Upon hearing this, Shen Wei picked up the book on the desk again, leaned back in the rattan chair and continued reading.
A calm face.
Caizhu saw that Chen Wei didn't move at all, and she was anxious. She reminded her kindly, "Miss, Concubine Qin is strict in ruling the palace, and no one in the harem dares to disobey her. If you don't go to Hanzhang Palace, I'm afraid something bad will happen!"
Caizhu still remembered that the last time the new concubine tried to challenge Concubine Qin's authority, she was punished to kneel for three days and was frozen to death or starved to death.
When the emperor learned of this, he did not interfere.
So much so that everyone in the harem thought that the emperor was partial to Concubine Qin. From then on, no newcomer dared to challenge Concubine Qin's authority.
Chen Wei had just entered the palace, and although she was temporarily living in Changle Palace, she had not yet served the emperor, and the emperor had not given her a title. Shen Wei was still a foreign fishing girl of humble origins. Compared with the powerful Concubine Qin, she was as humble as dust.
Qin Fei only needs to move her fingers to crush Shen Wei.
Caizhu was kindhearted after all, so she reminded her again, "Miss, please listen to my advice and go to see Concubine Qin. As long as you don't disobey her, you will definitely be able to save your life."
Shen Wei didn't even raise her head and turned a page of the book: "No need."
Didn’t Li Yuanli keep saying that he liked her? Shen Wei wanted to use this incident to test Li Yuanli's tolerance limit for her.
The sun was warm, and Shen Wei leaned crookedly on the rattan chair, ignoring everything else.
At the gate of Changle Palace.
The old nanny beside Concubine Qin waited and waited until her feet were sore, but still Chen Wei didn't come out.
The old nanny was quite famous in the palace, and everyone in the palace was in awe of her. She had never been humiliated like this before, so she immediately rebuked Caizhu: "Yuan Xier is so arrogant. Concubine Qin is in charge of the six palaces, and she, Yuan Xier, has no name or status, how dare she challenge Concubine Qin?"
Caizhu buried her head deeply, racking her brains to find an excuse: "Madam, please don't be angry... The girl is weak and needs to take medicine every day to nourish her body. She really can't move."
The old maid sneered: "Can't move? Do we have to send a sedan chair to pick her up?"
Caizhu was so frightened that she didn't say a word.
The old lady waved her sleeves and walked away, while Caizhu's forehead was covered with sweat. Caizhu knew that Chen Wei would probably be hated this time.
...
Hanzhang Palace.
The whole yard was filled with blooming roses. In the pavilion, Concubine Qin from Hanzhang Palace was wearing a red dress with red straps holding back her long sleeves. There was a barbecue grill in the pavilion, and rows of exquisite seasoning bottles. Concubine Qin Tuoba was picking up a brush and brushing honey on the barbecue.
The roasted venison exudes a rich aroma when grilled over charcoal fire.
Concubine Qin cut off a piece of roasted venison with a knife and handed it to the maid beside her to taste: "Try it. Does the taste improve after adding honey?"
The palace maid tasted it in small bites and showed appreciation: "Your Majesty, this roasted venison is crispy and has a mellower taste after adding honey. It is very delicious."
Qin Fei showed a satisfied smile on her beautiful and well-maintained face: "Very good."
Princess Qin cut the roasted venison into thin slices, divided it into two portions, one large and one small, and put them into the food box one by one.
The emperor is naturally cold-hearted and his tastes are unpredictable, so it is difficult for ordinary concubines to grasp his preferences. After years of observation, Concubine Qin discovered that the emperor seemed to like eating barbecue, riding horses, and singing operas.
Concubine Qin catered to his interests and took the initiative to learn horse riding, opera singing, and barbecue. Her efforts paid off, and the emperor indeed looked at her differently.
Concubine Qin ordered the maid: "Send a small portion of barbecue to the Ninth Prince. Bring some citron slices. I will bring the food box and personally deliver the barbecue to the Emperor later."
As long as she can please the emperor, she will use all means.
Li Yuanli was different from other kings. He was decisive in killing and used iron-blooded means to stabilize the court situation. Although Concubine Qin is the daughter of the Prime Minister, she has already vaguely sensed that the Emperor has already begun to murder the Prime Minister's Mansion, whose power is growing day by day.
If Concubine Qin wants to keep the Prime Minister's Mansion, she can only try hard to please the Emperor.
There was a gentle breeze and bright sunshine in the pavilion. Concubine Qin took off the loops that bound her sleeves and her gentle eyes swept over the roses in the yard.
She sighed slightly: "With a heart as fierce as a tiger, sniffing the rose... Who would have thought that the emperor's favorite flower is the rose."
No one can get into the emperor's heart.
Even though Concubine Qin blocked a fatal knife for the emperor more than ten years ago, she did not win the emperor's favor.
Footsteps were heard outside the palace, and the old nanny led the palace servants back. Concubine Qin glanced around with her beautiful eyes, but did not see the legendary fisherman's daughter.
The old nanny said, "Your Majesty, the girl from Changle Palace is really arrogant and rude. She refused to move an inch even though she knew Your Majesty had summoned her."
Concubine Qin's beautiful eyes narrowed and she smiled, "What a good Yuan Xier, do you think you can rest easy just by living in Changle Palace?"
To be honest, Concubine Qin did not expect that the dignified Emperor of Nanchu would personally go abroad to bring back a fisherman's daughter, and even arrange for her to live in Changle Palace where the empress could live.
But a fisherman's daughter is a fisherman's daughter after all, with no background. If she doesn't behave herself in the harem, she will die miserably sooner or later.
The emperor's actions are always difficult to predict. He may have brought the fisherman's daughter into the palace just for the sake of novelty. It is not impossible that after a few days the emperor will get tired of it and kill the fisherman's daughter directly.
Concubine Qin asked the old nanny, "What does Yuan Xier look like?"
The old nanny said, "I have never been to Changle Palace, so I don't know what she looks like. But I heard from the palace servants who serve her that Yuan Xier's face is as white as soy sauce, her skin is rough, and she is not beautiful."
Concubine Qin was thoughtful: "How strange... How could the emperor be so hungry that he would not choose what to eat? Could it be that Yuan Xier deliberately made herself ugly to deceive the outside world?"
The old lady replied: "It is possible."
There are constant struggles in the harem. Perhaps Yuan Xier deliberately made herself look ugly in an attempt to lower the guard of the outside world.
"Since she is unwilling to move, I will go and invite her myself." Concubine Qin slowly stood up.
She wanted to meet the legendary fisherman's daughter.
...
...
Changle Palace.
Shen Wei seized the time to absorb knowledge, striving to understand the folk customs, national conditions, county roads, and history and culture of Southern Chu in the shortest possible time.
Since you are free anyway, it will never be a bad thing to read more and learn more about the outside world.
Chen Wei was absorbed in reading, and Caizhu, who was serving her, felt uneasy.
Caizhu looked out the door frequently, she was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.
At this time, a report from the eunuch came from outside the house -
"Empress Qin is here!"
Caizhu's tense nerves suddenly broke and his legs trembled like sieves. The gate of Changle Palace was opened, and Concubine Qin's gorgeous sedan was parked at the door. A pair of jewel-encrusted embroidered shoes stepped down from the sedan chair and stepped on the back of the kneeling eunuch. The wide golden and red skirt brushed the ground, and Concubine Qin appeared with exquisite makeup.
Concubine Qin is thirty years old this year. She has taken good care of her face over the years, and her face is delicate and beautiful. She is one of the most beautiful women in the harem of Nanchu. The palace servants knew better than anyone how many evil and terrible means were hidden under this beautiful appearance.
Everyone is in awe.
The palace maids in Changle Palace knelt down tremblingly and paid their respects to Concubine Qin.
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