Chapter 460 Once you enter the palace gates, it's like entering a deep sea.
Tang Qianran looked slightly embarrassed. The banquet was naturally organized by the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Household Department. She only needed to give some instructions. The same thing would be done this year as in previous years.
She had also heard that the envoys from various countries had attended the emperor's enthronement ceremony and had not yet returned, eager to witness the grand spectacle of the Lantern Festival in the Great Zhou Kingdom. As a mere woman in the inner palace, she didn't really need to worry about such matters.
Tang Qianran clenched her fingers and said loudly, "This must be kept secret, of course. Consort Song will find out in time."
"Your Majesty, I eagerly await the surprises that Consort Tang will bring us," Song Qing said with a smile, as if to say that Consort Tang had planned and organized this grand and solemn Lantern Festival.
Jiang Fenghua sat calmly to one side. The Lantern Festival was indeed one of the more grand and festive festivals. In previous years, the festivals in the palace were organized by the Imperial Household Department, while those outside the palace were naturally organized by the Ministry of Rites. The streets of Shengjing City would be decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations for the people to enjoy at night, as well as activities such as guessing lantern riddles.
However, women in the palace were not allowed to freely leave the palace to enjoy the lanterns and stroll around the streets, and she had not participated in the Lantern Festival outside the palace for three years.
Once you enter the palace gates, it's like entering a deep sea.
Seeing everyone's enthusiasm, the Empress Dowager was also very pleased. She continued, "There is another matter that I have been worrying about for a long time. When the late Emperor was about to pass away, he held my hand and promised him that he would make the Xie family prosperous and its descendants flourish. At present, the Emperor's offspring are still very few!"
When the late emperor was mentioned, everyone observed a moment of silence as a sign of respect.
"The Empress has made a contribution in terms of bearing children, and I am very pleased," the Empress Dowager said again.
Tang Qianran wanted to gain favor, so she added, "There are many younger sisters in the harem who haven't seen the Emperor yet. They are all top-notch beauties. Your Majesty, please take a look at them."
The Empress Dowager said, "I really can't recognize them all. Please stand up and I will look at them one by one."
At this moment, everyone was overjoyed and hoped that the Empress Dowager would give them some pointers.
Tang Qianran said, "Reporting to the Empress Dowager, this is Shu Ronghua. She is the daughter of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. She looks very gentle and charming."
Shu Yan slowly rose and bowed to the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager said happily, "She is beautiful."
When the Empress Dowager bestowed titles upon them, she did so based on their family background.
Immediately afterwards, Helan Yanran slowly bowed.
"Very well, I remember you. Back then, I discussed with the Emperor and bestowed upon you the name 'Lan'. Indeed, you are as noble and elegant as an orchid. Consort Lan, daughter of Marquis Helan of Changping."
Helan Yanran gave a slight curtsy and replied, "Yes."
Of the young women Jiang Fenghua selected for Xie Shang, only two were pawns she intended to use; the rest came from impeccable families. The royal family needed heirs, and the cleanliness of the heirs' maternal families was beneficial to the country.
After the concubines entered the palace, she devoted herself to their training and treated them with tolerance, never being harsh, because she knew how unbearable it was to be bullied. Now, how many of the people present can remember her kindness?
Tang Qianran gained the Empress Dowager's favor overnight, as if all these concubines had received her favor and she was preparing to send them to the Emperor's bed.
Before the Empress Dowager could recognize everyone, Jiang Fenghua bowed to the Empress Dowager, citing feeling unwell. The Empress Dowager's attention was not on her, and she didn't come to her senses until she left Cining Palace.
Before the imperial concubine selection, the Empress Dowager would arrange for the concubines in the harem to serve her in bed.
As soon as Jiang Fenghua left Cining Palace, Gao Qingtong and Consort Song followed her out. "Your Majesty, let me accompany you!"
Song Qing said, "Tang Qianran is such an ingrate. If it weren't for Her Majesty the Empress protecting the child in her womb, would she still be so arrogant now?"
Gao Qingtong said, "Our Empress is also thinking about His Majesty's offspring. The child is innocent. It's not because of her. It is said that saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. Your Majesty is a kind-hearted person. These are all Your Majesty's merits. It's all based on your own heart."
Jiang Fenghua smiled slightly, "Consort Gao's little mouth is getting sweeter and sweeter."
“What I said is true. I think the late Emperor must have known that Your Majesty was a kind-hearted person to bestow the title of Empress upon you. With Your Majesty around, the harem will not be in chaos,” Gao Qingtong added.
Song Qing was dumbfounded. "Gao Zhaoyi is usually aloof, but when it comes to flattery, even I, Song Qing, am ashamed of myself."
The group was chatting and laughing when Zhang Jingjing, Wen Yu, Chen Jiawei, and Fang Yao came out.
The women respectfully greeted, "Your Majesty, we pay our respects."
Jiang Fenghua said, "Don't stay any longer." Now that the Empress Dowager controls the power in the inner palace, it will be beneficial for them to curry favor with her.
"Your Majesty, I also wish to go with you," Zhang Jingjing said.
Fang Yao also said, "We can tell the difference between good and bad. The Empress was strict with us back then because she was thinking of us. Before I entered the palace, I heard people say that the inner palace was a place that devoured people, but the East Palace was very safe. We all know that it was the Empress who was protecting us."
Chen Jiawei, being rather shy, chimed in, "Exactly."
Wen Yu also said, "Your Majesty is a good person."
The group's back-and-forth banter left Jiang Fenghua bewildered; she was no good person.
Gao Qingtong then asked Consort Song, "Where did Your Highness hear that there would be envoys attending this year's Lantern Festival?" They were both deep within the palace and naturally knew nothing about the situation in the court or outside the palace.
“My uncle has returned to the capital. He was originally stationed at the border, but he received an imperial decree to return to the capital to visit his family. Actually, it's also because my maternal grandmother has passed away. Now that I'm a palace servant, I can't leave the palace to pay my respects to my maternal grandmother.” Her eyes were red.
Jiang Fenghua glanced at her. No wonder Song Qing was dressed rather plainly. However, as a royal consort, she could not wear mourning clothes for others.
Jiang Fenghua returned to Chenxi Palace. She was thinking about how the Hu tribe had withdrawn their troops and signed a letter of surrender. She wondered if the Hu tribe would also send envoys to the Great Zhou Kingdom this time.
Xie Shang sent people to search for Su Qingqing's whereabouts, but she seemed to have vanished without a trace, as if she had never appeared.
Someone was secretly watching Xie Ling'er, but nothing happened.
She wondered: Could the reason they couldn't find Su Qingqing's whereabouts be because she had infiltrated the envoys?
Su Xuan is colluding with the Hu tribe prince. Could the Hu tribe king be colluding with the Su family? Su Xuan had a year to prepare for his rebellion, but apart from the significant movements of the Su family army, the Hu tribe did not participate.
Since Xie Shang personally went to the border to have them sign a letter of surrender, there has been no news of the Hu tribe launching another attack on the Great Zhou.
She wasn't sure if the Su family and the Hu tribe were allies. Knowing that the Su family had rebelled and been wiped out, and that the Su family and the Hu tribe were even enemies, he was even less likely to help Su Qingqing, unless the Hu tribe's king was also deceived, or that she wasn't called Su Qingqing now, but had changed her name.
They had already sent a message to the border asking Tan Wanqing and Jiang Zhiqin to find out Su Qingqing's whereabouts, but they had not received a reply.
Qin Yunyan stayed quietly in the laundry department and didn't have any further contact with anyone.
All I can say is that Su Qingqing is far too cautious.
Xie Shang told her not to interfere in Su Qingqing's affairs, and only to take good care of her pregnancy.
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