bookcurios Chapter 202 Chu Xiyan meets Shen Zhinian for the first time
Chapter 202 Chu Xiyan meets Shen Zhinian for the first time
Although the matter has been handed over to the Ministry of Punishment for investigation, Shen Zhinian will not just sit there and wait.
There are many people in the harem who have the motive to harm her, and Concubine Meng is also a suspect.
After all, they were both conferred the title of imperial concubine, and both were pregnant with the emperor's heir. If something happened to her, Mengpin would have one less rival.
Nanny Xiao had said before that Concubine Meng was an old-timer in the palace, a low-key and dutiful person, but also timid and fearful of things.
But when a person encounters a great change, his identity and status change, and his personality will also change. Shen Zhinian did not rule out Mengpin's suspicion because of what Xiao Ma said before.
Of course, you have to experience it to know the details.
"Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty. But Doctor Tang said yesterday that my foot is no longer seriously injured. Besides, I have a warm sedan chair when I travel, and I have palace maids to support me."
"If I don't follow the ancestral rules and pay my respects to the Empress Dowager, I'm afraid people will criticize me."
"Being pregnant with an heir to the throne is a good thing. I don't want people to think that I am spoiled by your majesty and that I am arrogant and don't even take the Empress Dowager seriously..."
Shen Zhinian's words made sense. Nangong Xuanyu was silent for a moment, then said, "Then take care of yourself."
"I know this."
Before leaving, Nangong Xuanyu glanced at Fuqiu and the others and said, "Take good care of Concubine Rou. If something like this happens again, I will never forgive you!"
No matter what the reason was, the master was injured because the palace servants did not serve him well.
Nangong Xuanyu had been planning to send them to Xinzheku last night, but it was Shen Zhinian who pleaded for them that he changed his plan to fine them two months' wages.
Fuqiu and the others immediately knelt on the ground in fear: "Your servants will serve the queen wholeheartedly and live up to your majesty's trust!"
The emperor did not stop and strode out.
"I respectfully send you off to Your Majesty!"
Handan walked to Shen Zhinian and said, "After the enthronement ceremony, we will go to the Cining Palace to receive instruction from the Empress Dowager. We cannot delay any longer. Let me help you with your makeup."
Shen Zhinian nodded, and with the help of Nanny Lin and Fuqiu, he slowly walked to the bronze mirror and sat down.
Even though Empress Dowager Liu seemed to no longer care about the affairs of the harem, Shen Zhinian knew that she was probably the smartest woman in the palace.
It was the first time to meet at the Cining Palace, so we couldn't be careless. Shen Zhinian said, "Don't draw the tail of your eyes so high, put on a more stable makeup."
The elders don’t like women who are charming and seductive. Those who look mature and steady are more popular in their eyes.
Shen Zhinian knew that Nangong Xuanyu and Queen Mother Liu would have a falling out sooner or later. She didn't need to please them, but she couldn't give people any chance to talk about her in public.
"Yes."
With Handan's skillful hands, Shen Zhinian was quickly dressed up, looking less charming and more dignified than usual.
She got on the warm sedan chair, and the group went to the Cining Palace in a grand procession.
When they met people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs on the way, the leading eunuch immediately stopped and saluted: "May the Empress Roupin be blessed with good fortune and longevity!"
Behind him followed two rows of little palace maids, who looked to be ranging from seven to thirteen years old.
The palace maids of the Great Zhou Dynasty came from three sources: one was the women of officials whose families were convicted of crimes and were sent into the palace as slaves.
The second is the dowry that the concubines brought in when they entered the palace.
The third group were poor women purchased from the public by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The third one is the main source.
These girls who sold themselves into the palace were generally young. They were taught palace rules by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. After passing the test, they were assigned to various places in the palace to work, starting as low-ranking palace maids.
Shen Zhinian only glanced at it, then retracted his gaze and lowered the curtain of the sedan chair: "Let's go."
The young maids who had just entered the palace had not yet been overwhelmed by the strict palace rules, and the rules were not that good. After Shen Zhinian's team left, they whispered to each other and discussed.
"What a magnificent procession. I wonder which young lady just passed by?"
"What young lady? Didn't the nanny who taught us the rules say that only the empress can travel in a sedan chair in the harem? When the eunuch was paying his respects just now, he also said that it was the empress."
"That lady is so beautiful, I thought I saw a fairy!"
"Aren't you talking nonsense? If I'm not pretty, how could His Majesty choose me as his queen?"
"..."
The leading eunuch shouted, "This is a restricted area in the imperial palace, no noise is allowed!"
The young palace maids immediately fell silent.
"The one who just passed by was Concubine Rou."
The eunuch warned: "Not only is Concubine Rou the apple of your majesty's eye, she is also pregnant with the emperor's heir, and is blessed with great fortune. You must be respectful when you see her next time!"
The young palace maids all said in unison: "We will follow the eunuch's instructions!"
One of the palace maids with a more outstanding appearance was Chu Xiyan.
Looking at the colorful banners of the imperial concubine's position gradually moving away, she bit her lip, unable to hide her grief.
Her father and mother died so tragically, but with her current abilities, she has no way of avenging them.
If one day, she could also possess a noble status like Concubine Rou just now, would she be able to kill Concubine Liu with her own hands?
……
Zhongcui Palace and Yonghe Palace both belong to the East Six Palaces. Perhaps it was because of fate that Shen Zhinian's ceremonial procession and Mengpin met unexpectedly.
Shen Zhinian's warm sedan was specially gifted by the emperor. There was a heater inside, so even when traveling in the cold winter, the interior was warm and comfortable.
The sedan chairs that other concubines sat on were made of two long poles on the left and right, with a soft chair and no covering around them. It was hot in the summer and cold in the winter.
Mengpin had always felt that she was inferior to Shen Zhinian in every way, and when she saw that there was such a big difference in the cars they used to travel, her heart was sour and bitter, and she couldn't help but feel jealous.
The baby in her belly is also your Majesty's child! Does your Majesty only care about Roupin's heir and not hers?
However, Mengpin did not lose her mind. Even though she was jealous, she still had a gentle smile on her face: "Sister Roupin is also going to the Cining Palace to pay respects to the Empress Dowager, right?"
"Speaking of which, we sisters both conceived the heir to the throne and were promoted on the same day. It's really fate. I'm so happy to meet you here."
Shen Zhinian's eyes became playful.
No matter how fiercely the women in the harem fought each other in private, they always acted like sisters in harmony. She didn't know what kind of attitude Mengpin had towards her before, but now she knew it.
Nanny Xiao naturally noticed Mengpin's thoughts and said with a straight face, "Madam Mengpin has been serving His Majesty since she came to the palace. She is also an old lady in the palace. How come she still doesn't understand the rules of the palace?"
"The ranking of concubines in the harem is not based on age, but only on their respective positions."
"Although you and our queen are both concubines, our queen has a title. How can you call yourself sister in front of her?"
Mengpin's face darkened.
How could she face people again if she was humiliated by Concubine Rou's servant in front of so many people and this got out?
But Nanny Xiao had served in the imperial court before, and was famous for her good manners. Everything she said made sense, so she didn't dare to refute her.