OBS Chapter 144: Concubines’ reaction to the conspiracy (revised)
Chapter 144: Concubines’ reaction to the conspiracy (revised)
In the Yongshou Palace of the East and West Six Palaces, Imperial Concubine Nianhulu was discussing with Nanny Qin the reason why Princess Shi Er entered the palace.
After hearing her master's guess, Nanny Qin nodded.
"I think your conjecture is correct. Although the emperor's mind is hard to predict, his fatherly love for the prince is beyond doubt. I just wonder what position the Second Princess Shi will hold when she enters the palace."
Imperial Concubine Nianhulu lowered her eyes and scraped the tea bowl leisurely, her tone nonchalant.
"After the selection was over, I presented the proposed positions of the concubines to the emperor, and proposed that one as a noble lady. I also tried to ask the emperor if it was suitable. The emperor did not answer, but only asked him to take a look first."
Nanny Qin laughed when she heard this:
"It's approved, Madam. If the Emperor really has any objections, he can just say it on the spot. He said that it will be done according to your wishes. With such a sister, it is already generous of you to give her a noble position."
Concubine Niuhulu didn't say anything, but she felt the same way in her heart. At this time, a young eunuch ran in from outside the door in a panic, knelt down with a plop and reported:
"Your Majesty, the imperial edict has come out. Naragegege has been canonized as a concubine, Wusugege has been canonized as a concubine, Sugege has been canonized as a concubine... Shiergege has been canonized as... as..."
Imperial Concubine Nianhulu frowned. The positions of the previous few people were the same as those she had decided, but why did she not say anything when it came to Princess Shi Er? For some reason, she had a bad feeling in her heart, and she looked up and put down the tea bowl heavily.
Nanny Qin frowned and scolded:
"You little dog slave, how dare you tease the queen? Tell me, what position was given to Shi Ergege?"
The young eunuch fell to the ground, his forehead touching the cold ground, and his body trembled. The next moment, he closed his eyes and shouted:
"Empress Xian, Princess Shi Er was canonized as Empress Xian."
Quiet, deathly quiet.
Concubine Nianhulu felt as if she was slapped in the face without being seen. She was dizzy and blurted out words in disbelief.
"Impossible, absolutely impossible. Concubine Xian is a concubine. How could the emperor confer a concubine title on Shi Rongyue just to slap her in the face?"
Nanny Qin also wondered if she had heard it wrong, but after confirming again and again, she was sure that she had heard it right. The person was the one who was canonized as Empress Xian. The next moment, she didn't care about the pain in her face and immediately looked at her master with concern.
As expected, I saw that the master's expression had become gloomy, his eyes were not as calm as usual, and his tone was chilling to the bone.
"Investigate, investigate immediately. If you can't find anything, take them all to the Ministry of Punishment to do hard labor!"
In Yikun Palace, Concubine Guo Luoluo also received the news. The hand holding the pen froze, and a ball of thick black ink dripped onto the paper. A page of palace rules that was almost fully copied was immediately destroyed. She suddenly looked up and stared at the nanny who reported the news.
"Empress Xian, it's actually Empress Xian. She was a concubine the moment she entered the palace. Until now, only Empress Xiao Zhao has had this honor in the emperor's harem. Even Empress Xiao Yi entered the palace as a princess. Does the emperor like her so much?"
At this moment, she remembered something and smiled self-deprecatingly on her expressionless face, but there was no smile in her eyes:
"Then when she enters the palace, shouldn't I still call her—sister?"
"Your Majesty..." Nanny Wang wanted to comfort her but didn't know how.
Guo Luoluofei held the pen tightly, her eyes full of redness. After a while, she suddenly sneered:
"That person used me as a stepping stone to secretly join the Emperor. I acknowledge it, but does Imperial Concubine Niuhulu acknowledge it?"
Nanny Wang perked up, and her pupils suddenly shrank as she suddenly thought of something.
Concubine Guo Luoluo put down her pen and turned her gaze towards the Yongshou Palace.
"When Empress Xiao Zhao was crowned as the empress, she summoned that person to stay in the palace. At that time, the emperor often went to Kunning Palace, and Concubine Niu Hulu, who had not yet entered the palace, could often see the emperor. Unexpectedly, Empress Xiao Zhao suddenly died half a year later, and that person entered the palace within two years."
A sarcastic arc crossed her lips.
"Now is not the time to conquer the world. Manchu nobles have fewer opportunities to make contributions and have set their sights on the emperor's harem. Once the elder sister dies, they will send the younger sister to the palace to continue to win glory for the family. We have several "sisters" in the palace. It has become a routine. Didn't Concubine Niuhulu enter the palace as the "sister" of Empress Xiaozhao?"
"Your Majesty, the death of Empress Xiaozhao is a matter of great importance..." Nanny Wang hesitated. That matter was just a guess made by her master after she accidentally discovered a clue. There was no evidence at all.
Concubine Guo Luoluo turned back and looked at Nanny Wang, saying nonchalantly:
"What are you afraid of? I am not using this incident to overthrow the one in Yongshou Palace. I am just telling you that her purpose in entering the palace is different from mine. She is sincere to the emperor. I am kind enough to help her, so she should thank me."
After saying this, she regained her usual composure, picked up the pen again to copy the palace rules, and ordered without even looking up:
"If you tell the one in Yongshou Palace about the affair between the emperor and that girl, she will definitely be upset. We just need to sit tight and watch the Diaoyutai."
Nanny Wang no longer hesitated.
"Yes, I will arrange it now."
In Yonghe Palace, Concubine De held the teacup tightly in her hand and said in a low voice after a while, "That time, I was tricked by that person."
Nanny Cui looked solemn.
"My queen, that young lady was able to plot against you and Concubine Guo Luoluo when she was a concubine. Now she has been named Concubine Xian. We have to be on guard."
"We have to be on guard, but there must be some hidden secret." Defei said after thinking for a moment.
"Hidden secret?" Nanny Cui frowned and said, "I'll have someone investigate right away." After saying that, she turned around and was about to leave.
"Wait." Concubine De called out to Nanny Cui.
"Miss?"
Concubine De narrowed her eyes.
"We haven't heard anything about it, which means even if there is something hidden, it has been silenced. Rather than alerting the enemy, we should find another way."
Aunt Cui cheered up.
"What do you mean, empress?"
"Isn't that eldest sister going to marry the fourth brother soon?" Defei said indifferently.
Aunt Cui pondered: "You mean to start with Princess Shi? But don't you hate her?"
Concubine De put down the teacup and wiped her mouth with a handkerchief.
"It's a different time now. Her relationship with the fourth brother is a foregone conclusion. The most important thing now is to find out who the Empress Xian is."
“But… the Fourth Prince was disliked by the Emperor and rejected by his brothers, so he must hate that person very much. If we get in close contact…” Nanny Cui hesitated.
Concubine De's voice turned cold:
"That's what the fourth brother deserves."
"Yes, I understand."
Concubine Hui and Concubine Rong were shocked when they received the news, but they did not act rashly. However, other concubines below the rank of concubine were somewhat agitated.
Changchun Palace.
"Puff!" A mouthful of blood spurted out of Concubine Ping's mouth, and her body fell backwards. Xinyue quickly supported her master and screamed:
"My lady, are you alright? I'll call the imperial physician now!"
Concubine Ping spat out a mouthful of blood, but she felt better. She leaned on Xinyue, stared at Xinlian, and asked word by word:
"Slave, didn't you say that it must be of a low rank? Ah, if Concubine Xian is of a low rank, then what am I?"
"I deserve to die, I deserve to die." Xinlian knelt on the ground and kowtowed for mercy.
Concubine Ping had no strength in her body. She thought that she couldn't fight him. Her anger was rising, but she couldn't vent it. Suddenly she thought of something. She looked at the Buddha who was emitting golden light, pointed at it, and ordered with gritted teeth:
"Come here, remove all the incense on the table, and scrape off all the gold on the Buddha statue."
She was the first to learn about the incident between Tong Jia Wanru and that Shi Da Gege that day.
She thought that the Buddha had heard her prayers, so she burned a few more incense sticks, hoping that the Buddha would make something happen to Shi Nanxi, whom she hated the most.
As a result, after hearing the news yesterday that Shi Nanxi passed the re-election, I now heard that she was canonized as Empress Xian by the Emperor!
What a lousy Buddha!
"Miss!"
The palace servants were shocked and felt uneasy. This was the Buddha. Why would the Queen give such an order? Even when she was angry in the past, she would never do this!
Concubine Ping wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and said bitterly:
"I have been begging for so long, but the little prince has not recovered and has become even worse, while that little bitch has risen to prominence. This Buddha is of no use at all!"
The others were still hesitant and hesitated to move, which made Concubine Ping even more furious.
"My words are useless, why don't you retreat now!"
"Yes, yes, empress."
……