Chapter 3 Quietly Be a Transparent Person
Chapter Three: Quietly Be Invisible
What's meant to happen will happen. It was expected that he would bring his beloved back to the palace. Chunlan and Qiuju exchanged a glance, both holding their breath and not daring to say anything. Su Su's expression remained calm as usual, and she didn't stop making dumplings for a moment.
“My lady…” Chunlan’s throat tightened, and she managed to comfort him, “His Majesty may only be interested for a short time. After some time, he will surely remember how good my lady is.”
Su Su didn't look up, but gently picked up a dumpling wrapper and said in a light tone, "He is the emperor. It is only natural for him to favor whomever he wants. Which emperor throughout history didn't have three palaces and six courtyards? It's just a matter of time."
Seeing that she was so open-minded, the two felt a little relieved, but they couldn't help but sigh inwardly: If the young lady had never entered the palace, she would still be that charming and bright young lady in the manor. With her temperament and appearance, why would she have to suffer such grievances here? She should have found a good man who understands her and lived a peaceful and happy life long ago.
After the dumplings were cooked, steam filled the room. As usual, Su Su invited the two women to sit down with her. Since the curfew began, she had been doing this for over a month. At first, Chunlan and Qiuju dared not overstep their bounds and refused several times, but they eventually gave in to her insistence. Although they still felt it was against the rules, there was no one else in Changxin Palace besides the three of them. Those rules and spies were already kept outside the door. Chunlan and Qiuju had gotten used to it and no longer refused. They sat down lightly on either side of the table. The three of them sat around a plate of steaming dumplings, chatting and laughing. The quiet side hall was filled with a warmth reminiscent of an ordinary family home.
While they were eating, Xiao Dezi, who was by the Empress Dowager's side, suddenly rushed over, bowed and reported: "Princess Su, the Empress Dowager has decreed: tomorrow is the fifteenth, the confinement will be lifted, please resume your morning greetings."
Upon hearing this, Su Su paused slightly, a hint of understanding flashing in her eyes.
Mu Hanyan's entry into the palace indeed made the Empress Dowager uneasy.
"Understood. Thank you for your reply, Eunuch. I will be there on time tomorrow." She replied calmly, but sighed softly in her heart. Tomorrow she would be stepping into that place of trouble again, facing a group of hypocritical concubines. Just thinking about it made her weary. Well, she should rest early tonight; tomorrow seemed to bring a tough battle.
The next morning, Chunlan helped her with her hair and makeup, gently smoothing her black hair with a jade comb in her hand, and whispered a reminder: "My lady, please be careful when you pay your respects today. I heard that Consort Zhuang was punished by being confined to her quarters for a month after pushing you down last month, and she will probably be there today as well... Although she may not be too outrageous, it is hard to guarantee that she will not take the opportunity to cause trouble."
Chunlan is always prudent, and what she said was exactly what she thought.
Even so, Su Su straightened her collar in front of the mirror, her expression calm: "It's alright. Today is Consort Wan's first public appearance, so everyone's attention will naturally be on her."
Chunlan nodded in understanding, deftly tying her hair into a bun, and then took out three sets of clothes that had been prepared—a bright pink dress, a light green dress, and a pure white dress. Su Su hesitated for a moment, pointed to the white dress, and added a plain vest, whispering, "The more inconspicuous you are today, the better. Ideally... no one should notice me."
"This servant understands." Chunlan immediately complied and quickly dressed her.
The master and servant set off an hour early.
Changxin Palace was located in a remote area, and the road to Cining Palace was long and quiet. The morning dew had not yet dried, dampening her skirt and bringing a chill to her bones. Su Su came from a wealthy family, but had never walked such a long distance on foot before? She had only gone halfway when she was already out of breath, fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, and her cheeks were flushed unnaturally from the exertion.
Chunlan helped her up with heartache and said softly, "My lady, please rest for a while."
Su Su shook her head and looked up at the seemingly endless palace walls. If she were still the noble consort she once was, she would have had a sedan chair to travel by, so why would she have to suffer like this? Now that her rank has been demoted, she can only walk there step by step.
After rushing for a while, Su Su finally arrived outside Cining Palace. She gently patted her chest to calm herself before slowly stepping into the palace.
The hall was already adorned with jewels and jade ornaments, and a subtle fragrance filled the air. The concubines lined both sides, but the newlywed Mu Hanyan was nowhere to be seen. Zhuang Shuning leaned against a carved rosewood chair, casually toying with a jade bracelet. Seeing Su Su enter, she deliberately raised her chin, her voice sharp and resonant:
"Oh, isn't this Consort Su? According to the rules of Cining Palace, does Consort Su still think she's a Noble Consort and expect us all to wait? Tsk, it seems the palace rules are becoming increasingly unfamiliar."
Her voice trailed off with a slight sneer, her eyes and brows full of mockery.
The concubines gathered in twos and threes before the palace, their faces smiling, but their eyes betrayed their mockery. Their gazes, like hidden needles, pierced Su Su as she slowly approached. Though dressed only in a simple, plain robe, she possessed an ethereal beauty, like a secluded orchid in a secluded valley, untouched by worldly dust. Her hair was free of jewels, her face unadorned, yet her features were like moonlight—her eyebrows like distant mountains, her eyes like shimmering autumn water, her nose delicately straight, her lips a natural pale red. Even the small mole at the corner of her eye was perfectly placed, adding to her cool and elegant charm. Even more remarkable was her figure; her waist was slender as a willow, her steps as light as a gentle breeze, arousing secret envy in everyone present, causing them to hold their breath involuntarily.
Consort Liu leaned against a pillar in the corridor, her nails digging deep into her handkerchief. A look of jealousy flashed in her eyes. The once high and mighty imperial concubine had fallen to such a state... but her face was still incredibly glaring.
In her past life, Su Su would have retorted sharply, but now she only lowered her eyes and remained silent, concealing all her sharpness within her heart. In any case, she was in the Empress Dowager's palace, and no matter how arrogant Zhuang Shuning was, she dared not be too presumptuous. She only wanted to live peacefully and wait for the day she could leave the palace, and did not want to get entangled with these people any further.
Seeing that she remained silent, Zhuang Shuning felt slighted and raised her voice again: "Since Sister Su has moved to Changxin Palace, she should learn to follow the rules. You are late today. Have you forgotten the time for paying your respects?" She was full of confidence because she had a father like Zhuang Shijie, the Grand Tutor of the current dynasty. He was a high-ranking official who had served two emperors and helped the late emperor and the current emperor eliminate the maternal relatives. It was this family background that allowed her to be granted the title of Consort as soon as she entered the palace.
Seeing this, Consort Song, who was following closely behind, immediately nodded in agreement, her words laced with sarcasm: "If she didn't forget the time, then she was deliberately negligent and didn't take the palace rules seriously." Consort Song's father was merely a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of War, and he only managed to establish himself by relying on the Zhuang family. Every step she took after entering the palace naturally followed Consort Zhuang's lead. Moreover, Su Su had made her kneel several times before, and the grudge from yesterday was still there. Naturally, she would take the opportunity to kick her while she was down.
Su Su remained calm and composed, curtsying gracefully. Her voice was clear and melodious: "Your Highness is too kind. I am new to Changxin Palace and the palace roads are winding, so I am not familiar with them yet. Therefore, I am a little late. If I have offended you in any way, I hope you will forgive me."
Zhuang Shuning was taken aback, not expecting her to be so calm and polite. She gritted her teeth and decided to tear off the mask, saying, "Hmph! You plotted to harm the son of Prince Ning, and you still have the nerve to come to Cining Palace? In my opinion, you should go to the temple to apologize and pray for the young prince!"
Before the words were finished, a majestic voice came from the inner hall:
Who is making such a racket here?
Everyone shuddered at the sound, fell silent, and bowed their heads in unison: "Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager!"
Consort Liu had been watching Su Su ever since she entered. She frowned slightly, her fingers unconsciously twisting the handkerchief, a hint of impatience flashing in her eyes.
This Consort Zhuang is truly impatient! She originally thought she would see Su Su's humiliating state of bowing down today, but who knew that Zhuang Shuning would be so eager to make trouble, which instead caused the Empress Dowager to step in and ruin the whole thing... and just like that, the good show was over.
The Empress Dowager slowly took her seat, her phoenix eyes slightly closed, her fingertips gently rubbing her temples, her tone tinged with weariness: "What kind of talk is this, making such a racket so early in the morning? Everyone, please sit down."
Zhuang Shuning pursed her lips, swallowing back the more sarcastic words that were on the tip of her tongue. The Empress Dowager's interruption earlier clearly showed her intention to protect her. She had just been released from confinement, and if she were to be too aggressive now, the Empress Dowager would likely seize on her mistake again, which would be counterproductive.
In any case, after this incident, Su Su's power is likely lost, and the Emperor has already harbored resentment, making it difficult for her to recover in the future. It's no longer worth her expending any more effort or sacrificing her own peace of mind.
only……
Her gaze swept coldly toward the palace gate, a silent smirk playing on her lips, her heart filled with malice.
The Consort Wan, who stole the limelight as soon as she entered the palace, is the one she should really deal with now.
They had just sat down when they heard:
"Consort Wan has arrived!"
The eunuch's high-pitched announcement broke the silence in the hall, and everyone turned to look.
Mu Hanyan, dressed in plain clothes, walked in gracefully, her robes fluttering lightly, like a celestial being descending to earth.
Su Su was slightly stunned—the woman who captivated the emperor in her past life was still as aloof and ethereal as ever in this life, untouched by worldly affairs.
The gazes of all the concubines in the hall instantly turned like cold arrows, piercing towards Mu Hanyan. They were jealous of her and hated her; they hated that she had monopolized the Emperor's favor as soon as she entered the palace, and they hated that she had made the Emperor's attention shift away from the six palaces once again.
Zhuang Shuning gripped the handkerchief tightly, her knuckles turning white. Although this woman was not as dazzling as Su Su, her elegant demeanor was still unsettling.
Another vixen...
Mu Hanyan performed the proper rites, bowing deeply to the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager did not immediately call her to get up, but slowly picked up her teacup and took a sip.
Anyone with eyes could see that this was an intentional attempt to give Consort Wan a hard time, after all, she had arrived late...
The concubines remained outwardly calm, but a hint of schadenfreude flickered in their eyes.
Su Su lowered her eyes, huddled in a corner like an ostrich, and quietly waited for the storm to pass.
However, at this very moment—
"His Majesty has arrived!"
The eunuch's loud shout was like a thunderclap, and the hall fell silent in an instant.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com