An Lingrong after rebirth

My lady, my queen went to the Yanxi Palace after paying respects today. I guess she had lunch there and was talking with Concubine Shu!

Zhen Huan paused and didn't say when she would return to the palace.

I don't know, my queen stays in the Yanx Palace for a whole day and never says when she will return to the palace. Zhen Huan nodded and said, "In that case, I'll go back first."

Please tell Sister Mei that I have been here. Xiao Shi smiled and bowed, "Yes, I will definitely tell the queen."

Zhen Huan didn't say anything. She helped Cui Jinxi turn around and her face darkened. They left Yonghe Palace. Cui Jinxi looked at Zhen Huan with a bad expression.

She turned her eyes and asked, "My lady, I dare to ask, what is the relationship between this Concubine Xian and you?" Zhen Huan was silent for a while and said, "Perhaps they are close friends."

"Maybe," Cui Jinxi said in a low voice, and then spoke again; I feel it is very strange that the young lady has looked for Concubine Xian so many times, and she even made an appointment in advance this morning.

But I feel that Concubine Xian seems to be avoiding the young lady, but I don’t know whether she is avoiding her intentionally or someone else is interfering.

Are you talking about "Shupin"? Yesterday, the emperor went to Suiyuxuan. If I were Shupin, I would also feel uncomfortable! The day Sister Mei just returned to the palace, I invited her to Suiyuxuan, and Shupin agreed to go to Shoukang Palace in the evening.

I came back from Jingren Palace today, also because of Concubine Shu. I don’t know what her purpose is in restricting Sister Mei from interacting with me?

"Speaking of which, this Concubine Shu is truly a legendary figure." "Legend"?

Cui Jinxi sighed. She gave birth to a child safely not long after entering the palace. She also became the mistress of a palace from the humble status of the daughter of a county magistrate.

At the same time, she was able to suppress Noble Lady Fucha who lived in the same Yanx Palace, and Noble Lady Borjigit from Mongolia. Naturally, she can be called a legend.

There are few children in the palace, and only the third prince is raised in the palace. It is not surprising that Concubine Shu gave birth to a son and was named a concubine. Zhen Huan's words made Cui Jinxi's brows flash with a hint of indifference.

The young lady I chose is the most intelligent, but she is still too young. I don’t know how many dark things there are in the harem. It’s unbelievable.

She was her own favorite, and was made a noble lady not long after serving the emperor, so she naturally didn't know how difficult it was for others to get promoted. Didn't you see that Concubine Xin had been in the palace for many years and gave birth to the emperor's eldest daughter, but she was not promoted to a noble lady?

The young lady has been a noble lady since she entered the palace a few years ago, and is only one step away from being a concubine. I guess she doesn't know how rare it is to be the mistress of this palace.

According to the rules of the harem, there can only be six concubines. Our emperor does not have many concubines, except for the newly promoted Shupin, Xianpin, the previously deposed Lipin and the current Jingpin (Jingpin).

The Fifth Prince's biological mother, Concubine Yu, has never even been to Zijing City. My lady is smart and can imagine that it will be difficult for her to become the master of this palace.

Zhen Huan nodded and gained a new understanding of the situation in the harem. Cui Jinxi said, "That's why I said that Concubine Shu can be called a "legend".

If that's the case, then Sister Mei has just gotten pregnant and already... Before she could finish her words, Zhen Huan realized, "Sister Mei is so amazing, Uncle Shen is the assistant commander of Jeju."

"She holds military power and was a noble lady as soon as she entered the palace. It is only natural that she is now conferred the title of concubine." Yes, the promotion to a higher position depends on one's favor, family background, and thirdly, whether one has children.

The young lady's family background is not low, and she is favored by the emperor. Doctor Wen has changed the prescription for the young lady these days. As long as she gets pregnant, she will be able to stay on her feet.

In this harem, what does it matter if there is one more or one less ally? Cui Jinxi's voice sounded coldly in Zhen Huan's ears.

This is Cui Jinxi's real purpose. In her opinion, Zhen Huan's appearance is far superior to others. She is blessed with natural advantages, and she is also unusually intelligent. She also has such a special title.

Even if Shen Meizhuang was Zhen Huan's playmate since childhood, people's hearts are fickle, not to mention that the harem is a place where people are eaten and bones are spitted out?

Why should she force Shen Meizhuang to be her ally again and again? In Cui Jinxi's eyes, Zhen Huan's actions were now just deliberate actions due to her inability to support herself alone.

After hearing this, Zhen Huan fell silent. In her opinion, the childhood friendship between her and Shen Meizhuang was their most precious memory. They had not seen each other in the harem for many years.

Being alone, it wouldn't be so difficult with Shen Meizhuang watching over and helping each other. But now I find that their friendship is not as strong as I thought!

Jinxi, you are an elder in the palace and can see things more clearly. But I will have to trouble you in the future. I also need your advice when you are by my side.

My lady, you are too polite. I am a servant in your palace, so I will consider everything for you. Has your family replied? How should we deal with Huanbi's matter?

Cui Jinxi whispered something in Zhen Huan's ear in a low voice. Zhen Huan nodded, and the master and servant slowly left along the palace road.

Not long after Zhen Huan left, Shen Meizhuang came slowly, supporting Caiyue.

The master and servant entered the Yonghe Palace. Xiao Shi saw them and hurriedly went to greet them, "Madam." Xiao Shi, tell the kitchen to prepare. I want to have some crab-flavored tofu stew for dinner today.

Yes, I'll go and give the order right away. Xiao Shi responded and walked to Shen Meizhuang's side, holding her other hand and said, "Your Majesty, Concubine Wan came just now, and left when she saw that Your Majesty was not here."

Shen Meizhuang just remembered it now? Oh, Caiyue! I promised Huan'er that I would talk to her in the afternoon?

Caiyue motioned Xiao Shi to go down, and then whispered: Your Majesty, something big is going to happen tonight, Your Majesty, don't forget that the matter with Concubine Wan is just a meeting.

Natural beauty? What Concubine Shu said is important! Concubine Shu should put Concubine Wan aside for now!

Shen Meizhuang frowned slightly, but this was what I promised her first...

Before she finished her words, Shen Meizhuang thought that the baby in her belly was more important, so she shook her head and said, "Send someone to send a portion of lotus root powder and osmanthus sugar cake to Sui Yuxuan later, and tell them that I will invite Huan'er to talk to you another day."

Caiyue nodded and said, "Your Majesty, don't worry. Lady Wan won't blame you."

Inside the Yanxi Palace, Lian'er stood beside An Lingrong with a pout on her face, looking helpless. An Lingrong couldn't help laughing and said, "I just asked you to pretend to speak without thinking, why are you so unhappy?"

My lady, I am not that kind of person. If I let the Concubine Xian misunderstand me, wouldn't that hurt her reputation? You are the only one who can talk.

We did it on purpose today, so why would we care about what others think? Lady Wan showed weakness in front of me, thinking that I would be like Sister Mei? She had no complaints, which was impossible!

If I had no reaction to something like this, Sister Mei would find it strange! So, what you said today is nothing, don't worry.

Lian Er nodded. "The emperor said he would come for lunch, but he didn't come. If he comes for dinner, we will have to check the food for Concubine Xian. What should we do?"

Come on, you can't just ignore sister Mei's pregnancy just because the emperor is here. The emperor is not that important.

Lian'er laughed when she heard this. "Your Majesty, the Sixth Prince should have woken up by now. I'll go check on him and ask the wet nurse to bring him over."

Okay, go ahead!

After playing with the Sixth Prince for a while, the sky gradually darkened. Seeing the Sixth Prince yawning repeatedly, An Lingrong asked the wet nurse to come up and carry the Sixth Prince down to rest.

Turning around, she was about to tell Lian'er to invite Shen Meizhuang over when she saw a bright yellow figure approaching the palace gate from the corner of her eye. An Lingrong pretended not to know.

He sat down again, picked up the book beside him and started reading. The candlelight was dim. An Lingrong seldom went out of the garden, and her skin was as white as snow.

She was fair and delicate, and her temperament had changed dramatically due to her frequent reading and writing. In the candlelight, the emperor was stunned for a moment.

I don’t know how long it was before a soft cry made the two of them react.

"Your Majesty" pays respects to His Majesty!

An Lingrong turned around and saw Qiufang had already knelt down.

After putting the book on the table, An Lingrong stood up hurriedly, her hair flying on her forehead in panic.

I pay my respects to His Majesty, and wish His Majesty good health and happiness. As soon as An Lingrong finished speaking, the emperor stepped forward and helped her up.

Thank you, Your Majesty. With the help of Your Majesty, An Lingrong stood up and looked at Your Majesty coquettishly. The Emperor came without even telling her, which scared me.

After saying that, she turned around and glanced at Qiufang. If the emperor had come, Shen Meizhuang would not have come here on her own initiative. Taking advantage of the fact that the emperor was here today, if any problem was found with the diet, she could take the opportunity to expose it.

In order to obtain the greatest benefit, An Lingrong naturally had to arrange someone to invite the emperor. Pulling the emperor's hand, An Lingrong said, "Xiao Liu has just been taken away by the wet nurse. Does the Queen want to go and see him?"

When the emperor mentioned the child, he laughed out loud. I had seen the wet nurse carrying Xiaoliu out just now. I didn't let anyone know because I wanted to see what you were doing!

The emperor is not here, and I have nothing to do on weekdays, so I embroider to kill time. The two of them sat down while talking, and the emperor took a look at the book.

Rong'er is not honest. She is obviously reading a book, but she talks like she is embroidering!

"Your Majesty, I can recognize only a few words," I don't understand much of the principles in the book, but Your Majesty said that he likes your concubines to read, so I take the book out and read it from time to time.

If I encounter any confusion that day, I will have to ask the emperor and seek his advice! An Lingrong's words made the emperor nod with a smile. As long as Rong'er wants to ask, I will never keep it to myself.

Changing the subject, I came here today because I want to ask you something. An Lingrong looked up in confusion and said: Your Majesty, I would like to hear the details?

Your father passed away, and you, as a member of the royal family, cannot follow the customs and wear mourning clothes. Now you have given birth to Xiaoliu and are a concubine.

I was thinking whether I should give your father a favor? An Lingrong turned her eyes after hearing this. Is the emperor doing this for Xiaoliu?

Your Majesty, when my father passed away, he was only an eighth-rank county magistrate. How could it be worth your worry? Even if it is not for others, I have to think about you and Xiaoliu.

I have considered it, and I will appoint your father as the fifth-rank Honglu Temple Shaoqing, and confer your mother the title of fourth-rank Gongren. This way, your mother can be alone outside, and Rong'er can feel more at ease.

The emperor's voice was calm, but An Lingrong's heart was filled with turmoil.

I am doing business in partnership with the Xiao family, so they probably wouldn't dare to make any unusual moves. If my mother were to stay with the Xiao family alone, after a while, they might not be as respectful to me as before.

Now that the Emperor has personally conferred the title upon her, it is truly a great surprise. An Lingrong quickly stood up and knelt down, wondering, "Your Majesty, how could I, your concubine, have deserved such merit to make you take so much trouble."

The emperor reached out and pulled An Lingrong up. "You gave birth to Xiaoliu, which is the greatest achievement. I like you. You don't have to care about these little details. Just remember that you deserve it."

After hearing this, An Lingrong lowered her head and quietly looked at the hand that was being held by the emperor. After a moment, two tears fell lightly onto the emperor's hand.

Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace. The emperor reached out one hand to take the handkerchief from An Lingrong's waist, lifted An Lingrong's chin with one hand, and wiped the tear marks on her face with the handkerchief.

Rong'er, there's no need to thank me too much, you deserve it.

An Lingrong smiled when she heard this, pulled the emperor closer, and whispered in his ear, "I have nothing to repay you with, so I will repay you with my body in this life."

The emperor was stunned. When had any concubine dared to say these words to him?

Even though Concubine Hua was so bold, she had never said such explicit words! For a moment, a glimmer flashed in her eyes. She laughed loudly.

He raised his hand and patted An Lingrong's butt, causing her to exclaim and her face to turn slightly red.

The emperor was about to speak when Qiufang's voice came from outside the door, "Your Majesty, Concubine Xian is here."

An Lingrong looked at the emperor with pretended coquettishness, then quickly took two steps back, straightened her clothes, and said, "Please invite Sister Mei in."

The emperor was very interested in seeing his little daughter so beautiful.

An Lingrong could not see the emperor's expression, so she turned around to greet Shen Meizhuang who had just come in, "Sister Mei," and stepped forward to support Shen Meizhuang.

Taking a few steps closer, Shen Meizhuang knelt down and saluted, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."

"No need to be polite," "Hurry up and get up." The emperor responded, and seeing that his belly had grown bigger, Mei'er had worked hard, so he quickly sat down.

Thank you, Your Majesty. Shen Meizhuang sat down in response. An Lingrong moved to sit next to her and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, Sister Mei has finally agreed to have dinner with me today."

Let the emperor work together! The emperor ignored An Lingrong and said to Shen Meizhuang: Look at your sister, she is very good at talking now, and even having dinner with her is hard work.

Isn't this a deliberate mockery of me? Shen Meizhuang said with a smile: "I can settle this case for the emperor. If the emperor is willing, then punish Rong'er!"

The emperor was stunned and burst into laughter. She never thought that Shen Meizhuang, who was always dignified and steady, would also use words to shut her up.

There was laughter and joy in the hall. Lian'er arranged for someone to serve dinner. Several people sat at the table. An Lingrong looked at the table full of dishes.

Puzzled, she asked, "Lian'er, why are there so many dishes today?" Lian'er smiled and said, "My Lady, the Concubine Xian did not tell you in advance that you were going to have dinner at the Yanxi Palace today."

He told Caiyue to bring the meal prepared by Aunt Zhuying.

After hearing this, An Lingrong said, "I see. I haven't had Aunt Zhuying's cooking for several days. I miss it so much now."

Your Majesty, shall we have dinner? The emperor nodded. Let's eat if you are hungry! An Lingrong picked up the chopsticks with a smile. Today Zhuying made a dish of assorted fish balls.

An Lingrong liked it the most, so she picked up the meatball with her chopsticks, put it in the bowl, took a bite, and frowned.

When the emperor heard what An Lingrong said, he thought that this dish was more delicious, but then he saw An Lingrong frowning and asked in confusion: Look at your expression, is this dish not to your liking?