According to the rules of the palace, after a concubine is favored by the emperor, she needs to pay respects to the empress the next morning. Of course, there are also times when the emperor feels sorry for the beauty and exempts her from paying respects.

Zhuang Yuyan was in a daze last night. Although she heard Emperor Chengxuan say that she was exempted from the greeting ceremony in the morning, she was not the original Zhuang Yuyan. She knew that being arrogant in the harem would not end well. If she did not have Daji's ability, she would not have Daji's disease. Moreover, the demon concubine Daji did not have a good ending in the end.

She should be dressed according to Wanyi's rank, not too gaudy, nor too plain and low-key. In the harem, being too low-key would be considered deliberate high-profile, which would be an eyesore to some people.

The Empress lived in Jingyang Palace, which was also the residence of the Empress since the founding of the dynasty. The Empress was one year older than the Emperor and was not favored by the Emperor, but the Emperor still respected the Empress, so the Empress' position in the harem was relatively stable. Unfortunately, the Empress only gave birth to one daughter, who died at the age of two, so that several favored concubines in the harem took some of the limelight.

It is easier to lose favor in the harem than to regain it, so when the concubines saw Zhuang Wanyi coming to pay her respects to the empress, they all felt uncomfortable. She was obviously just a woman with some beauty, so how could she regain favor?

"I pay my respects to the Queen, may the Queen be well," Zhuang Wanyi arrived at the right time, which was in accordance with the rules. After performing the formalities, the maid beside the Queen came forward to help her up, completely forgetting that she had treated her coldly not long ago.

"Just now, the eunuch beside the emperor came to tell me that you are excused from paying respects today. But you are here. Please sit down quickly." Although the empress's appearance was not the best among the concubines, her overall aura was enough to show the majesty of the emperor and empress. She also looked virtuous and generous when she smiled.

"I am fortunate that the Emperor and the Empress are considerate of me, but I haven't paid my respects to the Empress for several days and I feel guilty. I have disturbed you today. I hope the Empress will not dislike me," Zhuang Yuyan sneered in her heart. Why didn't they let me pay my respects? Why didn't they say this before I performed the ceremony? He was just trying to gain a reputation of being virtuous and generous. It was really boring in front of the Empress.

"I am very pleased that you can do this," she said, and asked someone to give some gifts to Zhuang Yuyan, which aroused the envy of some concubines of lower status.

After the women in the room talked for a while, they heard the eunuch's announcement: "Concubine Shu Gui has arrived, Su Xiuyi has arrived."

Zhuang Yuyan stood up and watched two beautiful women walk in gracefully. The one walking in front was a stunning woman in a pink palace dress. She looked to be no more than twenty years old. Although her figure was as slender as a willow, one could still see pride and nobility between her eyebrows. It was not difficult to tell that she was a very favored concubine.

The woman who was one step behind her was also very pretty, but lacked some grace. The two of them had similarities in their features, and this person seemed to be in awe of the woman walking in front of her.

"Your servant has seen the Empress," Concubine Shugui bowed gracefully, but this action was also performed with extreme elegance, which made Zhuang Luoyan sigh in her heart. No wonder she was so favored. If she were a man, she would not be able to help but show more favor to such a beauty.

After another round of greetings and kowtows, the eunuch came to announce that Concubine Yan had arrived.

From Zhaoyi onwards, almost all concubines had no titles, but were addressed by their surnames. Only Yan Guipin Xue Zhenyao was given the character "Yan" as her title. It is said that when she first met the emperor in Meilin, her charming smile astounded the emperor. Soon after, she was promoted from a small Liren to Ronghua, and finally from Ronghua to Yan Guipin, which shows the emperor's favor for her.

The woman who came in was two points more beautiful than Concubine Shugui, and her every move exuded a sense of tenderness. When she came in, she first glanced at the concubines in the room before stepping forward to pay her respects to the empress.

The Queen's attitude towards her was no different from that towards Concubine Shu, which made Zhuang Luyan unable to tell what the Queen thought of these two concubines. However, she was thinking that if Concubine Yan's background had not been slightly inferior, she would probably be more than a third-rank concubine now.

"It's so lively here today, Her Majesty. Could it be Miss Zhuang whom I haven't seen for a while?" Concubine Yan had very beautiful eyes. When her gaze fell on Zhuang Yuyan, her smile was particularly gentle, but Zhuang Yuyan sensed a bit of coldness.

"Sister, it is me." Zhuang Yuyan stood up and curtseyed with a slight smile on her face.

"I heard you were ill the other day, and I didn't have time to see you. Now you are much better," Concubine Yan looked at Concubine Shu with a smile, "Sister Concubine Gui, look at Sister Wanyi's face. She looks a lot thinner."

"Sister Wanyi has lost some weight. Although she is fine now, she still needs to be taken good care of." Concubine Shugui looked at Zhuang Yuyan carefully and smiled gently, her voice as soft as the spring breeze. "If there is anything missing, just tell the Queen or us sisters. Don't be too hard on yourself."

"I thank all of you sisters. I don't lack anything, but I made you worry." After sitting back in the chair, Zhuang Yuyan thought, if these women really regarded her as their younger sisters, why would they call her "Sister Wanyi" one by one? It was just to remind herself of her low status and not to act arrogantly just because she was favored.

"I am relieved to see you all getting along so harmoniously. Kang'an Palace has already issued an order to cancel today's greetings. If you sisters have nothing else to do, you may go back." The queen looked at the room full of all kinds of beautiful and charming women and waved her hand.

Since the queen said so, the concubines naturally would not have the nerve to stay. After they all left Jingyang Palace, they revealed their true natures.

After the honest concubines who had no hope of gaining favor left Jingyang Palace, they left quietly, leaving behind women with their own thoughts.

"Zhuang Wanyi is back in favor, I think Concubine Zhuang is the happiest, am I right?" Concubine Ma's voice was neither loud nor low, but it was loud enough for everyone present to hear clearly. Everyone knew that Concubine Zhuang entered the palace two years earlier than Zhuang Wanyi, and Zhuang Wanyi was the legitimate daughter of the Zhuang family, while Concubine Zhuang was just the daughter of a concubine. Since Zhuang Wanyi entered the palace, she has been disrespectful to her elder sister, and now Concubine Ma deliberately said this, just to make the two sisters unhappy.

Concubine Zhuang had never thought that her sister would get up one day. Although she wished that her sister would be thrown into the mud and never get up, this was a matter between sisters, and there was no need for Concubine Ma, whose father was just a small county magistrate, to instigate. Hearing this, she sneered at Concubine Ma and said, "My sister is happy to serve the emperor, isn't Concubine Ma happy?"

Ma Jieyu's expression changed, and she snorted coldly, "You two are sisters with deep affection."

To describe the Zhuang sisters as having a deep sisterly love is just an irony. Zhuang Yuyan also knew that Concubine Zhuang had no good feelings towards her. Of course, no one would want to get close to a legitimate sister who was inferior to them in everything except appearance, opposed them in every way, and was unruly and willful.

Concubine Zhuang looked unhappy and stopped responding to Concubine Ma's words.

Zhuang Yuyan turned to look at Ma Jieyu, and said with a half-smile: "Sister Ma has been in the palace for many years, and she has a deep sisterly relationship with all of us sisters!!"

"You!" Concubine Ma's face was as gloomy as water. She was not young anymore and had entered the palace quite early, but now she was only a concubine of the fourth rank. Compared with these beautiful women in front of her, she had lost her tenderness.

"We are talking, you little Wanyi have no right to interrupt us," Ma Jieyu's eyes turned cold, "Come here, slap me in the face."

"Master..." The palace maid beside Concubine Ma looked embarrassed and trembled, but dared not move.

"I am sorry for my impoliteness. I hope you will forgive me. I only dared to talk to you because you said that we have a deep sisterly love. I didn't know that you didn't mean that." Zhuang Luoyan bowed and saw that Ma Jieyu's face became more embarrassed, but the smile on her lips did not increase or decrease.

"I haven't seen her for a while. Zhuang Wanyi's mouth has become much more powerful," Concubine Jiang Xian watched the scene from a distance and whispered to Concubine Wang beside her, "I wonder if her skills have improved."

Wangpin glanced at Concubine Ma's embarrassed face and said, "I don't know whether Zhuang Wanyi's skills have improved, but Concubine Ma has been in the palace for a long time, but her brain has regressed."

The three of them entered the palace on the same day. Concubine Jiang Xian was at least a fourth rank official, and she was also a fourth rank official. Only Concubine Ma was a fourth rank official. Thinking of how Concubine Ma enjoyed her favor three years ago, a sneer appeared at the corner of her mouth.

Concubine Ma naturally couldn't let the servant beside her shut up Zhuang Luoyan's mouth. Not to mention that this was outside Jingyang Palace, even if it was somewhere else, a concubine asking a servant to tie up Wanyi, who had just received the emperor's favor, was jealous and immoral, and was asking for trouble.

Although Ma Jieyu was a little stupid, she was not completely brainless. She quickly calmed down, looked at Zhuang Yuyan viciously, turned around and left with the palace maids.

The concubines who were watching the excitement left in twos and threes. After a while, only Concubine Zhuang and Zhuang Yuyan were left.

"When my sister was sick, she missed me very much," Zhuang Luoyan looked at Concubine Zhuang with a wry smile. The original owner of this body made the empress unhappy, and Concubine Zhuang was probably responsible for this.

Concubine Zhuang looked into Zhuang Luoyan's eyes. Those eyes were very beautiful, so beautiful that she found them annoying. She sneered, held the hand of the palace maid Xie Yu, and sneered, "Why do you have to be like this, sister?" She entered the palace two years earlier than her sister, but because she was born out of wedlock, she was only a small concubine after all these years. Her arrogant sister was only a legitimate daughter, so she was promoted to the fifth rank noble lady when she entered the palace. After being favored for one night, she was promoted to the fifth rank Wanyi. Until now, she is only a fourth rank concubine.

Whether she was unwilling or resentful, she wished that her sister would lose favor and be sent to the cold palace, or even disappeared silently in the harem. But Zhuang Yuyan had clearly lost favor and had displeased the queen, so why did she regain favor overnight, and even the queen's attitude towards her changed?

Just because she is prettier than me, just because she is a legitimate daughter? !

Zhuang Yuyan saw the hatred in Concubine Zhuang's eyes, lowered her eyelids, and stretched out her hand for Yunxi to support her, "Sister is a little tired today, so I will go first."

Watching Zhuang Yuyan and her servants leave, Concubine Zhuang asked gloomily, "What's the news from Taoyu Pavilion?"

"Master, I heard..." Xie Yu whispered, "This morning, the chief eunuch Gao Dezhong went to the Palace to select six servants to be used in Taoyu Pavilion. I heard that the emperor was worried that there were too few servants in Taoyu Pavilion and Zhuang Wanyi would be wronged."

"Unfair?!" Concubine Zhuang sneered, "Which Wanyi doesn't have those servants? But she is the one who is wronged." As soon as she heard this, she was shocked and felt that something was wrong. She reluctantly suppressed her resentment and turned to walk towards her residence.

"Master, the young lady..."

"Yunxi, she is not the eldest daughter but Concubine Zhuang, don't forget that," Zhuang Luoyan chuckled. Where did the sisters come from in the harem?

"Your Majesty, do you want to flip the cards today?" Gao Dezhong came in with the eunuchs from the Eunuch Bureau. Seeing that the emperor was busy reviewing memorials, he lowered his voice a little.

Feng Jin paused with the cinnabar writing brush in his hand, glanced at the plaques in the tray, and reached out to a jade ivory plaque with the words "Anqing Palace's Shu Guifei Su Ruizi" written on it. His fingertips just touched the coolness of the jade ivory plaque, and he suddenly stopped and turned over a wooden ivory plaque.

Gao Dezhong glanced at the ivory plate and saw that the emperor was busy reviewing memorials again, so he left with the eunuchs from the Eunuch Bureau.

"The Emperor has ordered that the Taoyu Pavilion be lit tonight."