Chapter 356: Simple People Died Long Ago
In the palace.
Mrs. Zhaohua has been in a particularly good mood recently.
She lived in the most luxurious and exquisite Yaoguang Palace in the harem, located on the west side of the Imperial Garden. It was surrounded by peonies and herbaceous peonies. During the flowering season, the flowers were in full bloom and the fragrance was thick, making the entire palace look like a fairyland.
There are white marble steps in front of the hall, and gilded bronze crane incense burners on both sides. Curling green smoke curls out from the crane's beak, which is elegant and pleasant.
The vermilion lacquer palace gate is carved with intricate peony patterns, and above the door lintel hangs a golden plaque with the words "Yaoguang Palace" inscribed by the emperor himself. The vigorous brushstrokes demonstrate the emperor's favor.
Madam Zhaohua was leaning on the chaise longue decorated with gilded peony patterns, twisting a crystal clear grape with her slender jade fingers.
The windows were covered with luxurious moon-shadow gauze, as thin as fog. When the sunlight passed through, it was bright but not dazzling, casting a soft halo on her delicate face.
For some reason last year, the Chen and Jiang families encountered troubles one after another. Fortunately, the emperor still loved her the most. After she guided him quietly during this period of time, the emperor deployed a lot of people for Jun'er.
She had an oval face, was extremely beautiful, her skin was as white as cream, her eyebrows were like distant mountains, and her eyes were full of affection and had a hint of charm in them.
Today she wore her hair in double spiral buns and wore a golden phoenix hairpin in her hair. The pearl in the phoenix's mouth swayed gently as she turned her head.
"Tell me," she said slowly, her voice like pearls falling on a jade plate, "Why did the emperor suddenly remember to have breakfast with the prince?"
She slightly opened her red lips and put the grape into her mouth. Her fingernails, stained with balsam juice, glowed a faint pink in the morning light.
Several palace maids stood with their heads bowed, not daring to make a sound.
Madam Zhaohua's eyes moved, scanning the tense faces of the crowd, and suddenly she chuckled: "Why? Is my question difficult to answer?"
The maid in lilac clothes took a half step forward tremblingly: "To answer your Majesty, this matter is indeed strange. I heard that just as Lord Lu arrived, the prince also came to the palace to meet the emperor. I don't know what they said, but the emperor suddenly became interested..."
"I don't know?"
Madam Zhaohua's voice suddenly turned cold, and she tapped lightly on the small table beside the couch with her fingertips.
"Over the years, I have asked you to build good relationships with the people in front of the emperor, and sent money to them like water, and you actually told me that I didn't know?"
She sat up straight, and the pearls on her hairpin made a crisp sound when they collided.
Zi Rui, the personal maid, hurried forward and knelt beside the footstool to massage Madam Zhaohua's legs: "Your Majesty, calm down. You know that you specifically told us not to disturb the most caring people in front of you."
Zi Rui's voice became lower and lower, and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
Madam Zhaohua's eyes flashed, and she suddenly understood something.
She leaned back on the soft pillow, a meaningful smile on her lips: "I see."
She raised her hand and stroked her temples, and the jade bracelet on her wrist collided with the gold and jade armor, making a crisp sound.
"It seems that those people were the ones who served before the emperor yesterday."
Madam Zhaohua narrowed her eyes, and her long eyelashes cast a light shadow under her eyes.
She has been able to thrive in the palace over the years thanks to this keen sense.
She had kept the three eunuchs closest to the emperor on hold for fear of alerting the enemy.
After all, touching the emperor's confidant seems to have great benefits, but the risks are also very high.
She couldn't take the risk.
After all, in the emperor's mind, she has always been just a simple little woman who is not interested in worldly affairs.
The funny thing is that all the truly innocent people in the palace had already died.
For example, the former queen.
Thinking of this, Madam Zhaohua sneered.
"Zi Rui," she suddenly said, her voice returning to its usual lazy tone, "go and get me my pair of red coral earrings."
Zi Rui felt as if she had been pardoned, and quickly stood up to get the jewelry box.
Madam Zhaohua looked at herself in the bronze mirror and lightly touched her red lips with her fingertips.
The person in the mirror has picturesque eyebrows and a teardrop mole at the corner of the eye, which adds a bit of charm.
She is thirty-five this year, but because she takes good care of herself, she looks only twenty-seven or twenty-eight.
"My lady," Zi Rui came back holding the brocade box and asked carefully, "Are you going to wear this pair of earrings today?"
Madam Zhaohua shook her head and took out the earrings from the box to play with them.
The red coral shone with a lustrous luster in the sunlight, making her fingertips look even whiter.
"No, this is a reward for Little Li from the Imperial Kitchen." She curled her red lips slightly, "I heard that his sister is getting married, so I should show my appreciation."
Although the imperial kitchen is not as well-connected as the imperial court, it is the most well-informed.
In order to please their masters, those young eunuchs dared to gossip about anything.
Zi Rui knew that the Queen had a plan.
"Tell the people in the imperial kitchen to be smart and pass the message to Concubine Liang. Don't think that she can be free just because she is under house arrest. There is a big commotion outside, and she should do something."
Madam Zhaohua didn't know what happened between Concubine Liang and the Crown Prince, but she was the first person in the palace to notice that Concubine Liang was insincere towards the Crown Prince.
Now, she is happy to watch the two groups fight, and it would be best if they fight to the death, which would save a lot of trouble.
Madam Zhaohua put the earrings back into the brocade box, and suddenly seemed to remember something and asked, "By the way, has the Fifth Prince's wife been active recently?"
When she mentioned her beloved son, a hint of tenderness flashed in her eyes. Zi Rui hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, the imperial physician went to check the pulse of the prince's wife yesterday and said that she was in good health."
Madam Zhaohua's eyes flashed with anger: "Useless thing!"
I have been married for more than half a year, but there is no movement in my belly.
The Emperor didn't know about the Second Prince's affairs yet, but Madam Zhaohua had known about it for a long time.
Offspring are also a capital for competing for the throne!
"Okay, let her try harder."
"Also, let mother help find some people to enrich Jun'er's backyard."
She had done her best by giving the Fifth Prince's wife half a year. It was her own fault that she didn't live up to expectations.
We can't let Jun'er have an empty knee.
But the prince already has three sons, Jun'er cannot lose to him.
"Go, find my lilac-colored shirt embroidered with hundreds of butterflies." Madam Zhaohua suddenly ordered, "I want to send some freshly picked lotus seeds to the emperor."
Zi Rui hurried to prepare.
Madam Zhaohua stood up and walked to the dressing table, carefully drawing her eyebrows in front of the bronze mirror.
She knew that her appearance was her greatest weapon.
Isn’t it because of her appearance that the emperor has doted on her so much over the years?
sincere?
Madam Zhaohua didn't believe it at all.
There is no man in the world who truly loves a woman. They are all just pretending.
Only power and money are the most reliable.
After finishing her makeup, Madam Zhaohua turned around in front of the floor-length bronze mirror.
The dark purple shirt made her skin look whiter than snow, and the pattern of hundreds of butterflies flying through the flowers looked lifelike, as if they would fly out of the fabric at any time.
"Let's go." She adjusted the hairpins on her temples, "Don't keep the emperor waiting too long."
Zi Rui hurried forward to support her and whispered, "My Lady, Lian Zi..."
Madam Zhaohua chuckled: "I almost forgot."
From the day she entered the palace, she knew that this would be the battlefield of her life.
Even at this point today, her game has never stopped.
The flowers on both sides of the palace road were in full bloom. Madam Zhaohua walked slowly, her skirt brushing against the bluestone slabs, making a slight rustling sound.
She looked up in the direction ahead, a gleam of determination flashing in her eyes.
What is a prince?
In the end, the one who will rule the world will definitely be her son.
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