but his gaze towards her was relatively kind, not as if he was deliberately trying to belittle her with his words

Xuan Ye bit her lip and shook her head: "Miss, you do not understand; the servants have their own difficulties."

After a while, a brightly dressed palace maid approached her and called out to her. Su Ying immediately performed a perfectly timed bow.

She immediately blushed and dismissed this thought, reflecting: Fate cannot be forced; since we have crossed paths, there is no need to dwell on it or indulge in wild imaginings. Coming to the palace for the first time was not for this purpose

Old Bai snorted and said: "I have heard that the young lady's brother is the Right Guard Commander of the Eastern Palace, and with the Prime Minister's attention, the young lady should be quite well-informed. What? Has the young lady not heard about the incident involving the former Fengxiang?"

Su Ying also glanced at that female official—she is Mr. Cui's sister, Cui Bingyi, who oversees the proclamation, transmission, initiation, submission, scriptures, records, paper, and writing instruments in the Danxi Palace

"You are the sixth young lady Su Ying of the Duke of Dongping, aren't you?" The Empress's voice was light and gentle, "Lift your head, do not be afraid."

Su Ying rubbed her temples and finally mustered the courage to look around: it was afternoon, and the glazed tiles of the Danxi Palace shone brilliantly under the sunlight

"Do not speak nonsense," Su Ying admonished softly. "You always talk about things that have no basis. The Empress merely wants to see me blend fragrances; when did she say I was to enter? Even if I were truly allowed into the palace, my brother at home would still take care of you!"

Looking down at the incense burner in her arms: it is clearly the same one used last time. Su Ying secretly speculates: the Empress said that this incense burner has accompanied her for many years. At this moment, giving her the old incense burner—does this imply something?

The queen extended her hand and presented Su Ying with a small incense burner, which was exactly the kind she had seen before, adorned with a colorful red dragon pattern. "I just prepared a new fragrance here; come and try it, and see how it smells," she said, plucking a golden hairpin from her hair, smiling as she handed it to Su Ying. "You guessed it right; this golden hairpin is a gift for you to keep."

The person at the forefront was the Deputy Guard of the Danxi Palace. As this Deputy Guard passed by them, he seemed to glance at them. Su Ying instinctively raised her eyes to look at him, but hurriedly lowered her head again—this man was the Young Master Bai whom Su Ying had seen in the small shop. The Young Master Bai probably did not recognize her, as he walked past with a blank expression, without greeting the eunuch. Su Ying distinctly heard the eunuch let out a soft, cold snort. She knew nothing about the affairs of the Danxi Palace and did not dare to casually speculate about the relationships among these people, yet she instinctively sensed an unusual connection between them. The Young Master Bai probably did not recognize her, as he walked past with a blank expression, without greeting the eunuch. Su Ying distinctly heard the eunuch let out a soft, cold snort. She knew nothing about the affairs of the Danxi Palace and did not dare to casually speculate about the relationships among these people, yet she instinctively sensed an unusual connection between them.

As the two individuals walked to the open area in front of the palace, a group of guards approached them. Upon seeing their uniforms, Su Ying hurriedly lowered her head to avoid them