Chapter 19 Entering the Palace
The next day.
Su Ci was dug up before dawn.
It took more than an hour to wash, bathe, dress and change clothes.
In the harem, only the queen could use phoenix embroidery, while the concubines' palace clothes were mostly embroidered with patterns of flowers, birds, brocades, etc.
While helping Su Ci change into her palace gown, Nanny Qin took a ball of fine powder and lightly brushed it on her fair and tender cheeks, looking at her with satisfaction and praising her inwardly.
She is truly a delicate girl made of ice jade.
It seems as if it was carefully carved by nature, with eyebrows like distant green mountains, eyes like clear autumn water, a nose as straight and slender as jade, and lips as translucent as petals slightly raised, containing a bit of unintentional shyness and charm.
She was wearing a long green brocade dress, the hem of which was dotted with pale pink peach blossoms, waving like ripples, like willows swaying in spring. The wide sleeves and the peach blossom embroidery on her waist complemented each other. Her three thousand black hair was tied into a bun, and on it was a set of peach blossom and coral hairpins inlaid with emeralds.
Elegant and refined, with a natural beauty.
In order to hide his incompetence, Su Ci usually pretends to be dull and stupid and rarely steps out of Shuiyun Pavilion.
Although the servants in the mansion all knew that the fourth young lady was beautiful, they never thought that after a little dressing up she would look like a fairy from heaven, and they were all dazzled by her.
Lin Sulan is now a noble concubine and is qualified to stand beside the master and his wife.
The light purple long dress made her look more gentle and beautiful. He felt mixed emotions of sadness and joy as he watched his daughter Yingying kneel down, bid farewell to the ancestors, and kowtow to her parents for leaving.
According to the rules, Su Ci could not say much or look back. She took Qin Ma's hand and got into the palace's special car.
When the windowsill curtains were lowered, the girl smiled brightly at her parents whose eyes were red.
A new destiny, a new chapter, begins.
…
In the spacious and luxurious carriage, Su Ci looked through the curtains at the flat streets outside separated by soldiers, and saw the people on both sides looking forward to the procession with envious expressions on their faces.
The palace adorned with flowers and the supreme imperial power, who in the world would not yearn for it?
Suddenly, there was a faint commotion around.
Su Ci only saw many young women walking to the back, all of them looking excited.
"Mammy, what happened?"
Qin Zheng, who was walking along with the carriage, took a few glances and, somewhat amused, approached the window and whispered, "Zhao Rong, it's alright. I heard that the prince of the Marquis Xuan Mansion is returning to the capital today, and everyone is going to the city gate to see him."
"…oh."
Su Ci was stunned and touched her nose.
Chu Yunzhou, the prince of Xuanhou Mansion, is the banished immortal male protagonist in the original novel.
Although Chu Yunzhou is the eldest son of a marquisate, he does not like worldly affairs and travels all year round. In the original novel, he returned to Beijing to visit his grandmother. He was forced by his grandmother's mother who pretended to be sick to attend an elegant gathering, and happened to meet the heroine for the first time.
At that time, Su Yin had just entered the palace, and the rash on the heroine's face had not completely disappeared, so Su Rong deliberately dragged her to Yajihui to make a fool of herself.
Chu Yunzhou came to the rescue and left an impression on the heroine.
Afterwards, Su Yin was named Chongyuan and defected to the Queen. Together with her mother and sister, she forced Lin Sulan to death and prepared to marry the heroine to a notorious widower. The heroine was forced to leave home, and a chapter of a cool and exciting story began.
Afterwards, she reunited with Chu Yunzhou who was traveling abroad. They got to know each other and fell in love. They fought monsters all the way and returned to Beijing three years later to get married.
But now, the hero returned to Beijing today, and she, the fake heroine, entered the palace today. They passed each other and their fate was severed from then on.
Su Ci felt inexplicably guilty.
From the moment she entered the palace, she completely changed the course of the original novel.
Under the butterfly effect, many people and things outside the palace will change, but it will no longer have anything to do with her.
I don't know what kind of person this god-like hero in the original novel will be paired with in the future...
**
Since it was the Empress Dowager who issued the decree personally, Su Ci went straight to Baorong Palace after entering the palace.
Unexpectedly, the queen was also there.
"Your concubine, Su Zhaorong, pays homage to the Empress Dowager and the Empress!"
"May the Empress Dowager live a thousand years and may the Empress be blessed with longevity and good health!"
"No need to be polite."
"Thank you, Her Majesty the Queen Mother, and thank you, Her Majesty the Queen."
Su Ci stood up and looked at the royal mother-in-law and daughter-in-law who were sitting upright.
One had an admiring and easygoing look, the other had a sharp and alert look.
"…Mother, this Su Zhaorong is indeed as the outside world has said, a truly stunning beauty."
The queen's words seemed like a compliment, but to a woman who had been raised in seclusion, they were a bit rude.
When people who didn't know heard this, they would think that Su Ci was showing her face every day and was notorious for her scandals.
The Queen Mother glanced at the Queen with an elegant smile.
"I have decided to grant Su Zhaorong the Jade Palace. Does the Queen have any better suggestions?"
The Queen's smile froze slightly, and then she concealed her emotions: "Since it is a gift from my mother, I will obey it."
"However, Consort Wei is still living in Consort Yan's Ganquan Palace. Why not arrange for them to move to Yufu Palace together? What do you think, Mother?"
The Queen Mother lowered her eyes and took a sip of tea.
"The two Zhaorongs are of equal rank, neither superior nor inferior. It is appropriate for them to live in the same palace. Then let's follow the Queen's arrangements."
"…yes."
Su Ci looked up at the Queen Mother and knelt down.
"Thank you, Her Majesty the Queen Mother, Her Majesty the Empress."
The Queen's plan was not wrong. Few concubines below the Four Concubines lived alone in a palace, and there were only two Zhaorongs in the harem. It was not justifiable to favor one over the other.
But those who live in the same palace are also divided into main and deputy.
Wei Zhaorong entered the palace two years earlier than her. Even if they had the same rank, she was a little more qualified than her. If the empress dowager had not said this, then Wei Zhaorong would naturally be the main seat.
The Queen Mother saw Su Ci's gratitude and nodded with a slightly surprised smile.
"You've just arrived at the palace, so you're bound to feel a bit nervous. Go back to Yufu Palace and get settled first. Madam Xue, you go with Su Zhaorong and take care of things. Carefully select some capable palace servants and eunuchs to avoid any clumsy hands neglecting Su Zhaorong."
"Yes, I will obey the Queen Mother's order."
…
Yufu Palace
The front yard is covered with green grass and clusters of flowers, which bloom with brilliant colors and fragrant scents in the sun.
Walking through the corridor with elegant murals, rockery, lotus pond, small bridge, flowing water and pavilions come into view, forming a series of picturesque scenes that will make you intoxicated.
Su Ci was dazzled and finally understood why the queen's smile was so stiff.
This Yufu Palace is not only big but also beautiful.
The key is that it is not far from Your Majesty's Funing Palace.
A palace is divided into a main hall and side halls. Nanny Xue led several palace maids and eunuchs into the spacious and luxurious main hall without any courtesy, and waved her hand to have people start placing Su Ci's luggage.
Su Ci was happy to see this happen, and sat leisurely on the backrest covered with a thick soft mattress.
Yanyu Guyu was a personal maid who only stood beside her master and poured tea. She did not dare to show any inappropriate expression on her face, for fear of embarrassing her master.
After a while, Nanny Xue came forward with two palace maids and two young eunuchs.
"Su Zhaorong, this is the palace maid and eunuch assigned to you by the Internal Affairs Department."
"Your servants Shaoyao and Lianxin pay their respects to Su Zhaorong."
"The servants Fulu, Fushou, greet Su Zhaorong."
"No need to be polite."
Su Ci casually observed the expressions of the four people, smiled and nodded: "I have just entered the palace and there are many things I am not familiar with. I will have to trouble you from now on."
There's nothing unusual, it seems they are all the Queen Mother's people.
"Thank you Su Zhaorong..."
Before the four of them stood up, there was some noise outside and a woman dressed in luxurious clothes walked in quickly.
Nanny Xue knelt calmly, "Wei Zhaorong."
Wei Zhaorong had just received the notice from the Queen, and she was overjoyed and hurriedly packed her things to move into the main hall. However, unexpectedly, someone else had taken it first. She looked at Su Ci with displeasure.
Pupils slightly dilated.
“…”
Su Ci put on an expression of joy and surprise, stood up and walked forward, kneeling slightly.
"Sister Wei Zhaorong."
…
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