Chapter 2: Seeing Old Friends Again

Just when all the concubines were meeting the Queen in Jingren Palace, Concubine Hua finally arrived with her graceful steps.

"Isn't it too late for me?"

As usual, his tone was casual and arrogant, and he didn't take the so-called majesty of the queen into consideration at all.

Ever since she thought about meeting the queen again, Nian Shilan had imagined that scene countless times in her mind. Should she confront her right then and there or continue to suppress the hatred in her heart?

In the end, she chose to sit back and maintain her original attitude. She couldn't lose her composure when she didn't have the key evidence against the queen.

"Greetings to Concubine Hua!"

When Nian Shilan walked into the house, all people below the rank of concubine saluted her in unison.

After casually looking at the crowd, she sat down in her seat at the front.

"Sister Hua Fei, you came so late today. Are you feeling unwell?"

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Concubine Qi pointed out the fact that Concubine Hua was late in front of everyone, seemingly out of concern.

However, this gave Nian Shilan the opportunity to deliberately anger the queen.

"Alas, the Emperor was processing memorials until very late last night, and I stayed with him until very late. This morning, the Emperor didn't allow me to get up early, so I came late. I hope the Empress won't blame me."

Having experienced a lifetime, Nian Shilan believes that he has made great progress in judging people and things.

She liked to see the queen's pain of hating her but being unable to get rid of her. Most importantly, she had to maintain her dignified and noble demeanor. It really made her feel relieved just thinking about it.

"Your Majesty has been busy with state affairs these days, so it's inevitable that he'll neglect my sister. It's only right that he loves her more."

The Queen always spoke very nicely. If someone else didn't know her well, they would definitely think that she was the mother of a country, with such a demeanor that no one could match.

However, the Queen is not a pushover. She knows that Concubine Hua hates to see new people appearing around the Emperor all the time. Taking advantage of today's good opportunity, the Queen must be trying to stab Nian Shilan in the heart.

"But my sister will be able to relax a bit in the future and won't have to work so hard. Look at all the new sisters coming in. We'll have a lot more people to keep us company in the future."

However, unexpectedly, the current Concubine Hua is no longer the Concubine Hua whose heart and eyes are completely devoted to the Emperor. At the moment of her death, she has already realized that there is no such thing as undying love in the inner court of the imperial palace.

Now that she can start over again, she cares more about the prosperity of her family and the stability of her second half of life. Of course, the prerequisite is to send her rivals to heaven as soon as possible, so that she can have the life she longs for.

"All the ladies bow down to the Empress."

With Jiang Fuhai's voice, today's audience ceremony officially began.

However, Concubine Duan, who was supposed to appear here, did not show up today because she was ill.

When she heard Concubine Duan's name, a strange look flashed across Nian Shilan's eyes. This was the deepest pain in her heart.

Once upon a time, she and Concubine Duan got along like sisters. Unexpectedly, the person she regarded as a sister personally handed her a bowl of pregnancy-preserving medicine, but it caused her to lose the baby in her belly.

Even though she later ordered people to force Concubine Duan to drink countless red flowers, she could never get her innocent child back. The sisterhood they once had turned into mortal enemies due to this deep hatred.

Unexpectedly, before she died, she learned from Zhen Huan that all this was instigated by the emperor.

As expected, feelings mean nothing to the imperial power. Even if they treat you well in every way, how do you know that all this is not full of calculations?

Now think about it, Concubine Duan and I are no different. We are both pawns of the imperial power and have no right to choose at all.

Concubine Duan caused her to lose her child, but she also lost the possibility of becoming a mother.

"All the ladies pay their respects to Her Majesty Hua Fei!"

"May the Empress Hua live in peace and happiness!"

She still remembered that in her previous life, on the same day when the whole palace was having an audience with the emperor, she seemed to have given everyone a warning, letting them bow and salute as usual, while she used the name of the earrings to engage in a heated argument with the queen. For this, she had unknowingly created many potential enemies for herself.

"Get up."

Although she could not become a kind person in this life, she would never make the same mistake again.

In this palace that is like an abyss, kindness is a death warrant, but appropriate gestures of kindness can bring you some help.

However, what should be established must still be established.

When gifts were being given to these newlyweds, there seemed to be one person who even spoke loudly and compared her gift with the queen's, and her words were full of derogatory remarks about her.

Who is it? Oh, it seems to be Concubine Xia. Then she is the one!

"Who is Concubine Xia? I heard she's very capable and has a very eloquent mouth."

Nian Shilan pretended to glance at the crowd casually, her tone sounding lazy.

And this Concubine Xia did not disappoint her. When she heard Hua Fei hear her name, she was quite complacent, thinking that it was because her mother's family was so powerful that even someone like Hua Fei, who was favored by the emperor, would give her some face.

Concubine Xia turned around with a smile on her face and greeted Concubine Hua: "May your Majesty Hua live long and healthy. I am Concubine Xia."

Little did they know...

"Mrs. Xia is really good at dressing up. Your outfit is really eye-catching and makes you look even more beautiful."

When Concubine Hua heard what Concubine Xia said, she thought it was a sign that Concubine Hua valued her so much that she praised her in front of everyone.

At this moment, she was even more proud: "This dress was given by the Empress. I put it on specially for the audience today."

Concubine Hua smiled faintly, "You are a person who knows how to repay kindness. However, I have heard some rumors. I happened to see them today, so I thought of asking Concubine Xia."

She stroked the front of her clothes seemingly indifferently, and then turned her gaze to the person in front of her again.

"I heard you were boasting in your own palace that no matter how good the gifts I gave you were, they were not as good as the gifts from the Empress. I wonder if Concubine Xia still remembers what you said?"

The smile on Xia Dongchun's face suddenly disappeared. She was so frightened that she knelt on the ground and said, "Your Majesty Hua Fei, please forgive me. I have no intention of disrespecting you at all, Your Majesty!"

At that time, she was only concerned with showing off in front of An, and completely forgot that this was the imperial palace, not her own home, and any slight movement would be known to the noble.

Nian Shilan looked down at the armor on her hand, as if she didn't care too much about the person kneeling in front of her. After a while, when she felt the time was about right, she spoke again.

"Mrs. Xia may have said this unintentionally. I understand that this is your first time and you don't understand how to be afraid of what others say. However, there is a difference between the high and the low. The Queen is the mother of the country, and I am a concubine. Naturally, the rewards I receive cannot exceed those of the Queen. Yet, you openly compare us. If someone with ulterior motives hears this, they might think there's discord in the harem. If the Emperor finds out, the Queen will have a hard time explaining herself."

When Nian Shilan just mentioned the fabric, the Queen guessed that she would make a fuss about it, but what surprised her was that she thought that according to Hua Fei's usual arrogance, she would directly punish Xia Changzai.

Unexpectedly, now the ball has been kicked to me. When did she become so scheming?

As the manager of the harem, if it were to be reported that there was discord within the harem, it would be a dereliction of duty on her part as the queen.

At this moment, she couldn't help but secretly curse Xia Dongchun, saying that he was really a waste, who could not do anything good but only caused trouble.