"Hey! Xiaoli!" A girl hollered, waving her arms and flapping about about like a hopping chicken towards an older maid coming towards her on the cobblestone path. The maid called Xiaoli was dressed in a simple beige garb, yet the smoothness of the fabric and the *rónghuā in her hair were clear marks of her status. Such were the symbols of a concubine's bridal handmaid.
'Shh. Quiet.' Xiaoli reprimanded gently, setting down her wooden tray onto the table. 'We mustn't disturb her ladyship's rest. Even for a new maid like you, Lan'er.'
The girl called Lan'er scratched the back of her head with an apolegetic chuckle, but Xiao'li didn't mind. For once, the **Shàngyíjú had sent someone who wasn't an absolute pain to manage. An innocent but clumsy chick was much better compared to another insipid bed climber.
'Any change?' A deep female voice rumbled as a shadow swept into the room. The newcomer too was an older maid dressed in beige, a simple wooden hairpin poked out of the sides of her hair.
'Not much, I'm afraid. Her ladyship has yet to wake. And we've had to send the second prince away as well.' Xiaoli answered, pouring a cup of lukewarm tea and pushing it across the table towards her colleague. "How much for this month's wages, Xiaotao?"
With an audible sigh, Xiaotao sat down opposite Xiaoli, bringing forth a wooden chest about the size of a jewellery box. 'Same here.' she said, opening the chest to reveal its' contents, a loose collection of silver pieces that rattled against the wood.
The girls' hearts sank as at the sight. Even without counting, an idiot could tell this was far away from the 500 taels as afforded a concubine of their ladyship's rank. A warm wetness ran down Xiaoli's face from her already reddened eyes, and it took all she could to stop herself from breaking into sobs.
Those bastards, she cursed. Just because her ladyship fell sick. *** Wàngxīgé has become no better than the chambers of a Talented Lady!
But she knew there was nothing they could do. Such was the treatment awaiting a royal concubine with no favor, no matter their rank. Amidst tears, the silhouette of a certain woman flashed across Xiaoli's mind, with berry red eyes and a bewitching smile. Her hands slowly balled into fists.
"That bitch." she hissed, pounding her fist onto the table. "If it weren't for her, the first princess would've been alright. And her ladyship wouldn't have..." Unable to hold herself back any longer, Xiaoli buried her face in her hands and howled, sinking onto the ground. Grimly, Xiaotao gathered her sobbing colleague into her arms, raising her arm and wiping her own tears from her eyes.
***
Within the dim chambers of Wàngxīgé, a woman slowly sits up from the bed, her ears cocked in search for any sound. A pair of wary eyes peeked out from the gauze curtains, making sure the doors of the palace were firmly closed. The shadowy darkness of the room confirmed her guesses, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
It's not that she didn't want to wake up, but the memory of what just happened sent shivers down her spine. When first she came to, it was to a softly crying maid wiping the sweat from her forehead.
Two thoughts ran through her head at that time as she peeked at the maid through squinted eyes.
1) Was she kidnapped?
2) Why is there a pretty girl wiping her forehead and sobbing like the granny next door just died?
No, actually make that three thoughts. Is she the one that's dead?
'Your ladyship... please wake up... this servant is begging you... please wake up...'
She froze, and an absolutely terrifying guess formed in her mind. The reason for that was simple. She knew that style of dialogue.
But she had to be sure.
Her eyes wandered around the room until she saw it, the enormous bronze mirror on the dressing stand illuminated as in a spotlight.
Slowly, she slid off the bed, her feet slipping into a pair of silken slippers. Careful not to make any sound, she tiptoed, darting between pillars of the almost cavernous chamber whilst making her way towards the mirror.
No. No. Nonononononono. This... this can't be real. She heard her mind think. Stop. Stop walking. Stop walking. Stop walking. This isn't real. This can't be real!
But as if under a spell, she floated towards the mirror. Her mind buzzed with blank static as she sat down, her slender fingers reaching out towards the icy, polished bronze surface. It's coldness startled her. A familiar face gazed back at her.
Blink. Blink. The reflection is blinking. She raised her hands to her cheeks. They were soft and warm, like the mochi from the 7Eleven she at last night. She squeezed, pinching the smooth and supple skin. It hurts.
Gathering strength, she slapped herself. Ouch, the part she pinched just now really hurts. Wait... it... hurts?
Oh my f*cking god. It is real. The girl in the mirror gaped, her jaw falling open like a stock cartoon character.
And that was how she became a background character in the gongdou novel she read last night.
________________________________________________________________________________
*rónghuā or 绒花, is translated as velvet flowers, which are hair accessories made from silk threads and copper wire.
**Shàngyíjú is read as （尚仪局 shàng yí jú）translated to 'Bureau of Ceremonies' and deals with the management of palace officials and servants, as well as the upkeep of all palace records, much like the HR department today in most offices.
*** Wàngxīgé is read as (忘昔阁 wàngxīgé) which translated as 'pavilion to forget the past' or localised as the Pavilion of Forgetting. I know it's supposed to be a palace but, this just makes it sound fancier. :)
YOU ARE READING
Reincarnated as A Concubine
General Fiction(UPDATES INTERMITTENTLY) A regular guy gets reincarnated into a palace intrigue novel that he's been reading as a background character. Yes, you've heard it right. Man to woman transition. Introducing Imperial Noble Concubine Ning, mother of a who...
