Just now, when she reprimanded the Empress, everyone knew to plead for her, but Consort Ye alone remained silent.
It appears that the Ye family has united to bully the Empress...
What a great opportunity! What an idiot, hopeless.
After the Empress and the others left Ruining Palace, Yan Nangui said with a smile, "Although today is not the time for a formal greeting, since the Empress Dowager is here, why don't we also go and pay a visit to the Grand Empress Dowager?"
The Empress was taken aback, then smiled and said, "That's exactly what I was thinking. Then all those of the rank of Consort and above shall come, and the rest may go back first."
Everyone agreed, and those who were supposed to leave left.
The Empress Dowager didn't make things difficult for them. After saying a few words, she excused herself, saying she was tired, and told everyone to leave.
After everyone dispersed, they all went home.
Yan Nangui wasn't in a hurry to return, so he headed towards Buyun Bridge.
Since everyone else had gone back, she was the only one walking this way.
Following the bridge inwards, you'll soon reach Tingyun Pavilion.
There were people inside the pavilion.
Upon seeing her arrive, he hurriedly rose and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to Consort Yan."
Yan Nangui called out: "Imperial Consort Xiang, Attendant Yang, Attendant Feng."
The three of them quickly agreed.
Yan Nangui took a few more glances, and upon closer inspection, he noticed that Xiang Shi had fine lines!
This truly shocked her, and she reached out and lifted Xiang's chin.
Xiang trembled in fright, not daring to resist, her mind racing with thoughts of whether she had offended this person.
Yan Nangui frowned: "I remember you're about the same age as me?"
Xiang Yunu trembled again in fright, but thankfully Yan Nangui let go.
"Your Majesty, I am twenty-two years old this year."
Yan Nangui nodded, said nothing, and didn't go up to the pavilion, but instead wandered off to the side.
Only after walking a distance did he say, "So many wrinkles at twenty-two?"
“This must be because she has had a difficult time these past few years,” Yuanhua said.
"Yes, I heard that after they entered the palace, they lacked food and clothing where they lived, and the charcoal fire was not good in winter," Chanyi said.
"Tsk, how sad must it be?" Yan Nangui thought about it and still found it unbelievable.
“Some people don’t have wrinkles even in their thirties or forties, that’s just how some people are,” Yuanhua added.
Yan Nangui nodded, then shook his head: "I still remember when this Xiang family member entered the manor, she was quite the star for a few days. She was as delicate as a flower. In the blink of an eye, she no longer has that chance."
Chanyi also laughed and said, "Yes, back then in the manor, I was not well-behaved, and this is how I ended up. Now I'm just going through the motions. It's good that I'm still doing well. I'm not even as good as those two. I heard that Yang Shiyu has never actually served the emperor properly, she only served our emperor. She was originally brought back to the manor with Xiangxian Consort."
"Oh?" Yan Nangui nodded.
He thought to himself that it was true; back when Shu Chengfeng was unmarried, he did indeed have palace maids serving him.
Later, he lent out all the money.
Presumably, this Yang family has nowhere to go.
She knew about Madam Feng; she was a beauty presented to the emperor by the servants. Unfortunately, she was just a maidservant when she was in the household.
"Find an opportunity to ask the elders in the household about the past of these two people."
The two maids agreed.
Yan Nangui wandered around for a while longer, but then felt a bit hot and went back.
It was lunchtime, and she looked at the black chicken soup on the table.
The soup has a slightly yellow color, not from oil, but from chicken broth.
It looks delicious.
"Send this soup to Chuyun Pavilion."
"Yes, then what should we talk about?" Chanyi asked.
"I won't say," Yan Nangui smiled.
Chanyi agreed, packed it up, and asked a young eunuch outside to deliver it.
Inside the Cloud Pavilion, the surprise at receiving the gifts from Consort Yan was greater than the joy.
The Xiang family dared not eat it at all.
Fortunately, Madam Yang and Madam Feng believed they had never offended Consort Yan, so they decided not to waste such a good thing.
So they ate it.
Because of their low status, they didn't dare to express their gratitude just for a bowl of soup, lest people say they were trying to curry favor. They thought they would express their gratitude when they met again in the future.
The morning glories here are blooming beautifully again as the wild geese fly south.
Zhaochun Palace is large enough that morning glories only occupy a small portion of the space, while roses bloom in the majority of the area.
There are so many roses here, pink and red, single-petaled and double-petaled, big and small, covering an entire wall.
Some palace maids who climbed over the wall would sometimes take it off and wear it on their heads when they passed by.
It was not unusual for palace maids to wear flowers in their hair.
If you're too lazy to go to the Imperial Garden, it's no big deal to pick a few flowers since you're just passing by.
They don't care about the geese flying south.
She doesn't wear these herself; they wilt easily, and wilted clothes look awful.
When Consort Huo came to visit, she exclaimed, "Sister, this place is so beautiful, it's full of flowers."
"Yes, I didn't expect her to be so good-looking," Yan Nangui said with a smile.
She has magnolias, crabapples, peach blossoms, roses, jasmine, and morning glories here.
It really comes in batches.
The two sat and talked under the rose bushes.
We chatted until we reached the Dragon Boat Festival.
"I had thought that the Empress would be choosing a wife for His Majesty on her birthday. Fortunately, His Majesty himself issued an edict to postpone it."
It wasn't exactly a direct postponement; it just said that during the Dragon Boat Festival, each family would bring their daughters to the palace to accompany the Empress Dowager.
His Majesty said he would bring it during the Dragon Boat Festival, but you brought it in on the Empress's birthday. Are you trying to embarrass the Empress?
So this time no one is there to guide us.
Therefore, the Empress Dowager did not invite her niece to attend.
"She's still the Empress after all," Yan Nangui smiled.
"Yes, His Majesty still cherishes the Empress's dignity. In my opinion, it would have been better if she hadn't come in. Even His Majesty doesn't have enough to go around. It's been so long since the mourning period ended, and look, I haven't even gotten any yet." Consort Huo shook her head with a smile.
“Then my sister should go to His Majesty herself; we should share the spoils,” Yan Nangui said with a smile.
"Oh well, I guess it's my turn. I'd feel a little embarrassed to go by myself."
The two were telling jokes when the Queen's men arrived.
He was holding something.
The wild geese flew south, and I rose to leave.
The visitor greeted, "Greetings to Consort Yan and Consort Huo."
"Get up, Your Majesty the Empress..." Yan Nangui asked.
"Oh, Her Majesty the Empress was just tidying up and found some fabrics and jewelry. They look very suitable for you. She also sent a few pieces to Consort Xiangxian. These are all for you. Now that the mourning period is over, Her Majesty said that you should dress up nicely and not be too plain."
Yan Nangui accepted the gift with a smile, instructed someone to give the visitor a reward, thanked the Empress, and then had the visitor escorted out.
The fabric is indeed good; it's a fine product.
Presumably, it was a gift from the Empress to thank her for speaking up for her to the Empress Dowager.
Yan Nangui accepted it without hesitation.
Huo Zhaorong remained silent for a while, then someone from her Guiyun Pavilion came to call her, saying that His Majesty had summoned her to serve him in bed tonight. She was told to go back and prepare.
Huo Zhaorong hurriedly left.
Yan Nangui laughed: "If someone were petty, they would think she came here to show off."
“Of course not, there’s no such thing as showing off. You never need to make such advance arrangements when you serve the emperor,” Jiangxiang said with a smile.
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