Nanny Gui walked into the inner hall holding a bowl of lotus seed soup and saw Xiao Shushen sitting in the main hall, looking at something thoughtfully, not knowing what she was thinking about.
"Your Majesty, please have some porridge!" Nanny Gui's words interrupted Xiao Shushen's thoughts. She came back to her senses, her voice sounding a little tired.
"Ma'am, please put it down. I'll drink it later." Xiao Shushen rubbed her eyebrows.
Seeing Xiao Shushen's exhausted appearance, she had some distress in her eyes, "Madam, please drink a little more. Your health is more important. It's a pity that we didn't bring down that bitch this time. It's all because she was too cunning. I don't know what kind of magic she used on the emperor to make him trust her so much."
Seeing Madam Gui's angry expression, she sighed, then looked at the newly painted Kou Dan on her hands and blew gently on her nails, "How do you think of my newly painted Kou Dan?"
"Your Majesty's fingers are long and naturally very beautiful." Aunt Gui was a little puzzled by Xiao Shushen's question.
"The women in the harem are like these different colored Koudans, but they are always greedy for novelty. No matter how beautiful the old tricks are, they can't compare to the new ones. Now that the virtuous concubine has just entered the palace, it doesn't matter if the emperor favors her a little. There will always be a day when she will get annoyed." Xiao Shushen leaned back in the chair, closed her eyes, and a smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.
"I am the queen, the principal wife, after all. This is an indisputable fact. Shen is a virtuous concubine if you put it nicely, but she is just a concubine if you put it badly. No matter how favored she is, she can never be above the principal wife. The best show is yet to come. This is just the beginning. Why are you in such a hurry, Madam?"
"Your Majesty is right, it is this old slave who is too impatient!"
After a few days, an imperial edict was received, appointing Shen Qingwan as a female official, which caused a lot of discussion in the harem.
The one who reacted most violently was Liu Churong, who had been quiet for a few days. After she found out, she kept walking back and forth in the bedroom, unable to sit still. She didn't expect that the charge of poisoning the princess could not bring down Shen Qingwan, but instead made her a female official.
"Your Majesty, you've been walking for the whole morning, take a rest!" La Mei, who was standing by, advised.
"Bitch, you can't bring her down even after doing this, I'm so pissed off." She clenched her teeth, her eyes vicious, "No, I can't let Shen Qingwan, this bitch, continue to be so arrogant." Liu Churong's eyes flashed, she made up her mind, dressed up and went straight to Shen Qingwan's residence.
Shen Qingwan was reading a book in the yard at this time. She felt a headache looking at the aggressive Liu Churong. She had been tolerant every time, and it seemed that they all treated her as a soft persimmon.
"What brings you here, Noble Liu?" She was too lazy to be polite. She thought she had no friendship with Liu Churong, and she didn't think she came to congratulate her.
"I heard that the emperor, despite the opposition of all the ministers, insisted on appointing you as a female official after the virtuous concubine was implicated in the poisoning of the princess. I just wanted to see how capable you are to make the emperor so obsessed. But I don't see what's special about you!"
Liu Churong was sarcastic and sharp as soon as she opened her mouth, which made people feel uncomfortable.
"What do you mean, my lord? Are you saying that I am a foxy woman who seduces the emperor, or are you hinting that the emperor is incompetent?"
She frowned slightly, with a look of displeasure on her face. She stared coldly into Liu Churong's eyes, and her voice became much tougher, but also contained a hint of sarcasm.
"I, I didn't imply that the emperor was incompetent, so don't slander me."
Liu Churong was a little scared by the look in her eyes, and she hurriedly explained the inappropriateness of her previous sentence.
"Oh, does Lady Liu mean that I am a seductress and that the Emperor is lusting after women?" Shen Qingwan pressed on step by step, her eyes becoming more and more frightening. Looking into her eyes made one speechless.
Liu Churong felt a tingling sensation on his back and broke out in a cold sweat when she looked at him. "You, you are talking nonsense, you are slandering me." He stammered, not knowing what to say. In the end, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and leave. He was so angry that he wanted to stomp a hole in the ground.
"My queen, are you okay?" Lianyun had just come back from outside. Seeing Liu Churong leaving with a gloomy face, she hurried in, fearing that Shen Qingwan would suffer.
"It's okay, it's just that the emperor appointed me as a female official, and she was unhappy, so she came here to make trouble." Shen Qingwan gave Lianyun a reassuring look and explained to her.
"Hmph, the decree was issued by the emperor. If she is unhappy, she can go and tell the emperor. Why is she looking for us?" Lian Yun was so angry that her expression was filled with anger.
Shen Qingwan looked at her angry face and found it funny, "Haha."
"Your Majesty, what are you laughing at?" Lianyun was a little confused by her laughter.
"No, nothing. Haha." He said this, but he couldn't help smiling.
Lianyun seemed to have reacted, "My Lady, you, I am not happy with you, but you still laugh at me." She pouted and looked unhappy. She then held back her smile and stopped teasing her.
"Your Highness, Her Highness Consort De is here." The eunuch outside came to announce the news. Shen Qingwan was in a good mood playing with her. "Please come in quickly."
Lianyun tidied her clothes and went downstairs to urge the maid to serve tea.
"Why is Sister Defei here?" Shen Qingwan sat up straight and then looked at Defei who came in from outside.
I heard that Shen Qingwan was appointed as a female official, so she picked out a big gift to congratulate Shen Qingwan. After all, they are now in the same camp. Shen Qingwan's favor will naturally benefit herself. "I heard that Concubine Xian was appointed as a female official. So, I found a few small things to congratulate you. I hope you don't mind."
"What are you saying, Sister Defei? There is no reason for me to despise you. Someone, bring tea. You are really praising me. How can I compare to you? Sister Defei has been accompanying the Emperor for many years. How can I compare to her?" Shen Qingwan said this considerately, which made her face glow a little.
After chatting with Concubine De for a while, I heard the eunuch outside running in, "Concubine Xian, Aunt Gui has brought gifts to congratulate you."
He exchanged glances with Concubine De, and her thoughts were self-evident. "Please come in!"
"Yes." The servant went downstairs, and then saw Nanny Gui and the servants come in, "This old servant greets the Empress Xianfei and the Empress Defei."
Shen Qingwan hurriedly helped her up, but in her heart she became even more wary of the Queen. Now that she could calmly bring her things, she was quite generous.
"I am here to congratulate Concubine Xian on the orders of the Empress. The Empress is too busy to leave, so she sent me here to congratulate her." Nanny Gui stretched out her hand and asked someone to bring the box over and open it. Inside were some fine cloths, which were obviously made of expensive materials.
"Madame Gui, please thank the Empress on my behalf. The Empress is so thoughtful." Shen Qingwan felt a chill in her heart, but she accepted it.
"Then I won't bother you any more. I'll take my leave now."
"Madam, please take care." Shen Qingwan stared at Madam Gui's back, as if thinking about something.
At this time, De Fei said with a smile, "Sister Xian Fei, please be careful in the future."
Shen Qingwan naturally knew it in her heart and nodded in understanding.