This house also sent Gu Chang’an away. Seeing her leaving the Xianfu Palace gate, Concubine Shu came up and asked, “Why did you say so much to her? You obviously care a lot.” “If I treat her better, the Empress Dowager will remember the time when she ignored me that day. Judging from my attitude today, I will definitely urge the Emperor to come often in the future. If it comes to it, the Emperor and the Empress Dowager will probably hope that I can treat her better.” Concubine Jing smiled and said.
After hearing this, Shu Guipin smiled, “I think why you treat her so well suddenly? It turns out that she is still for the sake of the emperor, so I will feel at ease.”
Shu Guipin put the teacup on the table and stood up, “You have a good rest so that you can have the energy to clean up those who are not pure minds. I will return to the palace now.” Knowing that she is really leaving, Concubine Jing will not keep her like this.
After seeing off Concubine Shu, Concubine Jing called Yihuan, the confidant palace maid. Concubine Jing frowned and said, “Tell me.”
Yihuan lowered her head and replied, “Empress, Ran Dong secretly went to see Liu Zhaoyi.”
Concubine Jing’s eyes were dim and she asked, “Do you see it really?”
Concubine Jing nodded and replied seriously, “I saw it clearly. The lights were turned off last night, and the palace gates were locked. Ran Dong went out of the corner gate from our palace path to Huaqing Palace. It was vaguely seen that Wufu beside Liu Zhaoyi led her away. I asked Zhixia to follow her all the way last night. It would be impossible to be wrong.”
Concubine Jing looked up at her and said, “Did you see it?”
Yihuan replied respectfully, “Empress, you can rest assured that you did not see it. Liu Zhaoyi was afraid of attracting people, so she did not ask Ran Dong to go to her palace, but went to the pavilion in the middle of the lake next to the imperial garden. The night was always secluded and no one would come over.” Concubine Jing naturally knew that Liu Zhaoyi was thinking about something shameful in her heart, but she wanted to know what Ran Dong in her palace could tell her and whether she would lose her words.
Seeing that she didn’t speak, Yihuan thought about it and continued, “Zhixia didn’t dare to get too close. She only vaguely heard Wufu say that Liu Zhaoyi agreed to Ran Dong and asked her to serve you.”
Concubine Jing sneered and said disdainfully: “If Liu Chuying really has such ability, how can she not fulfill herself first? Ran Dong has never been the one who I am serving. I want to see how big the waves I can make!”
When Yihuan heard it, she hurriedly agreed: “How could Liu Zhaoyi have such ability? She can sit in her current position, but it is not entirely up to her person who looks like her.”
Concubine Jing did not comment, and took the handkerchief handed over by Yihuan, cleaned her hands, got up and walked into the inner hall, and ordered as she walked, “I won’t tell her to come.”
Yihuan bowed and responded, called Ran Dong, and helped Concubine Jing to the inner hall.
QuietThe concubine sat lazily on the red sandalwood carved fine wooden imperial concubine’s couch in the Dongnuan Pavilion, putting one hand on the Taotie pattern jade Ruyi pillow, and leisurely plucking the carved coral pear wood wool box on the desk with the other hand. There were several sets of three-inch long armors of different styles lying inside.
The palace maid Ran Dong had been kneeling in front of Concubine Jing for a long time. Concubine Jing was still in a leisurely manner. She fiddled with the armor, ignored her, and chose a set of ruby-wrapped silk-wrapped gold armor, and put it on it carefully, just setting off Concubine Jing’s outfit today.
Everyone in the inner hall held their breath and condensed their energy. In the past, if Concubine Jing summoned someone to come, but treated him so coldly, then he would definitely have made a mistake and suffered.
Randong’s knees were already numb. Concubine Jing didn’t speak, and she didn’t dare to speak.
Concubine Jing raised her eyes and said to Yihuan, who was beside her, “I chose this today, but it’s quite a match. I changed to Ming to let the Ministry of Internal Affairs come over with a pair of glass. I think it’s better. By the way, have the sweet soup and osmanthus cake made in the kitchen delivered to the emperor?”
After hearing Jingfei’s words, Yihuan stepped forward and went to the box on the table to collect the next word. He then said while reciting, “I just made it and sent it to you. It’s a coincidence that the emperor came back from the morning court.”
Concubine Jing smiled and nodded slightly, “It’s a good job, I deserve a reward.”
After hearing Concubine Jing’s words, Yihuan glanced at Ran Dong, who was still kneeling on the ground, and said intentionally: “The emperor has always liked the food made in our small kitchen. He comes to us every now and then to talk to the empress. Even the empress dowager is concerned about the empress.” After that, Yihuan took the box and handed it over to Zhixia.
Ran Dong heard a trembling whole body, and felt more and more uneasy in her heart. She looked at Concubine Jing but didn’t dare to speak even if she died.
Concubine Jing stroked the ruby-wrapped gold armor, raised her hands and measured it carefully, and sneered, “You can speak, but others don’t take this noble and favor from this palace seriously.” After that, she paused and said, “But it really doesn’t have to take it seriously, it’s not a rare thing.”
Yihuan smiled and said, “Who in the palace dares not take you seriously, Empress, you’re seriously? Since the emperor of the six palaces has been given to the emperor, this flattering person will break through the threshold of our Xianfu Palace. This month, the emperor has been staying in our palace the most days. Who can be like Empress?” Yihuan finished speaking, with a proud look on his face, turned his head to Ran Dong and said, “Ran Dong, do you think so?”
Ran Dong’s face darkened, and he lowered his head and said tremblingly, “Of course… the Empress is the most noble and favored in the palace.”
Concubine Jing snorted coldly, and her sharp eyes fell on Ran Dong, but she still said with a smile: “There are two empress dowagers above. I am not the most noble in the harem. Why don’t you dare to raise your head and go back and forth to the palace?”
Ran Dong’s heart sank, and she still raised her face slightly, looking a little pretty but also a little immature. At this moment, her face showed a pitiful look, which made Concubine Jing feel more and more angry when she saw it, but Concubine Jing still had a gentle look, and there was no trace of it.
Although Ran Dong was not serving Concubine Jing close to him, she also knew Concubine Jing’s usual temperament. The more she was calm, the more she knew something. Ran Dong only buried her head lower, suppressing her guilty heart, and replied respectfully: “When I say the Empress, I dare not be disrespectful.”
Concubine Jing snorted coldly, with a very disdainful voice as cold as ice, and the words she said were like swords lying across Ran Dong’s neck. “Respect, you are really loyal to me, and you will always think of me, thinking of why I can still sit in Xianfu Palace every day, manage the harem every day, and press you every day!”
Ran Dong’s heart sank, knowing that the private date between Liu Zhaoyi had long been revealed.
Ran Dong’s body couldn’t help but tremble, and hesitated, “I…How dare…How dare…Think like this!”
Concubine Jing’s eyes were full of brilliance, and her red lips rose: “I don’t have time to spend more time with you. How can people speak in Xianfu Palace? You should know better than me.”
Ran Dong was limp all over, and she had no idea at this moment, but if she told the matter out, the ending would probably end even more miserable. Ran Dong was shaking and said in a trembling voice: “I…I don’t understand what the lady means…”
Concubine Jing sneered and glanced at her and said to Yihuan, “Go and prepare.”