Chapter 66 An Lingrong 7
She was teasing Baojuan when she heard Biqing walk in, accompanied by He Ronglu, the maid from Chengqian Palace.
"My lady, Aunt He is here."
Lingrong then waved her hand and let the queen's informant go for the time being.
"Your servant pays her respects to the young lady." He Ronglu performed the ceremony respectfully, smiled, lowered her head and waited for Lingrong's instructions.
As expected, anyone who managed to make it this far in the palace was no pushover. An Lingrong was very satisfied with her attitude. As for whether she was truly innocent or not, it didn't matter. She still had three loyalty talismans in her hand. If necessary, she could just give her one too.
"Thank you for making this trip, Aunt He. I saw that Chengqian Palace was bustling with people yesterday, but it wasn't in a state of panic. I think Aunt He's management is doing a good job. I'll have to trouble you to give Biqing and Ziyuan more advice in the future. I've handed over all the palace affairs to you."
Although she said the last sentence to Biqing, it was clear to everyone present who she was addressing. He Ronglu bowed without arrogance or servility and did not refuse:
"Thanks to my lady's trust, I will definitely teach Biqing and Ziyuan well so that they can become familiar with the palace rules as soon as possible."
After saying this, he bowed again and slowly retreated.
"This He Ronglu is so slippery." Ziyuan came in with a tea bowl and happened to hear her words. After the people left, she rolled her eyes in annoyance and placed the brewed jasmine tea next to Lingrong, still angry.
"This is inevitable. Our young lady has just entered the palace. How could someone buy her out now?"
Biqing understood the other party's caution, but as the young lady's most loyal subordinate, he couldn't help but feel that this aunt was ungrateful.
"You two are too partial. What I did is smart." Lingrong smiled and drank a sip of tea. She stood up from her seat and walked to the side room. She chose a sunny place and ordered Ziwan to call two eunuchs to move the imperial concubine's bed under the window.
When Ziyuan looked at her eagerly, her anxiety almost unbearable, she casually said, "I'm just a concubine now, and the future is still a long way to go. But I'm the only one living in Chengqian Palace now. If I can be favored and become the master of this palace in the future, she will naturally become the head aunt under my name. Why would she need to come and pledge allegiance to me?"
"But...if you wait until the young lady is crowned as the mistress before coming here, won't it be too late?" Bi Qing asked tentatively, and saw Ling Rong showing her an approving look:
"Biqing is right. This is just icing on the cake, how can it compare to helping someone in need? Besides, by then, I'm afraid I won't even look down on her as a mere housekeeper."
"That's why I agreed to teach you about palace affairs."
Jin Ling held the scroll in her hand, and after she finished explaining, she leaned back on the couch, carefully appreciating the "Volume 2 of 108 Powers in Heaven and Earth" which contained "Female Virtues".
Bathed in the sunlight, Lingrong, dressed in a moon-white Manchu dress, has a ethereal aura like an orchid in a valley, and a natural figure like a lotus emerging from water. Leaning against the window, book in hand, she looks like a picture of youth.
As soon as Zhen Huan entered, she was stunned by this picturesque beauty: "From a distance, she is as bright as the sun rising in the morning glow; from close up, she is as brilliant as a lotus emerging from the emerald water."
Lingrong heard the voice and raised her eyes inadvertently. Seeing that it was Zhen Huan, her originally cold expression instantly melted like ice and snow, and Zhen Huan was stunned again.
"Sister is here, come in quickly."
Ling Rong hurriedly got up from the couch, beckoned her over, and told Bi Qing to brew the box of Longjing tea she had brought. She then ordered someone to set up a small table on the couch and pushed the osmanthus wine-fermented cheese that Zhen Huan liked in front of her:
"Although it's autumn now, the heat hasn't faded yet. The sun is scorching outside right now. I don't know what will happen if I come later. What if I get sunburned?"
Zhen Huan smiled sweetly at her, "You're just craving the snacks in Lingrong's palace. Okay, I won't do that again next time. You're obviously one year younger than me, yet you keep missing me like an older sister."
Ling Rong took the tea from Bi Qing's hand and gently placed it in front of her: "Eating can't stop you from eating. Let's see if I can take the trouble to prepare your favorite food next time."
The two of them were chatting and laughing, and it was very lively.
"There's a Concubine Chun in my palace. She's only fourteen this year and she loves snacks. If she tastes your snacks, I'm afraid she'll want to come to Chengqian Palace and live with you forever."
Zhen Huan said this, her face full of love for Chun Changzai. She and her younger sister had been in harmony since childhood. Now that she suddenly entered the palace, she poured some of her longing for her family on that greedy little girl.
"From what you said, I feel that she is a well-behaved and lovely child. When she comes in the future, I will naturally not give her a single bite of food. I will just change your share from me to hers."
Before she could feel sad because she missed her family, Lingrong clapped her hands and pretended to be fickle, which made Zhen Huan burst out laughing: "What a cruel sister! Then I will shamelessly come over to you. I don't believe that a fairy like you can do such a thing as to drive people away!"
The two were talking excitedly when they saw Chen Meizhuang coming. Seeing their smiling faces, she feigned anger and said, "Well, you two were chatting intimately while leaving me all alone."
The three of them exchanged greetings and took their seats. Chen Meizhuang also shared some gossip she had heard: "You don't know, when I came here, I passed by the Yanxi Palace. It was quite lively there."
"What's all the fuss?" The curious Zhen Huan was the first to respond.
"The palace is now filled with Noble Lady Fucha, who is from the Manchu Banner, Xia Dongchun, who is from the Han Banner, and a bunch of minor concubines. Add to that the servants, eunuchs and palace maids who deliver rewards, and it's so crowded that they can barely stand."
"I overheard as I was walking by, and I heard Xia Dongchun shouting, and it seemed like he was trying to curry favor with the Queen."
Zhen Huan curled her lips and said, "While this may not be pleasing to others, it is also understandable. What is there to say about it?"
"Don't be impatient. Just listen to me." Mei Zhuang poked her forehead, picked up the tea to moisten her throat, and then spoke again: "If she was just trying to curry favor with the Queen, no one would say anything. But her words seemed... like she wanted to step on Concubine Hua to curry favor with Jingren Palace."
Lingrong and Zhen Huan exchanged a glance, both silent. Though new to the place, all three were intelligent women. Leaving aside the shady An Lingrong, just Chen Meizhuang and Zhen Huan, in just one day, they had already sensed the palace's atmosphere of flattery, bullying, and intrigue.
Empress Hua is so powerful, Xia Dongchun's move is really... stupid.
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