Chapter 10 Jade Concubine
In fact, the same is true for Liu Yuetang. She is willing to be friends with Su Cainv partly because of her status as a concubine's daughter.
Secondly, as she said, one more enemy is worse than one more friend. If the two join forces, perhaps they can support each other in the harem.
"My lady, Miss Su should be a friend worth making." Liu Zheng glanced at Su Cainv who had already walked away before speaking in a low voice.
Liu Yuetang fiddled with the sleeves of her clothes, her tone calm and gentle: "Friends and enemies."
"Hmm?" Liu Zheng looked at Liu Yuetang in confusion.
Liu Yuetang just smiled at her lightly.
How could there be such a thing as a deep sisterly bond within the palace? Even the best of friendships would inevitably turn into enmity once their respective interests were involved.
Liu Zheng pondered for a moment, nodded as if he understood, and stopped asking questions.
I thought that the new concubine would serve the emperor in the next few days.
But after waiting for seven full days, the emperor still did not summon any new concubine.
Before the Empress Dowager went to Chongfusi, she was worried because she would be gone for nearly ten months, so she gave the Emperor some advice.
It was not until the tenth day that the emperor summoned Concubine Ye to sleep with him.
During the time she entered the palace, Liu Yuetang never went out. She was just a concubine and was not qualified to pay her respects to the queen, let alone the empress dowager.
Cai Nu and Yu Nu were the lowest rank, and one had to wait until Bao Lin to be eligible to pay respects or participate in palace banquets.
It was a sunny day with a clear blue sky.
I was bored for quite a few days until Su Cainv came to look for Liu Yuetang, and I went out for a walk while the weather was good.
Su Cainu was wearing a simple and elegant green long dress, and she walked gracefully and said:
"After the light rain, the lotus leaves are turning and the pomegranate flowers are about to bloom. The lotus flowers are about to wither. Why don't we go through the Imperial Garden to the Lotus Garden and pick a few lotus flowers to take back? The house looks so lifeless inside. Maybe adding some fresh flowers to decorate it will be much better."
Liu Yuetang still wore the dress and hairstyle that was most unsuitable for her and went out with plain makeup.
"Okay, I heard the lotus garden in the palace is very large, so I'd like to go take a look today."
When they reached the vicinity of the Imperial Garden, they saw a tall and magnificent sedan chair coming towards them.
The person in the sedan chair was dressed in rich attire, with hair adorned with pearls and jade, looking extravagant and luxurious, and exuding the aura of a superior looking down on others. In his arms, he was holding a silver cat.
"It's Empress Yufei..." Liu Yuetang paused.
As the sedan chair approached, the two leaned over and knelt in greeting, "Your concubines pay their respects to Her Majesty the Jade Concubine."
Only then did Concubine Yu realize that it was actually a new concubine who had entered the palace.
Why didn’t I notice that these concubines had such graceful and charming figures on the day I paid my respects?
She glanced down at the two of them, without asking them to be polite, and raised her slender jade finger to indicate that she was going forward.
To her, these low-ranking concubines were not worthy of having her sedan chair stopped.
When Su Cainv saw Yufei leave, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. She was about to get up after Yufei turned around the palace wall, but suddenly she heard a woman's singing not far away.
Liu Yuetang and Su Cainv looked at each other in confusion. The woman singing was probably in big trouble.
When the Jade Concubine's sedan chair stopped at the Imperial Garden, the woman hadn't noticed anyone behind her. She even waved her sleeves, stepped lightly, and swayed her silky waist to the steps, her voice soft to the extreme: "Your Majesty, your concubine pays respects to you."
After she finished speaking, she felt that her hands were not in the right position, so she put them on her waist and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."
The voice is even more soft and sweet.
"Your Majesty, it's the newly promoted Jiang Cainu." The palace maid whispered beside Concubine Yu.
The corners of Yufei's mouth curled up slightly, and her hands, as white and tender as jade shoots, gently patted the cat in her arms. The cat seemed to be responding to its owner, raising its head and meowing.
The singing woman turned quickly upon hearing the cat's cry. The moment she saw the Jade Concubine's carefully painted face, her color paled instantly. Her legs weakened as she knelt down, "I...I pay my respects to Her Majesty the Jade Concubine."
Concubine Yu raised her eyelids slightly, took the hand of a palace maid, got off the sedan chair, and walked towards the woman gracefully and majestically.
Her bright red lips twitched slightly: "It's not the emperor who came. I disappoint Jiang Cainu."
Jiang Cainu couldn't help but tremble all over: "I...I don't have it."
Concubine Yu gently stroked the cat in her arms and asked casually, "Whose meow is better, my cat's, or your singing, Jiang Cainu?"
Her tone was as calm as a storm. Jiang Cainu knelt down tremblingly and said in panic, "Of course it's your cat's meow that's beautiful, Madam."
Yu Fei didn't look at her, but just stroked the cat in her arms.
The cat was also enjoying itself in Yu Fei's arms, but its eyes looked at Jiang Cainu with a weird look.
"This cat seems to be a bit horny lately, but it knows its place. It won't get involved with stray cats, nor will it make any loud noises."
After she finished speaking, her eyes narrowed slightly. "In broad daylight, Jiang Cainu is actually singing such vulgar music here. Is she even worse than an animal?"
Her lazy tone seemed to be poisoned, and Jiang Cainu was so frightened that she kowtowed repeatedly: "I know I am wrong. I shouldn't sing here."
"Oh?" Yu Fei chuckled. "Is your only mistake singing here?"
Her seemingly calm words gave people a sense of cold oppression.
Jiang Cainu's lips trembled: "I...I don't understand what your Majesty means. Please enlighten me."
Concubine Yu snorted coldly: "Come here, Jiang Cainu is trying to find out the emperor's whereabouts. Cut off her ears and throw her into the cold palace."
Jiang Cainu's head buzzed, and with a pale face, she crawled to the feet of Concubine Yu: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I was wrong. I shouldn't have inquired about the emperor's whereabouts, nor should I have sung in the Imperial Garden, disturbing your peace."
"Your Majesty, please forgive me this time. Please forgive me this time."
Her shrill voice almost broke, and her forehead was bleeding from the impact.
The palace maid held her tightly to prevent her hands from dirtying Concubine Yu's dress.
Concubine Yu stared at Jiang Cainu's face with a sharp and cold gaze, and opened her red lips slightly: "The Imperial Garden is my territory. Anyone who competes with me for my favor will only end up dead!"
Yu Fei's sharp gaze drifted away, and when it touched the well-behaved cat in her arms, she suddenly became extremely loving, as if it were her own child.
She said softly, "Don't scare my rice cake with such a bloody scene."
So she winked at the eunuch beside her, and left happily, stroking the cat.
When she got into the sedan chair, she glanced at Liu Yuetang and Su Cainv who were still kneeling not far away, and raised her lips slightly.
Quite smart.
Just as Yu Fei took a few steps, she heard Jiang Cainu's heart-wrenching screams.
But Concubine Yu didn't even blink, and sat there calmly.
Only when Concubine Yu disappeared did Liu Yuetang and Su Cainv dare to stand up.
Su Cainv's body softened and she almost fell, but fortunately Liu Yuetang supported her.
She gasped in shock: "Yu Fei... Yu Fei is too domineering."
Liu Yuetang didn't dare to look up at Jiang Cainv's miserable state. She only said softly, "She's just a concubine without any support. For those high-ranking officials, even if she dies, it won't matter."
Su Cainu breathed a sigh of relief: "The Jade Concubine's palace is closest to the Imperial Garden. We should avoid coming to the Imperial Garden in the future. We must be careful and not offend the Jade Concubine."
Liu Yuetang nodded in agreement, but she knew in her heart that no matter how careful you are in this palace, if those high-ranking ladies say you are wrong, you are wrong.
If you quibble, you are contradicting the superior, which is a sin.
If she wants to survive in the harem, she has to find a powerful backer, and this backer is naturally the emperor who is the supreme ruler.
She lowered her eyes and secretly made a plan in her mind.
After this incident, the two naturally had no intention of going to the Lotus Garden again and turned back to the palace.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
