lcionline Chapter 36 Noble Lady Fucha, Imperial Concubine 36
Chapter 36 Noble Lady Fucha, Imperial Concubine 36
On this day, the Imperial Household Department prepared an extremely luxurious and exquisite set of imperial concubine attire early in the morning.
It was carefully and quietly delivered to Consort Hua's palace.
Consort Hua sat upright before her dressing table, and upon hearing the palace maid report that someone from the Imperial Household Department had arrived...
She tilted her head slightly, a half-smile playing on her lips.
His gaze lingered on the deputy chief steward of the Imperial Household Department who was bringing in the imperial concubine's robes.
The deputy chief steward was seen respectfully holding a tray, on which was placed the exquisitely beautiful imperial concubine's attire.
However, he seemed somewhat uneasy under Consort Hua's gaze.
"When did His Majesty decide to promote me to Imperial Noble Consort? Has any official decree been issued?"
Who ordered these imperial concubine robes to be sent over?
Consort Hua's voice was neither loud nor soft, but the authority it contained was undeniable.
The deputy chief steward of the Imperial Household Department was clearly taken aback by Consort Hua's question and stammered for a moment:
"This...this...this was all arranged from above."
"Oh? Above? Which above exactly? Without the Emperor's own decree..."
I absolutely dare not accept this Imperial Noble Consort's attire!
Consort Hua raised her eyebrows slightly, staring sharply at the deputy chief steward in front of her, her tone growing increasingly cold.
Seeing this, the deputy chief steward of the Imperial Household Department panicked even more, and a layer of fine sweat appeared on his forehead.
He stammered for a long time but couldn't come up with a coherent explanation.
"snort!"
Consort Hua snorted coldly and turned to the chief eunuch Zhou Ninghai beside her, saying:
"Zhou Ninghai, go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation immediately and ask Eunuch Su."
Is this Imperial Noble Consort's robes sent by the Imperial Household Department truly His Majesty's will?! Go and return quickly!
After receiving the order, Zhou Ninghai hurriedly left, while inside the Yikun Palace at that time...
The atmosphere, however, was as oppressive as if shrouded in dark clouds, making it almost impossible to breathe.
The deputy steward had already knelt on the ground, his face pale, his body trembling slightly.
It was as if he had already foreseen that he would become the scapegoat in this turmoil.
Not long after, Su Peisheng followed Zhou Ninghai to Yikun Palace.
He had a serious expression and did not smile. As soon as he entered the room, he bowed to Nian Shilan, who was sitting at the head of the table.
"Reporting to Consort Hua, this matter was due to the incompetence of this deputy steward."
To mistakenly distinguish between the attire of a Noble Consort and an Imperial Noble Consort is truly deserving of punishment!
"By imperial decree, this man shall be imprisoned in the Censorate," Su Peisheng said in a low voice.
It's a pity about that unlucky deputy chief steward; he could have easily planted the master's spy in the Imperial Household Department.
However, upon hearing this, Nian Shilan sneered.
"Hmph! Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you have actually deceived Shilan to this extent!"
I always thought your affection for me was genuine, but I never expected…
As she spoke, her eyes gradually reddened, and tears welled up in them.
But she forced herself not to let it fall, her face filled with mockery and despair.
Does the Emperor think Nian Shilan is a fool? Aren't all the servants in this palace shrewd and intelligent?
How could such a thing be wrong? Just as Cao Qinmo said, this was the Emperor testing her.
Testing whether Nian Shilan had become arrogant and overconfident due to being favored by her parents.
At this moment, Nian Shilan finally realized how ridiculous her so-called honors and favors were.
If her favor is fake, then what about the Nian family?
Once this thought popped into her head, it coiled around Nian Shilan's heart like a venomous snake, instantly sending a chill down her spine.
At that moment, she finally realized that serving a ruler was like walking on thin ice.
Nian Shilan took a deep breath, trying to calm her inner fear and unease.
However, now was not the time to think about these things; she had to quickly compose herself and not let anyone suspect anything.
So, she quickly composed herself, putting on an air of nonchalance, and said:
"Alright, Eunuch Su, I am aware of this matter. You may handle this servant as you see fit."
As soon as she finished speaking, a resolute glint flashed in Nian Shilan's beautiful eyes.
Without the slightest hesitation, she turned around abruptly, her fair wrist fluttering, the exquisite handkerchief in her hand drawing a graceful arc in the air.
She swung it around wildly with her movements.
Then, she slightly raised her head, her chin taut, like a proud peacock, and strode quickly toward her palace.
Although on the surface, Nian Shilan's every step seemed steady and secure, as if everything was under her control,
However, upon closer inspection, one can see that her steps are actually somewhat disordered and hurried, even a little unsteady.
It was as if some uneasy emotion was stirring deep within my heart.
Seeing this, Songzhi, who was standing to the side, was startled and quickly quickened her pace to keep up with Nian Shilan.
She ran quickly with small, quick steps, occasionally looking up.
He cautiously observed the changes in Nian Shilan's expression, his mind racing.
She pondered how to speak in a way that would be just right to soothe her master's wounded heart.
As an old servant in the palace, Su Peisheng naturally took all of this into account.
He could tell at a glance that Consort Hua was merely putting on a brave face.
But this matter had little to do with him, so he didn't need to get involved in this mess.
So he casually waved his hand, signaling his men to quickly take the unfortunate fellow away from the area to avoid any further complications.
After storming into her palace, Nian Shilan could no longer contain the raging fire within her.
Her eyebrows furrowed, her almond-shaped eyes widened, and she grabbed whatever she could reach and smashed it hard against the ground without a care.
In an instant, the sounds of shattering porcelain and clattering jewels mingled together, turning the entire palace into a scene of utter chaos.
Songzhi was quite frightened when she saw this scene.
Despite her fear, she steeled herself and stepped forward, then knelt down with a thud.
Songzhi clung tightly to Nian Shilan's legs, pleading desperately:
"Your Majesty, please calm down! Be careful not to hurt yourself!"
Nian Shilan's exquisite face was now streaked with tears.
Her eyes were red and swollen like peaches, and tears kept flowing, sliding down her fair cheeks.
It dripped onto the gorgeous skirt.
Her voice was incredibly mournful, like a cuckoo crying blood: "Songzhi, the Emperor has deceived me, he has deceived me..."
Every word is filled with endless sorrow and pain.
Seeing her master so heartbroken, Songzhi felt a pang of tenderness in her heart.
She held Nian Shilan's hand tightly and whispered words of comfort:
"Your Majesty, please don't be too sad. His Majesty surely loves you."
Perhaps she was just tricked by that person in Jingren Palace. However, these words did not alleviate Nian Shilan's inner pain.
Nian Shilan shook her head violently and shouted at the top of her lungs:
"No! His Majesty has deceived me; he has never been sincere towards me!"
He kept saying he doted on me, but he never even considered making me an Imperial Noble Consort.
Not to mention ascending to the incomparably prestigious throne of Empress!
Her emotions grew increasingly agitated, and her body trembled slightly.
Songzhi was at a loss for words to offer further comfort, and in her anxiety,
Suddenly, a brilliant idea flashed through her mind—Consort Cao was always exceptionally clever; perhaps she could come up with a way to persuade the Empress.
So she quickly instructed Zhou Ninghai, who was pacing anxiously to the side:
"Quickly, go and invite Consort Cao here!"
After receiving the order, Zhou Ninghai hurriedly left.
Songzhi continued to hug Nian Shilan, gently patting her back, trying to give her some warmth and comfort.
Nian Shilan, like a wounded little animal, was lost in her own thoughts.
Before long, everyone saw a figure rushing towards them in the distance.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Consort Cao hurrying towards them.
She was seen jogging along, her pace so fast it seemed as if something was chasing her from behind.
Because she ran so fast, her hair bun came undone.
A few strands of hair fell messily on both sides of her face, and even her clothes were slightly wrinkled.
But Consort Cao couldn't care less about that at the moment. When she finally arrived,
Consort Cao immediately noticed Nian Shilan's tear-streaked face and sorrowful expression, and was startled.
She quickly stepped forward and asked with concern:
"What's wrong with Your Majesty?"
Why are you crying so sadly?
Upon hearing the sound, Nian Shilan abruptly raised her head, her gaze fixed directly on Cao Qinmo.
His eyes flashed with anger and disappointment.
She gritted her teeth and said, her voice slightly choked with emotion:
"You were right before, the Emperor has no intention of promoting me to Imperial Noble Consort!"
"He actually used this matter to test me..." At this point, Nian Shilan couldn't help but shed tears again.
Upon hearing this, Cao Qinmo nodded slightly, indicating that she understood the situation.
She reached out and gently patted Nian Shilan's shoulder, softly comforting her:
"Your Majesty, please don't be anxious or upset. Now that this has happened, we should discuss it carefully."
"Please go and freshen up, compose yourself, and think of a solution after you've calmed down."
Nian Shilan was a person who valued her reputation highly, and once reminded,
He instantly realized that he must look extremely disheveled at that moment.
Nian Shilan looked at Songzhi, who was quick-witted and immediately understood. She quickly bowed and retreated.
Not long after, a faint sound of footsteps could be heard.
Immediately afterwards, several palace maids, like well-trained fish, entered the room one after another in an orderly fashion.
Each of them held something steadily in their hands; some held clear, transparent water, while others carried soft, luxurious handkerchiefs. After these palace maids entered, they stood respectfully before Nian Shilan, their heads bowed and eyes lowered, quietly and obediently awaiting their mistress's instructions to provide her with grooming services.
Nian Shilan slowly got up, walked to the dressing table, and sat down.
Upon seeing this, the palace maids immediately began to busy themselves. They gently poured clean water into the basin.
Then, dampen a silk handkerchief and carefully wipe Nian Shilan's face and hands.
With the maids' attentive care, Nian Shilan's initially tired face gradually regained its radiance.
He looked much more energetic.