Volume 3, Chapter 3: Caravans (1/2)

The inner palace was large. Way larger than a run-of-the-mill town.

The court ladies who are there exist to simply serve the consorts, to maintain the buildings of the inner palace, and at an equal nil chance to become the emperors chosen.

Due to this special environment, their lifestyle differed to living normally in the town. The court ladies duties are allotted between cleaning, washing and cooking. It might be correct to think it as akin to living together in as one gigantic family, more so than a town.

Due to that, such a large place was supposedly ideal, but it wasnt like that at all. That is-.

Looks really fun. Really?

Maomao returned a question mark to what the court lady who still retained some childishness, Shaoran, said.

At the square, court ladies were walking gleefully in front of the tents. There were several large tents lined up, but as the court ladies of the inner palace numbered two thousand people, there wasnt room for low-ranked court ladies to get in, so while they couldnt even look at the goods, they could only watch the high ranked court ladies who look like they were enjoying themselves.

The low-ranked court ladies Maomao and Shaoran too were watching from the balcony of their rooms. Since the high ranked court ladies, with the consorts included, were in high spirits, they were working while doing nothing at all.

How nice. I want new clothes.

With her chin on the railing, Shaoran said while pouting.

You wont be able to wear it anywhere. I still want it!

Low ranked court ladies are only provided three sets of work clothes in the summer and two in the winter as a standard. They are only provided with replacements in the case it becomes very worn out. Additionally, hair cord and underwear, daily necessities are all provisional items.

Meals were daily. They didnt need to make it themselves since they were provided in the dining hall.

Court ladies who were slightly wellborn receive packages along with letters from their family.

The maids of consorts are bestowed clothes and accessories from their consort, and snacks too.

Shops. That was what the inner palace didnt have.

Shaoran, who had no backing whatsoever, only had the clothes on her back. With the way things are now, it was rare for her to have the chance to increase her personal belongings, assuming she even does. She could only look for whatever things she could attain out of her own pocket after other court ladies had rummaged through and bought their own things.

There were no usual shops at the inner palace. It feels somewhat strange.

(Theres only the quack doctor for doctors too. Theres not even a pharmacist either.)

And yet, if they contract some disease in such a large family, it seems like itll end up spreading.

The hygiene management was reliable. A large ratio of the court ladies jobs comprise of cleaning, and on top of that, they deal with a lot of garbage disposal. They use the water in the moat, and the garbage flows down there. Like that, the moat would start to start to smell, but since it was designed so the water wouldnt stop flowing, the smell doesnt build-up.

It seems to a piece of architecture introduced from the West that makes use of the water supply technology, built during the time of the previous emperor.

If the hygiene aspect was done properly, just that would prevent against most disease outbreaks. Court ladies who get severely ill dont need to wait for their term of service and are able to leave the inner palace.

(Even so, theyre kinda cheated.)

Maomao thought as she absentmindedly watched the court ladies who were having fun shopping.

When she returned to the Jade Palace, she was met with court ladies with content faces.

While Maomao was slacking, no, working while doing nothing, it seems the merchants have come to the palace. Rather than the high-ranked consorts going out of their own way to walk to the tents, the merchants have directly turned up to their places.

Perhaps they were setting foot into the inner palace, all the merchants were women. Even so, considering the worst case, there were more eunuchs posted as guards.

The emperor said to pick what you like.