Qu Yuexi eventually moved into Chengqian Palace temporarily, under the pretext of "taking care of her elder sister." No one knew Concubine Jin's feelings, as most believed the sisters were deeply attached and hoped another daughter of the Qu family would share their equal.
The Queen was so happy that she laughed out loud more than once when she went to the side hall to chat as usual.
"Hahaha... That Fifth Young Lady, it's obvious she's not someone who can be manipulated! From now on, Chengqian Palace is going to be full of excitement!"
Today, Liang Cairen was not feeling well, so he went back to rest early.
Wei Shuyi sat down below and smiled, suddenly remembering what Rong Zhaoyi had mentioned before: the Empress and Concubine Jin's families had a close relationship, and she was likely to know about the old stories related to them.
"Empress, the palace maids all say that the sisters have a very close relationship. The Minister of the Central Secretariat sent his daughter into the palace to support the Imperial Concubine..."
"Absolutely impossible!" The Queen interrupted her immediately, "This Fifth Miss Qu is the legitimate daughter! The Imperial Concubine only became a superior after entering the palace. In the past, she was a concubine's daughter who was looked down upon by everyone and was very lowly!"
Concubine Jin was actually born to a concubine?
The rules in the Duke's Mansion were very strict. There was no precedent for favoring a concubine over a wife, nor was there a precedent for a mistress mistreating her illegitimate children. Therefore, Wei Shuyi did not particularly understand the treatment that Concubine Jin had received in the past.
The Queen also realized: "Xi Changzai has no relatives, so I don't think she knows the rules of those families. When Qu Wenhe was still a fifth-rank official, he was not qualified to live in the capital and lived in a remote town! In addition to the original wife, there are three concubines in the family, and this Concubine Jin is the daughter of one of them. It is said that the concubine was deliberately slept with by a servant beside the mistress..."
The rest is self-explanatory.
Betraying one's master is inherently disloyal and unrighteous. Even if one becomes a concubine, one is despised by others.
It must have been extremely difficult for Concubine Jin's mother to make a living in the Qu Mansion. Especially since the children born to the mistress would deliberately target her.
The new fifth lady, Qu Yuexi, is an example.
"If that's the case, the Imperial Concubine might not arrange for her to enter the palace, right?" Wei Shuyi continued, "The Emperor favors the Imperial Concubine, so I'm afraid he'll do as he wishes..."
"That won't do! How can the Emperor decide who he likes and who he wants to take as his concubine based on her mood?" The Queen suddenly thought of something. "Is Concubine Xi free now?"
"some."
"Then come with me to Shoukang Palace! The Empress Dowager hates her coquettish behavior the most. If we want to change the Emperor's mind, we have to start with the Empress Dowager!"
Sometimes, Wei Shuyi always forgets that the person in front of him is the mother of a country.
Originally, the Queen was far away and untouchable, being worshiped and venerated, her majesty evident. He constantly made things difficult for her, eager to get rid of her, and this inexplicably fueled his resentment.
Later, as they grew closer, engaging in daily conversations and banter, the queen finally shed her mask. No longer the woman seated at the head of the table, she became more like a girl in her boudoir, laughing and playing with friends, adding to her life.
The Queen actually loved to laugh, and her temper came and went quickly. But for some reason, she restrained her nature in front of Xie Yanci, with a sullen face and a harsh tone, which made her lose the Queen's favor.
Wei Shuyi followed her closely and went to Shoukang Palace.
Seeing this, Yin Zhu, who was guarding outside, hurried in to pass on the news.
"Empress Dowager! The Queen and Concubine Xi are here!"
"Oh? That's something new." The Queen Mother put down the Buddhist scriptures and rubbed her eyes. "Let them in."
"yes."
Wei Shuyi followed him in, and when she met the Queen Mother's loving gaze, she felt at ease: "Your Highness, I pay my respects to you, Queen Mother. May you be well and safe."
"How rare! I actually saw you two coming together. What's going on?"
"Your Majesty, what you said is just blaming me!" The Queen sat aside, took the unfinished spices, and continued to tinker with them with all her might. "Yes, every time I came here before, I complained about the Emperor's unfairness and asked you to mediate. But today is different! I'm here to plead for someone else!"
The Queen Mother then looked at Wei Shuyi: "You too?"
"I am just bored staying in the palace, so I came here with Her Majesty the Queen."
"Mother, Qu Wenhe has sent another daughter into the palace. What do you think?"
The Queen Mother felt annoyed when she mentioned this: "He has quite a big appetite! He keeps selling his daughters for fame and fortune. I hate to see people like him gain power!"
"But mother, I've inquired before. Imperial Concubine Jin is a concubine's daughter, while the Fifth Young Lady is a legitimate daughter. There's a master-servant relationship between their biological mothers!"
This incident was beyond the Queen Mother's expectations.
"Mother, think about it. If you keep criticizing the Imperial Concubine in front of the Emperor, he'll definitely feel uncomfortable if you do it too often. What if your relationship becomes estranged?" the Empress urged impatiently. "But the Fifth Young Lady is different! She was born with the grudges of the previous generation! The legitimate daughter is unknown, while the illegitimate daughter is arrogant and domineering. Can she swallow this anger?"
The Queen Mother nodded slightly and continued to fiddle with her Buddhist beads. "You mean to ask me to express my tacit consent to the daughter of the Qu family entering the palace?"
"Mother, this decree was issued by you! The Fifth Miss will definitely appreciate your kindness! Think about it, on one side, there's her eldest sister, trying to block her future. On the other side, there's the magnanimous Empress Dowager. It's obvious who she will side with. When the time comes, you can use your youngest daughter to contain the eldest daughter. It's better than letting the Imperial Concubine dominate alone!"
Wei Shuyi was listening from the side and had a new impression of the queen.
Others always said that the Queen was tongue-tied and couldn't get the upper hand in front of the Imperial Concubine. But this time, every word of her persuasion struck a chord with the Queen Mother, making it extremely difficult for her to refuse!
"Child, you should usually pay more attention to the emperor. Do you really need to come here and ask me to make the decision?"
"Mother, you are the emperor's elder after all, and your words carry great weight! Even though the emperor and I are inseparable, any decision we make must be approved by you first!"
The Queen Mother couldn't help laughing and shook her head helplessly: "Well, it's rare for you to come here to give me advice. If I reject you outright, you will lose face in front of Xi Changzai."
"Thank you, Mother!"
The queen continued to talk about other interesting things before taking Wei Shuyi away from Shoukang Palace.
What they didn't expect was that the woman who was supposed to stay in Chengqian Palace to serve Concubine Jin was actually waiting outside the palace gate, as if she had guessed their move.
His face was calm, not to mention any surprise.
Qu Yuexi simply bowed politely: "Your humble servant pays homage to Her Majesty the Queen... and this young lady."
The two looked at each other, and Wei Shuyi was secretly shocked.
"Why are you here instead of staying in the palace to look after your elder sister?"
"In reply to your Majesty, I came here today precisely because of my elder sister. I have something to tell your Majesty, the Shoukang Palace."
The Queen raised an eyebrow and wanted to ask something, but was stopped by Wei Shuyi in time: "In that case, I will not bother the Fifth Miss and the Queen Mother anymore. Please!"
"My lord, you have wronged me."
Qu Yuexi brushed past her and couldn't help but turn sideways to glance at her belly——
"Being able to meet such a blessed young lady, I am sure I can also benefit from it, right?"
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