The dazzling color completely obscured the red cloth covering it, making the ruby in the center of the tray the only thing visible, while the pearls hanging below appeared dull and inconspicuous.
Having seen many fine things, Consort Zhou could naturally tell that what Miao Xi was holding was no ordinary item.
Moreover, Consort Zhou was a connoisseur; she could tell at a glance that the ruby earrings were absolutely top-quality, and priceless.
As discerning as Consort Zhou was, her face immediately soured.
Consort Zhou entered the palace late and was not a former servant of the Prince's residence, so she naturally could not tell that the ruby was a gift from the late Emperor when the Emperor was conferred the title of Prince. However, just that casual glance was enough to infuriate Consort Zhou.
At this moment, Yu Zhi, who was standing to the side, didn't even dare to breathe loudly. She knew her mistress's temper better than anyone. Without even looking at Consort Zhou's expression, she was already trembling inwardly.
"Please calm down, my lady." Yu Zhi said tremblingly, not daring to fan herself anymore. If she could, she would have raised the fan in her hand and covered her entire face. She really didn't want to face Consort Zhou, who was burning with anger at the moment.
Consort Zhou was genuinely angry at this moment. Whether she was being sarcastic or self-deprecating, she said, "I just wonder if the Empress Dowager and His Majesty's gifts were as valuable as the one given to Little Huo. I'm afraid even if they were all combined, they wouldn't compare, would they? What do you think?"
Yu Zhi quickly replied, "Your Highness is overthinking it. The Empress Dowager dotes on you the most. Even a casual reward from her is enough to make others envious for a long time. His Majesty has also bestowed many gifts this time. How could it be?"
Upon hearing this, Consort Zhou revealed a mocking expression: "You ignorant fool. If I said it was something worth a thousand gold pieces, would it be fake? Are you implying that I can't even tell the difference between good and bad? His Majesty is certainly generous these days. I've been in the palace for over a year and haven't acquired anything comparable to those ruby earrings. His Majesty really does favor Little Huo, doesn't he?"
Yu Zhi followed up on Consort Zhou's words, saying, "It's not that Your Highness doesn't have such items; it's just that Consort Huo has only recently entered the palace and the Emperor finds them novel."
These were meant to comfort Consort Zhou, but she seemed to feel only satisfied when she retorted to them all.
"Just entered the palace? Lady Fu also just entered the palace, so why doesn't the Emperor find Lady Fu novel? She's novel when she first entered the palace, but why didn't the Emperor reward me with a ruby pendant like that when I first entered the palace? Has he forgotten?"
Yu Zhi was speechless, and finally could only mutter, "Doesn't my wife always say that if you have too many rare things, they will become less rare? In the end, it's just an earring. My wife will have better ones."
Consort Zhou wasn't so angry after hearing this. She was known for her quick temper and short temper, and soon she laughed: "That's true, but I can't be the only one who's unhappy about this. Have someone spread the word. Everyone in the harem should know that the Emperor has bestowed a pair of the finest ruby earrings upon Little Huo."
Consort Zhou was also someone who loved to stir up trouble. In the harem, she loved to fan the flames whenever it didn't concern her. Since she had nothing to do all day, who wouldn't enjoy watching a spectacle?
Consort Zhou wasn't worried at all that this matter would be traced back to her. She did see Miao Xi today, but Miao Xi didn't let her see anything, so naturally it had nothing to do with her.
If an investigation were to be launched, it would only prove that Miao Xi, who delivered the goods, had failed in his duties.
Lanzhi naturally thought of this as well. She paused slightly but still agreed: "There are still several newcomers who haven't been summoned yet, not to mention the one in the side hall of Xianfu Palace."
Consort Zhou scoffed at the sound, and walked forward with a smile: "Consort Fu was saved by Xiao Huo, I'd like to see if Consort Fu is an ingrate."
Yu Zhi said no more; naturally, she had to handle this matter herself.
...
Meanwhile, Miao Xi delivered the gifts to Yanliang Pavilion. Huo Qinghe watched as Miao Xi lifted the tray, and the dazzling colors made her eyes dazzle slightly.
Green Locust and Green Cloud, who were standing nearby, had already exclaimed in surprise. Even Granny Wang, who had seen a lot of the world, was slightly astonished.
Almost everyone was stunned for a moment, and the entire Yanliang Pavilion seemed to brighten up.
Granny Wang was an old servant from the Prince's residence. She immediately understood something when she saw the ruby earrings. She also paid attention to Miao Xi's expression when he replied.
But Granny Wang couldn't be completely sure yet.
"Greetings to Consort Huo. His Majesty has specially sent someone to deliver a reward; please take a look." Miao Xi lowered her head, listening cautiously to the words.
Huo Qinghe was also taken aback. She had never seen anything of value, but just by looking at the color and size of the ruby, she could guess that it was something precious and valuable.
Especially the reaction of the girl next to him.
She didn't let Green Locust and the others accept it: "I'm grateful that you made the trip yourself, but His Majesty... why did you send such a valuable gift? I feel ashamed to accept such a gift without having done anything for you."
How could Miao Xi know? He was just following his master's instructions, but he found it difficult to say anything perfunctory to the kind-hearted Huo Meiren.
So I had no choice but to tell the truth.
"This servant does not know either. But since it is His Majesty's reward to Your Highness, it is naturally Your Highness's kindness, how could I be ashamed and unworthy of it? His Majesty is waiting for this servant to report back."
Huo Qinghe didn't actually like such expensive jewelry. Her earlobes weren't very big, and she was afraid of pain when she was young. In addition, the nannies weren't careful, and the ear piercings they did for her were done carelessly, so her ear piercings weren't very big.
Just thinking about such precious and enormous rubies and beaded pendants made Huo Qinghe's ears ache.
At this moment, Huo Qinghe wore only a single pearl the size of a grain of rice on her earlobe, which was the lightest thing for her.
But this was His Majesty's gift, so Huo Qinghe naturally couldn't show the slightest bit of reluctance.
But Huo Qinghe was indeed puzzled as to why the emperor would suddenly think of gifting her a pair of earrings.
She should never have left her earrings behind in the Funing Palace or the West Warm Pavilion. It seems that the Emperor hasn't paid much attention to the earrings she wore in front of him these past few times.
Huo Qinghe couldn't understand for a moment when the Emperor had noticed the earrings she was wearing.
Judging from Miao Xi's reaction, she clearly couldn't find out anything, so she waved her hand, signaling Green Locust and the others to put their things away first.
"Thank you for making this trip, but I have received His Majesty's gifts and would like to return the favor. Please wait a moment."
Miao Xi, hearing the sound, naturally didn't say anything more; he smiled and stepped aside to wait.
However, he was still puzzled for a moment.
This Lady Huo is quite peculiar. The Emperor sent her a reward, and she still thought of returning the favor. Is there anything more precious than the Emperor's reward?
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