Volume 5, Chapter 320 – You Act Too Poorly, Let Me Do It (Part 1)

“What’s wrong with you? What does it matter to you how much someone else wears? Why must women make things difficult for each other?”

Yaoyao couldn’t hold back her scolding any longer.

“Oh dear, you’ve hit the nail on the head—I really am mentally ill! So, no need to pay me any mind.”

Qi Huang wasn’t ashamed in the slightest, in fact, she seemed proud of it.

“What kind of twisted logic is that? Even I seem more human than you.”

Yaoyao was utterly speechless.

Qi Huang smiled in satisfaction. What she wanted was a quiet environment where she could leisurely admire beautiful women.

Soon, Qi Huang followed the palace maid to the main hall of the Office of Palace Ceremonies, where she handed over her waist token and identity plaque to a steward for registration.

“Why are you wearing a veil?”

The female steward in charge of records—whose waist token bore her name, Meng Chengyu—frowned slightly.

“Reporting to Steward Meng, I caught a chill on the way here. It’s better to cover up for now.”

Qi Huang brushed off the question casually. Since she had decided not to reveal her identity for the time being, she would avoid showing her face whenever possible.

Steward Meng compared the identity plaque to Qi Huang’s appearance, noting that the facial contours matched and the forehead ornament was equally conspicuous. She didn’t press further—after all, if someone had made it into the palace, the guards must have already verified their identity. It wasn’t her place to question their judgment.

“Though you are an Imperial Consort candidate, you haven’t yet received formal status. Staying in the Office of Palace Ceremonies doesn’t mean you can freeload. You will rise at 7:15 AM daily to assist with cleaning and cooking. From 9–11 AM, you’ll study palace regulations. At noon, you’ll rest. From 1–5 PM, you’ll train in ritual music. During these times, you must wear the designated consort attire, which I’ll issue to you shortly.”

Steward Meng laid out the rules.

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“Understood.”

Qi Huang nodded.

“Good. This is the Office of Palace Ceremonies’ official certification. Hand it to the constables who escorted you here so they can report back.”

Steward Meng passed Qi Huang a stamped document.

Afterward, Qi Huang gathered her belongings and followed Steward Meng to her assigned quarters.

Since the Office of Palace Ceremonies was a modest compound and this batch of consort candidates numbered over a hundred, individual rooms—or even individual beds—were impossible. Most candidates were packed five or six to a room, sleeping on shared platforms.

Qi Huang, currently impersonating someone else, naturally received no special treatment. She was placed in a room already occupied by five other consorts.

“Consort Chen, if I may ask, what kind of face powder do you use? Your fragrance is quite remarkable.”

Along the way, Steward Meng suddenly spoke up. Part of her was genuinely curious, but more than that, she saw an opportunity to ingratiate herself.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just natural.”

Qi Huang dismissed the question. She wasn’t about to reveal the truth, after all, Golden Fate Blossoms were far too precious.

“What? Natural?”

Steward Meng was startled, but then she smiled faintly, clearly disbelieving Qi Huang’s claim.

“I’m a woman too. Do you think I don’t know how women work? Since when does any woman’s natural scent linger so strongly? Save that nonsense for gullible men.”

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She kept the thought to herself.

Soon, the two arrived at a large courtyard, the designated living quarters for the consort candidates.

“Our Office of Palace Ceremonies is small, with only two courtyards. You’ll have to make do sharing a room for now. But don’t worry, the first screening is in just a few days.”

Steward Meng led Qi Huang to a room and explained apologetically. Though she held authority, she dared not act too coldly toward the consorts.

“Not a problem at all! It’s no hardship! We could fit even more people in here!”

Qi Huang replied excitedly. Back in the Honghua Sect, her main body had kept her from fully integrating into female circles despite her feminization. Now, she finally had the perfect opportunity.

Steward Meng shot Qi Huang a puzzled look, unable to comprehend the consort’s inexplicable enthusiasm.

As Qi Huang stepped inside, a wave of perfumed powder and the sweet, distinctive scent of young women washed over her. Three consorts in high-waisted ruqun dresses ¹ 齐胸襦裙, qíxiōng rúqún were diligently practicing music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. After all, lineage, looks, and natural fragrance were predetermined—the only way to stand out was to refine one’s talents. In that sense, life in the Office of Palace Ceremonies wasn’t so different from an ordinary academy.

“Everyone, this is your new roommate, Chen Yuzhu. I hope you’ll all get along.”

Steward Meng introduced Qi Huang.

The consorts glanced at her perfunctorily before returning to their tasks.

Suppressing her excitement, Qi Huang surveyed the room. Against each wall was a long sleeping platform, each about the width of three beds. The one on the right was already fully occupied, leaving only the outermost spot on the left. She set her belongings there.

Once settled, Qi Huang reluctantly left to deliver the certification to the five constables waiting outside the gates.

“Return immediately afterward. From now on, without Chief Steward Zhou’s permission, you are not to step foot outside the Office of Palace Ceremonies. Understood?”

Steward Meng warned sternly. These consorts were newcomers unfamiliar with palace rules, letting them roam freely would only invite trouble.

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Qi Huang acknowledged the instructions, then handed the document to the constables.

The five men accepted it as if granted amnesty, repeatedly swearing secrecy before departing in high spirits.

Qi Huang, equally jubilant, returned to her quarters and began arranging her bedding, though her eyes kept drifting toward the other consorts. Even if she wasn’t yet witnessing anything too stimulating, just being among them was psychologically satisfying enough.

The other consorts, meanwhile, kept glancing at Qi Huang, their expressions growing increasingly displeased. After all, wearing a veil even inside the palace? What kind of arrogant, self-absorbed woman did that?

“Sister—or should I say, ‘younger sister’—the palace is perfectly safe, and we’re all women here. There’s no need to keep that veil on, is there?”

The tallest and most beautiful of the three couldn’t resist speaking up.

“Huh? Oh! My apologies, it’s not intentional. I recently had a wisdom tooth removed, and my face is still swollen. Taking it off would be… unsightly.”

Qi Huang brushed off the question again. Since she’d be staying here, she couldn’t use the “chill” excuse anymore, that would just scare the girls.

“You’re really something. The first screening is right around the corner, and you chose now to remove a tooth? What if the Phoenix Selection Token deducts points for your appearance?”

Another consort chimed in. She was the most voluptuous of the three, and the standard-issue pink ruqun, with its low-cut design, left little to the imagination. Every slight movement sent tremors through the fabric.

Qi Huang’s gaze lingered helplessly. She had to admit, the palace knew what it was doing. The uniform’s design maximized the display of feminine charm, making comparisons effortless.

“Why bother? What does it matter to you what she does?”

The shortest and plainest of the three spoke disdainfully.

“It couldn’t be helped, the pain was unbearable.”

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Qi Huang replied absentmindedly, her eyes still tracing the curves of the buxom consort.

The three women exchanged glances, their expressions shifting to mild contempt—though their wariness lessened slightly.

“See? Like that shamelessly exposed woman, I’ll find a way to document her crimes.”

Qi Huang explained guiltily to Yaoyao.

“Did I say anything? Why are you trying to justify yourself?”

Yaoyao replied impassively.

Qi Huang, rebuffed, could only shut up awkwardly.

For the time being, she focused on arranging her bedding while discreetly observing Ouyang Tong’s situation. As long as the other woman wasn’t at risk of exposure, Qi Huang saw no need to intervene.

Meanwhile, Ouyang Tong remained frozen in her room, too terrified to step outside after the earlier scare.

‘I’ll just stay here for the next few days. No matter who calls, I won’t leave. Let’s see who can recognize me then.’

She gritted her teeth. She knew her acting skills were lacking, the only way to survive these six days was to become a complete shut-in.

Unfortunately, she’d forgotten one crucial detail:

Even immortals must answer nature’s call.

No one could stay indoors forever.