Chapter 22 The Eve of the Family Dinner
"I don't know why the Fourth Prince thought of us." Concubine Wang Liang seemed to recall the scene she saw in the Fourth Prince's Mansion that year. After she said this, she touched her chest with lingering fear.
Li Xianfei sat beside her and chuckled: "Sister, it's okay if there are only three of us. You should be more careful about what you say in public."
Concubine Wang Liang rolled her eyes. "Yes, sister. Why did His Majesty think of us?"
Concubine Li Xian spent more time with Concubine Wang Liang, and Concubine Zhang Shu sat on another soft couch and listened when they talked.
Concubine Li Xian glanced at Concubine Zhang Shu and said, "I think your Majesty is no longer the same as before after ascending the throne. At tomorrow's family dinner, let's..."
"I'm not feeling well," Wang Liangfei interrupted her. "I've already made up my mind. Tomorrow I'll suddenly fall seriously ill and stay in Feiluan Palace, not going anywhere."
Concubine Li Xian said helplessly: "How can you curse yourself like this?"
Concubine Zhang Shu spoke at the right moment, "Your Majesty has been so busy since he ascended the throne that he's been preoccupied with the affairs of the court. It's no bad thing that he's thinking of the three of us in the harem now. The Emperor is doing this because he still remembers that there are three concubines in the harem. There will definitely be many newcomers in the general election next year. I'm fine with it, but if someone catches His Majesty's eye, Concubine Wang Liang will probably no longer be able to use the harem treasury like she does now."
"I will not sleep with you!" Concubine Wang Liang's face was filled with fear. She was the most simple-minded and outspoken of the three. For example, at this moment, her thoughts showed on her face. She was terrified for a while, then murmured in confusion, "I will not sleep with you..."
Concubine Li Xian sighed, "Don't worry, His Majesty hasn't thought of us in the past few years, so he certainly won't suddenly summon us to his bedchamber."
Although Concubine Li said this, she was not sure in her heart, because Concubine Wang Liang was the most beautiful among the three.
Of course Concubine Wang Liang knew this, which was why she was so afraid.
When she first entered the palace, she had also wanted to gain the favor of the Fourth Prince, because she had always been taught by her stepmother to hold on to a man's heart tightly, and to live a good life only with favor. If she temporarily gave up the idea of being favored after being frightened by that incident, then in the following years she had long been accustomed to a comfortable life - the Fourth Prince never paid attention to them, but he would not treat them badly. Although they were only concubines, the palace always had high expenses, and their food, clothing and other expenses were all compared to the standards of the ordinary prince's wives.
As for what new beauties the Fourth Prince had taken in? How many people had he secretly taken out of the palace? She didn't love the Fourth Prince. As long as she lived a glamorous life, she didn't dare to think about anything else, and she couldn't think about it.
This feeling became even stronger after the Fourth Prince ascended the throne, because there were only three concubines in the palace. On the surface, Concubine Zhang Shu held the Phoenix Seal, but in fact, Concubine Zhang Shu had no control over Concubine Wang Liang. Whenever she wanted any jewelry from the harem's warehouse, she would order the palace maids around her to take it.
As the three masters of the harem, the relationship between the three has always been one of keeping to themselves. From the prince's mansion to the palace, the three have long developed a way to live in peace.
But what frightened Concubine Wang Liang was that the Fourth Prince, who had ascended the throne, suddenly remembered the three of them.
This topic is too heavy. The three of them must attend the family dinner tomorrow. Concubine Zhang Shu sighed and saw Concubine Wang Liang's gloomy face. She first brought up the family dinner and talked about other things.
Concubine Wang Liang was a simple-minded woman. Although she was terrified, she quickly forgot about it. She quickly raised her hand to show Concubine Zhang Shu and Concubine Li Xian that a skillful maid beside her had painted her nails with marigolds.
"That's quite new." Although the other two were not interested in these things, they were still willing to praise them on the surface.
Concubine Wang Liang said proudly: "The people in the palace are really clever. It's much more convenient to use them than in the mansion before."
After saying this, she glanced at Concubine Zhang Shu and said, "I see that you don't have many maids in your palace that you would like. Why don't you pick a few from Feiluan Palace and send them to Zichen Palace?"
Her words sounded domineering, but Concubine Zhang Shu was already used to her talking like that and knew Concubine Wang Liang meant no harm. She smiled and said, "I just like to be quiet."
Concubine Wang Liang curled her lips and said, "I really don't know if you have always been so lifeless."
Concubine Zhang smiled gently and shook her head. From the moment she entered the prince's mansion, she knew that she would never be able to do what she liked again in this life.
So she is tolerant and doesn't care about everything around her because she has no interest in anything.
The three of them sat and talked for a while, then Concubine Li Xian and Concubine Wang Liang stood up and left. If something really happened, they couldn't change anything. They came here today just to talk to each other and seek peace of mind. Although none of them said it, they all knew it.
"Bao Chui, add some tea."
Baocui poured tea and looked at her queen's expression.
They had been outside the palace and had no idea what the three ladies had said in the palace. They only saw that Concubine Zhang had a look of neither joy nor anger on her face, and she was stroking her favorite blue and white vertically striped cup in her hand.
Baocui didn't dare to speak and just stood quietly by the side.
...
Li Zhongxian had previously gone to the imperial kitchen to prepare a banquet. Yan Xuanyu felt that since it was a family banquet, there was no need for extravagance, so he asked Li Zhongxian to convey the message that the cold dishes should be removed, and there was no need to serve so much porridge and soup. After hearing Li Zhongxian say that Concubine Zhang was from Qianjiang City, Yan Xuanyu added a few southern dishes to the family banquet.
Li Zhongxian said with a smile: "Your Majesty really cares about the three ladies."
Yan Xuanyu looked up and saw Li Zhongxian’s relieved and kind smile, and felt a chill in his heart - this was just the most basic respect, okay?
After dinner, Yan Xuanyu walked in the Imperial Garden to digest his food. Because he didn't want to be saluted by the palace servants after walking a few steps, he deliberately chose the path next to the central lake of the Imperial Garden, which was less crowded and quieter.
Yan Xuanyu walked slowly, and suddenly, as if remembering something, he called Li Zhongxian over and asked, "What do they usually do in the palace?"
He regretted it as soon as he finished saying this, because the palace lantern held by a young eunuch next to Li Zhongxian illuminated that pleased face.
"Since the three ladies entered the palace, Concubine Zhang Shu has often stayed indoors; Concubine Li Xian has often been seen in the palace with a scroll in her hands; and Concubine Wang Liang loves cosmetics, especially all kinds of head ornaments..."
Yan Xuanyu originally just wanted to ask a general question, but he didn't expect Li Zhongxian to tell him everything in detail, even the small matter that Concubine Wang Liang had just dyed her nails with marigold a few days ago.
Yan Xuanyu first felt that Li Zhongxian was worthy of being the chief steward of the palace, and knew everything about the imperial palace; but he also felt that it was a waste of Li Zhongxian's talent to be a eunuch in the palace, as he remembered every incident that happened everywhere so clearly, and if he were to be an outsider, he would be a top "intelligence officer".
Li Zhongxian was still talking to Yan Xuanyu when he received a strange look from his own emperor.
Li Zhongxian hesitated and closed his mouth.
Yan Xuanyu motioned for him to continue. After Li Zhongxian finished, he asked the question that had puzzled him the most: "What does Concubine Zhang Shu do in the palace all day?"
This question stumped Li Zhongxian. As a eunuch, he should not have interfered in the affairs of the Empress of the Purple Palace, but of course he had to tell everything when the emperor asked.
"Her Majesty occasionally watches the young palace maids play outside the Purple Palace, but more often she sits on the couch and takes a nap. Since entering the palace, Her Majesty has only stepped out of the Purple Palace once, and that was to go to the Imperial Garden the other day."
Yan Xuanyu got an unexpected answer.
"Concubine Zhang..."
As a concubine, Concubine Zhang Shu's activities were limited to the imperial palace. Yan Xuanyu was certainly not bored after arriving here. He had so much to do that he didn't even have much free time.
But Concubine Zhang Shu was different. She was a concubine who was not allowed to leave the palace without imperial order.
Perhaps this was the case for all concubines in ancient times. In ancient times where there were few entertainment activities, they had almost nothing to do to pass the time except embroidering, socializing with other concubines, and worshiping Buddha. They were like birds in a cage, waiting for the emperor's favor.
It was impossible for Yan Xuanyu to favor his concubines like a real emperor would, so he felt in his heart that he would only feel more sorry for the three concubines in the harem in the future.
From what Li Zhongxian said, Concubine Wang Liang was fine. She was satisfied with beautiful clothes and all kinds of jewelry and could get daily happiness from them. Concubine Li Xian held books in her hands all day long. At that time, except for the "Records of the Grand Historian" by Yan Xuanyu of the previous dynasty, which she could barely read as a story, the others were all long pieces of moral principles and were boring. There were some secular novels in the folk, but they were all love stories between poor scholars and rich ladies written by unsuccessful scholars. Such novels were hard to find.
Concubine Li had several books written by scholars and young ladies that she got from the folk. I heard that she had read them all to pieces.
Therefore, Concubine Zhang Shu, who had the most nothing to do and was the most lonely, was the first to be noticed by Yan Xuanyu.
Yan Xuanyu wondered, wouldn't it be boring to sit in this little world all day and get sick? The maids could still walk around the palace, but she was inside all day. I heard that Concubine Zhang often stayed indoors in the prince's mansion, so becoming a concubine was like going from a small cage to a larger one for her.
...
The family banquet in the palace is scheduled for the afternoon.
Yan Xuanyu overestimated his speed in handling government affairs - today there was a memorial from the border. The original owner had no memory of the terrain and distribution of generals in the border areas around Da Zhou. Yan Xuanyu spent a long time looking at the map in Chengtian Hall to make up for this knowledge.
When he noticed that it was getting dark, he looked up and asked Li Zhongxian what time it was. Li Zhongxian said it was already the afternoon.
"Why didn't you tell me before 3 p.m.?" Yan Xuanyu said as he walked quickly.
Li Zhongxian followed at the side, saying, "I saw that Your Majesty was preoccupied with matters at the border, so I did not approach to disturb you."
"There's no point in making them wait," Yan Xuanyu said.
Li Zhongxian thought to himself, you are His Majesty, it is only natural for the concubines to wait for you.
But looking at His Majesty's expression, Li Zhongxian was very smart and didn't say anything.
Yan Xuanyu hurried from Chengtian Hall to the Bibo Pavilion in the center of the Imperial Garden Lake. The curtains were gently blown by the wind, and the three concubines who had already taken their seats in the Bibo Pavilion could be vaguely seen.
"The Emperor has arrived!"
Li Zhongxian shouted loudly from the side.
The figures behind the curtains in the pavilion all moved, and the palace maids and eunuchs on both sides also saluted in unison.
"Your Majesty."
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