Geng Yulin was furious and acted recklessly, relying on his father's position in the court.
Seeing her former ally being bullied, Ruan Yumu, who was usually too lazy to argue, slowly spoke up, "No matter how the sisters here serve the Emperor, it is the Emperor's own choice. Men, after all, it is inevitable that they will occasionally change their tastes. What's wrong, Consort Shuyuan? Just because you have never received the Emperor's favor, do you think that the sisters are all wrong?"
When she opened her mouth, she was astonishing. Ruan Yu and Mu San's words hit Geng Yulin right where it hurts. In this harem, everyone knows that in the year since she took power, the emperor has never visited her Jiayu Palace. How ridiculous that is!
“Consort Mu, you!” Geng Yulin stood up and pointed at Ruan Yu Mu.
"Alright, alright, today is my celebration of being made a concubine. What? Are you trying to disrespect me?" Li Qingzhou couldn't stand it anymore. How could someone dare to show off on his turf?
"Yes, Consort Qing!" Geng Yulin said through gritted teeth, his words filled with dissatisfaction.
"The Emperor's gift has arrived, Consort Qing. Please come to the courtyard to receive it!" the eunuch announced as he entered.
"Oh? This Emperor is really something. He sent over quite a few good things last night, and he's still thinking of me today. Well then, let's go out and take a look!" Li Qingzhou pretended to support his back as he walked out.
"So what if she's pregnant? It's not like I can't have children. As long as the Emperor comes here, I'll definitely have more children than Consort Mu. Look at her smug face, it's disgusting!" Geng Yulin continued to complain.
Li Qingzhou pretended not to hear and slowly got up and walked towards the door.
"Your Highness, receive the imperial decree!" Xiao Shunzi held the imperial edict and prepared to read it aloud.
The concubines all knelt down properly. Li Qingzhou was about to kneel down when Xiao Shunzi helped her up. "Your Highness Consort Qing, His Majesty, out of consideration for your recent pregnancy, has granted you permission to stand while receiving the imperial decree!"
"Your Majesty, I thank you!"
Yelü Yanyun looked at her incredulously. She was so lucky. She was already six months pregnant, but she still had to kneel to receive the imperial decree like the other concubines. The treatment of Consort Qing was really different!
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Li Qingzhou is gentle and virtuous, and deeply pleasing to the eye... In addition to the aforementioned gifts, Li Qingzhou's father is hereby appointed as the Minister of Revenue of the Great Qi Kingdom! So be it!"
After Xiao Shunzi finished speaking, he said to Li Qingzhou in a flattering tone, "Your Majesty, please accept the imperial decree! Your Majesty is overjoyed! The former Empress's father was the Minister of Revenue, so you can imagine Your Majesty's high standing in His Majesty's heart!"
At this moment, everyone had completely forgotten the promises Qi Jingxuan made when Ruan Yu Mu's child turned two. Of course, Qi Jingxuan had also forgotten them. Perhaps only Ruan Yu Mu still remembered them.
Everyone present was amazed. Li Qingzhou was so favored. She received such great favors simply because she was pregnant!
"Your Majesty, I thank you! Long live the Emperor!"
Upon receiving the imperial edict, the concubines naturally swarmed around to offer their congratulations.
Of course, this excludes the few elderly people in the palace, because in their minds, the matter of Liu Ruhua is still a long time in the past!
The emperor's mind is unfathomable; prosperity inevitably leads to decline!
"Your Majesty, the Emperor is so unfair! You are clearly the concubine who has been with him the longest, how can he always treat you so coldly?"
Ruan Yumu nudged Ziling with her elbow, signaling her to stop talking in this situation to avoid being taken advantage of by someone with ulterior motives.
"Minister of Revenue, heh heh, lest you end up like Lord Cai, embezzling and ending up in jail. Humph!" Geng Yulin didn't care what everyone was going to do next! He just left the peony flowers he had given them and departed.
Ruan Yumu went up to look at the pots of peonies. She still remembered the first child vividly. She touched the soil and it was obvious that it had been tampered with. But wasn't this the kind of trick the Liu family usually used?
Everyone stayed in Consort Qing's palace for a while, and after having dinner, they left.
"Princess, let me help you. If you are really in pain, you don't need to come out for these kinds of things anymore. Just tell everyone!" A palace maid advised Consort Jieyu from the side.
Princess Nanjiang shook her head. This was a path she had to take, and no matter how difficult it was, she couldn't give up easily!
She coughed incessantly, her frail body standing out awkwardly on the long path in front of Yonghua Palace. Under the sun, her shadow stretched long, and no one noticed her, nor did anyone come forward to care for her.
After the banquet, Qiao Siyu and Fu Lusi followed Ruan Yumu at a leisurely pace, neither too close nor too far.
"Your Highness, Consort Zhao and Consort Shu are behind us!" Ruan Yu Mu nodded upon hearing Zi Ling's voice. Since they didn't come forward to say anything, she didn't need to pay them any attention.
Upon arriving at Yujing Palace, she was surprised to find that the two had taken a shortcut and arrived before Ruan and Mu!
"My two younger sisters' sedan chairs must be in better condition, as they arrived at Yujing Palace even earlier than I did!"
Qiao Siyu felt that Ruan Yumu had been speaking strangely for the past two weeks, so she quickly stepped in to smooth things over, "Your Highness Consort Mu, let's go inside. There are some things I need to discuss with you in detail!"
After saying that, without waiting for Ruan Yumu to refuse, he pulled her inside.
"Hey, hey, you... Zi Ling, let Consort Zhaoyi come in too!"
As soon as they entered, the two women called away the palace maids and eunuchs.
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