In the early morning, the first rays of sunlight shone into the palace, and the queen's dignified and elegant face was instantly shrouded in warm light.
The queen sat quietly on the phoenix-carved low couch, her chin supported by her fingers, her eyes slightly closed, thinking about what happened last night.
Kunning Palace appears solemn and quiet because of its silence, with only the faint sound of birds and the fragrance of flowers breaking the tranquility.
She was still wearing the nightgown she had changed into last night. It was embroidered with golden phoenix patterns. Even though the style of the dress was simple and the pattern was not complicated, it still made her look even more gorgeous.
She frowned slightly, with a questioning look in her eyes.
The sunlight shone through the window, reflecting a cool light on her shoulders.
Her eyes slowly moved toward the door.
She knew that there were two eunuchs standing there. They were from her palace and her confidants.
At this moment, Vivienne Guan felt an inexplicable impulse in her heart.
Do the two eunuchs at the door also have slightly soft chests? Are all eunuchs like this after becoming castrated?
Vivienne Guan is very patient. Even though she has doubts in her mind, she will not seek confirmation immediately.
But she will keep these doubts in her heart and will not abandon them.
Until the middle of the month.
According to the rules of the harem, the emperor must stay in the queen's palace at the beginning and middle of every month.
The middle of the month.
The autumn rain fell sadly on the eaves of the palace, and the air was filled with a moist scent.
The old stone pillars were stained with quietly dripping raindrops, just like the tear marks left by Vivienne Guan during the time she wasted in this palace.
The empty hall in the palace was even more desolate than the autumn rain.
Vivienne Guan was sitting in the hall dressed in gorgeous clothes, looking elegant and graceful.
But there was a coldness in her eyes, as if no matter how cold the raindrops were, they could not shake her emotions.
The past half month has been extremely torturous for her.
The torment had nothing to do with Eunuch Shao; it was simply because she didn't want to see the emperor again.
Or even if she could meet the emperor, she didn't want the emperor to live such a happy life, and didn't want her fate to be completely controlled by the emperor.
The Queen's Palace stands majestically in the Imperial Palace and is located on the central axis, which is a manifestation of the Queen's status and power.
The furnishings inside the palace also appear extremely solemn and dignified, with a large amount of crimson making the entire palace even more heavy and majestic.
As I sit in this palace, I should have the power that matches it.
Vivienne Guan recalled what her mother had said to her every time she entered the palace. They were nothing more than asking her to be considerate of the emperor, to make some concessions, and to serve the emperor as the only master in the palace. She, the queen, was just a slave of a higher status.
The light from outside the palace shone into the palace through the doors and windows, illuminating the queen's calm and composed face.
Vivienne Guan wore an exquisite bracelet on her wrist. Her slender, white fingers occasionally stroked and gently turned the bracelet.
This action seemed casual, but it revealed her inner hesitation.
There was also a hint of sadness between his brows.
Just at this time, Ruyi came.
It was said that a maid had come from the Empress Dowager's place to convey her oral instructions.
Vivienne Guan was summoned to the meeting.
The nanny was not talking about anything else, but she hoped that the empress would persuade the emperor to treat all the Concub!nes in the harem equally instead of expressing his love to a eunuch all day long.
Of course, what Mammy said was much more tactful.
Even if it's just a euphemism, the underlying meaning is so disgusting.
Vivienne Guan lowered her head and agreed, but the coldness in her eyes became even stronger.
After the nanny left, Ruyi whispered beside Vivienne Guan: "Madam, how come this has fallen on you? Last time, you..."
Although there were no scars on her knees last time, she didn't know how the Empress avoided injuring her knees, but now the Empress was obviously the one who was injured the most, and she had to clean up the mess for the Emperor and make sure that everyone was treated equally.
Ruyi lowered her head.
As a palace maid, there are many things she cannot say, and even cannot think about, but she just feels sorry for her master.
Just when she didn't know what to do and even felt that her master was in dire straits, Vivienne Guan stood up and said, "Ruyi, let's go to the Cining Palace to see the Queen Mother."
Her tone sounded very cold, and her eyes were cold and emotionless.
But Ruyi, who had been with her for a long time, knew that the queen had thought of a way to fight back.
Her mood also brightened instantly, just like a sunny day after the dark clouds dispersed.
She didn't have so many thoughts about right and wrong in her mind. As long as the queen was happy, she would be happy.
The straight palace road is flanked by high palace walls. From a fair distance, one can see the magnificent palace, with the sun shining and dazzling light pouring down.
The palace was quiet, and the only sound was the rustling of skirts across the bluestone floor.
Vivienne Guan walked slowly into the Cining Palace with the dignity and prestige of a queen.
After some greetings, she told the Queen Mother the purpose of her visit.
The graceful and elegant woman sitting in the main seat of the main hall was quite old.
She still wore makeup to hide the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. She raised her eyebrows and looked at the queen with a scrutinizing look: "Are you saying that you want that eunuch to come to your palace?"
Vivienne Guan lowered her eyebrows and said, "As far as I know, when the emperor is with Eunuch Shao, he spends most of his time talking about love and romance. If Eunuch Shao is not with him, the emperor will have more time to handle official business, and he will also call the Concub!nes in the harem to accompany him to kill time."
Before Eunuch Shao came to favor, the emperor treated all the Concub!nes in the harem equally without anyone reminding him. In his words, the harem was full of beauties, so who could he let down?
In this case, the root of the problem still lies with Eunuch Shao.
Since he would confuse the emperor's mind if he stayed by his side, he should be transferred away. Vivienne Guan would not feel at ease no matter where he was transferred to, so it would be better to transfer him to her own palace, which would also make it convenient for her to find out whether Eunuch Shao had any unspeakable secrets.
The Queen Mother agreed to this.
If the emperor was only new for a few days, she would not care, but the emperor had not visited the harem for three or four months. He had been living with a eunuch all day and did not even pay attention to state affairs.
Although the Queen Mother loved and cared about her son, she felt that her son had failed to fulfill his imperial virtues, and it was reasonable for her to discipline and admonish him.
She didn't think it was her son's fault. She thought the eunuch must have used some dirty tricks to make her son unable to leave her side.
Otherwise, could a eunuch really lock up his son's heart?
He is the emperor, so what kind of beauties can he find in his harem? How could he like a eunuch?
She also knew that this queen was not an easy person to deal with.
That would be perfect. Handing those disgusting and filthy people over to the Queen, her daughter-in-law who is not presentable to her, would be best if they could fight each other. The Queen could kill the eunuch, and the beneficiary would ultimately be her own son.
She can be perfectly invisible, so when her son loses his beloved, the only one who will bear the grudge against him is the queen.
"Since you have this idea, and you are wholeheartedly thinking about the emperor, then go ahead and do it." After saying this, the empress dowager picked up the teacup and used the tea lid to gently float the non-existent tea leaves.
This means seeing someone off.
The queen lowered her eyes and smiled: "Mother, if I ask that eunuch to serve in my palace, I am afraid the emperor will not agree."
The Queen Mother paused slightly.
The atmosphere in the air suddenly became tense.
Their eyes met in the air, and the queen lowered her head, looking extremely respectful.
But as soon as she said that, she proved that she was not as submissive as she appeared.
The Queen continued, "My mother came to the palace a few days ago and asked me to persuade her to see the Emperor."
As for what her mother asked her to advise the emperor, she did not elaborate.
The Queen Mother could not help but think in other directions.
The queen's father is not just an official. No official in the court can exist independently without forming alliances or cliques with others.
The Queen's father is one of the most important factions among the civil officials today.
It is not certain how stable the emperor's position is.
He has children and brothers.
Moreover, he did nothing and seemed a bit stupid.
Can such an emperor really hold on to the throne?
The Empress Dowager's own father's family had already been disciplined during the reign of the previous emperor, and they no longer had those prominent positions in the court.
If the emperor cannot hold on to this position, can she, the empress dowager, still hold on to it?
This was the first time the Queen extended her claws to the Queen Mother.
The empress dowager put down the teacup, and the bottom of the tea clinked onto the table with a ding-dong sound, breaking the air that was as condensed as ice.
Finally, the Queen Mother compromised: "Madam Yuan, you go with the Queen and say that I and the Queen have the same intention."
It was impossible to ask her to issue an edict. The most she could do was to add fuel to the fire behind the Queen.
That's enough.
The queen stood up and expressed her gratitude respectfully.
The Queen Mother clearly saw her bending her back, yet it seemed as if her back was always straight.
The Queen came to the Empress Dowager's place but did not stay for too long. After telling the Empress Dowager about the incident, she turned around and went to the Qianqing Palace.
Nanny Yuan followed behind Vivienne Guan, and when she looked up she could see the solemnity and nobility emanating from her.
It was as if it were the pot of peonies that the Empress Dowager carefully tended to, cold and elegant, yet filled with an aloofness that could not be desecrated.
The Qianqing Palace is the most majestic place of imperial power.
The sunlight shone through the gaps in the clouds and hit the tiles on the roof of the Qianqing Palace, like gems falling from the clouds, shining brightly.
In the imperial study, the emperor had already pushed the memorial aside, holding the tribute of golden tangerines in his hand, and smiled at the eunuch beside him who was as thin and tall as a green bamboo, saying: "This is the tangerine that has just been brought into the palace from the south. It tastes sweet and refreshing. Have you ever eaten it?"
A thousand curse words rolled through Aiden Shao's mind.
In modern times, these are just tangerines that cost two or three yuan per pound in the market. She doesn't even want to eat them because she thinks they are too sour.
But at this time she had to lower her head and expose her snow-white neck: "I have never eaten it."
The emperor spread the orange in his hand and stretched it towards Aiden Shao: "This one is a reward for you."
She didn't want it.
But she had to.
She thanked the emperor and stretched out her hand, as if carved from white jade, to take the tangerine from the emperor's hand.
The moment she touched the tangerine, the emperor's hand immediately tightened.
His fingertips brushed across Aiden Shao's palm and were about to hold her hand.
Aiden Shao felt a chill in her heart, she lowered her eyes and suppressed the urge to kill the emperor.
At this moment, the chief eunuch Qian Gonggong came in and said, "Your Majesty, the Empress and Nanny Yuan are here."
The emperor frowned.
Just when I was about to say no, the Queen and Nanny Yuan broke into the imperial study.
Vivienne Guan's gaze instantly froze on the two people's hands that were about to shake hands.
Aiden Shao pretended to be calm, withdrew her hand, took two steps back, turned around and knelt down to salute the queen.
She lowered her head, revealing her snow-white neck, so white that it even dazzled the queen.
The image of Aiden Shao and the emperor about to shake hands flashed through his mind.
Vivienne Guan found it difficult to suppress the nausea that was surging in her heart.
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