This morning, Wen had Moto escort her all the way to the Laundry Department. Beforehand, Wen had been making secret little notes about her own thoughts, and ... strangely enough ... diagrams.
When she was at the Laundry Department, she saw a large group of women working mostly by hand. Some soaked clothing in cauldrons of hot water with certain chemicals. They kept the cauldrons over fires and stirred the strong smelling brew with long wooden spoons. Some women kneaded the clothing on wooden trays, squeezing the water out, and beating out stains with heavy paddles. Other women scrubbed and rubbed clothing against washboards.
As for drying, there were quite a few methods used. The sopping wet, dripping clothing was wrung out by hand. Then, all the clothing had to be hung up on something, usually clotheslines. Sometimes white clothing was bleached. Sometimes starch was used. It all depended on the fabric, really.
Wen knew this very well. During her two year punishment, she had to work with laundry quite often.
Wen went to the woman that managed this group and gave the gentlest suggestions. "I know you don't technically answer to me, but I wonder if there's a way I could help," she said. Another thing she said was, "I know you aren't willing to put the Emperor's white undergarments on the ground, or any of his clothing for that matter, but perhaps with the help of grass you could improve the drying and bleaching of the other garments?" It turned out that one of the best ways to dry and whiten white clothes was to lay it out on a reasonably clean lawn under sunlight. Yes, even the grass would help brighten it up.
The next thing Wen did was to show the manager some of the diagrams and notes she'd made. "I didn't know what things were like in this place," she told the manager, "but I put my thoughts down just in case I could help, and it seems that my instincts were well placed." She showed the manager certain objects she'd once used, although she didn't tell her that she'd literally used them in the past. There was a mangle, which was a device with rollers and a crank that was meant to squeeze excess moisture out of clothing. There was also a crank operated basin with small paddles inside to help agitate clothing.
One would think that the official Laundry Department of the Tree Cage would have all the latest technology and techniques. But Wen had wondered about that for a while. These people were kept away from the outside world. They might be quite stubborn and assume the outside world didn't have anything to offer.
Wen's father had even told her of how the imperial doctors were once unable to properly diagnose an illness because they didn't know what it even was. While a traveling doctor had been summoned and pointed out that because the imperial doctors didn't see as many cases as an outside doctor, and because they didn't have as many opinions to listen to, their information was severely lacking in some ways. Why wouldn't it be the same with the Laundry Department?
The next day, Wen finally went to the Hard Labor Department. There, she gave a few light suggestions to the manager with the whip. "Are you obligated to beat these workers so often? Why can't they be given treatment the moment they seem ill? And their diets, they'd work much better if they were given only a little bit more meat and fish. Don't you agree? I know you can't control all these problems, but I'll go to the eunuch in charge of his area to see what can be done. Please don't fret. I know you're only doing your best, and so I won't speak ill of you. But please be more gentle." Those were the statements Wen gave.
She set down a package of food taken from her own allowance. It contained some tofu, some fish, and some meat. For a concubine even of Wen's status, it was a small amount. For all those workers, however, it was luxurious. Wen warned that she'd have someone check in to make sure the food was distributed evenly among the workers for the next few days.
No managers were allowed to even taste it, and it certainly wasn't allowed to be damaged or poisoned out of spite. No. The workers would eat this food, a little bit each day. If these instructions weren't followed, then Wen would file a complaint. A concubine was technically a member of the Royal Family, and if a servant was given extra food from the Royal Family, mismanaging it was considered to be a horrible crime. Wen didn't need the Emperor's favor or "grace" to have this rule enforced for her, especially since this involved a department that few people cared enough about to defend.
***
On the first day of each month, all the concubines had to pay their respects to the Empress Consort. Basically, it was a meeting where you dressed up, sat down, and listened to whatever the Empress Consort had to say. Each concubine had one maid take them to the meeting room in the Moonlight Pearl Palace. Wen's clothing was still as simple as ever, but she did wear a little bit more jewelry than she normally did.
The concubines were seated in chairs arranged in two rows on each side of a beautiful golden rug. Each concubine's maid stood behind their mistress. On the most elaborately carved chair, on a platform up ahead that faced the room's exit, the Empress Consort sat in prestige. Her green eyes were so amazingly dull this day. Instead of vibrant emeralds they reminded Wen of wilted leaves. Her lips were unusually pouty.
First, the Empress mentioned a concubine that wasn't attending. That one had a miscarriage recently, and she was excused from pretty much everything due to her poor physical and mental health. In a possibly pointless attempt to cheer that woman up, the Emperor had sent her quite a few gifts. Potted herbs and flowers, a calligraphy painting, and a board game with pieces made of jade and coral. He'd also been visiting her quite often, just to keep her company. "I must urge all of you to think of ways to comfort her," the Empress said with her tired voice.
In all fairness, Wen believed most of the women here had no intentions of doing that.
Second, the Empress actually pointed at Wen with her spangled hand. "Concerning Seafoam Attendant Wen, the Empress Dowager has expressed her worries to me."
The curious, pretentious stares from all the other women nearly made Wen blush, but she was able to repress her feelings.
"This Seafoam," continued the Empress Consort, "has visited the lowest work departments, even the Hard Labor Department. To have one of the Imperial Consorts be seen among such filthy, unpleasant conditions, this might cause reckless talk." Taking a loop of prayer beads from one of her maids, the Empress Consort looked at Wen and asked, "What do you have to say about this, Seafoam Attendant Wen?"
Wen got up from her seat. Then she knelt down between the rows of chairs, facing the Empress. "This foolish concubine sincerely apologizes for offending the harem. Would the Empress Consort stretch out her kindness and instruct this concubine on which rule she's broken?"
The Imperial Consorts, including the Empress, were not allowed to do anything considered to be labor. At the most, they were allowed to play certain physical games and do some very light, very simple, very easy cooking.
But Wen hadn't done anything that even resembled labor.
There was a moment where, to Wen's merriment, the Empress Consort's eyes lit up, the eyelids pulling back. She nearly dropped her prayer beads. Her fingernail guards clicked against the beads as her fingers squeezed the loop. A stiff, uncertain moment passed. The concubines all seemed to give each other the most puzzled looks.
Finally, the Empress Consort asked, "What were you doing in those places?"
Wen answered, "This concubine only wanted to see if there were any improvements that could be made in those departments. If the workers are more efficient, then we will all thrive. I was gentle with my suggestions, and I've been told that conditions are much better now."
The surprised little jolt in the Empress' body implied that she didn't know that, which meant that she'd never bothered to check in on all those servants. Not that she was required to. That's what the managers were for.
It was at that moment when one of the concubines spoke. It was Pollen Lady Hayun, the Madam of Moonbeam Palace. Her hooked nose was quivering with amusement. "This little Seafoam was only trying to be a thoughtful consort. If she were the wife of a wealthy civilian, wouldn't she be applauded for managing the servants with such care?"
Wen happened to look at Seafoam Attendant Bora, who was rolling her eyes but otherwise looking very prim and proper. Remembering the past incident that had given her scraped hands and a sore knee, Wen tried very hard not to smile.
