SFS Chapter 398 White Official Woman
Chapter 398 White Official Woman
Yangxindian
The emperor had been buried in a mountain of memorials for more than an hour. Su Peisheng walked in quietly and reminded him softly.
"Master, it's time for dinner."
"Okay, you can serve the meal first. I'll leave after I finish reviewing this memorial."
The emperor replied calmly.
He was never vague about state affairs. Even when celebrating his birthday, he was still concerned about the affairs of the court and never slacked off.
Every winter there is a heavy snowstorm in the north, and the losses are incalculable. This makes the emperor worried and unable to sleep at night.
As soon as dinner was over, the emperor waved Su Peisheng away.
"I'm going out for a walk, you don't have to follow me."
The palace road was deserted, and the emperor's footsteps seemed particularly heavy in the silence. An inexplicable feeling of loneliness quietly surged in his heart.
He walked forward with his head down, and before he knew it, he arrived at Fengxian Gate.
The emperor waved away the eunuch who wanted to come forward to pay his respects, and walked into the Fengxian Hall with heavy steps.
He stayed in front of the memorial tablets for a full half a quarter of an hour before slowly lighting three incense sticks.
"Rou Ze, today is my birthday, and it's another year without you."
"This birthday banquet was jointly organized by Consort Hua, Consort Shu, Consort Jing, and Consort Lan. Shuhe, Wenyi, Hongzhan, Hongxia, Hongyao, and Zhaohua all sent me birthday gifts... Hongzhan is steady and dignified, and I intend to focus on cultivating him."
"I know that Concubine Shu is reluctant to let Hongzhan go, but for the sake of the stability of the country, I have no choice but to strictly abide by the ancestral rules and not let them see each other too often."
"It was because I couldn't bear to see the concubines and their children separated that Hongshi was ruined by Li Shuren's teachings."
"Next year, Hongxia and Hongyao will successively enter the Shangshufang to study..."
"Seventeenth brother, I present a beauty to you today. Bai Caiwei is from Prince Guo's mansion. Her dancing skills are not even half as good as yours. I want to see what Yunli, who has been quiet for several years, is up to, so I will make her a low-ranking official lady."
The emperor's words revealed a subtle complex emotion, "Rou Ze, my son..."
"Your sister Yixiu committed a grave offense. For your sake, I have abandoned her and imprisoned her in Jingren Palace. I have no plans to establish a queen. From now on, you will be my only wife."
The emperor chattered in Fengxian Palace until midnight, pouring out everything in his heart, and then returned to Yangxin Palace under the moonlight.
"Su Peisheng, what do you think of Prince Guo's offering of beauty today?"
Su Peisheng was so frightened after hearing this that he lost all sleepiness.
He glanced at the emperor's face and spoke carefully.
"My Lord, Prince Guo said in the palace earlier that it was Concubine Ye who reminded him to prepare a special birthday gift for you. I think..."
The emperor chuckled with an ambiguous tone and continued Su Peisheng's words.
"He was grateful to me for giving him a concubine, so he returned the favor?"
"My Lord, I would venture to guess that this is the case."
Su Peisheng replied in a low voice.
The emperor spoke after a long while.
"Okay, let's arrange for a white official woman to sleep with me tomorrow night."
He stayed in the harem for almost four months, but no one brought him any good news.
The emperor hoped that the young official girl who had just entered the palace could give him a surprise.
If the Baiguan woman can get pregnant this time, he will take another group of people into the palace.
An Lingrong learned the news at breakfast the next day.
The white official woman was arranged by Concubine Hua to live in the east side hall of Changchun Palace, where Concubine Xin once lived.
Was there something hidden in the news that she was sent to the emperor's bedchamber early in the morning that she didn't know about?
An Lingrong tapped her knees lightly and spoke in a gentle voice.
"Bao Que, are you sure the maid who followed Bai Guan into the palace was named Hua Rui?"
"Master, our people have contacted her. Hua Rui is Cai Rui, who used to serve Mo Chou at Qingliang Terrace. I guess she changed her name to avoid offending the women in Baiguan."
"Okay, I understand. Send someone to keep an eye on Huanbi and the Baiguan girl."
Bai Caiwei is Prince Guo's person, and Huanbi also has a close relationship with Prince Guo. An Lingrong is worried about them living in the same palace.
After thinking it over again, she finally sent someone to tell Concubine Hua to separate the two.
The news that the Baiguan woman was arranged to sleep with the emperor the day after she entered the palace spread quickly in the harem, but this time the two noble ladies in Changchun Palace were unusually calm.
It was not until the young eunuch carried the person out of Changchun Palace that Guaerjia Wenyuan threw the teacup in his hand to the ground.
"Yafang, why is the emperor so unselective that he even lets people who were born as maids into the palace?"
"My lady, please be careful with your words. The master mentioned in his letter that if you can no longer control your temper, the clan leader will select another princess from the family to enter the palace."
Yafang patiently persuaded her and analyzed to her one by one that the most important thing at the moment was to give birth to a prince.
"Okay, I understand. Please help me rest."
When the weather gets cold, she becomes impatient to go out and prefers to go to bed early.
The women who served in the emperor's bedchamber had to pay their respects in the Yiku Palace. When An Lingrong arrived on time, the main hall was already full of people.
She walked to her seat as usual and waited silently for Bai Caiwei to arrive.
An Lingrong came today at the usual time to pay her respects. She glanced at the main hall and thought that this must be the attitude of the old people in the palace towards the newcomers.
It’s a pity that the news that the emperor cannot make women pregnant cannot be leaked, otherwise everyone can sleep a little longer.
Concubine Hua appeared at the top of the table soon, and she glanced at it casually.
"The white lady didn't come to pay her respects, but did she send someone to ask for leave?"
Zhou Ninghai replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, I haven't heard anyone mention this yet."
"Then let's talk about it today..."
As soon as Concubine Hua stopped talking, everyone looked towards the door.
A woman in palace dress and wearing a cloak slowly walked in with the help of palace servants.
"Your servant pays respects to Her Majesty Hua Guifei. May Her Majesty be blessed with good health and happiness!"
"Be flat."
To everyone's surprise, Concubine Hua did not make things difficult for anyone and asked Songzhi to add an embroidered stool for her at the end.
"Ms. Baiguan, today is your first time to pay respects to the emperor. Come and meet the ladies of the palace."
When An Lingrong became the imperial concubine, Bai Caiwei was the first person to greet her. A soft and weak voice rang out, and she spoke gently.
"Lady Baiguan, please don't be polite. Get up quickly."
When the woman in front of her looked up, An Lingrong was startled. Bai Caiwei looked somewhat familiar.
Isn’t this the face I often see in the mirror?
But upon closer inspection, there was a slight difference. Bai Caiwei exuded a seductive aura and looked far less decent than himself.
An Lingrong silently took a deep note of Prince Guo in her heart.
Sending a woman with similar features to her into the palace was undoubtedly a humiliation to her.
After the women from the Baiguan group had finished greeting everyone, Concubine Hua smiled and spoke again.
"Mrs. Bai, you are now serving the Emperor. You must do a good job in expanding the royal family in the future."
"You were able to sleep with the Emperor on the second day after entering the palace. I believe you have won the Emperor's favor. The Emperor has entrusted the harem to me, so I naturally have to treat the people he values well."
Concubine Hua did not give her a chance to speak and continued.
"The ladies of the Bai Palace are good at dancing. I intend to move you to the more spacious Yanxi Palace. What do you think?"
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness."
Bai Caiwei, with a pale face, kowtowed respectfully to express her gratitude.
Before she entered the palace, she had heard Aunt Fangyun say that Concubine Hua was arrogant and domineering and never gave anyone face.
Unexpectedly, today she was forced to move to another palace in front of everyone.
The Yanx Palace is adjacent to the Jingren Palace where the deposed empress lived, and was once the residence of the seventh prince's biological mother.
Like the Suiyuxuan where Concubine Fang once lived, it was regarded as an ominous place by everyone in the harem, and many mysterious rumors circulated.
Bai Caiwei thought of the information Hua Rui had heard, that Concubine Jing was a good person in the palace, and she couldn't help but shift her gaze.
Concubine Qi couldn't help but glare at her and make sarcastic remarks.
"Ms. Baiguan, the harem has strict rules and regulations. You cannot bring in bad habits from outside the palace. Concubine Jing is not someone who will be attracted by your dancing... You'd better restrain yourself."
Bai Caiwei heard this, a hint of grievance appeared on the corner of her mouth, but she retorted without giving in.
"Lady Qi, I just saw that Concubine Jing was kind and couldn't help but look at her a few more times. Why are you insulting her?"
Although she was arguing with Concubine Qi, her eyes looked at Concubine Jing with grievance.
Concubine Hua changed into a comfortable position and watched the dispute coldly.
Just now, when Bai Caiwei looked up, she found that the person in front of her looked familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen him before.
There were two imperial concubines watching from above, so Concubine Jing was not willing to accept Bai Caiwei's advances.
She smiled slightly, "Ms. Baiguan, if you stay in the palace for a long time, you will know that the ladies are all very kind."
"As long as you follow the rules, your life will naturally be no worse than before."
Concubine Jing was not lying. Ever since Zhen Huan left the palace and the empress was deposed and confined to her house, she felt that life in the palace had become much easier.
Concubine Hua was busy taking care of Princess Anle, Concubine Shu was kind to everyone, Concubine Lan was quietly educating Princess Wenyi, the awkward Concubine Hui stayed in the palace and hardly interacted with anyone, and Concubine Chun always smiled at everyone she saw.
Although the two noble ladies in Changchun Palace had some minor quarrels, their ranks were not high and they were suppressed by others, so they could not cause any trouble.
This is the comfortable life that Concubine Jing had always dreamed of.
Now that there might be changes, how could she be so foolish as to speak well of Bai Caiwei?
"Empress Jing is right, Miss Baiguan, you should be more sensible and move to the more spacious Yanxi Palace."
Concubine Qi advised proudly.
"The Changchun Palace is small, and I'm afraid it can't accommodate someone as coquettish as you."
"Empress Hua, Concubine Qi..."
"Okay, Miss Baiguan, while our lips and teeth are still touching, we are all sisters in the harem, so you should move to the palace first."
Concubine Hua glanced at Concubine Qi who was holding her head high, and gave instructions slowly.
"Lady Qi, Miss Baiguan is honored to live in the same palace with you. She will be moving to another palace in the next few days. I would like to trouble you to help her."
"First, I'm here to meet the newlyweds, and second, the New Year is approaching. I'd like to ask if you have any good ideas for celebrating?"
The Emperor's birthday celebration had just ended, and Concubine Hua was not so keen on holding a banquet, so she came to ask everyone's opinions.
Seeing that others were still thinking, Concubine Qi spoke up quickly.
"Your Highness, I have heard that you could watch ice skating in previous years. I wonder if I will be lucky enough to see it?"
Concubine Hua seemed to be interested in this.
"The Eight Banners often perform various skills on ice. This woman might be able to dance on ice. It's indeed a good idea."
"Zhou Ninghai, send someone to the Jiaofangsi to ask if there's anyone skilled in ice skating. If there is, it would be a welcome addition to the New Year's celebrations."
"The slave obeys the order."
Then some people said they could enjoy the lanterns, some said they could set off fireworks, and some said they could listen to an opera.
The palace is lonely and only becomes lively during festivals.
However, An Lingrong didn't say a word. Ever since Concubine Qi mentioned ice skating, her thoughts drifted back to her previous life.
Only those who have experienced it can understand the pain of playing on ice. She had lived in the south for sixteen years and had never seen snow before.
If it weren't for her unwilling desire to regain favor, she would probably have given up on it.
After paying respects, Concubine Hua kept An Lingrong as usual.
Whenever there was a banquet in the palace, the two imperial concubines would discuss it, and everyone else had long been accustomed to it.
Concubine Hua handed An Lingrong a bowl of bird's nest and asked softly.
"Lingrong, you haven't said anything just now, but are you feeling unwell?"
"Sister Nian, I'm fine. It's just that when I thought about the New Year approaching, I thought of my mother and brother at home. Since my father passed away, my mother has been struggling to support the family, and I'm powerless to do anything in the deep palace."
An Lingrong looked at Concubine Hua expectantly and suggested in a gentle voice.
"Sister Nian, what do you say? We should ask the Emperor to allow the concubines to meet their families before the New Year?"
"There has never been a precedent for the concubines to meet with their families collectively. But my sister thinks it's worth a try. There are more high-ranking concubines with families living in the capital than just the two of us."
Ever since her brother's accident, Concubine Hua has never again insisted on asking the Emperor to meet his family. She also hopes to have a good look at her family.
People are all made of flesh and blood. If you look at it from the outside, most of the concubines fight each other to the death in the palace, all for the sake of making life better for their families.
Looking at the entire harem, she was the only fool who had ever fallen passionately in love with the emperor.
"Sister Nian, do you need me to accompany you to the Yangxin Palace to meet the Emperor?"
As soon as Concubine Hua made a move, An Lingrong knew that she would go to the emperor to discuss the matter as soon as possible.
"I'll take care of it. After all, I've come up with a lot of excuses to meet my family before."
Concubine Hua's self-deprecating smile was filled with unspeakable sadness.
"Lingrong, you've always been very observant. Bai Wei looks familiar to me. Can you tell who she resembles?"
An Lingrong took a deep breath, as if to expel all the anger in her heart.
"Sister Nian, you know that person. He is far away and yet right before your eyes."
Strictly speaking, Bai Caiwei is more like her in her previous life.
Now she holds a high position, has children, and her mother is still alive, so she has long since changed her mindset.
As the saying goes, appearance reflects the heart. With the healing help of the children, An Lingrong's past sorrow has long since disappeared.
"How dare that bastard Prince Guo!"
Concubine Hua was so angry that her eyes were wide open and she patted her chest, saying that she would vent her anger on An Lingrong.
"Sister Nian, there's no need to be so angry. People have similarities, but their destinies are different. Lingrong can chat with you, but Bai Caiwei can't."
An Lingrong held her hand and persuaded her softly.
"You assigned her to the Eastern Six Palaces, far away from the Emperor. Isn't this a relief for my sister?"