"Your Highness, how should we present gifts to Consort Xiangxian?" Jiangxiang asked.
"No rush, let's wait and see. We'll just follow the crowd and make sure we don't make any mistakes. Tsk, she just had her birthday a while ago, and it was a huge celebration. Now she's pregnant again. She's definitely the most favored concubine in the harem." Yan Nangui smiled slyly.
Luo Kui asked, puzzled, "Your Highness, you...aren't you angry?"
“It’s natural to get angry with outsiders. But not with internal matters. This is good.” Yan Nangui smiled again.
"Yes." Luo Kui smiled ingratiatingly, though she herself didn't know what the Empress was thinking.
Everyone in the harem offered their congratulations, unlike the younger concubines who were pregnant.
As a result, the geese returned south to follow the crowd, and everyone else did too.
Surprisingly, no one had delivered it yet.
Jiang Xiang smiled and said, "Among the second-rank imperial concubines, you are the highest-ranking. If you don't offer a gift... who would dare to go first?"
The wild geese flew south, speechless, but in the end, they still sent it off first. It was nothing more than clothes and jewelry, which had even been examined by the imperial physician.
It was raining outside. Yan Nangui stood at the door, watching Shuanzi and the others return.
They replied from the corridor: "The things have all been delivered, and as you said, you told Consort Xiangxian to rest more, so please don't disturb her. When we returned, we happened to meet the people from Beichen Palace. They delivered a lot of fabric, saying it was for Consort Xiangxian to make new clothes."
"These past few days, you've been giving me rewards every day?" Yan Nangui asked with a smile.
Shuanzi was also afraid of upsetting her: "After all, it's different when a high-ranking concubine is pregnant."
"Hehe, it's different. This time, they don't care about the Empress Dowager's face at all." After that incident, Ye Xiaoyi was ruined.
At this moment, His Majesty's behavior... tsk, she couldn't believe he wasn't trying to annoy the Empress Dowager.
Consort Xiangxian is truly capable; she just happened to reveal it at this crucial moment.
As the rain outside intensified, it was almost noon. Just as she was about to ask someone to prepare a meal, the person she had been thinking about for so long actually came out in the rain.
"Why did Your Majesty travel so far in this rain?"
"Isn't it because you live too far away?" Shu Chengfeng came all the way from Beichen Palace, which is really far.
"Then why can't we come on a nicer day?" Yan Nangui said with a smile.
“If it were anyone else, they would just say to send someone to deliver the message, and I will go myself. But you, you’re complaining about me?” Shu Chengfeng said.
"His Majesty also said it was someone else. By 'someone else,' I mean someone different from others. If everyone were the same, what would happen?" Yan Nangui said with a smile as she untied his outer cloak.
“You always have something to say, and I can’t argue with you. Hurry up and set out the meal; I’m hungry too,” Shu Chengfeng said.
Once inside, he changed his shoes, washed his hands, and waited for dinner.
However, on rainy days, the meals don't arrive as quickly because he wasn't notified beforehand, so they have to be changed.
So there was time to talk.
"What have you been doing these past few days?" Shu Chengfeng asked.
"What else can I do? I'll greet you in the morning, then come back. If it's not hot, I'll wander around. If it's hot, I'll come back and lie down," Yan Nangui said, taking a sip of hot tea.
"It looks rather monotonous," Shu Chengfeng laughed at her.
"I think it's fine, not boring at all. Unlike His Majesty, who's incredibly busy with both the court and the harem." Yan Nangui snorted.
"Isn't that what I'm here for?" Shu Chengfeng probably thought she was jealous.
"Oh, at least you came to see me in this heavy rain, I'm already very grateful. So many people are waiting to see Your Majesty, but they still can't get a chance."
"Tang'er is such a sensible person? I'm quite surprised." Shu Chengfeng said, reaching out to pinch her cheek.
She's been eating and drinking well lately and has gained some weight.
She no longer looks overly thin. In fact, she has gained more charm than before.
In the past, it was like a pink magnolia on a branch in early spring—beautiful, elegant, and charming, yet always carrying a hint of pride, arrogance, and even unpredictability.
But now, her beauty has gained a touch of tenderness and languor, making her more like a noble raccoon who has accepted you, still wild but approachable.
If we were to use flowers as a metaphor, she would be more like a peach blossom in spring, not yet in full bloom, but with a subtle and graceful charm.
In any case, it's generally difficult to define Shu Chengfeng accurately.
After a while, you start to feel like she's more like something else.
But I must say, she is captivating.
Your allure is so captivating that you can't see the end of it.
"Your Majesty's gaze is making my heart flutter so hard it's about to burst," Yan Nangui said, reaching out to pinch the emperor's cheek.
Shu Chengfeng has long since lost the slight baby fat that was still faintly visible back then.
Although he was still young, he was already an emperor with an imposing presence.
Apart from him, none of his children dared to lay a hand on him.
However, Shu Chengfeng was used to her being like this, so he just frowned and let her be.
After all, he was the only one who would treat the emperor's hair as a toy.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please have your meal," Yuanhua said from outside.
The two of them went out into the outer room, where a table was set with food.
Shu Chengfeng frowned and said, "Who served this dish? Take it away."
He pointed to a dish of chives and shrimp.
Shuanzi hurriedly knelt down: "The kitchen sent it according to the example given to His Majesty. If His Majesty does not like it, this servant will take it away." With that, he got up and took it away.
Shu Chengfeng said nothing and led Yan Nangui to sit down.
Yan Nangui simply smiled and placed a piece of food on his plate.
It was she who didn't eat chives, not Shu Chengfeng.
As she ate, she thought to herself, "Shu Chengfeng is such an interesting person."
Once that dish was removed from the kitchen, the kitchen would naturally find out.
It was clear that the food was removed because Consort Yan refused to eat it.
In the kitchen, everyone was trying to curry favor with the locals at these times.
Needless to say, Consort Xiangxian received all the best gifts.
Although Luo Wanyi and Jiang Guiyi did not receive such grand ceremonies, they were both pregnant with imperial heirs, and many people were eager to curry favor with them.
Even Qu Jieyu, who had already suffered a miscarriage, was now being fawned over by many people because of her promotion.
Although no one dared to neglect Zhaochun Palace, there are two different concepts: not neglecting it and being eager to please it.
With His Majesty's actions today, things are different.
Before the kitchen staff could harbor any ill intentions, they all went along with it.
Tsk, Consort Yan is truly one of the most capable women in the harem. So what if she's remarried? So what if she doesn't have children? She just knows how to win His Majesty's heart.
However, this was the kitchen staff's idea.
They didn't have any other ideas about sewing rooms or anything like that.
Tsk, look at this master's clothes and attire! Even the most favored wouldn't be so extravagant.
The Imperial Household Department, from the moment they entered the palace, mysteriously felt that Consort Yan was someone special, and never slacked off in the slightest.
In short, this was the emperor's good intention.
I appreciate the wild geese returning south.
It's always a good thing when someone is kind to you, no matter when.
When someone is kind to you, just accept it and don't think about how they might be kind to others as well.
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