Chapter 28 Entering the Palace

A quarter of an hour later.

Shen Anan packed up, put on the clothes and jewelry that Madam Shen had picked for her, and went out.

Mrs. Shen and Shen Changhe were sitting in the front yard drinking tea and chatting.

"Mother, brother, why didn't you send someone to wake me up?"

"It's just a gift, it's nothing serious." Madam Shen put down the teacup and looked at her daughter's outfit. "The pattern and color are so dark, how come it looks so bright on her."

Shen Anan lowered her head and glanced at the dress that Mrs. Shen had specially picked out, and curled her lips, "Of course it's because my daughter is beautiful, and any dress can make her look bright."

Madam Shen smiled with her lips covered, and tapped Shen Anan with her hand, "How can a girl brag about herself? She has no shame."

Shen Changhe interjected, "Sister is telling the truth, how can you be boasting?"

Madam Shen glanced at her children helplessly, and smiled with a hint of melancholy. She had tried her best not to let An An be too glamorous and flamboyant in the palace, for fear that the imperial concubine would become even more relentless.

"Okay, let's go. This is An An's first time in the palace, so you must follow your mother closely. There are many rules in the palace. Although those concubines dare not do anything to you, some of their little tricks can be enough to torment you."

Along the way, Madam Shen worriedly gave repeated instructions and explained to Shen Anan the palace rules, Concubine Shen's preferences and weaknesses, including her mortal enemies and concubines who were difficult to get along with.

"Mother, there's no need for my sister to be so cautious." Shen Changhe raised his eyes to look at Shen Anan, and said calmly, "With me and mother here, you don't have to be afraid of anything. Besides, our father is the Grand Marshal, the head of the military officers. Even the Queen will give him some courtesy. As long as it's reasonable, there's nothing to be afraid of."

"...You kid." Mrs. Shen glared at her son.

As he was talking, the carriage stopped at the palace gate. The guard at the gate saw Shen Changhe first and immediately trotted forward to salute, "Commander Shen."

Then he saw the things that the servants of the Shen Mansion were carrying out, and said with a smile, "Is this a festival gift for the Imperial Concubine?"

Shen Changhe responded indifferently.

The guard immediately flattered, "Then go find a few eunuchs to carry it in for you."

After a while, he brought over a dozen eunuchs, "These are the Imperial Concubine's things, be careful with them, don't be rash and break them."

Everyone responded in unison, took it from the servants of the Shen Mansion, formed a team, and carried it to the palace one after another.

Shen Changhe patted the guard on the shoulder and said thank you for your trouble.

"It's all my subordinates' job. Commander Shen, Madam Shen, and Miss Shen, take care."

Shen Changhe stuffed a gold ingot into him and took Madam Shen and Shen Anan into the palace.

After the people walked away, the guard took out the gold ingot from his arms, took a bite of it happily, then put it into his sleeve with a smile, which made the others' eyes red.

Shen Changhe was a member of the Imperial Guard and often walked around the palace, and Madam Shen often went into the palace to accompany the Imperial Concubine. The palace maids and eunuchs had already known them for a long time, and they would greet them wherever they passed.

It was only now that Shen Anan truly felt the power and prosperity of the Shen family.

Two quarters of an hour later, they finally arrived at Zhaoyang Palace. A palace maid had been waiting there and looking around. When she saw Madam Shen and the others, she immediately stepped forward, bowed, and said with a smile.

"Madam, young master, young lady, you are finally here. The imperial concubine has been waiting for a long time."

Madam Shen responded calmly and followed the maid into the palace.

Considering what happened to Aunt Yu last time, she didn’t think that petty sister-in-law would not be angry and would wait for them regardless of the past.

Shen Changhe is an outsider and is not allowed to enter the harem, but during the Mid-Autumn Festival, each palace has an opportunity to visit their mother's family.

As expected, the maid took the three people to the palace, but Concubine Shen was not there.

"Your Highness must be tired from waiting, so she went to the palace to take a rest. Madam, please wait for a moment, I will report to you right away."

"Well, go ahead." Madam Shen waved her hand indifferently, pulling Shen Anan and Shen Changhe to sit down in the hall. Knowing that Concubine Shen would not come out for a while, she drank tea slowly.

The two palace maids guarding the door looked at each other, their expressions were indescribably ugly, but they didn't dare to say anything.

"The tea is getting cold, go change the pot." Mrs. Shen ordered.

The little palace maids looked at each other, bowed and said yes.

In the inner hall, Concubine Shen was wearing a palace dress, with gorgeous makeup, red lips and white teeth, and armor on her slender white fingers. She looked at the figures in the hall with a calm and heavy gaze.

“Your Majesty, please don’t be angry with me and Madam Shen. Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and we can’t let other people in the palace see us laughing at us.”

Concubine Shen's gloomy eyes disappeared and she stared at the ground for a long while.

It wasn't because of Aunt Yu. Shen's behavior clearly showed that she didn't take her, the imperial concubine, seriously. She even dared to bar her teeth at a little girl.

Aunt Yu was only giving her a way out, but it was not easy for her to survive in the palace. If she was not careful, she would fall into an abyss. She knew in her heart that the emperor's favor was only because she was pretty and had the support of the Shen family.

The Shen Mansion was the foundation of her glorious life. She could not lose it, and even more so, she could not offend it.

"Your Highness." The little maid walked in quickly with her head down. "Madam Shen said that there are important matters to be dealt with in the mansion. If Your Highness is not free today, she will leave first and talk to you another day."

“No need, just say I’m awake and I’ll get up right away.” Concubine Shen said coldly.

After receiving the order, the little palace maid quickly retreated.

Concubine Shen looked at herself in the bronze mirror and suddenly said, "Yuhe, am I getting old?"

"Your Highness is in your prime, not old at all."

Concubine Shen curled her lips, "Really? But I feel that I am becoming more and more lifeless. When I was young, I looked very similar to An An's niece, both of us were gorgeous and beautiful, but now..."

She gently stroked the fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes with her fingertips, "This is my life. Whether the Shen family can make further progress in the future depends on the next generation."

Aunt Yu was silent. She thought that her cousin was smart and opinionated, but she might not be so easy to manipulate.

Madam Shen drank a cup of tea, and then she saw Concubine Shen walked in, supported by Aunt Yu. She was wearing a light yellow palace dress, with pearls and jade all over her head, looking noble and dignified.

It has to be said that power does nourish people.

"My Lady Concubine."

Shen Anan and Shen Changhe also saluted.

"We are all family, no need to be polite, just get up quickly."

Concubine Shen sat in the seat of honor and warmly invited the three to sit down, calling them sister-in-law all the time without showing any dissatisfaction, as if she had no idea that she had deliberately left them alone just now.

Mrs. Shen was able to manage the huge Shen Mansion well, so she was naturally good at dealing with people. The aunt and sister-in-law talked back and forth, and they were very harmonious.

It was not too cold yet, but the charcoal fire had already started burning in the palace. Shen Anan felt a little uncomfortable due to the heat, but Concubine Shen, who was wearing heavy clothes, did not seem to feel it at all. Aunt Yu even took a blanket and covered her legs.

Is she afraid of the cold?

"I haven't seen you for a few days. An An has become brighter and more beautiful. She looks exactly like your grandmother, more like her than my own daughter."

Shen Anan was not modest, but lowered her head and smiled embarrassedly, "My grandmother often praised me like this."

"You kid." Madam Shen held her hand and patted it. "Your grandmother wrote to your father a few days ago and talked about you, as if she was afraid that we would wrong you."

"My grandmother did have this worry when I came back." Shen Anan said seriously. After all, she didn't grow up with her biological parents, so it was understandable that she was worried about being wronged because she had no feelings for them.