The sky was clear and the breeze was gentle; the day for the newlyweds to enter the palace arrived in the blink of an eye. Among the newlyweds, Su Yun was the most glamorous, and she was assigned to a side hall of Chengqian Palace.
Everyone knows that Chengqian Palace is the residence of favored concubines. Currently, it is occupied by Consort Zhao, who enjoys the greatest favor. The fact that the Emperor arranged for her to reside in Chengqian Palace is enough to prove that she will be the number one favorite concubine in the future. Of course, whether this will displease Consort Zhao is another matter.
Su Yun learned about Gong Li's situation from the governess and was mentally prepared. With Consort Zhao being so arrogant, she was afraid she would get a beating, and she would have to be more careful in the future.
But so what? As long as he gains the Emperor's favor and becomes the head of the palace, he won't have to put up with Consort Zhao's temper anymore. As long as he can control the Emperor's heart, even the Empress and the most powerful Consort Xian in the harem won't dare to do anything to him.
It must be said that Su Yun's thinking was correct, even more so than many others. The most powerful person in the harem was Emperor Liang Yuan. Having won the emperor's favor and affection, one could naturally act with impunity in the harem, just like the former Empress Bai Yiran and Consort Zhao. They dared to act recklessly in the harem, disregarding the jealousy of other women, and bringing glory to their families, all because of Emperor Liang Yuan's favor.
The purpose of women in the imperial harem is to produce offspring and please the emperor; this is their primary function. If they lose these functions, their existence becomes meaningless. Su Yun is confident that she can become Emperor Liang Yuan's favorite, even surpassing Empress Bai Yiran, who was once the most favored concubine in the harem.
Chengqian Palace is magnificent and exquisite in every way, all of which are fine items bestowed by Emperor Liang Yuan. The garden is planted with large swathes of peony flowers, which are Consort Zhao's favorite flower and are exceptionally beautiful.
Autumn is not the season for peonies to bloom, but Chengqian Palace is filled with vast expanses of peonies, dancing in the wind and emitting a captivating fragrance that makes people unable to resist being immersed in their beauty.
These peonies were specially commissioned by Emperor Liang Yuan to be created by a florist, which is enough to show the great favor bestowed upon Consort Zhao.
Looking at the vast expanse of peony blossoms before him, Su Yun felt envious. This was true imperial favor; with a single command, the flowers could even bloom out of season.
Today, Su Yun is dressed in a light blue palace gown, with a green veil around her hand and her long hair flowing down her back, swaying gently in the breeze. She stands alone in front of a field of peonies, looking as ethereal as a fairy.
"Who are you? Why don't you kneel before Consort Zhao?" A shrill, arrogant voice came from behind, carried by a eunuch.
Su Yun turned and knelt down, his posture elegant and perfect, his head bowed, not daring to look around. He had just entered the palace today, and while the palace servants were unpacking their luggage, he had come out to relax. He had originally planned to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager later, but he hadn't expected to run into her so coincidentally.
"This concubine, Noble Lady Rou, Su Yun, greets Your Highness, Consort Zhao. May Your Highness live a thousand years!"
Dressed in a vibrant fuchsia palace gown, her slender and voluptuous figure was on full display. A bright red belt accentuated her extremely thin waist, and her face was exquisite and beautiful. The first impression she gave was one of striking beauty, and her captivating charm was irresistible.
Consort Zhao lazily stroked her hair, her eyes contemptuous, her tone casual with a hint of mockery, "So it was Consort Rou who stole the show on the day of the selection, huh? No wonder Consort Rou doesn't take me, a mere concubine, seriously. After all, the Emperor favors you so much. Perhaps in the future, I, Consort Zhao, will have to bow to you."
"This concubine dares not." These words were tantamount to a blow to the heart. If they didn't get out, wouldn't she become the public enemy of all the women in the harem? Su Yun's expression changed slightly, and she immediately kowtowed and cried out for justice.
"Your Highness Consort Zhao is as radiant as the sun and moon. How could I possibly compete with you? You are the Emperor's most beloved person, while I am but a lowly concubine. I have just entered the palace and am unfamiliar with the rules. I was planning to pay my respects to Your Highness Consort Zhao after I had finished packing, but I did not expect to meet you here. It was my fault, and I beg Your Highness's forgiveness."
Su Yun was quick-witted and her words of praise left everyone stunned. Even Consort Zhao's initially unfavorable mood improved considerably, since who doesn't want to hear nice things?
"Fine, I'll spare you this time since I'm in a good mood, but this is a one-time exception. You may escape the death penalty, but you won't escape punishment. I'll punish you by making you kneel for two hours, and then pay your respects to me. This will prevent outsiders from thinking that I, the Empress of Chengqian Palace, am unruly and laughing at me for not being able to discipline my concubines."
Consort Zhao spoke with a seductive and alluring tone, seemingly casual, her voice light and slow—this was quite a show of force.
She had heard of Su Yun's name long ago and was quite wary of her. When she first entered the palace, she was quite favored by the emperor and enjoyed his constant favor. Despite her wealthy family background, she was only granted the title of concubine. Su Yun's father, on the other hand, was merely a vice minister of the Ministry of Rites. Yet, she had been granted the title of noble lady and a high honorary title. The emperor's treatment of her was definitely not ordinary.
He never showed mercy to rivals in love, especially such formidable ones. She was just a minor noblewoman; did she really think she was the Virtuous Consort? She couldn't do anything to the Virtuous Consort, so why couldn't she do anything to a mere minor noblewoman?
Today is just the beginning. She will make sure Su Yun knows who is in charge of Chen Gan Palace, and who is the Emperor's most favored concubine. No one can shake that position.
"Your Majesty, I will obey your orders." What else could she do but obey? Su Yun smiled on the surface, but her heart was bleeding with hatred. She held a deep grudge against Consort Zhao.
"Xiaoqing, you must watch over him for two hours, not a moment less." Consort Zhao's lips curled slightly. Who was she trying to impress with this obedient act? He just couldn't stand these women, their hypocritical and two-faced behavior.
Unfortunately, a light rain began to fall from the sky, pattering down on Su Yun's face and body, ruining her makeup and wetting her clothes.
Su Yun's maid tried to help her up, but was stopped outside by Consort Zhao's people, her face full of heartache and resentment. Occasionally, some palace servants would pass by, looking at Su Yun with strange eyes, their gazes seemingly containing mockery.
As the face blurred, Su Yun's anger burned fiercely, and her hatred for Consort Zhao reached its peak. The world spun before her eyes, and Su Yun finally couldn't hold on any longer and fainted, crashing heavily into a puddle, splashing mud and water all over her face and body.
Xiao Qing, who was in charge of watching over him, panicked a little and hurriedly called for people to carry Su Yun back to fetch the imperial physician. After all, she was a noble lady personally appointed by the emperor, and it was not good that she had caused such a commotion over something.
The farce in Chengqian Palace was still going on, while Zhaoyang Palace was peaceful. Wuyou thought highly of Chu Wan and specially arranged for her to live in a side hall of Zhaoyang Palace.
This was the first time a new woman had ever entered Chaoyang Palace, and Wuyou disliked noise and bustle. Everyone in the palace knew that Wuyou held Chu Wan in high regard. They secretly envied Chu Wan, the daughter of a mere county magistrate, who had won the favor of the Imperial Concubine.
He will surely rise to prominence in the future and secure a place in the palace.
With the Imperial Concubine protecting her, even if she wasn't particularly favored, she could still live peacefully in the palace. Wuyou's actions were merely incidental, yet they filled Chu Wan with immense gratitude, making her wish she could give her life for Wuyou and determined to become Wuyou's person.
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