The two young ladies who came to the palace to visit Shen Mingzhuang were the fifth young lady, Shen Mingrong, and the eighth young lady, Shen Ming'e, who had never been to the palace before. They came with the first wife, Zhao.
At this time, Zhao was still in the Empress Dowager's Ci'an Palace. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Empress Dowager Yin kept Zhao behind to talk, telling the two of them to go and see Consort Ming on their own.
Shen Mingrong had been kept in seclusion for many years and rarely went out. This was her first time entering the palace. She had just come out of Cixi Palace and her legs were still a little weak. Standing in the beautifully decorated Hehuan Palace, she gradually relaxed and sat there quietly, observing the furnishings and decorations of the palace.
The more she looked around, the more surprised she became. The decorations of the Hehuan Palace were exquisite. Whether it was the peach-colored tea canister with butterflies and flowers on the multi-treasure pavilion or the enamel vase with children playing in the official kiln, they were all very expensive and complex decorative items.
She had only ever seen one tea caddy with flowers, birds, longevity, and spring sunshine at her maternal grandmother's house before. The pictures on that tea caddy were lifelike and the colors were beautiful, but the workmanship and the complexity of the pictures were not even half as good as this one, yet it still cost more than twenty taels of silver. This one, which was used by the royal family, must be even more expensive.
Considering that Ninth Sister had only been in the palace for a few months, yet was immediately favored and made a Mingfei, it's clear how much she was favored. And considering Ninth Sister's appearance, people probably all thought that Ninth Sister used her looks to please men!
Just look at the location of the Hehuan Hall and the furnishings inside; anyone with eyes can see that His Majesty has put a lot of thought into it.
The Hall of Joyful Union is very close to the Imperial Study, so His Majesty can come to the Hall of Joyful Union at any time if he wishes.
Thinking of some of the rumors she had heard, she couldn't help but wonder what kind of person His Majesty really was.
"This palace truly lives up to its name. The place where nobles live is indeed different. Look how beautiful these ornaments are! I would be content if I could have just one of them!"
Shen Ming'e covered her lips and laughed. Although there was envy in her eyes, it was just envy, and she had no other emotions. These days, since Shen Mingzhuang entered the palace, Shen Ming'e has been spending more time playing with her.
"Your Highness Consort Ming." A palace maid's voice came, and the two women turned around at the same time, curtsying and calling out to Her Highness Consort Ming.
"No need for formalities among sisters." Shen Mingzhuang casually styled her hair in a peony bun, wearing a pale yellow gauze floor-length dress with a bow-tie short sleeve, making her look like a princess from the Western Regions, sweet yet with a touch of captivating radiance.
As expected of Shen Mingzhuang, there's probably no outfit that could make her look bad. Shen Mingrong knew his own limitations; although he was born of the legitimate wife, he was nothing special. In terms of looks, he really couldn't compare to his ninth cousin.
She was self-aware and therefore calm, without feeling any sense of imbalance.
"The palace snacks are delicious, you should try some too." Shen Mingzhuang greeted Shen Mingrong and Shen Ming'e in a gentle voice, her eyes filled with a smile.
These two are among the few people I'm relatively close to in this world.
Shen Mingrong originally thought that Shen Mingzhuang, now that she had been made a concubine, would be a bit arrogant, but she did not expect that she would be the same as before, speaking gently and acting generously, just like when she was still a young lady in her boudoir.
Thinking that Shen Mingshu, the eldest daughter of the Shen family, was still unmarried, while Shen Mingzhuang was already an imperial concubine, Shen Mingrong felt quite emotional.
"Ninth Sister, do you see Third Sister and Seventh Sister every day in the palace?" Seeing that Shen Mingzhuang's attitude was no different from when she was at home, Shen Ming'e immediately began to inquire about these matters with a smile.
Shen Mingzhuang lowered his eyes and smiled faintly, his gaze turning cold for a moment. "The palace is very large, and Cixi Palace is quite far from here, so you can't see it easily."
Upon hearing this form of address, Shen Mingrong quickly reminded her, "Now that Ninth Sister is an Imperial Consort, we should both change our way of addressing her and use respectful language. It's fine as long as there's no one else around, but if word gets out, wouldn't it be seen as us being disrespectful to the royal family?"
She spoke in a very low voice, so that only three people could hear her.
Shen Mingzhuang wanted to say that there was no need to change her address, as she was not used to putting on airs among sisters of similar age; it would be too tiring to always be so aloof.
But before he could finish speaking, he stopped himself upon hearing Shen Mingrong's words.
Shen Ming'e, being quick-witted, hadn't paid attention to these things before. Upon hearing this, she laughed and said, "I know."
The three chatted about various things for a while longer when suddenly a message came from outside: two attendants from the Empress Dowager's side had come to deliver a message, and then two familiar figures walked in.
Shen Ming'e, who couldn't contain herself any longer, immediately jumped up and said, "Third Sister and Seventh Sister, why are you wearing palace maids' clothes?!"
Seeing her like this, Shen Mingshu was furious and said coldly, "Of course it was the Empress Dowager's order. We often walk around the Cining Palace, and wearing ordinary clothes will inevitably cause unnecessary trouble. What do you know!"
Clearly, he strongly resisted the contempt and surprise that Shen Ming'e showed in her eyes.
"Why are you in such a hurry, Third Sister? I didn't say anything wrong. I was just asking a couple of questions out of curiosity. Why are you so impatient to refute me? Have you not learned the rules after being in the palace for so long?"
Shen Ming'e used to have some reservations, but now that Lin Shi and Aunt Liu have broken off relations, she has fewer reservations about her elder sister Shen Mingshu. Since they've already broken off relations, there's no need to pretend anymore. In any case, even if she pretends, she won't gain any favor from Shen Mingshu!
Shen Mingxi remained as quiet as ever. After the two finished speaking, she stepped forward and curtsied to Shen Mingzhuang.
"The Empress Dowager requests that Consort Ming go to Cixi Palace now."
Upon hearing this, Shen Mingzhuang immediately sensed the danger. She remained calm, took a sip of tea, and asked, "What brings Your Majesty the Empress Dowager to me?"
Shen Mingxi raised her eyes and her gaze fell on Shen Mingzhuang, whose eyes were sparkling and whose brows and eyes held a touch of the charm of a newlywed. A bitter feeling welled up in her heart.
Both were illegitimate daughters, both had the same father, but at least her aunt had served the mistress of the house, while Shen Mingzhuang's birth mother was a lowly maid. She was able to rise to the rank of concubine and become a high-ranking official, while she could only serve the Empress Dowager in a subservient manner.
Shen Mingshu, who had surveyed the main hall, shared her indignation.
Even though her mother, Madam Lin, moved all sorts of nice things into her boudoir, she didn't find it particularly beautiful. But now, looking at the layout of the Hehuan Palace, she really liked it. However, this was the place where Shen Mingzhuang, who was her sworn enemy, lived. Just thinking about it made her feel anxious and restless!
"Consort Ming is truly riding high these days. Even the Empress Dowager can't do anything about you; she fell ill after seeing you..."
"You lowly servant, you are free to create bad karma here."
Before Shen Mingshu could finish speaking, a chilling voice rang out. Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a tall, handsome man with dragon-like eyebrows and sword-like eyes walking slowly towards them with his hands behind his back.
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