Before Zhou Ninghai could speak, Consort Hua said in a low voice, "What you're saying is all too familiar to me. It concerns my life and fortune; I can't forget it even if I wanted to."
"Fortunately, he is not in good health now, so he only serves meals whenever he comes over. Otherwise, I really don't know how I would tolerate his old man smell."
"How could I have been so blind to fall for such a burly man and be so head over heels in love with him!"
Consort Hua and Zhou Ninghai were having a heart-to-heart talk. Every time she thought about these things, she felt that she had been blinded by a weasel in the past.
Fortunately, she realized her mistake in time, otherwise her whole family would have met a terrible end.
Zhou Ninghai said, "Your Majesty has been thinking about these things, of course you can't forget them. Why don't you invite Consort Cheng and Consort Li over to play cards and relax, so you won't have to think about them anymore?"
Consort Hua was about to nod when she remembered that Sun Miaoqing should have gone to the princes' quarters by now, and Cao Qinmo should be taking Wenyi for a nap, so she changed her mind.
"Never mind, let's deal with the harem matters first."
Consort Hua's expression was somewhat unpleasant. "Go and remind Consort Li that she is, after all, a principal concubine, and to tell her to restrain herself."
"Don't let yourself get carried away by the right food, or you'll not only lose your life, but also drag others down with you."
Zhou Ninghai replied, "Your Majesty, please calm down. Such things happen in every palace. Consort Li's behavior is not too outrageous."
"This servant will certainly remind her properly so that she won't cause any trouble for Your Highness."
In the past, Zhou Ninghai hated Consort Li the most. She was impulsive, arrogant, ignorant, and always looked down on the eunuchs.
Several times, in front of him, she said that eunuchs were rootless. When she was vying for his hand, she hadn't considered all that.
Consort Li kept it well hidden and didn't utter a word. When he accidentally stumbled upon it, he was almost speechless with shock.
The imperial harem was lonely, and it wasn't uncommon for concubines and eunuchs to have sexual relations. As long as it didn't cause a scene, it wasn't a big deal.
Consort Hua sighed. Although she felt that Consort Li had willingly degraded herself, she couldn't entirely blame her. "Since moving into the palace, she has received very little favor."
"She's so young, yet she's already living a life of widowhood. After all these years, she's been loyal to me, so I'll help her if I can."
Zhou Ninghai replied, "Your Majesty is kind-hearted. Consort Li will be eternally grateful when she finds out."
Although Consort Hua felt that it was disgraceful for Consort Li to be with a eunuch, the most shameful person was still the Emperor.
The thought of the emperor being cuckolded by a eunuch made Consort Hua feel that it was a blessing from heaven.
Unfortunately, she couldn't reveal this, otherwise she really wanted to see the emperor's expression and how furious he could get.
*
Big Fat Orange felt much better and started visiting the harem more frequently than in the previous months.
Looking at his energetic appearance, it's as if he's been given a second spring.
Zhen Huan and he sat facing each other by the window, separated by a tea table.
He held an embroidery hoop in his hand, and the pattern of two dragons playing with a pearl was almost finished, with only the tail of the right dragon remaining.
Big Fat Orange held a pen and paper and leisurely copied the Book of Songs onto the paper.
Zhen Huan looked up and saw that the story was about Wei Feng and the rogue. Her smile faded.
The fat man didn't think much of it and said with a smile, "Why are you unhappy? Do you think my handwriting is bad?"
Zhen Huan said, "How could I dare? How could there be anything wrong with your calligraphy?"
"I do not like men. A man's infatuation can be explained, but a woman's infatuation cannot."
"They once made vows of eternal love, promising to fly together as one, and after marriage they should have grown old together in love. The woman has not done anything wrong, so why should she suffer unfair treatment?"
Big Fat Orange said, "Commoners are shallow and easily swayed. They abandon their wives who have shared their hardships and do not know how to cherish what they have."
Unlike him, whose love for Chun Yuan has not faded over the years, but has instead grown stronger with age, like fine wine stored in a cellar.
Chun Yuan's voice, appearance, and smile often appeared before his eyes, and he never forgot them for a moment.
That look again!
Zhen Huan's hands were red from gripping the embroidery hoop so tightly; she struggled to control herself and didn't accidentally stab the blind fool across from her.
If he misses Chun Yuan so much, why doesn't he just slit his own throat and go to be with her? Pretending to be deeply in love with these substitutes doesn't stop him from favoring other concubines.
If Chun Yuan were truly alive, the hatred and disappointment in her heart might not be any less than what she harbored.
Zhen Huan calmed her anger and looked at the emperor with tenderness.
"Huanhuan can't stand hearing these things now. There are many men in the world who fall in love with women after their beauty fades."
"The Fourth Prince is the emperor of ten thousand chariots, and he is not an ordinary man. He has countless concubines in the harem, and Huanhuan is not as good as her other sisters."
The chubby orange reached out and gently wiped away the tears from Zhen Huan's eyes. "A kind heart makes one beautiful. Even as you grow old, I will still treat you as I have always treated you."
"How can the other concubines compare to you?"
Zhen Huan looked at him expectantly, "What about Consort Yun? Between Huan Huan and Consort Yun, who does Your Highness like more?"
"Actually, this matter has been on my mind for a long time. Everyone in the palace says that Consort Yun is favored by the Fourth Prince because she resembles Huanhuan."
"But Huanhuan always felt that the way the Fourth Prince looked at Consort Yun was different from how he looked at Huanhuan. What did the Fourth Prince like about us?"
The chubby orange cat unconsciously tightened its grip on the calligraphy brush in its hand and said with a smile, "Does Consort Yun look a lot like you? I never noticed."
"Although she hasn't had much formal education, she is remarkably studious. She is diligent and intelligent, which is quite similar to you."
"However, compared to these, I prefer her cooking skills, which are more to my liking than those made by the Imperial Kitchen."
"As for the rest..."
"I will like anything you like."
Zhen Huan smiled through her tears, "Fourth Master always knows how to please me. With these words from you, I am content and have no other desires."
As the two were talking, Big Fat Orange suddenly felt dizzy again and his mouth became dry. Just as he was about to call for help, Su Peisheng came in carrying some things.
"Your Majesty, it's time to take your medicine again. This servant will serve you."
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