Chapter 7: First Meeting with the Queen
The gossip of Concubine Yun and Concubine Ying only stopped after the eunuchs and palace servants solemnly called out, "The Queen has arrived."
The high-ranking concubines who had already taken their seats stood up one after another and bowed towards the corridor leading from the inner chamber to the main hall.
"Your Majesty, I respectfully welcome you. May you live in peace and happiness."
Song Zhao was among the crowd, observing the formalities, glancing at the queen as she walked towards the throne step by step.
She was dressed in a bright yellow court gown embroidered with a phoenix wearing a peony pattern, a gold and jade phoenix crown on her head, and three oriental pearl earrings in one ear. Her whole outfit was dignified and elegant, and she walked with great grace and grace. The tassels on the hem of the gown were almost invisible to the touch.
After the Queen firmly sat on the throne and ordered everyone to stop paying respects and to leave, Song Zhao was able to see her appearance clearly.
He had a pair of almond-shaped eyes that were hooked inwards and curved outwards, soft and plump vermilion lips, and a straight and upturned nose. He exuded an air of grandeur and grace from the inside out.
It was just that the makeup on her face was a little thick, as if she was deliberately trying to use makeup to cover up her sickly appearance.
After taking a look at the newcomer, the Queen smiled gently and said:
"You just entered the palace yesterday. Are you still used to living away from your own residence?"
Everyone nodded in unison, and Li Guiren, who was standing in the front, was the first to flatter the queen.
"Thank you very much, Queen, for your care. Gardenias are planted in the courtyard of the East Side Hall of Yaohua Palace. They are my favorite flowers. I have planted a lot of them at home. After moving in yesterday, I felt as warm as my own home~"
The Queen said gently, "As long as you like it. I should have been the one to arrange a place for you. But the Queen has been ill these past two days, so I have given all these matters to Concubine Ying."
Then he looked at Concubine Ying and nodded with a smile, "You are thoughtful and attentive. Thank you for your hard work."
Ying Fei hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, you are too kind. It is my honor to be able to share some trivial matters with you."
Li Guiren was very tactful and quickly thanked Concubine Ying again, "Thank you very much, Concubine Ying."
Ying Fei glanced at her indifferently and said "hmm" casually, which was her response.
The Queen continued, "Yesterday was the great day when you entered the palace, and you should have met the Emperor one by one. It's my fault that I was not in good health and had a sudden heart attack that tripped the Emperor up. Don't take it to heart."
Everyone said quickly, "Your Majesty, it is really embarrassing for us concubines to say that. Your health is the most important thing."
Concubine Yun on the side couldn't stand her temper anymore, she rolled her eyes and said angrily:
"How can we blame the Empress? When we took turns tending to the sick yesterday, we all heard you persuading the Emperor to meet the new concubines and not let them be neglected.
If the Concubine Chen hadn't been so charming that she dragged the Emperor to her palace, I think my sisters would have seen the Emperor's face yesterday."
To be obedient is to listen to the tone.
Song Zhao could tell that Concubine Yun said this in order to make the new concubines jealous of Concubine Chen, whom she had never met.
After hearing what Concubine Yun said, the Queen let her talk without stopping her, which showed that the Queen was also dissatisfied with Concubine Chen's behavior yesterday.
But she is the Empress after all, so it is not easy for her to say such jealous words.
Later, the queen asked them some trivial matters in life, but Song Zhao just stood there quietly without saying anything.
Just after hearing the Queen cough twice with weak force, I saw that Concubine Li had made some movement.
She asked her maid to bring the black gold brocade box to the queen, and she presented it to her with both hands with great respect.
"I heard yesterday that the Queen had a heart attack, and I was worried. This hundred-year-old wild ginseng was brought into the palace by my father. It is best used to nourish and replenish Qi. I hope the Queen will not dislike it."
Song Zhao took a peek at the wild ginseng in the black gold brocade box. It was indeed of excellent quality.
The queen also smiled and said, "This wild ginseng is of excellent quality. Lady Li is very thoughtful."
As soon as she finished speaking, the senior palace maid Shuangruo beside her was about to step forward to accept the gift.
At this moment, Concubine Yun suddenly sneered, "Oh, Li Guiren is thoughtful, but before you do anything, you should first inquire about the Queen's discomfort.
The Queen's heart disease relapsed this time because of the recent hot weather. The Queen has excess heat in her body, accompanied by symptoms of yin deficiency and excessive fire. These symptoms are absolutely not worth your "kindness."
When Concubine Li heard this, her face changed and she hurriedly explained:
"Your Majesty, please forgive me...I, your majesty, I don't understand these things, please don't blame me."
The Queen smiled calmly, "You have good intentions, how can I blame you? How about this, I accept your gift, but if I want to borrow your flowers to offer to Buddha, do you mind?"
Li Guiren smiled and said, "Of course I don't mind."
The Queen said, "Shu Fei is pregnant and needs to be nourished. This kind of wild ginseng is the best for her. Today, I will give this to Shu Fei."
Shu Fei took leave and did not come to pay respects today, but her maid Qingyue was present.
Firstly, he came to ask for leave from Concubine Shu, and secondly, he wanted to listen to the situation and then convey the news to Concubine Shu after returning to the palace.
Qingyue stepped forward and took the black gold brocade box from Shuangruo.
"I would like to thank the Queen on behalf of Concubine Shu for her kindness."
The queen nodded slightly, "Remember to tell your master when you go back that these are all from Concubine Li's heart."
Li Guiren was naturally happy.
By giving a gift, I gained respect in front of the Queen and Concubine Shu. Although wild ginseng is expensive, it is worth the money.
The new concubine's green card will be sent to the Jingshifang tonight. She thinks that she has performed the best during the greetings today, and she might even get the chance to sleep with the emperor tonight.
Later, the queen felt a little tired, so she told everyone to go back to the palace first.
The concubines paid their respects and left according to their rank.
As a concubine with the lowest rank, Song Zhao was the last one to leave.
But just as she was leaving Fengluan Palace, she heard someone calling her from behind.
"Song agreed to stay."
She turned around and saw Shuangruo, who was beside the queen, following her out.
Shuang Ruo held a palm-sized yellow pear wood box in her hand and handed it to Song Zhao.
"This is the Purple Gold Blood Activating Ointment, which is very effective in treating indigestion. The Queen asked me to bring this to you, and told me to apply it on my face every morning and evening. Within five days, the redness, swelling and eczema on my face will disappear completely."
Song Zhao accepted the yellow pear wood box and said with a happy smile:
"Thank you very much, Queen. I should thank you in person for your care."
Shuang Ruo said, "The Queen is tired today, so she told you not to thank her. Please go back now."
After saying that, she turned around and went back to Fengluan Palace.
Song Zhao handed the yellow pear wood box to Yunshan and asked her to keep it well, then turned and walked towards Yaohua Palace.
After walking a little further away, Yunshan whispered to Song Zhao, "The Queen is indeed just as the rumors say. She is a model for the country and kind to her family."
Song Zhao didn't say anything, just said "hmm" softly.
I thought, if the Queen only relied on her kindness in this deep palace, how could she have stayed on the throne for so many years under the strong pressure from the Concubine Chen?
Moreover, today was the first time she and the Queen met. How could the Queen know in advance that she had the symptom of disobedience on her face and even prepare the right ointment for her in the morning?
As she was thinking, a cold female voice suddenly sounded behind her.
"Who's there?"
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