“The Empress has summoned you.”

Those were the first words that the middle aged, stoic maid uttered as soon as she saw Samaya.

God, had that woman reached the Empress already? Samaya had thought she would run to the Imperial Consort and spill the beans, with some extravagant flavors added to it. But she was honestly glad that the woman had not gone to the Imperial Consort. From what she could gather after the meeting this morning and her conversations with Fu Caiyi, the Empress was the more reasonable one of the two.

She sighed softly and nodded. “Of course. Just give me one moment.”

Samaya then knelt in front of Manu. “Mama has to go now. Do well in your studies and training, alright? And tell me all about it when you come back.”

She pressed a soft kiss to his head. This just meant that Manu needed to work hard and, more importantly, be careful and tell her if anything wrong had happened. Manu nodded and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

“Okay!”

She stood and cast her eyes about. Soon, they found what they were looking for. Ah-Liu must have come back after doing what she had asked. Pity she could not ask him about it.

“Lian, accompany Ma … Prince Xu. Eunuch Liu, come with me. The rest of you, stay here.”

The maids bowed and Ah-Liu came forward, She turned to the maid.

“Please, lead the way.”

She told the maid. The maid sniffed and then made her way out of the Palace. Samaya followed her.

The Palace was vast. It was an entire city in and of itself. It took them more than fifteen minutes to go from Yongyagong to Tiangfenggong, Samaya estimated. They had to walk quite a bit even after going through the entrance of the Palace. Samaya saw “Inner Halls” written as they passed the front Hall that they had sat in that morning.

Once they reached a grand set of double doors guarded by two maids, the maid that led them here knocked on the door.

“Your Majesty, Virtuous Lady Qing is here.”

“Let her in.”

The two maids opened the door and bowed. She started to step inside and Ah-Liu was about to follow her when the maid spoke up.

“Your Eunuch must stay here.”

Samaya glanced at Ah-Liu, who was looking at her with concerned eyes. She gave him a nod, both an assurance that she would be fine and an order to stay put, and then stepped inside, the door being slid shut behind her by the maids.

She saw the Empress sitting on the mattress, cushioned by pillows and blankets, with a low table in front of her, much like the Queen Dowager. The Imperial Consort was standing to the side. She looked composed and stoic at first glance but Samaya did not miss the smug glance she threw her way.

There were two figures kneeling on the ground. Two very familiar figures. Han Wanyi and that other Virtuous Lady. What was her name … ah, Laio Huimei. So, they had actually gone to the Imperial Consort. The Imperial Consort was the one who got the Empress involved… why, though? She could have easily dealt - or tried to deal - with Samaya herself. Did she want to make sure Samaya became a thorn in the Empress’s side as much as possible?

A possibility.

She took one moment to observe the room before kneeling on the ground and bowing her head to the woman sitting at the head. The Empress was silent, and she could hear the sound of the occasional sipping. She had to admit, the authority this woman - Xie Taiying - emanated was incredible. Even her silence seemed to echo the power she held in the Inner Palace. It almost reminded her of the Emperor.

The Empress took her time, and Samaya remained silent and still. That was the right thing to do. She may not know royal etiquette, but she knew how to act like a subordinate who made a mistake. But she could hear shuffling to her side. No doubt, those two concubines were getting impatient.

Then there was the soft sound of a cup being placed on the table. “Do you know why I have summoned you?”

Samaya took a moment and then nodded, without looking up. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

There was a pause. “Well?”

Samaya allowed herself to show some hesitance. She glanced at the two concubines to the side before looking down again.

“Speak. Do not be afraid.”

Samaya bit her lip for a moment before she opened her mouth and spoke. “I have offended the Virtuous Ladies Han and Liao.”

“Ha!” That was Han Wanyi. “So, you admit it!”

She did not look up, nor did she defend herself. Delicate situations needed to be handled with delicate words. If she reacted right now, things would definitely not be good for her.

“Well?” The Empress asked.

She finally allowed herself to look up, a hint of nervousness in her eyes as she met the Empress’s.

The Imperial Consort scoffed. “What is the point of asking her? She has admitted herself to offending the Virtuous Ladies. There are bruises around her wrists! She has broken the Harem rules and must be punished.”

The Empress looked up at the Imperial Consort, her own eyes a tad bit colder. “I am the one who decides that, Imperial Consort Yun. Do you wish to tell me how to run the Harem?”

The other woman paused and then quickly bowed. “I apologise, Your Majesty,” she said. “I only wished to right a wrong.” The apology would be smooth, if not for the the clench of her jaw visible from the angle that Samaya saw her in.

Ah, harem power struggles.

The Empress turned around to her. “Now, speak. From the beginning. I will not ask again.”

When, exactly, did you ask?

Like husband, like wife.

She exhaled and then started to speak. She knew she had one shot to play the pity card and get out of this. Lucky for her, the events that occurred really would work in her favor. She only had to tell the truth. Well, mostly the truth.

“Lady Fu had invited me to tea. I … I was truly glad. I know I am a commoner who does not deserve the honor of being in this Imperial Harem. I did not expect the kindness Lady Fu showed me. When we were going to her courtyard, she allowed her children to play with my son. I asked her why she did that when she knew he was borne of a commoner … that was when Lady Han and Lady Liao approached us and said that …” she trailed off, once again hesitating.

“Said what?” The Empress’s voice held a hint of impatience.

Good.

She took a deep breath. “That she was almost as lowly as me. Lady Fu did not react much but I … this lowly one got upset on her behalf. I forgot where I was … and said that I could not believe the sister of Han Qin would ever act that way. And when I said that, she … she got upset for some reason and told me not to call “that lowlife” her brother. Lord Han had protected my son and reassured me that we would be safe. I … I told her not to speak like that and Lady Han … Lady Han lost her temper and tried to slap me.”

Samaya finally looked up, slightly wide eyed. “I caught her hand on instinct. I … Your Majesty, I lived in some of the worst places in this Kingdom. Those places were filled with thieves, murderers, slavers, and rapists. I had to learn how to protect myself and my son. I had to learn how to react when someone is reaching for me or trying to hurt me. It is how I and my son have survived until now.”

She put her hands on the ground and bowed her head again. “I … I understand that Lady Han was trying to teach me a lesson for overstepping my bounds but at that moment, my body reacted and I caught her hand and … and pressed a little, like I used to do when someone tried to touch me or hurt me. It … it was not on purpose. I deeply apologize, Your Majesty! I am still learning and I will do my best to ensure I do not commit an offence like this again! This lowly one shall accept any punishment that the Empress deems fit!”

“You liar!” Han Wanyi growled. “You called me uncivilized! You said you’d hurt me!”

He shook her head. “I did not!”

“Are you saying that the Lady Han is lying?” The Imperial Consort asked, anger clear in her voice.

“She’s not! I was there!” Liao Huimei chimed in for the first time.

Samaya visibly gulped and then looked at the three before looking at the Empress, who was looking back at her calmly.

She shook her head again. “I said … I did say that Lady Han should not speak in such an uncivilized way. I forgot myself momentarily. But I never said I would hurt her! And … and I said… I did not say those words loudly enough that Lady Liao could hear them.”

“Oh now I’m lying?” Liao Huimei scoffed. “Does your pretense not end?”

Samaya looked between the three women, seemingly at a loss, before looking at the Empress pleadingly.

“Your Majesty,” the Imperial Consort started. “She is clearly at fault here. There is evidence. She must be punished!”

The other two concubines echoed their agreements.

The Empress raised a hand. They wet quiet instantly.

“You have indeed committed an offence,” the Empress started after a moment. “There are rules in the harem that every concubine must follow. And the first and foremost rule is to respect other concubines and maintain harmony.” Samaya wanted to laugh at that. Those seemed to be the least followed rules here. “However, it is your first day here. And what you did and said was a product of your … circumstances. As such, your punishment shall be lenient. You shall transcript the harem rules in their entirety.”

“But Your Majesty -”

“Enough!” The Empress’s sharp command interrupted whatever the Imperial Consort was about to say. “I have decided on the matter. There will be no more discussion. You may leave.”

The Imperial Consort paused for a moment before bowing and making her way out. The two ladies had no choice but to follow her, but not before throwing her a dirty glare. Samaya was about to get up as well when the Empress spoke.

“Stay for a moment, Lady Qing.”

Samaya looked at the Empress and settled back.

There was a long moment of silence as the Empress seemed to be lost in thoughts. The long, awkward moment took a while to pass before the Empress looked at her and spoke.

“Lady Qing, I understand that you have come from circumstances where you have had to stand your ground against your enemies,” she started. “But this is the Imperial Harem. The Harem is full of its own struggles and secrets. However, there is a reason rules and etiquette are in place. Whatever you do, you cannot let anyone catch you stepping out of those. That will be used against you. Therefore, you must be careful in your actions. One unruly concubine is enough to descend the Harem into chaos. I hope you will not be that concubine.”

Samaya examined the woman’s face. There was not a hint of compassion in her eyes. She spoke seemingly out of sympathy but really, she was just warning her to keep herself in line and not to make a mess in the Harem she was in charge of. She must have ruled the Inner Palace with an iron fist. And she knew how to deal with all of the Harem. But Samaya was a variable - unpredictable and dangerous. She was making a show of being lenient with her and giving her ‘advice’ at the same time.

Perhaps it was just intimidation or perhaps it was an effort to make Samaya feel indebted to her. Whatever it was, Samaya had to admit that this woman was scarily perceptive and decisive. She evaluated the situation and took action almost immediately, in order to keep things under her control. She reminded her of the TEA Directors back home. She would have made it very, very far in the modern world, what with that cold calculative actions and ruthless authority.

Samaya bowed her head. “I shall bear that in mind, Your Majesty. Thank you for your teachings.”

Yes, thank you for letting me know what kind of person I am dealing with.

“Good. Dismissed.”

Samaya stood and made her way to the doors. They were once again slid open. She was about to step out when the Empress spoke again.

“You are quite good at putting up a facade. That skill will help you one day. However, do not overdo it. I dislike people who overstep their bounds.”

Samaya turned her head slightly and a soft smile formed on her lips. She tilted her head in imitation of a bow, without saying anything. And then, she turned around and stepped out