Murong Yan had just finished drinking her medicine when a palace maid took out some candied fruit from a jar and put one in her mouth.
Seeing Consort Qi enter, she hurriedly said, "What brings Your Highness here? There's a strong smell of medicine, please don't be offended..."
Consort Qi's eyes reddened. She walked over and sat down beside the couch where Consort Qi was lying, taking her hand and saying, "What are you saying! You saved my life, it's only right that I come to see you. If it weren't for serving His Majesty..."
"Sigh, never mind, I won't say anymore." Consort Qi shook her head dejectedly.
Murong Yan, with her keen and perceptive mind, could easily see that she had something else to say, so she raised her uninjured hand and took her hand in hers.
"Your Highness, if I may presume to speak, in the palace, I have always respected and relied on you as if you were my own mother. If Your Highness has any difficulties, please feel free to tell me. I will do my best to share your burdens, even if it costs me my life."
"Good child, I know how good you are, but right now, my daughter and I are about to face a great calamity!" Consort Qi's tears fell.
While crying, she recounted her encounter with Lian Ye and Yao Chen, then said, "Those two are stunningly beautiful, each with their own unique charm, and they are truly celestial beings descended to earth. His Majesty adores them! Once they enter the palace, where will there be a place for me?"
Murong Yan comforted her, "Your Majesty, please don't panic. You can try to befriend the two fairies and sound them out. If they are truly people from outside the palace, they shouldn't want to enter the palace."
"What good is their dislike? Can His Majesty change his mind once he's made a decision? Didn't I do the same thing back then..."
At this point, she suddenly fell silent, "I spoke rashly in a moment of anger, Yan'er, please don't take it seriously."
"What did Your Highness say? I didn't hear you clearly," Murong Yan asked, looking puzzled.
Consort Qi understood her meaning and smiled at her.
"Your Majesty need not worry. Those two fairies are just going down the mountain for a bit of fun. Once they've had their fill, they'll go back. If they really stay and enter the palace, then they won't have a say in anything. In that case, they'll be the ones who will be crying."
Having enjoyed the emperor's favor in the palace for so many years, Consort Qi naturally knew how many conspiracies and schemes existed in the harem. These two naive young women who entered the palace were bound to meet a tragic end.
Thinking of this, I sighed, but felt a little relieved.
The two chatted for a while longer, and when Consort Qi noticed that she looked a little tired, she told her to rest and then got out of her carriage.
As her personal maid, Qiu Shuang, was leaving, she looked at Murong Yan and saw Murong Yan nod at her.
Qiu Shuang's eyes flickered, and she nodded slightly to her.
Back in Consort Qi's carriage, Qiu Shuang took the initiative to massage the consort's temples.
Suddenly, she let out a soft "ah".
"What's wrong?" the Imperial Concubine asked.
Qiu Shuang stammered, "No, it's nothing..."
Consort Qi: "Do you want me to punish you?"
Qiu Shuang then cautiously said, "Your Majesty, this servant saw a white hair..."
Consort Qi froze, then suddenly overturned the small table in front of her that held snacks and tea.
"Bring me a mirror!"
The palace maids were so frightened they dared not breathe. They quickly ran to fetch the mirror, knelt on the wooden planks of the carriage, and presented the mirror with both hands.
Consort Qi took the mirror and looked at the woman in it. Her makeup was gorgeous, but some fine lines were still visible at the corners of her eyes.
Qiu Shuang, who was behind her, plucked out the white hair and placed it in front of her eyes.
Consort Qi touched her smooth, yet no longer as smooth as before, a tear rolling down her cheek. "I'm getting old..."
Thinking of the look in His Majesty's eyes every time he saw that Fairy Yaochen, a hint of disgust flashed in her eyes, but she herself was about to lose even that look that disgusted him.
Haha, how pathetic.
"Your Majesty, I have something to say, but I don't know if I should say it."
"speak."
Qiu Shuang glanced inside the carriage.
Consort Qi said, "You may all leave."
After everyone had left, Qiu Shuang whispered:
“Your Majesty, you are a wise woman. You should know the principle of using your beauty to please others. Rather than being subservient to others, you should make your own decisions.”
Consort Qi's heart skipped a beat. "How should we make this decision?"
"Now, His Majesty neglects state affairs, the Empress's brother commands the army, and the Empress has an eleventh prince..."
Qiu Shuang stopped there and didn't continue.
That's enough, those who know, know.
Consort Qi's heart skipped a beat. "How dare you!"
Qiu Shuang knelt down with a "thump".
“Your Highness is free to punish me for my disrespectful words, but Your Highness, you know how heartless and ungrateful that man is. In this palace, there is only laughter for the new concubines. How many people have been carried out of the Inner Palace over the years? The Seventh Princess’s mother is a living example. You should take advantage of the time you still have and start planning for yourself!”
Consort Qi was in a state of turmoil. Looking at Qiu Shuang kneeling at her feet, she sighed, stood up, and helped her up.
"You're willing to say these things to me, which shows you truly care about me. How could I bear to punish you? However, this matter is difficult, and you don't understand..."
"Your Majesty, please enlighten me! Although I am slow-witted, I have learned a lot from serving Your Majesty over the years. What if I have an idea?"
Consort Qi chuckled, "I've never seen anyone so good at patting themselves on the back. Aren't they ashamed!"
"What you said is something I have considered. However, although my brother has the position of commanding troops, he does not have the power to deploy them. The court officials are all wary of him actually taking command of the troops! His Majesty listens to slander and has always been wary of my brother."
"There are no people of our kind in the court. Those people claim to be loyal ministers, compare me to a wicked concubine from ancient times who brought disaster to the country, and wish they could get rid of me as soon as possible. Who can I win over to serve me?"
Upon hearing this, Qiu Shuang suddenly laughed and said, "Your Majesty is truly blind to what's right under your nose. Isn't there a suitable candidate right in front of you?"
"Oh? Who is it?"
"Does Your Majesty remember that day when you shot and killed the white-clad young general who led the assassins who came to kill you?"
"he?"
"His name is Zhang Tian. He is the son of the prime minister, born to a mother of low status. The prime minister does not favor him at home. He was secretly reported by his elder brother, ruining his path to becoming an official through the imperial examination. He could only join the army, but the prime minister does not help him and does not allow him to say that he is his son. Now he is just a low-ranking guard in the Imperial Guard."
Qiu Shuang said, "Your Majesty is curious how I know about this matter? It's because the Seventh Princess had just woken up that day and ordered someone to summon him to express his gratitude. When I went to visit the Seventh Princess on behalf of Your Majesty, I happened to run into him."
“I didn’t come out at the time, but hid outside to eavesdrop. When the Seventh Princess learned that this person was very talented but not appreciated, she wanted to help him.”
"I watched secretly and saw that the man was very interested in the Seventh Princess. The Seventh Princess also had feelings for him, but both of them were saddened by their own circumstances and dared not speak out."
"The Seventh Princess was kidnapped by assassins after changing into your clothes. Zhang Tian was unaware of this at the time. He thought he had saved you, which proves that he and those who wanted to harm Your Majesty are definitely not accomplices. You can train him with peace of mind. In addition, he is fond of the Seventh Princess... Why doesn't Your Majesty promise to grant them a marriage after the matter is accomplished? Even if it's just for their own sake, these two will be devoted to Your Majesty."
Consort Qi was slightly tempted. "Zhang Tian's killing of the assassin leader is a great achievement. What will His Majesty's reward be?"
"Originally, His Majesty was going to summon him personally to inquire about the reward, but his father simply refused, casually saying things like 'it is a subject's duty' and 'he is too young to bear such a heavy responsibility,' thus ruining the reward His Majesty was going to give him. If I hadn't heard it from Eunuch Huang, who serves His Majesty, I would never have known that there could be such a biased father in this world..."
"This is getting more and more outrageous! How dare you criticize the Prime Minister? However..." Consort Qi changed the subject, "This person saved my life and made a great contribution. If I don't reward him, won't everyone think my life wasn't worth saving?"
"At this hour, His Majesty should be waking up from his afternoon nap. Have someone prepare a bowl of white fungus and bird's nest porridge; I will send it to His Majesty."
"yes."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com