Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

When her father told Gyokuyou that she would go to the Imperial Palace to become one of the Emperor's concubines, she knew her life would no longer be her own. His father never hid his ambition from her and didn't wait long to send her to the Inner Court.

As such, Gyokuyou grew used to the idea of her being only a tool. One that her father and half-brother could use to further their political aspirations.

And yet, the more attention she received in the Inner Court, the more Gyokuyou hoped that things could be different for her. That there was a way for her to live a life she could be proud of, without losing herself to the jealousy and selfishness of the Imperial Palace.

Her ladies-in-waiting were a great help in reminding her of her true self, where she came from, and how perilous things could become if she trusted the wrong person. And perhaps as a response to that desperation, Gyokuyou kept Hongiang, Yinghua, Guiyuan, and Ailan close. They were hers, so her job was to protect them as best as possible. Initially, when she had no power, it was challenging. But as she rose through the ranks, it became easier for her to control who could get close to them. Ironically, the more she gave of herself to the Emperor and the Imperial Palace, the more powerful she became within it. And in the Imperial Palace, that meant privacy.

Gyokuyou knew it was only an illusion cast by the Emperor and Jinshi. Her power was fleeting and inconsequential in the grander schemes of the men in control of the Imperial Palace. And if she were found not to be performing her concubine duties or producing results, this privilege could easily be taken away from her.

Yet, as one of the Emperor's favorite concubines and owner of the Jade Pavilion, Gyokuyou naively felt in control. After all, only Jinshi and the Emperor could freely enter the Jade Pavilion. As long as she held the Emperor's favor and love, Gyokuyou was free to live as she wished with the ones she loved within the inner walls of the Jade Pavilion.

Then Lingli fell sick, and Gyokuyou's world fell apart.  

Gyokuyou felt fear, knowing she could do nothing for her child. Their lives were, for lack of a better word, in the hands of the Emperor and his people. And, when made to pick between her daughter and his son, the Emperor's choice had been expected. Yet Gyokuyou, who realistically knew this would happen, still felt bitter when she realized how little Lingli and she mattered to the Emperor and his people. The experience was terrifying and a harsh reminder that she needed to be cautious when protecting the few things she considered hers.

And although Lingli was saved, Gyokuyou's trust in the Emperor and his entourage was gone.

Yet, when she met Maomao, Gyokuyou knew she could trust her. Not only had she gone against the rules by warning her about the poison, but she also did it cleverly and covertly. And even as Jinshi tested Maomao for the food taster position, Gyokuyou knew she wanted her in the Jade Pavilion. Had Jinshi said no to her proposal, Gyokuyou was ready to appeal to the Emperor, hoping that the distress of almost losing Lingli would be enough for him to grant her request.

It wasn't logical for Gyokuyou to put so much on the line for Maomao. Hongniang told her as much once she revealed that one of the conditions Jinshi had given her for Maomao to stay was that he could borrow her services from time to time.

Meaning that Maomao wouldn't be working exclusively for her.

"Who's to say she won't be telling Master Jinshi about what's happening here in the Jade Pavilion?" Hongniang insisted.

"Who's to say she won't tell us what Master Jinshi is having her do while she's away?" Gyokuyou asked her instead. "Both of us agree that she's valuable, even with the possible risks that could come from her working for both of us."

"You're testing her," Hongniang murmured. "If she tells us about what she's doing with Master Jinshi, it wouldn't be surprising for her to do the same with him."

"I'm sure Master Jinshi came to the same conclusion I did when he heard of my desire to have Maomao work for me. All we can do is wait and see what Maomao does."

Unsurprisingly, Maomao did her best in the situation she was placed in. And, even though there were rumors of her assisting Jinshi and the other High Concubines, Gyokuyou never heard anything from Maomao. She wasn't hiding things from her, which made Gyokuyou more fascinated with Maomao. Instead, she would tell her where she was but not what she was ordered to do. Or that she was asked to help, but not with what.

Most people would have found Maomao's bluntness irritating. Yet Gyokuyou wasn't like most people. Seeing someone like Maomao rise to the challenges Jinshi and the Emperor placed on her was exhilarating.

It made her feel proud of Maomao and her achievements.

Gyokuyou knew she was starting to care for the young woman. It was hard not to since it seemed that even Hongniang and her ladies-in-waiting had fallen for Maomao's peculiar charm.

Yet with care also came a wish to protect, which Gyokuyou found difficult to do when Maomao was sent to the other pavilions. Rumors of her getting mistreated while helping were not uncommon, and Gyokuyou did her best not to intervene.

Yet when Maomao returned from the Crystal Pavilion with bloodied scratches on her face, after everything Maomao had done for Lihua and those horrible ladies in waiting, Gyokuyou had had enough.

"Who did this to you?" Gyokuyou asked Maomao as she softly held her face.

"It's nothing," Maomao said, clearly unbothered by the injury.

"Maomao," Gyokuyou warned her, refusing to let it go.

"It was Lady Lihua's head lady, Shin," Maomao murmured. "She sorta slapped me."

"And where, may I ask, were Mister Jinshi and Mister Gaoshun while this was happening?"

Maomao pondered the question, clearly at odds with whether she should respond.

"I see," Gyokuyou huffed.

Maomao's lack of answers was enough for her to surmise what happened.

"I'm sorry I can't say anything more," Maomao whispered, which surprised Gyokuyou.

"It's not your fault," she said softly, feeling protective of the young woman. "Do you have everything you need here at the Jade Pavilion to ensure that wound's taken care of?"

Maomao nodded.

"Then you better go clean that wound sooner rather than later," Gyokuyou smiled, allowing Maomao to head to her room.

Once Maomao was gone, she turned her attention to Hongniang, who quietly listened to the conversation beside her.

"Hongniang," she said, as she began writing a letter to Lihua, requesting that they meet for tea. "Please make sure Lady Lihua gets this."

Hongniang hesitantly took the letter, surmising its contents based on her mistress's angry expression.

"It would be remiss of me not to ask, but are you sure you wish me to send this?"

Gyokuyou nodded, undeterred.

Hongniang sighted yet did as told, not before smiling softly at her master.

After all, they all knew how much Gyokuyou cared for them.

"I guess now it will be Maomao's time to find out."

Lady Lihua's response to Gyokuyou's letter didn't take long to arrive. After all, the two were on much better terms thanks to Maomao's help and had already met a couple of times before to get some tea. Without the jealousy and fear they felt when their children fell sick, Gyokuyou learned that Lihua was a kind and intelligent woman. Brought to the Imperial Palace under circumstances too similar to hers, it was only a matter of time until Gyokuyou realized she had lowered her guard around Lihua. Perhaps due to their conversations, in which Lihua expressed her gratitude to Maomao for all she had done for her, Gyokuyou felt that she had found a fellow ally in the Inner Palace.

But what Gyokuyou couldn't help but still think, even after everything Lihua had gone through with the loss of her child and near death, was how remiss Lihua could be when it came to the behavior of her ladies in waiting. Usually, behavior like theirs would be immediately punished with dismissal from the Imperial Palace. Yet the rumors claimed that Lihua had spoken to the Emperor and begged him not to.

In a way, Gyokuyou respected her for that. After all, as High Concubines, it was their job to protect their ladies-in-waiting. But in the case of the Crystal Pavilion, Gyokuyou felt that none of them were truly loyal to Lihua. More often than not, it seemed like they listened to Lady Shin, Lihua's head lady-in-waiting, and not Lihua herself. The few times the two had interacted when she and Lihua met for tea, Lady Shin was never disrespectful towards Gyokuyou or her ladies-in-waiting. However, she was also very transparent about how superior she felt in relation to Lihua and the decisions she made on her behalf.

At times, Gyokuyou felt that Lady Shin was working not for the sake of Lihua but for her own.

So when Maomao returned from the Crystal Pavilion with a new wound, and all because of Lady Shin, Gyokuyou saw red. Not because of the wound itself. Unfortunately, this wasn't the first or the only time Maomao got hurt while doing an errand for Jinshi. Yet Gyokuyou's anger was connected to the fact that it happened under Lihua's watch.

"Lady Gyokuyou," Hongniang's voice interrupted her inner thoughts. "Lady Lihua has arrived," she said as she guided Lihua and an unfamiliar lady-in-waiting inside the tea room.

"Please, join me," she encouraged Lihua to sit, who raised an eye at her lack of usual warmth when welcoming her.

After all, the two had spent enough time together to know their tells. In this case, for Lihua to know that Gyokuyou was upset at something.

"Thank you, Lady Gyokuyou. Although the invitation for tea was unexpected, it was also a pleasant surprise," Lihua said carefully, albeit honestly. "Apologies it took me so long to respond. Much has happened at the Crystal Pavilion that needed my attention."

"Would it have to do with Lady Shin not joining you today?" Gyokuyou asked politely as her gaze went to Lihua's new lady-in-waiting. After all, rumors of Lihua's cousin's departure from the Imperial Palace were already well known.

Lihua chuckled, having expected Gyokuyou not to avoid the topic like many others seemed to do.

"Indeed," she said as she drank some tea. "I was made aware of Lady Shin's selfish interests and mistreatment of one of my ladies-in-waiting. Due to that, the Crystal Pavilion has undergone big changes, including hiring Minghao, now my head lady-in-waiting."

"A pleasure, Lady Gyokuyou, Lady Hongniang," Minghao bowed, quickly stepping back behind her mistress.  

Typically, this was the point at which Gyokuyou would return to safer topics, knowing that what happened within each other's homes was off-limits.

But this time, she found herself pushing for more.

"And would it be safe to assume that the person who helped you realize this was my Maomao?" Gyokuyou asked her, noticing how Hongniang tensed beside her.

Lihua stared at her, surprised by Gyokuyou's question. After all, Jinshi had told her that Maomao was sworn to secrecy when aiding him on a job, even though she was officially one of Gyoukuyou's ladies-in-waiting.

So for Gyokuyou to ask her that...

"She was," Lihua carefully answered. "Somehow, she keeps helping me when I need her most."

"And yet, she always returns to me hurt after helping you," Gyokuyou bitterly said, surprising Lihua yet again.

But more surprising was to hear that Maomao had gotten hurt, and she hadn't even realized it.

"She's hurt?" Lihua asked, looking around the room in hopes of finding Maomao.

"She's on an errand from Mister Jinshi," Gyokuyou huffed. "And she was hurt," she clarified. "By your former head lady-in-waiting."

"I," Lihua tried to explain, but found herself unable to do so without revealing to Gyokuyou what had transpired in the Crystal Pavilion and what Maomao had discovered Shin trying to do. "I didn't even notice," she whispered.

Gyokuyou stared, waiting for Lihua to add more context to what had happened. But, and perhaps this was a slight miscalculation from her if Lihua's new head lady-in-waiting turned out to be untrustworthy, Gyokuyou remembered that they were not truly alone.

"I believe Lady Lihua, and I wish to spend some time alone to catch up further," she said to Hongniang, who immediately understood what her master wanted and started heading out of the tea room. "Would that be alright with you, Lady Lihua?"

Then again, it wasn't as if she were giving Lihua a choice.

"Of course," Lihua said, knowing that leaving would only risk her friendship with Gyoyukou.

"Are you sure, My Lady?" Minghao asked, able to tell how tense things had gotten between them.

"I'm certain," she smiled amicably. "There are things I wish to discuss with Gyokuyou that I want to keep private."

Once the two were alone, Gyokuyou sighted.

"It seems like I've acted carelessly just now," she admitted.

"Minghao is a good person," Lihua assured her. "We grew up together, and she is only loyal to me."

"As loyal as your cousin was?" Gyokuyou reminded her.

Lihua smirked.

"Gyokuyou, I don't think I've ever seen this side of you before," she chuckled, taking another sip of tea. "Not even when I slapped you did you react like this."

Gyokuyou knew Lihua enough to realize she had crossed a line with her remark.  

"I overstepped," she admitted, knowing that the last thing she wanted to do was treat one of her few friends within the Imperial Palace unfairly.

"In all fairness, I have acted incredibly naive regarding my ladies-in-waiting. Letting others decide for me, allowing their bad behavior and remarks to go unpunished," Lihua closed her eyes. "Pretending that I didn't notice Shin's jealousy and anger."

"Lihua," Gyokuyou whispered. "Is that why she and her cabinet were dismissed from the Imperial Palace?"

Lihua nodded.

"I had my suspicions after the powder incident," Lihua confided in her, which surprised Gyokuyou. "But I couldn't be sure until more tangible evidence was discovered. Unfortunately, in her role as head lady-in-waiting, Shin had full control of the Crystal Pavilion and its people."

"Meaning you couldn't trust anyone to help you," Gyokuyou murmured, knowing how isolating it could be to find yourself alone, surrounded by enemies.

"Thanks to Maomao, I had enough evidence to fire Shin and her people from the Crystal Pavilion. Without her and her baiting Shin into confessing what she did, I wouldn't have been able to," Lihua confessed to her with a sad smile.

"And knowing Maomao, she was probably very blunt and direct when facing Lady Shin," Gyokuyou moaned, things now making more sense.

"I wanted to check on her," Lihua promised her. "But without a dire need for her aid, my approaching her would have seemed inappropriate," she stared at Gyokuyou. "Since she's, first and foremost, your lady-in-waiting."

"Is that jealousy I hear in your voice, Lihua?" Gyokuyou challenged her.

Lihua didn't deny it, which surprised Gyokuyou.

"I care for the girl just as much as you do, Gyokuyou," she said instead.

"Then show me, show her, you care. Certainly, you must have heard how badly your former ladies-in-waiting treated her when she was trying to save you."

"Of course I did, but what would you have had me do, Gyokuyou?!" Lihua raised her voice, surprising both women. "Had I directly told them to stop, that would have been risky not only for her but for both of us. You, out of everyone, must know how dangerous it is to be seen as anyone's favorite here in the Imperial Palace."

Lihua was right. After all, it was only when the Emperor started visiting her and showing his favoritism towards her that attempts against Gyokuyou's life were made.

"I want to be better," Lihua whispered. "I want the Crystal Pavilion to be a safe place for the people I care about."

Before Gyokuyou could respond, they both saw the door to the tea room open from the other side of the pavilion, and a happy Maomao made her way inside, holding what seemed to be a small box in her hands.

Well, speak of the devil.

"Maomao," Lihua said as she stood and walked to where Maomao stood.

"Lady Lihua? Lady Gyokuyou?" she started asking as she noticed she had just interrupted them.

"Are you alright?" Lihua asked her as she tenderly held Maomao's face and caressed her cheek where Shin had scratched her.

"Yes," Maomao whispered, not expecting Lihua to get so close and touch her like that. "It was only a scratch."

"I'm sorry you always get hurt when you come to my aid," Lihua said softly. "All I've felt for you, from the moment you saved my life, is gratitude and appreciation."

'I only did my job, Lady Lihua," Maomao tried to say, clearly embarrassed by Lihua's attention to her.

"You must let her apologize, Maomao," Gyokuyou added from the sidelines. "After all, I just scolded her for not showing you she cares."

"Lady Gyokuyou!" Maomao said, flabbergasted. "There was no need for that."

"Sure there was," Gyokuyou interrupted her as she, too, walked to where they were. "We cherish you, Maomao, and are incredibly grateful to have you in the Inner Palace."

"But I'm just a lowly servant. I don't deserve this attention from either of you," Maomao whispered.

Gyokuyou and Lihua stared at each other.

"You're my lady-in-waiting, Maomao," Gyokuyou firmly said as she held Maomao. "Mine to care and protect."

"And if at any point you get tired of her and wish to go somewhere else," Lihua joked, pulling Maomao away from Gyokuyou and moving to hug her next. "There will always be a place for you at my side in the Crystal Pavilion."

"Lady Lihua," Maomao whispered. "Lady Gyokuyou," she stepped back and bowed to them both. "Thank you."

A knock at the door made them look to the side as Hongniang and Minghao carefully stepped inside the room.

"Apologies for interrupting, but we heard a door opening, and we wanted to ensure everything was alright," Hongniang started explaining, only to stop and stare in shock at Maomao, who was doing her best to hide behind Gyokuyou and Lihua.

"Lady Hongniang," Maomao said. "I can explain."

"Maomao!" Hongniang shrieked. "Did you just barge into the room without knocking?"

"It wasn't my fault," Maomao murmured.

"Then whose fault was it?!" Hongniang groaned, only to stare in surprise at Lihua, who was laughing at everything happening before her.

And Gyokuyou, who had been hiding her amusement as she watched Hongniang and Maomao interact, could only join Lihua in her enjoyment.

Chapter Text

Gyokuyou knew that most people at the Imperial Palace suspected that the High Concubines didn't get along. After all, how could they when they were all competing for the title of Empress? In their world, that meant being the first to give the Emperor a healthy boy who could succeed him. Considering that and who the current High Concubines were, it was clear to everyone that the title of Empress was between Gyokuyou and Lihua. Lishu was too young, and Loulan too problematic for the Emperor and his entourage to consider. As such, the two concubines least likely to get along, in the eyes of the people, were Gyokuyou and Lihua.

Before Lingli's sickness and hiring Maomao as her lady-in-waiting and food taster, Gyokuyou would have agreed. Not because she craved the Empress' power for selfish reasons. On the contrary, she had wanted it (saying otherwise would be lying) because Gyokuyou believed that having said power could ensure her family's and people's longevity within the Imperial Palace.

But after seeing how no one could help Lingli or the Emperor's heir until Maomao's opportune arrival at the Rear Palace, it was clear that even with power, if the right people weren't around, it was useless.

As unfortunate as it was for Lihua, the Emperor's favorite to become Empress at that time, to find out.

Many had expected Gyokuyou to be mad at Lihua after the incident they had. She had also felt angered and insulted by Lihua's behavior for a moment. But with everything that happened at the Crystal Pavilion and the ultimate loss of her child, the only thing Gyokuyou felt for Lihua was sadness.

After all, no one knew what to expect from the Emperor following the young prince's demise. For all they knew, Lihua could be accused of negligence and sent away, or worse, killed for allowing the Emperor's heir to die.

In a macabre way, Gyokuyou thought this was an opportunity for the concubines to learn how the Emperor would act in circumstances like this. As sad as it was to think about it, losing a child the way Lihua had wasn't uncommon. Sentimentally, the loss was terrible. But so it was politically, with the Emperor now having no official heir and the Rear Palace having too many concubines who saw Lihua's tragedy as a new opportunity to win the Emperor's favor.

Gyokuyou believed that she had come to know the Emperor enough to think he wouldn't do that in the years she spent at the Imperial Palace. Yet, there was always the question of whether she actually knew him or just the side of him he wanted her to see.

Thankfully, instead of reprehending Lihua for the loss, it seemed like the Emperor was moving forward, turning his attention back to Gyokuyou in hopes she would give him a male child next, and in having Maomao assist in healing Lihua.

Gyokuyou would be lying if she said she hadn't felt concerned for Maomao. An ask from the Emperor was no menial thing, and were she to fail, she wasn't certain of what the punishment could be. Many others would have been too terrified to act if the rumors of how sick Lihua was were true. Yet, even with the uncertainty of her fate hanging by a thread, Maomao still did her best to save Lihua. Per her agreement with Jinshi, Maomao couldn't tell her much about what was happening at the Crystal Pavilion. But, to Gyokuyou's relief, it seemed like the only things Maomao lost in the two months she was away from the Jade Pavilion were a couple of pounds and nights of sleep.

Hongniang and her knew it could have easily gone way worse.

Once news of Lihua's recovery made its way across the Rear Palace, and after Maomao's vague report on her whereabouts for the past two months, Gyokuyou felt it was time to improve her relationship with Lihua.

After all, the better she got along with her fellow High Concubines, the easier it would be to navigate the Rear Palace.

Nevertheless, Gyokuyou still wanted to know whether Lihua would be willing to meet or if attempting to do so would be futile.

Hence, she summoned Maomao to ask her.

"I think you should try, Lady Gyokuyou," Maomao said nonchalantly.

"It's not as simple as you think, Maomao," Hongniang countered. "If Lady Lihua rejects her invitation, it wouldn't look good on Lady Gyokuyou."

"Even if she were to say no, I don't believe Lady Lihua would be telling people that she chose not to meet with Lady Gyokuyou," Maomao observed. "Then again, it's another story regarding those ladies-in-waiting."

"So you do agree with Hongniang that it's too risky to reach out to her," Gyokuyou murmured.

"By official means, yes," Maomao clarified. "But if you had someone you both know help you exchange correspondence between the two of you, then that would make things easier."

"It's a good thing we already have someone like that, right?" Gyokuyou winked at her.

Maomao groaned but nodded, which only made Gyokuyou laugh.

After all, as much as her Maomao pouted and complained about doing things, she still did them.

"You spoil her too much, Lady Gyokuyou," Hongniang said once Maomao was gone with the letter for Lihua.

"And you don't?" she asked knowingly. "Something about a broken vase that Maomao's family has to repay?"

Hongniang blushed.

"This place is unforgiving, Hongniang," Gyokuyou suddenly said. "I've come to appreciate the moments where I can simply be myself after giving the Emperor everything else."

"Lady Gyokuyou," Hongniang whispered.

"You all mean the world to me, and the last thing I want to do is have this place feel more like a prison than it already feels. I do not want servants to serve me. I need friends to help me."

"And you will always be our friend, Gyokuyou," Hongniang used her name, surprising Gyokuyou. "But we need to be extremely careful. Now more than ever."

"You still think that Maomao could betray us?"

Hongniang didn't reply.

"Please, Hongniang?"

"Not out of malice. But if someone were to come and offer Maomao some medicinal thing in exchange or something of the sort," Hongniang explained.

"I can see that being a possibility," Gyokuyou agreed. "Then again, in all the time she has worked for us, with all the cases and things Mister Jinshi has offered her, has Maomao ever asked to be replaced in her chores or responsibilities within the Jade Pavilion?"

Hongniang shook her head.

"Trust is earned, not given, Hongniang. We need to start trusting Maomao more if we wish her to trust us back and feel like she belongs at the Jade Pavilion."

"You're right, Lady Gyokuyou," Hongniang bowed her head. "As your head lady-in-waiting, I've been failing my duty."

"You've never failed me, Hongniang," she smiled. "We knew we were taking a risk when we invited Maomao to join the Jade Pavilion. Now it's time for us to see if our gamble was worth it."

Gyokuyou hadn't expected Lihua to so readily accept her invitation for tea. In fact, she was prepared to exchange missives in hopes of making Lihua feel comfortable enough to accept a meeting in person.

Instead, what happened was the opposite.

"Lady Lihua agreed to meet," Maomao merely said, almost making her choke on the tea she was drinking.

"Lady Gyokuyou," Hongniang worriedly said, moving behind her to help her breathe better. "Maomao!"

"She accepted just like that?" Gyokuyou asked, baffled.

Maomao nodded, taking from her pocket a letter similar to the one Gyokuyou had given her hours ago.

"Did she seem surprised when she read the letter?" Hongniang asked.

"For a short moment, yes," Maomao said. "But then she smiled and said it was the right time."

"I see," Gyokuyou murmured, perplexed by how easily things had gone. "Her letter says she's available tomorrow morning if the time suits me."

"Tomorrow morning?! But there's just so much we must prepare," Hongniang started murmuring.

"If I may," Maomao said, head bowed in respect. "Perhaps we should be more cautious with the preparations for this initial meeting? After all, we don't know how things might turn out yet."

"You believe Lady Lihua might do something or say something unfortunate during the meeting?" Gyokuyou asked Maomao.

"I think not being prepared for that possibility would be a mistake," Maomao told her instead. "Besides, making the event too extravagant might make you both feel it's too official for either of you to be able to relax and talk."

"But we can't have a High Concubine visit us and not offer her the hospitality she deserves," Hongniang said. "If it got out that Lady Gyokuyou did not treat Lady Lihua correctly, it would be a bad look for her."

"Indeed, which is why I believe she suggested a congratulatory visit instead," Gyokuyou said as she read the letter. "For Lingli's swift recovery."

"People would still talk."

"Regardless, people will talk because it's Lady Gyokuyou and Lady Lihua involved," Maomao added. "But it's truly up to you, Lady Gyokuyou."

"Is it?" she chuckled. "It seems like Lady Lihua has made a sound proposition, which I would be foolish to ignore. Foolish or intent on acting in bad faith, to ignore," she smirked. "Is this a test she's placing on me, my Maomao?"

Maomao nodded.

"I warned her that you could tell," she shrugged. "But she still wanted to see how you would react to her proposal."

Gyokuyou giggled, feeling amused by the whole exchange.

"It seems like Lady Lihua trusts you plenty if she made you aware of her intentions even after knowing you're my lady-in-waiting," she grinned. "I won't lie, it makes me more curious about her."

She noticed Maomao smile softly at this remark.

"I see what you mean, Lady Gyokuyou," Hongniang murmured, knowing she wouldn't be able to convince her otherwise. "Maomao, you better take responsibility for your role in organizing this clandestine meeting between our Lady Gyokuyou and Lady Lihua."

"You do know what a clandestine meeting is truly about, right?" Maomao muttered, earning a soft slap on the head from Hongniang.

Gyokuyou laughed, too amused by the whole exchange.

"Please tell Lady Lihua that I think her proposition to visit the Jade Pavilion tomorrow for a congratulatory visit is a sound proposal," she ordered Maomao. "And if she's okay with it, we don't need to exchange letters again when you pass messages between us?"

This made Maomao stare at her in shock, understanding what her words truly meant.

"Lady Gyokuyou..."

"Unless you find it uncomfortable?"

"It's not that," Maomao immediately said. "It's just," she closed her eyes. "No, of course you know what you meant with those words," she said, almost to herself. "I will inform Lady Lihua of what you've told me."

"I look forward to her response," Gyokuyou softly smiled as she watched Maomao go.

After all, with that response, Gyokuyou knew that everything was now up to Lihua.

What she didn't know yet, and hoped for the best, was how Lihua would react.