The crabapple tree is fragrant in the tent, and the bright moon is in my arms

"You are naturally angry because the Empress is pregnant and Concubine Zhao has won the favor of the Emperor. But will Your Majesty come if Concubine Noble tortures me?"

Hua Ni continued to speak, with a barely perceptible smile on her lips: "As for me, I am different from the Imperial Concubine. You may look down on my methods, but if Your Majesty gets excited and comes to see me with injuries, what should I do?"

Her narrow eyes flashed with tiny bits of light: "When the time comes, even if I cause your majesty to dislike me, I will still make your majesty take a layer of skin off my body."

Concubine Gao was stunned for a moment when she saw her expression. She was actually frightened by her ruthlessness.

"My lady, why don't you understand? I live in Yanxi Palace, and our favors are one."

Hua Ni took a few steps forward, stretched out a hand, gently placed it on her shoulder, and stroked the gorgeous pattern: "No matter what method it is, as long as His Majesty likes it, it's a good method, right, Your Majesty?"

Concubine Gao looked at her face and frowned slightly: "You mean, you can help me get favor."

"Are you the only one who hates Concubine Zhao now? Why did you do it yourself?" She lifted Concubine Gao's wrist, looked at her slender jade fingers and sighed: "How can such a beautiful hand be stained with blood?"

"You mean... Ning Changzai..."

Concubine Gao suddenly laughed and pulled her hand away: "I didn't expect you to be as stupid as I thought. After all, people from that place are just as smart as humans."

Hua Ni's eyes flashed: "Your Majesty has a graceful figure. I have a dance that is just right for you to practice. When the prince's birthday comes, you will dance to the beauty of the city. Would you like to learn it?"

His Majesty had entrusted her with the task of organizing Prince Duan Ze's birthday. She was thinking that it would be hard work and she couldn't do anything outstanding. If she performed a dance that day, accompanied by her favorite music, His Majesty would probably like it...

She was somewhat tempted, but when she thought about learning to dance from a woman like this, she hesitated.

"Your Majesty, what's most important is that His Majesty likes it. Don't you want to make His Majesty smile?"

"I will learn it." Concubine Gao was determined in her heart. She was willing to do anything for His Majesty.

She pinched Hua Da Ying's chin with one hand and said, "No wonder His Majesty likes you. You can read people's expressions like this. As long as you can keep me in favor, I can also ensure that you have a foothold in the harem. What is the queen? Haha... Times have changed. It is no longer the world of her Nangong family."

"Yes, I will follow your orders, Your Majesty." Hua Ni lowered her eyes.

"Okay, you can go out now. Since you want to teach me to dance, you have to be in good health." Concubine Gao waved her hand happily.

Hua Ni retreated, and Bao'er at the door quickly wrapped her cloak around her, tears welling up in her eyes: "My lady, you finally came out. I just saw Caiyue go to get ice, and I was scared to death. Fortunately... Fortunately, the imperial concubine is not so crazy."

Hua Ni didn't say anything. Her fingers tightly grasped the cloak on her body. Her knuckles turned white and her eyes seemed to be covered with a layer of mist.

Caiyue came in: "My queen, what's wrong?" Suddenly she didn't want the ice anymore.

Concubine Gao took a sip of hot tea and said, "Nothing. I suddenly felt that she looked like a dead person. She had no expression at all. There was no meaning in her."

"Are you feeling bored, Madam? Just now, Concubine Ning sent you something, saying it would please you. Would you like to take a look?"

Concubine Gao frowned: "Why did she come to see me?"

The two of them were naturally not compatible, especially since His Majesty said they looked a bit alike. Noble Concubine Gao felt annoyed every time she heard that.

She thought about it and said, "That's right. She is not as popular as Concubine Zhao now. She has good vision and knows to find me instead of the Queen."

Concubine Gao smiled arrogantly: "Bring it here for me to see. There is no rare treasure that I have not seen before."

Caiyue brought the thing up, and the usually steady girl actually said in a playful tone: "Look, madam, it's a very beautiful cat, just like Xuetuan!"

She said nostalgically, "When the queen lived in the mansion, there was a cat like this. Unfortunately... Actually, I saw Changzai holding it on the road before. Seeing that it looked like Xuetuan, I dared to look at it for a while. I don't know how, but Changzai brought it here today."

Concubine Gao looked at the snow-white cat in her arms and was very surprised: "It really looks like that. Look at its fur, so white and fluffy, and even bigger than a snowball."

She picked up the cat and pinched its little face to look at it. The cat's eyes were actually blue. It looked at her lazy and dazed. It meowed at her and rubbed its head against her hand, looking very affectionate.

Concubine Gao's heart melted, she loved cats, but her mother taught her that it was not something a lady should keep, and she should focus on playing music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and taking care of her husband and children.

But feeling its softness, Concubine Gao couldn't bear to throw it away: "Caiyue, find someone to take care of it and don't let it run around."

"Your Majesty, please give her a name!" Seeing that Concubine Gao wanted to stay, Caiyue spoke happily.

"Let's call it... Bai Tuan."

"……it is good."

Xuetuan, Baituan, the Queen’s naming is indeed very simple and crude.

-

In Yaohua Garden.

Lan'er was rubbing Ning Ruxin's legs while she was embroidering a pattern on a silk handkerchief: "Have you arranged everything?"

"Well, the deputy steward said he would find a way. There is a chef in the imperial kitchen who is in charge of birthday banquets and he is from the same hometown as him. Maybe it can be done."

"I heard that His Majesty didn't even look at the things we sent him, but her things caught His Majesty's eye, so he immediately went to Ningzhu Pavilion."

Ning Ruxin exerted force on her hand, and the silver needle deflected and pierced her finger: "Hiss..."

Lan Er quickly went to get the handkerchief: "My lady, please be careful, let me do it."

She looked at the blood on her fingertips, her eyes knowing: "You go out first." She took the handkerchief: "I'll be alone for a while."

Lan Er had no choice but to leave, and said worriedly: "Then if the young master needs anything, please call me."

The door creaked shut.

Ning Ruxin looked at the scene outside the window, where the sparrow was tilting its head to look at her.

"It's been so many days and you still don't come to find me..." She threw the embroidery on the table in annoyance.

An arm wrapped around her waist from behind, and the man's hot breath sprayed on her neck: "Missed me... huh?"

Her heart skipped a beat, and her eyebrows showed joy, but then quickly turned cold: "The famous Servant Yan, you still remember me."

Yan Yang smiled softly, knowing that she was angry, and held her hand: "I also want to come to see you, but I was too much last time at Shangqing Temple. Wei Ruoming also relied on the grace of saving the emperor to fight for the top position in the Yulin Guard. He was suppressing me. I was so anxious that I couldn't reply to your letter."

Ning Ruxin then turned to look at him. Seeing that he sneaked in wearing the eunuch's official uniform, her heart softened: "Wei Ruoming and Wei Ruoan are no match for you. Brother Yan is the best."

Yan Yang's eyes warmed up and he looked at her hand: "How did you get hurt? Can't you let the maid do these things?"

Ning Ruxin shook her head. Seeing that he was about to take the embroidery, she felt guilty for no reason. She quickly stopped him and said aggrievedly, "You didn't come to see me. I was bored and had nothing to do, so I just killed time."