PNB Chapter 58 Women in the Harem
Chapter 58 Women in the Harem
The following day, before attending court, Li Yuanke issued an edict summoning the princesses of the Donghu and Xiqiang kingdoms to the palace.
The two of them have been learning the rules for more than half a month.
In the afternoon, the Empress convened a meeting, which Shen Shixi also attended. The main purpose was to assign accommodations for the two of them. She wasn't afraid of being accidentally placed in Peach Blossom Village, but it was still a hassle.
"Greetings to Your Majesty the Empress! May Your Majesty be well!" After bowing, everyone took their seats.
Jinzhu and Yulong then performed a grand ceremony for the Empress separately, and their manners were quite proper.
"I summoned you here to let you meet the new concubines and to assign you your living quarters. This year is the first imperial selection, and there are already quite a few new concubines. In addition, two princesses have also come. You will all serve the emperor together. You are all sisters in the harem, and you will be living together from now on. You must get along well."
"Thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty!"
Shen Shixi followed suit and bowed, somewhat annoyed by these formalities.
The Empress said, "There are still a few empty courtyards in the East Garden, though they have fallen into disrepair over the years. One of them is still usable, so let's arrange for Consort Shun to live in Yueyu Pavilion!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Consort Shun, also known as Yu Long, rose to express her gratitude.
Shen Shixi sneered inwardly, picked up her tea, took a sip, and found that this year's melon seed tea tasted good, but she wasn't used to the flavor.
Everyone waited quietly.
The Empress looked at Shen Shixi and said, "Consort Zhao, Consort He and you are old acquaintances. I see that you two are very close, so why don't you stay together? Consort He has come from afar, and I will feel more at ease with you looking after her!"
Jinzhu was overjoyed and looked at Shen Shixi with eager eyes.
But what merit does she possess to share the Empress's burdens?
Shen Shixi said, "Your Majesty, Peach Blossom Valley was where His Majesty lived when he was a prince. As the mistress of the harem, it is your business to arrange for whom to live there. I have no right or qualification to say whether it is acceptable or not! You should ask His Majesty, not me!"
She would move out immediately as soon as someone moved in.
The Empress was taken aback, but she didn't dare to make the decision on her own. "Since Consort Zhao is unwilling, then she will have to make do with Consort Jieyu living in Qiyan Pavilion."
Jinzhu was very disappointed. She glanced at Shen Shixi with some grievance and then got up to thank him.
The Empress and everyone else were very satisfied with what they saw.
Shen Shixi was already favored, and if he joined forces with Jin Zhu, it would naturally make people even more worried.
Emerging from the Empress's palace, Jinzhu hurriedly caught up with Shen Shixi. "Shixi, don't you want me to live with you? Or do you dislike me serving the Emperor alongside you, fearing I'll steal your favor?"
Shen Shixi pulled her hand away from her grasp. "He Jieyu, whoever receives the Emperor's favor, that's who gets it; no one else can take it away."
"Shi Xi, you're blaming me, aren't you? I heard that you and the Emperor were childhood sweethearts, and that the Emperor treats you differently from others. But the Emperor is destined to have many women, and I won't be one more."
None of the women in this harem like you. You must be very lonely there. Now that I'm here, we can be together, and I'll help you! Don't you want to be my friend anymore?
Shen Shixi said, "Consort He, I'm used to being alone in this world. I don't need friends, and I never make friends. You and I are both the Emperor's women, sisters in this harem. We'll have our time to get along in the future."
Jinzhu was very sad. "Shixi, you won't even call me by my name anymore? Can I come visit you to play from now on?"
"You may come when the Emperor is not here, but if the Emperor is present, I do not like to be disturbed!"
After Shen Shixi left, Yu Long came over and sneered, "I thought your sisterly bond was so deep, but it's nothing special. You want to ride on her coattails, but you'd better see if she's willing to let you!"
Jin Zhu sneered, "None of your business!"
Then he left with his men.
Bai Ping accompanied Shen Shixi to the horse park, took Rose out for a walk twice, and then tied it back up.
The head eunuch of the horse stables personally came to serve her. "Consort Zhao, His Majesty has chosen a fine horse for you, selected from among the imperial horses. This servant has been carefully tending to it. Would you like to take a look?"
"Hmm, let me take her out for a spin and build some rapport. Then you can choose a horse for this palace maid, and she can ride with me for a couple of laps."
The chief eunuch had a white horse with black hooves brought over, and Shen Shixi thought it looked quite nice.
The donkey brayed beside her, and she comforted it, "Don't be sad, don't be jealous. No matter how wonderful those other fairies are, you'll always be my most prized donkey!"
Bai Ping, deaf to reason, rode off on a large yellow horse. After a while, Shen Shixi caught up on horseback.
Bai Ping said, "My lady, didn't you have a pretty good relationship with Princess Jinzhu when you were in Donghu? Now that you've entered the palace, why have you become distant from her?"
"Back when I was in Donghu, I was, after all, on their territory. As the saying goes, even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. Think about it carefully, how did she see me when I first arrived in Donghu? It was only after she heard about my identity and the Donghu king treated me with respect that she deliberately tried to please and get close to me."
"Yes, Master also said that the King of Donghu has many wives and concubines, and the mother of Princess Jinzhu is of lowly status and only gave birth to Princess Jinzhu. Both mother and daughter can win the favor of the King of Donghu. Their methods must be extraordinary."
"Yes, I'm most afraid of people like that! Before, when we were outside the palace and there were no conflicts of interest, it didn't matter. But now that we're all in the same place, I'm terrified. These women are all cunning and scheming; I can't outsmart them, so it's better to stay far away."
"What you say is true, Master. In the future, if Princess Jinzhu comes to see you, I will have someone say that you are resting and not to be disturbed."
"Oh, and also, how's it going with having Chaoyu check Song Jieyu's prescription?"
"I found it, copied it by hand, and showed it to Physician Jiang. He said that the prescription is mainly for treating leukorrhea. Taking a small amount is harmless, but one of the ingredients, Cnidium monnieri, has the effect of warming the kidneys and strengthening yang. If taken for a long time, it will harm the fetus."
Furthermore, for some reason, the dosage of Cnidium monnieri in Consort Song's medicine was increased, which suggests that the fetus is in very poor condition.
"Yes, have Chao En try his best to find the culprit, but don't alert them yet. Let's see what Song Jieyu does next!"
"yes!"
That evening, the emperor summoned Consort Shun to his bedchamber.
The plan was to go hunting the next day, but the emperor changed his mind and postponed it to the next day, citing that the noise during the morning court session made him dizzy.
That night, Lady Xue served him in bed again.
Consort Xue was still the most favored concubine in the harem.
"Why has Your Majesty changed your mind again?" Consort Xue asked. "I was all prepared to accompany Your Majesty on the hunt, but Your Majesty is not going. Are you sure you will go tomorrow?"
The emperor changed his itinerary so casually, and no one seemed to find it inappropriate; he was used to doing whatever he pleased.
"Go, just for my beloved concubine's sincerity, I can't refuse. Tomorrow's itinerary will not be changed. Li Fude, have someone make the arrangements!" The emperor tossed the plan to Li Fude and went to the hot springs himself.
Consort Xue came out and instructed an inconspicuous little eunuch, "Have the Imperial Kitchen bring His Majesty a bowl of calming soup. His Majesty is going hunting tomorrow, so he should get a good night's sleep tonight."
The eunuch hadn't gone far when someone emerged from the shadows and followed him.
The next morning, Shen Shixi came to Qifeng Palace to pay her respects. Seeing Li Yuanke sitting at the head of the table, she was somewhat surprised. "This concubine greets Your Majesty and the Empress, wishing you ten thousand blessings and peace!"
"No need for formalities, please take a seat!" Li Yuanke said.
Shen Shixi arrived last. As soon as she arrived, the emperor spoke up, "It was a bit rushed to decide on the autumn hunt today, but it can't be changed. Consort Zhao, Consort Xue, and Consort Shun, the three of you will accompany me. Anyone else who wants to go hunting with me can also volunteer. I don't know your individual riding and archery skills, so I can't name names."