He had been suffering from headaches for three years. He had sought out many famous doctors, including Shen Yuanzheng of the Imperial Hospital, and even searched through ancient books, but there was no cure. He was just a small concubine...
Emperor Xuan Jing threw the pen away, pinched his brows, and thought to himself, "Bai Susu... could she be some kind of evil spirit?"
Bai Susu, who was enjoying an ice bowl in Qixiang Hall, suddenly felt a chill all over her body. Then Tongzi called out, "Master! For some reason, Emperor Xuan Jing's favorability towards you has suddenly dropped by five percentage points. Now it's only 15%!"
Because favorability is directly related to the progress of task completion, the system's radar is extremely sensitive and pays attention at all times.
Bai Susu almost dropped her spoon. She...she didn't do anything today, and she didn't meet Emperor Xuan Jing either. Why did her favorability suddenly drop?
Man, you're so moody that it's hard for me to do anything.
_
Wang Fuhai saw the emperor suddenly stop writing, rubbing his brow, and was extremely worried. He stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, are you having a headache again? Do you want me to quickly call the imperial physician?"
His noisy voice disturbed Emperor Xuan Jing's eardrums. He glanced at him sideways, and Wang Fuhai immediately became like a gourd with its mouth sawed off, and dared not speak.
Thinking of how he had just returned from Qixiang Palace, Emperor Xuan Jing rubbed the ring on his finger a few times. No matter who Bai Susu was, she had indeed captured his heart. He thought of her several times today, and even when he was in court, the image of her sobbing under him appeared in his mind for a moment.
"How did she...react?"
Wang Fuhai was stunned. She? Who? Who is His Majesty talking about?
Seeing Emperor Xuan Jing's face getting darker and darker, Wang Fuhai shuddered, because he had just returned from Qixiang Palace!
He was startled and quickly knelt down and replied, "Mrs. Bai is very pleased with your Majesty's reward and asked me to convey his gratitude to your Majesty!"
It was just the most ordinary answer, but Wang Fuhai actually saw the emperor's expression relax. He picked up the pen again, and there was a slight smile at the corner of his mouth?
Thinking of the fabrics that the emperor personally selected, although they were not the most luxurious, the colors were very much in line with Bai Changzai's preferences, and it was obvious that he put a lot of thought into it. Wang Fuhai couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.
_
"Master, the favorability has increased by another 3%, now it's 18%!"
Bai Susu's mouth twitched. Emperor Xuan Jing appeared cold on the outside, but unexpectedly he was a chameleon on the inside. His ups and downs were challenging her nerves?
She covered herself tightly with the quilt and continued her nap. Emperor Xuan Jing had made her very tired yesterday, and today he had to get up early to pay his respects. Bai Susu was already very tired. She silently told the system to shut up and not disturb her sleep.
Tongzi: ...wuwuwuwuwu
_
After the emperor's reward arrived, the rewards for the empress and high-ranking concubines also arrived.
The one who came to give the queen the reward was her close nanny, Nanny Zhang.
She had a stern appearance, with her black hair combed sleekly without a trace of clutter. She looked like a capable person.
After Bai Susu thanked her, she smiled and said, "The Empress saw that Concubine Bai really liked the milk and water chestnut flour cake, so she asked me to bring a plate."
Bai Susu felt a little embarrassed when she heard this. She had indeed eaten a few extra pieces of milk cake when she was paying her respects. It was really because her food was not good. This milk cake was delicious, with a strong milk flavor and a very delicate texture. It melted in your mouth and was better than modern cakes!
The fact that the queen noticed this about her shows that she is very thoughtful.
To express her gratitude to the Queen, Bai Susu picked up a piece of milk cake and put it into her mouth. She ate it very gracefully, taking a light bite with her pearly teeth, then smiled and said, "Thank you, Queen. I like it very much."
Nanny Zhang remained expressionless, but was actually observing Bai Susu's expression carefully.
Seeing her sincere smile and the fact that she was really savoring the cakes and not just pretending, Aunt Zhang understood what was going on.
The women in this palace all seem to be wearing masks. Whether they are laughing or crying, their expressions are as if they have been measured. In this way, no matter how beautiful they are, they will look boring.
But Concubine Bai... Nanny Zhang saw that her expression was lively, and every frown and smile seemed to be sincere.
For example, just now, she actually showed her sincerity towards the Queen, without any pretense.
A woman like this...a woman who can easily control people's hearts, either she has great acting skills or she is really likable.
Either way, it should not be underestimated.
Nanny Zhang suppressed her inner turmoil and put on a smile. She said, "Don't be so polite, Changzai. The small kitchen in Changchun Palace is good at making all kinds of cakes. If Changzai likes, you can go to Changchun Palace more often to accompany the Empress."
Bai Susu's heart trembled. When she paid her respects today, she had witnessed Concubine Hui's arrogance and the Queen's disgust towards her. Behind this disgust, there was a hint of hidden fear.
The Queen asked Nanny Zhang to say these words, in fact, she was extending an olive branch to her, asking her if she was willing to submit to the Queen.
Honestly speaking, if possible, she doesn't want to form an alliance with anyone, but now that Concubine Hui is domineering and favored, her appearance is bound to become a thorn in her eyes and a thorn in her flesh. Although she has a golden finger, it takes time to achieve a favorability of 60%.
If she didn't find a backer, she would be tormented endlessly by Concubine Hui. Therefore, Bai Susu had no reason to refuse.
She made up her mind and said, "Although this is my first time paying my respects today, the Empress's majesty has immediately intimidated me. I will definitely bother you frequently in the future. I just hope you won't find me annoying."
Nanny Zhang felt relieved. Concubine Bai knew when to advance and when to retreat. She was smart, and it saved her from having to talk too much.
Her expression also relaxed, and she exchanged a few more words with Bai Susu before going back.
_
Inside Changchun Palace, the Empress was worshipping Buddha in a small Buddhist temple. She wore a plain dress, with a string of phoenix eye bodhi beads dangling from her right hand. Apart from this, she wore no other jewelry.
Changchun Palace is a little lively except for the time when people pay their respects in the morning. On other days, it is solemn and quiet like a thousand-year-old temple.
Although the palace maids and eunuchs were busy, they were also holding their breath.
The queen believed in Buddhism, so she spent several hours in the small Buddhist temple every day.
The copper incense burner in the middle of the Buddhist hall exudes a faint scent of sandalwood, and the smoke is lingering, quiet and distant.
The sound of Nanny Zhang's footsteps could be heard, but the Queen stood still as a mountain, and she did not stop chanting.
Nanny Zhang didn't dare to disturb her and stood by and waited for a while. Only when the queen stopped moving did she bend down and help her up.
The Queen sat on a Zen chair nearby, picked up the blue plum blossom tea bowl, and asked, "How is it?"
Aunt Zhang had a faint smile on her face and said softly, "Your Majesty has a keen eye, and Concubine Bai is also a smart person."
Hearing this, the Queen nodded. Suddenly, Nanny Zhang's mind appeared the gentle little face of Bai Susu again, and she seemed to reveal some uneasiness. She whispered, "Your Majesty, I don't understand why you support Bai Changzai instead of our Third Miss. Now that the Third Miss has entered the palace, she is young and beautiful. Wouldn't it be good if she could win the heart of the Emperor?" There was another sentence that Nanny Zhang didn't say. Bai Susu was really too beautiful. What would happen if she became the next Concubine Hui?
The Queen sighed, "I certainly want to support Yu Ling, but she has also served in the Emperor's bedchamber. Does the Emperor have any fondness for her?"
Aunt Zhang looked worried, shook her head, and whispered, "Your Majesty is wise."
The Queen looked into the distance and said, "There's nothing we can do about it. Although Yuling is pretty, she's only fifteen years old. After all, there's a big age gap between her and the Emperor." And the Emperor has never liked immature girls like Yuling.
What he likes has always been dazzling, the most outstanding in appearance and figure.
For example, the former Ningpin and the current Bai Susu.
However, the queen did not say this out loud. The emperor's preferences could not be known to outsiders. But after all, she had been married to the emperor for many years, and the queen thought she had some understanding of him.
However, thinking of this, the queen couldn't help feeling bitter. She was also beautiful, but after all, she was not as good as those beauties.
She entered the palace together with Concubine Ning. Although she was the legal wife and the emperor respected her, it was obvious that the emperor liked Concubine Ning more at that time.
Concubine Ning was born with extraordinary beauty and was also a famous talented woman in the capital. She played the zither very well. The emperor liked to visit her Qinglanxuan.
Thinking of her long wait in the main courtyard, the queen couldn't help feeling bitter.
People only think that the emperor and the queen are deeply in love, but they don't know that she is walking on thin ice. The emperor has a dull personality, and no matter how she tries, she can't enter his heart.
The only reason she could become the queen was because her father was the emperor's teacher and a close minister who helped the emperor ascend the throne.
However, her father was old, and new ministers were being trained generation after generation. She herself was out of favor, and with Concubine Hui's constant pressure, the queen didn't dare to think about whether she could continue to be the queen if Concubine Hui gave birth to another son.
"But, Your Majesty, isn't you afraid that Concubine Bai will become the next Concubine Hui?" Aunt Zhang was still a little uneasy. After all, Bai Susu's appearance was so outstanding.
The Queen came to her senses and said calmly, "She's just the daughter of an eighth-rank official. All she has is a face. No matter how much she tries, how far can she go?"
The queen really didn't take Bai Susu seriously. Firstly, family background was important nowadays, and Bai Susu's family background was too humble. Even if she was promoted, it would not threaten her position as the queen.
Secondly, although Bai Susu was beautiful, the emperor was not a foolish man who only cared about beauty. Even if she won his favor for a while, what would it matter? Concubine Ning had also been favored and enjoyed a period of glory, but she still angered the emperor and lost his favor.
The third and most important thing is that she actually hopes that Bai Susu can be favored for a longer time, as long as she can share Hui Fei's favor.
She has not had a good night's sleep in the past few years, fearing that Concubine Hui would become pregnant again and give birth to a prince.
Fortunately, God has mercy on her. Although Hejia is already five years old, Concubine Hui has never been pregnant again, and the emperor's enthusiasm for her has also faded in the past two years.
But after all, she gave birth to the emperor's only child. In addition, Huifei's father has also been very successful in recent years and now holds the second-rank official position. This has led to her becoming more and more arrogant and openly coveting the position of queen.
Thinking of Concubine Hui's disrespect to her, the Queen became furious and decided to put an end to her arrogance!
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