Reborn as a Sickly Child: The Emperor's Beloved

Qiluo Pavilion.

Xu Xiaolan sat by the window in her dormitory, staring out with empty eyes. Her beautiful face was filled with sadness and anger, her lips were tightly pursed, her hands were clenched into fists, and they were shaking slightly.

Every day, she heard the news that Xiao Jingzhan favored others, and the anger in her heart grew more and more.

She couldn't accept his indifference towards her, even if he was just acting with those concubines, she was unhappy. She hoped that Xiao Jingzhan would come to see her occasionally, but it had been more than half a month, and he either went to Concubine Jiang's palace or to Concubine Sun's place every day. He had forgotten about her.

Every time she heard about Xiao Jingzhan and other women, her heart felt like being stabbed by a needle. She remembered the time when she fought side by side with him, but those sweet memories were now only painful.

Xu Xiaolan's eyes were full of disappointment and sadness. She didn't understand why he didn't like her. She sat there silently, letting her tears fall. The pain and anger in her heart were intertwined, making her unable to let go.

Obviously, I am the one who has been with him the longest.

Even if she is his subordinate, she is good-looking and capable enough to stand by his side.

She knew she couldn't go on like this, she had to pull herself together and find the strong and confident self she once was. She wanted to leave Qiluo Pavilion and go find him, but she didn't dare. Her mission was just a shield. If she went to find him, she was afraid that he would replace her, and then she wouldn't even be able to be his concubine.

She could only be a secret guard in the dark. But why, after all her efforts for so many years to stand by his side, he still refused to look at her.

When Qiuyue walked into the bedroom, she saw her master sitting by the window with a gloomy look on his face.

"Your Highness, the Imperial Concubine has just sent someone over. She said that she accidentally found some Epiphyllums recently, and they are about to bloom. She wants to hold a flower viewing banquet in the Imperial Garden in three days and invite all the concubines in the palace to attend the banquet."

Xu Xiaolan's eyes narrowed. Gao Jinyi's invitation to everyone to enjoy the flowers might not be that simple. "She would be so kind to hold a flower-viewing banquet for no reason. What is she planning to do?"

Gao Jinyi has been targeting her for a while now, and Xu Xiaolan always feels that there is something fishy going on.

"Go and get ready. Be there on time for the banquet in three days." Xu Xiaolan waved her hand.

It would be good to go and have a look. Your Majesty loves Epiphyllum, so I think Your Majesty will go. She couldn't go to find him, but she could see him at the banquet.

"Yes."

Yaohua Palace.

Shen Yanyan also received the news.

"Your Majesty, what do you think the Royal Concubine is trying to do? She can't really invite everyone to see the flowers, right?" Dongxue has always been sharp-minded and always felt that this flower-viewing banquet was not simple.

"Of course she didn't really invite everyone to enjoy the flowers. Maybe she wants to do something with the banquet. But who she is competing against, we will know after we go there. Dongxue, don't do what I asked you to prepare for now. She actually wants to invite everyone to enjoy the flowers. We will see what happens then." Shen Yanyan thought about it and decided not to target Concubine Gao for the time being. It would save her from getting herself into trouble.

Let's see what she's going to do first, and then think of a way to deal with it.

"Yes, I'll arrange it." Dongxue said and left in a hurry.

Xia Zhu walked in quickly.

Shen Yanyan frowned when she saw Xia Zhu’s hurried look.

"Your Majesty, the last time we wrote a letter we couldn't take it out of the palace. The eunuch who usually helps us carry things said that letters are not allowed to be taken out of the palace. If they are found, we will lose our heads." Xia Zhu said hurriedly.

"I can't send it, and I can't ask anyone to do it. We just entered the palace, and we don't have any channels. What can we do? Yangzhou has not received any news from me, and I have not received any news from them. I don't know how my parents are doing."

"If I had known, I should have written a letter home at the Shen family before I left the palace last time. It's all my fault. I was so busy having fun that I forgot about it." Shen Yanyan was a little annoyed.

"Should we go find the eldest young master, or the first and second masters? They usually come to the morning court." Xia Zhu said after thinking for a while.

Shen Yanyan thought about it and felt that it was not possible. As a concubine, it was not appropriate for her to go to places like the court, and outsiders could not enter the harem.

"This won't work. If someone sees me going to see them, it will be bad for the Shen family." Shen Yanyan sighed.

She still had to find a way to send the letter back to Yangzhou, otherwise she would have no way of contacting her family.

"I'll find a way to deal with the letter. Go and urge the Palace Construction Department to quickly make the boiler grills that I need." Shen Yanyan thought about it and decided to go find Xiao Jingzhan. After all, in this palace, his words are more effective than anything else.

"I went to see it earlier. It is almost finished. It should be delivered in two or three days." Xia Zhu was thinking about those delicious foods and was very active. She went to the palace construction department every few days to urge them.

"Well, okay, Xia Zhu, are you greedy? Do you want to eat barbecue and hot pot?" Shen Yanyan smiled and looked at Xia Zhu teasingly.

"I want to eat, hehe." Xia Zhu touched the back of his head and laughed foolishly twice, looking dazed.

Shen Yanyan smiled and didn't blame her.

Although she usually relies on Dongxue, in her heart, Xia Zhu is the person she trusts the most. It's just that this little girl grew up with her in the Divine Doctor Valley and has not lived in the courtyard for a long time. She is also very innocent. In a place like the palace, Dongxue grew up with her mother and is more capable of taking charge.

As the saying goes, one should be grateful to the person who helped him. If you need help from someone, you cannot go empty-handed.

Shen Yanyan went to the small kitchen again and made some sweet pastries, but this time they didn't need to be chilled, just add ice.

It was already late July, and the heat had already begun. The Ministry of Internal Affairs had already sent over ice. With the ice, the palace was very cool, and we could make all kinds of summer-cooling delicacies.

No wonder everyone wants to climb up the ranks. The rank in the palace directly determines the quality of life. Ice cubes and various tributes are sent to her palace every now and then. There are not many concubines in the harem. There is no queen. The four concubines below Concubine Gao are all the best. How can their quality of life be bad? Shen Yanyan thought to herself.

What Shen Yanyan didn't know was that the allowance for her in the palace was better than that for Concubine Gao. Anything good would be given to her first. Li Defu went to the Ministry of Internal Affairs every day, so how could her food, clothing and other expenses not be good?

Shen Yanyan specially made small melon dumplings and added a layer of fermented rice wine slushy at the bottom of the bowl, spreading the emerald melon and tender white small dumplings on the slushy, which looked good and tasted good. She also made some iced fruit tea, which she could drink while processing memorials. It was refreshing and delicious, and it was great to have a sip when she was busy with official duties.

Looking at the bright sun outside, Shen Yanyan asked Xia Zhu to find an oil-paper umbrella and went out.

The sun was shining brightly, and she took advantage of the scorching sun to bring him food and drinks, which must have touched him to death, Shen Yanyan thought.

She felt that she should pretend when the time came. It would be great if he felt sorry for her and went to bring him food and drinks in the sun, and he was moved and agreed to her request, so that she wouldn't have to go through the trouble of sending a letter.

"Your Highness, it's so hot now. Why don't you go and bring some snacks to His Majesty later?" Xia Zhu looked at the sun outside. As soon as she went out, she felt a wave of heat coming, which made her feel very uncomfortable. In the past, Your Highness was most reluctant to move at this time, but today she went to bring some snacks to His Majesty in the scorching sun.

"What do you know? This is called a self-torture tactic." Shen Yanyan frowned. The weather is too hot.

Shen Yanyan thought that Xiao Jingzhan would be in the imperial study at this time, so she went straight to the study. Fortunately, it was not very far away, and she went out with an umbrella, so she was not exposed to the sun.

It was a hot summer day, and the imperial study was quiet. Xiao Jingzhan sat at his desk, concentrating on reviewing the piles of memorials. His brows were slightly furrowed, and his eyes revealed a trace of fatigue, but the red brush in his hand was still dancing.

Next to him, two palace servants were fanning two basins of ice. They gently waved their palm-leaf fans, carefully maintaining the appropriate wind speed so as not to affect the emperor's work. The ice cubes were blown by the breeze, emitting bursts of coolness, slightly dispelling the summer heat.

The entire imperial study was filled with a solemn atmosphere, with only the sound of Xiao Jingzhan flipping through the memorials and the subtle sounds of the palace servants fanning themselves. The sunlight from the window shone through the gaps in the curtains, illuminating the memorials on the table and the emperor's focused face.

Eunuch Li waited quietly by the side.

When Shen Yanyan arrived at the imperial study, even though she had prepared an umbrella, her face was still a little flushed.

When the eunuch outside the palace saw Shen Yanyan, he hurried forward to salute.

The young eunuch was a subordinate of Li Defu, and was personally arranged by Li Defu to be stationed in front of the palace. He was also present at the last incident, and when he saw that the visitor was Concubine Yan, he greeted her respectfully.

"Your servant Xiao Quanzi greets Concubine Yan. Are you here to see His Majesty? Please wait a moment, I will go and report to you." After saying this, Xiao Quanzi went straight into the inner room to report without waiting for Shen Yanyan to speak.

Shen Yanyan looked at the impetuous Xiao Quanzi and twitched her lips. She hasn't said anything yet, okay?

Inner Hall. Xiao Quanzi walked in, and Li Defu stepped forward to ask when he saw the newcomer.

"Eunuch Li, Concubine Yan is here and is outside the palace." Xiao Quanzi explained his purpose before Li Defu could say anything.

"Hurry up and invite the queen in." Li Defu said and went to the inner room to report.

"Your Majesty, Concubine Yan is here." Li Defu reported softly.

Xiao Jingzhan paused as he wrote, a hint of surprise flashed across his eyes. He hadn't seen her for a long time. She actually came to see him.

"Let her in." There was a hint of joy in Xiao Jingzhan's tone.

Eunuch Li hurried to greet Shen Yanyan. He could hear the hint of surprise in His Majesty's tone.

Shen Yanyan entered the hall alone carrying a food box, and saw Eunuch Li coming to greet her.

"Your Majesty, I am honored to meet you. Your Majesty is very happy that you have come." Li Defu said respectfully with a smile on his face.

"Eunuch Li, there's no need to be so polite. Really, he seems very happy." Shen Yanyan felt that she had come to the right place.

"Your Majesty, please come in. His Majesty is inside."

Li Defu took Shen Yanyan into the inner room.

Xiao Jingzhan looked up at Shen Yanyan and saw that she was wearing a light blue palace dress. She was pure and beautiful, and it was very pleasing to look at her in this hot summer day.

"Your Majesty, I brought you some delicious food." Shen Yanyan raised the food box in her hand and showed it to him as if inviting him to eat.

"Come here." Xiao Jingzhan's tone was light, but his eyes were always fixed on Shen Yanyan.

Xiao Jingzhan looked at Li Defu again, and Li Defu quickly took the two palace maids out of the inner room.

"OK."