Although the sound of the night watchmen in the palace was soft, it was loud enough for people to hear in the quiet night.
Tingzhu hurriedly walked into the gate of Xihe Palace. Because she walked too fast, she was sweating in the autumn night. Seeing her expression, the other palace maids and eunuchs did not dare to approach her. They just felt a little uneasy, wondering what happened.
Seeing that the lights in the inner room were on, Tingzhu didn't hesitate and walked into the room. When he entered the room, he saw Zhuang Yuyan just lying down. Yunxi was about to put down the tent, but when she saw that Tingzhu looked a little strange, she stopped and put up the tent again. "What happened?"
"Master, Concubine Wang from Jingyu Pavilion is gone." Tingzhu panted, "There is a lot of commotion in Jingyu Pavilion right now."
"Princess Wang from Jingyu Pavilion?" Zhuang Yuyan sat up and asked in confusion, "Didn't Concubine Wang recover? I saw her outside a few days ago. How could she just disappear like that?"
"I don't know either. I just heard from the servants of Jingyu Pavilion that Wangpin has been a little restless in the past two days. I didn't expect that she is gone now."
Zhuang Yuyan frowned slightly, feeling uneasy? He left so quietly again, was there really no other reason?
Concubine Wang had been ill for quite some time, and she was not favored by the emperor. Her mother's family was not prominent. Even if her death was suspicious, Emperor Chengxuan would not send anyone to investigate. As for the empress, she would probably not bother with it.
"Have the Emperor and Empress sent down any decree?" Zhuang Yuyan took a deep breath. She had no friendship with Concubine Wang, and when she heard that she had died inexplicably, she felt a little cold in her palms.
"Eunuch Gao of the Qianzheng Palace has already conveyed the Emperor's oral order, saying that everything is to be handled by the Empress Dowager. However, considering that Concubine Wang has been in the harem for several years, she will be granted special grace to handle her funeral with the rites for a noble concubine." Tingzhu had been in the harem for many years, so it was natural for her to guess that Concubine Wang's death was strange. However, the Emperor did not ask, so Concubine Wang could only die in obscurity.
"The etiquette of the noble concubine," Zhuang Yuyan pulled the quilt over her body and looked at the candlestick. The unfavored concubines in the harem had such a miserable end that not many people took their death seriously, just like the withered flowers on the roadside. "Since the emperor has already made a decision, we will pay our respects according to the rules."
"Yes." Ting Zhu bowed, Yun Xi was slightly stunned, then he put down the curtain that had been hung up again to block out the overly bright candlelight in the room.
Zhuang Yuyan lay on the brocade satin bed, completely unable to sleep.
"Master, do you want to put out all the candles in the house?" Yun Xi asked in a low voice outside the tent.
"Leave the one by the door," Zhuang Yuyan closed her eyes and said nothing more.
"Yes," Yun Xi and Ting Zhu looked at each other, turned off the other lights, and retreated quietly.
After getting up early in the morning, Zhuang Luoyan changed into a light-colored silk dress and a headdress made of jade and gemstones. Although it was not too plain, she did not want others to think that she was wearing bright and frivolous clothes when Concubine Wang was gone.
When he arrived at the Queen's Jingyang Palace on a sedan chair, he saw that the concubines who had arrived earlier looked normal but not as energetic as before. Moreover, they were not dressed very gorgeously. It was obvious that they had remembered Jin Liangyi's previous experience.
Not long after, the concubines arrived in groups of three or four. When they mentioned Concubine Wang, they all said that it was a pity that she died young and beautifully, completely forgetting that they had not had much friendship with Concubine Wang before.
"Princess Jiang Xian has arrived!"
Thinking about Concubine Jiang Xian and Concubine Wang living together, the faces of the concubines present changed slightly. After all, someone had just died, and they all felt that it was a bit unlucky.
"I have seen the Empress Dowager." Concubine Jiang Xian looked tired and it seemed that she had not slept all night.
"There's no need to be so polite, Concubine Jiang Xian. Concubine Wang lives with you. I guess you didn't sleep well at night because you were taking care of Concubine Wang's affairs. Please give her a seat." The Queen looked calm and asked the eunuch to bring an embroidered cushion for Concubine Jiang Xian to sit on.
"Princess Jiang Xian and Concubine Wang were sisters with a deep bond. Please accept our condolences." Concubine Yan Gui consoled.
"Princess Wang and all of us are sisters, and Concubine Yan should also express her condolences." Concubine Jiang Xian spoke lightly, and then looked at Concubine Yan, with little emotion in her eyes.
Concubine Yan's expression changed, she glanced at Concubine Jiang Xian and stopped talking.
The atmosphere suddenly became a little awkward. No one expected that the usually taciturn Concubine Jiang Xian would say such a thing. Some people were happy to see Concubine Yan Gui lose face and showed sarcastic smiles.
Zhuang Yuyan raised her head and glanced at everyone without saying a word.
"Your Majesty is so gracious that he buried Concubine Wang with the ceremony for a noble concubine. I think Concubine Wang's spirit in heaven can rest in peace." Concubine Shu Gui spoke softly. After she said this, no one dared to contradict her. Could it be that she was saying that the emperor was not good enough?
Zhuang Yuyan was not interested in such discussions. After leaving Jingyang Palace, she did not want to ride in a sedan chair. She just took a few palace maids and eunuchs to walk around the Yu Garden to relax.
This is the fate of women in the harem, they die young, are given a title of some importance and buried, and still have to praise the emperor for his great favor. Zhuang Yuyan narrowed her eyes and wondered, why do those heroines in novels still think about love and hate?
When passing by the Yu Garden, they heard clapping sounds coming from the front, and knew that the emperor was coming here with the imperial ceremonial guard. Zhuang Yuyan opened her eyes, got off the sedan chair, and stood aside with her head down. Fortunately, she didn't feel hot under the autumn sun.
Feng Jian was sitting in the imperial carriage, not paying any attention to who was standing around him. Suddenly he turned around and saw a familiar figure standing by the roadside with his head lowered. He immediately waved his hand and the imperial carriage stopped.
"Zhao Chongyi?" Feng Jin lowered his head and asked Zhuang Yuyan to stand up straight: "From the empress?"
Due to the busy government affairs recently, Feng Jin seldom turned over the sign of the harem, and he had not seen Zhuang Yuyan for several days. Now seeing her standing in the sun in plain clothes, he felt somewhat pleasing to the eye.
"Your Majesty, I just came out from the Empress's place," Zhuang Yuyan pretended to carefully glance at the Emperor, then quickly lowered her head.
"Well," Feng Jin nodded, and suddenly said, "In that case, you don't have to go back to Xihe Palace now. Go to Yu's study and serve Mo."
Although the harem was not allowed to interfere in government affairs, the women in the harem were allowed to serve in the study. However, since Emperor Chengxuan seldom summoned women from the harem to serve him, this seemed a little special.
In such a huge harem, the only ones who have such honor and high status are Shuguifei and Xu Zhaorong, and now there is another Zhao Chongyi.
Not far away, several concubines of lower status looked at this scene with envy, and from time to time they lowered their heads and whispered a few words.
"She does know how to invite favors." Su Xiuyi sneered.
Concubine Shugui gave her a neutral look and let the sedan chair continue moving forward, but her eyes became a little colder.