The Job of an Imperial Concubine

Chapter 87

Zhuang Laoyan felt that Noble Lady Qian held an inexplicable enmity against her. However, the other party did not reveal this on her features at all. The three women made their way toward the imperial gardens, merely talking about unimportant matters.

“Never had this concubine imagined that the flowering crabapples would still bloom so beautifully now,” said Noble Lady Qian, gaze falling upon such a flower before her. She appeared to be deeply moved. “Not long after this concubine entered the palace, this concubine could see the crabapples blossom.”

“When this palace entered the palace, it was snowing heavily in the capital. There weren’t such pretty flowers to admire.” A smile graced Zhuang Laoyan’s lips. “At that time, the older female servants brought this palace to Taoyu Pavilion. Coincidentally, this palace saw a branch of plum blossoms peeking through the palace walls. Before this palace could see it more clearly, the older female servants rebuked me. Until now, this palace still remembers what they said. Noble Lady Qian, do you know what it was?”

To which Noble Lady Qian lightly shook her head.

“That older female servant said, ‘Master Zhuang, don’t let your eyes wander. Although those plum blossoms are beautiful, not just anyone can look at them. You have just recently entered the palace, so you have to look less, do less, and listen more.’” Zhuang Laoyan smiled. “This palace had been impetuous and did not take those words to heart. As such, this palace encountered much trouble.”

Noble Imperial Concubine Jiang knew of the time when Zhuang Laoyan had lost favor. She said, “Your Highness is now noble and of high station. Why must you recall those things of the past?”

Zhuang Laoyan glanced at Noble Lady Qian. “That’s right. In front of Noble Lady Qian, how could this palace ruin the mood?”

Noble Imperial Concubine Jiang smiled and sounded her agreement. Then, she continued on Zhuang Laoyan’s topic of conversation.

Noble Lady Qian followed behind the other two women, watching in a detached manner as Noble Imperial Concubine Jiang curried favor with Xianrong Zhao. Her expression was somewhat unsightly. She wasn’t a fool. Naturally, she knew Zhuang Laoyan’s words were meant for her to hear. However, they were all women who served the emperor. Whoever was more noble was merely more favored.

Yesterday, someone was favored. Today, someone else. Who would be favored tomorrow was anyone’s guess.

“What’s wrong, Noble Lady Qian? Did you go silly from looking at the beautiful flowers?” said Noble Imperial Concubine Jiang, turning to her all of a sudden. “The clusters of flowers in the imperial garden are a sight for the eyes. Today, these are beautiful. Tomorrow, there will be ones even more so. Don’t go dizzy from the sight.”

Noble Lady Qian raised her head. She seemed to have seen the ridicule in Noble Imperial Concubine Jiang’s eyes.

After strolling through more than half of the imperial garden, Zhuang Laoyan received Noble Imperial Concubine Jiang and Noble Lady Qian’s respectful send off. Then, she returned to Xihe Palace.  

 While the palace maids helped her change into a luxurious dress, she said, “Later, have the personal kitchen make a bowl of Yulan Magnolia soup.”

Yunxi removed the hanging tassels from her temples. “Your Highness, in a while, you still have to accompany the emperor in watching the swing dances. Why must your hair pins be removed now?”

“What appearance of mine has the emperor not seen?” The corners of Zhuang Laoyan’s mouth curved slightly. She lay down on the chaise lounge. “Come give me a massage. Apart from flowers, the imperial garden doesn’t have much of anything else. Every day, people keep saying the word flower. Now, my vision is going dizzy.”

Yunxi looked all around. Had the other palace maids take their leave. Then she sat on a stool and softly pounded Zhuang Laoyan’s legs as a massage. “This slave knows that Your Highness is annoyed. However, those poets love to use flowers to describe us women. Even the masters of the palace use flowers to secretly mock others.”

“Enough. I will rest for a little while.” Zhuang Laoyan closed her eyes. In her opinion, the women of the imperial harem were not harmless flowers. Rather, they were ferocious animals. If one truly had to describe them as flowers, then it could only be a man-eating flower that was most suitable.

Once she had finished the noon meal, Zhuang Laoyan changed into a wide-sleeved dress with embroidered flowers. Her hair was arranged into a simple slanted bun. Following that, she had people rush her sedan to Qiangzheng Palace.

Although she had stayed in the imperial palace for a year, the number of times Zhuang Laoyan went to Qianzheng Palace could be counted on two hands. From her observations, Emperor Chengxuan did not like summoning imperial concubines to his resting palace. From this, it could be seen that the emperor guarded against others heavily. Not only that, he was a firm person.

Even if he was in the modern world, such a man wouldn’t fall in love with women easily. Much less, this was the imperial harem of ancient times, and this man was an ambitious emperor.

Making her way to Qianzheng Palace in silence, Zhuang Laoyan caught sight of Gao Dezhong standing at the stone steps.

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“This slave greets Xianrong Zhao. His Majesty is waiting for you.” Gao Dezhong stepped forward and saluted her. Smiled. “May Your Highness make haste inside.”

“I’ve troubled Eunuch Gao.” Zhuang Laoyan disembarked from her sedan with the help of Tingzhu’s hand for support. After she had flashed him a smile, she said, “Did His Majesty wait for long?”

Noticing the upset in Xianrong Zhao’s eyes, Gao Dezhong rushed to say, “Your Highness need not worry. His Majesty has just finished the noon meal. You arrived just on time.” Following that, he slightly bowed, escorting her in with his back hunched.

Zhuang Laoyan followed him through the main doors, then through the secondary doors, then through the door of drooping flowers, when the Gao Dezhong in front suddenly retreated to the side. Startled, she stopped in her tracks at once.  

 “What is it? Have you gone silly from the sight?” Feng Jin had his hands clasped behind his back, gaze falling upon Zhuang Laoyan’s dazed appearance. A trace of a smile revealed on his face.

Her emotions were somewhat stirred. For it was the first time she had experienced the treatment a transmigrated female lead would have.

Within the garden hung a swing with flowers adorning it. There were peach blossoms and pear blossoms all around, and from time to time, their petals would fall gently to the ground. The emperor wore a purple brocade robe, standing below a flowering tree. Handsome in a heroic and righteous way, robe billowing in the wind. Such a sight was as beautiful as a painting.

Suppressing the countless typical descriptions used in romantic fiction in her brain, Zhuang Laoyan successfully made her eyes grow red in a natural manner. Like a woman who lost her logic and reasoning because of too many good experiences, forgetting protocol, forgetting her etiquette, she lifted the ends of her dress and rushed to the emperor’s side in two to three steps. Then, she raised her head and gazed at the tree, which had its petals drifting to the ground. “How pretty.” 

A petal fell upon the center of her brows. Afterward, it fell to the ground along with her tilt of the head to see the emperor…

The craftmanship… of the imperial palace’s workers… could practically… make things pass off as real.

For example, how could there be peach blossoms and pear blossoms at this time? Indeed, these were all artificial flowers. These imitation abilities truly put modern people to shame.

Trying her best to maintain a graceful appearance as she brushed away the petals, Zhuang Laoyan gazed at the emperor tearfully, as though she were looking at the most beautiful moment in her life. “Your Majesty, you… I…”

Feng Jin did not care that Zhuang Laoyan had addressed herself as “I.” He merely smiled with his lips shut, lifting and holding the beautiful woman in a princess carry. Softly, he placed her onto the swing, before hugging her from the behind.

“On the day of the Hanshi Festival, We saw you sitting in a corner alone, and thought of how you would look on a swing.” Taking in the faint fragrance of her hair, Feng Jin leaned his head toward Zhuang Laoyan’s left ear and whispered, “We can make up for some of your regrets. But there are others We have no way of compensating for.”

Experts said that speaking into someone’s left ear moved others more than speaking into their right ear did. Not to mention, made said person remember those words. But at this moment, Zhuang Laoyan did not feel moved at all. Rather, she felt terrified. The same kind of fear when a male engineer suddenly wrote a Chiung Yao kind of love poem.  

“This concubine already has no regrets since this concubine can stay by Your Majesty’s side.” The person in his arms lifted her head, her bright appearance reflecting in Feng Jin’s eyes. Perhaps it was because her action of lifting her head had been too quick, but the tears that had originally remained in her eyes flowed down her cheeks.

Raising her arm to wipe those tears away miserably, Zhuang Laoyan hurried to turn her head. “Pollen has fallen into this concubine’s eyes. It’s hard to bear.”

Feng Jin fell into a daze. All of a sudden, he laughed. Released Zhuang Laoyan from his arms. “Beloved Concubine should hold on tightly.” Then he gently pushed her on the swing.

“Ah!” The swing swung forward. In midair, Zhuang Laoyan looked back, a strand of fine, black hair obstructing her face from view. Blushing, she shouted, “Your Majesty, you purposely set this concubine up!”

A mild smile on his face, Feng Jin watched this sight. As the swing descended, he pushed it forward again. “Beloved Concubine is fond of watching the swing dances, but in Our opinion, there isn’t a swing dance as breathtaking as this one.”

 Zhuang Laoyan conformed to the emperor’s thoughts and feigned a frightened appearance. However, she sighed with emotion in her heart. Never had she imagined that the emperor would treat her so lovingly. She had exchanged countless schemes for the emperor to act like this once. Was it worth it?

However, if he treated her so lovingly a few more times, she would definitely break down! In order to act out this show, she had recalled many plots of classical romantic fiction novels. And it was in order to help her act loveable, pure, and agreeable. Now that the emperor grew so loving, she was more frightened than happy.

In this world, there would never be a free lunch. Similarly, Emperor Chengxuan would not act lovingly for no reason.

The empress led a throng of palace maids and court eunuchs to Qianzheng Palace. Before they had stepped through the secondary doors, Gao Dezhong came out to greet them.

“This slave pays respects to Your Majesty the empress.” Whether it was a coincidence or not, he stood just outside the secondary doors.

The empress glanced at him. “This palace wishes to have an audience with His Majesty. May Eunuch Gao go and pass on my message.”

“Reporting to Your Majesty, it is not a good time. Right now, one would fear His Majesty cannot meet with you. If you have anything of importance, this slave will definitely tell His Majesty.” Gao Dezhong saluted her once more. “May Your Majesty the empress forgive me.”

“Since His Majesty is busy, this palace will not make things difficult for you.” The empress smiled. “It’s merely to remind him that at the end of the month, we must make for the farms and perform a demonstration on planting crops. It’s not an important matter.”

“This slave will report this to His Majesty,” said Gao Dezhong, head lowered as he bowed.

The empress nodded. Then she turned around and was about to leave, when her ears caught the laughter of a woman. She could not help but stop in her tracks, and turn around to look in the direction of the palace’s interior. She arched a brow slightly, looking at the submissive-looking Gao Dezhong. He appeared to not want to speak. “Which palace’s imperial concubine is that?”

Gao Dezhong looked up. “Reporting to Your Majesty, perhaps His Majesty summoned a performer of the swing dances.”

Surprised, the empress replied, “His Majesty likes to watch those things?”

“This slave dares not guess His Majesty’s preferences.” Gao Dezhong lowered his head even more. “May Your Majesty please forgive me.”

“This palace merely spoke without thinking. Gongong need not take it to heart.” The empress also realized she had overstepped her authority, removing her prior expression. Following that, she turned around and continued on her way.

Gao Dezhong watched as the empress left, brows twitching. Afterward, he once again lowered his head.

Once they had departed from Qianzheng Palace, Heyu whispered, “Your Majesty, this slave has heard that during the morning, His Majesty’s personal court eunuch passed on a message to Xianrong Zhao. That after the noon meal, she should come to Qianzheng Palace to watch some swing dances. This slave thinks it should be around this time.”

The corners of the empress lips tilted up. “Xianrong Zhao has suffered a lot. It’s not excessive if the emperor dotes on her a bit more. But it’s a mystery whether Noble Consort Shu knows this.”

Heyu smiled with indifference. “This slave is certain Noble Consort Shu knows.”

Climbing off the swing, Zhuang Laoyan noticed that the emperor was full of smiles. With a trembling voice, she said, “Your Majesty, this concubine hasn’t sat on a swing like this for a long time.”

Feng Jin reached out and plucked a petal off her head. “Are you a bit happier now?”

“Your Majesty!” Zhuang Laoyan widened her eyes. As if she hadn’t expected the emperor to know that she hadn’t been in a good mood.

“You are Our woman.” The emperor once again pulled her into his embrace. “And We are you emperor.”

Leaning against the emperor’s chest, Zhuang Laoyan had on a bashful expression. She swept her gaze through the petals on the ground, somewhat curious. How much skill did it take to have these petals fall naturally to the ground?

The emperor really pulling out all the “ML of romance novel” tricks. So out of character LOL

There has to be a reason for this. FJ never does anything without a reason.

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