The way we came and the way we returned just formed a semicircle. When the Phoenix Paladin reached the Phoenix Terrace, we saw many women in colorful clothes choreographing a dance. Among them, a tall and beautiful woman in light clothes saw the Phoenix Paladin from afar, jumped down from the Phoenix Terrace, and knelt down in front of the Phoenix Paladin like a singing oriole and dancing swallow:
"Your Majesty, I respectfully welcome! Your Majesty, I respectfully welcome!"
The slowly moving phoenix chariot was forced to stop. Ji Qing shouted at the side of the chariot: "How dare you, Concubine Le! Are you here to welcome the emperor? This is called blocking the emperor's way!"
Meimei asked a concubine on the left: "Excuse me, who is this?"
The man sneered and said, "Who else could it be? The famous Concubine Le! She is the best singer and dancer in the palace, and the emperor loves her very much! Look at her arrogant look. She saw the emperor and the queen sitting in the phoenix chariot together from a distance, and she dared to stop them!"
Meimei and Lin Runan looked at Lepin carefully. She looked about fifteen or sixteen years old, with fair and delicate skin, as plump as a bud about to bloom. She had just finished dancing practice and was still panting. Her colorful clothes were soaked with sweat. She exuded an overwhelming youthful aura. She was incomparable to the pale and weak empress in the emperor's arms in the carriage.
Meimei couldn't help but frown slightly. You could say she was worrying too much, but she was worried about the queen again.
The emperor and the queen sat still, and the emperor asked calmly, "Princess Le, why are you stopping the phoenix chariot?"
Lepin raised her head, her beautiful face glowing with radiance and a sweet smile on her face: "Your Majesty: Concubine Liu has just composed a song about the moon. I tried to compose and practice it, and I think it is very suitable. It can be compared with the song about the moon sung by Prince Gaomu!"
"Really? But you have to practice it well, don't embarrass me when the time comes!"
"Your Majesty: I am doing my best to practice, and there will be no mistakes!"
"Good! I watched you tonight, Concubine Le, you did a great job, I will reward you handsomely! Please step back, don't block me, the Queen is tired, she needs to go back and rest!"
"Your Highness, I respectfully send you off! Your Highness, I respectfully send you off to the Queen!"
Lepin bowed and stepped aside. When Meimei walked past her, she raised her head, and the arrogance on her face froze in an instant. She stared at Meimei with a look of confusion.
In the afternoon, Zhang Jingyun and Lingxuzi came to Kunning Palace to take the pulse. Meimei told them that the queen took the phoenix chariot to the Imperial Garden for a walk in the morning. Zhang Jingyun nodded and said, "The weather is sunny and warm, and there is no wind. It's okay to sit in the phoenix chariot. If you walk, you can't walk so far. Just walk a few steps in Kunning Palace!"
Lingxuzi said: "I just took her pulse and it felt a little different from usual. Was it because she was exposed to too much sun? Her heart pulse was floating and agitated... The queen was in an unstable mood and seemed to be depressed!"
Meimei and Lin Runan looked at each other and asked Lingxuzi: "Will this situation lead to any serious consequences?"
Because the Emperor was accompanying the Empress in Kunning Palace, the couple was resting or entertaining themselves in the bedroom with the prince in their arms. The three of them were having a great time, and the four of them took the opportunity to sit in Tianxiang Pavilion for a while, drinking tea and chatting. There was no one to serve them, so they could talk freely.
Lingxuzi smiled and said, "It shouldn't be. I can tell a person's character and temperament from the pulse. The queen is different from ordinary women. She is virtuous, gentle, calm, and has extraordinary temperament and insight. Her mind is naturally open and bright, just like the moon in the sky on a sunny day. Even if there are clouds covering it, they can always be cleared away and reappear with time. Only someone like her can take on the important task of becoming the head of the six palaces. The queen has been ill since childhood, with a combination of congenital and acquired diseases, but she can live smoothly to this day. The credit of medicine can only account for a small part of it. Her own flexibility, strength, and open-mindedness are the most important, which is the basis for saving her life!"
Meimei nodded: "A mother is strong, and the queen will become even stronger after giving birth to a prince!"
Zhang Jingyun said: "That's right, the queen is already very good now, and when the prince grows up, she will only be even better!"
When the emperor left Kunning Palace, he took Zhang Jingyun and Lingxuzi with him. After Meimei and Lin Runan respectfully saw him off, they went inside to visit the queen.
The queen leaned on the couch, looking even weaker and paler, but her smile was as gentle and calm as ever. Lin Runan walked over and sat on the edge of the couch, holding her snow-white hand, and whispered: "Mr. Zhang said that the queen will become stronger and stronger!"
The Queen smiled like a blooming snow cherry: "I know, I feel much better now than before!"
She gently pressed her hand on her left chest: "Here, from time to time, it felt like a meridian was suddenly blocked, and the pain was so severe that I dared not breathe. Now I don't feel that way anymore, and the abdominal pain is gone, and the dizziness symptoms are gradually decreasing... Master Zhang and Master Xia are working together to treat me. I will slowly have a strong body, don't worry!"
Meimei sat on the other side: "The queen seems a little unhappy today!"
The Queen squinted at her and said, "No wonder the Emperor said you are a mischievous spirit, making wild guesses about everything!"
"Am I just guessing? I think the Queen is angry. It's that Concubine Le!"
Meimei saw that the maids had not come in yet, so she spoke boldly.
The Queen lowered her eyes: "Since you have seen it, I will not hide it from you. The things in the palace are too complicated. I didn't want you to know. This Lepin is the sister of the former Lian Fei. Lian Fei was personally selected by the Queen Mother and entered the palace at the same time as me. She is also versatile, graceful, and best at singing and dancing. The Emperor could not reject Lian Fei's talent, but because he had his eyes on me first, he chose me first. Lian Fei was jealous and plotted to harm me. She was discovered by people around me and ate poisonous strawberries and died. In the end, I took the throne. Within two months, Lian Fei's sister Lepin entered the palace and soon won the Emperor's favor. The Emperor was always very tolerant of younger concubines and was very tolerant of them. Lepin is no exception. She is a bit arrogant because of her favor. She actually said to me in private: "One day, I will take back what my sister lost!" Although I don't want to argue with her, she went too far and I couldn't help but feel upset. You saw that Lepin stopped the phoenix chariot during the day. She did it on purpose to show her specialness in front of everyone. The emperor recently received the prince of Gaomu Kingdom. This is a state of affairs. He didn't even tell me, but discussed it with her. He also asked her to choreograph songs and dances for the moon-viewing banquet. It shows how important she is in the eyes of the emperor! Compared with her, what use am I, a sick queen?"
"The Queen is angry about this?"
The queen smiled, "I'm not a saint, of course I'm angry! But this anger dissipated in the blink of an eye, and it didn't stay in my heart. What's Lepin? A brainless child will sooner or later fall into my hands like her sister! Her move reminded me that I really can't just ignore everything and turn a deaf ear to what's happening outside the window just because I gave birth to a prince. At least I am aware of what the emperor is thinking. The reason why the emperor held this night banquet was also because of Lepin's interruption. He just took the initiative to explain the reason: Wasn't the Gaomu Kingdom in the north defeated by us last year? The prince of Gaomu Kingdom brought an envoy to our dynasty on the order of the king to pay tribute and pledge allegiance. It is said that this prince of Gaomu Kingdom is versatile, good at music, and proficient in poetry and songs. He came to pay tribute, but his tone was arrogant, implying that our dynasty only knew how to use force. Conquer, who did not understand the beauty of music and literature, also brought many skilled musicians and singers and dancers, called "presenting dance songs", which seemed to have the intention of educating. A few days ago, he presented a poem to the emperor, chanting and praising the moon. The emperor praised his good poetic talent, but he actually said: This little poem was written by my groom! The emperor was furious. When the two countries were at war, they did not kill the envoys. What's more, now that the two countries have negotiated peace, the people on the border can live and work in peace and not suffer from war. The emperor was annoyed but could not touch him. Due to his busy affairs, the emperor had not paid attention to Prince Gaomu. The Ministry of Rites reported that he was about to return to the country, so the emperor granted him the imperial garden to appreciate the moon. Concubine Le suggested that they would compose a beautiful song and dance that would be better than Prince Gaomu's moon chant to dampen his arrogance. The emperor actually agreed and asked the current famous poets to accompany him to appreciate the moon... I really don't know what their moon-viewing banquet tonight will be like!"
Meimei smiled: "It sounds a bit like a child's temper, but seriously, it is also related to the dignity of the state. The talented scholars must use their literary talent to the fullest and chant beautiful sentences, and Lepin's singing and dancing must be gorgeous and dignified, and blend into the scene."
The Queen nodded silently: "I have watched a lot of Lepin's songs and dances with the Emperor. They are gorgeous and flashy, with a kind of illusory beauty... She is young and beautiful, with a good figure. The Emperor never tells anyone what is in his heart when he visits his concubines. Lepin has this opportunity. If she does well, she will share the Emperor's worries. From now on, the Emperor will value her a little more!"
Meimei and Lin Runan looked at each other and lowered their eyes at the same time: This is too stressful. Fortunately, they are not lucky enough and cannot enter the palace to become the emperor's concubines.
Lin Runan suddenly raised her head and said, "Your Majesty can also share the emperor's worries!"
The queen was startled: "How to divide it? What can I do?"
Meimei felt something was wrong. Lin Runan looked at her with bright eyes, "Meimei! She can play the piano and sing. She can sing the song of the bright moon. I've heard her sing 'The bright moon rises over the sea, and we share this moment across the world' before! Isn't this a beautiful line?"
Meimei pushed her anxiously: "What nonsense are you talking about? I told you a long time ago that I forgot everything..."
Who is your identity? Are you looking for death by competing for favor with concubines in the palace
Lin Runan vigorously exposed: "You should have remembered it! Now you can do many things. In the Suochun Courtyard of the Cen residence, you taught Su Yunu and others to sing and dance, and taught the King of Qi to play drums. You don't know how to fencing, but you taught them to practice sword dance..."
Meimei hugged her head: "Lin Runan—please forgive me!"
The queen drove the two of them off the bed, made them stand side by side, and put on her queenly airs, interrogating them majestically for a long time. She found out what Meimei had done outside. Lin Runan was still merciful and did not mention the fact that she and Xu Junying had broken up.
The queen was amazed: "You... are so capable!"
Meimei didn't expect the queen to react like this. She looked up at her. The queen smiled and said, "Everyone has dreams. You know what I dreamed of when I was a kid. It was to leave home and start my own business! Now I can't do it, but Meimei did it for me. That's great!"
She waved her hand and asked Meimei to come closer. She pulled her and said, "Do this for me! I am the head of the six palaces. If I don't know, it's fine. But if I know, I can't let other concubines get ahead! I will ask Wan'er to arrange it. There will be a banquet in the Imperial Garden tonight. It won't be difficult to bring those people into the palace. The King of Qi will definitely be in the palace. Just present your best and most outstanding songs and dances to suppress Concubine Le!"
The queen was tired, so the maids took care of her and took a rest. Meimei and Lin Runan left. As they walked out of the door, Meimei pointed at Lin Runan:
"Just wait and see how I take revenge!"
Lin Runan hurriedly smiled and said, "Huiyun has no one to help her except the emperor in the palace. If the emperor is partial to someone, she will be sad! You are watching, a small concubine Le wants to bully her. If you have this ability, why don't you help her?"
"Can we be by her side every day? The struggle in the palace is no joke. If we are not careful, we may not only not help her, but also harm her!"
Lin Runan held Meimei and looked at her firmly: "If I could stay by her side every day and share her worries, I would be willing! Now that I can't, I will help her if I can! You have done a great job, it is not harmful, but beneficial!"
Meimei was stunned: "Lin Runan, you are unreasonable! How can I do it perfectly? Show me how to do it!"
Lin Runan smiled: "I can't, but you can! It would be great if you do it yourself!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.) (To be continued)