As soon as they stepped into the main hall of Changchun Palace, the noisy conversation abruptly stopped.
Inside the hall, Consort Qi, Consort Xi, Consort Yu, Consort Ning, and Consort Mao, along with several noble ladies and concubines, were chatting idly. When Lin Yun entered, more than a dozen pairs of eyes turned to her, and then—the entire hall fell into an eerie silence.
Lin Yun bowed respectfully: "This concubine greets all the elder sisters."
No one answered.
All eyes were on her.
From her jet-black, lustrous hair to her flawless, jade-like face without any makeup, and the slender figure outlined in her lotus-colored cheongsam, what is most captivating is her pair of alluring almond-shaped eyes, both enchanting and dignified. The whole person standing there is a beautiful sight to behold.
If they lived in modern times, they would know that this is called pure desire.
Consort Xi tilted her teacup, unaware that the tea was spilling; Consort Qi's mouth was half-open, and she even forgot to breathe; the faces of the noble ladies were deathly pale, and the handkerchiefs in their hands were twisted out of shape.
At this moment, all the concubines had the same thought:
Compared to her, I am utterly crude and vulgar, a veritable Zhang Fei who has menstruation!
Lin Yun's beauty is not the kind of aggressive glamour, but a kind of refreshing and ethereal beauty.
She stood there like a solitary orchid in a secluded valley, unassuming and unassuming, yet impossible to ignore.
She lacked the affectation typical of women in the palace; every glance and every movement was natural and fluid, as if she were born to be so elegant.
"Ahem." Wang Mama stood aside and had to admit that Consort Yun was indeed born with a beautiful appearance.
He then coughed lightly, breaking the eerie silence.
Everyone then seemed to wake from a dream, hurriedly adjusting their expressions, but the shock and jealousy in their eyes could not be concealed.
Consort Xi forced a smile and greeted her, "This must be the newly promoted Consort Yun, right? She is indeed as beautiful as the rumors say."
Consort Qi snapped out of her daze, a hint of malice flashing in her eyes. She said sourly, "Oh, isn't this the newly appointed Imperial Merchant Consort by the Emperor? I heard you were a merchant before entering the palace? I wonder what kind of cosmetics you sold?" She deliberately emphasized the word "merchant," subtly mocking Lin Yun's humble origins.
The atmosphere in the hall instantly froze. Everyone waited to see how this new favorite would respond to Consort Qi's provocation.
Lin Yun noticed the peony hairpin she had designed herself and guessed that she was Consort Qi.
With a slight smile, she replied, "Your Highness, I do indeed run a rouge shop. To my shame, the most popular rouge and face powder in the capital today are actually made by my own hands."
Her voice was soft, yet every word was clear: "The Emperor said that it's a good thing for a woman to be talented, as long as she has a righteous heart, everything she does is upright and honorable."
These words not only highlighted her own talent and invoked the Emperor's support, but also subtly mocked Consort Qi's wickedness, achieving three goals at once and hitting the nail on the head.
Consort Qi's face immediately turned ashen, and she almost tore the handkerchief in her hand in two.
Seeing this, Consort Xi quickly smoothed things over, saying, "Consort Yun is very skillful; no wonder His Majesty values her so highly. I heard you can even farm? That's truly remarkable."
The Empress Xi's clothes were embroidered with orchid patterns, and she was sitting at the head of the table, so she must be the Empress Xi.
Lin Yun smiled gently and said, "Your Highness, you flatter me. I grew up in the countryside and only know a little about farming. His Majesty is so kind as to allow me to leave the palace once a month to manage the farm. It is truly a great favor from the Emperor." As she spoke, she bowed in the direction of the Qianqing Palace.
She took the opportunity to tell them that she could leave the palace once a month from now on, so that they wouldn't bring it up later.
This is permitted by the Emperor. What can you do to me?
Her eyes sparkled as she spoke, neither overly humble nor arrogant, striking the perfect balance.
Consort Yu, Consort Ning, and Consort Mao exchanged glances and chose to remain silent.
The distinguished guests exchanged glances, swallowing back all the difficult words they had prepared.
This Consort Yun is not only exceptionally beautiful, but her responses are also subtle yet sharp; she hardly seems like a newcomer to the palace.
Empress Ulanara observed all of this quietly from behind the curtain, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.
She had initially thought Lin Yun was just a beautiful businesswoman, but now it seemed that this woman was cunning and shrewd.
In particular, the composure and ease in their every move is something that cannot be cultivated overnight.
"Her Majesty the Empress has arrived!" The eunuch's shrill voice rang out, and all the concubines hurriedly rose to their feet and bow.
Ulanara walked slowly into the main hall, her gaze lingering on Lin Yun for a moment before she said calmly, "Rise, all of you. Consort Yun has just entered the palace; all of you sisters should take good care of her."
"We respectfully obey Her Majesty the Empress's decree," everyone replied in unison.
Consort Qi glanced at Lin Yun unwillingly, then said, "Your Majesty, Consort Yun is new here. Why don't you let her tell us about the interesting things that happen outside the palace, so that we sisters can broaden our horizons?" She deliberately made the phrase "broaden our horizons" sound sarcastic, implying that Lin Yun came from a humble background.
Lin Yun remained calm and curtsied to the Empress: "This humble concubine is rather dull and fears that I might spoil the enjoyment of you ladies. However, if Your Majesty and the ladies do not mind, this humble concubine may speak of the gardens of Jiangnan or the rare flowers from the Western Regions."
So she began by telling some interesting stories that the girls liked to hear. A hint of appreciation flashed in Consort Xi's eyes, and the other noble ladies listened with rapt attention—they had lived deep within the palace for a long time and were full of curiosity about the outside world.
Seeing this, Consort Qi was furious, but there was nothing she could do. She had intended to humiliate Lin Yun in public, but unexpectedly, the other woman stole the spotlight from her.
Looking at Lin Yun's confident and composed demeanor as she spoke eloquently, and then at the captivated expressions of the concubines around her, Consort Qi felt a tightness in her chest, unable to rise or fall.
The Empress watched coldly, sighing inwardly: Consort Nian was confined to her quarters, and Consort Qi was utterly insignificant. She looked at Lin Yun with complex emotions. This seemingly frail woman, having only been in the palace for a few days, had already stirred up the entire harem's tranquility. And that unique aura she possessed was perhaps precisely why the Emperor had fallen for her.
After paying their respects, the concubines left Changchun Palace one after another.
Lin Yun walked ahead, with Chunlan carefully supporting her, whispering, "Your Highness, you were truly amazing just now! Consort Qi's face was almost green with anger!"
Lin Yun gently shook her head and whispered, "In this deep palace, being too sharp isn't necessarily a good thing. But we can't let others bully us either."
The Emperor has given her such great favor, not so she could be subservient. With the Emperor's backing, who is she afraid of? No one can climb over her to the top. But she won't become arrogant just because the Emperor is backing her; that wouldn't be meaningful. She still prefers making money, making money!
Not far away, Consort Qi stared at Lin Yun's departing figure, her nails digging deeply into her palms. She gritted her teeth and said to the palace maid beside her, "Let's go back to the palace."
Meanwhile, Consort Xi, of the Niohuru clan, who was traveling with her, seemed lost in thought. She vaguely sensed that the appearance of this Consort Yun might change the long-standing power dynamics of the harem. Moreover, the Emperor's special favor towards Lin Yun was unprecedented.
She decided to hold back for the time being and observe the situation.
In the depths of the palace, sometimes inaction is the best course of action.
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