in2ebook Chapter 17: Before, she often competed with me for the Emperor's favor.
Chapter 17: Before, she often competed with me for the Emperor's favor.
"Your Majesty, Yingchun, the maidservant of the Empress, has arrived." Furong, a palace maid serving Consort Qin, hurriedly entered the hall and respectfully reported to Consort Qin.
A moment later, Yingchun entered with light steps. She first slightly curtsied and performed a standard courtly greeting: "This servant greets Consort Qin."
Seeing this, Consort Qin quickly raised her hand and said, "Miss Yingchun, please rise! May I ask what Her Majesty the Empress has to do for you today?" After saying this, Consort Qin also sat up straight.
It should be noted that Consort Qin was able to gain a foothold in the deep palace and have a son to rely on, all thanks to the Empress's favor.
Back when she first entered the palace, she was merely a noblewoman. At that time, not only was her maternal family of low status, unable to provide her with a solid support, but it is no exaggeration to say that she had no maternal family to rely on at all.
This was because she had entered the palace in place of her elder sister, who already had someone she loved. Therefore, the lady of the house turned her attention to the concubine's daughters.
After careful selection, she was finally chosen because of her gentle and honest nature. However, after she entered the palace, her maternal family severed all ties with her, completely disregarding the worries and fears she faced in the harem.
If it weren't for the Empress's timely intervention, she would probably be a wronged soul in this deep palace right now.
Yingchun bowed respectfully to Consort Qin and said softly, "Your Highness Consort Qin, Her Majesty the Empress is feeling slightly unwell tonight and is unable to attend to His Majesty's needs for the night. However, Her Majesty is reluctant to refuse directly due to considerations of etiquette, and therefore has specially ordered me to come and request that Your Highness invite His Majesty to have dinner at Your Majesty's Yunhe Palace." After speaking, Yingchun maintained her bowed posture, not daring to be the slightest bit negligent.
Consort Qin frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and replied, "You should go back and tell Her Majesty the Empress that I will find a way to dissuade the Emperor from going to Anning Palace."
Upon hearing this, Yingchun bowed respectfully once more, then slowly turned and left Yunhe Palace.
After Yingchun left, Furong, who was serving nearby, cautiously approached and asked softly, "Your Majesty, are you really planning to invite the Emperor to our Yunhe Palace?"
Furong knew very well that her mistress disliked the emperor. If it weren't for the desire to conceive a royal heir and find someone to rely on, her mistress probably would never have wanted to see the emperor again in her life.
Consort Qin snorted coldly and said in a low voice, "Hmph, how could I possibly invite the Emperor over? The Empress simply doesn't want the Emperor to set foot in Anning Palace. Our high and mighty Empress, in truth, doesn't necessarily like the Emperor that much." By the end, Consort Qin's words were almost squeezed out from between her teeth.
"Your Majesty, please be careful what you say!" Furong was so frightened that her face turned pale, and she quickly reminded her.
"Don't be afraid, don't worry, it's just the two of us here, no one else can hear us." Consort Qin seemed calm and composed. She smiled slightly, elegantly picked up the exquisite teacup in front of her, took a sip, and then spoke slowly.
Hearing her mistress say this, Furong's anxious heart finally calmed down a little, but she still looked at Consort Qin with some worry and asked cautiously, "Then has Your Highness thought of any way?" As she spoke, a glimmer of expectation flashed in her eyes.
Consort Qin's lips curled up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile. She put down her teacup and said softly, "I have never liked to fight with others, and I disdain to compete for so-called favor."
As for Consort Zhuang, I observed her coldly; she seemed uninterested in vying for the emperor's favor. However, among the higher-ranking women in the harem, there was indeed one who was keen on competing for the emperor's attention!
"Oh? Is Your Highness referring to Consort De?" Furong pondered for a moment, then lowered her voice and asked tentatively.
Consort Qin nodded slightly and replied, "It is indeed Consort De. Hmph, this person, relying on being the Emperor's cousin, has often competed with me for the Emperor's favor. It's a pity that, despite her best efforts, she ultimately failed to achieve her desired outcome."
Back then, she gave birth to twins, thinking that she could use this to rise in status and be promoted to the rank of Imperial Concubine by the Emperor. But she never expected that both children would be crippled. Yet our Emperor did not demote her, which shows his true love for her. At this point, Consort Qin couldn't help but sneer, a hint of schadenfreude in her eyes.
After a pause, Consort Qin instructed Furong, "Go and make arrangements so that the people we have planted in Qixiang Palace can subtly reveal that the Emperor is coming to my palace tonight."
I dare say that once this news reaches Consort De's ears, knowing her nature, she will definitely find a way to invite the Emperor to her palace. In this way, she can both fulfill the task assigned by the Empress and gain some peace and quiet—wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?
"Yes, Your Highness, I will go and do it right away." Furong replied respectfully, and turned to walk out.
However, before she could take more than a few steps, she heard Consort Qin's clear and authoritative voice behind her: "Wait!"
Furong quickly stopped and turned around, looking at Consort Qin with a puzzled expression.
Consort Qin frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Let Handan handle this matter. You don't need to get involved. After all, you've always served me. If something goes wrong, it will be difficult to explain."
Upon hearing this, Furong couldn't help but feel a little puzzled. She blinked and asked curiously, "But isn't Handan the same as me? What's the difference?"
Consort Qin smiled slightly, a sly glint in her eyes. She deliberately glared at Furong and scolded, "You, you're such a fool! Handan is skilled in martial arts, so she can handle any troublesome situation. But what about you? You're powerless; you'll just be left helpless!"
Furong suddenly realized, scratched her head sheepishly, and said with a silly smile, "I see, then this servant really doesn't know kung fu."
After saying that, she curtsied to Consort Qin, "Then Your Highness, rest assured, this servant will go find Handan and ask her to do it quickly."
"Yes, go and come back quickly. Remember, you must not be late, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable if things go wrong." Consort Qin waved her hand and solemnly instructed.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Furong dared not delay any longer and hurriedly ran off to find Handan.
Anning Palace
"Your Majesty, Consort Qin sent me back to report that she will definitely find a way to prevent the Emperor from coming to our Anning Palace." Yingchun hurriedly entered the hall, bowed to the Empress who was sitting upright on the couch, and respectfully reported back.
The Empress nodded slightly, but her gaze remained fixed on the Crown Prince, who was engrossed in playing with the tangram puzzle. A faint smile played on her lips. "Hmm, I understand. As long as the Emperor doesn't come to Anning Palace, I don't care what methods she used."
Standing to the side, Ying Qiu couldn't help but step forward and whispered a reminder: "Your Majesty, although His Majesty usually stays here on the first and fifteenth of each month, it would be rather inappropriate for His Majesty not to come to Anning Palace for a long time."
The Empress waved her hand gently, her expression remaining calm and composed: "It's alright. I have no need for such so-called favor; having the Crown Prince by my side is enough. As for other matters, let the Emperor make his own fuss. Besides, I don't think Consort Zhuang is particularly enthusiastic about the Emperor; otherwise, why would she push this matter onto me? She must dislike the Emperor as well." After speaking, the Empress looked down at the Crown Prince, her eyes filled with affection and tenderness.
Yingqiu and Yingchun: In this harem, only you, Consort Qin, and Consort Zhuang dislike the Emperor.