bayedsolid Chapter 312 Consort Chun's Joy and Sorrow
Chapter 312 Consort Chun's Joy and Sorrow
Chapter 312 Consort Chun's Joy and Sorrow
The Emperor had only been sitting in the Phoenix Palace for less than half an incense stick's time, and he had only said three sentences in total, two of which were related to Consort Meng. The Empress and Consort Mei observed this, their expressions varying.
The Emperor's visit was solely to announce Hua Yan's promotion, and his intention to protect her was quite clear.
"The Empress has put in a lot of effort in promoting Consort Meng. From now on, all the duties in Shu'er's palace will be handled according to the rank of Consort." The Emperor said in a calm tone.
Upon hearing this, the Empress smiled, but a hint of sadness flashed in her eyes: "Your Majesty, please rest assured. I will immediately order the Imperial Household Department to renovate Bilangxuan. I will certainly not wrong Consort Meng."
Consort Mei sat at the lower end of the table. She raised an eyebrow and looked at Hua Yan, her heart filled with unconcealed sorrow.
It's one thing to be promoted, but the Emperor clearly cherishes her dearly. If she becomes pregnant one day, given the Emperor's intentions, she'll probably be promoted to the rank of Zhaoyi, who is the head of the Nine Concubines, second only to the rank of Fei.
When she was promoted to the rank of Consort Jin, the Emperor intended to grant her a title. If he were to bestow a title upon her at that time, Consort Meng would become the most favored concubine in the harem, truly deserving the title of a favored consort.
Thinking of this, Consort Mei felt even more bitter, and her gaze towards Hua Yan was filled with jealousy and hatred.
Consort Mei was not a kind person, but she was not particularly scheming either; otherwise, she would have known to restrain herself.
All she relied on was the Duke of Qing's mansion. In her childhood, she was pampered by her parents and protected by her elder sister, and she did not suffer on the road to exile. During the ten years in the southwest, the Duchess was heartbroken and relaxed her upbringing, which led to her developing such a personality, or rather, this was her true nature.
Consort Chun took in Consort Mei's expression and felt a chill run down her spine, thinking that she should be even more careful in the future.
The hall fell silent for a moment, with only the wafting aroma of tea.
The Emperor turned his head to look at Hua Yan, a hint of tenderness flashing in his eyes, and said gently, "Shu'er, if there is anything amiss with Bilangxuan, please tell the Empress. There is no need to be reserved."
Hua Yan rose gracefully and said softly, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your concern, and Your Majesty, I thank you for your compassion."
The Empress forced a smile and said calmly, "Consort Meng, there's no need for such formalities. This is simply my duty."
After speaking, her eyes flickered slightly, glancing at Consort Chun out of the corner of her eye, and she said to the Emperor:
“According to the regulations, a fourth-rank Jieyu is already qualified to be the head of a palace. Your Majesty has favored Consort Meng and granted her the treatment of a concubine. If she is to continue living in the side hall of Huining Palace after returning to the palace, it would be a real injustice to Consort Meng.”
The Emperor nodded repeatedly, "The Empress's consideration is thorough. After returning to the palace..."
"Your Majesty, I'm used to living in Huining Palace, there's no need for such a fuss." Hua Yan blurted out in her haste, then pinched her palm.
These words should never have been uttered.
The Emperor's expression darkened, and Consort Chun quickly covered for Hua Yan, saying, "Your Majesty the Empress is absolutely right. There are many unused palaces in the palace. Since Consort Meng has been promoted, she should naturally reside in a separate main palace."
"Consort Meng is truly blessed, favored by the Emperor and cared for by the Empress." Consort Mei finally couldn't help but speak up.
The Emperor frowned slightly, his cold gaze sweeping over Consort Mei. "If Consort Mei has any free time, she should learn from her sister, read more books, and cultivate her character."
When Consort Mei was met with such a cold look from the Emperor, her heart tightened, and she quickly lowered her head, not daring to say another word.
However, with Consort Mei's interruption, the Emperor did not mention the matter of Hua Yan relocating again, and the matter was temporarily put aside.
The Emperor had breakfast prepared early in the morning at the shore of Yujin Lake. He was thinking of accompanying his beloved on a boat trip on the lake. He whispered a few words to the Empress and then left with Huayan.
All the concubines rose in unison and respectfully saw them off to the outside of the palace.
As the Empress watched the Emperor and Hua Yan's figures recede into the distance, a hint of amusement flickered in her eyes as she turned to look at Consort Chun.
"Consort Chun and the Marquis of Lin'an's efforts have not been in vain. His Majesty has truly fallen for Consort Meng. Yesterday, Consort Meng missed the boat trip on the lake, and this morning His Majesty wanted to accompany her to relax. This honor is truly rare, and Consort Chun will surely be genuinely happy for Consort Meng."
Before leaving, Consort Mei spared no effort in sowing discord:
"Meng Jieyu was promoted from a concubine to a fourth-rank concubine. Such a 'usurpation of the host' is something that Consort Chun and the Marquis of Lin'an's mansion can tolerate. If word got out, even the storytellers in the teahouse would probably praise Consort Chun for her tolerance."
However, Consort Chun has been educated since childhood and has probably read the idiom "like raising a tiger only to have it become a threat." Human hearts are fickle; Consort Chun should not be too heartbroken then.
After saying this last sentence, Consort Mei chuckled and left Fengyi Palace. Judging from her direction, she was heading to Huaqing Palace, where Empress Dowager Jiang resided.
The Empress smiled and said, "With the Empress Dowager's support, Consort Mei has always been outspoken. Consort Chun, please don't take it to heart. Everyone in the palace knows that you and Consort Meng are the closest of sisters."
Consort Chun's expression remained unchanged. She simply curtsied and turned to leave Fengyi Palace.
On the way back to Xiefang Garden, Aunt Mei reported, "I just saw Green Willow at Bilang Pavilion. Green Willow said that the Emperor was dissatisfied with the furnishings of Bilang Pavilion, and when Eunuch Jing mentioned the rank of Beauty, the Emperor issued an edict to promote her..."
"Aunt, there's no need to say more. How could I take it to heart?" Consort Chun interrupted Aunt Mei softly without stopping her steps.
Mengzhu walked behind, opened her mouth but didn't know what to say, her heart filled with heartache.
In her eyes, Ruizhu and Aunt Mei's eyes, Consort Chun was the best second young lady in the world, worthy of the Emperor's sincere treatment.
Now that this sincerity has been used on Hua Yan, and the favor has reached such a level, in other words, today's actions have completely disregarded the possibility of hurting Consort Chun's feelings. Meng Zhu felt a sense of injustice on behalf of her mistress.
This feeling was so real that it made her nose tingle slightly.
This is understandable. They were servants of the Tang family and had served Consort Chun since childhood. Naturally, they were separated from Hua Yan by a layer. After all, if Hua Yan had not relied on the Tang family to become the second young lady's concubine, how could Hua Yan, with her humble origins, have entered the palace?
But Consort Chun never thought that way.
Her knowledge and upbringing all stemmed from Madam Yun's teachings and guidance. She never viewed things in a one-sided way—there are two sides to every story. The Tang family's selection of Meng Shu was, in effect, locking Meng Shu in a cage.
If the Emperor had truly fallen in love with Meng Shu, then Consort Chun's joy for her good friend would far outweigh her sorrow.
......
When the Changchun Garden Imperial Palace was first built, it aimed for a "poetic and picturesque realm", with stacked rocks, water features, pavilions and terraces scattered throughout the garden.
Yujin Lake is like a jade belt, reflecting the sky and clouds. In the center of the lake is a delicate island, with pavilions and towers hidden among the green trees.
The Emperor and Hua Yan boarded the painted boat. Hua Yan looked up and saw that the boat was decorated with carved beams and painted rafters, with gold-painted flowers and several glass palace lanterns hanging at the four corners. "If we have a banquet on the painted boat at night, the lanterns will sway and reflect on the lake, making it even more interesting than during the day."
The painted boat slowly sailed away from the shore. The Emperor stood at the bow and pointed to a small island in the distance: "Shu'er, what do you think of the scenery of Yujin Lake?"
At this moment, the sky was high and the clouds were light, the air was cool and pleasant, and it was far away from the Empress's Phoenix Palace. Hua Yan felt a rare sense of joy: "The scenery of the lake and mountains is breathtaking. I have never seen such a beautiful view before."
The side of the island in the middle of the lake near the shore is covered with lotus flowers, so it must have been here yesterday to enjoy the scenery. Hua Yan estimated the distance between here and Xie Fang Garden and thought to herself that no wonder Consort Chun was delayed when she went back to change clothes yesterday.
Unaware of Hua Yan's thoughts, the Emperor put his arm around her shoulder and chuckled, "This Jade Lake is a unique feature of the Imperial Palace. I often came here to boat when I was young. If Shu'er likes it, I will bring you here more often to relax these next two months."
The painted boat slowly sailed towards the small island in the middle of the lake, where pavilions and towers gradually came into view. Inside the pavilions were stone tables and benches, on which were laid out exquisite tea snacks. The aroma of tea wafted through the air, mingling with the lake breeze, creating a refreshing and delightful atmosphere.
The Emperor reached out and led Hua Yan onto the island. The two stood side by side in the pavilion, gazing at the lake in the distance.
Hua Yan's mind wandered to the heavens, imagining how delightful it would be to enjoy tea and play chess with Consort Chun here.
If the Emperor knew what Hua Yan was thinking right now, I wonder how he would feel...
......
On the other side, Qu Baolin went to Xiefang Garden, but only personally handed the two collections to Aunt Mei, without meeting with Consort Chun.
Aunt Mei accepted the gift with surprise, and seeing that Qu Baolin was about to leave, she was even more puzzled.
Qu Baolin said calmly, "There is nothing wrong with these two volumes. If you are worried, Aunt can have the imperial physician examine them. If Consort Chun asks, just say... it is my apology."
"apologize?"
After Qu Baolin left, Ruizhu repeated a sentence.
"Was it really Qu Baolin who deliberately caused trouble yesterday?"
Mengzhu said in confusion, "It's really strange that she just accepted it like that."
After all, there was no evidence. The palace maid's foot slipped, and she herself thought it was an accident.
Consort Chun said, "Are there two rare books in the box? Let me see them."
"Your Majesty, it would be best to have the imperial physician examine you," Aunt Mei hesitated.
"It's alright. Qu Baolin isn't a fool. She received a benefit yesterday, and even without evidence, it's not hard to speculate that it's her. She might as well just admit it. In the end, it's nothing serious."
Consort Chun's tolerance of Consort Qu can be seen as giving the Qu family some face.
Aunt Mei had no choice but to hand it to her. Seeing that it was a rare copy of Li Hanlin's poems from the previous dynasty, Consort Chun smiled and said, "Consort Qu is very fond of poetry. This apology is quite valuable."
With Hua Yan absent, Consort Chun read with great interest for a long time, and in between, she instructed Dong Gua to prepare some of Hua Yan's favorite dishes for lunch.
Aunt Mei and Mengzhu exchanged a glance. Okay! They were relieved.
As expected of the straightforward second young lady, she wasn't jealous at all.
At the end of the Si hour, just after Hua Yan finished her boat trip on the lake, a palace attendant came over and the Empress Dowager invited the Emperor to have lunch at Huaqing Palace.
Seeing the Emperor walk away, Hua Yan relaxed, and Lü Liu also took a deep breath, saying, "Being by the Emperor's side requires maintaining proper decorum at all times; this job is truly exhausting..."
Hua Yan reached out and gently pinched Lv Liu's face. "We'll come here to enjoy the scenery with Your Highness another day. Have Dong Gua make some snacks in advance. There's a lake breeze blowing across the island; Your Highness will surely like it."
Green Willow hesitated for a moment and said, "Shu'er, you really shouldn't have said those words when you were in the Empress's palace."
Don't blame me for being talkative, but I've observed with a critical eye that, compared to the other concubines, the Emperor does treat you somewhat differently.
And, have you noticed?
"what?"
Hua Yan walked with her eyes downcast, not wanting to think about what Lv Liu had said.
Green Willow pursed her lips, following closely behind Flower Face, and whispered:
"Since Shu'er began serving the Emperor, she has always stayed in the Funing Palace. In the eyes of others, this is a special honor that the Emperor cherishes alone."
But why doesn't the Emperor stay in Shu'er's bedchamber? Clearly, he doesn't want to...