Qian Shengyan arrived a while after everyone else had arrived. She was late and sat down, smiling as she said, "My dear sisters, I'm sorry to be late."
"Your Majesty works so hard every day, I'm sorry I arrived too early," Wu said with a smile.
Qian Shengyan nodded slightly to her, and seeing that her complexion was relatively healthy, she felt somewhat relieved.
“Sister Song is too cold to get up, so she asked me to apologize to Your Majesty on her behalf.” As she spoke, Wu Shi stood up and bowed. Qian Shengyan waved for her to sit down: “I know, her health… sigh.”
Wu bowed and sat down, while Geng smiled and said, "Speaking of which, it's been a long time since we sisters have seen each other—by the way, do you all not recognize each other yet? Noble Lady Ru, why don't you pay your respects to the ladies?"
Sitting at the very back, not even deserving a chair, only able to sit on an embroidered stool, Aruhan bit her lip and stood up, walking to the middle of the hall. She first bowed to Qian Shengyan: "This concubine greets Your Highness, the Imperial Noble Consort."
He then turned to the side and addressed Lady Geng: "Greetings, Consort Yu."
"Greetings, Consort Guo."
"Greetings, Consort Ning."
The entire palace was occupied by the principal consorts, leaving her as the only noblewoman. Even now that she had entered the inner palace, she could only live in a side hall in the rear of Jingyang Palace, feeling rather humiliated. Because Jingyang Palace was occupied by the principal consort, Yufei, she now had to report to Yufei whenever she came or went.
This was also Geng's own request. She felt that Qian Shengyan was not paying enough attention to this Consort Ru, so before returning from Yuanmingyuan, she found Qian Shengyan and asked her to arrange for Aruhan to stay in Jingyang Palace so that she could keep a close eye on her and prevent any further trouble.
After Aruhan finished performing the full round of greetings, she had no choice but to remain kneeling and curtsied until the emperor told her to rise. Madam Geng continued, "Alas, Consort Ru was originally quite beautiful. Although she couldn't compare to the Imperial Noble Consort, she wasn't this sickly and frail... It must have been difficult for her to come from so far away. Consort Ru has been suffering from vomiting and diarrhea for a month due to the change in environment."
Aruhan: ...
Qian Shengyan watched as Aruhan closed her eyes in humiliation and couldn't help but smile silently.
This harem has remained unchanged since it was the backyard of the Prince's mansion. Aruhan went to great lengths to step over her and Ferguchun to get in, so she has to bear the consequences of entering.
Isn't it normal to be disliked?
Wu said slowly, "Ah, so that's how it is... No wonder I've been smelling a certain odor in this palace since just now."
Aruhan swayed slightly, but then firmly stood firm.
"Tsk," Madam Guo said with disdain, "So sickly and weak, she can't even stand up straight. How can she serve the Emperor?"
"Consort Guo is overthinking it. Noble Lady Ru hasn't even had the chance to serve His Majesty yet," Lady Geng said with a smile. "There's no need to worry about the future. His Majesty will make his own decisions and won't make things difficult for Noble Lady Ru."
Lady Guo covered her mouth with her handkerchief and chuckled, "Then I am relieved. Otherwise, I might have disturbed Your Majesty's health."
"Alright, Consort Ru, please sit down." Qian Shengyan said with a smile. She could also see that Aruhan's body was not fully recovered. She was swaying and would fall if she didn't sit down soon.
It wouldn't be right for her to fall down on her first day of greeting.
Guo coughed lightly and looked at Qian Shengyan with a hint of dissatisfaction: "Your Majesty only cares about the new sisters and doesn't care about me at all."
Qian Shengyan: ...
The way you're saying that makes it sound like you're jealous.
"Isn't Your Majesty showing enough pity for Consort Guo? Look, she only returned to the palace yesterday, and you've already sent a huge amount of things to her palace. Furs and toys? Humph, I don't have any of those!" This is even more so.
Qian Shengyan was puzzled: "But Consort Yu also went to Mulan, and she brought just as much as Consort Guo, didn't she?"
"That wasn't given by Her Majesty either!" Lady Geng's eyebrows shot up. "Consort Guo, I'll trade with you! I'll trade you twice the amount!"
Lady Guo refused: "I will not change."
"Your Majesty! Look at her!" Madam Geng had even forgotten about Aruhan, and felt extremely aggrieved.
Guo was also unhappy: "You already have one, why do you still want mine!"
Qian Shengyan: ...
Wu coughed lightly again: "I haven't thanked Your Majesty for the gift yet. Sister Song was also very happy yesterday. In addition, the female physician specially bestowed by Your Majesty is very skilled in massage. I was also fortunate enough to enjoy it."
"Your Majesty!"
This time it was a duet. Madam Geng and Madam Guo were unaware of this and were all looking at Qian Shengyan expectantly.
Qian Shengyan: ...
She said we shouldn't have had this whole "paying respects" thing! It's turned into a competition of who gets to greet people!
Qian Shengyan rubbed her forehead, glancing at Aruhan's incredulous face. She paused, sat up straight, and smiled, "Consort Ru, I thought you wouldn't lack furs, so I've already sent some brocade and silk to your residence. Do you like them?"
"Your Highness, Imperial Noble Consort." Aruhan looked puzzled, but feigned respect. "This concubine likes it very much. Thank you, Your Highness, Imperial Noble Consort."
"That's good. You still look a little unwell today. I have some nourishing things here. You can take them with you later." Qian Shengyan said kindly, like an elder. "You're young now, so you don't realize it, but actually, a person's health is the most important thing."
Aruhan's respect gradually crumbled, and she almost exploded.
She refused to believe that her month-long vomiting and diarrhea had nothing to do with this Imperial Noble Consort!
Even if it was just a case of acclimatization issues, it would only last three to five days, but she stubbornly stayed in bed for over a month! If she hadn't returned to the palace, Aruhan felt she would have continued to lie there!
Now they're trying to be a good Samaritan! Giving her medicinal herbs! She doesn't want to eat them; she might even die on the spot!
Aruhan gritted her teeth, no longer bothering to pretend. These women were simply insane. She had been there for over a month, but whether at the Summer Palace or the Old Summer Palace, Consort Yu showed no intention of currying favor with the Emperor. The harem was even stranger, with a group of women vying for the Imperial Noble Consort's affections.
They've all gone mad, or they've all resigned themselves to their fate, but Aruhan is different!
The late emperor intended to suppress the Mongol consorts, and almost none of them had grown into princes. Now, in the current dynasty, they finally have the opportunity for a marriage alliance. Behind Aruhan stands the entire Mongol Empire!
As long as Emperor Yongzheng still needs the Mongols, she can maintain her foothold in the harem!
Aruhan originally came to Yongshou Palace hoping to befriend the other concubines, but... a bunch of lunatics! There's no need!
She wanted to get up and leave in anger, but what she had received from her birth mother made her suppress her true nature. Instead, she pretended to be aggrieved and got up to say to Qian Shengyan, "Your Highness, please forgive me. I am not feeling well and really cannot sit still..."
"Oh? You can't sit still anymore? Okay." Qian Shengyan nodded.
Aruhan didn't understand what this "good" meant at first, but after a cup of tea—
Aruhan, who was being carried on a wooden plank by two strong nannies and was lying flat with a brocade quilt covering her, was about to explode with anger!
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