The emperor was still holding the morning court session, so he didn't linger in the West Warm Pavilion and left after getting dressed.
"Go back after you've had breakfast," Pei Yuanhui said before leaving.
Huo Qinghe naturally complied.
Pei Yuanhui emerged from the West Warm Pavilion, his expression naturally turning colder: "Keep your mouths shut about what happened last night."
He was naturally referring to his stay in the West Warm Pavilion.
He had been satisfied last night, and the room was cool and comfortable, so he decided to be lazy and not return to Funing Palace.
It won't matter if this gets out, but it won't affect him much. Little Huo will just feel wronged again.
Pei Yuanhui showed rare tenderness towards the beauty.
"I have one more instruction for you. The remaining rubies from last time... never mind, we won't use those. Select the red pearls from the South China Sea tribute from the storeroom and have the Imperial Household Department make an item."
Jin Yang listened intently to the sound, and after hearing the Emperor's instructions, his expression changed slightly.
The Emperor's reward is truly becoming more and more...unusual.
But those who act as lackeys naturally had to obediently agree.
...
When the women in the harem learned that Huo Xiao was the next person to be favored after Consort Chi, their reactions varied.
After three months in the palace, everyone could more or less tell who was favored and who was not.
The Emperor's favor towards Consort Chi began when he was still a prince; otherwise, Consort Chi would not have been able to secure her position as Consort even though he had no children when he first ascended the throne.
But Xiao Huo's favor was both expected and unexpected.
Since entering the harem, the Emperor has always kept Xiao Huo in mind. Although he doesn't give her exclusive favor, he still shows her genuine affection.
However, due to Huo's background, some people are still dissatisfied.
"With a background like Consort Huo's... she's about to become the number one among the new concubines. Won't everyone in the palace become like Consort Cheng in the future... I'm truly worried..."
Besides the emperor's busy schedule with state affairs, Xue Yinjia has been extremely busy lately.
Now that she was finally feeling a little better, she felt aches and pains all over her body. While Kong Qing was complaining in her ear, he was massaging her temples to relieve the pain.
Xue Yinjia impatiently raised her hand after hearing her finish speaking: "If you can't massage properly, then call Chunbai in to massage me. What does Xiao Huo's background matter now that she's in the palace? Consort Cheng has served the Emperor for many years. Do you think she gained favor just because of her looks? How can she compare to Xiao Huo in terms of beauty?"
Without outsiders around, Xue Yinjia also lost much of his compassion.
With her headache flaring up, Xue Yinjia was extremely impatient.
"No matter how favored Xiao Huo is, she is nothing more than a child born by Consort Yi. Consort Yi saved the emperor back then, but she damaged her body and will have difficulty conceiving for the rest of her life... She has endured for so many years, but in the end she still couldn't resist choosing her half-sister from her family to enter the palace to compete for the emperor's favor."
Kong Qing and the other maids were naturally aware of the old stories of the prince's residence.
Hearing this, Kong Qing paused slightly in her massage: "Your Majesty is right. But seeing how much favor Consort Huo enjoys now, and Consort Yi is under house arrest..."
If this continues, I'm afraid Consort Yi won't be able to control Consort Huo, and will instead embolden her.
Kong Qing said nothing, but Xue Yinjia seemed to know what she was thinking.
"Huo Yiyun dared to summon Xiao Huo to the palace, so she must have a way to suppress him. By the way, the Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner, and Consort Yi has been under house arrest for two months. When His Majesty comes next time, let's ask him to grant Consort Yi a reprieve. After all, her house arrest won't last much longer."
Huo Yiyun's three-month confinement has indeed been quite long.
It's quite an achievement that Xiao Huo was able to win the emperor's favor so quickly.
Let the sisters fight it out.
After Consort Ming gave birth, everyone's eyes naturally turned to Consort Cao's unborn child.
Consort Cao is now seven months pregnant, which has made her increasingly spoiled.
It's one thing for her to constantly demand to see the Emperor, but whenever the Emperor is away from home, whether it's the first or fifteenth of the month, or when he's staying at Chengqian Palace, she dares to intercept him if he goes anywhere else, whether it's Consort Xie, Consort Cheng, or even Consort Zhuang who is raising a prince.
Before the Mid-Autumn Festival even arrived, Huo Qinghe's business had already been thwarted twice.
Although the Emperor did not visit Consort Cao every time, he did visit her three out of five times.
After all, given Consort Ming's past experience, and Consort Cao's two frights, the Emperor ultimately made an exception for the sake of the child in Consort Cao's womb.
However, Consort Cao's actions offended many of the other concubines in the palace.
Especially for someone like Consort Xu, who had just moved out of Consort Ming's Chuxiu Palace and finally managed to be remembered by the Emperor, only to have Consort Cao snatch her away, how could she not be furious?
However, the weather was extremely hot on the first day of the eighth lunar month, so Empress Xue made an exception and exempted everyone from paying their respects, so as not to make them go through the trouble of making the trip.
Without the Empress and Consort's restraint, Consort Cao became increasingly unrestrained.
Before the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Emperor granted the Empress's request to pardon Consort Yi from her confinement.
Because of the Mid-Autumn Festival on the fifteenth day of the lunar calendar, the Empress sent word to the six palaces of the East and West Palaces the day before, exempting everyone from paying their respects and asking them to gather at the Chuigong Hall at noon. This was also arranged and planned by Consort Chi.
Huo Qinghe first tasted two warm mooncakes in the morning. They were still warm and tasted delicious and soft.
"Is the Emperor not at the luncheon today?" Huo Qinghe chose a simple and refreshing palace dress, which was not particularly eye-catching.
Green Locust nodded: "Yes. The Emperor will be celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival with his officials at the Jiying Hall for lunch. The banquet will not be held at the Chuigong Hall until the evening banquet."
Huo Qinghe said "Oh," and then added, "Then there's even less need to bother dressing up."
Her beloved elder sister has been released from confinement, but there's still trouble waiting for her today.
Furthermore, with Consort Cao currently enjoying great popularity and the Emperor not being around at noon, Huo Qinghe has even less reason to bother with dressing up.
The green-haired woman who was tying up her wife's hair nodded knowingly, and the jewelry she was wearing was also chosen to be simple and elegant, just as her wife had wished.
It got even hotter as the Mid-Autumn Festival approached, and when Huo Qinghe went out of the palace gates to fan herself with a round fan, all she could feel was the hot air.
"It's hot today, so let's get up early to avoid getting too hot in the sun." The round fan, which was originally used for fanning, was now being used for sunshade.
What a coincidence! Huo Qinghe ran into Consort Yi, Huo Yiyun, riding in a procession, on her way out of Yanxi Palace.
Huo Yiyun had finally been released from confinement, and naturally dressed up brightly and dazzlingly today.
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