The concubine is extremely cautious

As May approaches, the weather becomes hotter.

"Sister Wan is here, please take a seat." Shunpin saw Ning Wanyin and smiled as she directed the maidservant:

"It's hot now, so it's hard for me to come here every three or five days. Put the ice jar in front of me, Chunque, bring the newly arrived Yingtao!"

Chunque brought a plate of cherry-red fruit and placed it on the table. Several palace maids placed ice jars around Ning Wanyin.

When Ning Wanyin came for the first time, she didn't like her at all. But from the second day on, she treated her like a bodhisattva.

"Thank you, Empress Shunpin." Ning Wanyin bowed politely, being neither humble nor arrogant as always.

Ning Wanyin inspected Changchun Palace as usual, and asked the imperial physician to ask about Shunpin's condition.

Finally, she looked at Shunpin and said, "There is a poetry gathering in the palace tonight. I know that Your Majesty must be bored because you can't go out all the time, but there are so many people around, so you still need to be cautious."

Holding a poetry gathering in the harem in summer is a custom that has been passed down from an unknown dynasty.

His Majesty will be present in person, and all the concubines will be dressed up beautifully and look forward to it. Tinglan Palace will surely be very lively tonight.

"Don't worry, Sister Wan, I know. I won't go out." Shunpin nodded in agreement.

She almost had a miscarriage once when she went out to pay respects. Although she felt bored, she really didn't dare to do so.

Seeing that she understood, Ning Wanyin said no more.

The most troublesome thing is the concubine who refuses to cooperate.

Although Shunpin had many little thoughts, fortunately, when it came to preserving the fetus, she knew the importance of it.

Ning Wanyin checked everything as usual and got up to leave.

"Sister Wan, please wait a moment. The Ministry of Internal Affairs sent us two boxes of newly made rouge this morning. I think the colors are beautiful and most suitable for you, Sister Wan. I will give them to you as a gift." Shunpin gestured to Chunque.

Chunque immediately took out two boxes of rouge and presented them to Ning Wanyin.

"Empress Shunpin is too polite..."

"It's not a good thing, but it's just a token of my appreciation. Please don't refuse it, Sister Wan." Shunpin said quickly.

Ning Wanyin bowed, "Then I would be disrespectful to refuse. Thank you, Madam Shunpin."

Coming out of Changchun Palace.

Ning Wanyin got on the colorful sedan and left.

"Master, this Concubine Shun sends you things every few days..." Lian Rui lowered her voice and asked:

"What do I do with this rouge?"

"Seal the warehouse." Ning Wanyin said lightly.

If she didn't accept it, Shunpin would not feel at ease. Shunpin was now afraid that she would find an excuse to give up...

……

Imperial Garden, lotus pond.

"Master, look at the beautiful lotus flowers..." Shi'er pointed at the lotus flowers in front of her.

Song Qingzhi smiled faintly, "The lotus is noble and pure, born in the mud but not stained by dust."

"Our master is really knowledgeable. I heard that the one from Lingxue Pavilion also said that he likes lotus, but he likes lotus because it bears many children and brings blessings..." Shi'er said sarcastically.

Song Qingzhi sneered, "Vulgar!"

"That kind of person is not worthy to be mentioned in the same breath with our master. Even though Your Majesty favors her for a while, your position is higher than hers now, and she can only bow respectfully in front of you." Shi'er flattered.

Song Qingzhi was in a very good mood when she heard this.

Ever since she entered the palace, she had been secretly competing with Ning Wanyin. Until this promotion, she felt that she had finally gotten her revenge!

While the master and servant were talking.

Colorful banners passed by on the palace road outside the nearby flower trees.

Through the gaps between the flowers, Song Qingzhi saw at a glance that the person in the sedan chair was Ning Wanyin.

"She's just a beauty, but she rides back and forth in a sedan chair every day. How ostentatious!" Shi'er said angrily.

The smile on Song Qingzhi's face also cooled, and she said, "Stop her."

The palace road is next to the imperial garden.

If you go through this path, you can just stop the colorful banners.

Shier took the order and immediately ran out, blocking the colorful banner and said arrogantly:

"Who are you? You are so rude. You don't even show courtesy to our concubine!"

Everyone felt puzzled.

Where is the concubine?

Ning Wanyin looked in the direction she ran from, and saw a woman in a white dress walking out of the tree-lined path.

That’s right, Song Qingzhi.

"I didn't know Concubine Song was here..." Ning Wanyin explained as she helped Lian Rui get out of the sedan chair, and bowed to Song Qingzhi.

"Greetings to Concubine Jieyu!"

Song Qingzhi finally gained the upper hand in front of Ning Wanyin, and did not let her stand up. She said in a sarcastic tone: "Lady Ning is favored by His Majesty, and she is so arrogant that she doesn't care about anyone. Naturally, she didn't see me."

Lian Rui and other palace people were speechless. The Imperial Garden was full of flowers and leaves. If you don't go in, how can you know if there is anyone inside.

"Please forgive my momentary shortsightedness. The lush flowers and trees in the Imperial Garden blocked the Concubine's clothes. I only caught a quick glimpse of the Concubine's face and thought she was a palace maid... This is all my fault. I apologize to the Concubine." Ning Wanyin replied calmly.

Ning Wanyin doesn't bully others on her own initiative, but if others bully her, she is asking for trouble.

She has never been in a good mood.

Song Qingzhi's face turned pale instantly. He actually dared to say that he mistook her for a palace maid!

How can a lowly slave be compared with her!

"We have met before." Song Qingzhi gritted her teeth and caught the loophole in her words: "How dare you say you don't know me?"

Ning Wanyin was waiting for her to say this, and said with a look of self-blame:

"It is true that I have met the Concubine several times when I was paying my respects to her, but there were so many concubines that it was hard to see. I don't have a photographic memory, I can only remember a few beauties with outstanding looks... Ah, I made a mistake, beauty is in the eye of the beauties, I was talking about the beauties in my eyes, not that the Concubine was average looking."

Song Qingzhi almost fainted from anger. She had been praised as a beauty since she was a child, and this was the first time her beauty was insulted!

How dare you say that she is plain-looking and even mistake her for a palace maid!

"Only a superficial, vulgar, talentless and immoral woman would value appearance and judge a man by his appearance!" Song Qingzhi sneered.

Ning Wanyin looked at her in surprise and asked, "Don't you think there's something wrong with what you said?"

"What the Concubine said is right. I never judge people by their appearance, and never think that a person has low character because of her ugly appearance. Since the Concubine is so highly valued by your majesty, she must be a person of both good moral character." Ning Wanyin took over the conversation with a smile.

Song Qingzhi staggered and had to rely on the maid beside her to stand steady.

She came to her senses at this moment. She was so angry that she cursed herself. She couldn't argue with Ning Wanyin, so she used her position to suppress her:

"You...you didn't bow to me and didn't respect your superiors. I will punish you by making you kneel here for an hour and reflect on yourself!"

Ning Wanyin's eyes flashed with surprise. Using position to suppress the favorite concubine?

How naive that is.

Although generally speaking, the higher-ranking concubines can punish the lower-ranking ones.

But rules are dead and people are alive.

"I have ginseng soup in my kitchen to serve to Your Majesty. I am in a hurry to serve the soup to Your Majesty, please forgive me." Ning Wanyin replied calmly, her thin lips slightly raised:

"If Concubine Jieyu thinks your matter is more important than His Majesty, you can continue to stop her."

"You..." Song Qingzhi's face turned pale, but she was speechless.

"Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty. I'll take my leave now." Ning Wanyin bowed, turned around and got into the sedan chair.

Song Qingzhi could only watch Ning Wanyin's colorful banner leave.

"Master, calm down. She is just relying on your majesty's favor to be so presumptuous..." Shi'er quickly comforted her:

"My Lord, you will surely astound everyone at the poetry gathering tonight. His Majesty will know that you are better than her! He will definitely favor you even more!"

In preparation for tonight's poetry reading, Song Qingzhi has been carefully writing poems for a month.

Song Qingzhi clenched the handkerchief in her palm. Ning Wanyin, just wait for me.