It was the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month again. Just like last year, Jiaming got up early, changed her clothes, put on flowerpot shoes, draped a fox fur cloak, and went to the main courtyard to pay her respects with an umbrella.
It was the same dead of winter, just as cold, and even though Xiao Hongxuan was a year older than last year, she still didn't take him along.
After exchanging greetings and pleasantries with the Fujin (principal wife), she and the others exchanged a few pleasantries before getting back to the main topic. She pointed out that the people entering the palace this year were actually the same as last year, meaning that the plump Hesheli clan member, as a secondary Fujin, would also be entering the palace this year.
Upon hearing the words of the Fujin, Hesheli's face turned deathly pale, and her back, no longer straight as it had been the previous year, became extremely hunched.
At this moment, she was not receiving envious and jealous looks from the people in the hall who were able to enter the palace, but rather gloating and watchful looks.
Such a fat, ugly Hesheli woman has entered the palace?!
hehe!
The extremely mocking laughter sent shivers down Heseri's spine.
The suffering of Hesheli was a blessing for Jiaming and Li!
The two glanced at each other casually, each holding a teacup and offering a slight toast before lowering their eyes to sip their tea.
The interaction between Jiaming and Li was observed by the Fujin. Holding her teacup to shield her eyes, a cold glint flashed in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a look of dejection.
It's not easy to do!
They got off too easily!
However, there is one person she hates the most.
!
Jiaming was secretly watching every move the Fujin made.
So, the next moment, she saw the look in the Fujin’s eyes as she looked at Wuya Shi, filled with extreme resentment!
What are you unwilling to accept?
Jiaming wasn't a mind reader, nor did she possess the ability to read minds, so she couldn't guess what was going on.
“Sister Wuya, because of Mother Consort, this time, just like last year, we will also be adding Sister Wuya to the palace.” The Fujin appeared perfectly normal, but the resentment in her heart was almost palpable as she spoke.
Why didn't Uya take action?
If Uya were to act as she did in her previous life, ready to catch her red-handed at any moment, she could expose her immediately, allowing the prince to deal with her personally, leaving Consort De speechless, and eliminating her great enemy from her previous life in one fell swoop...
Jiaming: Could it be that the Fujin is unwilling to accept that Lady Wuya is favored by Consort De?
Haha, that reason is simply unbelievable.
After all, the relationship between the Fujin and the Consort De was such that it was the Fujin who disdained to cultivate a good relationship with the Consort De.
Just like last year, Uya was once again envied by the women in her backyard.
Although Song and Zhang's gazes toward Wuya grew increasingly cold, their skill was profound, and they concealed it well with their teacups; there were also those whose concealment was not so good, their expressions changing constantly, which was very obvious.
Jiaming couldn't help but raise her eyes and glance at Wuya Shi with perfect naturalness, instantly taking in her expression.
It seems that Uya has made a lot of progress!
His wary and defensive demeanor was a far cry from his smug and disdainful attitude last year.
Hopefully, she won't get infected again this year!
...
After the princess finished speaking, she waved her hand and dismissed everyone.
Back at Peach Garden, Jiaming put aside her doubts, picked up little Hongxuan who was clinging to her legs and acting cute, and started telling him stories from the picture book that her younger brother Jiaheng had made especially for him.
This picture book was first sold in the supermarket owned by the time-traveling Wanyan family.
Moreover, the picture books they sell are similar to those of modern times.
The younger brother, Jiaheng, felt that some of those picture books conflicted with the customs of the Qing Dynasty, and some... In short, there was something wrong with them, so he thought of making his own picture books for children's enlightenment in the Qing Dynasty.
Of course, there are good picture books too, those with simple illustrations, a lot of childlike fun, and they're quite suitable for kids.
Therefore, Jiaheng, having absorbed these advantages, created his own illustrated versions of the Three Character Classic and Thousand Character Classic to give to his sister's newborn grandson, the Fourth Prince Hongxuan.
While Jiaming and her son were enjoying a warm moment together, with one patiently telling the story and the other listening attentively while looking at the pictures, back at the Pear Garden, Hesheli was still at a loss after returning home.
"Lixia, what should we do?" Hesheli was extremely flustered, grabbing Lixia's sleeve and saying anxiously, "My master is already extremely disgusted with me in this state. If I go to the palace this time and others see me, and I am disliked by the masters in the palace, and I am humiliated outside, how can I still have the face to live?"
The thought that the ridicule and mockery from those in the inner quarters would spread from the palace to the entire capital, and even to the whole Qing Dynasty, filled Empress Hesheri with panic and fear.
!
In her panic, Hesheli blurted out what was on her mind.
Upon hearing this, Li Xia hesitated and said, "Master, this can't possibly have spread this far, can it?"
Their master is neither a prince's wife nor a concubine in the palace. Who would have the leisure to spread gossip about their master that would be known throughout the entire Qing Dynasty?
“You don’t understand!” Hesheli frowned. “Good news doesn’t travel far, but bad news travels fast! Just look at my current appearance, it’s simply unbearable to look at, so, so… sigh!”
Li Xia was puzzled but impressed, and immediately racked her brains to find a solution for her master.
While the pear orchard was filled with extreme worry, they were unaware that a conversation about them was taking place inside the main courtyard.
If Hesheli knew the content of this conversation, she wouldn't be worried.
In the main courtyard, Granny Liu handed a cup of hot milk tea to the Princess Consort, her old face scrunched up with worry. "Princess Consort, when you go to the palace with that girl from the Pear Courtyard, is it absolutely necessary to bring her along?"
After taking the milk tea, the princess drank it while listening attentively to what Granny Liu had to say.
As soon as Granny Liu finished speaking, she swallowed the milk tea in her mouth, raised an eyebrow and asked, "What makes you say that, Granny?"
Granny Liu: "Madam, that girl from the Pear Courtyard, with that appearance, it wouldn't be right for her to bring shame upon you in the palace!"
"You're right!" The Fujin nodded in agreement, "It's not just me who will lose face, it will also bring shame to our entire Fourth Prince's mansion."
Granny Liu didn't care about the other people in the Prince's mansion; she only cared about the Princess Consort and the First Prince.
So she hurriedly said, "Then, Madam, should we take action to prevent that person from entering the palace for the time being?"
"No need!" The princess immediately shook her head and refused.
"Fujin?"
"Don't worry, we don't need to lift a finger, she won't be able to go."
Upon hearing this, Granny Liu suddenly realized that the Fujin had just said, "It will not only bring shame to me, but also to the entire Fourth Prince's Mansion."
How could the Prince possibly allow something that would bring shame to the entire Fourth Prince's mansion?
Little did they know that the Fujin's meaning was not only directed at the Fourth Prince, but also at Lady Hesheli.
Because, just now, after she said that Hesheli was also going to enter the palace, that person's face turned deathly pale.
Sure enough, the two servants of the Hesheli clan at the Pear Courtyard racked their brains for an entire afternoon and came up with a solution—a real illness!
As for why it was a real illness rather than feigned illness, the main reason was fear of being exposed.
And getting sick is so easy!
So, on the night before entering the palace, Empress Hesheli soaked in ice water and actually fell ill, so she didn't have to go to the palace.
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