Originally, Green Locust and the others were on tenterhooks after Consort Zhou was released from confinement in the main hall, fearing that Consort Zhou would take the opportunity to make things difficult for their mistress. Unexpectedly, the main hall was very quiet.
It is said that Consort Zhou's face is in serious condition, which is why she is even more reluctant to go out.
On the first day of the fifth lunar month, as usual, Consort Zhou went to Kunning Palace to pay her respects, but she had already asked for leave. However, even without Consort Zhou, Huo Qinghe still heard some unpleasant things.
Among the newcomers, things are alright. Only Consort Fu has been in the palace for a month and has not yet been favored by the emperor. Now she is even more low-key. The rest of them have not yet shown any prominence.
The older folks, like Consort Cao, made a few sarcastic remarks, mostly belittling Huo Qinghe's background.
As long as nothing went too far, Huo Qinghe's good elder sister, Huo Yiyun, acted as if she hadn't heard a thing.
However, Huo Qinghe was not the main target of the attack, after all, there was Consort Fu ahead of her, and everyone preferred to see Consort Fu make a fool of herself.
After all, after several rounds of greetings, Huo Qinghe was seen as a pushover by everyone, so there was no point in saying more.
Finally, Empress Xue spoke up when things got increasingly out of hand.
"Alright. The harem is full of sisters, so we should be more harmonious. These days, the emperor is busy with state affairs, so it's understandable that he has no time for the harem. Noble Lady Fu, you don't need to be anxious. When Consort Zhou entered the palace, she was also neglected for a while. It's just that His Majesty is too busy now. Consort Cao, you should set an example as the new concubines enter the palace. You're talking more and more like a child."
Empress Xue's complexion was not good today; she looked as if she were suffering from illness.
Hearing this, Consort Chi, sitting below, lazily chimed in, "That's right, Consort Cao, you're not a child anymore. You'd better not fight with Princess Fuming for the zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival."
Princess Fuming, born to Empress Xue, was also the Emperor's first child.
Consort Chi's words were a blatant sarcasm directed at Consort Cao for being old. Despite Consort Cao's fiery temper, she didn't get angry; instead, she just smiled.
"Your Highness is right. I have indeed been craving sweets lately. I've also gained some weight. I had the imperial physician come to see me yesterday. It's a joyous occasion, though. I'm three months pregnant now."
Upon hearing the sound, everyone instinctively turned to look at Consort Cao.
Consort Cao said she was three months pregnant, and everyone's eyes involuntarily fell on her belly, but at this moment, it was clear that there were no visible changes in her figure.
With the arrival of a new concubine, the older concubines were somewhat neglected. Consort Cao had not been summoned by the emperor recently, and her words when she paid her respects to the emperor for the past month had been somewhat hostile. Today was no exception. It turned out that she had found someone to rely on, which was not surprising.
It was Empress Xue's cough that broke the silence in the main hall.
"His Majesty has few heirs, so Consort Cao's pregnancy is truly a joyous occasion for everyone in the palace. I will have the imperial physician examine you later tonight, as your health is of utmost importance now. Consort Chi, I will need your continued care in this matter."
Consort Chi had just mocked Consort Cao, and her expression hadn't even recovered yet.
Upon hearing Empress Xue's words, Consort Chi's face nearly turned black.
It's already difficult for a woman to become pregnant, let alone in the deep palace where there are countless dangers. Taking on this matter is no different from taking on a hot potato.
Last time, Consort Ming had a hard time getting away with something, and now it's her again?
Before she could speak, Consort Cao stood up defiantly and said, "Then this concubine thanks Your Highness the Noble Consort."
With Empress Xue's words and everyone watching, she wasn't really afraid that Consort Chi would dare to do anything.
Huo Qinghe sat in the back, listening to Consort Cao talk about her pregnancy. She herself didn't make any big moves, but she was more focused on Huo Yiyun's reaction out of the corner of her eye.
Huo Yiyun's gaze seemed to have been glued to Consort Cao ever since she spoke. If you looked closely, you could even see that she was staring straight at Consort Cao's abdomen.
Huo Yiyun sat opposite Huo Qinghe, in a backlit position, and at first glance, her expression could only be described as sinister.
Clearly, Huo Yiyun's reaction to Consort Cao's pregnancy was extremely strong.
Huo Qinghe quickly looked away, and her hand unconsciously went to her abdomen.
Huo Yiyun's gaze was fixed on Consort Cao as if it were a tangible object, sending a chill down her spine.
She would definitely not let Huo Yiyun's expectations come true.
Definitely.
The greetings became even more lively, with everyone surrounding Consort Cao and saying many sarcastic things. Finally, Empress Xue spoke up.
"The Dragon Boat Festival is in a few days. This year, the Dragon Boat Festival family banquet will be held in the Chuigong Hall. It's also a good opportunity for the new concubines to enter the palace and make some noise. I'm not feeling well, so Consort Chi and Consort Zhuang can make the arrangements together in the next two days."
Consort Zhuang quickly stood up: "Yes. I will bring everything to Your Majesty for your review once everything is arranged."
Consort Chi: No? She hasn't even spoken yet.
Well, Consort Zhuang always listens to the Empress in everything, so she doesn't care about her at all.
Consort Chi resisted the urge to glare at Consort Bai, and slowly stood up: "Yes, it is all what I should do."
I'm so annoyed, why don't I just make her seriously ill...?
But Consort Chi was naturally reluctant to relinquish her power to assist in managing the six palaces due to her illness.
So naturally, all we could do was endure the disgust and accept it.
After the greetings were over, Consort Cao was the only one who was beaming with joy. When Huo Qinghe came out of Kunning Palace, she was bumped by the absent-minded Noble Lady Fu. She frowned, but before she could say anything, Consort Chi spoke up.
"Sister Fu, why aren't you hurrying? I have some new tea that His Majesty has bestowed upon me. Come back with me and we'll have a private chat." Consort Chi's smile didn't reach her eyes.
When their family fell into decline, they suffered a lot of criticism from the Fu family. Relying on the fact that they had a high-ranking official in the family and many members of their clan were in the Censorate, such as the Chi family, a family of military generals, they were often criticized by the Censorate officials.
Consort Fu should have known this day would come when she entered the palace.
Huo Qinghe watched as Consort Fu followed Consort Chi away into the distance. She then looked away and simply patted the arm that Consort Fu had brushed against earlier.
Everyone has a tough time; if you can't get through it, you might as well not open your eyes anymore.
Huo Yiyun had already left by now. It was still early, and the Emperor was busy lately, so it seemed unlikely that he would enter the inner palace. She was too lazy to care about Huo Qinghe anymore.
Seeing that Consort Cao was pregnant, and that her body was already in such a state, Huo Yiyun was still somewhat unwilling to give up. At this moment, she was in a hurry to return to the palace and ask Cuiqiao to invite the imperial physician.
The group dispersed, each with their own thoughts, while Huo Qinghe was relatively better off and returned to Yanliang Pavilion as usual.
He continued practicing his pipa as usual.
There's not much she can do now, so she can only try to win the emperor's favor step by step.
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