Soon it was Consort Chun's birthday. After lunch, everyone gathered at Zuoshi by the stream to admire the flowers. All the rare and precious flowers that bloom at this time of year could be found here, making it a truly beautiful spring garden.
Even though Ji Huan had seen the prosperity of modern times, she couldn't help but be amazed by it. The most dedicated florists cultivated the most beautiful flowers, which were arranged in a well-organized manner. Being in it, she felt as if she had become a flower fairy. The concubines among the flowers were shuttling among them. The flowers made her look beautiful, and she made the flowers look beautiful.
Ji Huan was admiring the flowers and didn't even notice that Consort Qing had arrived.
"Sister Rou."
When Ji Huan saw her, she returned a polite greeting: "Sister Qing."
“Sister Rou, this place is remote. Why don’t you go and talk to the other sisters?”
"Isn't Sister Qing here too?"
The two exchanged a smile, and Consort Qing covered her mouth with her handkerchief: "Indeed, it was elder sister who talked too much."
"How could it be that my sister is talking too much? It's just that neither my sister nor I like too much noise."
“My sister is right, I like hearing that.”
The two immediately started chatting and laughing. Consort Qing, Ji Huan had already figured her out. She was considered one of Consort Shu's people, though not exactly Consort Shu's pawn. However, since they were both selected ladies-in-waiting in the harem, Consort Qing was closer to Consort Shu.
Consort Qing was favored, but not with much affection.
The two chatted amidst the blooming flowers in the garden. Before long, a palace maid came over; she was a maidservant of the Empress.
"Greetings, Consort Qing and Consort Rou. All the ladies are here. Her Majesty the Empress invites you two to come over for a gathering to congratulate Consort Chun."
Ji Huan and Consort Qing exchanged a glance and said in unison, "We'll go over there now."
Ji Huan and Consort Qing followed the palace maids to the gathering place of the concubines.
Empress: "Today is Consort Chun's birthday, a joyous occasion for her. I wish Consort Chun all the best."
Consort Chun immediately replied, "Your Majesty, I thank Your Majesty for your wise words."
The Empress started the conversation, and everyone, according to their rank, began to offer their blessings to Consort Chun. Whether their intentions were sincere or not, the scene was quite lively.
Ji Huan also offered her blessings as the majority, but she didn't stand out. In this kind of occasion, at this time, not many people would notice her.
After offering their blessings to Consort Chun, everyone began to admire the flowers. Everyone had different preferences, and those whom Emperor Qianlong favored all possessed some talent. So, they began to recite poems about flowers.
Ji Huan listened with great interest, thinking that Emperor Qianlong was truly blessed to have so many beautiful and talented concubines.
The key point is that this group of people appears to be getting along very well on the surface.
Emperor Qianlong arrived at this time.
The Empress led everyone in bowing: "Greetings, Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace."
Emperor Qianlong personally helped the Empress up, and then said to the concubines, "My beloved concubines, please rise as well."
In private, Emperor Qianlong treated his concubines very well, but with the Empress present, the concubines seemed particularly worthless.
Ji Huan holds this view.
Emperor Qianlong's favorite wife was Empress Fucha, which is largely consistent with historical records. Empress Fucha was indeed a good empress; at the very least, she did not make things difficult for the concubines, nor did she have any interest in aborting the concubines in the harem.
"Shuhe, are you feeling any better?"
Shuhe was the maiden name of Empress Fucha.
The Empress smiled gently: "With Your Majesty's concern, I am much better. Today is Chun's birthday, Your Majesty should not neglect Chun."
Emperor Qianlong patted the Empress's hand with a smile, then looked at Consort Chun: "It is Jingyan's birthday today, and I will naturally not forget it."
As he spoke, Qianlong took Consort Chun's hand with his other hand. With his beautiful wife and concubine, the emperor and empress lived in harmony. How to put it, Ji Huan could not understand what Empress Fucha was feeling.
Qianlong's feelings for her were genuine, but his feelings for Consort Chun didn't seem fake either.
Things in the harem are hard to say, really hard to say!
Emperor Qianlong spoke with Consort Chun for a while, admired the flowers for a bit, and then the Empress spoke up: "The Tongle Garden has put on a play, and we've admired the flowers enough. Your Majesty, why don't we go and listen to the play?"
Emperor Qianlong nodded: "Alright, let's go."
The summer flowers are beautiful, but it's quite hot. It would be nice to rest, have some tea, and listen to some opera. The Empress's arrangement suits Qianlong's taste perfectly. He immediately added, "The Empress's arrangement is indeed thoughtful."
"We must put our heart into celebrating Chun's good days. As long as the Emperor and Chun are happy, that's all that matters."
The Empress smiled gently as always, and Qianlong laughed heartily, but he could not see the weariness in the Empress's eyes at all.
Ji Huan, however, was quite perceptive in sensing it.
Concealing the inappropriate curiosity in her eyes, she followed the others to Tongle Garden.
Emperor Qianlong loved art, whether he understood it or not is another matter, he really liked it, and he also loved opera. Tongleyuan was a place specifically for listening to opera.
The group sat inside the building watching the opera, listening to the sounds of the opera playing on the stage. To be honest, opera is very charming, but Ji Huan lives in modern times, and her fast-paced lifestyle makes her less accustomed to listening to these kinds of things.
She couldn't understand it, so naturally she couldn't appreciate it, but thinking that Emperor Qianlong liked it, she still looked extremely serious.
Imperial concubines must please the emperor. If it were any other emperor, they might try to attract attention by being unconventional in their choice of concubines. But not Qianlong. His tastes have remained unchanged for many years. He likes mature women and gentle women.
The idiom "I am the only one who matters" is perfectly embodied in him.
The first play chosen by Emperor Qianlong was "The Generals of the Yang Family." Consort Chun's smile faded considerably. "The Generals of the Yang Family" was a piece that Emperor Qianlong liked, and it wasn't that Consort Chun disliked it either. However, since it was her birthday, she wanted to hear something different, or something auspicious and blessed.
Emperor Qianlong was completely unaware of this.
After the performance of "The Generals of the Yang Family" ended, Emperor Qianlong chatted and laughed with the Empress, which made Consort Chun feel heartbroken.
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