Free Web NovelChapter 143: Chapter 66: The Emperor is Hard to Deal With (Part 2)
Ami Tofu.
Feng Yi felt he shouldn’t have come. He started to rise, but then he heard Song Yunzhao speak again. "Thank you for the rewards Your Majesty sent over. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had any gifts for my family when they visited today. That would have been embarrassing not just for me, but for you as well. Thankfully, you were so thoughtful. I’m truly touched by how much you care for me."
Feng Yi, who had just started to get up, sat back down. He frowned and said, "Did the Six Departments skimp on your allowance?"
"Not at all," Song Yunzhao said with a smile. ’They’d love to, but I don’t give them the chance.’ After the humiliation the Clothing Bureau suffered, everyone else had to think twice about how to offend her without getting slapped right back. freewebnσvel.cøm
Right now, she was the Emperor’s new favorite, a concubine whose favor was skyrocketing like a rocket. The people in the Six Departments were all shrewd operators. They wouldn’t dare offend a favored concubine; they only skimped on provisions for the ones who were out of favor.
’Although my status as a favored concubine is a sham—I haven’t even slept with the Emperor yet—I already have a plan.’
’It’s hilarious to think about how, in the book, Consort Shu and the others carried that empty title while desperately trying to keep it a secret.’
Feng Yi looked at Song Yunzhao suspiciously. "Then why would you have nothing to give as rewards?"
Song Yunzhao froze. She carefully observed the Emperor’s expression and realized he was genuinely surprised.
She lowered her gaze in thought for a moment, then suddenly understood. Looking up at the Emperor, she said in a slightly exaggerated tone, "How could you possibly know of my struggles, Your Majesty? I am merely a Noble Consort. My allotted items are pitifully few. It’s barely enough for my own use, so how could I have any extra to give away as rewards?"
"Few?"
"That’s right."
Seeing that the Emperor didn’t seem convinced, Song Yunzhao didn’t waste any more words. She stood up, went into her bedchamber, and brought out her jewelry box, placing it on the table.
She opened the first layer and said, "A Noble Consort’s allowance is two red gold, gem-inlaid step-shaking hairpins, six assorted jade hairpins, a combined total of six pairs of regular hairpins, decorative combs, and pearl hairpins, and six pairs of assorted earrings. Then there are the bracelets, rings, and necklaces. All told, it doesn’t even fill this jewelry box of mine. You tell me, after I mix and match all these for my outfits, what’s left to give away as rewards?" freewebnøvel.coɱ
The Emperor had never paid attention to such things before, and for a moment, he was intrigued. "Is that still not enough?"
’How many heads does she have that she needs to wear so much jewelry?’
"How could it possibly be enough? I can’t just wear the same things every day. Even if I don’t get tired of it, you’d get bored seeing me look the same all the time." Song Yunzhao deliberately puffed out her cheeks. "Don’t we concubines rely entirely on our faces? And do these faces become beautiful for no reason? They have to be decorated!"
Hearing this, Feng Yi suddenly recalled her appearance the last time he had summoned her to accompany him. It was indeed quite different from how she looked now.
"Besides, on top of all that, there’s rouge and powder, silks and satins—all of which get used up bit by bit. For someone like me who loves to dress up, the monthly allowance of cosmetics is nowhere near enough. And do those silks and satins just turn into clothes on their own? Don’t I have to pay to have the Clothing Bureau make them into garments?"
Feng Yi found this surprisingly interesting. "That makes sense."
Song Yunzhao: ...
’Fleecing this sheep is hard. This Emperor is tough to handle.’
Seeing Song Yunzhao fall silent, Feng Yi immediately prompted her, "Keep talking."
’So the Six Departments had so many tricks up their sleeves. He’d never really known, because no one had ever told him about these trivial matters.’
Song Yunzhao took a deep breath, maintained her smile, and continued, "My annual salary is only two hundred and sixty taels of silver, which is just twenty-one taels a month. That’s not even enough for tipping people, let alone commissioning someone to buy rouge, make clothes, or craft jewelry. Your Majesty, my life is so difficult."
Hearing that last sentence, Feng Yi finally understood. ’She’s pleading poverty to me.’
’Unbelievable. She’s really something else.’
’In the years since I ascended the throne, plenty of people have pleaded poverty to me, but they were all crafty old foxes from the court.’
’But Song Yunzhao is the first among the concubines to do so!’
’I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t heard it, but now that I have, it does seem like Song Yunzhao’s life isn’t very easy.’
Feng Yi looked at Song Yunzhao with a straight face and said, "The palace has its own rules. We cannot increase your monthly salary; that would throw everything into chaos, wouldn’t it? Consort Song, everyone else manages. You should be a bit more frugal and not spend so lavishly. We have official matters to attend to, so We will take Our leave. Rest well."
Feng Yi turned and left without another word, leaving Song Yunzhao dumbfounded.
’What an absolute tightwad!’
This time, Zhang Maoquan had insisted on following His Majesty to Wangyou Palace, refusing to back down even when Meng Jiuchang glared at him. ’Thank goodness I came,’ he thought. ’Where else would I get to see such a great show?’
’Consort Song is truly one of a kind. Which of the concubines in this harem actually lives on their monthly salary? Only those from poor families have to pinch pennies.’
