Chapter 12 Flower Appreciation Banquet
Lan Wu wondered when Chu Mingheng would come to see her, but given Chu Mingheng's personality, it was more likely that he wouldn't come to see her and would only let her take the initiative to come to him.
She doesn't need to worry about concubines causing her trouble while she's recovering, since Chu Mingheng just put on that show, clearly for others to see.
But how can she see Chu Mingheng after she recovers from her injuries?
Now she's just a dancer in a music hall; it's not so easy for her to meet the emperor.
Lan Wu lay in bed reading, but she couldn't concentrate at all. Her mind was full of other things, so she couldn't focus on the book.
At first, after she was actually strangled to death, the resentment in her heart was so intense it felt like it would burst through the sky.
She hated Consort Shu and Consort Rou for always making things difficult for her, hated who had killed her, and hated Chu Mingheng for refusing to take her to Changyong Mountain to offer sacrifices to Heaven. If Chu Mingheng had taken her, she certainly wouldn't have died.
But she also hated herself for underestimating the jealousy of others, falling into their trap, and ultimately dying so helplessly.
After harboring resentment for so long, when she opened her eyes again, the world spun around her, and she was back to the beginning of everything. She thought she was dreaming, but the familiar scene could not be simply described as a dream.
She didn't want to go down that old path again, but she really wasn't smart. She kept going around in circles, either being led astray by Chu Mingheng or making mistakes on her own. Now she had no choice but to take this path.
But Chu Mingheng... seems to have changed a bit.
In her previous life, even after Consort Li sent her to Taichen Palace to dance, Chu Mingheng never seemed particularly interested in her. But later she realized that Chu Mingheng didn't dislike her as much as he appeared to.
Strangely, in this life, Chu Mingheng made decisions for her from the very beginning, showing no respect for Consort Shu in front of others.
How can she successfully get to Chu Mingheng?
If Chu Mingheng doesn't come, how can she get to the Emperor's presence by herself?
Lan Wu thought about it carefully, almost racking her brains, and finally came up with something.
She would need at most half a month to recover from her injuries. Coincidentally, half a month later, around mid-April, Princess Yizhen would be holding a flower viewing party in the palace. Perhaps she would be able to see Chu Mingheng then.
As long as we can see the person, everything is negotiable.
As she expected, during these two weeks, apart from the female physician who frequently came to change her dressings, no one from the Emperor's court or the concubines' quarters came to visit.
Lan Wu has been living a very comfortable life lately, with no one bothering her.
But the more stable things are, the more it shows how urgent time is.
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Inside Consort Shu's Yifang Palace, several people sat below the main seat. The incense in the palace was very faint, and tea and snacks were served on the tables to the side, with the aroma of tea slowly wafting out.
“Your Majesty, Princess Yizhen is going to hold a flower viewing banquet in a few days. You can just give the order and let the people handle it. Why do you have to supervise it yourself? It’s too much trouble.”
Consort Wen hadn't seen that scene in the Imperial Garden last time, and had only heard about it from others. However, she felt that the stories told by the palace servants were often embellished and couldn't be taken entirely seriously, so she didn't pay much attention to them.
Although she didn't care, she could clearly sense that Consort Shu was in a bad mood, so she simply didn't approach her. Today, it was Consort Bai who came to her palace, so they came together to pay their respects to Consort Shu.
Consort Shu's lips curled up slightly, revealing a smile: "Last time, Consort Rou's birthday celebration was a complete disaster, and she herself was quite embarrassed. Now that Princess Yizhen is going to hold a flower appreciation banquet, I should be the one to attend. Of course, I should keep an eye on things to prevent any more embarrassing situations from arising."
The dancer named Lan Wu alone was a huge joke. On His Majesty's birthday, a dancer so flamboyantly stole His Majesty's attention, while Consort Rou seemed completely unaware.
And Yu Zhu, the personal maid of Consort Li who died, was spared punishment by His Majesty's mercy; otherwise, Consort Rou should have been demoted.
Consort Wen and Consort Bai exchanged a secret glance, then bowed their heads and said yes.
"However, Your Majesty, there should also be dancers from the music troupe performing this time. Shouldn't we be wary of that Lan Wu from the music troupe?"
Consort Shu didn't seem worried. She chuckled softly, "Why should I guard against her? If she wants to dance, then let her dance. If she doesn't come, I'll force her to come. If her dancing can attract His Majesty, that's her skill."
You should know that His Majesty is not happy to attend this ridiculous flower-viewing banquet.
Bai Xiuyi frowned slightly: "But if something were to happen, I don't think that Lan Wu is an honest person."
"What do you mean by that?" Consort Wen asked curiously, not knowing the reason behind it.
"After the last time in the Imperial Garden, Your Highness went ahead, and I had a palace maid take her back to the music hall. She was fine the whole way, but when we got to the entrance of the music hall, with so many people around, the girl suddenly fell down, and everyone saw it."
"He fell, so what? But he had to say something like that, which is really not like he did it unintentionally."
Bai Xiuyi felt a bit of a headache. This matter wasn't a big deal. After all, Lan Wu was just a lowly dancer now, but if she were to rise in rank and become a palace concubine, and gain the Emperor's favor, she would inevitably use this matter to cause trouble. At that time, it was still unclear who would be more powerful.
Upon hearing these words, Consort Shu's face showed even more disgust, but she forced herself to suppress it and said, "It's good that she's not honest. There are plenty of people who will deal with her. Maybe I won't even be needed."
"Your Majesty, and Consort Rong's place, I heard that she has been going to Biwei Lake a lot these past few days, and she has run into His Majesty several times. His Majesty even admired calligraphy and paintings with her."
Consort Wen found it amusing: "Consort Rong has such an aloof air, yet she also likes to use such manipulative tactics. If she could remain aloof to the end, I might think more highly of her."
"Among the newly entered concubines, she is the only one who is slightly favored. But His Majesty has not entered the harem for a month, so how can a mere beauty like her not have to rush to please him?" Consort Shu also looked down on Consort Rong. Not to mention Consort Rong, there was no concubine in the entire palace whom she could respect.
"Your Majesty is right."
The stage is set up; now we just need to wait and enjoy the show.
On April 17th, after several days of gloomy skies, the sky finally cleared up. As early as yesterday, the palace servants of Linheng Department had already placed the prepared flowers in the Imperial Garden.
The location chosen by Consort Shu was quite coincidental, being near Liuyuan, where Lanwu had danced last time. This garden, named Xuyuan, features a winding stream with flowing water, where the concubines sit comfortably under the eaves as the stream slowly flows past them.
Lan Wu only celebrated her birthday once in her previous life, which was earned by whispering in Chu Mingheng's ear for about ten days.
The birthday celebration was a grand affair, held at Xu Garden. Concubines from all the palaces came to offer their congratulations. Lan Wu was incredibly happy that day, as if she had never been so joyful in her entire life.
Standing under the corridor of Xu Garden once again, Lan Wu forced herself to come to her senses.
Thinking about those things is useless; only focusing on the present moment is useful.
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