Their eyes met, and Yao Xiang did not dodge at all.
In fact, Concubine Wende suddenly felt that this young woman seemed to have a sharper and more experienced look, which was very inconsistent with her age.
"Okay, it's just a small matter, it's not worth arguing about." The queen finally interrupted.
Everyone then stopped and drank their tea as if nothing had happened.
"Lady Su, please sit down first. This pair of jade bracelets is a reward for you. You must obey the palace rules in the future and give birth to children for the emperor as soon as possible."
The queen put on a gentle smile and instructed Nanny Ding to send a box over.
Su immediately stood up and took it, "Thank you, Queen, for the gift. I will follow your instructions!"
She looked so terrified and fearful that she didn't show the bearing of a princess at all. She was even worse than the ladies from the Kyoto.
It was obvious that these days were tough, and they had smoothed out her edges a little.
After speaking a few more official words and giving some instructions about the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, the Queen asked everyone to leave.
Chuxiu Palace.
After Concubine Wende came back, she went to see the eldest prince first. The child looked listless and fell asleep after being teased for a while.
When they returned to the main hall, Bai Lu brought a bowl of medicine.
"The temperature is just right now, please drink it, Madam."
"I've been drinking for so long, but there's no improvement." Concubine Wende was annoyed, but she still took it and drank it all.
Since giving birth to the eldest prince, it took a long time for the lochia on her body to clear up after the confinement period, and then her menstruation became irregular.
During the epidemic, she was afraid that her child would die, and she felt uncomfortable all over because of the worry and care she had for him day and night.
Now I am very afraid of cold and often feel uncomfortable in my lower abdomen, especially when I have my period, the pain is even more severe.
She had never been like this before, which obviously meant she had a difficult childbirth and had left behind this disease.
In addition, although she seemed to be indifferent to worldly affairs, could she really not fight for anything if she wanted to be favored? People like her who seemed to have not earned anything but actually did earn it always had to worry more than others.
I am in poor health and I worry too much, how can I recover
"I saw today that I underestimated Yao before." Concubine Wende wiped the corner of her mouth and narrowed her eyes slightly. "That's right. After all, with an aunt like the Grand Concubine, how could my niece be bad?"
"The Emperor is only grateful to her for saving him. He seldom visited her before. I think she became too proud after her promotion and even dared to go against the Empress!" Bai Shuang spat with disdain.
Princess Wende shook her head in disapproval.
"The emperor seldom visited her before, but he never forgot her. Now, she has no children or qualifications, but she is in a high position and is favored more than before. She can still sit still and not show off. Such a person must be very scheming."
Moreover, today, Concubine Wende felt that there seemed to be something deeper and more ancient in the look in Yao Xiang's eyes when he looked at her.
It's like... like we've known each other for a long time.
But this was obviously not right. Yao Xiang had only been in the palace for a year, and the two had no interactions. How could he have such an inexplicable feeling
Concubine Wende raised her hand and pinched her forehead, feeling upset and tired.
At this time, a little maid came in and told him that the emperor had summoned Concubine Yi to go to Jiuchen Palace to serve him with writing materials.
"You are so blind that you come here on purpose to cause trouble to the Empress?!" Bai Lu scolded.
"Okay, everyone go down. I'll lie down alone for a while." Concubine Wende frowned and waved her hand.
Bai Shuang helped her into the inner room. As they passed by the bronze dressing mirror, Concubine Wende couldn't help but glance at it, and suddenly she seemed to be in a trance.
The person in the mirror looks exactly the same as before, but he is not as lively as before.
Compared with those women who had just entered the palace, she was only a few years older, but after giving birth to a child, she really looked a bit older.
Even the eyes that she was most proud of, which the emperor once praised as being as clear as autumn water, were no longer as pure and bright as before.
Thinking that her favor had been slightly reduced, Concubine Wende felt anxious for the first time.
If she gets older and there are more and more young women in the palace, will the emperor become more and more indifferent to her
In the end, she was like Concubine Shu, with nothing but her children.
This was unacceptable to Concubine Wende, who had been favored for many years.
Even though every woman in the palace knows that favor cannot last forever, when it really comes to the time when their favor disappears, who can remain completely indifferent
"My queen?" Bai Lu called out softly when she saw her standing in front of the mirror in a daze.
Only then did Concubine Wende retract her gaze and returned to the inner room with a lot of thoughts in her mind.
Some people worry about the passing of grace, but some people cannot even hope for grace and can only rely on themselves to find ways to get it.
In the east hall of Xianfu Palace, Zhang Baolin had just finished singing a song and his throat was so dry.
Shuangtao brought her some tea and served her some water, when she heard the laughter of Liu Cainv coming from the courtyard outside.
"Why do you always sing in the Xianfu Palace? Only when you sing in front of the Emperor can he hear you, right?"
Her maid Chu Xia also laughed, "You are joking, how can the emperor get it easily? Some people are just unlucky. Even if they curry favor with the empresses, they still cannot be favored!"
"Hey, little girl, why do you say that? She is Baolin after all, and one level higher than me, a concubine." Liu said deliberately.
"As long as there's no favor, even if the price is as small as a sesame seed, it's the same for everyone." Chu Xia deliberately raised her voice.
Zhang was listening in the room, her face becoming grim with anger.
Shuang Tao stomped her feet in anger and ran outside.
"All of you shut up! Your concubine has only served in the palace once. How can you find another one in this palace? How dare you yell like that? Even if our Baolin is only one level higher than you, it's still higher. I'm afraid you will have to stay alone as a concubine until the end of your life!"
After saying that, he slammed the door with a bang.
"Baolin, don't bother with them. The emperor has hated Liu for a long time and it is impossible for her to be favored. But Baolin can still meet the emperor once or twice. With Baolin's appearance and intelligence, she will definitely be favored in the future!"
Shuangtao comforted her carefully.
Zhang took a deep breath, tried to calm herself down, and finally controlled her emotions.
"You are right. I will be favored, for sure. They all rely on their family background, not that the emperor really likes them. I am different. I must make the emperor like me as a person."
Shufei had displeased the Emperor recently and was worrying about how to change the Emperor's opinion of her. Zhang Baolin seized the opportunity and proposed to please him by gaining his favor and whispering in his ear.
After thinking it over, although Concubine Shu was unwilling, she had no better way, so she agreed.
After all, Concubine Shu is still a concubine and she still has some face. As long as she takes the lead and creates opportunities for Zhang, that will be enough.
The rest depends on Zhang Baolin’s own ability.
Zhang was confident that all her hard work for so long would not be in vain. She would make sure that the emperor would remember her during the Mid-Autumn Festival dinner.