Chapter 37: Fawning on the Emperor
In Zhaohua Palace, Qiuxia took out a beautiful vase from the storeroom, dipped it in water and wiped it clean.
Jiang Yingli walked around happily holding a bunch of peonies given to her by Xiao Chenglan.
Lian Qiao smiled and said, "Your Majesty is truly special to my lady. He even personally cut flowers for her."
Jiang Yingli looked at the flowers in her arms, and her heart became sweeter. She lowered her head and kissed the petals, with a gentle smile on her lips, and called out softly.
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty... Your Majesty..."
Qiuxia brought the vase into the hall, and the three of them trimmed the branches and leaves of the peony together, then arranged it and placed it in the most conspicuous position in the hall.
In the afternoon, Jiang Yingli went to Cuiwei Pavilion to see Zheng Baolin.
Zheng Baolin has taken the medicine and his complexion looks better.
She was the only one living in this palace, and it was very quiet, perfect for recuperating.
Zheng Lan'er's voice was hoarse and she couldn't speak. Jiang Yingli sat for a while and was about to leave.
When she left, Zheng Lan'er suddenly grabbed her sleeve, and Jiang Yingli turned around to look at her.
Zheng Lan'er lay weakly on the couch, tears in her eyes. She spoke with difficulty, uttering a few hoarse words.
"Sister...I'm sorry...I actually..."
Jiang Yingli retracted her sleeves and put her hands back.
"There's nothing to be sorry about." Jiang Yingli wasn't angry, but she also had no sympathy. She said calmly, "Now that you've settled down, don't think about doing anything stupid."
Zheng Lan'er nodded slowly.
"I'm leaving. You should take good care of your injuries." Jiang Yingli got up and left.
Zheng Lan'er looked at Jiang Yingli's receding back, slowly closed her eyes, and hid the guilt in her eyes.
In Wanshou Palace, Empress Dowager Xue received a letter from Qixiang Palace.
"When will the beauty of nature cease, so that I can see your face..." The Queen Mother repeated the poem over and over again, but her expression was not as happy as Su Qingrong's.
"I really can't believe that His Majesty likes Su Qingrong so much." Queen Mother Xue murmured.
"Girls from aristocratic families are all outstanding in appearance and have elegant manners. It is common for Your Majesty to fall in love with them." Nanny Xia responded.
Empress Dowager Xue held the letter in her hand, wondering whether she should agree to Su Xiuyi's request and help her ask His Majesty to lift the house arrest early.
It was unknown what she was thinking about, but there was a hint of anger on Empress Dowager Xue's face.
"Hmph, the Emperor has been going to Zhaohua Palace far too frequently these past few days. It would be a good thing if Su Xiuyi quickly stepped out to wrest the favor of Concubine Jia. Once Concubine Jia falls out of favor, I'll have a good excuse to get rid of her. This kind of person, a foxy charmer, only serves to bring disaster upon the Emperor. To prevent her from regaining favor, she simply cannot be allowed to stay."
Although Empress Dowager Xue said this, her brows did not relax.
Nanny Xia looked at the faint sadness between the Queen Mother's brows and whispered:
"But, I always feel that the house arrest is not urgent. After all, the Jiang family girl is easy to control and we can deal with her at any time. On the contrary, Your Majesty actually came to Qixiang Palace in broad daylight and stayed for half an hour. The poem is so lingering. Once Su Xiuyi's house arrest is lifted, she will definitely be favored. If she..."
"That's exactly what I'm worried about," Empress Dowager Xue said hesitantly. "It's true that Su Qingrong needs favor, but I didn't expect His Majesty to like her so much. It's a bit beyond my expectations, and that's not a good thing."
If Su Xiuyi's favor continues and she really reaches that position, what will happen to her Ning'er?
No, absolutely not!
Empress Dowager Xue frowned and ordered, "Reply to the letter and tell her that it's not appropriate to lift the house arrest now, so as to avoid giving people a reason to gossip. Gossip will only annoy His Majesty. Keep her well. It's only about twenty days."
Nanny Xia responded and sent a servant to deliver the letter.
When Qixiang Palace received the reply, Su Xiuyi, whose wish was dashed, was so angry that she slammed the table several times.
"How could the Empress Dowager refuse? My favor is clearly beneficial to the family, but she doesn't care about me. Her gossip is just an excuse!"
Ever since Su Xiuyi saw the love poem, she has been a little distracted and can't wait to see His Majesty.
At this critical moment, the Queen Mother did not help her. She was so angry that her teeth itched and she did not care about the status of the people. She complained to herself:
"Okay, since they are not from the same family, how can they really support the Su family in their hearts?"
"I think he sees the possibility of me becoming empress and thinks it will threaten the Xue family's position as the head of the aristocratic family. He's really calculating!"
Lan Xiang repeatedly pressed her fingers to her lips, "Your Majesty, please keep your voice down. If anyone hears, it would be disrespectful to the Empress Dowager."
Su Qingrong was already annoyed, and when she heard the Queen Mother Jing, she sneered:
"If it weren't for my aunt being ill when Your Majesty ascended the throne, who would be living in the Wanshou Palace now? If my aunt were still here, I wouldn't have to endure this confinement, and there wouldn't be any need to ask her for help!"
Lan Xiang stepped forward to offer tea and consoled her, "Your Majesty, calm down. Even if the Empress Dowager doesn't help, there's still a possibility of lifting the confinement early."
Su Qingrong's eyes lit up, "Do you have any other ideas?"
Lan Xiang said, "Although there is no solution at the moment, Your Majesty, think about it. Your Majesty can stay outside the palace for half an hour today. If he can't suppress his longing tomorrow, it's not impossible for him to go directly to Qixiang Palace."
Su Qingrong's mind suddenly began to stir again, and she stared at the entrance of the hall with eager eyes.
Your Majesty, please come and see her quickly, Your Majesty.
Since you love each other, why should you let each other suffer from lovesickness?
In a blink of an eye, it was May 15th, the day to pay respects to the Empress Dowager.
Early in the morning, the empress dowager dressed and sat in the main hall of Wanshou Palace.
She closed her eyes and turned the Buddhist beads in her hands, but there was always a lingering anger around her.
When the concubines from various palaces arrived, the empress dowager did not ask them to stand up, but slowly opened her eyes and looked at them one by one.
"After ten days of not seeing you, your manners have become even more lax. Even your etiquette isn't as dignified and neat as before! In this state, what else can I expect from you?"
Knowing that they would have to pay their respects today, many of them had practiced the etiquette last night, so there was no way they would behave improperly. However, the concubines did not dare to complain and accepted the reprimand in a proper manner.
The Queen Mother continued, "Ten days have passed, and there are only a handful of you who have ever received favor. I chose you to enter the palace so that you can expand the royal family, not to live a life of luxury!"
The concubines below didn't dare to make a sound, let alone serve the emperor in bed. They hadn't even seen the shadow of his majesty. They almost forgot why they came here.
But, this can't be entirely blamed on them! Out of these ten days, His Majesty was busy with government affairs for five days and didn't set foot in the harem. The other five days...
One day at Song Zhaoyi's place is equal to four days at Jia Jieyu's!
Although it is not a big deal for a concubine to be called up for several days in a row when she is in favor, Concubine Jia is already an old friend.
Your Majesty, aren’t you tired of it yet?
The Queen Mother slammed the table, frightening all the concubines.
"Every one of them is so dull and boring. No wonder His Majesty would rather favor Concubine Jia, whom he has been watching for four years, than go to your palace!"
Jia Jieyu looked up silently.
What does "rather than" mean? Is she that bad?
The Queen Mother glanced towards Jiang Yingli, and Jiang Yingli didn't have time to look away.
When Jiang Yingli saw the empress dowager's rageful gaze, alarm bells rang in her heart.
"And you, Jia Jieyu. You've been favored by the emperor for four years, and yet there's not even a hint of pregnancy. I have no control over the rules of the Prince Su's Mansion, but this is the harem. If you can't have children, you shouldn't seduce the emperor and flatter him for your exclusive favor!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
