Chapter 294
Inside the main hall.
Xia Qianjun and Shen Man were both standing. Xia Qianjun looked natural and stood properly. Today, she was not wearing the goddess's attire, but ordinary clothes. The hairpin on her head was also ordinary and not outstanding.
Shen Man seemed somewhat absent-minded, her gaze frequently drifting towards the entrance of the hall, her eyes filled with impatience.
She was dressed in a charming pink palace gown, with many hair ornaments in her hair, giving her the appearance of someone who had suddenly become rich despite being poor. Her makeup was also a bit heavy, with very red lipstick, which actually obscured her original appearance.
At that moment, a young eunuch at the palace gate announced, "The Imperial Concubine has arrived!"
Shen Qingnian walked into the main hall.
Xia Qianjun immediately knelt down: "Greetings, Your Highness."
Shen Man slowed down slightly: "Greetings, Your Highness."
With Xiao Ju's help, Shen Qingnian sat down on the chair in the center of the main hall. After taking a sip of the tea that the maid had just served, she said in a low voice, "Rise."
Today, she was not dressed in plain clothes as before, but in a magnificent gown befitting a noble consort, with an exquisite and elaborate headdress, giving her an air of dignity and majesty.
Xia Qianjun and Shen Man stood up, and then looked up at Shen Qingnian.
"hiss--"
It was Xia Qianjun who gasped. Besides amazement, her eyes were filled with astonishment.
The Imperial Concubine truly bears an eight or nine-tenths resemblance to the woman in the blood-painted portrait. She was already somewhat surprised when she saw Consort Shen last night, but she never expected to be even more surprised when she saw the Imperial Concubine today.
Shen Man also gasped. She had never seen the portrait of the late empress, and her gasp was only due to her surprise at Shen Qingnian's beauty.
As for how similar the other person was to herself, she already knew that, so she didn't think much of it.
Shen Qingnian, who was seated at the head of the table, noticed the expressions on Shen Man's and Xia Qianjun's faces.
She began by asking, "My two younger sisters have come to pay their respects today. Did you bring any calligraphy or paintings?"
Xia Qianjun and Shen Man exchanged glances, not understanding what Shen Qingnian meant.
"It seems you were unprepared, but fortunately I have made preparations," Shen Qingnian said, then clapped her hands, and the next moment, the palace maids carried a small table forward.
The palace maid placed a small table in front of Shen Man and Xia Qianjun. On the small table were paper, pen, and a thick book of palace rules.
“The rules in the palace have always been strict. I would like to ask my two younger sisters to copy them carefully. Do not go to His Majesty’s presence until you can memorize all the palace rules,” Shen Qingnian said slowly while eating the fruits that Xiaoju had presented.
She looks like a favored concubine who is arrogant and spoiled.
Upon hearing this, Shen Man's expression visibly twisted, while Xia Qianjun remained unchanged. Instead, he picked up a brush and began copying the palace rules with a serious expression.
Shen Qingnian found Xia Qianjun rather interesting. Bearing the burden of Chongmeng and her younger sister, she was likely vying for favor. As the Goddess of Chongmeng, her words naturally carried more weight than those of Shen Man, a mere concubine, but Shen Qingnian didn't express any dissatisfaction at the moment…
Seeing that Xia Qianjun had already started copying, Shen Man pursed her lips and had no choice but to obediently copy as well.
After she visited the Golden Palace yesterday, this Miss Liu was immediately bestowed the title of Imperial Concubine. His Majesty showed her no mercy, and she was very afraid of retaliation from him.
After all, it would be quite easy for the Imperial Concubine to kill the concubine.
Shen Qingnian didn't find fault with Shen Man and Xia Qianjun while they were copying. She just looked at Shen Man's messy handwriting and said, "Even if you dip chicken feet in ink, they would still be better than what Consort Shen wrote. Compared with the late Empress, Sister Shen is still far behind."
Shen Man's face turned green with anger upon hearing this, but Xia Qianjun, standing next to her, added in a serious tone, "The late Empress had the beauty of a fairy, which Sister Shen could not compare to."
The portrait of the late empress in that blood-painted portrait was so lifelike and beautiful that it was far beyond what this concubine could compare to.
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