A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace Chapter 8 - 7 Tribute Rouge

"Hmph!" Noble Concubine Shih shot a sidelong glance, sneering with icy disdain.

Honored Lady Hu’s complexion drained to a ghostly white. Her earlier remarks had offended Noble Concubine Shih as well—the Emperor’s childhood companion—

That realization made her legs buckle in terror. The repercussions of angering Noble Concubine Shih were simply too horrifying to fathom. Her forehead remained glued to the floor, devoid of any power to lift herself up.

Xia Ruqing savored her tea with graceful poise. Its aroma lingered richly in her mouth—

Ultimately, the Empress stepped in to diffuse the tension. "Enough, Honored Lady Hu, get up. You’ve been in the palace a full year now; surely you grasp how vital it is to watch your words and deeds!"

"This servant obeys the Empress’s guidance!" Honored Lady Hu replied, rising on shaky legs.

Satisfied, the Empress nodded. After further exchanges, the group finally parted ways.

Exiting Jiaofang Hall, once the other noble ladies had gone, Honored Lady Hu shot Xia Ruqing a venomous glare before storming off, tossing her handkerchief dismissively.

Xia Ruqing toyed with the jade bracelet on her wrist, a subtle smirk hidden at her lips.

「The day before the Mid-Autumn Festival.」

Gifts from the Emperor were handed out. The Empress claimed the grandest portion, with Noble Concubine Shih next in line. The others followed rank protocols. Zhao Junyao seldom bothered with details like these, typically delegating to Li Shengan per standard rites.

Yet this year’s tributes included several cases of rouge from the Kingdom of Goryeo. Renowned as the realm of roses, Goryeo’s offering was crafted by pressing myriads of fresh petals into juice, blended with a proprietary fragrant elixir. Its hue was vivid and uniform, skin-nourishing, and it imparted a subtle rose perfume upon application—beloved by Harem women everywhere. Floods had ravaged Goryeo this year, slashing rose yields sharply, so the rouge shipment fell short of past abundances.

Li Shengan frowned deeply. "We’re short exactly one box! Now what?"

The Empress Dowager got three boxes, the Empress and Noble Consorts two apiece. Other consorts merited one each, but supplies didn’t stretch far enough. Protocol demanded one for every lady Sixth Rank or higher.

"Lady Xia and Honored Lady Hu can’t both get a box, and picking one unfairly won’t do," lamented Steward Hai Dasheng from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, utterly perplexed.

"Why not have Steward Li consult the Emperor?" Hai Dasheng proposed warily. As fellow Honored Ladies with just one box to split, he dared not decide. But an imperial decree would settle it cleanly—who’d challenge that?

Li Shengan paused briefly, sighed heavily, then set off to ask. Trivialities like this rarely warranted bothering the Emperor. Still, with tribute allocations unclear, no one risked arbitrary calls.

「Zichen Hall.」

Zhao Junyao pored over paperwork. Hearing the issue, he barely raised his gaze. "Award it to Lady Xia. For Lady Hu, substitute something else fine quality!"

Truth be told, Lady Hu’s face escaped his memory. Beyond Eastern Palace holdovers, he struggled to link names to the prior year’s batch of newcomers. Lady Xia, though, stuck in mind. A soft smile curved his mouth as his fingers brushed his shoulder instinctively, recalling those lingering bite marks.

Zhao Junyao mused inwardly.

「Zhaohua Pavilion.」

Post-nap, Xiao Xizi had tallied the Mid-Autumn gifts, displaying them tidily on the outer room’s table.

Xia Ruqing surveyed the bounty: pearl-jade hairpins, silks, aromatics in abundance. Mostly palace-made, all precious.

"Oh, what’s this?" She lifted a finely wrought sandalwood case.

"My lady may not realize—this is Goryeo tribute rouge, scarce with just a handful of boxes!" Xiao Xizi boasted proudly.

He whispered closer. "Word from the Ministry of Internal Affairs: for Honored Ladies, only one box remained. The Emperor personally ordered it yours, my lady!"

Xia Ruqing smiled lightly, unconcerned; merely rouge, after all.

She directed Xiao Xizi to store it all, then headed to the Imperial Garden with Zi Yue to gather chrysanthemums. Mid-Autumn loomed tomorrow—she aimed to dry petals for mooncake stuffing.

Unbeknownst to Xia Ruqing, news of the tribute rouge had already circulated.

In the Harem, Sixth Rank marked a divide. Below it, women counted as lesser consorts: skipped from greetings, gifts, feasts, surviving on slim allowances. Unfavored, their fates were sealed—barely contenders. Sixth Rank and up opened doors: full perks, constant visibility, endless rivalry grounds.

Discovering her missing tribute rouge box, Honored Lady Hu erupted in rage. Servants in tow, she barreled toward Zhaohua Pavilion.

"Where’s your lady? Have her come out!" Honored Lady Hu bellowed furiously.

Spotting Honored Lady Hu, Xiao Xizi guessed her purpose but greeted warmly with due respect. "Mistress isn’t in. If Honored Lady has instructions, this servant can handle them."

"Not here? Hmph! We’ll enter and await her!" She shoved Xiao Xizi away, entourage flooding inside.

Sensing trouble, Xiao Xizi dropped to his knees before her, blocking with a strained smile. "Normally, this servant wouldn’t hinder noble visits. But mistress stressed guarding the residence before leaving." He kowtowed nonstop. "I’m too inept to host properly. If we track dirt inside, she’ll punish me surely. Please, Honored Lady, spare this lowly one!"

Maids handled refreshments; eunuchs stuck to chores, shunning inner chambers. Thus, Xiao Xizi’s ploy.

"No worries—I won’t need your tea service. Guard the courtyard gate. Alert me on her return!" Honored Lady Hu commanded haughtily.

Xiao Xizi refused flatly. He knelt firm, ready to defend with his life if needed.

Enraged, Honored Lady Hu struck Xiao Xizi’s cheek. "Filthy eunuch! You dare bar my path?" Another slap followed as she snarled, "Hinting I’d soil your rooms? Good—I’ll stomp right in!"

With that, she booted him aside. Astonishingly swift, he sprang up and knelt anew.

Her fury boiled over. Poised to hike sleeves for chaos, suddenly... Xia Ruqing appeared.