The most beautiful lady in the harem

Chapter 36

Li Chongyuan was a second-rank official, so she could rule a palace of her own and live in the main hall of Yuxiu Palace in the west. She was the most powerful official in the palace, and several other concubines also lived in the hall.

Every day, when these concubines had nothing to do, they would go to Li Chongyuan's palace to walk around and sit for a while, listen to her teachings or chat about family matters.

In a nutshell, if we live under the same roof, we have to bow our heads.

Cairen Zhou lived in Piaoxu Garden of Yuxiu Palace. She was also one of the beauties who entered the palace when the new emperor ascended the throne.

The sun was setting and there was almost only dusk in the sky. At this time, Zhou Cairen did not wash up and have dinner in the bedroom. Instead, she sat in front of her dressing table, looking at herself in the mirror with anticipation.

The maid helped her dress up carefully from head to toe, and then she went gracefully to the main hall to pay her respects.

--

When Li Chongyuan saw Zhou Cairen walking into the palace in a gorgeous manner, her face turned dark.

Her face was no longer as gentle and virtuous as when she was facing Emperor Yongjia, and her words were as cold as the weather outside: "What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you not to come to pay respects to me at night recently?"

Ever since Princess Anle fell ill, Li Chongyuan had indeed warned the sisters in Yuxiu Palace not to come to her palace too often to avoid being infected with the disease, so they did not have to come to pay their respects at night, but only in the morning.

A concubine of the second rank is more arrogant than the queen. Not to mention the queen, even the Concubine Dong Xian, who is in charge now, does not allow people to pay their respects to her in the morning and evening.

The people in Yuxiu Palace were unhappy, but there was nothing they could do. After all, she was the most powerful person in the palace and could make their lives miserable at will.

Zhou Cairen also understood in her heart that Li Chongyuan was not showing any sympathy or concern for them to catch the disease and was doing it for their own good.

Princess Anle doesn't have the plague, so how could it be contagious?

If she really had a supernatural illness, how could Li Chongyuan dare to invite the emperor?

Not letting them come is just because they don't want them to see the emperor and don't give them a chance.

Cairen Zhou knew better than anyone that the emperor had been resting in Yuxiu Palace for the past two nights.

How dare she, who took advantage of the princess' illness to lure the emperor here, say these things?

"Li Chongyuan, I didn't come to pay my respects this morning, so I just had dinner and suddenly remembered it, so I came over for a walk. I wanted to see if Princess Anle is feeling better?" Cairen Zhou lowered her eyes and bowed with her legs bent, as if she really came to visit Princess Anle.

"I've seen you worry about Princess Anle these past two days and you look haggard. I feel sorry for the parents, so I wanted to come and help you so you can have some rest."

Zhou Cairen looked at Li Chongyuan's face, which was as thickly pasted as the wall and as rosy as a peach, and lied without any guilt. Li Chongyuan did not look haggard at all in her dressing.

But no matter what she said, Li Chongyuan just felt annoyed, "I have people here, so why do I need you? Since you are fine, please say hello and go back."

Lady Zhou came here today in her best attire, determined to see the Emperor here, or at least to show her face.

The emperor had been to Yuxiu Palace before, but every time he was sent away by Li Chongyuan in various ways.

Even if there was any banquet outside the palace, Li Chongyuan would find ways to arrange all the sisters in the palace to a place far away from the emperor.

Zhou Cairen also figured it out. Li Chongyuan was dissatisfied with the new people who moved in because they were young and delicate. She tried every means to prevent them from leaving an impression in front of the emperor and to keep all the favor for herself.

If that is the case, since she is unkind, why should she be righteous?

"Today, I have come here specially to serve you. Please fulfill my wish to share your burden."

This person is like a dog-skin plaster that can't be shaken off. Li Chongyuan put the teacup in her hand heavily on the table, and her anger was obvious: "Excuse me, you are dressed up like a flower. I have never seen my sister come to my place so exquisitely. Are you planning to steal the emperor from me?"

Zhou Cairen's thoughts could not escape Li Chongyuan's eyes, but Zhou Cairen didn't care about it. If she cared, she would not have come.

Zhou Cairen smiled and said to Li Chongyuan's maid, "Aunt, please go and bring Princess Anle here. I will hold her for you so that you can have dinner."

With a "pa" sound, the teacup splashed towards Zhou Cairen, leaving a deep puddle of water. "Are you a slut? You have to come and snatch my man. Don't you care how much you weigh?"

Li Chongyuan was furious. She walked to Zhou Cairen in two or three steps. She wanted to hit her, but was afraid of being seen. She could only pull off her hair and said to Zhou Cairen, "What a bitch! It's not enough for you to show off here, but you also want to dress like that Concubine Qin?"

"Don't you see what kind of person you are? Even if you put on the same makeup and wear the same hair ornaments as her, you are just imitating her!"

The pink silk flower on Zhou Cairen's head was shaped like a peony and lifelike. She was also wearing a dress with a peony pattern, just like what Qin Liuse wore when she went to pay her respects to Concubine Dong Xianfei's palace today, except for the details.

Even her eyebrows were changed from their usual shape and drawn into the amorous eyebrows that Qin Liuse often drew recently.

It was almost as if he was putting the same set of things that Qin Liuse was wearing on him.

"I don't know what you mean, but these clothes and jewelry are delivered by the people from the Clothing Bureau every winter." Zhou Cairen was really like a dead pig that was not afraid of boiling water. Even after being splashed with water, he still stood steadily.

"Okay..." Li Chongyuan had never seen anyone more shameless than her. Her hands were trembling as she stretched them out. "You vixen, you can be naughty anywhere else, but you have to pick me!"

Li Chongyuan was so angry that she threw the hairpin in her hair to the ground. Zhou Cairen bent down to pick it up, but Li Chongyuan was so angry that she kicked her.

Zhou Cairen was caught off guard and was kicked forward and fell to the ground.

She happened to be crawling next to a pair of shoes embroidered with dragon patterns in gold thread.

Coincidentally, Emperor Yongjia just walked in and saw Concubine Zhou lying on the ground. When he looked up, he saw that Li Chongyuan's eyes were red and her eyeballs were almost popping out.

Emperor Yongjia glanced coldly around the room and said calmly, "It seems that I have arrived at the right time. I just happened to come and join in the fun?"

Li Chongyuan glared at the maid, questioning why the people outside did not inform Emperor Yongjia when he entered Yuxiu Palace.

She knew that Emperor Yongjia was coming. If there were no one outside, how could she ignore the matter and lose her temper at this time?

In just a few words, Li Chongyuan's complexion returned to normal and she smiled sweetly, as if Emperor Yongjia had misread everything that had just happened.

Smiling, she walked to the side of Emperor Yongjia and said, "Your Majesty is here. Lady Zhou came to pay her respects to me. I was about to go back when I tripped and fell. Look, my hairpin has fallen off."

Li Chongyuan gave a wink and immediately a maid went to serve Zhou Cairen, helped her up, picked up the silk flowers and put them back for her.

Zhou Cairen gritted her teeth, somewhat unwillingly, not knowing how much the emperor had seen or heard.

She was calculating rapidly in her mind: if she complained, would Emperor Yongjia blame her for causing trouble? Would he not believe her?

Unexpectedly, Emperor Yongjia said coldly, his voice almost without warmth, "Li Chongyuan, I am only a few years older than you, and I am neither blind nor deaf."

Did he hear this? Zhou Cairen was secretly delighted.

Li Chongyuan felt as if someone had grabbed her throat. She was stunned and at a loss, her face turned pale, and she quickly knelt down.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. Your Majesty, please forgive me. I didn't mean it!"

Emperor Yongjia took two steps to sit on the couch, looking at everyone, "Then tell me, what crime have you committed?"

For a moment, Li Chongyuan was puzzled again, not sure whether Emperor Yongjia heard or saw anything, or how much he heard.

If you only hear the tail end, you will make more mistakes if you say more.

It’s true that talking to the emperor is full of traps and you will never be able to beat him.

Emperor Yongjia glanced at Li Chongyuan, then glanced at Zhou Cairen next to him, and finally slowly turned back to Li Chongyuan's face, "What's wrong, are you mute?"

Li Chongyuan took a breath, calmed down, and said to Emperor Yongjia with a smile, "I was wrong to have a verbal dispute with someone in the palace. I am really tired today. Anle has been making a fuss all day and I am not in a good mood. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

Emperor Yongjia seemed to be listening but also seemed not to be listening. His eyes fell on Zhou Cairen's face and asked, "Is this someone from your palace?"

Li Chongyuan gritted her teeth and said yes, and Zhou Cairen quickly said, "Your Majesty, I am Zhou Cairen, and I served Your Majesty just last month."

Emperor Yongjia seemed to have just remembered something when he heard this. He stared at Zhou Cairen's face and said, "Oh, it's you."

When Zhou Cairen heard that Emperor Yongjia remembered her, her face turned red, and Li Chongyuan was so angry that she wanted to pinch her thigh and rush over to slap her.

"Okay, I'll go to your place and take a look."

The last sentence of Emperor Yongjia made Li Chongyuan want to go over and tear her clothes off.

When Zhou Cairen heard this, she shyly and tenderly said "yes", then looked at Emperor Yongjia with expectation.

"Your Majesty!" Li Chongyuan said to stop him.

"Didn't you ask me to come and see Anle? Where is Anle?" Emperor Yongjia interrupted her and asked.

The nurse at the side came over and said, "Your Majesty, Princess Anle had dinner, took the medicine, and fell asleep."

Emperor Yongjia smoothed his robe and stood up, "Then I will go over there now."

Emperor Yongjia walked over to Concubine Zhou and took her up. Li Chongyuan was furious and gritted her teeth at the nurse, "Anle has fallen asleep, wake her up and tell her that the emperor is here."

The wet nurse said "yes" and was about to leave when she heard the cold voice of Emperor Yongjia, which was almost devoid of any humanity. He was not angry, but told the wet nurse to kneel down on the ground.

"Who dares?"

Emperor Yongjia looked at Li Chongyuan with cold eyes, "Anle is a princess, not your tool. If you don't want to raise her anymore, do you want me to find a new mother for her?"

This is no joke.

Li Chongyuan knew that her plan to ask the nurse to wake Anle up had angered Emperor Yongjia, so she knelt down in fear and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me for my mistake!"

At this moment, Emperor Yongjia spoke more than before. There was no emotion in his eyes. "I will tell you again what crime you have committed. You had people watching my whereabouts, it would have been fine once, but you did it three or four times, and you were so harsh on the people in the palace."

"Since you have worked so hard to take care of An Le, I will not punish you. Just think about it carefully."

After Emperor Yongjia finished speaking, he and Concubine Zhou walked towards Piaoxu Garden without any reluctance.

Li Chongyuan knelt on the ground motionless, knowing that Emperor Yongjia must have heard what she and Zhou Cairen had just said.

Li Chongyuan dug her nails into the ground and said viciously, "This bitch!"

--

Qin Liuse is not aware of the hustle and bustle in Yuxiu Palace yet.

She had a leisurely dinner in Shuyuexuan, walked around the yard twice, and returned to the house. Mingyue helped her take off her hairpins and rings while she prepared to wash and bathe.

When they were halfway through unpacking, Xiao Fuzi ran in and said, "Jieyu, Eunuch Zhu is here."

Qin Liuse seemed to be deflated and couldn't muster any energy. Thinking about being stood up for two days, she wondered in her heart, could it be that Emperor Yongjia summoned her?

No!

Wasn’t Emperor Yongjia abducted again tonight and taken to Li Chongyuan in Yuxiu Palace?

Thinking of this, Qin Liuse felt depressed and angry, and he didn't look good to Xiao Fuzi who was reporting outside.

"Tell him to go back! Go back!" He said so, but he dared to speak so brazenly because he knew that Zhu Wanxi would wait outside when he came and would not be able to hear him.

Then she picked up the hairpin in her hand and threw it straight towards the curtain near the door. As luck would have it, it hit Emperor Yongjia directly.

Emperor Yongjia was quick-witted and caught it with one hand, strode in, and then looked straight at Qin Liuse.

"You don't welcome me?"