Chapter 208 has a big problem.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace."
Meng Jingxian wore a crimson cheongsam, and as a principal wife upon entering the palace, her silver-adorned headdress made her appear even more dignified. She knelt in the hall, performing the grand ceremony of three kneelings and nine kowtows to the Empress.
Before Lü Jiayingfeng could even tell her to rise after she had finished her curtsy, Consort Qi, who was sitting to the side, couldn't sit still any longer and spoke first—"This concubine has long admired Consort Meng's name, and seeing her today, she is indeed extraordinary. Wearing this dress, who would guess that she has just entered the palace? They would probably want to call Her Majesty the Empress a sister."
Consort Zhen and Consort Qi usually fought fiercely, neither willing to give in. But when a stranger came to disrupt this balance, they naturally became united against the enemy. At this moment, Consort Zhen covered her mouth and echoed, "I have often heard people say that Consort Meng is a woman of deep affection, and now I see that she is also a woman of great ambition."
The two women looked at each other and laughed non-stop. Even Consort Rou, Consort Hui, Consort Hua, and Consort Jing couldn't help but linger their gazes on Consort Meng.
Wearing a satin made of rouge and fully embroidered, the color was very similar to bright red. In addition, the hair ornament made him look mature and older. It was hard to tell who was older between him and the young-looking Empress.
Meng Jingxian seemed to be a composed person, as if she hadn't heard these words and ignored the gazes coming from all directions around her.
The Empress, unable to bear it any longer, gently frowned and raised her hand towards her—"Rise, Consort Meng. You are new to the palace and not yet familiar with the place. These two are the youngest and most talkative. This time they lost their sense of propriety. I will certainly have a good talk with them."
She looked at the two people sitting at the very back and reprimanded them sternly, "I see you are becoming more and more unruly, with no restraint in your speech. If you don't change this old habit, I will definitely report to the Emperor and punish you severely."
After being reprimanded by the Empress, the two women pouted dejectedly, stood up, and curtsied together—"Your concubines know their mistake."
Although Meng Jingxian showed no reaction on the surface, her hands were still tightly gripping her sleeves. She wasn't stupid; she knew from those cold words that she was wearing the wrong clothes.
But she hadn't overstepped the bounds of propriety. Bright red and crimson were reserved for the principal wife, while rouge red, though similar in color, was not. She couldn't marry the man she longed for, and in this cannibalistic palace, she could only become an old man's concubine. Was she not even allowed to wear such clothes?
If she had entered the palace a few years earlier, she would have known that even when Consort Hua was at the height of her power and most favored, she mostly wore peony red clothes, which were clearly distinguishable when she stood next to the Empress, while rouge would only lead to confusion from a distance.
As she lowered her eyes in deep thought, she heard the Empress above softly calling her name.
"Consort Meng, come forward and let me take a closer look."
Lu Jiaying waved to her in a friendly voice, and Xue Xin smiled and stepped back to make room for her. Meng Jingxian secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Lan Yi said that the Empress was a good person and that everyone in Yongshou Palace was a good person.
She nodded, picked up the hem of her clothes, and stepped forward to get closer. Lü Jiayingfeng really pulled her to look at her carefully—"Sister, you are beautiful and your name is also nice, Jingxian... It really suits a beautiful person like you."
Meng Jingxian lowered her head as if she was shy after being praised, and said, "Your Majesty is too kind. I only realized what true beauty is after seeing Your Majesty today. I am ashamed of myself."
Was Meng Jingxian beautiful? Of course she was during the first imperial selection; at eighteen, the only daughter of a duke, her presence alone was overwhelming. But now, year after year spent in the manor, hearing of Prince Guo's accident had already made her look haggard with worry and distress. Now, she had entered the palace, which she disliked the most, and her brows were furrowed with barely perceptible sorrow.
Just as Lü Jiaying had predicted, the palace hadn't had any new concubines for too long, so the emperor would favor them for a while just to have something new to offer.
Judging from this, the Emperor is quite satisfied with Meng Jingxian. Apart from admonishing her to respect the Empress on the first day regarding her clothing, his favor towards her afterwards is on par with that of Consort Qi and Consort Zhen, forming a three-way balance.
Although Hongzhao was curious about Consort Meng, he was now fourteen years old and tried to avoid going out into the inner palace to avoid getting into trouble. He really didn't have many opportunities to see her. In any case, Consort Meng hadn't caused any trouble these days, so they were getting along peacefully.
Time flies by, and another year has passed in the blink of an eye.
Another year has passed, with grass growing and birds singing; it's the second day of the second lunar month.
In truth, Hongzhao's heart had been uneasy since this time last year. It was as if he had been feeling that a long journey was unknowingly nearing its end. But his companions couldn't see the bright, huge countdown above their heads; only Hongzhao watched the time slip away, and the path beneath his feet became increasingly blurred.
This feeling of being the only one sober while everyone else is drunk is not pleasant. Especially since the one truly counting down is the person who gave him the most love in the world.
His emotions inevitably accumulated day by day, but his Oscar-worthy acting skills allowed him to conceal and suppress them. Therefore, no one could detect any trace of unusual emotions in him, not even his father and mother.
Aside from Hongjin, there was that time at the small banquet in Yongshou Palace. Perhaps there really is some kind of magical telepathy between the twins, because she could see it as soon as she got close.
"Your Highness, the Emperor is almost ready. Let's go over there."
Xiao Dezi watched as his Crown Prince sat motionless on the couch like a stone statue. He paused, stepped forward, and bowed to invite him. Today was a perfect day for a spring outing, and the Emperor had specially put aside his numerous and unfinished political affairs to take the Crown Prince out of the palace with him.
"Okay, let's go."
Hongzhao stood up. He had just turned fifteen two months ago and had grown taller. He was now a tall and slender man, not inferior to his giant brother, with a well-proportioned and smooth figure.
Unlike before, the golden bell that had always been attached to the end of his hair was removed; it was the one that the emperor had personally removed for him on his fifteenth birthday.
Yinzhen looked at the child sitting in front of him with his back turned, his eyes full of satisfaction and pride. At this age, his eyesight was inevitably failing, and the gold bell was delicate and not easy to remove. He was afraid of pulling Hongzhao's hair, so he put his hand very gently.
“My son has grown up and is now fifteen years old. There is an old custom among the people that fifteen is the age when one should tie up one’s hair. We Manchus do not value this, but I still want to give you this ceremony in private.”
He squinted and examined the two golden bells carefully, then slowly brushed them off his tangled hair. He then picked up an even more exquisite and luxurious gold-inlaid jade clasp from a lacquer box.
The gold and jade buckle was much more obedient in the emperor's hand than the two wobbly gold bells; with a little force, it firmly gripped the end of Hongzhao's hair.
The Crown Prince's unique attire, with its well-tailored cut, accentuated his broad shoulders, the jade belt around his waist, his taut and powerful waist, and his long legs, all of which gave him an inherent charm in every movement.
Seeing him like this now, it's hard to imagine that he was once the baby who hung on the emperor's neck all day and was carried around the palace on his neck.
Spring outings are always a joyful thing. Hongzhao shook his head and stretched out his long legs to walk outside. Familiar and hurried footsteps were quickly approaching.
"Your Highness, you must go see! The Emperor... he's vomiting blood!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
