Chapter Twenty-Nine: Palace and Court Gossip (Part One)

The three wandered aimlessly through the courtyard, gazing at the unfamiliar flowers and plants that filled the space. They poked and tugged at stems and leaves, nearly tempted to dig up roots for closer study. After a while, Summer Lotus approached and said, “Miss, the water is boiling. But there’s no tea, and no scallions or ginger…”

Tao Ming quickly replied, “Plain water is fine.” Please, don’t boil it with scallions, ginger, and tea leaves!

She ushered the two little ones inside. Winter Snow stood by the table, pouring water from an insulated pot. Tao Ming picked up the two children, setting each in a chair. Softly eyed the steaming cup of boiled water on the table, pouting in distress, “Mama, I don’t like hot water!”

Tao Ming, standing beside the table, touched the glass cup and found it indeed too hot. She patiently soothed, “Let it cool for a bit, it’ll be alright soon.” She recalled that since Softly was born, the first six months had been breastfed. Later, when solids were added, she drank cold water straight from the dispenser, and often grabbed iced drinks and yogurt from the fridge. She truly hadn’t drunk much hot water.

Summer Lotus, curious, asked, “Miss, in your world, do children call their mothers ‘Mama’?”

Tao Ming nodded, “That’s right.” She paused, then asked, “You know I came from another world?”

Winter Snow glared at Summer Lotus, her pretty face taut. “It’s all over Weishui now. Who knows which heartless soul spread the rumor.”

Tao Ming smiled at Winter Snow’s expression. “It’s not really a rumor. I did come from another world.”

Summer Lotus realized her slip and hurried to explain, “The ancestors forbade anyone in the estate from gossiping, but the news came from the imperial city—it’s impossible to stop.”

Oh dear, it seems someone in the imperial city wants to make things difficult for me.

Tao Ming noticed the nervousness in both girls and asked, “Do you know the clan will be wiped out if they can’t produce the Saintess?”

Summer Lotus’s face showed indignation. “Yes, the ladies have been crying to the ancestor about it daily. It’s hard not to know.”

Tao Ming’s curiosity was piqued. “Tell me about it, since there’s nothing else to do.”

Summer Lotus looked at Tao Ming, still standing by the table. “Miss, why don’t you bring a chair over and sit while we talk?”

Winter Snow glared at Summer Lotus again, wishing she could silence her.

Tao Ming noticed and smiled at Winter Snow, “I’ll find out sooner or later. Let’s talk.”

Summer Lotus quickly fetched a chair for Tao Ming. “No one comes here anyway, so no one will see us sitting.”

Tao Ming was curious. “Is it not allowed to move chairs and sit wherever you like?”

Summer Lotus nodded, pouting. “The estate is managed by the First Lady now, and the rules are strict. Chairs and tables must be placed exactly where they belong, never moved. It wasn’t like this when the ancestor was in charge—no such silly rules.”

Tao Ming grinned. “Tell me about the ladies.”

Softly interjected, “Mama, I’m bored. I want to play cooking games.”

Tao Ming realized the conversation could go on for a while, so she took out some toys and sent the children to play on the bed.

Once the little ones were settled, Tao Ming sat at the table, inviting Summer Lotus and Winter Snow to sit as well. They hesitated, but seeing no outsiders, they joined her.

Tao Ming, her interest thoroughly roused, urged, “Go on, continue.”

Summer Lotus spoke animatedly, “A few months ago, the Sacred Beast appeared in the Sanctuary. The next day, the Heavenly Emperor sent people here. The whole clan was in chaos—every woman who had a daughter was trembling, as if their girl might be the Saintess.”

“The ancestor set up a contract array and tested each girl, but none succeeded. That caused an uproar. Fortunately, the ancestor knew what to do and went with the imperial envoys to the imperial city. When she returned, she declared that the Twelfth Lady’s granddaughter was the Saintess. Everyone knows the Twelfth Lady left years ago to travel. Now, with this crisis, where can they find the Saintess?”

“The Heavenly Emperor decreed that if the Saintess isn’t found within a year, the whole clan will be destroyed. The estate fell into chaos. The ladies all rushed to the Silken Pavilion, crying and making a scene. Their wailing was pitiful—they didn’t care if others laughed at them.”

Tao Ming saw nothing amiss. When life and death are at stake, such reactions are only natural.

“They don’t know, but those of us who serve the ancestor closely do. The ancestor holds the clan’s treasure. If worst comes to worst, everyone can hide inside—it’s not as if the Heavenly Emperor can chase us in.”

Tao Ming thought to herself that the Chaotic Blood Silk wasn’t even in her grandmother’s possession at that time—where would they hide? But that was not something to say aloud.

“The ladies’ crying gave the ancestor a headache. She promised to find the Saintess within a year, ensuring nobody would be implicated. Still, they insisted on being separated from the clan, breaking all ties, refusing to be counted as part of the Silken Clan. With the deadline approaching, their antics have only gotten worse.”

“Fortunately, you and the young miss have returned. They should stop making trouble now.”

Tao Ming thought that was not certain. She asked, “Is every lady clamoring to split off?”

Summer Lotus’s eyes sparkled with gossip. “Not all. The Third Lady, Seventh Lady, and Eighth Lady have been admirable—they neither cried nor protested. They simply said, since they married into the estate, their fate is in the ancestor’s hands, for better or worse.”

Tao Ming counted the women she’d seen yesterday. “Why didn’t I see the Ninth Master?”

Summer Lotus paused, looked around cautiously, and whispered, “The Ninth Master was closest to the Twelfth Lady. He went out years ago searching for her and met with disaster—he’s gone.”

Tao Ming felt a pang of sorrow. It seemed this uncle had truly cherished her mother.

Summer Lotus noticed Tao Ming’s gloom and softly comforted, “They say the Ninth Master was a man of deep feeling. Perhaps the gods called him up to serve as a page beside them.”

“You believe there are gods in the heavens?” Tao Ming was skeptical.

Summer Lotus looked dreamy, “Cultivation is for ascending to the immortal realm, isn’t it?”

“Have you ever seen someone ascend?”

Summer Lotus shook her head, “Who could see that? It’s only hearsay.”

A new question nagged at Tao Ming, “I heard the ancestor is over four thousand years old. How does one endure such ages?”

Summer Lotus perked up, “Through seclusion and cultivation! The masters here, as long as they’re diligent, often go into seclusion—sometimes for decades, sometimes for centuries. For those in seclusion, decades or centuries pass in a blink.”

Tao Ming’s doubts deepened. “When they emerge, doesn’t the outside world change completely?”

Summer Lotus hurriedly waved her hands, “Miss, never say such things in front of others. The current Heavenly Emperor is healthy and powerful—how could the world change?”

Tao Ming clarified, “I meant, don’t the living conditions and customs outside change?”

“Not much. The Heavenly Emperor is still the same, the Silken Clan is still the same. As long as there are strong ones guarding the clan, any changes are trivial.”

Tao Ming’s questions remained unanswered, but she didn’t press further.

After some thought, Tao Ming asked, “If everyone cultivates, what do they eat and drink?”

Summer Lotus was surprised, “Miss, only those with inheritance can cultivate. Ordinary folk could never be so fortunate. Of course, some farm and some do business.”

“What’s the average lifespan for commoners?”

Summer Lotus frowned slightly, “Those with good conditions might live to a hundred, the less fortunate only fifty or sixty.”

Tao Ming thought, ordinary people live short lives and can hardly accumulate anything over generations. All the wealth must end up in the hands of the elite. The gap between rich and poor here must be dozens of times greater than on Earth!

She resolved to observe ordinary life when she had the chance. To understand a world, it’s best to start from the grassroots.

Tao Ming looked at Summer Lotus and Winter Snow, asking, “Do you two cultivate?”

They nodded together. Summer Lotus said, “When the four of us entered the estate, we were young. First, we swept the courtyards as maids, then helped in the kitchen, and finally served the ancestor directly.”

“As soon as we entered, a master taught us the simplest methods of cultivation. Later, the ancestor gave us new names and taught us more refined techniques—a great fortune.”

Tao Ming wanted to ask about their parents, but felt a pang of reluctance. She hesitated, then heard Summer Lotus say, “Once we began cultivating, our lifespans grew much longer than ordinary folk. Our parents passed nearly five hundred years ago. After being sold into the estate, we had no ties to our families, but the ancestor kindly let us return to send them off. For that kindness, I would never betray the ancestor, not even if it cost my life.”

Tao Ming felt a heavy ache. So Summer Lotus and Winter Snow were already over five hundred years old, while she herself was not yet eight. She thought of Tao Bansummer—who knew how many years she’d lived—yet remained loyal to her mother.

All because the common people’s lives were so hard.

Tao Ming smiled and asked, “You’ve told me so much. Aren’t you afraid the ancestor will blame you?”

Summer Lotus blinked, “I’m not foolish. If the ancestor didn’t give her blessing, I wouldn’t say so much.”

Winter Snow glanced at Summer Lotus, “Why didn’t the ancestor tell me?”

Summer Lotus replied smugly, “She said your temperament is too reserved—not the best for spreading news.”