Qin Ge had no choice but to sleep in Jun Chenbi's arms all night.
the next day.
After Jun Chenbi went to court, the Clothing Bureau sent more than a dozen newly made sets of clothes to Huayin Palace.
Because His Majesty disliked the fragrance on Consort Xian's clothes, he ordered all the clothes that had been scented to be replaced.
However, to those unaware of the true situation, this appeared to be the Emperor's unparalleled favor towards Consort Xian.
The eyes of all the powerful clans in the capital were drawn to the emperor's harem, eager to send their daughters into the palace to share in this favor.
Although the emperor has not shown special favor to Prime Minister Qin recently because his favorite concubine comes from the prime minister's family, who doesn't envy the Qin family for having such a good daughter who treats Prime Minister Qin with deference?
The Qin family has not yet been granted any titles or rewards because the Prime Minister is already at the pinnacle of his position, second only to the emperor, and there is nothing more he can bestow upon him.
However, some of their families had no other way to be granted titles, so they planned to rely on nepotism and marriage to help the entire family take another big step up!
The Prime Minister of Qin has been riding high at court lately. He had thought that the concubine's daughter was just a small pebble to test the waters, but who would have thought that she was actually a diamond in the rough and is now a favored concubine who is high above him.
Back at the Prime Minister's residence, his wife told him about sending a token to the palace to visit the Virtuous Consort. Prime Minister Qin pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Visiting the Consort is the proper thing to do, but it is inconvenient for me to enter the inner palace. I will have to trouble you, Madam."
The First Madam smiled and said, "It is my duty to share the burdens of my husband."
Prime Minister Qin continued, "There are many precious tonics in the storeroom. Although all the rarest treasures in the world are in the palace, we still need to let Consort Xian know the intentions of our Qin family."
The First Madam's eyes flickered, then deepened. "My lord, I understand."
She paused, then changed the subject, "My lord, I understand your meaning. However, Her Highness's birth mother passed away early, and I was in charge of all the affairs of the Prime Minister's residence, so I neglected to care for the concubine's daughters. Although I never mistreated them, I was worried about having Her Highness replace Manwu in the palace..."
What follows is highly disrespectful and cannot be spoken aloud, but any intelligent person understands.
Prime Minister Qin frowned, clearly his wife's words had struck a chord with him.
Wasn't sending the First Madam to the palace with expensive tonics an attempt to rebuild his relationship with this daughter he had previously neglected?
"What are your thoughts, Madam?" Prime Minister Qin asked.
The First Madam smiled gently and sweetly, "I wouldn't call myself a wise woman. I'm just a woman confined to the inner quarters; all I can do for you, sir, is share your burdens and offer words of comfort..."
"My lord, this time when I go to the palace, I plan to bring Manwu with me. I'll let her stay in the palace for a few days so she can get to know the Empress better. Manwu has been clever since she was a child. She will definitely talk to the Empress about the principle that the prosperity of the court and the harem are intertwined, and the loss of one is the loss of the other."
"What does the master think?"
Prime Minister Qin's eyes lit up slightly, "Excellent!"
Compared to a distant illegitimate daughter, Qin Manwu, the legitimate daughter who wholeheartedly cared for the Qin family, entering the palace and gaining the emperor's favor, naturally put him at ease.
As for whether Qin Manwu will win the emperor's favor...
Prime Minister Qin never thought that Qin Manwu was incapable. Could it be that his Qin family's carefully nurtured legitimate daughter was inferior to a concubine's daughter?
．
On the day Madam Qin submitted her petition to the palace, she saw all sorts of precious tonics and rare treasures being carried out of the Qin family's storeroom like water. Upon learning that they were intended for Qin Ge, Qin Manwu's eyes turned red with jealousy.
The doctor's description of the clever and beautiful eldest daughter of the Qin family was met with discontent. She grumbled, "Mother, what good things are there in the palace? I heard that His Majesty has bestowed wave after wave of rewards upon Huayin Palace, with countless treasures. Why should we give so many good things to that concubine's daughter for nothing?"
In Qin Manwu's eyes, all these good things belonged to her.
Qin Manwu was naturally unhappy that the money had been taken by a concubine's daughter, and she spoke without restraint.
For the first time, the First Madam's gentle yet hypocritical face revealed a sharp edge as she addressed her legitimate daughter, saying, "Shut up! Qin Manwu, the concubine's daughter you speak of is now His Majesty's favored concubine. She is now the ruler, and our Qin family are her subjects. No matter how dissatisfied you are, you must kowtow and greet Qin Ge as Your Highness when you enter the palace today. If you cannot do so, you need not enter the palace today. Stay in the mansion and reflect on your actions!"
Qin Manwu looked panicked. "Mother, I promise I will listen to you and never talk nonsense again. I must go to the palace today, otherwise I don't know when I will be able to see His Majesty."
But in my heart I was thinking:
Is this the power of becoming a favored concubine? Even her mother, the first wife of the Prime Minister's mansion, had to treat a concubine's daughter with utmost respect.
...She must also win His Majesty's favor!
Qin Manwu clenched her fists, her beautiful eyes revealing a determined light.
．
After entering the palace, Qin Manwu obediently followed the First Madam without making a single mistake. She suppressed all her jealousy towards Qin Ge and displayed the proper upbringing of a legitimate daughter of a prime minister's family.
This prompted the palace maids to praise Qin Manwu, saying she truly deserved to be called a lady from a prestigious family.
Even when she saw Qin Ge sitting on the phoenix chair in the main hall of Huayin Palace, with a high and mighty posture, Qin Manwu could still kneel down and smile: "This subject greets Your Majesty."
Qin Ge, however, felt slightly uncomfortable due to the strange attitudes and terms of address used by the First Madam and Qin Manwu.
I sighed inwardly.
Being a cross-dressing man isn't easy; you're constantly being called "Empress."
The First Madam sat respectfully at the lower end, saying she was there to keep the Empress company.
Qin Ge didn't want to talk to her.
However, we still have to follow the rules and procedures.
Finally, the First Madam, after chatting about various things, brought up Qin Manwu and revealed her purpose, "...It is Your Highness's first time entering the palace, and His Majesty's harem is currently empty. Your Highness must feel lonely and uncomfortable. Why not let Manwu stay in the palace for a few days to keep Your Highness company and chat with her?"
Qin Ge dressed up as a woman for the first time and even became a concubine in the palace, but that doesn't mean he didn't understand what palace intrigue was.
In one of the worlds where he became emperor, there were women who went so far as to seduce him and want to become his favorite concubine, and ministers who went to great lengths to stuff people into his harem. Qin Ge was not unfamiliar with this kind of thing.
He just found it amusing.
He used to be a highly sought-after man, fought over by many women; now he's just one of those many 'women.' Life is always full of such drama...
However, Qin Ge nodded and agreed.
He will eventually leave the palace, shed his status as a virtuous concubine, and make great strides in the court.
Qin Manwu's entry into the palace will not harm his interests; however, whether she becomes a favored concubine depends on her own abilities.
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