Those who wanted to enter the palace were not allowed to stay, while those who did not want to enter were imprisoned. What kind of human suffering is this?
After saying goodbye to Lin Muyun, Sun Miaoqing boarded the carriage that had been waiting at the palace gate and headed towards her uncle's house.
Upon arriving at the main gate of the Zhang residence, the servant guarding outside shouted loudly, "Miss Zhang is back!"
The firecrackers were set off with a deafening roar, and my sister-in-law, uncle, and aunt came out to greet us.
"Your subject pays respects to Your Highness."
Upon seeing this, Sun Miaoqing felt a sudden pang of sadness, her eyes reddened, and she quickly went to help the person up.
"Uncle, Aunt, Sister-in-law, please rise quickly! How can I let you bow to me?"
"The proper etiquette cannot be disregarded. Having already been granted the title of imperial concubine, there is a distinction between ruler and subject."
“If Your Highness does not allow us to perform the proper etiquette, others will say that Your Highness does not know the rules.”
Sun Miaoqing was speechless and could only watch them kowtow.
"Now that the formalities have been performed, please rise, Uncle, Aunt, and Sister-in-law. We'll go inside and talk."
Zhang Linghe nodded, stood up, and then, along with the others, escorted Sun Miaoqing inside.
Once inside the main room, after dismissing all the servants, Sun Miaoqing's sister-in-law, Zhao, hurriedly asked.
"Miaoqing, what exactly happened? How did you manage to get the Emperor to keep your nameplate?"
Not only was Zhao puzzled, but Zhang Linghe and his wife were also completely baffled.
Of course, you'll always think your own child is the best, but you still have to be realistic.
Whether it's her looks or her figure, Sun Miaoqing is indeed not outstanding.
Sun Miaoqing said, "I don't know what the Emperor was thinking. He just asked me if I was my brother's sister, and that's how I was selected."
"Was it because my brother gave Consort Hua such a generous gift that he made a mess of things?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao recalled the endless stream of fine gifts she had sent to her family and slapped her thigh in regret.
"That must be it!"
"This has backfired; what are we going to do?"
After feeling remorseful for a while, Zhao was afraid that Sun Miaoqing would be frightened, so she comforted her, "It's too late to regret it now."
"Entering the palace is something many people would kill for. Fortunately, you have Consort Hua as your backer, so it will be easier for you after you enter the palace."
[Consort Hua is a bottomless pit. If I really follow her, not only will I be finished, but my whole family will be finished too.]
[Alas, Nian Gengyao is arrogant and complacent. The Emperor and Empress Dowager have long been wary of the brother and sister; otherwise, why wouldn't they have prevented her from having children?]
Zhao saw that Sun Miaoqing's lips were tightly closed, but she heard her voice saying something shocking, but upon closer inspection, it made a lot of sense.
It is said that when the birds are all gone, the good bow is put away; when the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked.
Nian Gengyao was originally a servant of the emperor, but he had rendered meritorious service in supporting the emperor's rise to power. He was also influential in the previous dynasty, and his sister was the most favored concubine. He was living a life of luxury and privilege.
Having received so much favor over the years, it would indeed be somewhat unreasonable if she hadn't been ill and still had no children.
But how did Miaoqing know all this?
Zhao was filled with suspicion and doubt, finding everything about this thing questionable.
Aunt Zhang said, "Life in the palace is never easy. There is only one emperor. If you are not favored, you may not see your husband more than a few times a year."
"If that's the case, it would be better to curry favor with the Empress Dowager after entering the palace. If Miaoqing can gain the Empress Dowager's protection, we can feel more at ease."
Aunt Zhang and Zhao were both worried about Sun Miaoqing's future, but Uncle Zhang was extremely optimistic.
Although it was unexpected that his niece would be selected, having connections in the palace was better than having none at all.
The emperor has few children. If Sun Miaoqing is fortunate enough to give birth to an imperial heir, even if it is just a princess, he might be able to benefit from it.
"Alright, Miaoqing being able to enter the palace is a great favor from the Emperor. We should be overjoyed, why are you being sad?"
"The imperial heir is of utmost importance. As long as Miaoqing can give the emperor a child, there will be nothing to worry about in the future."
"It will be a while before we can enter the palace. Tomorrow, we will invite Physician Li to come and have him give Miaoqing a proper treatment."
Aunt Zhang gave her husband a disdainful look. What did he know?
Although the imperial concubines were all women of noble rank, they could not be compared with ordinary concubines.
But a concubine is a concubine; with so many women vying for one husband, it's destined to be a miserable existence.
Men only see fame and fortune, and the wealth of the princes' mothers' families; they can't see the tears of the women.
However, she couldn't say these things out loud, otherwise it would only add fuel to the fire and make Miaoqing even more fearful about the future.
Zhao said, "You've waited all day, Uncle and Aunt must be tired. Let's go back and rest."
"It's good that Miaoqing has her niece-in-law here with her."
Sun Miaoqing also said, "Sister-in-law is right. Uncle and Aunt, please go and rest. I'm fine here."
Uncle Zhang and Aunt Zhang nodded. "We're leaving now. You two should finish your dinner and get some rest."
Sun Miaoqing said obediently, "Respectfully seeing off my uncle and aunt."
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