SFS Chapter 307 Noble Lady Qi
Chapter 307 Noble Lady Qi
The next morning, at the first light of dawn, before the soft light had time to fill the entire room, An Lingrong slowly woke up amidst a burst of noise.
She frowned slightly and turned over subconsciously. Her slender arms groped for the quilt and pulled it over her head, trying to completely block out the annoying noise.
However, the sound seemed to have grown wings, easily passing through the layers of the quilt and drilling straight into her ears, becoming clearer and clearer.
"So annoying!" An Lingrong cursed softly, rubbed her hair angrily, and then sat up straight suddenly.
"Su Ye."
As soon as she finished speaking, the curtain was slowly drawn aside. Liu Zhu quickly came to her side, knelt slightly and saluted, and asked, "Your Majesty, Sister Su Ye is busy preparing medicinal food in the small kitchen. Do you have any instructions?"
An Lingrong took a deep breath, trying to suppress the anger in her heart, and asked, "What's that noise outside? It's so noisy, it disturbs everyone's peace."
Liu Zhu quickly replied respectfully, "Noble Lady Qi and Noble Lady Xin have come to pay their respects to Concubine Xi, and are currently talking in the main hall. How about I ask them to speak more quietly?"
Oh, Gualiu is here!
"No, help me change, I'll go join in the fun!"
After her makeup was done, An Lingrong walked lightly towards the main hall. Before she even entered, she heard Concubine Qi's shrill voice, "Empress Xi, your Yongshou Palace is so luxuriously decorated! It's even more magnificent than the Suiyu Pavilion back then. It truly shows the Emperor's love for it!"
Zhen Huan sat upright in the main seat, her posture elegant, a faint smile on her face, but that smile did not reach her eyes: "I heard that Concubine Qi has been in the emperor's favor for the past few years, and she is also loved by the Empress. Your father was also highly valued by the emperor in the previous dynasty. This is the life of spring breeze and success, which makes people envious!"
Concubine Qi had a smug expression on her face. She raised her chin slightly, and the red agate beads around her neck shone brightly in the sunlight.
Zhen Huan continued, "But you've done so many bad things, so you have to be extra careful. If you fail, it would be terrible if it implicated your parents and relatives!"
Concubine Qi's smile froze on her face instantly. She widened her eyes and said, "Empress Xi, what do you mean by that? Don't slander me!"
Zhen Huan gently put down the teacup in her hand, making a crisp sound. She raised her eyes, her gaze cold, and said slowly, "This palace is just a kind reminder. Why is Concubine Qi so excited? The cause and effect of right and wrong in this world always have retribution. It's not that there is no retribution, it's just that the time has not come yet."
Concubine Qi forced herself to calm down and snorted coldly, "Empress Xi, I am upright and have no fear of your unwarranted slander!"
Zhen Huan raised her chin slightly and sneered, "Is that so? Some things, some people, think they can hide from the world, but in fact they are just deceiving themselves."
When Concubine Qi heard this, her face turned slightly pale.
Seeing that their conversation had come to an end, An Lingrong slowly walked in.
Seeing her figure, Zhen Huan suppressed her anger, stretched out her hand to signal her to sit next to her, and then asked with concern: "You're awake, why don't you sleep a little longer?"
An Lingrong rolled her eyes. "How am I supposed to sleep? You're talking so loudly, even a sleeping Buddha would be woken up by you!"
Zhen Huan quickly apologized and said, "It's my fault. I will pay more attention next time."
After saying that, he patted her arm gently to comfort her.
Only then did An Lingrong look at Concubine Qi and Concubine Xin.
The two stood up and saluted, saying, "Greetings to Concubine Wen!"
When Concubine Qi stood up, her movements were slightly larger, causing her clothes to flutter slightly. Her waist was slightly bent, but her head remained stubbornly raised, her eyes filled with reluctance and arrogance, like a peacock forced to bow its head.
"Sister Xin, you don't have to be so polite!"
An Lingrong nodded slightly with a faint smile on her face, then turned to look at Concubine Qi. The smile on her face instantly became a little more prominent, but in Concubine Qi's eyes, this smile seemed to be provocative.
Concubine Qi snorted inwardly, but did not dare to show it on the surface. She just clenched her fists quietly and hid them in her sleeves.
An Lingrong's lips curled up in a faint sneer. She raised her chin slightly, looked directly at Concubine Qi with a sharp gaze, and said, "Concubine Qi, when you disobeyed the palace rules, Concubine Jing asked Nanny to teach you a lesson. I didn't expect that after all these years, you are still like this. I really don't know if it's because you are naturally dull or if Nanny didn't do her best."
Concubine Qi refused to give in. "Thank you, Concubine Wen, for your concern. But the Emperor and the Empress often praise me for my knowledge of palace rules and etiquette. I wonder if the Emperor is right, or the Empress?"
An Lingrong didn't want to waste any more time arguing with her about this matter, so she changed the subject and said, "It seems that the Empress really loves you. She has given you such a fine red agate. You must cherish this blessing!"
"The Empress has shown me love. I am always grateful for your kindness."
Concubine Xin interjected, "Concubine Qi loves this necklace very much and wears it eight out of ten days. Today, she dressed up to pay her respects to Concubine Xi. I thought Concubine Qi was very respectful to Concubine Xi, but I didn't expect her to be so rude."
Hearing this, Concubine Qi rolled her eyes at her and said disdainfully, "I'm just speaking the truth. Why do you expect me to fawn over you like you do? It's a pity that even if you were good at fawning, it would be useless. The two ladies have served the Emperor for many years longer than you, but they have already become concubines, while you are still struggling to survive as a Concubine."
"You..." Concubine Xin was speechless for a moment. She had been in this palace for many years, but her position had been stagnant, which was a hidden pain in her heart. Now she was humiliated in public by Concubine Qi. She was naturally very angry, but she didn't dare to lose her temper easily. She could only bite her lower lip and suppress her anger.
Zhen Huan narrowed her eyes slightly, a hint of coldness flashing across them, but she still maintained a dignified demeanor and slowly said, "Noble Lady Qi, you came to pay your respects to me in the palace, but you started arguing with each other. Isn't this embarrassing? You live under the same roof, so harmony is the most important thing."
"Your Majesty is a sensible person, but despite your earnest teachings, some people don't understand, which makes your efforts go to waste. It's a pity that this Yongshou Palace is only for you to live in. If you were to live in your palace, you would be truly blessed!"
Hearing her words, Zhen Huan's eyes moved slightly.
Concubine Qi glanced at her and said, "I thought you were so insistent on coming to Yongshou Palace to pay your respects today, but it turns out you have other motives. It seems you're tired of Chuxiu Palace and want to be a resident of Yongshou Palace. That's not difficult. I'll report to the Emperor on your behalf and ask you to move here, so you don't get jealous and become obsessed with Han."
"Noble Lady Qi is overconfident with what she said. Go and report this to the Emperor. Do you know that this Yongshou Palace was specially renovated by the Emperor for the Empress Xi to return to the palace? He wants the Empress to live there alone. How much ability and face do you have to make the Emperor take back his order?" Noble Lady Xin deliberately raised her voice when she said this, and her words were full of sarcasm.
An Lingrong burst out laughing.
At this point, Concubine Qi also saw the trick. These three people were clearly ganging up on her. She was furious and anxious, but she was at a loss for words. She gritted her teeth and stood up. "Empress Xi, I am not feeling well. I will not disturb you and will take my leave!"
After saying this, he gave an extremely perfunctory bow and turned to leave.