Chapter 293
Dressed neatly, Shen Qingnian and Song Xuan sat at the table having breakfast.
Xia Zi stood aside and reported with a smile: "Your Highness, the items for your investiture as a consort have been prepared, and His Majesty's rewards have also been delivered and carried into your palace."
There were dozens of boxes of things inside: gold and silver jewelry, fabrics and satins, some rare tributes, and sought-after women's headdresses and cosmetics.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it was up to the standards of an empress.
Shen Qingnian looked at the man opposite her and said softly, "Your Majesty is very kind."
She hadn't expected being granted the title of Imperial Concubine last night, given her sensitive and special status; such a high rank might incur the displeasure of the previous dynasty.
But she wouldn't refuse.
Song Xuan placed a piece of fish in her bowl and said only, "There will be more in the future."
After the matter of Shen Zheng and his son is settled, she will become the Empress, and there will be no more concubines in the harem.
"His Majesty dotes on the Imperial Concubine," Xia Zi said with a fawning smile.
At this moment, a palace maid entered from outside the hall: "Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine, it is the Goddess and Consort Shen who have come to pay their respects."
The two people came together and seemed to be close.
That's indeed the case. When Shen Man was informed last night that she was to come and pay her respects today, she went to find Xia Qianjun overnight, ostensibly to discuss countermeasures, but in reality, she wanted to find an ally.
Although Shen Man wasn't particularly clever, she knew how to win people over. However, Xia Qianjun was rather simple-minded and wouldn't understand no matter how much Shen Man hinted. She simply thought that the other person wanted to find a close friend.
Shen Man also noticed Xia Qianjun's simple-mindedness, so she began to deliberately try to get information out of him. This morning, she also dragged Xia Qianjun along to come together.
Upon hearing the palace servant's words, Shen Qingnian frowned slightly, realizing that Shen Man was up to no good.
"Since they've come to pay their respects, let them wait patiently," Song Xuan said, a hint of impatience in his expression.
Yesterday, Shen Man went to him to complain. If she weren't useful, he would have wanted to kick her out of the palace immediately.
Shen Man is malicious and wants to drive a wedge between him and Qing Nian!
After Song Xuan said that, Shen Qingnian didn't say anything. The two of them slowly finished their breakfast before leaving the bedroom.
"You should return to the Imperial Study. As a Noble Consort, I need to go and discipline the other concubines," Shen Qingnian winked at Song Xuan.
She doesn't like having men around when dealing with people.
“Then let’s have lunch together,” Song Xuan nodded, unable to resist squeezing her slender, delicate fingers, which felt warm and smooth like jade.
Even though she had already given birth to two children, Shen Qingnian's body was still as youthful as a young girl's, partly because she inherited Liu Yurou's health, and partly because she had been carefully recuperating after returning to the palace.
Shen Qingnian smiled and said, "Then I will await Your Majesty's arrival."
Seeing her unusually playful expression, Song Xuan couldn't help but lean down and kiss her forehead before striding away.
Shen Qingnian then walked towards the main hall.
As they approached the entrance to the main hall, Xiaoju beside her pulled her back and whispered, "Your Highness, your veil..."
“No need to wear it,” Shen Qingnian said calmly.
Neither Xia Qianjun nor Chen Man had seen her before, so there was no need for her to wear the veil anymore.
Xiaoju's heart skipped a beat. She instinctively felt that the Empress had some plans, and lowered her head, saying, "Yes, Your Majesty."
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