Chapter 154: Serving the King is Like Serving a Tiger
"Your Highness."
Everyone stood up and saluted.
After four months, Nian Shilan's belly became more obvious than before. She was not keen on paying respects to the emperor, so she deliberately took her time getting down from the couch.
The emperor quickly stepped forward and helped her sit down. "You are pregnant, why do you need such a grand ceremony?"
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
[As expected of this concubine, the most favored among the six concubines. 】
After listening to the Royal Concubine's thoughts for so long, how could everyone not know what the Royal Concubine feels about the Emperor?
This is to appease the emperor in words but in heart.
The few who could hear the Imperial Concubine's thoughts lowered their heads and smiled.
The emperor glanced around: Concubine Li and Cao Qinmo were fine, as he had always been on good terms with the Royal Concubine.
Other people's eyes are really not bright enough.
"The Imperial Concubine is pregnant. You can come here often to talk to her so she doesn't get depressed."
This is not to ask everyone to accompany Nian Shilan, but to point out that many people are getting too close to Yikun Palace.
As the representative of "others", Concubine Jing heard the deeper meaning in the emperor's words. She knew that she had always been a chess piece used to check and balance the Imperial Concubine.
Even if you are the emperor's abandoned son, you should not be on good terms with the imperial concubine.
He immediately became alert and said in his usual calm but slightly fearful, fearful but slightly hesitant tone:
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I did not mean to disturb the Royal Concubine's rest. It's just that the Royal Concubine has been in charge of many affairs in the harem, especially the West Six Palaces, so I had no choice but to come here..."
In short, she is now assisting in managing the six palaces, and she came here today to discuss serious matters.
Is that ok?
Shen Meizhuang was even simpler and didn't want to say more, "The same goes for me."
Is it okay for you to learn how to manage the six palaces and follow the main concubine, Concubine Jing?
An Lingrong coughed twice, intentionally controlling her voice, "The Imperial Concubine is pregnant, and the harem is happy. I am just a concubine, and I don't have anything to show off, so I specially embroidered a small bellyband for the Imperial Concubine to see. If you like it, I will make something else."
Xiaoxiao often finds opportunities to curry favor with the favored royal concubine. Is that okay?
If they have no problem, then Cao Qinmo and Xin Guiren who have children will have no problem at all.
Cao Qinmo hugged Wen Yi and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me for disturbing the Royal Concubine. I am really sorry, but Wen Yi likes the Royal Concubine. She gets mad at the slightest glance and cannot be coaxed. She only likes to laugh and talk when she is with the Royal Concubine."
Nian Shilan said, "After I got pregnant, I actually like being with my children even more."
Princess Shuhe kowtowed firmly and said clearly: "Shuhe pays respects to the Emperor."
Wen Yi clapped her hands and babbled along.
Concubine Jing Feng Ruo Zhao and Shen Mei Zhuang asked to leave first, citing palace matters as an excuse. When they walked to the door, they glanced over here at the same time.
Feng Ruozhao sighed inwardly: He had finally obtained the power to manage the six palaces and was able to do so legitimately, but it was disrupted by the dog emperor.
Dog emperor? What dog emperor?
She was frightened by her own inner voice and could not help but quicken her pace.
When the others learned that the Emperor had come to see the Royal Concubine, they naturally did not want to stay any longer and they all left, including Fang Jia Chunyi.
Before leaving, An Lingrong glanced at Nian Shilan. She knew what the empress was thinking. Being pregnant and having to deal with the emperor was really tiring both physically and mentally.
It's so heartbreaking.
The emperor looked at the person walking behind Shuhe and said, "That is..."
Nian Shilan glanced at him, lowered her head and picked up the teacup to drink tea, pretending not to hear, but replied in her heart:
【Fang Jiachun’s intention. 】
[An old cow is an old cow. It salivates at the sight of tender grass. I am still here, but it is still thinking about others.]
The emperor glanced at Nian Shilan, his eyes filled with a mixture of embarrassment at being exposed and unspoken guilt.
Shilan is a bit stingy.
Queen Hye is still the queen.
If she were in the same situation, she would have gone with the flow and favored Chun Changzai.
Thinking of the empress, the emperor felt somewhat fortunate. After all, she was the empress, which meant stability. She was ordered to look after Nian Shilan twice and always kept a distance from the Yikun Palace.
[If you want it, just turn over the cards. Both of you are women. Why bother pretending to be a gentleman? It will only hurt the gentleman. ]
Emperor: “…” Offended.
Nian Shilan didn't know whether she should coax the emperor now, but she had always been like this in her heart since she was reborn. The sudden change might arouse the emperor's suspicion.
If he knew that he knew he had heard his own thoughts, it would be like the sky falling and the earth collapsing.
So for many things, it is neither right to say them nor right to not say them.
It's very difficult.
Nian Shilan put down her teacup and said carefully, "Chun Changzai has reached the age of marriage. She is the only one among the newlyweds who has not yet entered the emperor's bedchamber. Does the emperor want to turn over her name card tonight?"
The Emperor was surprised by the sudden thoughtfulness of the Royal Concubine.
He deliberately asked, "Now that you are pregnant, you have become even more virtuous. Are you pushing me to someone else? Then I will turn over Chun Changzai's card today?"
"Your Majesty~"
Nian Shilan pretended to be angry.
The emperor did not hear what she said. He knew that she was reluctant to leave, so he said:
"Pretentious~"
"Chun Changzai still looks like a child and doesn't understand human affairs. I came to you today to accompany you and the child."
Nian Shilan smiled, thought of her brother, and then stood up and squatted.
"I am a daring concubine, and I want to ask for a favor from the emperor."
"If you want something, just tell me. Why do you need to include my son in the ceremony?"
Favors are favors, and matters are matters.
The emperor didn't like her trying to please him, so he just showed her affection in words but didn't call out.
Nian Shilan looked up at him and said, "I haven't seen you for a long time. I heard that you will be returning to Beijing soon. I wonder if I can see you in advance?"
[That rough guy believed too much in your words of "family" in his previous life and didn't treat you as an outsider, which is why he lost his manners. I'm asking this palace to meet him in advance and give him some advice, so that he won't make the same mistake again.]
The emperor originally had this plan, but he recently changed his mind.
The reason why I can hear Se-ran's voice, besides being the chosen one, is probably because Se-ran loves me the most.
The Nian family had a deep bond between brothers and sisters. Is it possible that Nian Gengyao also had this honor?
After all, it was rare to hear other people's thoughts. The emperor wanted to see Nian Gengyao's reaction when he saw his sister for the first time, if Nian Gengyao could also hear it.
Perhaps Shilan's voice can be of great use.
"Don't worry, you two have a deep relationship. I see it all. When your brother comes back, I will arrange for you two to meet again."
"When is it?"
[It will be over after he meets you. Can you let him come to see me first when he arrives in Beijing? ]
This is what I was thinking, but it is a bit over the line.
The emperor looked displeased, "My dear consort, please don't lose your sense of proportion."
Nian Shilan refused to give up. "Yes, my second brother has returned from the battle in the northwest. He must have many important military matters to report to the emperor. So, what about my eldest brother? I heard that my eldest brother has returned to the capital from Lingnan. Can I meet him first?"
[Previous life…]
Nian Shilan intended to use her inner voice to guide the emperor to agree. She had just begun to speak in her heart when she was interrupted by the queen's voice:
"I didn't expect the emperor to be here. It's an unfortunate coincidence that I arrived here."
The servant at the door bowed and said, "Your Highness, Her Majesty."
Nian Shilan had no choice but to turn around, her voice less respectful: "I have seen the Queen."
The Empress bowed to the Emperor and said, "Your Highness, I pay my respects to you."
"Why are you here?" The emperor raised his hand.
The Queen stood up and said, "I have been ordered to look after the Royal Concubine's pregnancy, so I have to come and visit her from time to time."
A suspicious person will always find fault no matter how perfect you are.
"Often?"
The emperor frowned as he thought of the crowd of people in the Yikun Palace, talking and laughing before he entered.
I became more concerned about the Queen's arrival.
He doesn't want his harem to have the same surname as Nian.
The emperor's rhetorical question startled the empress. If she tried to explain now, it might go wrong if she didn't strike the right balance.