Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Consort Hua Understands Me Best Nian Shilan curved her lips into a smile, raising her cup proudly. "My brother serves at court, and I serve Your Majesty in the inner palace. That is only natural." Prince Guo also raised his cup in a toast. "I wish my imperial brother eternal health and prosperity for the Great Qing, with peace and stability for the people!" The Emperor teased him, remarking how rare it was for him to neither arrive late nor slip away early from the banquet today. Brother-in-law came specifically today to see his new sister-in-law, so naturally he couldn't slip away or be late.】 【Don't worry, your trip wasn't in vain. Later, the Emperor will take you to Yimei Yuan to see your new sister-in-law.】 New sister-in-law? The Emperor couldn't comprehend the "adopted wife's younger brother" in Consort Hua's mind, nor did he understand what she meant by "new sister-in-law."" A cold glint flashed in the Empress's eyes: How could Zhen Huan possibly deserve the title of "sister-in-law"? Never mind that she hasn't received favor yet—even if she does in the future, so what? A consort is a consort, and the Empress is the Empress. In this lifetime, she will always be a concubine who cannot hold her head up before me! Fortunately, there were no plum blossoms tonight, so both the Empress and Nian Shilan could relax and enjoy the music and dances. After several rounds of song and dance, some left their seats to toast each other, while others took advantage of the commotion to slip away from the palace banquet. Sun Miaoqing and Fangjia Chunyi, along with the other Attendants, were seated almost at the very end. Fangjia Chunyi was the Noble Lady Chun who had previously lived in Suiyu Pavilion. After Zhen Huan contracted the seasonal epidemic, she moved to Yanxi Palace. She came from a distinguished family and had a lively personality. But were any women in the inner palace truly simple? Sun Miaoqing didn't like her, always feeling that she feigned innocence while actually being the epitome of a schemer. A top-tier manipulative bitch. If she were truly naive, she would have been eliminated in two episodes like Xia Dongchun. Yet, with a single line at the start—"I'm still young and cannot attend the Emperor"—she easily avoided the first round of palace intrigue, making everyone overlook her as a rival. Later, seeing Zhen Huan gain favor, she immediately reported to the Empress and moved back to Suiyu Pavilion. In front of the sensitive and insecure An Xiaoniao, she even said, "Sister Wan and I both enjoy liveliness, so naturally we get along better." Netizens were hypocritical too. In the same situation where the Emperor and Zhen Huan were alone in a room, when Huanbi entered holding lotus flowers, she was labeled a scheming servant with impure intentions. But when Fangjia Chunyi rushed in holding red plum blossoms, she was seen as innocent and naive. It was this "innocent" Noble Lady Chun who, with a single line—"Your Majesty, have you forgotten? After the New Year, I'll be seventeen"—successfully caught the Emperor's attention and attended him. Sun Miaoqing was curious: if Zhen Green Tea knew she had been used as a stepping stone by Chun Green Tea to climb higher, what would she think? And that wasn't all. Later, she became even more direct, bringing up intimate matters in front of Zhen Huan and An Xiaoniao. Such topics were rarely discussed openly, even among modern women, let alone well-bred ladies in a feudal society with strict hierarchies. But she did it anyway, even subtly mocking Xiaoniao's embroidery as "petty." Fortunately, she died early. Otherwise, it might not have been Zhen Huan who laughed last. Sun Miaoqing, out of consideration for her early death, hadn't made an enemy of her. After all, she pretended to be a foodie, and a few plates of pastries were enough to win her over. She wasn't a significant threat. According to palace rules, the dishes served varied depending on the rank of the ladies. At this moment, the scheming bitch in Sun Miaoqing's eyes was feasting her eyes on the array of delicacies being served, her thoughts indeed turning impure— She wanted to climb higher. Because Sun Miaoqing, who only held a Title of nobility above her, had two more dishes than she did, not to mention the Noble Ladies, concubines, and consorts of higher ranks. Sun Miaoqing had important matters to attend to tonight and cast a disdainful glance at Noble Lady Chun: She says the little bird is petty, but this look of never having seen the world is truly petty. She handed the extra dish to Noble Lady Chun and said, "Chun'er, I've had a couple more drinks and feel a bit dizzy. If anyone asks, just say I couldn't handle the alcohol and went out for some fresh air. I'll be back soon." "Alright." Noble Lady Chun agreed readily and picked up her chopsticks to start eating. Noble Lady Xin, always warm-hearted and curious about everything, had a drink with Cao Guiren and, turning around, noticed Sun Miaoqing was missing. She casually asked, "Where is Changzai Gong?" Noble Lady Chun chewed the fish in her mouth a couple of times: What did Sister Gong say earlier? Oh, right. "She said the hall was too stifling, so she went to vent a bit. She'll be back soon." Noble Lady Xin: "..." The maid Lvzhu, holding a spring-green cloak, stood on tiptoe at the side entrance of Yimei Yuan, looking around. When she saw her mistress approaching, she hurried forward. "How is everything at Suiyu Pavilion?" "Don't worry, Mistress. No one has come out from there." Sun Miaoqing fastened the green cloak and picked up the small pouch, which contained the portrait she had prepared before entering the palace. In this feudal era, imperial power was everything. Since heaven had given her this opportunity, she naturally intended to seize every advantage of time and place, grabbing all the favor she could obtain. Since Zhen Huan preferred to avoid favor, let her remain a lowly Attendant in Suiyu Pavilion for the rest of her life. However, Sun Miaoqing had already served the Emperor, which set her apart from Zhen Huan. Leaving blanks or suspense was pointless, so tonight, she intended to complete this plotline on the spot. Let Yu Ying'er not appear at all, and monopolize the Emperor's favor for the entire first month. Of course, Sun Miaoqing believed she wasn't doing this for the Emperor's favor but to have a child. She was confident she could protect the child under the watchful eye of the "Abortion CEO," give birth to the Sixth Prince, and secure her later years. "Stay here and keep watch. Don't let anyone notice. If anyone from Suiyu Pavilion comes, find a way to lead them away." Sun Miaoqing specifically instructed, "Just imitate a cat's meow." That wretched Zhen Huan was most afraid of cats. Lvzhu nodded solemnly, "Mistress, don't worry. Before coming to the capital, you rehearsed with me many times. I know what to do and won't mess up." Sun Miaoqing glanced around and, carrying a lantern, entered the garden. At the family banquet in Qian Qing Gong, the Emperor, slightly intoxicated, caught sight of Sun Miaoqing's departing figure. It seemed she was wearing the red plum palace attire today. He also recalled Consort Hua mentioning Yimei Yuan in her thoughts and casually asked: "Have all the plum blossoms in the palace bloomed?" [One can miss someone even without an object, so it has nothing to do with red plums. The Emperor simply loves Chunyuan too much. Is he thinking of going out for a walk alone again?] Nian Shilan grew increasingly suspicious: No matter how hard they tried or how much they changed, would they all still end up in their predetermined positions? The Empress's hand holding the wine cup paused slightly: It seems the Emperor went to Yimei Yuan alone in his previous life, leaving everyone behind. "They bloom in the cold," the Empress said. "I want to go see them." As the Empress blinked, she couldn't help but roll her eyes. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Nian Shilan's inner thoughts: [See my foot!] "Hmm?" The drunken Emperor couldn't distinguish reality for a moment and looked at Nian Shilan. "What did you say?" Nian Shilan was taken aback: [Huh? Did I say something?] Hearing the Emperor's words, the Empress also suspected Consort Hua had once again spoken her thoughts aloud: This fool! Always blurting out what's on her mind! She calmly continued the conversation, smoothing things over for Consort Hua, "The weather is bitterly cold, Your Majesty should take care of your imperial health." Nian Shilan knew this would be the outcome. She interrupted the Empress, "Plum blossoms bloom in the frost—how could we let them go to waste? The Empress should refrain from saying more." The Emperor's most desired words had been spoken by Nian Shilan, and he couldn't help but glance at her again: Usually, she seemed flamboyant and exaggerated, but at a crucial moment, it turned out she understood him best. He stood up, called for Su Peisheng, ordered that no one should follow, and then left. Su Peisheng wanted to follow but didn't dare. He came to seek the Empress's opinion, and the Empress looked toward Nian Shilan. "What does Consort Hua think should be done?"