Liu Qinglan raised his eyes and met her pair of sparkling eyes. Because of the effect of the talisman paper, the emotions in the queen's eyes were as strong as a ball of insoluble black ink.
Feeling guilty for drawing the wrong talisman, Liu Qinglan's heart trembled, and his face flushed with anxiety. He subconsciously grabbed the belt around his waist, twisted his fingers, and grunted and made up an excuse: "I ate some chili before leaving."
"..." Xie Xuanzhao was speechless for a moment. She retracted her gaze to the intricately patterned Persian carpet in front of her, and calmed down. Then she slightly turned sideways and glanced at Yan Mo, the senior palace maid beside her.
Yan Mo was the maid that Xie Xuanzhao brought with him as a dowry from her mother's home. She had been raised by his side since she was a child and was considered his confidante.
Yan Mo took a step forward and said, "Empress Yue has just entered the palace and does not know the etiquette. From now on, you must practice palace etiquette for an hour every day."
This was a long-established rule at Chenxin Palace, but some concubines were reluctant to accept the etiquette nannies' instruction and were lazy and put it off. Xie Xuanzhao would dispatch etiquette nannies to their bedrooms, teaching them only after they were recalled. Over time, these concubines had no choice but to accept this arrangement, patiently accepting their dissatisfaction.
Liu Qinglan didn't understand what she had to do behind this rule. She was just upset about how she had remembered the talisman paper incorrectly. It seemed that she had to review it again. She was really not very skilled.
She stood aside, silently spitting at herself, not moving an inch. She wasn't even aware of the quarrel that was brewing nearby.
As soon as Yan Mo finished speaking, several palace maids who had come with Liu Qinglan stood up to support her. Lulu glanced at her master, but seeing no movement, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and speak, "Empress, His Majesty has granted Concubine Yue no need to learn these things."
The palace maids sent by the emperor had stern faces, their chins slightly raised, and looked a little arrogant.
The maids on the Queen's side were not to be outdone. Yan Mo stood above them and said in a voice that brooked no refusal, "Do you dare to disobey the Queen's orders?"
"I dare not. But if His Majesty blames us, we cannot afford it."
The two groups of palace maids started arguing with each other.
Xie Xuanzhao leaned back, drank a few sips of tea slowly, and did not speak a word. However, he glanced at Yuepin who was standing next to him without saying a word.
She was waiting for this newcomer's attitude so that she could manage her affairs properly. After all, with such a large harem, people's hearts were unpredictable, and managing them well was not an easy task.
The emperor could not give her what she deserved, so if she wanted to survive in this harem, she had to hold on to this position and wait until she became the empress dowager.
Xie Xuanzhao's heart sank, his thoughts drifting far. The emperor was destined to be childless, and the selection of a new emperor was crucial. But there was no guarantee the emperor would succumb to the pressure and choose to father a child with one of the concubines. The future was full of uncertainty, and Xie Xuanzhao dared not relax for a moment.
Just now, when this Yuepin approached her, the strange feeling made her feel defensive.
While thinking, Xie Xuanzhao continued to look at Liu Qinglan's fair face.
Because Liu Qinglan's true body is a ball of snow-white, she transformed into a human form. Her skin was as white as snow, and her face was even whiter than that of ordinary people. However, this white was not the unhealthy kind, but the texture of white jade, clear and smooth.
At this moment, she was standing in front of the flower stand, half of her face bathed in the sun, glowing slightly, like a white magnolia in full bloom.
Xie Xuanzhao's heart skipped a beat, but she couldn't look away. Uncontrollably, she felt a surge of tender affection. She actually wanted to be nice to this girl she'd only just met.
As for what to do, she didn't know. She only knew that she couldn't get angry with her and scold her harshly. Otherwise, based on her blatant lateness just now, if it were any other concubine, Xie Xuanzhao would have had Yan Mo scold and punish her to show his authority.
How could he let her continue to stand in front of him safely and with an innocent look on her face!
Xie Xuanzhao was a little upset, but when he spoke, his voice was still gentle, "Yuepin, what do you mean?"
As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Xie Xuanzhao knew something was wrong. She rarely spoke so gently to the imperial concubines. After all, the position of the main empress was untouchable.
After hearing this gentle question, Liu Qinglan came back to her senses and her legs felt a little weak.
The palace maids and concubines below were extremely surprised. The Queen was actually asking for the opinion of this young concubine! This was really the sun rising from the west. Kang Zhaoyi especially suspected that the Queen had taken the wrong medicine today.
Xie Xuanzhao realized that her question was indeed too gentle. Her original intention was not to ask. Regardless of whether Yuepin agreed or not, this rule could not be broken.
Yan Mo should have been cheering her on at this moment, but she hesitated now, unsure of her master's intentions, so she had to slow down her attitude and said, "Princess Yue, the Queen is asking you a question."
Because the Queen's attitude was so gentle, she didn't dare to be mean to Concubine Yue.
Liu Qinglan was so moved by the Queen's gentle voice that her legs went weak. What was even worse was that there was something behind her that was about to emerge.
She knew her tail was about to be exposed, and she was provoked. She took another step back, leaning against the flower stand to hide the clump of her palace skirt.
His face had turned as red as a freshly cooked shrimp.
She...why would she want to show her tail at this time!
Xie Xuanzhao narrowed his eyes slightly and asked again, "Princess Yue, what do you mean?" Strangely, he didn't even get angry at all. Could it be that she had changed, or was it because the weather was nice today that she was in a better mood?
Liu Qinglan was so embarrassed that she had forgotten everything the emperor had told her. "Empress, what did you ask me just now?"
She blinked her eyes, her face sincere and a little servile.
Xie Xuanzhao repeated, "Study palace etiquette for an hour every day."
"No problem!" Liu Qinglan answered quickly, suppressing his restlessness while thinking quickly, "But can I... come to study with you?!"
If you can stay in Chenxin Palace for an hour every day, it means you can stay with the boss of the harem and rub against her spiritual energy.
I believe that after years and months, my magical power will be greatly improved.
This was a shortcut. A person with aura and auspiciousness was something she could only encounter by chance, and now that she had stumbled upon such a chance, there was no reason to let it go to waste.
Liu Qinglan made up his mind that he must cling to this thigh, so the look in his eyes when he looked at Xie Xuanzhao became even more fiery, like a hungry wolf that had been hungry for several days finally met a fat white rabbit.
Xie Xuanzhao felt a little uncomfortable being stared at by her. Moreover, she had just taken the initiative to ask to go to Chenxin Palace for training. You have to know that the etiquette and etiquette of Chenxin Palace are the most strict, and the concubines try to avoid them. If something is out of the ordinary, there must be something wrong. Perhaps there is some conspiracy behind this...
"Sister, please, okay?" Liu Qinglan rubbed her hands. Seeing that she was reluctant to agree, she fell into deep thought. Fearing that she would not agree, she began to beg again.
Liu Qinglan pleaded so hard because she had overheard a conversation between palace maids, who reported that Concubine Kang frequently visited Chenxin Palace to stay with the Empress, only to be turned away. She feared the same fate would befall her, so it seemed she needed a legitimate reason for the Empress to receive her.
Xie Xuanzhao glanced at her fair, smooth, and translucent face again and said, "Then it's as you wish. You will practice at Chenxin Palace every day. Since you've agreed, you can't fail to come without a reason, or you'll be punished. The rules of this palace don't tolerate any mercy."
Liu Qinglan was very happy. "I will come every day, rain or shine. I hope the Queen will not dislike me."
After hearing what she said, Xie Xuanzhao originally didn't want to look at her, but now he couldn't help but glance at her. A blush appeared on his snow-white face, and the redness gave people a feeling of shyness and secret joy.
Xie Xuanzhao raised his hand and tucked back the loose hair at his temples, thinking to himself: Could it be that this girl fell in love with me at first sight?
The author has something to say: Little Fairy Liu suddenly blushed: No... no, you think too much!
The Queen smiled and said, "Really? Then why are you blushing?"
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