Disease rights policy

There was a one-hour lunch break and rest period at noon. The palace maids would bring the food to Shufang Palace. Qiao Ran and Kong Hanyan did not go back to their rooms to sleep, but ate together in Qiao Ran's room.

At 1-3 PM, Lady Sun came to call the young ladies over for the afternoon study session. Qiao Ran and Kong Hanyan left together. Seeing the two of them so close, the others became even more suspicious. Neither of them was easy to deal with, so wouldn't it be even more terrifying if they were tied together?

Everyone had arrived, except for Liu Yun, who had fainted in the morning and couldn't get out of bed in the afternoon, so she took leave.

Sun Shangyi, who was trained by Xu Shangjian, was not a very reasonable person. She said unhappily, "She stood for an hour as well, but she couldn't get out of bed."

This is a comparison between Liu Yun and Qiao Ran.

Fortunately, Lady Sun only said that one sentence before leading everyone to Fengxing Pavilion. Qiao Ran hadn't gone out in the morning and thought it was close, but it took her almost half an incense stick's time to get there.

The Shufang Palace, where they lived, belonged to the inner palace, but it was some distance from the sleeping quarters of the imperial concubines. It was closer to the courtyards of the female officials and some palace maids.

Fengxing Pavilion is located outside the inner palace, closer to the outer court, behind the Imperial Garden. If you're a little lucky, you might run into someone important.

I heard that Fengxing Pavilion was originally where the princes studied. Later, the sons of officials from outside the capital also came to study with them. When the place became too small, they moved to Chucheng Hall. Fengxing Pavilion had been empty all this time, and it was just right for the examination of the female officials.

Fengxing Pavilion consists of three pavilions, all located together in a triangular formation. The main pavilion is at the front, accessible by a short flight of steps. Behind the main pavilion, bridges connect to two smaller pavilions on either side. One is a place for people to drink tea and rest, while the other is used to store various items.

Lady Sun reminded them, "What's piled up inside are tables and desks used by the princes and young masters, as well as some items that haven't been taken away. Ladies, please don't wander around here unless you have to."

"Yes, Lady Shangyi."

Although everyone verbally agreed, their hearts were already wandering inside, eager to see just how precious the princes' belongings were.

Small lakes have been built on both sides of the main pavilion. The water is crystal clear, and koi carp swim in it, floating as if on the water. Lotus flowers grow in the lakes, but they are not yet in full bloom; only green leaves remain. Standing on the side corridor, one can also see the Imperial Garden in the distance.

In the afternoon, the Imperial Garden was exceptionally quiet, with butterflies fluttering and landing on the flowers all over the garden.

They had arrived in a hurry this morning and hadn't had a chance to properly admire the magnificent palace scenery. The young ladies were all staring at it, unable to look away. Consort Sun coughed twice and urged, "Don't be late and keep the eunuch waiting."

Reluctantly, everyone followed her into the main hall. Sure enough, Supervisor Xu was already sitting inside. She sat in a chair at the front, with nothing beside her except a ruler in her hand.

The ladies were required to stand on either side, with a chair and a table behind each of them. They had to stand slightly to the side of the chair, about half a step away.

Everyone else had obviously practiced in the morning, but Qiao Ran lagged behind and stood in the same position, mimicking the movements of the others.

Xu Shangjian then slowly stood up. “This morning you only learned to stand, walk and sit. You all suffered terribly and didn’t learn anything. We’ll continue this afternoon.”

"Yes."

Xu Shangjian walked steadily along the line between the two young ladies, both as a demonstration and to ensure that everyone could hear what she was saying.

She said, "When walking in the palace, if you encounter a noble person, you should step back and place your hands lightly on your waist, but not directly on your waist, as that would appear stiff and petty. Keep your feet together, tuck in your stomach, keep your back straight, but lower your head slightly, bend your neck slightly, and keep your eyes fixed on your feet. Do not sway around. Do you all understand?"

"Listen clearly."

“Alright,” said Xu Shangjian, “This is ‘standing.’ Each of you should stand quietly for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, as I just told you.”

Everyone immediately shifted their bodies and stood in neat rows, but Qiao Ran ignored them completely. She had no intention of learning these things or staying, so she simply did whatever made her comfortable.

Xu Shangjian told her not to put her hands on her waist, but she felt her arms were tired, so she insisted on half-grabbing her waistband to reduce the strain. Her calves got sore and tired after her feet were together for a long time, so she stood with her legs turned outwards. When her neck got sore, she stood with her chest hunched and back slouching.

After giving his instructions, Xu Shangjian sat back down, and two Shangyi (officials) supervised the young ladies. The one assigned to Qiao Ran's side was Shangyi Sun.

When Sun Shangyi walked up to Qiao Ran, she saw that Qiao Ran's slightly smiling eyes suddenly froze, and for a moment, she seemed to be breathing out of nowhere.

"Qiao Xiaoran!"

Qiao Ran raised her head, her eyes were dark and bright, yet they seemed clear and silly.

Sun Shangyi was stared at by her for a moment, and seeing her face, her anger subsided considerably, but she still said sternly, "Stand properly, or you'll be punished by standing to the side."

"Oh."

Qiao Ran remained unmoved, straightened her back slightly, and watched as Sun Shangyi picked up the ruler, then stood up a little more properly.

Sun Shangyi still frowned, seemingly never expecting Qiao Ran to be so clumsy. She raised her hand to help Qiao Ran correct her posture, and Qiao Ran mechanically let her do as she pleased, standing there for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Supervisor Xu was sharp-eyed and saw everything in the pavilion. She suppressed her anger and continued teaching the next lesson.

When walking around the palace, one must keep one's eyes down and not shake one's head. When sitting, one cannot move too much. After going through all this, the young ladies were all covered in sweat.

Later, he taught how to kowtow when meeting a noble person and how to pay respects when delivering gifts to the Empress's palace.

One could see a group of young ladies, some sitting, some kneeling, greeting the distinguished guest in voices as melodious as silver bells.

After a whole afternoon of fussing, Xu Shangjian, seeing that the time was almost up, said, "Get up, everyone."

Although Qiao Ran was unwilling to kneel down at the drop of a hat, she was powerless to resist the times she lived in. When she got up, she somehow slipped and her knees buckled, causing her to fall straight forward. She instinctively grabbed Sun Shangyi's sleeve, and as a result, she fell to the ground with Sun Shangyi.

The room suddenly became extremely quiet; you could hear a pin drop.

Xu Shangjian's brows never relaxed whenever they fell on Qiao Ran. She shouted, "Get up now! What kind of behavior is this!"

Sun Shangyi pulled her sleeve out of Qiao Ran's hand, resigned herself to her fate, and got up. Qiao Ran helped her up while apologizing, "I'm so sorry, I'm so stupid, please don't be angry, Shangyi."

Sun Shangyi's face flushed red and then turned pale; she probably thought that being assigned to teach Qiao Ran was the worst luck imaginable.

Pushing Qiao Ran's hand away, Consort Sun bowed to Supervisor Xu, who was walking over. Supervisor Xu gestured for Qiao Ran to stand back down. Qiao Ran was still a little confused, but when she turned around and saw someone walking over, she immediately understood that her farcical fall had been seen by someone, embarrassing Supervisor Xu.

Qiao Ran smiled and returned to her position.

As Xu Shangjian approached the newcomer, the newcomer, even though he was in the palace, was wearing armor as thin as a cicada's wing, holding a long sword, his sharp face devoid of a smile, his eyes gleaming, and his thin lips slightly pursed as he walked over.

The moment Qiao Ran saw this person, she felt a chill run down her spine for no apparent reason, as if she had seen him somewhere before.

"Greetings, General. May I ask what brings you to the Fengxing Pavilion?" Xu Shangjian stood at the entrance, slightly blocking the visitor on the last step. "Inside are young ladies selected for the position of female officials. Please excuse us, General."

General?

Qiao Ran felt the name sounded familiar, but couldn't quite place where she had heard it before.

Xu Shangjian, mindful of the young ladies' reputation, assumed the visitor was from the previous dynasty. These girls rarely saw outside men, and if he were to enter rashly, it might startle them, which could lead to unforeseen circumstances.

Fortunately, the person seemed to be reasonable, and said in a low, magnetic voice, "I won't go in."

These few words sent a chill down Qiao Ran's spine. She remembered that voice!

Jinwu Guard!

The scene of bloodshed that day was still vivid in Qiao Ran's mind. She did not expect to encounter the Imperial Guards so soon, and she broke out in a cold sweat.

Xu Shangjian asked, "Who is the General looking for?"

"I heard that the daughter of the Prince of Jiangling was also on the list of candidates for selection, so I asked her about some old matters."

"This..." Xu Shangjian hesitated for a moment, then looked back at Kong Hanyan. Although she did not want the young ladies to have any dealings with men under her supervision, Yao Yuze, the Grand General of the Imperial Guard, was all-powerful in the palace, so she could not refuse directly. She said, "Please wait a moment, Grand General."

Yao Yuze nodded, his gaze not casually probing the young ladies inside the pavilion, behaving very properly.

Xu Shangjian came in, said a few words to Kong Hanyan, and then took her out.

When Kong Hanyan met Yao Yuze's eyes, she couldn't help but be startled by the innate ruthlessness in his eyes. She bowed her head and greeted him, "General."

"Ah."

Yao Yuze had never met Kong Hanyan before, and responded indifferently, not intending to speak to her here.

Supervisor Xu then arranged, "General and Miss Kong can sit in the back pavilion for a while. It's a quiet place, and we won't disturb them."

"Thank you, Supervisor."

Yao Yuze turned to leave, but in the instant he turned back, he caught a glimpse of a face out of the corner of his eye. She had her head down and seemed to be trembling. The glimpse of her profile made her seem familiar to him.

Little did she know, Qiao Ran had her head almost touching her heels, silently praying that Yao Yuze wouldn't see her; she didn't want to die young.

The chill on her back lingered for a long time, clinging tightly to her back with her dress, almost soaking her through.

Yao Yuze walked down the steps, his mind filled with doubt, yet he also turned his head alertly to ask Kong Hanyan, "Who is the young lady at the very back on the right?"

Kong Hanyan, puzzled, answered truthfully: "Qiao Xiaoran, daughter of the Prefect of Qianzhou."

Yao Yuze frowned slightly and repeated in his mind, "Qiao Xiaoran?"

When Xu Shangjian returned, he saw the young ladies in the pavilion staring at the backs of the figures outside from afar, looking quite gossipy.

She coughed twice. "General Yao and Prince Jiangling haven't seen each other for many years, so he asked Hanyan about his family situation. If you saw this, pretend you didn't. People with long mouths are hated the most in this palace. Nothing much happened today, so let's call it a day and go home."

In front of Supervisor Xu, no one dared to object, so they could only agree and walk back. After returning, they talked about it in twos and threes, but no one cared. They were all very curious.