radicalducati Chapter 131 Consort Yuan is truly brave!
Chapter 131 Consort Yuan is truly brave!
In Fengyi Palace, the Empress was also talking about this matter. She was compiling statistics on the number of times each person had been summoned to the Emperor's bedchamber in the official history. Her slender fingers pointed at the booklet. "In the past month, the Emperor has stayed overnight at Zhaoyang Palace more than twenty times. She was poisoned, so the Emperor went there three times a day and stayed overnight every night."
Listening to the zither, she said, "Last time Consort Yuan was ill, the Emperor stayed by her side every day. Does this mean she can't get sick anymore?"
Once she fell ill, the other concubines no longer even had the chance to see the emperor.
Granny Qu brought a bowl of medicine to the Empress to help prevent miscarriage. "Your Majesty, even Consort Yuan was poisoned. We should find out who is plotting against us behind our backs as soon as possible."
Tingqin also said, "Yes, Your Majesty, since Miss Yang is going to come in anyway, let those two fight it out among themselves first. It's almost the end of the year, and Your Majesty is busy. There are many things to do, and everyone is waiting for Your Majesty to make a decision. Why should Your Majesty take such people to heart?"
The Empress touched her belly; she was almost three months along, and things were going well so far, which put her at ease.
On the 30th of the eleventh month, the Empress Dowager issued an imperial edict, bestowing upon Yang Tingyue the title of Beauty, and the Imperial Household Department proposed the title of Ping, and she moved into Menglan Pavilion.
"Ping" can mean either smooth or unremarkable.
Li Yuanke bestowed the title of Beauty upon Yang Tingyue in front of her. The Empress Dowager knew it was a trap, so how could she possibly refuse?
If you're new to the place and your initial appointment is too high, you'll become an easy target.
Or perhaps, Shen Shixi would only be a minor concubine in the palace?
Once you're familiar with the place and have a solid foundation, climbing the ranks step by step is the right path.
That's not all. In order to please her son, the Empress Dowager lifted Xue Chongyuan's confinement and restored her to the rank of Consort. However, she no longer held the first-rank Consort title and was now only a second-rank Consort.
The Empress Dowager disliked Xue extremely, not only because she disliked her mannerisms.
The Empress Dowager and Lady Xue's father were cousins, and the Xue family also played a significant role in the downfall of the previous dynasty.
The late emperor bestowed Lady Xue upon Li Yuanke as a concubine in order to appease the veteran officials. When Li Yuanke became the crown prince, Lady Xue became the crown prince's concubine.
The Empress Dowager was so angry that her son had become estranged from her because of her niece.
As soon as the emperor left, she went to lie down, unable to catch her breath.
Since the Empress became pregnant and began taking care of her pregnancy, she only held morning meetings on the first and fifteenth of each lunar month. On the first day of the twelfth lunar month, Shen Shixi came over very early.
She was confined to the palace to recuperate for over a month, and she was practically covered in mushrooms from all the illness. She couldn't wait to do the morning greetings that she used to dislike.
Yang Tingyue performed a grand salute to the Empress.
Currently, the only concubines still in low rank are the pregnant Li Sihe, a selected concubine; Wang Yuehuai, a selected concubine; and Su Fuying, Xie Tingwan, Zheng Ruojin, and Xu Murong, all of whom are Baolin (Imperial Concubines). These are all new concubines who entered the palace this year.
Shen Shixi and Lin Guiyou are ranked among the Ninth Concubine.
Among the former court ladies, Consort Fan and Yang Tingyue were now of equal status, while Yuan and Guo, who came from the palace maid background, were practically invisible.
Consort Xue, formerly known as Consort Xian, has also arrived today.
The emperor didn't mention bestowing another title upon her, after all, she had previously complained about how bad the title "Rong" was.
She likes orchids, so should the emperor give them to her?
Even if she wanted it, she wouldn't ask for it in this way.
The Empress Dowager's move was also a way of expressing her stance to her son.
Shen Shixi glanced at her. The lively spirit she used to have was gone, and she looked quite dejected, but the beauty of her was still there. She was as fragile as a fairy herb that had become a spirit, and she also had a rare and graceful demeanor.
"As expected of the Empress Dowager's niece, she's already a beauty upon entering the palace, surpassing so many others." Consort Qing was always quick to speak her mind.
Now that they dare not speak of Shen Shixi, they have started attacking Yang Tingyue.
The lower-ranking concubines didn't want to speak. Shen Shixi was so favored; how could her relationship with the Emperor be anything but shallow?
When she entered the palace through the imperial concubine selection, wasn't she just a concubine?
It's no wonder that others are unconvinced.
Yang Tingyue, oblivious to the gravity of the situation, was quite smug. "So what if I am? You're not trying to say I've outshone Shen Shi, are you? Well, what can I do? I have the Empress Dowager backing me up."
Shen Shixi then said, "Your Majesty, are you going to intervene or not? If you intervene, I naturally wouldn't dare to overstep my bounds; but if you don't, I can't swallow this insult!"
The Empress naturally didn't want to target the Empress Dowager's niece on the first day. Instead, she tried to smooth things over, saying, "We're all sisters in the same palace, why be so petty? When you first entered the palace, I took care of you in the same way."
Shen Shixi chuckled and fiddled with the nail polish on her hand. "Your Majesty, I have never attacked anyone first. I have always sought to protect myself."
"If I were to be bullied by this newly arrived beauty who has yet to achieve any merit, what use would my position as one of the Nine Consorts be? Wouldn't it be better to remain in the position of Baolin?"
"Not having rendered any merit" means that he has never even served the emperor in bed.
She gave Yang Tingyue a defiant look. "Beauty, don't you think so?"
His tone was extremely flippant.
Yang Tingyue was so angry she nearly vomited blood. She stood up abruptly, pointed at Shen Shixi, and yelled, "You're cured of your poison, aren't you? How dare you laugh at me? Haven't you ever been a beauty before?"
The Empress scolded, "Consort Ping, how dare you be so rude! Apologize to Consort Yuan, or I will not forgive you!"
Yang Tingyue was stunned; even the Empress reprimanded her.
This was the first time in her life she had suffered such a crushing defeat; she had never been so humiliated in her life!
He glared angrily at Shen Shixi without moving.
Shen Shixi chuckled; the three characters "Ping Meiren" together were just too funny.
"It seems they haven't learned the rules properly, Your Majesty. Don't these newly arrived concubines learn the rules? They're so ignorant; they're embarrassing you."
The Empress was also furious. It wasn't her fault for making things difficult for Yang Tingyue, so she ordered the head maid to drag Yang Tingyue to kneel before Shen Shixi. "Consort Ping, apologize to Consort Yuan!"
Yang Tingyue and Shen Shixi had fought so many times, and even though she had never won a single one, she had never felt so wronged.
She closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face, and said, "I have been rude, please forgive me, Consort Yuan!"
Everyone was stunned; Consort Yuan was truly brave!
She's the Emperor's cousin, after all. Doesn't the Emperor protect her at all?
"No need for formalities!" Shen Shixi leaned back in his chair. "Consort Ping, now that you've entered this harem, you'd better remember the difference between superior and inferior. From now on, never forget that your status is that of the Emperor's concubine. Stop talking about the Empress Dowager all the time; she's not someone you can act recklessly on your own!"
She lifted Yang Tingyue's chin, looking at her like a villain, "Got it?"
Yang Tingyue felt utterly wronged and filled with resentment. Tears streamed down her face. "I'll remember this!"
The Empress was furious. Shen Shixi was far too arrogant. This move was not only to suppress Yang Tingyue, but also to provoke her imperial authority.
"Alright, it's the first time Consort Ping has paid her respects this morning, and it's really inappropriate to make such a fuss. Consort Yuan, you're a concubine now, so you should be more lenient with the newcomers in the future and not be so petty."
If you are virtuous and respected, others will naturally respect you; otherwise, they will resent you behind your back.
Shen Shixi smiled and said, "Your Majesty is too kind. I am but a concubine. What need do I have for winning people over with virtue? Serving the Emperor well is my duty. It is Your Majesty who should be praised for your virtuous conduct, your role as a model for the world, and your example for future generations."
It's hard to tell whether it's praise or sarcasm.
The Empress didn't have much energy to target her. Her health was really poor, and she couldn't stand sitting for long. So she brought up the important matter directly, which was that it was the twelfth lunar month and she needed to prepare for the New Year.
The holiday gifts will be distributed soon.