12dz Chapter 223 Good thing
Chapter 223 Good thing
Early the next morning, the concubines gathered at Louyue Kaiyun Pavilion.
"Greetings to the Queen!" The concubines saluted in unison, their voices clear and pleasant.
The Queen sat upright on the Phoenix Throne, a symbol of supreme power, with delicate makeup and dignified demeanor. She raised her hand slightly and said gracefully, "Everyone, get up!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The concubines thanked her in unison before standing up and sitting down.
The Queen said with concern, "The weather has been a bit chilly these days. You should take good care of yourselves and avoid catching a cold."
"Thank you for your concern, madam."
After the polite words were spoken, the hall suddenly fell into silence.
An Lingrong braced herself, trying to maintain a semblance of spirit, but her heart was filled with impatience. She frowned slightly, secretly wondering when this long-winded scene would end. She only wished she could return home quickly, tuck herself into her soft bed, and catch up on some sleep.
The Queen's gaze slowly swept over the crowd below, a bitter feeling welling up in her heart. When Concubine Qi was around, her fawning words, tinged with flattery, though somewhat contrived, made her feel respected. Now that Concubine Qi was gone, suddenly no one in this vast harem went to such lengths to please her.
After a moment's silence, the Queen cast her gaze upon Zhen Huan's belly and asked with a smile, "Wanpin, are you feeling well these days?"
Zhen Huan bowed slightly and replied respectfully, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am doing well."
The Queen nodded and then asked, "Calculating it, the due date is still more than two months away, right?"
"Exactly."
"Then has the Ministry of Internal Affairs already made all the preparations?"
This question was directed at Shen Meizhuang.
Shen Meizhuang replied calmly, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I will personally take care of the arrangements and ensure that everything goes smoothly."
She has not forgotten what happened when she gave birth. This time when Zhen Huan gave birth, she must be extremely careful.
Hearing Shen Meizhuang's words, the Queen nodded in satisfaction and praised: "Thank you for your hard work, Concubine Hui. You have always been calm and reliable in your work. This palace is naturally very relieved about this."
"Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty!" Shen Meizhuang said, "I have something to report to Your Majesty!"
"you say!"
"A few days ago, I found the account books left behind by the former head of the Imperial Household Department, Huang Guiquan. I also checked the current inventory and discovered that a large amount of tea and silk was mismatched. As I had said before, I didn't want to make a big fuss about this matter, so I sent people to search the rooms of the eunuchs involved. Unexpectedly, they discovered that Jiang Zhongmin had forced some young eunuchs to stay in his rooms as pedophiles. This is a heinous crime, truly outrageous. I have sent him to the Ministry of Punishment for severe punishment. I have also discussed with the Emperor and have decided to transfer Deputy Head of the Imperial Household Department, Liang Duorui, to take over the position of Head of the Imperial Household Department."
After hearing this, the Empress's originally dignified and calm face instantly darkened. Jiang Zhongmin was someone she had worked so hard to promote, but she had never expected him to be removed so easily. However, Concubine Hui had a well-reasoned argument and had made a clear case in front of the Emperor, so there was no point in her saying more.
The Empress suppressed her displeasure and slowly spoke, "I haven't been feeling well lately. Since Concubine Hui has made her decision, then everything will be left to her! However, the affairs of the harem are complex and require strict management. The Emperor has many things to attend to during his reign, so we must not disturb him with these trivial matters."
Shen Meizhuang wanted to roll her eyes. If I don't go to the Emperor, will it be of any use if I go to you? Taking advantage of the time to drink tea, she suppressed the disdain on her face and said lightly, "The Empress is right. This is a bad habit that the servants in the palace have had for many years. I will strictly enforce the palace rules in the future, correct their previous bad habits, and not cause trouble to the Emperor and the Empress."
The Queen was such an intelligent person that she could naturally understand the deeper meaning of Shen Meizhuang's words - wasn't this a hint that she, the Queen, condoned the people under her command to abuse their power?
Instantly, the Queen felt a burning sensation on her face, a genuine sense of embarrassment. But she had long held a high position, and despite her deep wrath, she maintained her graceful demeanor, responding with a forced smile, "Seeing Concubine Hui handling palace affairs with such ease reminds me of the elegant manner in which Imperial Noble Concubine Dunsu governed the harem!"
Shen Meizhuang ignored the sarcasm in her words and smiled slightly, saying, "Your Majesty, your words are too kind. I do not deserve them. Back then, Imperial Noble Consort Dunsu governed the harem with ruthless methods, and everyone in the harem admired her. I can't even begin to compare to her. On the other hand, the Empress is kind and benevolent, and her example has naturally led to the obedient and loyal servants. I still have a lot to learn from her."
"It is my great fortune to have Concubine Hui helping me manage the harem!" The Queen stopped arguing with her and instead put on a brilliant smile and said, "I have something happy to tell you."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone turned their eyes to the queen.
Except An Lingrong.
Good things for the queen are bad things for them.
Sure enough, the Queen's voice came faintly: "There are not many concubines in the palace now. The Emperor and I have discussed selecting a few women of appropriate age from the families of the meritorious officials who contributed to Prince Dun's recent mission to enter the palace as concubines. The Emperor has already selected the candidates, and we will begin to make arrangements after returning to the Forbidden City."
"Yes!"
An Lingrong instantly perked up. Oh, is her nemesis coming? That would be an interesting day!
"Concubine."
Hearing that there was a new person entering the palace, Zhen Huan felt a little sad. Suddenly, she heard her own name, and she gathered her emotions and stood up to respond, "Your Highness is here."
"You are also the daughter of a meritorious official. The Emperor and I have discussed promoting you to consort. The imperial edict will be issued shortly, and the canonization ceremony will be held upon our return to the Forbidden City."
Zhen Huan was delighted and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty, and thank you, Your Majesty!"
Looking at the concubines with different expressions below, the queen continued: "You are all veterans in the palace. You must get along well with your new sister in the future. Only when the harem is stable can the emperor feel at ease in the front court!"
"Thank you for your teachings, Queen."
"The Emperor will return in five days, so you should pack up first!"
"Yes!"
After paying their respects, they left Louyue Kaiyun Pavilion together and said a few words of congratulations to Zhen Huan.
An Lingrong thought for a moment and then moved closer to Feng Ruozhao and said, "Sister Jingfei, are you busy today?"
Feng Ruozhao smiled and said, "No matter how busy I am, I am not as important as you. Is there something wrong?"
"I want to go to your place to play for a while, Sister Zhen and Sister Mei, come with me!"
"Okay!"
Zhen Huan said, "I won't go. When the imperial edict comes, I will go back and prepare to receive it."
"OK then!"