Songzhi and Zhou Ninghai then realized something was amiss. On the surface, it seemed that the Emperor had taken a liking to a young lady and bestowed upon her the title of Consort.
Upon closer analysis, however, things were indeed strange. In all these years, this was the first time they had ever seen the Emperor so attentive to any woman.
Songzhi and Zhou Ninghai couldn't help but believe Consort Hua's guess.
Zhou Ninghai said with difficulty, "Fang Ruo is someone who serves in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Even if she knows something, she certainly won't tell us."
"She is also the Emperor's confidante. No matter how many tricks this servant has, they will probably not work on her."
Consort Hua said, "Everyone has weaknesses, and she's not the only old servant in the palace."
"Gold and silver jewels, high-ranking official positions and generous salaries, a bright future for children and grandchildren..."
"As long as they ask for something, I will do it for them. I don't believe no one will ask."
"Besides, what secrets could a mere woman possibly hold? I am only eager to know because of my love and respect for the Emperor."
"No matter what, it's just a matter between concubines, nothing serious."
Songzhi said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, there are no secrets that stay hidden forever. This servant and Zhou Ninghai will definitely pry them open."
Zhou Ninghai also said, "Speaking of which, we've never been able to get involved with the Hall of Mental Cultivation. If we can use this matter to our advantage and keep things going for a while, we might be able to get some help from them."
After playing with the telescope in her hand for a while, Consort Hua realized it was quite heavy and her hand would ache from holding it for too long.
He casually handed the binoculars to Songzhi, then slowly walked downstairs, saying, "It's always better to be careful. I'd rather not have this help than let anyone notice."
"Tell your brother not to be arrogant because of his achievements. The Emperor is not a magnanimous person. Also, not all money is acceptable."
"What we plundered on the battlefield is enough for the Nian family to squander for two or three generations. The Emperor hates corruption the most, and he's practically bloodshot over money. If you want your family to be safe, don't openly get in the Emperor's way."
Songzhi said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, the General is extremely intelligent and will surely understand Your Majesty's good intentions."
"But this time, Your Highness has completely offended the Empress Dowager. I'm afraid the Empress Dowager is thinking about how to make things difficult for Your Highness right now."
"Even if you resent the Empress Dowager, you still have other ways to retaliate. Why give the Emperor such a thankless and troublesome idea?"
Consort Hua said, "I used to be more filial to her than to my own mother, but what did I get in return?"
"Since flattery is useless, there's no need to wrong myself. As long as the Emperor believes that I am still sincere towards him, no matter how difficult the Empress Dowager tries to make things, she can't hurt me."
"The more she couldn't swallow this insult, the more the Emperor suspected that she favored the Fourteenth Prince and disregarded him, her eldest son."
"This time, I only managed to give her beloved youngest son typhoid fever, without killing Fourteenth Prince. Next time, it won't be so easy!"
*
Chuxiu Palace
Not long after Sun Miaoqing returned, the harem was in an uproar, like a pot of hot oil.
While in the Imperial Garden, the Emperor unexpectedly encountered Consort Wan, who had been ill for a long time. He personally carried her from the Imperial Garden back to Suiyu Pavilion.
Everyone was incredibly surprised by this; it seemed that the palace was about to gain another highly sought-after concubine.
When Shen Meizhuang and An Lingrong heard the news, Da Pang Ju was still at Suiyuxuan, so it was inconvenient for them to go there at that time.
Knowing that Sun Miaoqing was also present, they came directly to Chuxiu Palace.
Sun Miaoqing had just finished playing tangrams with Hongzhou for a while when she saw the two of them coming over. She then asked Qiangwei to continue playing with Hongzhou while she came out to greet the guests.
When speaking with the concubines, she never allowed Hongzhou to be nearby. Although he was only three years old and didn't understand much, he could already speak.
If they overhear even a single word, and Big Fat Orange casually utters a few words when he arrives, their lives will be over.
Upon seeing the two people sitting in the flower hall, Sun Miaoqing said, "You two busy people don't come to my Chuxiu Palace unless you have something to say. What brings you here at this time?"
"Did you hear something, so you came here to find out? Let me tell you, if you don't offer me something nice, I won't know a single word."
Shen Meizhuang said with a smile, "What good things doesn't Consort Cheng want? Why would she care about our little bit of flattery?"
An Lingrong said, "Sister Sun, stop keeping us in suspense. The rumors in the harem are going around like wildfire, and everyone is very curious."
Zhen Huan had informed Shen Meizhuang about her meeting with the Emperor in the Imperial Garden, but An Lingrong was unaware of it.
To put it bluntly, this was also a scheme against the emperor; the fewer people who knew, the safer it would be.
Shen Meizhuang managed the Imperial Garden and grew up with Zhen Huan. The bond between them far surpassed that of An Lingrong, who joined the group later in life.
Upon hearing the news, An Lingrong had already guessed most of what was going on, but she did not harbor any resentment.
There are many things she didn't let Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang know, right? No matter how good the relationship is, there are always some secrets that can't be spoken aloud.
Such novel events are rare in the palace, and even though Shen Meizhuang was doing Zhen Huan a favor, she was unaware of the details.
At this moment, their gossip instincts were burning brightly, and they were both eager to know the live version from Sun Miaoqing's place.
Sun Miaoqing said, "Look how anxious you all are. Isn't it just that kind of thing between men and women?"
"The Emperor had always longed for her, but because she had been ill, he was unable to have her."
"I just happened to run into her in the Imperial Garden and suddenly realized that the beauty I've been longing for doesn't even recognize me."
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