Return of the Pearl

Jianjia Palace

On that moonlit night, the bright moonlight shone through the window lattice onto the ground like a layer of silver gauze. Qianlong and Xiao Yun slowly walked into the bridal chamber. The red candles swayed gently in the breeze, and the flickering candlelight illuminated the entire room like a dream, hazy and warm. The candlelight cast the figures of the two people leaning on each other on the wall, as if telling of their deep affection.

Qianlong gently took Xiao Yun's hand and drank the wedding wine with her. He tilted his head slightly and swallowed the wine slowly, his eyes always on Xiao Yun.

Xiao Yun lowered her head slightly, a shy blush on her face. She opened her red lips and drank the wedding wine with Qianlong. Then, Qianlong slowly stretched out his hand and gently lifted the veil on Xiao Yun's head.

The veil slowly slid down, Xiao Yun raised her head slightly, and her eyes met Qianlong's. Qianlong's eyes were full of surprise and love. He reached out and gently stroked Xiao Yun's face, his fingers sliding lightly on her cheek.

The light of the red candles sprinkled on them, casting their shadows on the wall, as if it were a beautiful painting. In this warm and romantic atmosphere, the two people's hearts gradually drew closer, and their breaths intertwined.

Qianlong slowly embraced Xiao Yun in his arms. Xiao Yun leaned on his chest obediently. Qianlong lowered his head and gently kissed Xiao Yun's forehead, then slowly moved to her lips. Xiao Yun closed her eyes slightly, feeling Qianlong's tenderness and affection.

On this wedding night with flickering red candles and interweaving lights and shadows, the flower of love between Qianlong and Xiao Yun blossomed so brilliantly. The environment around them seemed to be cheering for their beauty. In the quiet night sky, the stars twinkled, witnessing their happiness.

They will embark on a wonderful journey together, walk through the wind and rain and sunshine of life hand in hand, and jointly write their own legendary story.

In the silent harem, the moonlight sprinkled on the glazed tiles of the palace like water, creating a layer of cold silver glow. The news that Qianlong had called for water four times in one night quickly swept through the entire harem like a gust of wind.

When the queen heard the news, the anger and jealousy in her heart burned like flames. She sat upright in her bedroom, her face terribly gloomy, and the carefully painted makeup could not hide the distortion in her heart. She tightly grasped the handkerchief in her hand, her fingers turned white due to the force, as if she wanted to crush the handkerchief.

Her heart was filled with resentment and resentment. Once upon a time, she was the mistress of the harem, admired by everyone, but now, she felt as if she had been abandoned in a corner, with no one caring about her. Her status and dignity were greatly challenged at this moment. She couldn't understand why she, as the queen, was not as good as a concubine. How could she accept this?

She stood up and paced back and forth in the bedroom. The anger in her heart made her unable to calm down. She looked at the bright moon outside the window, and the pain in her heart became more intense. The moon seemed to be mocking her incompetence and her failure. She gritted her teeth and secretly swore that she must let Concubine Xiao know how powerful she was and make her pay the price.

Concubine Ling was also in a panic. She was shocked and frightened when she learned that Emperor Qianlong had favored Concubine Xiao four times in one night. She sat on the couch with wandering eyes and a heart full of worries. She didn't know how to deal with this sudden situation. She felt as if she was trapped in a vortex from which she could not escape.

The night in the harem was no longer peaceful because of this news. Everyone's heart was filled with complex emotions. Jealousy, anger, fear, and anxiety were intertwined together, making the entire harem filled with a depressing atmosphere.

That night, the people in the harem were waiting for news from Jianjia Palace and could not fall asleep for a long time, as if they were waiting for a storm to come.

During that long night, the entire harem was immersed in silence and anxiety. No one slept all night, except for the Jianjia Palace, which was filled with a cheerful atmosphere. The other palaces were shrouded in a depressing and gloomy atmosphere, as if dark clouds were covering their hearts, making it hard to breathe.

It was not until dawn that Qianlong hugged Xiao Yun and slowly fell into a state of rest. Although Qianlong had not slept all night, his face was filled with satisfaction, as if his energy would never run out.

The next day, Qianlong gently stood up, left a passionate kiss on Xiao Yun's forehead, then picked up her clothes and quietly walked to the side hall to change clothes.

Seeing this, Xiao Luzi hurried forward and served carefully. After Qianlong put on his clothes, he ordered: "You don't have to follow me today. You just stay by Yun'er's side and serve her. Yun'er doesn't have to pay her respects to the Queen." Xiao Luzi responded respectfully.

In Kunning Palace, everyone was filled with resentment and wanted to catch a glimpse of the so-called Concubine Xiao. The Queen also prepared many "gifts" for her, but she didn't show up no matter how long they waited.

Finally, a young eunuch came and conveyed the emperor's oral order, exempting Concubine Xiao from paying her respects. The concubines began to whisper to each other, and the queen sat upright on the phoenix chair with a gloomy face and said nothing.

When Concubine Ling saw this, she couldn't help but find it funny. She thought to herself that the queen always pretended to be graceful and magnanimous, so why did she lose her composure this time? Even her expression was out of control.

At that moment, the queen tried hard to suppress the emotions surging in her heart. She bit her lower lip tightly, and her teeth almost broke her lip.

The queen's brows were furrowed, forming a deep "川" character between them, and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. Her hands were clenched into fists, her knuckles turned white from the force, and they were trembling slightly, as if she was trying her best to restrain the urge to explode.

The Queen thought to herself: Humph, today's greetings can be exempted, it's just temporary. She doesn't believe that these greetings can be exempted forever. She doesn't believe that the greetings can be exempted so easily in this life. This Concubine Xiao, sooner or later I will teach her a lesson and let her know who is the real master in this harem.

A fierce look flashed in the queen's eyes, a light filled with resentment and jealousy, but she quickly suppressed it. She took a deep breath and tried to keep herself calm, but her chest was still heaving violently, showing her inner restlessness.

The Queen actually felt a bit disdainful of the other concubines' jealousy. She raised her chin slightly and looked down on them with a haughty attitude. She knew that these concubines were just jealous of Concubine Xiao's favor, but so what? They were just a bunch of pitiful creatures who depended on the Emperor. Although the Queen was angry, she also knew that it was not appropriate to argue with them at this moment, so she magnanimously let them go.