To achieve beauty, three things matter—first, the face; second, the waist; third, the chest.
Song Yunzhao had no issues with her face—she was undoubtedly one of the top three beauties in the palace.
Consort Lu’s beauty clashed with hers—both of them had striking features, their allure was bold and impactful.
Consort Wan, on the other hand, embodied the intellectual, elegant cold beauty—a white moonlight type, vaguely overlapping Qin Xiyue’s aesthetic.
All things considered, the four of them currently set the palace’s beauty standard.
And if Song Yunzhao had to pick the most beautiful?
Obviously herself.
Chu Wang favored slim waists, leading many to starve in the palace.
*Prince/King Wang- the author is probably referring to the previous ruler, but this name is mentioned for the first time in this chapter without explanation
Although Feng Yi never explicitly showed a preference for waists, Song Yunzhao knew—whenever they were together, his hands always lingered at her waist.
Which meant—he was definitely a concealed waist enthusiast.
Not just the Emperor—most men were like this.
Finally—the chest.
That was where things got tricky for Song Yunzhao.
Her body hadn’t fully matured yet and she couldn’t boast dominance in this aspect.
She lacked the natural advantage, but she could create one.
A little adjustment, and the effect would be there.
Thus, she set out to craft a chest garment.
Without sponges or steel wire, she couldn’t replicate modern cup designs, but she could use tailoring techniques to enhance the shape and lift.
Once she had a finished piece, she tried it on—it wasn’t too comfortable, but the strap lengths didn’t need adjustment since it was tie-based, offering flexibility.
The cup shape was fine, but the lack of chest support was the issue.
So she carefully layered fine linen, adding a thin sheet of cotton inside, adjusting the thickness from bottom to top to ensure a proper structure.
With that final adjustment, the fit became just right.
The moment Song Yunzhao put it on, Xiang Xue and the maids stared in shock, eyes wide.
Holding back her blush, Song Yunzhao instructed them to re-cut the fabric and add intricate embroidery.
After all, a beautiful chest garment deserved exquisite embellishments.
Skilled craftsmanship was best left to those with expertise—like Qing Feng and Yu Lu, both of whom excelled at embroidery.
As for intimate garments, there was no way Song Yunzhao would entrust them to the Department of Wardrobe.
None of those people were hers—if she handed this project over, by the next day, word would spread across the entire harem.
Where would she even put her dignity then?
With the underclothes settled, she tried on her newly crafted gown.
The waistline was tightly cinched, while the skirt was expansive.
Palace skirts were typically made with eight panels, but Song Yunzhao went for twenty-four.
This exaggerated flow created an illusion of an impossibly slender waist, the wide billowing fabric only enhancing her graceful silhouette.
The hem was further embroidered with exquisite motifs.
With every step, the skirt swayed delicately. It was elegant and ethereal.
“Mistress, this gown is truly stunning!”
Xiang Xue beamed in delight.
She had already expected it to look good, but seeing it worn was beyond expectation.
Song Yunzhao was pleased as well.
The pursuit of beauty was something every woman relished.
“Store it away discreetly—no one should see it yet.”
She instructed.
“Also, make a few more in different colors, just in case.”
Shi Zhu nodded.
“Yu Momo said the same. It’s always best to be prepared.”
Song Yunzhao laughed.
“Yu Momo is right. You all should learn from her. It’ll benefit you immensely in the future.”
The maids smiled warmly.
Their young mistress, despite her age, had a way of guiding them like an elder.
Not everyone in the palace was willing to teach their subordinates, but Song Yunzhao did.
After a full day of wardrobe adjustments, she had no desire to move by evening.
When Yu Momo returned, she found Song Yunzhao nestled comfortably, reading a storybook, a bright smile on her face.
Seeing her so relaxed, Yu Momo felt a wave of satisfaction.
Serving under a good mistress made their work far easier.
“Mistress.”
Song Yunzhao lifted her gaze.
“You’re back. Sit down and speak.”
She placed the book aside.
Lately, the storybooks sent from Zhang Maoquan hadn’t been particularly exciting, and none of the ones from Yuquan Tower had shown up.
Something was off.
She had instructed Anshun to send another request to Xie Linlang.
After all, Yuquan Tower should have five or six books penned by her—yet none had made it into her hands.
This time, Anshun returned with a letter from Xie Linlang—inside were a few silver notes, significantly higher in value, each starting at a hundred taels.
Judging by the payments, her books were selling well, but their absence still felt strange.
Once Yu Momo had settled, she spoke. “You instructed me to monitor Huayang Palace[mfn]Qin Xiyue’s palace[/mfn]. For the past few days, there hasn’t been much movement. But this afternoon, Yan Song left the palace. I sent a palace servant to tail him, and discovered that he did not go to the Grand Tutor’s estate, but instead headed for Sanyuan Tower. Upon arrival, he went straight upstairs to a private room. Our person couldn’t follow inside. However, she waited outside and roughly half an hour later, she spotted Yan Song leaving, heading directly back to Huayang Palace.”
Song Yunzhao looked at Yu Momo, asking,
“Did you manage to see who he met?”
Yu Momo shook her head.
“We only sent one person to follow him and there was no way to track the person inside the private room.”
Song Yunzhao nodded slightly.
With only one person, it was impossible to cover everything.
Focusing on Yan Song was the priority.
Yan Song was Huayang Palace’s chief eunuch, holding the same status as Anshun in Wangyou Palace.
Whenever Song Yunzhao needed something done outside, she also sent Anshun.
She thought for a moment, then told Yu Momo, “In the future—don’t just follow Yan Song. Watch the person he meets.”
Yu Momo noted it down.
Song Yunzhao couldn’t guess who Qin Xiyue had sent Yan Song to meet at Sanyuan Tower.
But the protagonist was always the darling of the world, blessed with powerful allies and lucky encounters.
Unlike her—a mere side character—who could only cling to the Emperor’s favor.
Comparing fates was infuriating.
Still, Qixi Festival was the priority now.
Everything else would have to wait.
The Emperor hadn’t visited the harem these past few days, but Song Yunzhao did receive a royal meal—though not exclusively.
The three consorts had received one as well.
And aside from them, Qin Xiyue had received it as well.
Tch.
That protagonist halo—sometimes, there was no choice but to accept it.
Song Yunzhao sensed Qin Xiyue must have done something to earn that favor.
Otherwise, the Emperor wouldn’t have sent food to Huayang Palace.
Yet she had no clue what it was.
Instead of digging into Qin Xiyue’s affairs, she decided to make a move herself.
Thus her signature nourishing soup made a grand return.
This time, however, she didn’t deliver it personally.
She had Anshun send it.
It was a subtle expression of emotion—she, too, had pride to maintain.
Unexpectedly the Emperor came that very night.
Song Yunzhao hadn’t anticipated his arrival, but it was a pleasant surprise.
No matter who else received royal meals—she was the one who drew the Emperor into Wangyou Palace.
Her primary duty was well executed.
She mentally patted herself on the back, then welcomed him with joy.
Time for another round of palace intrigue.
