Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Zhaoyi's Second Day
The setting sun melts gold, and the evening clouds merge into one.
Qian Ji was thinking that it was time to turn over the cards today, but when he saw the eunuch holding the green card just stepping in, the emperor stood up and said, "No need to turn over, go to Chengqian Palace."
Because Chengqian Palace was not far from the imperial palace, Ji Chen did not ride the imperial chariot but walked there.
Inside Chengqian Palace, the palace maids were busy preparing meals. Shen Qing sat in front of a bronze mirror, looking at which hairpin would suit her best.
Finally, I chose a white jade hairpin.
She had just stroked her hair when she heard the palace maid say that the emperor had arrived.
Shen Qing stood up and looked at the sky in surprise, but it did not stop her from smiling and going to greet Ji Chen. She came in front of Ji Chen and bowed slightly: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."
Ji Chen grabbed Shen Qing's wrist and said, "Excuse me, what are you doing?"
"Tell the palace maids to prepare the meal, and then choose which hairpin to wear."
Ji Chen's eyes fell on the jade hairpin in Shen Qing's hair, and his expression slightly restrained: "You like the jade hairpin? It suits you very well."
[What Wang Jigui gave as a present was a jade hairpin...]
Because it was a jade hairpin given to me by someone else, I felt indescribably happy when I broke it.
Shen Qing was shocked that Ji Chen had deliberately thrown her hairpin, but she still showed a gentle smile on her face, and said without hesitation: "If we talk about liking, I still prefer the vulgar things that Your Majesty gave me."
However, she agreed with Ji Chen's suggestion of complementing others.
She picked the jade hairpin because she thought it would make her look more otherworldly and, paired with the night sky, it would be so beautiful that people could not take their eyes off her.
Since they are all Zhaoyi, it is natural that they should dress up as appropriate and as beautifully as possible.
Ji Chen knew she would say this. It seemed that he was the only one who was petty and calculative.
Shen Qing didn't have much affection for Yuzhin.
Ji Chen did not forget that he had given her a jade hairpin before, but the first time he gave it to her was because the original hairpin was broken, so he asked Qian Ji to find a new one in the warehouse. There was nothing special about it.
So Ji Chen felt relieved that Shen Qing did not have any special feelings for the jade hairpin.
Shen Qing was still talking to Ji Chen, not affected by the chaotic thoughts at all.
This was in Chengqian Palace, Shen Qing's own territory. In just half a day, she had become familiar with the place and sat down holding Ji Chen's hand.
"I asked the small kitchen in Chengqian Palace to prepare a few dishes. Your Majesty, please try them and see if they suit your taste."
She didn't even ask Ji Chen whether he had eaten or not. He came so early, so it was very likely that he hadn't eaten. Even if he had, she would have to let Ji Chen taste it.
Ji Chen said casually: "I personally picked a chef that suits your taste, so I think he's not bad."
【Finally said it.】
Shen Qing looked at Ji Chen in surprise, her eyes sparkling: "Your Majesty is so thoughtful that he even selected the cook for me."
What a casual thing.
Shen Qing thought that it was a bit guilty to use Ji Chen to test the cooking skills.
"I really have nothing to repay you for."
Their eyes met briefly.
【There is something to repay. 】
Shen Qing endured it again and again, but finally her face turned red under Ji Chen's gentle gaze.
Ji Chen said meaningfully: "It seems that Qingqing and I are of the same mind."
Although the palace maids were confused by what he said, they believed that being able to understand the emperor's mind was a very high evaluation. They were afraid that no one would fail to pay attention to Chengqian Palace from now on.
Shen Zhaoyi was truly destined to be a favored concubine.
Shen Qing would rather not have such a mutual understanding, so she gave Ji Chen a slight glare and advised him to have his meal.
Ji Chen was not an impatient person, and he picked up the chopsticks upon hearing that.
No matter when and where, there would always be someone to test for poison when the emperor ate, so Shen Qing felt safe dining with Ji Chen.
After eating and drinking and taking a bath, the two of them lay down on the bed.
Ji Chen asked, "Is there anything unsatisfactory about Chengqian Palace?"
He had just taken a quick look when Shen Qing was bathing, and the placement of some things showed signs of having been used.
From this point of view, he should be satisfied with Chengqian Palace.
Shen Qing said no, but as soon as she said a word, she felt Ji Chen's hand on the back of her neck. His thumb gently lifted her chin, rubbed her ears and then kissed her.
Shen Qing grabbed Ji Chen's collar and wanted to tell him that he had to go to Kunning Palace to pay his respects tomorrow, but not too many times. But then he changed his mind and realized that sometimes, the tiredness when paying his respects was more heartbreaking.
With her current status, she doesn't need to worry about this.
Shen Qing positioned herself as a favored concubine, and a favored concubine would naturally not be weak and could be bullied, and would be considerate in every way.
Then, a pair of snow-white arms embraced Ji Chen.
Ji Chen really liked Shen Qing's proactive attitude, because there weren't many such moments. He seemed to be motivated and seized this opportunity.
…
Shen Qing, who was still pushing her when she fell asleep, already regretted it in her heart. She was glad that she had asked Bai Tao to call her early when she came to pay her respects the next day so that she would have time to dress up.
At 3:00 pm the next day, Ji Chen got up. He just took Shen Qing's arm and she woke up in shock.
"It's still early, sleep a little longer."
Shen Qing calculated the time when Ji Chen would go to court, and it was basically the same time as when she would pay her respects, so she didn't dare to sleep anymore.
She shook her head: "Wait until you come back from greeting before going to sleep."
Ji Chen: "We can catch up if we go to Kunning Palace from the morning hour."
Chengqian Palace is not far from Kunning Palace.
Shen Qing still relied on his tenacious will to get up with Ji Chen: "Today is the first time I go to pay respects, I should take it seriously."
Ji Chen felt a little distressed, but didn't know what to say.
Shen Qing knew how to act and behave, so what could he blame her for? So he touched her furry head lovingly.
The palace maid helped Ji Chen to dress. Shen Qing stood by and looked at him for a moment, then raised his hand slightly.
After successfully sending Ji Chen away, Shen Qing sat down and began to have the palace maids do her makeup.
She was so sleepy that she could hardly open her eyes. When the palace maid asked her which piece of jewelry to wear, she couldn't help but think of Ji Chen's question yesterday, so she said, "Let's wear this gold hairpin."
This was given by Ji Chen, and it is also very suitable for showing off.
After coming out of the hall and boarding the sedan chair, the group headed towards Kunning Palace.
Arriving at Kunning Palace, Shen Qing got off the sedan chair, cheered himself up, and entered the hall.
Although she got up early, she had spent a long time dressing up, so she was not considered early. She glanced at the empty phoenix chair and listened to the palace servants of Kunning Palace calling Empress Zhaoyi in a very friendly manner and leading her to the second seat on the right.
Shen Qing knew this palace maid and nodded slightly to her.
The palace maid stepped aside gracefully, without any anger in her eyes.
Seeing this, Shen Qing understood the Queen's attitude towards her.
After she sat down, the concubines who had arrived earlier paid their respects to her according to the etiquette. Shen Qing smiled and observed the concubines.
Many concubines arrived earlier than her today. Except for Concubine Xian and Concubine De, Concubine Li who gave birth to the third prince, and Concubine He and Concubine Jiang who followed Concubine Xian, all of them arrived.
The virtuous concubine and the virtuous concubine usually arrived late, and since Concubine Li, Concubine He and Concubine Jiang were waiting for the two concubines, they would naturally be late as well.
As expected, Concubine Xuan did not want to look at her. Concubine Yan and Concubine Yu looked calm. Concubine Chu could not see anything and just looked up at her. Concubine Chen was inquiring about her, while Concubine Lan was disdainful but she always had a cold face. Shen Qing ignored her. As for Concubine Zhang, she was quite friendly to her. If it were not for the wrong timing, they would have started a conversation with her.
Zhang Cairen is the Queen's person, so it makes sense for her to be close to her.
Shen Qing glanced over and only a few breaths had passed when the concubines just squatted down.
She had no intention of giving them a warning during the ceremony, so she said, "Stand up."
She really couldn't pronounce the word "sisters", so she just glossed over it.
Shen Qing was observing them, and they were also observing Shen Qing.
Shen Qing was Zhaoyi. Unless they were given the title of concubine, they would be suppressed by her. The concubines who had originally had plans also silently gave up.
Why would the emperor give a high position to someone who has no family background but is only favored?
It’s really unfair!
The concubines sat down again. Shen Qing picked up the tea, smelled it, and then took a sip.
Yupin started the conversation naturally: "When we met in the Mountain Resort that day, no one would have thought that a little palace maid would become the Empress Zhaoyi. It's really fate that plays tricks on us."
Shen Qing said gently, "It is said that things are different now. When I was with Concubine Du, I never thought that the ordinary Concubine Wei would become Concubine Yu in such a short time."
"I remember that Concubine Yu plays the pipa very well."
Yupin lowered her eyes, and as her emotions fluctuated, she realized that Shen Qing didn't mind others mentioning her days as a palace maid.
And Shen Qing's words also show that she remembers her past.
Yupin deeply hated the fact that she was humiliated by Concubine Du and had her pipa strings broken, and the way Shen Qing casually mentioned this matter made her seem even more scheming.
Yupin touched the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief: "Chen Zhaoyi is right."
Concubine Lan and Concubine Yu had both suffered at the hands of Concubine Du. When Concubine Lan saw that Concubine Yu was defeated in an instant, she gave up the idea of being rude to Shen Qing.
The main reason was that Concubine Chen often used words to tease her, and she had no other way to control her except to signal the Gao family to clean up Concubine Chen's family, so she learned to think carefully before speaking.
Concubine Chen looked at Lan Jieyu with regret at her cautiousness. She unexpectedly met Shen Qing's gaze and smiled, "I don't know what Zhaoyi Shen's family does. It seems that there is no prominent family with the surname Shen in the capital."
Shen Qing smiled faintly. She had already prepared for someone to bring up her family background, but she didn't expect that person to be Lady Chen. "The Shen family is just a merchant family, not worth mentioning."
Upon hearing this, Concubine Chen lost interest and set her eyes on Concubine Lan again.
The eyes of the others flashed with excitement, as they had finally discovered Shen Qing's weakness.
Yupin no longer mentioned the time when Shen Qing was a palace maid, and they would not mention it either. After all, they only entered the palace last year. If Shen Qing said, "I saw you in Chuxiu Palace last year, and you were still immature," it would be so embarrassing.
And given Shen Qing's position, it is appropriate for him to reminisce about the past in this way.
Shen Qing noticed Concubine Chen's disappointed attitude. His eyes moved between her and Concubine Lan, and some understanding came to his mind.
Concubine Chen is disappointed with her family background, so if she is satisfied with Concubine Lan, she must also be satisfied with the Gao family behind Concubine Lan.
Concubine Lan is irritable and cannot stand being angered, but apart from having a cold face, she is a very decent person. When she personally targeted Concubine Du, it was Concubine Du who humiliated her first. Throughout this year, there has been no news that Concubine Lan has ever punished Concubine Chen.
Concubine Chen has mastered the degree of "anger" very well. Putting aside her personality, it is hard not to guess that Concubine Chen wants to use Lan Jieyu to do something.
But when Concubine Lan was angry, she only wanted to teach Concubine Chen or the Chen family a lesson. However, seeing that Concubine Chen's attitude towards Concubine Lan has not changed for more than a year, it seems that Concubine Chen has achieved her goal.
Shen Qing remembered that Concubine Chen Jiao's family was only a ninth-rank official, and she was able to enter the palace because of her beauty. If she offended Concubine Lan, wouldn't that bring disaster to the Chen family?
Before she could even think of probing Lan Jieyu about Concubine Chen, she heard the arrival of Concubine Xian with a long drawl. The concubines who had originally wanted to find fault with her by using her family background also shut up, and everyone stood up and saluted.
The seat of Concubine Xian was diagonally opposite to Shen Qing. She stood in front of Shen Qing with her eyes slightly narrowed, showing an attitude of superiority and contempt.
The second prince was ill, but the emperor only visited him in the afternoon. He did not go to Changchun Palace in the evening, but went to Chengqian Palace early.
Thinking of what Concubine Jiang mentioned about Shen Qing being the only favorite in the Mountain Resort, Concubine Xian could no longer remain calm.
So when Shen Qing half-knelt to salute her, she sat down slowly and was not in a hurry to get up.
After a long while, seeing that Shen Qing was no longer stable, he said compassionately, "Get up."
All the concubines breathed a sigh of relief. The virtuous concubine was not punishing Shen Zhaoyi, but was punishing all the concubines with lower ranks than her.
Suddenly, a clear and pleasant voice sounded.
"Ms. He, Lady Jiang, did I let you get up?"
Everyone looked at Shen Qing in astonishment, only to see that Shen Qing did not hide her discomfort with the long bow. Although she was talking about Concubine He and Concubine Jiang, her provocative gaze was clearly directed at Concubine Xian.
He Cairen and Jiang Meiren looked to Concubine Xian for help.
The virtuous concubine paused while holding the teacup, then put it down heavily.
"Is Zhaoyi Shen going to set the rules in front of me?"
"I dare not." She bowed her head slightly. She said "I dare not", but her expression was quite bold. "But I don't understand. During the ceremony, if the high-ranking concubines don't ask to stand up, can the low-ranking concubines stand up at will?"
How could Concubine Xian not know what she meant? It was obvious that she was dissatisfied with her behavior just now.
If he admits that it is possible, then Shen Qing will just be perfunctory in the future. If he admits that it is possible, then there will be nothing wrong with what Shen Qing is doing now.
The virtuous concubine looked at Shen Qing with a look of intimidation, and said nothing.
The concubines who were at odds with Shen Qing also worried about Shen Qing.
However, under the gaze of Concubine Xian, Shen Qing seemed contented and showed a gentle smile, not affected at all.
She and the emperor have looked into each other's eyes countless times, so how could she be afraid of the virtuous concubine's gaze?
The virtuous concubine might be able to get twice the result with half the effort by bluffing other concubines, but she couldn't bluff her.
At this time, the voice of the announcement sounded again, not from Concubine De, but from the Queen.
The queen walked up leisurely and sat on the throne. She had just heard the palace servants' message and already understood everything about this farce.
Shen Qing offended both Concubine Yu and Concubine Xian at once, and suddenly, the queen felt not so angry anymore.
The queen sat down, pretending to be unaware of what had just happened, and asked all the concubines to stand up.
But at this moment, she unexpectedly met a pair of bright and inviting eyes. The woman had a smile on her lips and looked at her intently, but when she looked back, she showed a bit of shyness.
It seems to be saying, Your Majesty, do you think I am powerful enough?
The queen was stunned. Shen Qing knew that she disliked and even hated Concubine Xian because Concubine Xian had harmed her when she was pregnant. So Shen Qing targeted Concubine Xian just now. Was he venting his anger on her?
My mind suddenly became confused.
She had to admit that Shen Qing had not changed, but her mentality had changed.
The queen tried to give Shen Qing a helpless smile that didn't want her to be naughty. She thought it would be difficult, but it turned out to be very natural.
Shen Qing was shocked. She was trying to please the Queen and didn't want to become estranged from her.
But unexpectedly, the queen treated her even more intimately than before.
She can still distinguish between sincerity and insincerity.
Seeing this, Shen Qing's smile became more genuine, and she boldly exchanged glances with the Queen, and what she conveyed was naturally her sincere and unwavering love.
She didn't want to confront the queen unless it was absolutely necessary.
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