The most beautiful lady in the harem

Just like that, Qin Liuse officially showed up in front of the Empress Dowager Cixi.

She had been under house arrest for a month by Emperor Yongjia, and now she was sent to honor the Empress Dowager Cixi. Qin Liuse consciously turned this month into the period for her to be filial to the Empress Dowager Cixi.

So every day, he would get up early and go to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager Cixi, and would stay there for half a day.

Because they had met in the Queen's Palace, the Empress Dowager Cixi had a good impression of Qin Liuse. She felt that this concubine had a courage and sharpness that ordinary concubines did not have.

But she is so cute and petite, and she is not rude at all, so she is very likable.

The Empress Dowager Cixi caught a cold because she braved the cold wind to visit the Empress that day.

The disease is cured very quickly, let alone for an old lady like the Empress Dowager Cixi.

As age goes by, if you get sick, it takes a very long time to recover.

Qin Liuse went to the Empress Dowager Cixi's palace every day regardless of rain or shine. Emperor Yongjia gave her this opportunity. No matter what his original intention was, and whether it was really for her good, she would naturally cherish the opportunity to come into contact with the mother of the dog emperor.

The opportunity was rare, and she wanted to perform well, but it was not so easy.

Zhu Cui didn't seem to like Qin Liuse very much, and she made no secret of her dislike for her.

Although she was indeed here to serve the Empress Dowager Cixi, it was normal for her to feed her medicine and help her change clothes.

But every time Zhucui gave her this job, she was somewhat reluctant.

"She is just a concubine that the Emperor dislikes. Why is she coming here to show her affection to us? Is she still hoping that the Empress Dowager will help her?"

When Zhucui was talking to Bizhu under the tree, Qin Liuse passed by the screen wall and happened to hear it.

But Zhu Cui was right, Qin Liuse did have this idea.

Although she did not hope that Emperor Yongjia would favor her again because of the Empress Dowager Cixi, it would be beneficial to her to have a good relationship with her.

Zhu Cui's hostility towards her was so obvious that Qin Liuse couldn't help but spend more time thinking about it.

Although she was the first concubine to come to Yongshou Palace to show her courtesy after Emperor Yongjia ascended the throne, everything has a precedent, and this should not be the reason why Zhu Cui was unhappy.

If she was afraid of taking away the Empress Dowager's favor, Bizhu would not treat her like this as she was also the Empress Dowager's personal maid.

Then, it is a question of temperament.

Zhucui's personality is indeed not stable. To put it nicely, she is cheerful and straightforward. To put it bluntly, she speaks without thinking. She is completely incomparable to delicate people like Bizhu and Aunt Fanghua.

But since she was able to serve the Empress Dowager Cixi and reach such a high position as a personal maid, it was obvious that she must have some extraordinary qualities.

It’s just that Qin Liuse hasn’t figured it out yet.

Of course, there is another possibility, which Qin Liuse thinks is the most likely.

That is because Zhu Cui admired Emperor Yongjia, so naturally, she regarded Qin Liuse as a love rival and disliked her no matter what.

Of course, it was also because Qin Liuse only had a pretty face, a low position, and no children, so Zhu Cui was so hostile.

The status of a concubine in the harem comes from favor, from the level of rank, and from whether one's pregnancy is fertile or not.

Qin Liuse lifted her bangs. If this was the reason, then there was nothing that could be done.

It was her that Emperor Yongjia favored, not palace maids like Zhucui.

She couldn't just go against the emperor's favor for pearls and jade, or give up the favor of Emperor Yongjia for the sake of pearls and jade.

Then, Zhucui could only continue to bear the grievance and dislike her.

--

Since she came to the Empress Dowager to curry favor, it was natural that she would do whatever they told her to do.

A third-rank imperial concubine was lower in status than a palace maid.

"She is so humble, who knows what she is thinking." Zhu Cui said angrily behind her back, but Qin Liuse, who went out to pour water for the Empress Dowager Cixi, heard it.

Qin Liuse sighed in his heart. It turned out that people who don’t like you will find all kinds of bad angles to criticize you no matter what you do.

Being a human being is not easy, and being the woman of a man like Emperor Yongjia who has many romantic relationships is even more difficult.

As luck would have it, at this moment, the eunuch's singing voice was heard outside the palace gate.

"The Emperor has arrived."

When the eunuch's voice was heard, the servants in the Empress Dowager's palace, no matter what they were doing, immediately put down their work and came out to kneel to welcome Emperor Yongjia.

Emperor Yongjia walked in. He was wearing a dazzling white robe embroidered with royal gold threads. The white color gave him the aura of a noble son, which weakened the majesty of Emperor Jifeng.

It was really thoughtful of him to dress like this to see his mother. Qin Liuse had to find some good qualities of filial piety for Emperor Yongjia.

After Qin Liuse stood up, she quietly raised her eyelids and saw that Zhu Cui's gaze was fixed on Emperor Yongjia.

Zhu Cui was not honest either. Her eyes fell on Emperor Yongjia and then wandered to Qin Liuse.

Because she just saw that the emperor's eyes swept around the room, and she didn't know what he was looking at.

Although it was just a quick glance, Zhu Cui had strange feelings in her heart and naturally tended to think too much.

People who are in love are always particularly sensitive and tend to think about many things.

Zhu Cui naturally thought that the emperor was looking for Concubine Qin, and couldn't help but glare at Qin Liuse in her heart.

Speaking of which, Qin Liuse hasn't seen Emperor Yongjia for many days.

The emperor is the emperor. At his age, a man is at his most powerful, so even if something happens to the queen, he doesn't seem to be affected at all. He is still an existence that people look up to. Women are only a small part of his life.

Qin Liuse got up calmly, turned around and said goodbye, and went out to do his own work.

The time was almost up, and she was going to the kitchen to pour medicine for the Empress Dowager.

In less than ten days, it will be New Year's Eve, and the festive atmosphere is in full swing inside and outside the palace.

Emperor Yongjia came here to visit the Empress Dowager Cixi in his busy schedule and asked her a few questions about family matters as usual.

But he was busy with many things and did not stay in Yongshou Palace for long. When Qin Liuse came back with the medicine, Emperor Yongjia had already left.

Qin Liuse held the lacquer tray and looked towards the gate, only to see a glimpse of dark white clothing corners, which just disappeared.

Although the few days she spent serving the Empress Dowager in Yongshou Palace were short, Qin Liuse seemed to have lost contact with the unfathomable harem.

Even Emperor Yongjia seems so far away now.

Qin Liuse looked down at the medicine jar in his hand.

Everything she has now was given by the dog emperor, including serving the Empress Dowager Cixi and the fact that others thought Concubine Qin had fallen out of favor.

Everything came from a word and a look from Emperor Yongjia.

She knew that Emperor Yongjia did not blame her for the Queen's incident this time.

But I don’t know when I will be able to regain the favor of Emperor Yongjia after this missed opportunity.

After all, without her, who knows when Emperor Yongjia will have a new favorite.

By then, Qin Liuse will inevitably have to put some thought into it.

It seemed that Emperor Yongjia's hot-and-cold attitude towards her was not an isolated case; he seemed to be like this towards every concubine in the harem.

Since Qin Liuse's goal is to get a position beside Emperor Yongjia, he is certainly not interested in immediate benefits.

However, with a personality as unpredictable as that of Emperor Yongjia, it is not easy to gradually gain his favor, and keep his favor for a long time.

Qin Liuse bit her tender and tempting lips, but so what? If Emperor Yongjia was an ordinary man who was so easily tied to death by a woman, obsessed with women, and incompetent, then if she were to come back to life again in this life, she would never choose him as her support.

After sorting out her worries, Qin Liuse had a plan in mind. She raised her head and regained her gentle and sweet smile.

He carried the medicine jar and went in to help the Empress Dowager take her medicine.

As soon as she walked in, she saw Zhu Cui standing beside the Empress Dowager's bed. "When the Emperor came, did Concubine Qin's heart fly out with the Emperor?"

Of course, Zhu Cui would not say those abusive words behind Qin Liuse's back in front of Qin Liuse.

After all, on the surface, she was just a palace maid and could not be disrespectful to the emperor's woman, so the words she said were always sarcastic.

Qin Liuse knew without thinking that Emperor Yongjia's visit to the Empress Dowager's palace had aroused Zhu Cui's affection again.

But she didn't show any displeasure on her face, she just smiled and said, "What are you talking about, Miss Zhu Cui? Since I am the emperor's person, naturally my heart and eyes are all attached to the emperor."

This indirectly acknowledged what Zhu Cui said, which must have made her mad.

Zhu Cui glared at her with disdain and cursed in her heart, "How shameless! You can even say such words."

Qin Liuse was not angry at all, she even found it somewhat funny. It seemed like it was a bad thing that Emperor Yongjia was so handsome.

An old and frail ruler like the late emperor, because of his status as an emperor, had a bunch of powerful ministers and royal relatives who rushed to send their daughters to the harem to compete for his favor.

To put flowers on that withered tree in its twilight years is a waste of a girl's youth.

It was like that even with half of his body in the coffin, let alone an emperor like Emperor Yongjia who was in his prime, dignified and capable.

Wherever you go, it's inevitable that you will flirt with other women.

It's not that he attracts bees and butterflies, but as long as he is here, a bunch of flowers, plants, bees and butterflies will flock to him.

It's really annoying.

What does it have to do with her, Qin Liuse, but his woman always has to point the finger at her.

Qin Liuse could only comfort herself and think that it was because she was too charming that these women looked at her with displeasure.

Aunt Fanghua walked over, helped the Queen Mother up, and helped her take medicine with Qin Liuse.

--

The smell of gunpowder from the pearls and jade was so obvious that of course Qin Liuse was not the only one who could smell it.

When she left with the finished medicine jar, the Empress Dowager went back to sleep. Aunt Fanghua and Bizhu couldn't help but pull Zhucui aside and said, "Zhucui, you are too rude. You can't be so rude to the concubines in the harem just because the Empress Dowager likes you. The master is the master after all."

But Zhu Cui never scolded Qin Liuse in front of her. Of course, she refused to admit it. "How could I? I have always been polite to Concubine Jieyu."

"You're just being stubborn." Aunt Fanghua and Bizhu looked at each other, shook their heads, and smiled helplessly.

There's nothing you can do about it. Zhu Cui is just a fiery person and everything is written on her face. But the Empress Dowager likes this about her. She is honest, but not bad-hearted, and won't cause any big trouble.

-

Although the Empress Dowager Cixi was ill, her mind was as clear as a mirror.

At night, Qin Liuse returned to Shuyuexuan. She was alone in the palace. She lay on the bed, frowned, and asked, "Why is our Zhucui so unfriendly to that Concubine Qin?"

Zhu Cui twisted the cotton handkerchief and wiped the Empress Dowager's hands while she said, "No, I don't have any. I just don't like her coming to our Yongshou Palace to show her affection in order to please the Emperor."

"Not yet?" The Empress Dowager smiled, looked at Zhu Cui and said, "I know you like the Emperor. Girls are emotional. You like the Emperor, so you always think about his goodness. Why can't I understand that Qin Jieyu came to serve me. If she didn't have the Emperor's permission, would she dare to come here?"

This means that Qin Liuse was personally promoted by Emperor Yongjia.

Zhu Cui pouted. The Empress Dowager Cixi’s Yongshou Palace was indeed difficult to approach.

The Empress Dowager has been recuperating in the palace all along. When many concubines came to visit her, they were all sent back by Aunt Fanghua.

Those concubines wanted to get close to him or please him, but they couldn't find a way.

The Empress Dowager sighed and said, "What's so good about being the emperor's woman, especially someone like you who loves the true dragon emperor wholeheartedly."

The Empress Dowager Cixi was not trying to scare her, nor did she do it on purpose. She spoke to her like this because she loved Zhu Cui as her own children, even though the emperor was her own son.

The concubines in the harem are all treated equally. If there is love in their hearts, then when the emperor's favor is gone, no matter how beautiful they are, they will become like a withered flower and become increasingly haggard.

The Empress Dowager Cixi doted on Zhu Cui, knowing that her personality made her unsuitable for being a concubine.

Without anyone to protect her, she would be used as a stepping stone sooner or later. He didn't want her to live a life where she had to be alert all the time.

At the beginning, she had never thought that Xiao Yan could become the emperor. She was thinking that when her son was sent to garrison in the frontier, she could take her, his biological mother, with him to live a simple life and enjoy her old age. This was her greatest wish and best destination in her life.

In the future, once a daughter falls deeply in love, she may easily become careless.

Thinking of this, the Empress Dowager Cixi couldn't help but speak more seriously, hoping that she would wake up soon. "It's not impossible for you to be the emperor's woman. You can always get food to eat, but this also requires that the emperor has you in his heart and wants to sleep with you. But look at the emperor, how many times has he come to our palace, and has he ever looked at you?"

"And I have tried to test him before, wanting to send you to him and make you his, but the emperor has said that he has no such intention."

The Empress Dowager Cixi protected Zhucui's face and deliberately chose the time when Aunt Fanghua and Bizhu were not around to speak these harsh words to Zhucui.

Zhu Cui also knew that the Queen Mother was doing this for her own good, but the words she spoke were unpleasant to hear and she felt really sad. As she listened, her eyeballs started to fall out.