That afternoon, Qing Tian was in the back courtyard of the Imperial Kitchen.
Fushun Bo and several on-duty attendants were gathered around a large iron pot, carefully simmering a newly adjusted version of the "Warm-Heart Soup." This batch included soybean pulp and crushed bones—an upgrade Qing Tian had been testing to increase both satiety and nutrition. The aroma was rich and comforting, and for once, the atmosphere around the stove was noticeably relaxed.
Then—
A sudden disturbance erupted from the front courtyard.
Footsteps. Raised voices. Urgency.
Moments later, Little Chestnut came sprinting in, face flushed, breathing ragged, eyes shining with equal parts terror and excitement.
"M-My Lady! My Lady!" he gasped. "Chief Steward Sun from the Internal Affairs Bureau is here—with people! He says… he says he's delivering the Emperor's verbal decree! He wants you in the front courtyard immediately!"
Qing Tian's heart skipped.
She quickly straightened her robes and walked forward without hesitation.
By the time she arrived, the courtyard was already packed. A sea of kneeling figures pressed low to the ground. Director Li knelt at the front, with Wang Youcai and Matron Liu close behind him—both wearing expressions of barely concealed panic.
Chief Steward Sun Delu stood upright, whisk in hand, his posture solemn.
When Qing Tian arrived, he nodded faintly and announced in a sharp, clear voice:
"Qing of the 'Meal Beauty' rank—receive the decree."
Qing Tian lifted her skirt and knelt, her mind racing.
A verbal decree? Not a formal imperial edict?
For what reason?
Sun Delu cleared his throat and read slowly, each word landing like a hammer strike:
"His Majesty declares: Qing of the Meal Beauty rank has demonstrated exceptional expertise in culinary affairs, diligence in service, and impartial dedication to the public good. Her efforts in coordinating palace dietary matters and showing consideration to lower servants have produced notable results.
"She is hereby promoted to assist in overseeing the Internal Affairs Bureau's food operations, granted the official title of Director of Imperial Provisions, fifth rank. She shall remain residing at Tingyu Pavilion, retain authority over her private kitchen, and continue free access to the Imperial Kitchen, in order to assist the Chief Director in rectifying and restructuring palace food administration, for the benefit of the inner court.
"So decreed."
Silence.
Utter, suffocating silence.
Even the rustling of autumn leaves sounded deafening.
Everyone present—including Qing Tian herself—seemed frozen in place, their minds refusing to process what they had just heard.
Promoted?
From a sixth-rank concubine to a fifth-rank official?
Director of Imperial Provisions?
Assisting in Internal Affairs Bureau operations?
Rectifying palace food administration?
This wasn't just advancement.
This was a rupture in history.
"Meal Beauty" was a concubine rank—honored, but largely symbolic.Director of Imperial Provisions, however, was a real post under the Internal Affairs Bureau. An administrative position. A functional office with defined authority.
A woman of the inner palace, holding a court-appointed administrative role?
This had never happened before.
It shattered ancestral precedent.
It was nothing short of earth-shaking.
The Emperor had effectively pulled Qing Tian out of the purely ornamental role of a concubine and armed her with formal, institutional authority within the palace system.
And the words "rectify and restructure"?
They were a blade without a sheath.
Behind her, Director Li was the first to recover. His eyes lit up with uncontrollable excitement.
He understood instantly.
With Qing Tian's new, legitimate authority—backed directly by the Emperor—many reforms he had once dreamed of but never dared implement now had a path forward. She had imperial backing, goodwill among the concubines, and genuine support from the lowest servants.
She was uniquely positioned to do what he never could.
Wang Youcai and Matron Liu, on the other hand, looked as if they had been struck by lightning.
Their faces drained of color.
Director.Assisting oversight.Rectification.
It was as if a blade now hung directly over their heads.
Qing Tian was no longer a concubine they could suppress or undermine at will. She was now an official of the Internal Affairs Bureau. To oppose her was to oppose an imperial decree.
To touch her was to invite disaster.
As for Qing Tian herself—
After the initial shock faded, a fierce heat surged up from her chest, burning behind her eyes.
She understood.
This was not merely promotion.
It was recognition.
Validation of every careful step she had taken, every reform she had cautiously tested, every risk she had shouldered in silence.
It was also a burden.
A battlefield.
She inhaled deeply, pressed her palms to the ground, and bowed low.
Her voice trembled—but rang clear.
"This servant… Qing Tian… accepts the decree with gratitude. Long live His Majesty. Ten thousand years. Ten thousand times ten thousand years."
Sun Delu stepped forward and gestured for her to rise.
"Director Qing," he said politely, "congratulations. Your official robes, seal, and documentation will be delivered to Tingyu Pavilion shortly. His Majesty also instructed that you need not concern yourself with ceremony—he wishes you to familiarize yourself with your duties as soon as possible and assist Director Li in establishing a clearer, more efficient system for the Imperial Kitchen."
"I will give my utmost," Qing Tian replied steadily.
The news spread through the palace like wildfire.
In Changchun Palace, Noble Consort Liu froze upon hearing the report—then smashed the porcelain vase in her hands to the floor.
"Director of Provisions?!" she shrieked. "Assisting the Internal Affairs Bureau?! Has the Emperor lost his mind?! A kitchen-born wretch meddling in court affairs?! This is trampling ancestral law—trampling the dignity of the entire harem!"
Yet beneath her fury was fear.
Cold, unmistakable fear.
Elsewhere, reactions varied.
Consort De merely said, "His Majesty has his reasons."
Consort Xian murmured thoughtfully, "It seems future medicinal meals should be discussed with Director Qing more carefully."
And among the lowest servants, quiet hope stirred.
One of their own had risen.
And Qing Tian?
She did not return to Tingyu Pavilion.
Holding the written record of the verbal decree, she turned instead toward the main hall of the Imperial Kitchen.
Facing the stunned crowd, her voice was calm—yet carried undeniable authority.
"Director Li. Deputy Director Wang. Matron Liu. Esteemed masters," she said evenly."Please assemble in the main hall."
She paused.
"Let us discuss what comes next."