After changing her clothes and covering herself with a red silk cloth, Qingyin sat in front of the bed, waiting for Qianlong's arrival.
She didn't have to wait long before she heard the sound of the palace door being pushed open and the sound of the nanny knocking on the window.
Qingyin felt someone approaching her, bringing with them wisps of warm air, and a soft laugh rang out.
Emperor Qianlong lifted Qingyin's red veil, and indeed, the dazzling red wedding dress suited her perfectly.
She wore a bright red gown and an exceptionally magnificent crown, adorned with pearls, jade, and peonies that made her skin appear as pure and translucent as white jade. Her eyes, brimming with spring water, gazed at him with tender affection. The overwhelming beauty of her appearance made Qianlong's usually clear mind feel as if he were drunk. He felt as if he had returned to his youth, his hands trembling as he touched Qingyin's face.
Qingyin obediently pressed her face against Qianlong's large hand, feeling the real touch. Qianlong's heart began to throb with uncontrollable joy.
"Lier, Lier, call me husband."
"My husband."
Listening to the bride's soft and gentle voice, Qianlong felt as if that voice had seeped into his very bones, captivating him completely.
He almost chased after her, capturing her red lips. In a tender, intimate embrace, he gradually removed her clothes. Her slender fingers rested tremblingly on his arm...
Hearing the heavy and light breathing coming from outside, everyone blushed and stood firm in place.
Dawn broke overnight.
After dressing, Emperor Qianlong quietly went out. He told them not to wake Qingyin and to excuse Qingyin from the custom of paying her respects to the Empress. Only then did he lead Li Yu to court.
Several old women exchanged glances, then stood quietly at the door with smiles on their faces.
Alisa quietly peeked through the gauze curtain and could vaguely make out a graceful figure fast asleep. Seeing this, she then silently retreated.
Seeing Alisa's movements, the head maidservant knowingly instructed the servants to prepare hot water and food, so that the Empress could wash up and eat after waking up.
At dawn, Qingyin woke up on time. She rubbed her still not fully awake eyes and was just about to call out to Alisa.
Alisa noticed the commotion and quickly walked in, lifting the semi-transparent red gauze curtain. Seeing her mistress covered in red marks and bruises, she hurriedly helped Qingyin sit up. Feeling her mistress's delicate and smooth touch, she blushed. No wonder the Emperor doted on her so much. But why didn't the Emperor know to be gentler? Look at all the marks on the Empress's body!
"What time is it now? In a little while, pick out a simple dress to pay your respects to Her Majesty the Empress." Qingyin lazily let the servants attend to her, leaning against the bed with her red lips slightly parted.
Upon hearing this, Alisa said with great enthusiasm, "Your Majesty, the Emperor has granted you permission to rest well and you do not need to pay your respects to the Empress today."
Qingyin rubbed her aching lower back. "The Emperor is the Emperor. This is my first time paying my respects today, so it's better to follow the proper etiquette."
Qingyin changed into a light blue qipao and adorned herself with a lotus flower hairpin. Instead of looking plain, she appeared even more elegant and refined, like a beautiful fairy.
The Empress looks beautiful no matter what she wears; even in such simple clothes, she looks like a fairy princess. Alisa's eyes lit up as she followed Qingyin closely.
In Kunning Palace, the Empress sat at the head of the table, already prepared to admire Consort Yu's unparalleled beauty. However, not long after, a report came from the eunuch beside the Emperor that, out of pity for Consort Yu's delicate health, she was exempted from paying her respects today.
The eunuch's voice, neither too loud nor too soft, echoed throughout Kunning Palace. The concubines who had arrived early exchanged glances. Was the Emperor openly slapping the Empress in the face for the sake of Consort Yu?
The Empress, seeing the various probing glances from the concubines, knew exactly what they were thinking. What fools! What could she, an Empress with a son, possibly compete with a young, favored concubine for? Idiots.
"Oh, my sisters are here so early."
The Empress knew that person was here again as soon as she heard that annoying voice. She took a sip of tea and thought of the beautiful Consort Yu. Looking at her old rival, she suddenly felt a sense of amusement at seeing him make a fool of himself.
Consort Ling felt a sinking feeling as she looked at the Empress, who seemed less impatient than usual. A new favored concubine had arrived; wasn't the Empress worried?
"The new lady is truly the Emperor's favorite, getting to stay with him in the Qianqing Palace." Consort Ling chuckled, her voice filled with envy. Seeing the jealousy in the eyes of the other concubines in the room, she felt a surge of joy.
"Consort Ling is mistaken. Although Consort Yu entered later, her ranking is higher than yours. You have broken the rules!"
The smile on Consort Ling's face froze when the Empress caught her in a mistake. "You old hag, you're really stirring up trouble!" She quickly replied, "It was because I thought Consort Gui was late that I had other ideas. Please punish me, Your Majesty."
The Empress didn't care about Consort Ling's dissatisfaction. She had finally caught her old rival in the act, so she had to get her revenge.
"Since Consort Ling has made a mistake, let her be punished by copying the palace rules thirty times."
"Yes, thank you for the punishment, Your Majesty the Empress," Consort Ling said through gritted teeth.
The Empress felt incredibly pleased to receive Consort Ling's resentful glare! Consort Yu was truly her lucky star; even before she was with her, she had already managed to get rid of Consort Ling.
Consort Yu has arrived!
Then, a sharp, trembling voice rang out from the side.
The group finally got to see the legendary Consort Dan, known for her stunning beauty. Wasn't Consort Yu supposed to be off the list? Why is she here again? The concubines looked over with curiosity, and were immediately stunned.
Consort Ling gasped in disbelief and slumped into her chair. How could this be? How could such a person exist? How was she supposed to fight back?
Having seen Consort Yu's appearance before, the Empress was mentally prepared and had a strong resistance. She forcefully turned her gaze away from Consort Ling, who was unusually flustered, and her joy intensified.
When Qingyin arrived, it was right after the Empress had finished punishing Consort Ling. Looking at the somewhat quiet atmosphere, she tilted her head slightly. What interesting thing had happened?
"Consort Yu has arrived. Please sit down! Honestly, you should have rested properly after your first time with me. You didn't have to come here."
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I feel alright and thought I'd come to pay my respects to Your Majesty." Qingyin said softly as she sat down. Don't ask her why; she knew where to sit. In the palace, besides the Empress, she held the highest rank, so the empty seat below the Empress was definitely hers.
Qingyin looked at the unusually enthusiastic Empress with some confusion. Well, she could see that the Empress's eyes were full of affection and no hostility towards her. That was strange. Did the Empress like her that much?
She then observed Consort Ling and some other concubines, whose eyes were filled with hostility and murderous intent. Hmm, this is the normal situation. It seems that it's not her who's strange, but the Empress.
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