in2ebook Chapter 42 Consort Fucha and the Empress Appear 42
Chapter 42 Consort Fucha and the Empress Appear 42
The big, fat orange cat is going to the Temple of Heaven to hold a grand sacrificial ceremony. Such an important and solemn occasion, according to court etiquette,
The Queen must attend in person to demonstrate the majesty and dignity of the royal family.
However, this put the chubby orange cat in a dilemma.
Because deep down he did not want the empress to be involved, but he could not openly violate the rules of etiquette.
After much deliberation, the chubby orange cat finally had no choice but to release the queen.
They jointly prepared for the trip from the palace to the Temple of Heaven to offer sacrifices.
Inside the small Buddhist shrine in Gyeongin Palace, all was quiet and solemn. The Empress wore a plain-colored robe.
She knelt gracefully on the prayer mat, holding a string of prayer beads that emitted a faint sandalwood scent.
With her eyes slightly closed and lips moving gently, she murmured incantations as she devoutly prayed to Buddha.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps broke the silence.
A palace maid rushed into the small Buddhist hall in a panic.
Before she could catch her breath, she knelt down with a thud and reported tremblingly:
"Your Majesty, we have just received news that His Majesty is preparing to go to the Temple of Heaven to hold a sacrificial ceremony."
Upon hearing this, the empress, who had been focused on chanting Buddhist prayers, suddenly opened her eyes, a barely perceptible hint of surprise flashing in them.
Immediately afterwards, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, and a strange smile spread across her delicate face like ripples.
The Empress thought to herself, "Haha, I've finally waited for this day!"
I knew he would eventually let me out of Jingren Palace.
After all, I am Ulanara Yixiu, the mother of the nation, and the emperor's legal wife!
Even if the Emperor is dissatisfied with me, how could the Empress be absent from such an important and solemn occasion as the sacrificial ceremony?
Thinking of this, the Empress couldn't help but straighten her back, as if she had instantly regained her former dignity and confidence.
Her beautiful eyes sparkled with confidence and pride, like the bright stars in the night sky.
Then, the Empress slowly rose to her feet and walked out of the small Buddhist shrine with unhurried steps.
She walked towards the dressing table and sat down steadily.
Upon seeing this, Huichun quickly stepped forward and, with the help of the palace maids, carefully styled the Empress's cloud-like hair.
Then, someone took out an exquisite rouge and powder box and carefully applied makeup to the Empress.
The Empress gazed at herself in the mirror; her once beautiful and captivating face now bore the marks of time.
But it still exudes a noble and dignified aura.
She nodded in satisfaction and said softly, "I must appear before everyone in the most dignified and proper manner."
Let everyone know that I, Ulanara Yixiu, will forever be the mistress of this harem!
Su Peisheng hurried to Jingren Palace, conveyed the decree of the fat orange, and then quickly left.
Before long, those who had been guarding outside Jingren Palace also withdrew.
Upon seeing this, the Empress immediately ordered her maid to go to Yikun Palace to invite Consort Hua to come.
However, after waiting for a long time, Consort Hua finally arrived late.
She was dressed in gorgeous clothes and had exquisite makeup, but her expression revealed a hint of languor and arrogance.
Upon entering the palace, he simply gave a perfunctory bow and stood aside.
Nian Shilan's lips curled slightly upward, and she said in a sarcastic tone:
"Oh, Your Majesty's headache has finally subsided! You summoned me here today, may I ask what brings you here?"
The Queen's expression changed slightly for a moment, but she quickly regained her smile and said softly:
"I will be going to the Temple of Heaven with the Emperor to perform a sacrificial ceremony. It will probably take some time."
During this time, I will need to trouble you, my sister, to take care of all the affairs in the palace.
Upon hearing this, Nian Shilan unabashedly rolled her eyes at the Empress, secretly thinking to herself:
Hmph, this old woman is clearly just trying to show off to me.
Empress, principal wife, an empty shell, unfavored and distrusted.
However, on the surface, Nian Shilan still responded:
"Since the Emperor and Empress trust me so much, I will do my best and will certainly not disappoint the Emperor."
After saying that, she gently fiddled with the silk handkerchief in her hand, a hint of smugness flashing in her eyes.
No wonder he's been such a formidable rival for so long!
These hurtful words were like sharp arrows, hitting the nail on the head, fast, accurate, and ruthless!
The Empress managed a forced smile and said:
"Next, Consort Shu and Consort Wan are of utmost importance."
They are now carrying the emperor's offspring, making them great contributors to the emperor's lineage and the continuation of his lineage!
"Little sister, you must take good care of the women in the harem while you manage things these days."
Hmph! The so-called "care" that Shilan talks about this year is probably not genuine care, is it?
This old woman, with a heart of stone, had only been released for a short time, yet she already started plotting evil again!
She knew perfectly well that I had no children, yet she deliberately brought it up to provoke me. She was utterly despicable!
Moreover, she even dared to try to get me to deal with Consort Shu and Consort Wan, both of whom were pregnant.
That's a pipe dream! Pshaw! No way!
However, Nian Shilan responded with a feigned insincerity:
"Since Consort Shu and Consort Wan are already pregnant, that is a great achievement."
As the head of all my sisters, I naturally care for them deeply, hoping that they can give birth to their sons safely and peacefully.
After all, people like you and me who can't even protect their own children are truly pitiful...
At this point, Nian Shilan couldn't help but reveal a mocking smile.
Upon hearing this, the Empress's face instantly turned extremely pale, and her muscles twitched and contorted slightly.
But she quickly regained her composure and replied with a forced smile, "That's very good. Then I'll have to trouble you, sister."
Seeing this, Nian Shilan, who was standing to the side, raised her eyebrows slightly and said in a sweet voice:
"Since Her Majesty the Empress has no further instructions, I shall take my leave now."
Having said that, without waiting for the Empress's reply, Nian Shilan casually curtsied and then turned away.
With light yet arrogant steps, she strode away without looking back.
At this moment, only the Queen remained quietly sitting in the vast palace.
Watching Nian Shilan's departing figure, the Empress's anger burned fiercely.
She gripped the silk handkerchief tightly in her hand, so tightly that her fingertips turned white.
However, despite her extreme anger, the Queen maintained a sliver of reason and did not lash out.
She's already in a very difficult situation; we can't make things worse because of a moment of anger.
Not long after, the Empress sent palace maids to Yanxi Palace and Suiyu Pavilion again to invite Consort Shu and Consort Wan to a gathering at Jingren Palace.
At the same time, the Empress also carefully instructed, "If any of them are feeling unwell, they may come by sedan chair."
At that moment, Fucha Peiyun, who was in Yanxi Palace, heard that the Empress from Jingren Palace had sent someone to invite her.
Based on her understanding of the Empress's consistent behavior, she knew that this time she must have ill intentions.
The empress started causing trouble as soon as she appeared.
However, despite knowing that there might be hidden tricks involved, the Empress was, after all, the head of the six palaces, and she still had to give her face.
Therefore, she quickly instructed Xiao Zhuzi and Xiao Quanzi to carefully inspect the sedan chair to ensure its safety.
At the same time, she asked Liu'er and Ye'er to quickly and carefully dress her up.
After everything was ready, Fucha Peiyun slowly boarded the sedan chair.
Leading Ye'er, Xue'er, and the others, they slowly made their way towards Jingren Palace.
Before long, the sedan chair came to a steady stop in front of Jingren Palace.
Just then, another sedan chair arrived at the same time.
Stepping out of the sedan chair was none other than Zhen Huan, the beloved concubine of the chubby orange tree.
Fucha Peiyun gracefully alighted from the sedan chair, stood quietly, and waited for Zhen Huan to bow to her.
Zhen Huan quickly stepped forward and respectfully bowed to Fucha Peiyun.
Fucha Peiyun simply nodded casually, returning the greeting perfunctorily.
She couldn't wait any longer and reached out to support her protruding belly, then rushed ahead into Jingren Palace.
She completely ignored Huanbi, who was glaring angrily at her from behind Zhen Huan.
After all, this is not the time to argue with a little girl.
And so, Fucha Peiyun and Zhen Huan entered Jingren Palace one after the other.
The two approached the Empress and said in unison, "May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace!"
The Empress smiled as she looked at the two pregnant concubines before her and said softly:
"My two sisters are pregnant, there's really no need for such formalities. Please rise and take your seats."
Only after everyone had finished their bows did the empress say that the formalities were unnecessary. This empress was nothing special.
Fucha Peiyun and Zhen Huan sat down, and Fucha Peiyun spoke first.
"May I ask why Her Majesty the Empress has summoned us?"
The Empress said, "I'm sorry you had to suffer for Consort Qi, but that's all I can do."
The Queen spoke while observing the two men's reactions.
Fucha Peiyun thought that the Empress was testing her.
What was she testing? Was she testing whether they knew that it was actually the Empress who was behind this scheme?
The Empress continued, "Only when the harem is in chaos can the Emperor focus on the affairs of the court. The matter of Consort Qi has far-reaching consequences."
Even the Third Prince will be implicated, and the Fourth and Fifth Princes are still young.
If those with ulterior motives in the court were to find out, it would likely cause another huge uproar.
Consort Qi and Lady An are both utterly useless; they can't even handle a small matter properly, and they've even made the Emperor suspect me.
These two cannot be allowed to live.
Fucha Peiyun was thoroughly annoyed by the Empress's constant probing and instigation.
Unable to contain herself, she said, "I often have dealings with Consort Qi. Consort Qi is a straightforward person, how could she have such wicked intentions?"
If it weren't for that petty, narrow-minded person with ulterior motives stirring things up, how could Consort Qi have harbored such wicked thoughts?
Your Majesty, how dare that fool, Empress Fucha, speak like that!
Zhen Huan thought to herself that Consort Shu was really not smart. The Empress had no children, and Consort Shu still had to bring up the most sensitive topic.
Both the Empress and Zhen Huan assumed that Fucha Peiyun was referring to An Lingrong in the Cold Palace.
Little did they know that Fucha Peiyun was practically pointing her finger at the Empress and cursing her.
The Empress said, "Fortunately, Lady An has also been sent to the Cold Palace, so there's no need to mention her."
Fucha Peiyun said, "That's her own fault. Although I've ridiculed her a few times before..."
But even though she was not favored by the concubines, they didn't cut off her food rations. It was truly unlucky for someone like her to live in the concubines' palace.