lcionline Chapter 301 It's not favoritism, it's universal love.
Chapter 301 It's not favoritism, it's universal love.
Chapter 301 Not Favoritism, But Universal Love
Consort Chun admired Xiuyun and envied the deep affection between her and Zhou Bai. At this moment, she couldn't help but sigh, "If Sister Xiuyun knew that Lord Zhou was about to take up a post outside the capital, she would definitely want to leave the capital with him."
Hua Yan nodded gently and said with a smile, "It's good to leave the capital. I even dreamed about Lin'an a couple of days ago."
Do you dream of me?
Consort Chun turned her head and asked with a smile, a hint of reminiscence flashing in her eyes.
Hua Yan smiled gently and began to recount: "In the dream, it was at Yunyi Academy. Ruizhu and I were painting the Second Miss's nails, but we missed the time for her to study, which caused the Second Miss to be punished by Mr. Lin with a slap on the hand, ruining all her newly painted nails."
Consort Chun was taken aback upon hearing this, and then recalled the days when she was strictly taught by Mr. Lin, and couldn't help but lose herself in thought for a moment.
After regaining his senses, he said with great interest, "...It's been a long time since I've dyed my nails. Why don't we wait until we get to the palace and find some balsam flowers? I recently learned a new recipe from a book. Mixing honey, cinnabar, and coral powder into the flower juice not only gives it a glossy finish but also makes the color even more beautiful."
Ruizhu's eyes lit up; she had always loved tinkering with these ingenious gadgets.
This time, while away from the palace for the summer, Granny Kong, Mingyue, and Xiaoyuanzi stayed behind to keep watch, while Aunt Mei, along with Mengzhu and a few others, accompanied them. Seeing that her mistress was in a rare good mood, Mengzhu took Ruizhu to the storeroom.
On the other side, the Ganlu Palace.
Consort Rong leaned against the chaise longue, her face ashen.
Two days ago, she received a message from her mother and learned that the person behind the scenes at the First Celebration Banquet was actually the Empress.
Rong Meiren wasn't stupid; she quickly realized that the Jiang family was taking advantage of her misfortune.
Seeing her master's displeasure, Lian Qiao softly advised, "Master, no matter what happens, the head of the family and the elders are here to help."
Rong Meiren nodded absentmindedly and instructed, "Call Jixiang here, I have something to ask her."
Lian Qiao responded and turned to leave the bedchamber, just in time to see Yun Yao returning with Gui Qiu.
She immediately retorted sarcastically, "Oh—so you went to beg Consort Chun to come back? Baolin is really lucky to have such a favored cousin as Consort Chun. This servant must congratulate Baolin on finding an opportunity to accompany the Emperor to the summer palace so quickly."
It's no wonder Lian Qiao thought that way; most people in the palace subconsciously assumed that Yun Baolin would fill the vacancy left by Consort Rong.
Yun Yao's face flushed red to her ears in an instant, and she felt extremely embarrassed.
Having served in the Huining Palace for a long time, Guiqiu was often flattered by palace servants when she went out, which made her much bolder.
She maintained a straight face and defended her, saying, "Sister Lianqiao, what are you saying? Our Baolin was just going to Consort Chun's place for a casual chat. How can you make it sound like you're being opportunistic and have ulterior motives? Besides, you're just a servant girl. Where do you get the audacity to slander our mistress like this?"
Lian Qiao snorted coldly, "You can't even let people talk about what you did? Don't make a fool of yourselves when you can't go."
Du Juan came out to greet them upon hearing the noise, and seeing her mistress's pale face, she knew that things had not gone well. However, she dared not argue with Lian Qiao, and nervously stepped forward to welcome Yun Yao into the house.
Rong Meiren also heard the arguing outside, but she didn't move. Having lived with Yun Baolin for over a month, she looked down on Yun Baolin's timid and submissive manner.
Yun Yao staggered into the bedchamber and said to Gui Qiu, "Gui Qiu, go and rest. I have something to say to Du Juan."
Guiqiu glanced at Dujuan, curtsied, and left.
......
In the afternoon, Xiao Nianzi brought news that Qu Qingge had taken Rong Meiren's place.
"I really didn't expect that the newcomer Qu Baolin would beat us to it," Ruizhu couldn't help but sigh.
Consort Chun was also quite surprised.
Xiao Nianzi reported, "After the court session, His Majesty went to Cining Palace to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager. On his way back to Funing Palace, he encountered Qu Baolin and, for some reason, went to Chunxi Palace."
Consort Chun frowned slightly, then waved her hand to signal everyone to leave.
"Qu Baolin does have some skills; she caught the Emperor's eye without making a sound," Consort Chun said calmly.
Hua Yan pondered, "Last time in the Imperial Garden, she was able to comfort Xie Jieyu so well, which shows that she is very clever. It's good that she went to the Imperial Palace during this time. It's more reassuring to have someone like her in front of us."
Consort Chun didn't think too much about it. She suddenly blinked and whispered, "Shu'er, don't you think the Emperor seems to prefer favoring concubines with talent?"
The more Consort Chun thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed, and she continued, "His Majesty favors the eldest daughter of the Duke of Qing's family; Qing Zhitong is exceptionally talented and renowned throughout the capital. Consequently, His Majesty also extends his affection to Consort Mei, and even to you, Shu'er..."
Hua Yan paused for a moment, then quickly interrupted, "Shen Jieyu is also quite favored, but she is illiterate."
“...That makes sense.” Consort Chun came to her senses and couldn’t really refute it.
Hua Yan couldn't help but chuckle. Consort Chun had always been dignified and graceful; when had she ever shown such a whimsical side? Besides finding it novel, she also thought it was playful and adorable.
When Consort Chun saw Hua Yan laughing at her, she couldn't help but reach out and pinch Hua Yan's arm. Hua Yan immediately retaliated, and the two laughed and joked for a while.
Finally, Hua Yan gave her definitive conclusion, ending the conversation: "It wasn't favoritism, it was universal love."
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
On June 14th, the sky was clear and the earth was peaceful, and yin and yang were in harmony.
The Imperial Astronomical Bureau, observing the celestial phenomena and considering the local conditions, carefully selected this day as an auspicious occasion for the Emperor's inspection tour of the imperial palace, and formulated the itinerary for the day of the journey accordingly.
The imperial carriage departs at dawn, is received at the temporary palace at mid-morning, and tours the lake at late afternoon, bringing blessings to all things.
At the beginning of the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), Consort Xie led the group to the front of Cining Palace.
Before the Emperor and Empress's palanquin arrived, Consort Chun and Consort Mei stood at the front, while Hua Yan was ahead of Consort Qu. When Hua Yan turned around, Qu Qingge bowed in greeting.
"May Lady Meng be well."
Hua Yan nodded slightly in return, then looked toward the side where Xie Jieyu was standing.
In the group, Qu Qingge's cousin, Qu Baolin, was looking at her younger cousin with a resentful expression. Rong Meiren kept her eyes straight ahead, Yun Yao had her head down and seemed to be thinking about something. Guo Xiuyi and Shen Jieyu were also on the side, looking envious like the other concubines.
Consort Chun was delighted at the thought of seeing Empress Dowager Zhou soon, but she maintained a dignified demeanor. At this moment, she was wearing a scarlet palace dress, which made Consort Mei, who was also dressed in red, pale in comparison.
As dawn broke, the auspicious time chosen by the Imperial Observatory arrived, and nine tolls of the bell from the corner tower of the Imperial Ancestral Temple dispelled the summer heat.
The Emperor, dressed in a bright yellow silk summer robe with twelve imperial symbols, arrived on time with the Empress.
The concubines knelt down to pay their respects.
The Emperor addressed the crowd: “This time, I am traveling with the Empress and Consort Chun, and Consort Xie will be in charge of palace affairs. You will remain in the palace and be mindful of your duties and abide by the palace rules. Consort Chun has ordered the Shanggong Bureau to increase your summer ice allowance by 30%, and has also bestowed upon you Suzhou embroidered fans and celadon ice cups to relieve the summer heat.”
Consort Shen and Consort Guo are pregnant with the Emperor's child. The Imperial Medical Bureau is on duty 24/7 to provide them with the utmost care. If anything goes wrong, I will not be lenient.
After speaking, the Emperor and Empress first entered Cining Palace to welcome the Empress Dowager, and then boarded the imperial carriage. Consort Xie led the remaining concubines to kneel and respectfully see them off.
When the emperor left, axes and halberds cleared the way. After passing through the Vermilion Bird Gate, seventy-two dragon flags fluttered in the wind.
As Hua Yan rode in the eight-treasure glass palanquin, she looked back at the palace receding into the distance, her heart filled with anticipation at the thought of seeing her uncle soon.