"Your Majesty, I am terrified. Please speak freely."
Dan Xiu stood up, feigning fear, but her expression remained calm.
Ulanara gritted her teeth, glanced at Yanruo beside her, and Yanruo immediately frowned and curtsied, saying, "The other day, Her Majesty the Empress had a terrible headache that even the imperial physicians couldn't relieve, so they went to the Imperial Observatory to see her. Who knew that the deputy director was saying that Her Majesty's constellations were unfavorable and that she needed someone with great virtue to help copy scriptures in order to feel better."
"Alas, I have also inquired, and according to the calculations of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, among all the people in the palace, only the Imperial Noble Consort has a blessed destiny and good fortune, and is an auspicious person." Ulanara sighed, "My headache is unbearable, so I have no choice but to shamelessly beg the Imperial Noble Consort."
"I beg the Imperial Noble Consort to do me the trouble of copying two scrolls of scriptures for Her Majesty the Empress, for Her Majesty's sake!" Yanruo pleaded, adopting a humble posture.
Silence fell over the hall for a moment, everyone quietly watching "Nian Shi," waiting for her response.
Dan Xiu sneered and first attacked Yan Ruo: "What did I say that made you, this lowly servant, act like this?"
Yanruo was taken aback, and Ulanara's eyes widened as well. Shanxiu, however, gave a light snort and gave a perfunctory bow to Ulanara: "Your Majesty, I understand. I will transcribe the scriptures for Your Majesty."
Having said that, she turned to leave, but as she turned her head, she saw Qian Shengyan, who was resting her chin on her hand, seemingly bored. She paused, then suddenly smiled, and turned back to Ulanara, saying, "If we're talking about the most fortunate person in the harem, I think it should be Consort Xi." Her tone was light and slightly mocking, "Everyone here knows Consort Xi's background, yet she sits firmly in the position of Consort. If she didn't have such great fortune, how could she have managed to maintain such luck?"
"Considering Her Majesty the Empress's health, I think that Consort Xi could also transcribe scriptures for Her Majesty the Empress in her spare time. What does Consort Xi think?" Shan Xiu looked at Qian Shengyan with a half-smile.
Qian Shengyan smiled, stood up and bowed to Ulanara: "If I can do my best for Your Majesty the Empress, I am very willing, but... the Imperial Observatory only said that the scriptures are for people with great virtue and fortune. I am not blessed enough, and I am afraid that if I copy them myself, it will not be of any benefit to Your Majesty the Empress."
“I know Consort Xi’s intentions.” Ulanara nodded to Consort Xi, then looked at Shan Xiu, “Is the Imperial Noble Consort making such a fuss because she is unwilling to transcribe scriptures for me?”
"It's just a few volumes of scriptures. The Imperial Noble Consort isn't such a petty person; why would she refuse?" Qian Shengyan smiled beautifully, then tilted her head to look at Shan Xiu. "Right, Imperial Noble Consort?"
"Your Majesty, I will copy it myself." Shan Xiu glanced at the two of them a few times, said this, and left.
Presumably because of Qian Shengyan's two sentences, Ulanara dismissed everyone but kept Qian Shengyan.
She sighed, gripped the cup, and began to complain to Qian Shengyan: "As you can see, the Imperial Noble Consort no longer takes us seriously."
Qian Shengyan: ...
“The Nian family is illustrious, and General Nian is exceptionally brave and skilled. Now, Lady Nian holds the position of Imperial Noble Consort in the harem…” Lady Ulanara smiled bitterly, no longer hiding her exhaustion. “Sister, the situation in the harem is about to change.”
Qian Shengyan: ...
Actually, she wasn't deliberately ignoring the Empress; it's just that she couldn't respond to those words.
She didn't know if the power dynamics in the harem would change, but she was certain that the power in the harem would not belong to the Nian family.
Because "Nian" is her surname, Shan, hahaha...
Qian Shengyan chuckled to herself, thinking of a lame joke, while Ulanara was already praising Fu Hui: "I saw that child was sickly, but he's managed to stand up. Didn't you see the Emperor's rewards and favors for the Sixth Prince's birthday... Sister, don't blame me for not reminding you, for the sake of Hongli and Hongshan, you should at least start planning!"
Qian Shengyan: ...
That's the downside of knowing too much. The Empress spoke with such sorrow and grief, yet Qian Shengyan remained unable to empathize.
Um, Fu Hui, he's not the emperor's son!
During this time, Qian Shengyan heard many speculations about the name Fu Hui. Everyone thought that the emperor gave the sixth prince such a special name because of his favoritism, but Qian Shengyan knew that Fu Hui was not a prince at all!
She didn't know where Yinzhen had picked up the baby, but she knew that after things were over, it would probably be given to a member of the imperial family to raise, or sent far away from the capital. Even though Shan Xiu had really grown up and had her own ideas now, Qian Shengyan still had no fighting spirit whatsoever, because she simply had no rivals!
Shan Xiu thought that if she could seduce Yinzhen, then so be it; even if she actually fell in love with him, Yinzhen probably wouldn't let her get pregnant...
However, Qian Shengyan felt that as long as Yinzhen wasn't crazy, he wouldn't be so insane as to touch Shanxiu. There was no other reason than—it was too troublesome.
After waiting a moment, seeing Qian Shengyan's unpredictable expression, Ulanara thought that she had persuaded her, so she smiled with satisfaction and sighed: "Sister, I know you are a kind-hearted person, but... to be honest, I also like Hongli."
Qian Shengyan was pulled back to her senses, smiled and thanked her, then chatted with Ulanara for a few more minutes before taking her leave.
The only good thing about coming today was that, in order to make her headache seem genuine, Ulanara exempted her from the ten-day greetings. It's already October, and it will only get colder from now on. Qian Shengyan felt happy just thinking about being able to get up a little later in the morning.
I've had enough of this harem. There were never so many rules before, whether in the garden or the palace.
"My lady, I heard that the Ulanara family has prepared several girls who have just reached marriageable age, just waiting to be sent to the Third Prince during the imperial concubine selection after the mourning period ends," Qingxue whispered to Qian Shengyan.
Qian Shengyan pursed her lips, understanding Qingxue's meaning.
In order to win her over and deal with the Nian clan, Ulanara claimed to have high hopes for Hongli, but in reality, she secretly placed her bets on Hongshi.
Isn't this... a bit too early?
Qian Shengyan didn't understand. Putting aside Yinzhen's age, it was only the first year of Yongzheng's reign. Until the very last moment, Yinzhen's mind could change. Shouldn't what they should be doing now be trying to please the emperor? Why were they already choosing sides? Did they think they weren't going to die fast enough? Or hadn't the lessons from the succession struggle during the Kangxi era been profound enough?
She shook her head: "Let them be. We won't interfere in the affairs of the Empress, the Imperial Noble Consort, or the princes."
"Yes." Qingxue curtsied in response. She naturally had her own thoughts, but now, her life's honor and disgrace were all tied to the Yongshou Palace faction. Qingxue was a smart woman and would not go against her master.
It seems Shan Xiu was truly spoiled by the praise and forgot who she was. That very night, just as Yinzhen and Qian Shengyan were about to retire for the night, news came from outside that the Imperial Noble Consort had overworked herself copying scriptures for the Empress, suffered a relapse of her old ailment, and fainted.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
