Chapter 11: Eyes in the Palace
The most glorious person in the palace these two days must be Concubine Li.
Xiao Jingheng seemed to be very satisfied with her and he turned over her card again yesterday.
Among this batch of new concubines entering the palace, she was the only one who had slept with the emperor twice.
The concubines vied to win her over, especially the Concubine Chen, who received a constant stream of rewards from the palace.
Song Zhao was in the West Hall, looking at the East Hall, which was crowded with people, and people came to give gifts one after another.
Later, Yingxiang, who was beside Concubine Chen, also came to give gifts to Concubine Li, but when she left, it was Concubine Li who personally saw her out.
Li Guiren said loudly to Yingxiang, "Thank you for making this trip in person, Auntie. I really like the pink pearl earrings that Empress Chenfei gave me. I will come to thank you in person someday."
After seeing Yingxiang off, she went back to the hall with a smug look on her face, twisting her waist.
Song Zhao saw this and suddenly told Yunshan, "I remember that among the jewelry I brought into the palace, there was a pair of pearl earrings. Go get them and pick out a nice box to put them in. Come with me to congratulate Concubine Li."
Li Guiren was in high spirits. She looked down on Song Zhao and when she saw Song Zhao coming to give her a gift, she couldn't help but say something mean to her.
"Let me see what you sent me."
She opened the mahogany gift box, took out a pair of pearl earrings, and said with a contemptuous smile:
"This cloud white pearl is produced by freshwater river clams, it is too small to be presented on the table. Moreover, this pearl is so small that it would be hard to find if it fell on the ground. It is a bit shabby for my sister to give such a gift to others."
As she spoke, she casually picked up a pair of round and plump pink pearl earrings from the table and compared them with the one Song Zhao had given her.
Not only are the pearls larger, but the light pink ones are also much more eye-catching than the pure white ones.
Song Zhao's eyes were wide open, as if he had never seen such good stuff before.
Seeing Song Zhao's expression, Li Guiren said with increasing pride:
"This is a gift from the Empress Chen. The pink beads are taken from the clams of the East China Sea. To get a pair of this quality, you have to pick one out of a million. This is the real good stuff."
Song Zhao's eyes were filled with light, and his gaze was fixed on the pink beads, unable to move away.
"I have never seen such beautiful pearls. My dear sister has a pretty face, and this pink color is a perfect match for her. And I heard that Her Majesty rarely gives gifts to others, which shows that Her Majesty values her sister."
"What's this?" Li Guiren raised her chin proudly, picked up a gilded flower and bird hairpin beside her and played with it in her hand, "This hairpin was given by the Queen. It's exquisitely made. I like it very much."
Song Zhao said: "This hairpin is beautiful, but it is too plain. In comparison, I still think the earrings given to you by the Empress Chen are better looking. When you pay your respects tomorrow, if you wear this pair of earrings, you will definitely outshine all the other beauties."
"What do you know, idiot?"
Li Guiren rolled her eyes at Song Zhao and put the hairpin in her bun.
"All the ladies in the palaces have sent me gifts. I will definitely pick the best ones to wear tomorrow. The gifts from the Concubine Chen are good, but she is domineering and can't tolerate any injustice. What good can I get from following her? It's better to follow the Empress. After all, she is the master of the Empress. How can an ordinary concubine compare to her?"
Seeing Song Zhao's confused look, she adopted an experienced tone and began to lecture him.
"To survive in the harem, you need to be able to read people's expressions and judge the situation. When you first enter the palace, you have little influence and power, so you have to find someone who is most worthy of your support and rely on her. This way, you will have a better future. Do you understand?"
Song Zhao suddenly realized what was going on, and hurriedly bowed to Li Guiren, saying, "Thank you, Guiren sister, for your advice."
Li Guiren said proudly: "From now on, I will follow the Queen, and you will follow me. Anyway, you can't get the emperor's favor with your appearance. If you serve me well, I will ensure that you have enough food and clothing for three meals a day."
Later, Li Guiren said some sarcastic words for a while, and Song Zhao accepted them all. He also flattered her and made her a fairy who was unrivaled in heaven and on earth.
Yunshan watched from the side and felt sorry for his master.
After listening to Concubine Li for nearly half an hour, she was willing to let Song Zhao go back.
After returning to the palace, Yunshan helped Song Zhao massage his shoulders and legs, and said distressedly: "My lady, you knew that you would inevitably be humiliated by her if you went to see her, so why did you still go to give her gifts?"
Song Zhao leisurely took a grape from the table, peeled it and ate it. "She is a noble lady, and I agreed. We live under the same roof, so it is normal for me to curry favor with her."
Yunshan sighed and said, "Alas... I just hope that the young lady can sleep with me sooner, so that her life in the palace will be easier in the future."
In the west wing hall where Song Zhao lived, the diamond-shaped window next to the warm seat could just see the side door of the east wing hall.
Ever since she flattered Concubine Li, she has been staring at the window.
After a while, she saw Lian'er, who was serving Li Guiren, hurriedly walked out of the side door and sneaked out of the palace. Only then did a faint smile appear on the corners of her mouth.
Xiying had explained that Concubine Chen had placed spies around the new concubines in the palace.
So today Song Zhao went to give Li Guiren a gift in order to induce her to say those words that belittled Chen Fei and praised the Queen.
Given the domineering and jealous nature of Concubine Chen, even without Song Zhao's personal intervention, Concubine Li's good days would probably not last long.
*
At the same time, Yong'an Palace.
"Did she really say that?"
The Concubine Chen sat in the first seat, with a hint of anger in her words.
Lian'er, who was beside Li Guiren, was kneeling in the hall and said respectfully:
"I dare not speak nonsense. Lady Li did say so. Lady Song, who lives with her, also advised her that the earrings you sent her were suitable for her. But she said that the things given by the Empress were what she wanted. She also made it clear that she would rely on the Empress in the future, and said that Lady Song was out of favor, and asked Lady Song to rely on her in the future."
Concubine Chen sneered, "Humph, she is ambitious. A mere noble, who has only been in the palace for a few days, has already started to plan for the future and form cliques? She likes to rely on the Queen, so I will fulfill her wish. Isn't it the Queen's favorite to advise the Emperor to treat everyone equally, Yingxiang?"
Yingxiang took a step forward and knelt down, "I am here."
The Concubine Chen said, "Go to the Jingshifang and tell them that Concubine Li has caught a cold and cannot sleep with you. Ask them to hang up her green card. Also, ask Zhang Jiugui to go to the Imperial Court to remind them that there is another Concubine Song in Yaohua Palace who has never seen the Emperor since she entered the palace."
Yingxiang withdrew after receiving the order. Concubine Chen looked at Lian'er again and asked, "I said that Concubine Li had caught a cold. Do you know what that means?"
Lian Er smiled smartly, "I know what to do."
Concubine Chen nodded with great satisfaction, and asked the palace servant to give Lian'er a few taels of silver. Then she said, "Go back and take good care of your young mistress."
Lian'er smiled and thanked the Concubine for her grace, then left happily with the silver in her hands.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
