"Why do you look so thin? Is it because your appetite isn't very good in the summer? I brought some homemade sour apricots from home, I'll have someone deliver them to you later to whet your appetite."
In this palace, the only person Huo Qinghe remembered who was so warm and friendly was Consort Xie.
Consort Xie was dressed in a refreshing lake-blue palace gown perfect for summer. Her skin was fair, and she spoke in a gentle tone, looking like a caring older sister.
They're just being overly attentive for no reason.
Huo Qinghe was really not used to such a warm atmosphere.
"Your Highness brought these sour apricots from home to the palace. How could I possibly accept anything from Your Highness? I've been feeling quite unwell lately, probably due to the heat of summer. Thank you for your concern. Please, Your Highness, let's not talk in this sun. Let's go inside."
Once inside the Kunning Palace, speaking became much less convenient.
This Consort Xie is quite peculiar; she always seems to have a smiling face, and you can never see any anger or anything like that on her face.
He spoke very affectionately to everyone, and this wasn't just directed at Huo Qinghe.
Consort Xie probably realized this too. She withdrew her hand that was about to hold Huo Qinghe's and walked side by side with Huo Qinghe towards the main hall of Kunning Palace, just as Huo Qinghe had said.
"But my sister's expression is likely to cause people to overthink things," Consort Xie said in a low voice.
Huo Qinghe understood what Xie meant, and she was somewhat surprised: "Yes, thank you for reminding me."
She and Consort Xie entered the main hall one after the other. It wasn't quite time yet; the people who had arrived early were the same ones, and those who hadn't arrived yet were also the same ones.
Huo Qinghe took her seat, and Consort Xie sat to her left, so the two of them could talk to each other again.
However, speaking inside the main hall is obviously not as convenient as speaking outside.
Huo Qinghe carefully observed the concubines who had arrived. She naturally paid attention to the familiar ones, but she mainly focused on the concubines who were not very familiar to her.
But the important thing when judging people is not to look at them too deliberately.
So Huo Qinghe read very slowly. She hadn't even finished looking at half of the people when she suddenly heard a notification.
"Lin Jieyu has arrived."
Huo Qinghe paused for a second before looking over with the others.
Although Consort Lin was originally a palace maid, she entered the palace without any faults in her demeanor or manners.
Even though it was already June, Consort Lin was holding a hot water bottle in her arms. She was wearing a jade-colored brocade palace dress with dark floral and insect patterns. Her figure was truly slender, and her face was slightly pale.
Compared to Lin Jieyu, Huo Qinghe's slightly haggard appearance was nothing.
However, while Lin Jieyu was dressed simply, the jewelry on her head could be described as gorgeous. The swaying gold and gemstone phoenix-and-cloud hairpin alone was enough to make people unable to look away, and the pair of warm jade bracelets on her wrists echoed the warm jade pendant at her waist.
Huo Qinghe and Consort Xie stood up together: "Greetings, Consort Lin."
Those in the main hall whose rank was lower than Lin Jieyu all stood up.
Huo Qinghe had never really remembered Lin Jieyu before, but after seeing her now, she remembered her carefully.
Lin Jieyu freed her hand from holding the hot water bottle and stood up: "No need for formalities, please sit down."
Consort Zhuang and Consort Ruan in front simply stood up, but there was no need for them to bow; this was merely to give Consort Lin face.
"Are you feeling better? Come and sit down. Go and close the window over there."
The speaker was Consort Zhuang, who had a close relationship with Empress Xue. She spoke with great ease and naturalness as she gave instructions to the maids in Kunning Palace.
Lin Jieyu looked at her, her smile somewhat faint.
She carried the hot water bottle and walked slowly to her seat, but everyone unconsciously followed her closely.
Seeing that Consort Lin did not respond, Consort Zhuang's eyes flashed with understanding. She looked up at Consort Ruan beside her.
Ruan Jieyu's expression was more composed: "Yes, Lin Jieyu, please sit down. Have you recovered?"
One by one they greeted her, and a look of disgust and aversion flashed in Lin's eyes; she showed no intention of smiling at all.
Without needing a maid's help, he sat down in front of Consort Ruan, holding the hot water bottle.
The silence in the main hall was broken just as an awkward silence was about to fall when someone came in from outside.
Before the palace maid's announcement could even reach them, Consort Cao's voice had already come through.
"I've arrived early enough today, haven't I? It's so quiet inside today, so I must have arrived early."
A palace maid lifted the curtain, and Consort Cao swaggered in, supported by Zhu Shi.
Consort Cao is now five months pregnant, and her figure is starting to show through her thin summer clothes.
Consort Zhuang quietly exhaled; she herself was not a particularly eloquent or charming person.
"Consort Cao has arrived. Now that you are pregnant, please sit down. What did the imperial physician say about your pregnancy? You look well, so I think it's going well."
Consort Zhuang was so focused on easing the tension in the hall that she completely forgot that Consort Lin had just finished her postpartum confinement. At that moment, she kept talking about Consort Cao's health, which inadvertently touched on Consort Lin's sore spot.
Lin Jieyu's face immediately darkened as soon as she sat down.
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Consort Ruan, sitting below, wished she could get as far away from Consort Lin as possible; she really didn't want to provoke Consort Lin at all.
Unfortunately, Consort Cao was quite smug, and she was even quite pleased with herself when she heard Consort Zhuang's greeting.
"Thank you for your concern, Consort Zhuang. I heard that Consort Zhuang suffered from severe morning sickness when she was pregnant with the First Prince. The imperial physician said that everything was fine with this pregnancy, but the baby in my belly was being restless, which caused me to have severe morning sickness."
Although Consort Cao spoke in a complaining tone, her beaming expression revealed her immense pride.
After Consort Cao took her seat, Consort Zhuang also sat down calmly, saying, "It's good that you can eat. Pregnancy is always difficult for a woman, so Consort Cao should be even more careful."
Consort Chi and Consort Zhou have not yet arrived, and Consort Yi is still under house arrest.
No one could bring down Consort Cao's smugness.
Consort Cao chuckled upon hearing this: "What Consort Zhuang said is true. It is certainly not easy for a woman to carry a child for ten months. However, I am thinking that I can give birth to children for His Majesty to continue the family line, so I do not feel that it is difficult or hard."
"Oh, it's a pity His Majesty isn't here right now, so he can't hear Consort Cao's heartfelt words."
The sound was somewhat abrupt, yet strangely perfectly timed.
Upon hearing the voice, everyone stood up and bowed respectfully.
"Greetings to the Imperial Concubine, may the Imperial Concubine enjoy boundless blessings."
"Get up, all of you. Consort Cao is pregnant, and I cannot accept your courtesy. Let's do it another day. I'm afraid even His Majesty will not be able to accept your courtesy tomorrow."
As expected, only Consort Chi's arrogance could keep Consort Cao in check.
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