Harem Daily Life

The Minister of Rites was scolded and left in disgrace. Eunuch Zhang came in and asked, "Your Majesty, shall we arrange for the meal?"

He Linzhang thought for a moment and said, "Just serve a little. We'll be busy after dinner. Oh, send someone to Fengyi Palace to tell them that I won't be there tonight."

It was late at night before He Linzhang dragged his tired body to Changxin Palace.

The virtuous concubine had been waiting eagerly, and now she was still dressed up to receive the emperor. He Linzhang frowned and said, "Change early and wear light clothes. I am very tired today and I have to get up early tomorrow."

The virtuous concubine's carefully applied makeup fell apart at this moment. She felt bad when she thought that women dress up beautifully to please themselves, but His Majesty did not praise her or show any emotion, but was rather perfunctory.

Beautiful women have tempers, and the more beautiful they are, the worse their tempers are. Xian Fei relied on the emperor's favor to get angry and said with a gloomy face, "It seems that your majesty really doesn't favor me anymore. My careful dressing has become redundant in your majesty's eyes. Since my work is useless and displeases your majesty, you can just find someone else."

After saying this, she didn't go to wash up, nor did she talk to anyone. She just kept wiping her tears.

In the past, He Linzhang would always coax her, but today, for some reason, maybe he was tired, or maybe he didn't want to be the one who always gave in in this relationship, or maybe the Queen Mother and Yan Yan's advice was effective, he suddenly didn't want to coax her anymore.

After a moment of silence, He Linzhang said, "Are you really not going to remove your makeup and wash up?"

When Concubine Xian heard the coldness in the emperor's voice, her heart trembled. After all, she had been waiting for him for a long time, so she sniffed and went to the inner room obediently.

Seeing that she was sensible, He Linzhang did not leave impulsively. He picked up a book and started reading, killing time in boredom.

Just when He Linzhang was getting impatient, Concubine Xian came out wearing a gauze nightgown, her figure slim and graceful.

He Linzhang stood up expressionlessly and went to the inner room. When he came out, Concubine Xian was already lying down waiting for him.

Unlike the sweet and passionate moments in the past, both of them were feeling resentful tonight and everything was not going smoothly.

"Your Majesty? Your Majesty?" Jing'er asked twice, and Concubine Xian came back to her senses: "Hmm? What's wrong?"

Jing Er looked at Concubine Xian's big dark circles and asked, "I want to ask what set of jewelry your Majesty wants to wear today? Your Majesty, did you not sleep well last night? Then why don't you go to pay respects today? It won't make a difference this time anyway."

Xian Fei came to her senses and said, "How can I not go? Your Majesty stayed at Changxin Palace last night. I will go there in style today to show everyone that I am still favored!"

Jing'er felt sad when she saw Concubine Xian forcing herself to smile. In the past, whenever the emperor came, Concubine Xian's face was always beaming. But today she looked so depressed. What a big difference.

He Linzhang also knew that he was emotional last night and was rather perfunctory. After thinking about it, he asked Eunuch Zhang to choose a gift and send it to Changxin Palace as a way of appeasing him.

In Fengyi Palace, the Queen saw that Concubine Xian seldom came, so she said calmly: "If Concubine Xian is not feeling well and her injury has not healed, she does not need to come to pay respects."

The virtuous concubine raised her eyebrows and smiled, "I have been recuperating for more than 20 days and I am now well again. Your Majesty even visited me at Changxin Palace last night. I thought that since I am well again, I should spend some time with Your Majesty to make up for the time I have missed in the past few months."

The queen clenched her hands tightly, she was so angry that she was about to die. The other concubines were also very angry. They had seen the emperor less often, and if the virtuous concubine was aggressive in vying for favor, they would have even less hope.

The Imperial Concubine took a deep breath and said, "Before the Queen Mother left the palace, she repeatedly told His Majesty to be evenly matched and give birth to many children. You, Concubine Xian, must take good care of yourself and don't monopolize His Majesty without having any children. Wouldn't that delay important matters?"

After the Imperial Concubine finished speaking, she glanced at the Queen with deep meaning. Everyone knew that before last night, His Majesty had plunged headfirst into Fengyi Palace as soon as he entered the harem, and the Queen had been sleeping with him for more than a month!

The queen eats meat every day, and others can't even see the soup.

The virtuous concubine was so angry that she wanted to curse. Although not everyone knew that she could no longer get pregnant, it was inevitable that the high-ranking concubines would find out from the imperial physician. This was her biggest shortcoming now. She used to be so arrogant, but now she looked a little timid.

The Queen was also extremely angry. The Imperial Concubine was openly blaming the Virtuous Concubine, but in reality she was secretly accusing herself of usurping the Emperor without getting pregnant!

"Okay, stop talking nonsense and talk about business." The queen said coldly, "We will leave the palace late at night tomorrow to go to the northern suburbs to worship the winter god. Defei, you should get ready. Dress the eldest prince in thicker clothes. It will be cold at night. Sleep more during the day so that you won't be tired at night."

Concubine De immediately responded “yes”.

The Queen continued, "The Queen Mother's birthday will still be celebrated in the temporary palace this year. I will go with Your Majesty. Shu Fei is pregnant this year and it is not suitable for her to travel. You and De Fei did not go last year because the eldest princess and the eldest prince were both ill and could not go. This year, you should discuss it and prepare gifts if you want to go. Then, go with me a day in advance."

The Imperial Concubine and the Virtuous Concubine agreed.

"Okay, let's stop here for today. We will be busy tomorrow, so there is no need to come and pay our respects." Following the Queen's order, everyone stood up and left.

The virtuous concubine turned her head and left. The noble concubine and the virtuous concubine retreated respectfully and walked for a while before going to the imperial garden together.

"Is the Imperial Concubine going to the temporary palace?" Defei asked as they walked.

The imperial concubine didn't say anything final, she just said: "The eldest princess has a severe stuffy nose every winter, I try to avoid letting her go out in cold weather, and now I really can't say whether she can go. But the gifts will be prepared, if she can't go, then please ask the queen to take them over."

Defei also had this intention, mainly because she was reprimanded in Changchun Palace before, and she still had a trauma in her heart. There was also the newly recognized second prince in the temporary palace. If the two children had a conflict, the empress dowager might be partial to her and say that she did not teach her children well.

He is the eldest prince, but he is not as favored as a boy recognized from outside. How can she put her face? It is better to out of sight and out of mind, and avoid the trouble of traveling.

"Speaking of which, Concubine Tao is really patient. Most newly favored concubines don't have such determination or the courage to leave for half a year." Concubine De pinched the only remaining flower in the imperial garden and said embarrassedly.

The imperial concubine glanced at the osmanthus tree not far away and said: "The new favorite concubine is like this osmanthus. Although the flower is small and does not look as majestic and noble as peonies and peonies, it has the best fragrance in October. Isn't there a lot of topic about Tao Meiren when she is not in the palace? We can remember her, so how can Your Majesty not remember her? Maybe the letters express our love for each other, and the words are short but the feelings are deep, but we just don't know it."

I can only tell you the truth about the imperial concubine!

Wasn't Concubine Tao, who was far away in the palace, reading the letter sent by the emperor?

The Queen Mother glanced at the thin piece of paper in her hand, then looked at the several pages of paper in Lady Tao's hand, and rolled her eyes: "This adopted son is still raised by others after all. When he grows up, he will be leaky!"

Tao Yanyan thought about it for a while and said with a smile: "That's right, so if we want to have a baby, we have to give birth to a daughter, who is delicate and soft, like a little cotton-padded jacket."

Queen Mother: "..."

I want to drag Concubine Li out and torture her again. She seduced the late emperor all day long and prevented me from having a daughter. Wuuuuuu.