Chapter 279: Acting Submissively
Chu Wan snorted in annoyance.
Bai Qiu walked to the golden incense burner and lit a calming incense stick. Watching the wisps of smoke rise, she returned to Chu Wan and said, "Your Majesty, please take care of your health. There's plenty of time in the future, no need to rush."
"Alright, you may leave now. I'll go for a walk in the Imperial Garden by myself."
Chu Wan got up in a bad mood, not even glancing at the calming incense she had just lit, and went straight to the Imperial Garden from the Hehuan Palace.
It's already April, and the weather is getting warmer. After taking off her coat, she feels much lighter than before, but Chu Wan still has a heavy burden on her mind.
Bai Qiu's words just now reminded her.
What do you mean by "there's plenty of time"? It's clearly a matter of time being.
With the Crown Prince and Yu Shiyan approaching adulthood, the matter of the throne remains unresolved, and His Majesty shows no intention of passing the throne to Rong'er.
The Crown Prince's faction and the weaker Mu Wang faction were fighting each other to the death, both openly and covertly. Rong'er was only a few years younger, yet she had no supporters at all. Even her own family, the Chu family, had the Crown Prince as their representative in the court.
These things alone were enough to worry her, and then she looked at Yu Yuanrong.
good.
This is even more frustrating.
Beside her, a cluster of hibiscus flowers, their buds just beginning to open, were covered in a layer of pale, translucent petals. The trailing green stems of the flowers bent low, their budding promise growing stronger.
Chu Wan was in a bad mood, so she couldn't appreciate the beautiful blooms. She immediately picked a flower, and as if that wasn't enough, she picked several other buds of similar size and carefully pinched them in her hand.
"The weather is nice, and Consort Wan is in a good mood."
A voice suddenly came from behind her, startling Chu Wan, but she quickly regained her composure.
Few in the palace dared to address her directly as Consort Wan; besides the Empress, who else could it be?
She turned around and gracefully bowed to the Empress, who emerged from behind the pavilion, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress."
"No need, I never intended to disturb Consort Wan's enjoyment."
However, these peonies are so beautiful that I thought I'd come and take a look.
Perhaps due to the recent string of happy events, the Empress's complexion was rosy and she looked extremely healthy.
"Your Majesty, how can you call it disturbing?"
Chu Wan forced a smile and offered one of the peonies in her hand to the Empress. The Empress did not take it, but only gave it a meaningful look.
"Take it. I've always only loved looking at flowers on branches; once they're gone, they never last as long as before."
"I cannot do such a thing that forces others to do it, nor do I like to do it."
"Your Majesty is right. On the contrary, I was too eager for quick success and instant benefits, and I was only thinking about admiring the flowers."
In front of the Empress, Chu Wan showed no intention of flaunting her favor; on the contrary, she even acted somewhat subserviently.
After all, she was the head of the harem. Although her status was not as high as that of the one in Jianzhang Palace, the Empress Dowager was old and did not care about the affairs of the harem. However, it was only a matter of time before the Empress could punish her.
To ascend to the position of Empress, the most important thing is to have a good family background. Since her own family background is not particularly good, she cannot openly compete with the Empress. Suppressing her is secondary; she has plenty of ways to trip up the Chu family and Rong'er.
Chu Wan flattered her in every way, which pleased the Empress. She immediately turned to Huixin and instructed, "Bring the peony-patterned silk fan that I acquired the other day and bestow it upon Consort Wan."
Huixin nodded and turned to leave. Chu Wan thanked her for the reward and accompanied her to admire the flowers, while also inquiring about the Crown Prince's situation.
"I heard that the Crown Prince's trip south to inspect the salt production went very smoothly. He has already taken care of such an important national matter as the salt inspection. His Majesty truly values the Crown Prince."
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