lcionline Chapter 184 Yupin Returns to the Palace
Chapter 184 Yupin Returns to the Palace
By the end of November, the Forbidden City was shrouded in the chill of winter. The bitter north wind whistled like a tireless whistle-taker, weaving through the vermilion palace walls, its whistling creaking echoes.
Several dead trees at the foot of the palace wall stretched out their rugged branches. The few dead leaves remaining on the branches trembled in the wind, clinging to the last bit of life, but they could be torn off by the wind at any time and drift to the cold ground.
The ground was already covered with a thin layer of snow. The snow was not soft, but rather hardened by the trampling of the palace servants, making a crunching sound when they walked on it.
The palace maids, who had been cleaning the palace since dawn, had been waking up early to boil water and shovel snow and ice, but they still couldn't clear all the snow. The sky was always gloomy, with heavy, leaden clouds hanging low, seemingly ready to collapse at any moment, immersing the entire palace in an oppressive atmosphere. The Empress Dowager issued an imperial edict recalling Concubine Yu and the Fourth and Fifth Princes, adding a little after-dinner talk to the lifeless Forbidden City.
Nian Shilan probably didn't even want to pretend anymore, and stayed in Yikun Palace except for the regular meetings on the first and fifteenth days of the month.
Consort Fang, Jiang Ruyin, dressed in gorgeous clothes and a silver fox fur cape, stood at the side door, leading the other concubines to greet them. She had a perfectly composed smile on her face.
Beside her, Concubine Qi frowned slightly, muttering to herself that Concubine Yu had always been low-key and had stayed in the Old Summer Palace for a long time. Now she suddenly returned to the palace, and no one knew what her plan was.
Tired of waiting, she simply pulled Concubine Wen beside her to talk about the interesting things that happened after the Third Prince got married. Since Nian Shilan rarely left the palace, Concubine Qi felt much more at ease.
There was a hint of inquiry in Concubine Wen's eyes. Although there was a faint smile on the corner of her mouth, the smile did not reach her eyes. She said gently: "The third prince married the daughter of the Dong E family, and there are consecutive pregnancies in the backyard. Who wouldn't envy Concubine Qi's good fortune?"
This made Concubine Qi very happy.
Concubine Duan had a calm expression on her face, and from time to time she would cover her lips and cough lightly. Her pale face, bathed in the gray camel hair, looked extremely thin.
She had never really cared much about these receptions and farewells. After all, with her status and body, she didn't need to deliberately cater to anyone. Her visit this time was just a formality. After all, Nian Shilan and Jiang Ruyin were both concubines in the harem, so even if she harbored a secret hatred, she had to give the empress dowager this face.
She looked up at the gray sky, her thoughts drifting away. She tucked her hands into her sleeves and shivered slightly, trying to resist the cold wind.
Concubine Jing, on the other hand, seemed much more lively, her eyes filled with curiosity as she looked around constantly, chatting with everyone around her. She thought to herself that she might be able to chat with Concubine Yu later, and perhaps even get closer to the Fourth and Fifth Princes, just in case Jiang Ruyin's group fell apart in the future. Her smile was constant, a touch of unusual brightness in the cold weather.
Tara stood in the corner with a cold expression. She never liked these noisy occasions, but she had to come out of courtesy.
She watched everything in front of her quietly, her eyes calm. In her opinion, whether Yupin returned to the palace or not was not a big deal to her, as long as it did not affect her peaceful life.
Concubine Xin had become much closer to Concubine Cheng at some point, and they were chatting casually, and Lou Yong'er could also talk even when she was beside them.
Neither Concubine Hui nor Ling Changzai were present. After all, if the Empress Dowager had not recalled Concubine Yu and the others, no one would be willing to stand in the cold wind waiting in vain.
Concubine Qi's cheeks were flushed, and she could not stand the cold wind, so she complained to Concubine Chun in a low voice.
An Lingrong stood quietly behind Jiang Ruyin, her eyes fixed almost unblinkingly on Jiang Ruyin's trailing cloak.
Jiang Ruyin turned around and looked at all the concubines one by one, finally her eyes fell on An Lingrong's face.
She combed her hair, revealing her not-so-full forehead and high cheekbones, which were not noticeable before, but now her face looked bitter and her lips were a little pale.
Jiang Ruyin frowned slightly, turned around and took An Lingrong's hand, then smiled helplessly, "I forgot the hand warmer, and was wondering if you would be cold in such weather."
An Lingrong's eyes lit up with joy, and she smiled, "Standing with Your Majesty, I am happy and don't feel cold at all."
"You, you just know how to talk with this little mouth." Jiang Ruyin smiled and pulled up the wide velvet-brimmed hood of An Lingrong's cloak, then tightened the cloak.
"If you get frozen, I won't be able to find anyone to help me look after Hongxuan."
An Lingrong's fair little face was wrapped in the cloak, and her eyes narrowed with laughter. "Hongxuan is well-behaved and sensible. He is the one who helps me take care of Hongning."
Concubine Jing's smile froze slightly, and she glanced at An Lingrong, feeling a little sorry that she didn't have a prince in her name.
Lou Yong'er's eyes lingered on Jiang Ruyin and An Lingrong, with a myriad of thoughts in her mind.
As the person who led the welcoming procession, Jiang Ruyin had many considerations in mind.
She had to show her magnanimity and propriety, give enough face to the Queen Mother and the two princes so that no one could find fault with her, but she also had to secretly strike a balance and demonstrate her status in the palace.
After all, she still remembered how Concubine Yu behaved in the Old Summer Palace.
She knew in her heart that Yupin was not really arrogant that day, but was just testing whether the character of the emperor's favorite concubine was easy to control.
But who is Jiang Ruyin? The moment Yupin tried to manipulate her, Jiang Ruyin made sure she wouldn't let her have an easy time. Now that Yupin has returned to the palace, Jiang Ruyin sneered.
Shunzhen Gate consists of three wall-mounted glazed doors, each with two solid double-leaf doors and nine door nails. Outside, it faces Beiheng Street, across the street from Shenwu Gate. Inside, it faces south directly across from Chengguang Gate. To its left and right, two east-west glazed doors, Yanhe Gate and Jifu Gate, are connected by a low glazed wall, forming a small courtyard in front of Shunzhen Gate.
In front of the Chengguang Gate, where the atmosphere was cold and subtle, everyone was waiting for the arrival of Yubin and her entourage with their own thoughts.
Soon, a sedan chair carrying a concubine slowly appeared in everyone's sight. When it got off, Jiang Ruyin's smile deepened, and she stood still.
Concubine Yu was wearing a lake blue palace dress embroidered with Sichuan embroidery. Although she was smiling, the vicissitudes of life on her face remained unchanged, which seemed a bit out of place with her complacent look.
Beside her were two small figures of about the same height.
The fourth prince Hongli stood beside Concubine Yu. He had a well-proportioned body, his tightly pursed lips revealed a sense of determination, his eyes were bright and calm. Facing the gazes of the concubines, he smiled slightly, neither humble nor arrogant.
The fifth prince Hongzhou was somewhat close to Concubine Yu. He was one year younger than Hongli, but he was tall and thin, with a slightly frail figure. There seemed to be a sense of depression lingering between his brows, and his eyes seemed to hide a lot of thoughts. He lowered his head slightly, lacking the calmness of Hongli, but with more elusive meaning.