Chapter 237
Zhu Lan was a little nervous, so she chose some positive answers: "Yes, it's said that after Miss Liu was brought back to the palace by His Majesty, she was deeply favored by him, and everyone was very envious..."
"Is there anything else?" Shen Qingnian looked at Zhu Lan, her tone indifferent, yet it sent chills down Zhu Lan's spine.
She was terrified of Miss Liu, because she knew that this Miss Liu was the former Empress from three years ago...
She dared not lie: "Some people say that Miss Liu is a vixen who, relying on her resemblance to the late Empress, seduced His Majesty and broke the precedent of no new concubines entering the harem for three years."
The claim that the newly arrived Miss Liu resembled the late Empress is merely speculation by those with ulterior motives, since no one has ever seen her true appearance.
After hearing Zhu Lan's words, Shen Qingnian stopped talking. There was a pavilion ahead, so she led Zhu Lan into the pavilion to rest.
Zhu Lan couldn't figure out what she meant, so she didn't dare to speak again and just stood with her in the pavilion.
As soon as Shen Qingnian sat down in the pavilion, she heard footsteps outside, accompanied by voices.
Looking up, I saw a woman being supported by a maid. The woman had her hair styled in an official's bun, and her face, though made up, had an undeniable sallow complexion. She was also very thin, with sunken cheeks, and looked quite weak.
Although she was weak, her expression was impatient and her appearance was somewhat harsh. She was talking to the maid who was supporting her.
"When we get to the Ice Palace, you'd better be quick and efficient, and don't make any more mistakes!"
The woman's breathing was weak, but her words carried a threat.
Shen Qingnian immediately recognized the woman as Shen Zheng's legal wife, Madam Shen.
A sense of unease crept into her heart. Madam Shen was still alive? Judging from the dosage of the drug she had administered before leaving, the other party should have already passed away...
Shen Qingnian was puzzled. Just then, Madam Shen, who was being supported by a maid, also looked at her. Madam Shen paused, then turned around and walked towards the pavilion.
The maid supporting Madam Shen grew anxious and couldn't help but whisper a reminder, "Madam, we can't delay any longer..."
Before the maid could finish speaking, Madam Shen pinched her hard: "You treacherous, disloyal servant, how dare you try to control me?!"
"This servant wouldn't dare," the maid said softly, not daring to utter another word.
Shen Qingnian looked at the two people walking towards her. She recognized the maid as Qingzhu, who had been serving Madam Shen.
Madam Shen walked to Shen Qingnian's side, looked her over, and then said, "This young lady must be Miss Liu, whom His Majesty brought back to the palace a few days ago."
Rumors circulated both inside and outside the palace that this Miss Liu bore a striking resemblance to the late Empress, which was why she had the good fortune to catch His Majesty's eye. Little did anyone expect that she would be the one to run into him.
Shen Qingnian looked at the weak Madam Shen in front of her, but did not respond, completely ignoring her.
Seeing that she remained silent, Madam Shen felt a surge of anger.
This Miss Liu is nothing but a substitute; how can she compare to my wife's status?
Thinking this, Madam Shen suddenly felt a surge of anger and began to cough violently, a cough that she couldn't stop for a long time.
She was already deeply poisoned. The divine doctor could remove the toxins from her body, but with Song Xuan behind him, it was impossible for him to completely cure her. He could only cure her until she could get out of bed.
When Shen Qingnian saw Madam Shen cough, she frowned, stood up, and took a few steps to the side, looking extremely disgusted.
Seeing this, Madam Shen couldn't help but reach out and grab her skirt, then forcefully suppressed her cough, saying, "You're just relying on your resemblance to the late Empress. If the late Empress were still alive, how could you possibly exist?!"
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