Chapter 283 Disharmony
"Thank you, Her Majesty." Shen Chuliu bowed with a smile.
"I forgot Jing Xiuyi's birthday for a moment. Come to think of it, Zhuang Baolin went there specially yesterday. I'm afraid he was thinking about Jing Xiuyi's birthday. Did he go to celebrate it in advance?" Concubine Jin would never miss an opportunity to make fun of others.
"Empress Jin is really good at joking. It's really far from Caiwei Pavilion to Cuiyunxuan. I'm afraid Zhuang Baolin has other intentions when he goes there?" Lady Ying said with a smile.
"I was just strolling in the Imperial Garden, and when I got there I... went to pay my respects." After all, Zhuang Baolin didn't dare to say that she really went to celebrate the birthday.
"Are Fang Xiaoyi and Zhuang Baolin not on good terms?" Lady Zhen suddenly asked.
Fang Xiaoyi was stunned: "Miss Zhen's words make me panic. I entered the palace with Zhuang Baolin at the same time, how could we have been at odds with each other?"
"If that's not the case, then Fang Xiaoyi's Lanyuexuan is right next to the Imperial Garden, and at this end of the Imperial Garden, but Zhuang Baolin went there... Does that mean Zhuang Baolin and Empress Jing Xiuyi are very close?" Lady Zhen said with a smile.
"Oh, I'm not afraid of being laughed at by Lady Zhen. I have a bad memory. Yesterday I finally saw clearly what Zhuang Baolin looked like." Shen Chuliu laughed.
Everyone laughed.
This slap was quite hard.
"But I am a little curious. It's OK for others to come to my place to pay their respects, but Zhuang Baolin shouldn't be here, right? Let me calculate, I haven't seen the emperor for about a month, right? Many sisters in the harem haven't seen the emperor for a long time, but in this month, Zhuang Baolin has slept with the emperor the most, so why did he come to my place yesterday? And it was just a coincidence that he met the emperor? Should we say that Zhuang Baolin is lucky? Or should we say that Zhuang Baolin is ungrateful?"
Shen Chuliu said with a smile: "I really can't figure it out."
"Jing Xiuyi is one of the nine concubines after all. It's okay for Zhuang Baolin to want to advance. There's no need to be so aggressive." Concubine Feng snorted.
Naturally, she couldn't stand Shen Chuliu.
"What Empress Feng said is very good. I will remember it. If Zhuang Baolin wants to advance under me, then he should rely on his own ability. When Empress Feng serves me in bed in the future, I will try my own ability." Shen Chuliu said with a smile.
"You! You are so outrageous!" Concubine Feng was greatly irritated.
She knew that if she were to sleep with him, she would never be able to compete with Jing Xiuyi.
"Alright! Concubine Feng, you are a first-rank concubine, why are you bickering with them?" The Queen said indifferently: "The Second Prince is not young anymore, you should also restrain yourself."
Concubine Feng was very angry, but she didn't dare to do anything rash. She had been imprisoned for several months and was still afraid.
"Yes." He could only glance at Shen Chuliu and sat back.
Since Concubine Feng was criticized by the Queen, naturally other people stopped talking about it, and Zhuang Baolin also breathed a sigh of relief.
She was too passionate yesterday and only today realized how much she regretted it.
After the meeting, Concubine Zhen was invited to visit Empress Dowager Li.
"Aunt." Lady Zhen lowered her head: "I have been too talkative today."
"That's not why I called you here. You are a concubine in the harem, but not the queen. I don't ask you to be careful in everything you say and do. If you do that, it will be annoying." Empress Dowager Li waved her hand.
"Yes." Lady Zhen breathed a sigh of relief.
"I called you here to ask you, what gift have you decided on for Jing Xiuyi's birthday the day after tomorrow?" asked Empress Dowager Li.
"Yes, give her a pair of jade bracelets, which are also top-quality items. I am a beauty, and anything better would not be appropriate."
"That's good. First, I want to tell you to be careful about what you give away. Second, I want to tell you not to be impatient." Queen Mother Li held her hand and said, "You are a beauty now, so naturally your status is not high enough. But you can't be impatient about anything. You have been in the palace for less than a year."
"Yes, don't worry, aunt. I know it." said Lady Zhen.
"I thought the emperor would promote everyone during the New Year, but since he didn't, I can't ask him to promote you. Although you are a beauty, you are different after all. Life is not difficult." Empress Dowager Li patted her hands: "If you want to stand firm for a long time, you have to work hard. It would be best if you have a child, even if it is a princess."
"Yes. I...I am also actively taking supplements. The imperial physician said that I am in good health." Lady Zhen was shy.
"You have time to sleep with the emperor once a month now, so don't worry, it will come eventually." Empress Dowager Li said with a smile.
"Yes, but aunt, I sometimes don't understand, Jing Xiuyi... does the emperor really dote on her that much?" Concubine Zhen was puzzled.
"As for her. First of all, she has a good appearance and a good temper... This temper, it's not good to say, but it's good because the emperor likes it. Besides, the Shen family is also doing well. And she is pregnant too. But these are not the points. Do you know what is the most important thing?" Empress Dowager Li looked into Concubine Zhen's eyes.
Zhen Meiren was stunned. Isn’t this the whole reason?
"I am stupid."
"She is blessed by nature, but she is not the only one in the harem who has these advantages. Does Concubine Song have a good family background? Does Concubine Ying have a good family background? You don't even need to say anything. Whether there is a son or not, the emperor will love her more, so she will have one. But what is the most important point?"
"Jing Xiuyi is a smart woman. You see, she has a bad temper and dares to hit people at any time, but she is always right."
"From what you heard, every time she caused trouble, did the emperor really get angry?"
"Then about the last time with Shen Baolin, she... can't be said to be in the right, right?" Lady Zhen was dissatisfied.
"What a coincidence! Shen Baolin is her cousin!" Empress Dowager Li smiled and shook her head: "Even if she hadn't made a fuss, the emperor wouldn't have let Shen Baolin climb up. It's normal to confer the title of Baolin. After all, the Shen family is a meritorious family, and Shen Baolin's father is a general stationed on the border. How could he not even give Baolin the title?"
"Jing Xiuyi is smart because she openly told the emperor that she would not allow Shen Baolin to take the lead. How appropriate is it for the emperor to throw the blame for not being able to favor Shen Baolin onto Jing Xiuyi? Even if everyone says that Jing Xiuyi is jealous, so what? The emperor still goes to her. Just like this time, after a month, there were few people in the harem who could sleep with him. But the emperor still went to Cuiyunxuan."
Empress Dowager Li patted her niece's hand again: "The emperor likes smart women. But he likes smart women with sense even more. Compared with this, he likes smart women with sense and who can interest him even more. Otherwise, why is Concubine Kangde not favored?"
Empress Dowager Li had been watching for many years and naturally knew that Concubine Kangde was a smart person.
How could anyone who was born in a poor family and could serve the emperor not look good? "Yes, I have learned from your teachings. Thank you, Empress Dowager, for your guidance." Lady Zhen stood up and bowed.
"Okay, get up. You are still young, and you were spoiled by your family. Naturally, your situation is different from Jing Xiuyi's. You don't have to learn from her. The emperor won't like you the same way. But you must remember to be tactful in your future actions. One day, when the emperor favors you, he won't need to consider my face anymore. That would be great."
(End of this chapter)
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