Chapter 16: First Meeting with Shu Fei
Yunshan heard a commotion in the courtyard. When she came out of the veranda, she saw Song Zhao standing alone in the heavy rain. She quickly took an umbrella and ran to Song Zhao's side. She held the umbrella for her and wiped the rain off her hair.
"What are you doing, young master? Why are you getting wet in the rain?"
She saw Concubine Li slamming the door of the East Side Hall, and asked again, "Did Concubine Li ask you to stand here?"
"No, it has nothing to do with her." Song Zhao held the umbrella handle and glanced at the palace gate while talking to Yunshan. Then he said, "I'm a little tired. Let's go in first."
Back in the room, Yunshan changed Song Zhao's pajamas and ran some hot water to help her wash up.
Song Zhao was originally sitting quietly, as if thinking about something.
But just as Yunshan turned around to get the handkerchief, Song Zhao suddenly opened the window, allowing the cold wind and rain to pour in and wet her again.
Yunshan was shocked when he saw this, "What are you doing? What if you catch a cold?"
She ran forward and tried to close the window, but was stopped by Song Zhao, "I must catch this cold today. Not only that, I want to have a high fever and let my body collapse."
"My lady! You have just been favored today. A sick concubine cannot sleep with you. What are you doing..."
"I don't want to sleep with you, I want the emperor's exclusive favor."
The rain kept hitting Song Zhaoming's face, making her look like a red peony blooming in a storm.
Even though the branches, leaves and petals are stained with water, the roots and stems are still upright.
After his upper body was almost soaked, Song Zhao closed the window himself.
She took the handkerchief from Yunshan, wiped her wet hair, and said lightly:
“From the moment the Emperor asked Jiang Deshun to personally escort me out of Chaoyang Palace, I knew that Zhang Jiugui would not be able to escape the beating for neglecting his duty.
In order to atone for his crime, Zhang Jiugui would certainly try to find a way to get rid of me. He knew that I was favored by the emperor, and he would probably tell the emperor about my situation after returning to the palace.
Just now, Concubine Li was criticizing me in the courtyard. I caught a glimpse of a figure flashing outside the palace gate out of the corner of my eye, and I guessed that it was Zhang Jiugui who was peeking.
If it is really him, it would be better if he saw Li Guiren making things difficult for me and told the emperor about it. That way, when I get sick tomorrow, I can let the emperor see what his favor has brought me, and make him feel guilty.
If Zhang Jiugui didn't see anything, it wouldn't matter. Tonight, the emperor asked me to wait until the rain stopped before leaving, but I insisted on following the rules and came back in the rain, which is why I got sick."
Yunshan was even more puzzled after hearing this. "But what good is there in being sick? Didn't Concubine Li also catch a cold? The emperor didn't pay any attention to her."
Song Zhao sneered, "She got sick because she was stupid. But I got sick because of the emperor. A mere cold is not a big deal, but if this disease is caused by a man, he will feel the same pain and be heartbroken."
After a night of tossing and turning, when Song Zhao woke up the next morning, he had caught a cold and had a high fever.
This was her first time to sleep with the Queen, so she had to pay her respects to the Queen no matter what.
When paying respects today, the concubines saw that the red rashes on her face had completely disappeared. Although she still looked a little sick, her outstanding appearance could not be concealed, so they couldn't help but become a little wary of her.
Concubine Yun said sarcastically, "Ms. Song is so beautiful. It's really unfair to her that she only got the position of a concubine despite her beauty."
Concubine Ying continued, "You've been ill for so long, and you couldn't get better after taking so many medicines. But you're all right after seeing the emperor? It seems that the saying that the dragon energy in Chaoyang Palace nourishes people is indeed true."
"Ahem..." Song Zhao coughed twice, stood up and replied respectfully: "I have been ill for a long time and cannot recover. I completely rely on the careful care of you ladies. I will remember the kindness you sisters have shown me and will never forget it."
Concubine Yun and Concubine Ying each glanced at her, letting her be polite and no one asked her to get up.
The queen said in a friendly manner, "We are all sisters. Please chat in peace. There is no need to stand up and bow. Please sit down."
"Thank you, Queen."
After Song Zhao sat down, Concubine Chen said, "Oh, since you have slept with me, all the new concubines in the palace have been favored. This is really a great joyous event."
She stroked her hair gently, tilted her head slightly, and looked at the empress on the throne with a half-smile, "When I was in favor in the past, I served the emperor four or five days out of ten. I remember that the empress often advised the emperor to treat everyone equally. Now, the empress must be happy, right?"
The queen looked at her tenderly and smiled calmly, "If everyone is favored, there will be less jealousy in the harem. If the harem is peaceful, the emperor will be peaceful, and I will naturally be happy."
The tail of the Concubine Chen's eyebrows flew up, and her smile became even wider. "Yes, but if I remember correctly, the emperor hasn't asked the queen to sleep with him for two or three months, right? It's true that the queen has a heart disease, so she can't do such exciting things."
As soon as these words were spoken, the smile on the queen's face immediately disappeared.
"Empress Shu pays her respects to the Empress."
What broke the awkward situation was the announcement from the palace servant outside the door.
Like everyone else, Song Zhao looked towards the door.
Shu Fei was wearing a wide rose-red cloak with flowers and birds on it, and her accessories were intricate and gorgeous with beads. She was holding her waist with her left hand and protecting her bulging belly with her right hand. There were four palace maids guarding her, fearing that something might happen to her.
Shu Fei stood at the bottom of the hall and pretended to bow to the queen, but the queen quickly said, "You are in a heavy condition, so you can skip all the formalities. Qingyue, help your master sit down."
After Shu Fei sat down, she smiled and said, "It's been a hot summer, and I haven't come to pay my respects to the Empress for a month. It rained all night yesterday, and it's finally cool today, so I hurried over."
The Queen said, "You are pregnant, and I have already promised you that you don't need to come to pay respects, but you value etiquette the most and would not be careless at all."
"I respect the Empress from the bottom of my heart, so I won't be careless at all." Shu Fei deliberately raised her voice when she said this, and glanced at Chen Fei as if showing off her power, "Unlike some people, who can't even distinguish between the superior and the inferior after relying on the Emperor's favor for a few days."
Concubine Yun always looked down on Concubine Chen for being arrogant because of her favor. After hearing Concubine Shu start talking, she immediately followed up:
"So what if she's favored for a few days? As concubines, the most important thing for us is to continue the Emperor's lineage. By calculation, Sister Shufei's pregnancy should be six months old, right?"
Shu Fei stroked her belly and replied with a smile, "Yes."
"Then you have to be more careful. You have to be careful when you go in and out, especially don't fall or get hurt." After saying this, Concubine Yun looked at Concubine Chen and asked with a smile, "Concubine Chen, don't you agree?"
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