"Your Majesty, please speak."
Empress Duan probed, "The Emperor said yesterday that he wanted to bring Madam Qi into the palace."
Concubine Shu's expression suddenly turned into astonishment. "I don't understand. Your Majesty, could you please explain it more clearly?"
"The Emperor wants Madam Nazi to be his concubine and bring the child into the palace."
Concubine Shu felt as if her head was struck by a loud thunder and felt dizzy. "Is what the Queen said true?"
Empress Duan went on to say, "It is absolutely true. The Emperor, mindful of General Qi's friendship, arranged a marriage between your nephew and Le Wen, and also ordered that Madam Qi be brought into the palace. By the way, what is her name?"
"Sheng Xiyan." Concubine Shu felt her palms go cold. When did the emperor fall in love with Sheng Xiyan?
It must have been that day when they first met in Zhongcui Palace. Right under her nose, the man she loved fell in love with another woman, and she felt an inexplicable sense of frustration in her chest.
Empress Duan carefully observed the changes in Concubine Shu's expression and concluded that Sheng Xiyan was not a tool she had planted to consolidate her favor, and she was overjoyed.
"Sheng...Xi...Yan, I can tell from the name she's an elegant beauty."
"Empress, how can Sheng Xiyan enter the palace without the child? If everyone in the world knows, where will the emperor's dignity be?"
Empress Duan stroked the jade ruyi and said unhappily, "That's what the emperor meant. It's hard to disobey the emperor's will. You and I just need to do as we are told."
"I understand."
"Shufei, I am confident in your work. I will allow you to leave the palace tomorrow and visit Prince E's family. We will handle this matter together. The letter of release must be obtained. Sheng Xiyan must enter the palace with a clean record."
Concubine Shu thought of something else, "Empress, women observe mourning for three years, and Sheng Xiyan has only been in mourning for a little over a year. How can she enter the palace?"
"The Emperor has changed the policy. Women, like men, can remarry after a year of mourning. The announcement will be made to the public in the next few days."
"I understand." Concubine Shu knelt down and bowed.
After she left, Empress Duan said with a smile, "I can rest assured to bring Sheng Xiyan into the palace. The Emperor is interested in her, and Concubine Shu's good days as a favorite concubine will soon be over."
Qing Dai said, "Your Majesty wants this young widow to win your favor? Could this be Concubine Shu's scheme? She pretended to be surprised."
As soon as he finished speaking, a palace maid came in. She was the person sent out of the palace by Queen Duan to find out the situation.
"In reply to your Majesty, I have learned from outside the palace that the Prince and his wife of Prince E's mansion are trying to seize Madam Qi's son. This has spread throughout the capital. The day before yesterday, when the Emperor left the palace, he even encountered Prince E trying to seize the young master."
Empress Duan listened carefully and said with great certainty, "Shufei is a very jealous person. I am very sure that Sheng Xiyan is the one favored by the emperor, and not a pawn for her to consolidate her favor. This is very good. I must handle this matter well and make the emperor happy."
Concubine Shu walked out of Jingren Palace, feeling extremely confused. She had been planning in the palace for more than three years and had been extremely cautious. Now that Sheng Xiyan had entered the palace, she felt a sense of loss she had never felt before.
The Emperor liked her? Impossible. The Emperor had never been interested in women and was indifferent to matters of love. Even in the past few years in the palace, everyone, including herself, thought that she was the favorite concubine, but Xuan Ling never got close to her.
Concubine Shu believed that this was the majesty and aloofness that an emperor should have.
Why would you risk the whole world's opposition and marry a widow with children?
Back at Zhongcui Palace, the head maid, Hongxiu, comforted her, "Your Majesty, don't be sad. This is a good thing for Prince E's Mansion. After all, the Second Madam belongs to our Palace. Besides, how can she survive in the palace without any family background?"
Concubine Shu came to her senses. "Yes, Sheng Xiyan will have to rely on me and Prince E's Mansion in the future. You reminded me well. I almost fell into unnecessary exhaustion. I will return to the mansion tomorrow and must complete the tasks assigned by the emperor to make him happy."
"Your Majesty is right to think so. It seems that the substance is effective. It looks like the Queen's body is becoming more and more exhausted."
Concubine Shu glanced at her and said with a wicked smile, "The Queen loves needlework. As long as she keeps embroidering while pregnant, there's no chance of this baby being born."
Hatred was swirling in her heart. She had never stopped coveting the position of queen. As for the prince, she didn't have one, so the queen couldn't have one either.
The next day, Concubine Shu returned to Prince E's Mansion. When everyone heard her talk about the emperor's decree, they were all shocked.
The Crown Prince's Consort said, "Sheng Xiyan is so good, she does great things quietly and fools all of us! So the person she seduced wasn't Prince Teng, but the Emperor?"
Prince E was overjoyed and said, "It is a great blessing to be able to raise Jiang Jiang in the palace. He is being raised as a prince and married to the eldest princess. In the future, the emperor will definitely use Jiang Jiang and support our Prince E's Palace."
Princess E wept and said, "But if this happens, we won't be able to see our grandson."
Prince E cursed, "Woman's kindness, what is not better than the emperor's great grace, glory and wealth?"
Concubine Shu took the seat and gave the order, "Father, have someone write a letter of release. I will take it to Sheng Xiyan and ask her to prepare for entering the palace."
At noon, Concubine Shu bid farewell to Prince E's Mansion and went to Grand Hyatt Inn.
Prince Teng was shocked. "Your humble servant respectfully invites the Empress Shufei to come in."
Sheng Xiyan and Jiang Jiang knelt down in the first floor lobby to welcome them.
Concubine Shu said, "Get up. Sheng Xiyan will go and talk to me."
In the Baihua Hall on the first floor, there were only two people in the huge private room, which seemed empty and quiet.
Sheng Xi Paint thought that Concubine Shu came in person, which must be the emperor's order. He guessed what the order was.
"Sheng Xiyan, when did you seduce the emperor?"
Huh? "What do you mean, Madam?"
Concubine Shu sneered and said, "You don't have to hide it."
She took out the release book and slammed it on the table.
Sheng Xiyan opened it and was a little frightened. She stared at Fang Lishu in a daze.
He pretended to say, "My lady, what are you doing? I will never marry in my life."
Concubine Shu chuckled and said sarcastically, "Sheng Xiyan, there's no need to act. To be honest, the emperor wants you to enter the palace as a concubine. You can bring Jiang Jiang with you, and he has also arranged a marriage for Jiang Jiang and Princess Le Wen."
Is this the emperor's solution?
Sheng Xiyan was delighted that the dilemma of separation between mother and child had been resolved.
What makes me uneasy is the way to enter the palace as a concubine.
To be honest, she had secretly used some beauty tricks a few times before to win the emperor's favor. She thought that even if she had to sell her body and become a concubine for the emperor's enjoyment in his spare time, it would not be impossible, as long as it could ensure that she and Jiangjiang could settle down.
But entering the palace as a concubine was something she had never considered.
"Sheng Xiyan, should I thank you for your skills on behalf of Ah Yan?"
"Your Majesty, may I see the Emperor?"
Concubine Shu was getting even more angry. "Why, you want the Emperor to come and invite you into the palace? Don't you know who you are and how much you weigh?"
She stood up and said arrogantly, "In five days, someone from the palace will come to take you into the palace."
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