Chapter 720: Chapter 720: Pitch-Pot
Every palace concubine was astounded upon arrival, thinking to themselves how different the festival organized by Consort De and Noble Consort was. As they walked along, the decorations did not seem as extravagant as in previous years until they neared Qianqiu Hall, where they finally understood where Consort De had spent the silver.
While the festival overseen by the Noble Consort was dazzling and a visual delight, that was all there was to it. However, the festival managed by Consort De was irresistible from first glance, making people eager to participate as if they were playing, bringing joy to both body and spirit, and it was also very beneficial, offering abundant rewards. Even the clumsiest person could win something to take home.
As soon as they arrived, many events captured their eyes, but they were a bit restrained at first and only played symbolically. Gradually, they loosened up, and groups of people gathered to play at every spot.
Included among them was Kong Yinyin, an attendant of the same rank, who entered the palace in the same year as Changzai Zhou, yet did not manage to make her way in the palace like Changzai Zhou. Usually, she was virtually invisible and nobody befriended her. However, there was one who targeted her, a woman named Cui Laner, who, like her, had never been graced by His Majesty.
At this moment, she was very joyful, yet within her joy, there was also some worry. She had recently received a decree. His Majesty had issued a decree granting freedom to a group of palace attendants, including palace concubines who had never been graced, and she was one of them.
The Bureau of Palace Attendants treated the consorts and attendants who were to be released differently. The attendants would pack up and take their severance silver and leave the palace immediately, while the consorts received much better treatment.
For those who lived close by, the palace specifically arranged for someone to go to their homes to notify their families, and they would be escorted out of the palace three days later. Those who lived farther away were also escorted back to their hometowns three days later by palace staff, and both situations demonstrated immense imperial grace.
These consorts who had been in the palace had all been nurtured in manners, etiquettes, knowledge, and composure—their credentials and accomplishments certified by The Royal Family. Moreover, their release was not a demotion but a return home.
The decree from His Majesty mentioned that they should adhere to their roles, practice self-discipline, maintain proper conduct, and praised their behavior and compassion for their relatives, granting them special permission to return home. Thus, their status when they returned home would naturally be different, and their families would treat them with great reverence, and there would be a rush of suitors at their doorstep.
Kong Yinyin, having been unloved in the palace for many years and not having formed any good connections, was naturally thrilled to finally have the chance to return home and reunite with her family.
But there was a nagging concern weighing on her heart. When she first entered the palace, it was because the Former Empress Dowager needed to round up an auspicious number, and she was the last consort chosen. At that time, her family was already in decline, barely scraping by, and they had managed to assemble just enough clothes and jewelry to maintain appearances before she was sent into the palace.
Her family couldn’t provide her with any substantial help, and her palace allowance in silver had just been enough to get by until this year when she advanced to the rank of a consort, and then she was able to save a little.
Previously, with nothing to look forward to and enduring her days in the palace — especially after the scandal involving Beauty Lian of Canglan Court which had severed her external connections — even if she had silver, she could not send it out of the palace. But now that she had received the decree, she could legitimately take her silver out of the palace, and that was when her worries began.
The silver was too little, and it wouldn’t provide much help once she returned home. She worried and couldn’t think of a solution, so she thought she’d just see how the Longevity Festival went today, as her last few days in the palace were upon her.
As she watched, she noticed that every event at the Longevity Festival offered a chance to win some money.
But she was very timid and extremely restrained. She hesitated for a long time with her head lowered in modesty. Seeing that everyone started to have fun, she finally dared to participate boldly. Unfortunately, her skills were too poor, and after playing for a long time she hadn’t managed to win even a single golden melon seed.
She became secretly anxious, her hands trembling slightly as she threw arrows again, and not noticing when several people had approached nearby. After another round of throwing her eight arrows, none hit the target, and she couldn’t help but feel discouraged.
"Enjoying it?" asked a crisp voice nearby.
She was stunned for a moment, then turned her head and saw a Palace Concubine with almond-shaped eyes and peachy cheeks standing beside her. Her hairpin was not adorned with many beads, yet each shimmered brilliantly. She was staring at her with a pair of clear, large eyes full of curiosity, her voice carried a natural familiarity.
Kong Yinyin took a quick look and immediately averted her eyes, unsure where to look, and stood stiffly to the side, shaking her head.
Seeing her not speaking, the attractive Concubine looked at the two archery targets and asked, "How does one play this game?"
Kong Yinyin muttered softly for a moment before whispering, "You just shoot the arrows into those pots."
"Is it hard?" the Concubine measured with her eyes and asked naturally.
"Hard!" Kong Yinyin blurted out, then started to feel timid and added in a softer voice, "Very hard, hard to hit..."
"Ah? Is it that difficult?" She thought it looked quite manageable!
Since the Concubine next to her was very friendly, had a pleasant voice, and seemed approachable without any distance, unlike the typical Palace Concubines, Kong Yinyin felt a bit bolder.
"Hmm... not easy to shoot." She cast her eyes downward and couldn’t help saying.
Feeling that the Concubine beside her seemed quite serious, she paused and then explained in detail, "It’s a bit far, too much force and the arrow flies too far, too little and it won’t reach; even if you use just the right amount of force, you can still miss because of poor aim."
Somehow, talking to this Concubine in front of her made her less nervous, and she spoke more and more smoothly, ending quite naturally. Perhaps it was because this person wasn’t patronizing or demeaning, she naturally felt more relaxed.
The Concubine listened attentively, nodding as she listened, and agreed, "That makes sense, it really tests one’s accuracy. I’ve never played it before and don’t know if I can do well."
Kong Yinyin was immediately surprised; there was almost an archery game every year in the palace, and even someone as marginalized as her, always bowing her head like a fossil at every banquet, had played it a few times, though she played very poorly because of her scant practice.
She looked again and found the Concubine in front of her somewhat familiar but couldn’t recall when she had seen her before.
Seeing how attractive she was, she thought about it and taught her own experiences, which the Concubine accepted repeatedly, making her quite pleased.
Her background was very ordinary and deep down she felt inferior. After entering the palace, she rarely spoke so much to other Consorts, and during encounters, she always kept her head down, so not many paid her any attention. Those who did usually had their own agenda or wanted to show off their capabilities by belittling her, like Cui Laner, who loved to say she couldn’t utter a coherent sentence.
Now, someone acknowledged her genuinely, and within a few words, she felt an instant connection with the Concubine beside her, something that had never happened before.
After she finished speaking, the Concubine pondered as she touched her chin and looked towards the archery targets, eager to try, but suddenly she noticed an issue, "Eh, why are there two archery pots?"