in2ebook Chapter 182 Draft
Chapter 182 Draft
"Jasmine, would you be willing to follow me for the time being?" Su Nuannuan narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at the pretty and graceful palace maid in front of her with a half-smile. Her lips parted slightly, her tone gentle yet languid.
Upon hearing this, Jasmine was overjoyed and quickly knelt down to pay her respects, replying in a sweet voice, "To be able to serve Your Highness is a blessing I have accumulated over many lifetimes, and I am naturally willing."
Su Nuannuan nodded in satisfaction, a slight smile playing on her lips, and softly called out, "Li Quan."
Upon hearing this, Li Quan, who had been following on the right side of the sedan chair, hurriedly stepped forward and respectfully replied, "This servant is here."
Su Nuannuan leaned gracefully against the sedan chair, waved her jade hand lightly, and casually instructed, "Go to Jia Ying's place and tell her that I have taken a liking to her maid, Jasmine, and want her to come and serve me for a while."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Li Quan dared not be negligent in the slightest and quickly bowed in response.
Then, Su Nuannuan turned to look at Jasmine kneeling on the ground and said slowly, "Jasmine, you should go back with Eunuch Li first, pack your belongings, and then return to Cuiwei Palace with him. After I return from the Empress's place, I will make arrangements for you."
Jasmine obediently replied, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. This servant will obey."
After giving her instructions, Su Nuannuan gently patted the armrest of the sedan chair. The eunuchs carrying the sedan chair understood immediately and steadily lifted the sedan chair, slowly moving it towards Anning Palace.
After his mistress's sedan chair had traveled some distance, Li Quan turned around and smiled at Jasmine beside him, saying, "Miss Jasmine, let's go!" Then, the two of them walked together toward the residence of Consort Jia.
As for how Jia would act crazy and throw a tantrum, Su Nuannuan wasn't worried at all. She knew that Li Quan was always reliable and would definitely handle the matter properly, leaving no opportunity for Jia to take advantage of the situation.
Her reason for specifically requesting the palace maid Jasmine to accompany her was due to her own calculations and considerations. The reasons behind this were naturally difficult for outsiders to fathom.
Before long, the sedan chair came to a smooth stop at the entrance of Anning Palace. Su Nuannuan first instructed her entourage to inform the Empress, and only after receiving permission did she gracefully enter the palace and head straight to find the Empress.
Upon entering the palace chamber, Su Nuannuan saw the Empress seated regally on the main throne, exuding grace and elegance. She quickly stepped forward, respectfully performed a deep bow, and said, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects."
The Empress looked up at Su Nuannuan, a hint of a smile in her eyes, and teased, "Oh, why did you leave your Cuiwei Palace today? I usually long for you but rarely get to see you." Although her words were somewhat playful, they were mostly filled with affection for Su Nuannuan.
Upon hearing this, Su Nuannuan immediately responded coquettishly, "Your Majesty, you're teasing me again. I'm just thinking of you, Your Majesty, so I come to see you as soon as I have a spare moment."
"Hmph, you, stop with your glib talk. Do you think I don't know you? If you really just wanted to come see me, why would you have waited until today? Tell me the truth, what brings you here?" The Empress feigned anger, her beautiful eyes fixed on Su Nuannuan, as if trying to see through her true thoughts.
After all, the Empress knew Su Nuannuan's personality all too well. Normally, unless it was something important, she would stay as far away as possible, and unless it was the first or fifteenth of each month, the day for her routine greetings, she would never set foot in Anning Palace on her own initiative.
In contrast, Consort Qin and Consort Li would occasionally come to visit. Whether their intentions were genuine or feigned, at least they knew to come and chat with her to relieve her boredom. But Su Nuannuan was different; she truly lived up to the saying—she wouldn't visit unless she had a reason.
"Ahem... Your Majesty, you're quite the joker." Su Nuannuan's face flushed slightly, and her expression appeared somewhat unnatural. She coughed lightly and spoke slowly.
At this moment, the Empress, sitting above, raised her eyebrows slightly, glanced at Su Nuannuan with a hint of displeasure, and said irritably, "If you don't speak now, I won't bother with you later."
Upon hearing this, Su Nuannuan trembled. After hesitating for a moment, she finally mustered her courage and leaned forward, saying softly, "In that case, Your Majesty, I will now tell you. Your Majesty, let's hold the selection of concubines!"
"A talent show?" Upon hearing this, the Empress's face showed a hint of surprise. She stared directly at Su Nuannuan and asked in confusion.
"Mmm." Su Nuannuan nodded gently, then leaned back as if she had breathed a sigh of relief.
The Empress gazed at Su Nuannuan, and instantly understood. After a moment's thought, she said, "Indeed, it's time to hold a selection of candidates for the Emperor. The harem certainly needs some new faces."
Then, Su Nuannuan cautiously asked, "So Your Majesty, is this selection a grand selection or a smaller one?"
It's important to understand that this so-called general election is essentially a nationwide search for beautiful women who meet certain criteria. Whether they are daughters of ordinary people or daughters of high-ranking officials, as long as their family background is respectable, they all have the opportunity to participate.
The selection process, on the other hand, was relatively smaller, involving only the selections from the prominent families in the capital and the existing palace maids.
"I need to discuss this matter with the Empress Dowager and the Emperor before making a decision. This is not something I can decide on my own," the Empress replied with a slight nod and a solemn expression.
"Very well, as long as His Majesty can hold the imperial concubine selection. By the way, Your Majesty, I will be arranging for a palace maid to serve His Majesty in the next two days. I hope Your Majesty can arrange a proper place for her to stay."
"Why not just let her live in your palace? After all, she came from your palace," the Empress replied with a smile, looking at Su Nuannuan.
"Absolutely not, Your Majesty. This woman is not from my palace. I met her on my way to Anning Palace. She is a second-class maidservant of Consort Jia, who was punished to kneel in the corridor for some reason. I thought she was quite pretty, and after a thorough investigation to confirm that there were no problems, I planned to arrange for her to serve me in bed," Su Nuannuan quickly explained.
"You really are..." The Empress was only halfway through her sentence when Su Nuannuan hurriedly interrupted her, lowering her voice to say, "Your Majesty, there are some things that cannot be said. Otherwise, I will have the Emperor come to you."