The death of an unfavored concubine did not cause any disturbance in Yonghua Palace.
It was the fifteenth day of the lunar year, the day for the audience with the Queen. Wei Shuyi walked into Fengluan Palace with Consort Xin, and could clearly feel the atmosphere suddenly become awkward.
"Are they both from Lin'an Palace? I heard the feng shui there is bad, and someone died there!"
"Isn't the new guy good at fortune-telling? Why didn't he save the people?"
"Keep your voice down! If they hear you, they'll secretly curse you and you're done for!"
…
Although the rumors that Lin'an Palace was unlucky were dispelled by Xie Yanci himself, the suspicions of the women in the harem did not end.
As the mother of the emperor's eldest daughter, Wei Shuyi was generally given some respect by others. However, Xin Xuanshi, who was expelled from the Changsheng Palace on her first night with the emperor and never summoned again, was not so lucky.
Every word and sentence is directed at that person.
"Your Majesty, the Empress, I haven't been here for a while. The new sisters who have entered the palace are all very charming, but I don't know any of them..."
The Queen immediately took over the conversation and ordered, "What are you still standing there for? This is Consort Yi of Lin'an Palace. She recently took leave for personal matters and has not been here for the morning and evening visits. You all, according to the rules, must go and pay your respects to her."
"Yes, I will go first."
The elegant and extraordinary woman stepped forward and bowed to her, her voice as gentle as an orchid and her eyes slightly cold. "I am Zhen Changzai from the West Wing of Yonghe Palace, and I pay my respects to Noble Lady Yi."
"I am Concubine Xu from the East Side Hall of Yonghe Palace, paying my respects to Concubine Yi."
Another person followed closely behind, her voice charming and attractive.
Wei Shuyi took a special look: the other person had a pair of affectionate fox eyes, and boldly used red eye makeup to decorate them, her eyes were as charming as silk, and people could be drowned in them.
As for her figure, it is also graceful and charming.
No wonder this person could surpass Zhen Changzai, who had a good family background, and become the first beauty among the new concubines.
The next few who came to pay their respects were not particularly outstanding in appearance, but were considered beautiful ladies with decent manners. It was obvious that they did not want to be in the spotlight in front of these two people, and they hurriedly returned to their original seats.
Finally, a woman came over reluctantly, with a Clivia petal pinned to her hair. She bowed to Wei Shuyi very reluctantly and said, "I am Zhang Yingying from the Yanxi Palace. I am honored to meet the noble lady Yi."
"Please stand up." "Oh."
The other person quickly dodged her outstretched hand, as if escaping from something dirty, and hurried back to the end of the team.
The beautiful associations brought about by the Clivia also instantly shattered in her mind.
Rong Zhaoyi caught this moment and couldn't help but jokingly say, "What is Mrs. Zhang afraid of? The Emperor has already said that the fate of the previous person has been changed and he is no longer an unlucky person. Naturally, someone who came from the same palace will not be tainted by evil spirits."
She is indeed a woman who is very good at making great achievements with little effort!
These words once again brought the two of them to open opposition: on the one hand, they accused Zhang of disrespecting the emperor's will and being rude to his superiors; on the other hand, they also hinted at the rumors that had been circulating among the people some time ago.
"You're joking, Your Highness. The palace servants have nothing better to do than spread these baseless rumors. Let's not even talk about how the Imperial Preceptor's secret conversation with the Emperor was overheard by this group. Just based on the allegation that Your Highness colluded with the Imperial Preceptor and murdered a former talent, I find this to be sheer nonsense."
Hearing Wei Shuyi's response, the other party's face froze slightly: "Really? There are such absurd rumors?"
"Who in the palace doesn't know that the Imperial Preceptor is loyal to the emperor and patriotic, wholeheartedly planning for the country? Empress Zhaoyi also lives a secluded life, rarely meeting even the sisters in the palace, let alone men from outside the palace!" Her tone was slightly exaggerated, almost revealing a hint of sarcasm. "Therefore, I believe that rumors stop at the wise. If you continue to treat it as a serious matter, you will be lowering your status."
Concubine Jin looked very healthy. Perhaps it was because she had been staying in Chengqian Palace "concentrating on worshiping Buddha" for a while, and had not heard anything about the outside world. This was why her mood was stable and it was beneficial for her physical recovery.
Seeing Rong Zhaoyi's frustration, she joined in, her voice gentle and graceful, still the way the emperor liked it: "After Concubine Yi gave birth to the princess, she was forced to be imprisoned in Lin'an Palace because of this incident. I was worried that you were upset and that it would be difficult for you to fit in with us when we meet today. Who would have thought that Concubine Yi would become even more eloquent!"
"Isn't it?" Wei Shuyi put on a hypocritical mask and continued to respond with a smile, "I heard that the imperial concubine also suffered the same degree of punishment as me. Now that we meet again, you are much more talkative than before!"
The two people the Queen hated the most in the Eastern Palace were Concubine Jin, who always pretended to be weak to win the Emperor's sympathy, and Concubine Rong, who pretended to be noble and was the only one sober while everyone else was drunk.
At this moment, they were all ridiculed by Wei Shuyi with unfriendly expressions, which made the queen in a good mood!
"Alright, it's just that Concubine Yi hasn't been to Fengluan Palace for a while. Concubine Gui and Zhaoyi have a lot to say, and they finally found an opportunity to talk, so they seem a bit nagging!"
"So that's how it is. I understand."
Wei Shuyi tasted the West Lake Longjing tea and noticed Zhang Da Ying staring at him out of the corner of his eye. He subconsciously looked over, but was met with a roll of the eyes.
She vaguely remembered that when she first met Liang Cairen, he had the same expression on his face, acting recklessly regardless of the difference in rank.
After the queen called for everyone to leave, the high-ranking concubines were the first to leave the main hall, while the rest of the people left in groups of two or three, each with their own friends.
Only Zhang Da Ying was alone. Apart from the old nanny who was accompanying her, there were no other palace maids.
"Miss, what are you looking at?" Wen Yu asked in a low voice. "Just now in Fengluan Palace, you kept glancing in that direction. Did you see someone you know?"
"Here, that one."
Wei Shuyi pointed at Zhang Da Ying's back and sighed with emotion: "I wonder if it's fate, but although her hair accessories are simple, they are decorated with fresh flower petals. Her words and actions are also very similar to when my sister first moved to the West Wing Hall."
Concubine Xin didn't know about that past, and she asked curiously, "So, Sister Cairen was so free and unrestrained before? I thought she was also one of the obedient and gentle concubines..."
"No, how could a woman who wields swords and sticks all day be obedient?" The pink figure had completely disappeared at the end of the circular corridor. Wei Shuyi took the initiative to suggest, "How about we take a longer detour today?"
"Great! If we're lucky, maybe we can catch up with them."
So, the group changed their route temporarily and followed Zhang Da Ying.
Wei Shuyi was indeed filled with grief and wanted to test the woman's true nature.
However, Xin Xuanshi still had a fantasy: What if this concubine could also do such things? If she established good relationships with her in advance, would she be one step closer to becoming a female knight?
They walked forward quickly, but were attracted by a harsh word -
"There are so many vicious people in the palace! She was born as the lowest maid, and she was able to make it this far and even gave birth to her first child. She must be no ordinary person! Who knows, maybe she killed her because she was afraid that she would give birth to a prince!"
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