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Here's a simplified harem ranking, my little darlings.
Superb: Queen
First Rank: Imperial Concubine, Virtuous Concubine, Wise Concubine, Virtuous Concub
Second Rank: Consort
Third Rank: Zhaoyi, Jieyu
Fourth Rank: Beauty
Fifth Rank: Attendant
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Whether painting is important or not is not up to Xiao Luzi to decide, but rather for Chu Yuan.
Adorned with gaudy finery and striking alluring poses, that was something other concubines would do, not her. She had to have her own unique characteristics to make Emperor Xian of Wei appreciate her distinctiveness.
Of course, some necessary grooming is necessary.
After taking a bath, applying incense, changing clothes, and combing her hair, Chu Yuan looked at herself in the mirror and found her to be perfect before sitting down in the study.
Emperor Xian of Wei's ceremonial procession was usually not quick, as he always gave his concubines time to prepare.
The imperial kitchen also needs to be notified that he is having dinner at the Chaoxia Hall today, only then will the imperial kitchen send the emperor's meals over there.
In this way, the entire harem knew that Emperor Wei Xian was coming to see Chu Yuan.
The news was like a thunderbolt, causing an uproar in the quiet inner palace.
First, at Zixia Palace, Consort Yu angrily smashed a box of rouge: "You vixen, you shameless woman, how dare you seduce the Emperor!"
The palace maid standing nearby wanted to remind her that other people could only seduce others when they had the chance outside, but she didn't even have the chance to seduce anyone.
Because the women in Chaoxia Palace were all low-ranking concubines abandoned by the emperor, not every one of them had a maidservant to serve them. Some only had one maidservant out of three or five people, so these maidservants didn't really respect them.
In addition, Consort Yu had a bad temper, so the palace maids were even less accommodating to her.
Seeing this, he turned and left. You made a mess of things and polluted the ground; you'll have to deal with it yourself!
A moment later, Yu Changzai's frantic roar could be heard again.
Upon hearing the news, Consort Zheng quickly dressed up and went to find the Empress Dowager.
They probably wouldn't say anything good about Chu Yuan.
Consort Fang was still ill, and Rongfang Pavilion was rarely visited. If it weren't for her maids still going to the Imperial Hospital to get medicine as usual, some people might have suspected that she was already dead.
The honest and refined Lady Wan requested an extra dish of braised pork from the imperial kitchen.
The most bustling and vibrant place has to be the Empress's Yikun Palace.
Princess Wei Sanyan is also here today, and she is having tea and snacks with the Empress.
Qiu Tong went in and whispered a few words in the Empress's ear, and the Empress's dignified expression immediately straightened up.
"Is that so?" he asked, looking incredulous.
Qiu Tong nodded. "Your Majesty, it's true. His Majesty's entourage has already set off."
"She does have some skill!" the Empress said through gritted teeth.
Princess Sanyan was very curious upon hearing this. "Mother, what exactly happened? Why are you playing riddles in front of me?"
The Empress glanced at Qiu Tong, indicating that she could speak.
Qiu Tong then recounted everything, adding with her own subjective assumptions, "I originally thought this Consort Yuan was an honest and straightforward person who didn't know how to be tactful, but I never expected..."
It seems we've all misjudged her. For her to have the Emperor visit her even in her private life is truly a first in all these years in the palace.
The Empress scoffed, "Someone who knows how to use his painting skills to curry favor with the Emperor can't be innocent, can he?"
Even though she was the empress, gave birth to the eldest princess, and enjoyed the most favored position in the harem for more than ten years, the empress always had a deep sense of crisis.
After all, he didn't have a son.
The worst fear is that someone in the harem will be lucky enough to give birth to a prince, in which case the eldest princess will have to step aside.
However, the eldest princess was not as anxious as the empress. Instead, her spirited eyes showed great interest. "You say her name is Consort Yuan?"
"Princess, yes, she was originally the illegitimate daughter of Lu Min, the head of the Imperial Medical Academy. During the imperial concubine selection, Lu Min tampered with the selection process and sent her to fill a spot. Who knew that the Empress Dowager would take a liking to her and keep her name on the list?"
After entering the palace, the emperor favored her twice out of respect for the empress dowager, but then forgot about her altogether.
Unexpectedly, she had recently gone to extreme lengths to lose weight, and after slimming down, she spent half a month flying kites in the Imperial Garden, which is how she shamelessly won over the Emperor.
Princess Sanyan smiled, finding it amusing, "So, is she pretty now?"
As for the favor that the original owner cherished so much, Princess Sanyan had long forgotten it.
She was the first and only princess of the dynasty. She was loved from birth and was not even raised by the empress, but grew up under the careful guidance of the emperor.
The biggest difference between men raising children and women raising children lies in their mindset.
Unlike the Empress, who feigned aloofness, the eldest princess also lacked the jealous and resentful nature typical of women in the harem. Her perspective on things was quite different, and she found Chu Yuan's sudden favor rather interesting.
Her father's harem was always lifeless; if she were her father, she wouldn't be able to muster any enthusiasm either.
And there's something special about it, something that can attract the Emperor's attention.
"Be smart. If Father really likes her, then report it to me."
Only if she isn't rejected is she worth her time and attention.
With a cry of "Your Majesty has arrived!", Chu Yuan gracefully emerged from the study. "Your Majesty, I pay my respects! Long live Your Majesty!"
Emperor Xian of Wei finally saw the face that had haunted his dreams all these days.
But Chu Yuan kept her head down, dressed in a light-colored casual dress with dark patterns. Her long black hair was styled into a cloud-like bun, with symmetrical floral decorations on both sides and a hairpin in the middle. The simple and neat outfit, combined with her snow-white skin, was surprisingly pleasing to the eye.
Emperor Xian of Wei wanted to stride forward and grab Chu Yuan's chin to force her to look up.
So that he could see her face clearly.
It's always so subtle and reserved, it's really intriguing.
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