Children of Loulan

After hearing what Madam Zhao said, the smile on Concubine Xian's face became more intense, as charming as the peach blossoms in full bloom in spring. Her beautiful eyes gently glanced at Yumei who was kneeling on the ground, and said in a gentle and melodious voice: "Since Madam Zhao has pleaded for you, why don't you go over and thank Madam Zhao!"

When Yumei heard this, she immediately showed a look as if she had been pardoned. She quickly turned around to face Madam Zhao, kowtowed and expressed her gratitude, saying, "Thank you so much Madam Zhao for your kindness. I will never forget the kindness you have shown me today in this lifetime!" Her words were filled with gratitude and awe.

Upon seeing this, Madam Zhao hurried forward, helped Yumei up with her own hands, and said softly: "Oh, this is really exhausting me, please get up quickly! If you hadn't served the Empress Consort so attentively, I would never have pleaded for you, so! I should be the one thanking you!" Her tone was kind and gentle, making people feel like they were bathed in spring breeze.

Behind these seemingly ordinary words, there are actually endless mysteries and strategies. Concubine Xian pretended to be angry and blamed Yumei, but her real purpose was to test Madam Zhao again. How could the smart Madam Zhao not see through this little trick? So she took the opportunity to ask for mercy for Yumei. Yumei also took the opportunity to express her gratitude to Madam Zhao, saying that she would never forget this kindness.

Faced with this situation, Madam Zhao simply responded calmly: The reason why I plead for you is simply because you serve the Concubine Xian wholeheartedly, and I have no other distractions. This shows her loyalty to the Concubine Xian. Hearing this, the Concubine Xian was secretly proud and very satisfied with Madam Zhao's performance.

Then, Concubine Xian asked thoughtfully, "It's been a night, is there any movement from the Queen and her beloved?"

Madam Zhao quickly replied, "Last night, late at night, the Queen sent someone to escort Li Liang back to Yunhe Palace. However, when they returned to Yunhe Palace, Li Liang was still in a coma. Not only that, around midnight last night, Li Liang's personal maid specially invited the imperial physician, and it seems that her condition is quite serious!"

The corners of Concubine Xian's mouth slightly raised, revealing a smile full of contempt and sarcasm: "Hehehe, look at this, our high and mighty queen, does not seem to be as broad-minded as the rumors say! She doesn't even have the patience to wait for the patient to wake up, and is so eager to send him away. Alas, I really don't know what kind of miserable life that poor lady Li will have in the future!" After saying that, she did not forget to shake her head and sigh, as if she was full of sympathy and pity for that lady.

Madam Zhao, who was standing by, saw this and quickly echoed, "Who says it's not true? Think about how many people tried their best to curry favor with her, but now they have ended up like this. It's all because she didn't know what was good for her and rejected so many people who wanted to use her to get close to the queen. Humph, now that the wall has fallen, everyone is pushing it down. I'm afraid those who were rejected by her in the past are now rubbing their hands and preparing to step on her hard!"

However, in fact, Hanguli was still in a coma at this time, and had no perception of all the cold words from the outside world. Whether she could survive was still unknown, but the people present knew it very well. However, Madam Zhao knew that it was not appropriate to act too smart in front of the virtuous concubine, so she deliberately changed her statement to a euphemism, saying that the good man might be oppressed and trampled by those who curry favor with the powerful in the future.

Compared to the two chattering women, Xilin remained as quiet as ever, sitting aside like an invisible person. She silently watched everything that happened in front of her, neither expressing any opinions nor participating in it.

In her eyes, these things had nothing to do with her, and she just needed to sit there quietly. However, although she tried to stay out of it, Concubine Xian did not intend to let her have her wish.

At this moment, Concubine Xian glanced at her and said, "Since the queen has already ignored her life and death, cousin, in your opinion, should I take some action?"

Faced with the sudden roll call, Xilin couldn't help but feel a little strange in her heart, but on the surface she still kept a smile and responded: "Cousin, in my opinion, instead of trying to do anything now, it is better to wait and see and let her take her own course! Didn't Madam Zhao mention that she is not in good condition just now? Then let's just watch from the sidelines. If she does improve, it won't be too late to deal with her then!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Xilin noticed that Concubine Xian was staring at her intently, as if she wanted to see through her innermost thoughts. Feeling Concubine Xian's gaze and the change in her expression, Xilin hurriedly stood up with a solemn look and said respectfully:

"Cousin, please calm down. Please forgive me for speaking without restraint. What I just said was just nonsense without careful consideration!"

Madam Zhao was also frightened by Concubine Xian's action, and her heart "skipped", as if a frightened deer was running wildly in her heart. She couldn't help but think: What the Western Beauty said is true, and now is indeed not a good time to take action. If there are spies in the Queen's palace who are secretly monitoring everything about Hanguli, then taking action at this time is tantamount to walking into a trap and handing the handle to the Queen. I believe that Concubine Xian should know this, but looking at Concubine Xian's performance at this moment, Madam Zhao really can't figure out her true thoughts.

Just as Madam Zhao was trying to figure out what Concubine Xian was thinking, she heard a chuckle. This sudden laughter made Madam Zhao suddenly realize that Concubine Xian was testing Lady Xi! She never thought that even her cousin could not gain Concubine Xian's complete trust.

After the virtuous concubine chuckled, she turned her gaze to Madam Zhao again and said, "I think what my cousin said is absolutely right. Now is indeed not the time to take action, but I am still holding a grudge in my heart. What do you think, Madam Zhao?"

Hearing the question from Concubine Xian, Madam Zhao thought for a moment, then smiled and replied, "I have heard that Yuexi Residence seems to have been empty for a long time, so long that I can't even remember when was the last time someone lived there?"

"The moon is here, the moon is here, the moon is bright, the beautiful woman is here, the beauty is here, the heart is quiet!"

The virtuous concubine was muttering poems and looking into the distance, as if she was thinking about something very distant.

Seeing her expression, Xilin thought that there must be some story behind Yuexiju, but she didn't intend to ask at the moment. However, even though she didn't want to ask, Madam Zhao took the initiative to bring it up. She drank a cup of tea slowly and explained the origin of Yuexiju to Xilin.

It turns out that Yue Xi Ju was the most beloved concubine given to him by the previous king. It is said that when the previous king first saw her, she was standing under a cunning moonlight. She had a beautiful face and picturesque eyebrows. Even if there was no expression on her face, she was like a blooming spring flower, delicate and charming. Especially that smile, it seemed to freeze time.

At just that one glance, the king fell deeply in love with this beautiful woman. After that, he wrote this poem and thought about her every day. After much inquiries, he learned the woman's identity. After several twists and turns, he was finally able to win the beauty.