Chapter 263: Promotion to Noble Concubine
After a long wait, New Year's Eve finally arrived.
Because it was New Year's Day, the whole palace was filled with joy.
His Majesty has never been fond of extravagance. Although he held a dinner every year in the past, it was only the ministers who gathered together. This year it was especially simple, and an order was given early on that even this banquet did not need to be prepared.
He only had meals with the concubines from various palaces at night.
Since His Majesty has ordered frugality, naturally no one dares to object.
The concubines were naturally excited just thinking that they would be able to see the Emperor tonight.
Naturally, no one paid attention to the dinner, and all the concubines in the palace were concentrating on dressing themselves up.
Hehuan Hall
Chen Fu had just woken up when the reward from His Majesty came down early in the morning.
The head of the Internal Affairs Department smiled and said, "Congratulations to Concubine Shen, congratulations to Concubine Shen."
"Except for the money given to Changchun Palace, the reward given to you by His Majesty is the largest."
Every New Year’s Eve, His Majesty would give a grand viewing to the harem. Although the order this year said that everything should be kept simple, the rewards were not reduced.
Chen Fu was pregnant and had a high position, and the Emperor favored her intentionally or unintentionally.
The rewards she received were actually the most except for Concubine Rong.
The servants of the Imperial Household Department carried the rewards into the Hehuan Palace like flowing water.
Chen Fu stood at the door, looking at the servants coming and going, and couldn't help but ask: "Eunuch, are the things I have here too ostentatious?"
She just stood at the door and glanced around casually. At a glance, she saw the green jade relief of Fu Lu Shou Ru Yi, the rosewood dragon and phoenix bronze mirror stand, and the white jade relief lotus leaf washbasin.
Not to mention jewelry, silks, satins, brocades, brocades, and folded flower brocades, which were all moved into her house as if they were free.
Shen Fu stood at the door, worried: "Is it too much?"
"This is just the beginning." Kang Luhai, the chief eunuch of the Imperial Household Department, smiled with a fawning look on his face.
"Given His Majesty's love for you, no matter how much I give you, it won't be enough."
"Besides, you are pregnant with His Majesty's child. With your current status, all the good things in the harem are coming to you, right?"
Kang Luhai deserves to be promoted to the position of General Manager of the Imperial Household Department.
Just these few words really make people feel comfortable.
Seeing that she couldn't refuse, Shen Fu didn't ask any more questions.
What Kang Luhai said was absolutely right. The reward from His Majesty was indeed quite a lot.
They were sent to the Hehuan Palace like a stream of water, and it took the servants a quarter of an hour just to move the things.
"Thank you for your help, gentlemen."
Seeing that all the things had been moved, Chen Fu quickly winked at Xiao Guizi.
Xiao Guizi took out the purse that she had prepared long ago from her sleeve and secretly put it into Kang Luhai's hand.
"This..." Kang Luhai has been in the palace for so many years, so he is naturally a shrewd person.
Just by touching it with your fingertips, you can tell there is quite a lot in there.
Squeezing a face, he smiled even brighter at Shen Fu: “How can this servant be so embarrassed?”
Kang Luhai was polite for a moment, then put it away: “Thank you, Concubine Shen, thank you, Concubine Shen.”
"Father-in-law, you don't have to be polite. It's New Year's Day, so we should let him share in the joy." Chen Fu stepped forward and tried to test him: "Besides, it's so early in the morning, and Father-in-law has been busy here for so long. Who will he go to later?"
"You're too polite, Concubine Shen." Kang Luhai received the reward, so he naturally told everything he knew.
"I just came back from Noble Consort Rong, and will be here the next day. I will also go to Noble Consort Shujie and Noble Consort Xiang later."
"Has the eunuch not gone to Concubine Shu yet?" Chen Fu's brows furrowed, and she instantly felt something was wrong.
"Eunuch, my status is one level lower than that of Concubine Shu. According to the rules, you should go to Concubine Shu and Concubine Xiang first. Why did you come to me first?"
Shen Fu's brows were furrowed, and she was obviously frightened.
Rules are rules.
Everything in the harem must follow the rules, and Chen Fu's position is clearly one level lower than Shu Guipin.
Such things come before Shu Guipin.
If people knew about this, wouldn't they accuse her of not knowing the difference between superiors and subordinates and committing treason?
Shen Fu looked unhappy, but Kang Luhai on the side was calm: "My lady, don't worry."
"What this servant sends and how he sends it are all in accordance with His Majesty's instructions."
Kang Luhai raised his hands and bowed in the direction of the Palace of Heavenly Purity: "This is what the higher-ups ordered, and we are just following their orders."
After he finished speaking, he knelt on the ground and bowed with a smile on his face.
"It's still early. Since Concubine Shen has no other instructions, I will go to Concubine Shu first." Kang Luhai knelt on the ground and saluted swiftly, then turned around and left with a smile on his face.
Chen Fu was left looking at the things in the room, feeling a headache.
"I'm afraid there will be another storm tonight on New Year's Eve." Chen Fu looked at everything in the house, stretched out her hand and rubbed her eyebrows helplessly.
"What are you worried about, young lady?" Xiao Guizi, Zi Su and others were very happy.
"Your Majesty is doting on me, and I should be happy."
With such great favor and so many rewards, except for Concubine Rong, the Hehuan Palace received the most rewards in the entire palace.
"Your Majesty just skipped two visits before, but the servants in the palace are eager to spread the word that you have fallen out of favor." Zi Su said, "Once this matter gets out, let's see who will still look down on us in the future."
Shen Fu glanced at her lightly, then walked into the house.
The outside of the house was piled high with things. Through a door curtain, Chen Fu looked at the things outside.
I felt a severe headache.
"Send someone to follow Kang Luhai and see if he goes to Shu Guipin." Chen Fu instructed Xiao Guizi.
Xiao Guizi immediately nodded and went out.
"My lady, it seems to me that you seem unhappy?" After Xiao Guizi left, Zi Su was nervous for a long time, but finally walked up and asked.
Today is New Year's Eve, and His Majesty has given us so many gifts. All the servants in the Hehuan Palace were grinning from ear to ear, except the young master who seemed unhappy.
"It's not that I'm unhappy, but there must be something wrong when things are abnormal." Shen Fu shook her head.
This is no small matter at all.
To put it simply, it was the servants in the Imperial Household Department who forgot the rules. But if she were caught by someone with ulterior motives, they would accuse Chen Fu of not knowing the difference between superiors and subordinates and committing treason.
With such a tall hat on her head, Shen Fu was speechless and couldn't explain herself.
In addition, there are so many things bestowed by His Majesty.
The more beautiful everything was before her eyes, the more she felt uneasy in her heart.
"It's good that His Majesty favors me, but being too ostentatious is not a good thing." Chen Fu stroked the ring on her fingertips:
"I just don't understand. Your Majesty is a person who values rules the most, but what he did today was extremely unruly."
"Sending someone to deliver the reward to me without first passing through Shu Guipin and others is clearly a slap in the face of Shu Guipin and Xiang Guipin."
"Xiang Guipin has been out of favor for a long time, and at most she will just say a few sour words. But Shu Guipin is used to being favored, and has a bad temper. If Your Majesty does this, she will definitely not let me go tonight."
"Your Majesty is putting me in the spotlight by doing this. This is not like Your Majesty's style."
Shen Fu analyzed His Majesty's psychology one by one.
At this time, Zi Su on the side said: "Perhaps His Majesty wants to promote you, young lady?"
Zi Su pinched Shen Fu's shoulders, with a look of ignorance on her face: "If you are promoted, you will be Concubine Shen. You are pregnant with His Majesty's child, so you are more noble than Concubine Shu, right?"
"What will the young master still need to be afraid of her for then?"
Shen Fu's hand on her belly paused for a moment.
Go with the flow?
Shen Fu couldn't help but comfort herself, His Majesty must have a reason for doing this.
*********
His Majesty's favor is bestowed from noon till evening.
It is said that even the concubines who had not been favored for many years were favored by the Emperor.
The servants from the Imperial Household Department ran all over the harem, and the delivery was not completed until evening.
Apart from Concubine Rong, Chen Fu received the most favor, and the news that she went to the Ministry of Internal Affairs the earliest also gradually leaked out.
I heard that Concubine Shu broke three or four jade pieces in the morning because of this.
At night, the New Year’s Eve dinner finally began.
Since there were not many concubines in the harem, the dinner was held directly in the Ronghua Palace.
Chen Fu arrived neither early nor late, but many concubines came early.
As soon as she entered the room, she heard voices inside:
"I heard that both Concubine Rong and His Majesty are still in Changchun Palace and haven't come yet."
"That's not the case. It's because the Third Prince is still ill and can't leave Imperial Concubine Rong."
"Plus, His Majesty has been watching the Third Prince these days, so I'm afraid the two of them will come together at that time."
The concubines at the four tables spoke in very low voices, but their voices could not be covered up at all.
When Shen Fu walked over, she could even hear it clearly.
She pretended not to hear and walked over holding Xiao Guizi's hand. As soon as I entered the room, the talking beside me stopped instantly.
The eyes of those who had just spoken seemed to be fixed on her face.
Shen Fu sat down without changing her expression, but she hadn't even stood up yet.
"Concubine Shen is here."
In front of her, the noble concubine Shu held up a teacup and said to her:
"Didn't Concubine Shen get up early in the morning? Why did she come so late to the New Year's Eve dinner?"
When Shu Guipin said this to Chen Fu, although there was a smile on her face, her eyes were full of coldness.
She looked at Shen Fu deeply, the coldness in her eyes was like a knife, and she wished she could cut Shen Fu into pieces.
Even though Chen Fu was prepared, when she looked up and met Shu Guipin's eyes, she felt as if her heart was stabbed.
"Thank you for your concern, Concubine Shu." Chen Fu stood up and bowed to Concubine Shu in a neither humble nor arrogant manner.
"I am very ill and took a nap at noon, so I am a little late. Please forgive me, Noble Concubine Shu."
Chen Fu knew that Concubine Shu was angry because of the reward given by His Majesty early this morning.
That's why I came to pick on her.
To be honest, if this happened to Shen Fu, she would also be angry.
Shen Fu had completely expected that Concubine Shu would target her.
"Pregnant?" In the absence of Concubine Rong, Concubine Shu had the highest position in the whole house.
Her light gaze fell on Shen Fu, and a complex expression flashed across her eyes:
"Being pregnant is really amazing." Concubine Shu raised the teacup in her hand: "Being pregnant, it seems that the whole world should revolve around her."
"Everything nice and fragrant must be taken away, and now that you are late, you must use pregnancy as an excuse."
As Concubine Shu spoke, she raised her teacup and sneered at Shen Fu, "She is pregnant, not a golden ticket to immunity from death. Concubine Shen is being hypocritical, so don't blame everything on the pregnancy."
This Shu Guipin's words are really harsh.
Even though Chen Fu had experienced this before, she still felt very upset when she heard it suddenly.
She was too lazy to pretend anymore.
Shu Guipin had long been out of favor, and the Emperor hadn't visited her for a long time.
If it weren't for the fact that her position was higher than hers, Shen Fu wouldn't even bother to pay attention to her.
Because of what happened this morning, I still felt a little sympathy for Concubine Shu.
After hearing this, I lost all interest.
Some people are like this, the more tolerant you are, the more they want to climb over your head.
Chen Fu chuckled, and without waiting for Concubine Shu to speak, she supported herself and sat down:
"It's not me who is bringing up the pregnancy, Your Majesty." The more Concubine Shu couldn't bear to see her pregnant, the more Chen Fu wanted to bring it up.
She placed her hand on her belly and said to Concubine Shu: "During pregnancy, I feel tired sometimes and energetic sometimes. I have no control over it at all."
“Shu Guipin has never been pregnant, so naturally she doesn’t understand the hardships involved.” Chen Fu knew that Shu Guipin’s eyes were on her belly, and she gently stroked it with her palm.
"When Concubine Shu Gui becomes pregnant, you will understand."
Shen Fu held her belly while saying this to Concubine Shu Guipin, which was simply a provocation.
"You!" Shu Guipin, who was standing next to her, was so angry that half of her body rose up from the chair.
"Tell me again!"
The armored hand pointed at Chen Fu's nose, and Shu Guipin was about to lose her temper.
At this moment, the door opened and the leading eunuch shouted in a shrill voice: "Your Majesty has arrived!"
"Noble Concubine Rong is here!"
When Concubine Shu heard this, she put down the hand she had raised towards Chen Fu.
But it was still too late.
His Majesty still saw it: "What's going on?" Xiao Yu had just come from the Third Prince's place, and he still looked a little tired.
But those sharp eyes fell on Shu Guipin, without concealing the majesty at all: "What are you doing?"
"How can Your Majesty be so sure that it is me?" Before Concubine Shu Gui could say a word, Your Majesty pressed the issue.
She was so angry that her face turned pale: "Your Majesty is now indiscriminate and blames all bad things on me?"
After all, she was a woman he had favored before, and his Majesty had not seen Shu Guipin for a long time.
Seeing her cry, the intimidating coldness faded a little: "Then tell me, when I came in, I saw you pointing your finger at Chen Fu, what was it about?"
His Majesty believes in Chen Fu so much.
Don't even ask.
If it is said that Shu Guipin's bitterness just now was pretended, it was just to win the sympathy of His Majesty.
But at this time, seeing that His Majesty did not even ask Chen Fu, he stood in front of her for no reason.
Shu Guipin was really heartbroken.
She placed her palm on her chest, and it seemed as if she could still hear the sound of her heart breaking inside.
But she still tried her best to hold back, and reported today's events in full to His Majesty in a dignified manner.
"Your Majesty, since you value rules the most, what do you think of today's incident?"
Shu Guipin thought about the humiliation and ridicule she had suffered all day, and at this moment she looked at His Majesty.
But she hoped that His Majesty would return all of this to Chen Fu, so that she could also taste the pain of being ridiculed.
"Chen Jieyu is spoiled by your favor. She has taken advantage of your majesty's favor and disregarded the hierarchy to commit crimes against her superiors." Concubine Shu knelt on the ground with a righteous look on her face.
"Please give me your highness the heavy responsibility!"
"Disregarding hierarchy? Rebellion?" Xiao Yu raised his eyes.
He muttered these words to himself, without any surprise on his face, as if he knew everything about what happened today.
His Majesty glanced at Concubine Shu lying on the ground, then turned to look at Chen Fu who was obviously panicking beside him.
"There is indeed a clear distinction between superiors and subordinates in the harem." As soon as His Majesty finished speaking, Concubine Shu immediately raised her head and forced a smile on her face.
But before her smile reached her eyes, she saw His Majesty reach out his hand and hold Shen Fu's palm: "Pass on my decree, promote Concubine Shen to Noble Concubine."
"From now on, she is the most respected one under the rank of concubine!"
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