Chapter 117:

Time flew by swiftly, and those half a month passed in a blink.

Today was New Year’s Eve, naturally a day for gathering together to eat and drink. Even though she was pregnant, she could not be an exception. This tradition of staying up for the New Year must be observed according to the customs.

As for Princess Lolisa of Dewa, it was said that she had already arrived at the capital two days ago and was currently residing in a palace outside the palace complex. It was also said that she had met with Emperor Jing in the morning yesterday. Unless something unexpected happened, Lolisa would attend tonight’s banquet as well.

It was rather amusing.

The women in the palace had always been competing with each other, but these days they were unusually united. It was understandable, after all, Lolisa was not a native, but she was the Dewa princess, whose noble status was incomparable to theirs.

Yesterday, someone came to Qing’an Palace for idle chatter, subtly attempting to stir up trouble. Naturally, being pregnant, if she had made a scene, it would have been most effective. However, Lian Layue merely smiled faintly without responding, until the speaker left in disappointment.

If there was one major change brought about by the incident a few months ago, it was the transformation of two people. One was Emperor Jing, who had become much stricter towards the harem and no longer showed any warmth in his words or expressions. The other was Concubine Chun, who had been somewhat domineering before, but not as much as now, when she exuded an air of complete control. If anyone provoked her, she would certainly be scolded.

Some said she was becoming arrogant because of her pregnancy and the emperor’s favor, but there was nothing they could do about it. The emperor approved of her, so even if others disliked her, it was of no use. Moreover, judging by the current situation, once she gave birth to the child, it was certain that she would be promoted to the rank of consort.

All the women in the palace knew that when their status was low, it was relatively easy to be promoted. However, the higher they went, the more difficult it became. Take the Four Consorts, for example. Unlike other ranks, there could only be four of them at the same time.

The former Virtuous Consort and the Deceased Consort were now past their prime, and none of the Four Consorts remained. Looking at Emperor Jing, it seemed he had no intention of promoting Consort Hui and Consort Qi. Everyone was now watching to see whether Concubine Chun could surpass the two of them in one fell swoop and ascend directly to the rank of one of the Four Consorts.

“Your Majesty, Concubine Xu requests an audience.”

Concubine Xu was the one who had accompanied the emperor to the autumn sacrifice at the Temple of Heaven. Since returning to the palace, she had also received much favor. Everyone now knew that the emperor’s tastes were not like those of ordinary men. He might not necessarily appreciate the traditional beauty of the Nan Qin country.

The women he favored always had something special about them: Shen Layue’s fiery spirit and Concubine Xu’s gentle demeanor.

Even when the former Deceased Consort and Consort Qi were favored, it was because of their gentle and considerate nature.

Since returning from the sacrificial ceremony at the Temple of Heaven, Concubine Xu had frequently visited Layue, often discussing health and wellness practices. Layue observed her carefully and found that she appeared to harbor no ill intentions. Since she meant no harm and could often keep her company, Layue did not treat her coldly.

Concubine Xu was also respectful, performing a proper bow before sitting at the corner of the heated brick bed after Layue invited her to rise.

Layue teased with a smile, “Little sister, you’ve chosen a good time to come. Tonight is the banquet, and I suppose everyone is preparing in their palaces.”

Actually, Concubine Xu was older than Layue, but Layue’s rank was much higher than hers. Since Xu called herself “younger sister,” Layue did not say much about it.

Concubine Xu smiled playfully, “I know, elder sister, you must have already prepared everything. Otherwise, I wouldn’t dare to come and disturb you.”

Seeing her like this, Layue raised her eyebrows, “Little sister, you’re clever, but even if I’m ready, don’t you need to prepare?”

The two were just joking around.

Concubine Xu shook her head with a smile, “Actually, who hasn’t prepared? It’s not like the notice was given yesterday. If you still feel unprepared today, you just want everything to be perfect.”

Layue nodded in agreement.

She didn’t understand why Concubine Xu wanted to befriend her, but since she seemed to have no ill intentions, Layue didn’t want to treat her coldly. If one considered her past experiences, Concubine Xu was actually not a bad person.

As the two were chatting idly, Apricot lifted the curtain and entered, with Qiaoning at the door.

“Your Highness, Qiaoning is here. You just said you wanted to eat some hibiscus shrimp balls, and Qiaoning has already prepared them.”

Layue smiled with her eyebrows curved, nodded slightly, and Qiaoning entered.

On the delicate small plate were emerald-green vegetables, adorned with golden-yellow shrimp balls nestled among them. It looked incredibly appetizing.

Concubine Xu beside her looked curious. Actually, this dish wasn’t particularly special; the imperial kitchen occasionally made it too. However, looking at the appearance of the hibiscus shrimp, it was even more tempting.

Layue smiled at Concubine Xu, “Since I’ve been pregnant with this child, I’ve been very picky about food every day. Fortunately, Qiaoning is so skillful. Little sister, don’t mind. Qiaoning, go and bring some more for Concubine Xu to taste.”

Concubine Xu repeatedly declined, but Qiaoning still followed Layue’s instructions.

This was indeed not an exceptionally good dish, but seeing Concubine Chun smiling contentedly while eating it, Concubine Xu found herself getting a bit hungry.

After tasting a piece, it was indeed quite good.

It seemed that compared to the imperial kitchen dishes in the palace, Qiaoning’s cooking was more home-style, with less seasoning, making the food taste more natural.

Layue was quick to act, and in no time had eaten the entire plate of hibiscus shrimp balls. She let out a small burp, and Jin Xin quickly brought her some water.

Concubine Xu looked at Layue with envy, “Elder sister, your appetite is truly amazing!”

Concubine Xu was always afraid to eat too much for the sake of her figure.

As for why she suddenly became close to Concubine Chun, it wasn’t really because of what others said or because she saw her receiving favor. It was entirely because of Concubine Chun’s composed and dignified demeanor that day. She was the eldest daughter in her family, but she was never eloquent or articulate. In the past, her parents had always favored her younger brothers and sisters more.

She was practically invisible, never daring to shine as brightly or be as bold and unrestrained as Concubine Chun. She always thought that she should keep a low profile and be more accommodating in everything she did, so that others would like her. It was precisely for this reason that she admired Concubine Chun even more.

She also wanted to get closer to her, because being with such a person always felt refreshing.

Looking at Concubine Xu’s slim figure, Layue didn’t say much. It was natural, after all, in Nan Qin, slimness was considered beautiful. If she said too much, she might make Concubine Xu think she had ulterior motives. In fact, even if she wasn’t pregnant, Layue’s figure was more voluptuous than Concubine Xu’s.

“Every time I want to eat something, I tell myself it’s for the baby inside me.”

Layue smiled gently.

Concubine Xu nodded, “But elder sister, if you eat so much, will you still have room for dinner tonight?”

This question was not malicious, just simple curiosity.

Layue pouted, “Every banquet, the dishes are not served at their best time. Although I can eat a lot, I’m also quite picky!”

The two looked at each other and laughed, as if thinking about the banquet dishes.

The banquet dishes had to travel a long distance, and even with insulated containers, they still weren’t at their best. Furthermore, although the imperial kitchen prepared exquisite dishes, they prioritized elaborate presentation and heavy seasoning, which didn’t align with Layue’s personal taste.

Xu Xiaoyi also knew about this, that the process of serving the dishes would inevitably affect their original flavor.

But Xu Xiaoyi’s rank was not like Layue’s, who had her own small kitchen. Even if she wanted to eat a little extra, she could only have snacks, not banquet dishes.

“I heard that the Dewa princess will also be attending the banquet tonight. I wonder what kind of beauty she is,” Xu Xiaoyi chatted casually.

Everyone was curious about this matter.

The first beauty of Dewa, she must be extraordinary.

“Even if she is a beauty and a princess, what can she do? Once she enters the palace, she is just like us, an imperial concubine of the emperor,” Layue couldn’t understand why these women were so concerned. Even without this Dewa princess, there would always be others. Next year would be the triennial selection again. Who knew what beauties would enter the palace then.

Not to mention others, but the Fu family still had a younger sister who was eligible for selection.

Prime Minister Fu had a younger daughter, born of a concubine. Although she was not as beautiful as Fu Jin Yao, it was said that she was also a charming girl. Next year, she would be fourteen, which was exactly the age for the selection.

After hearing what Concubine Chun said, Xu Xiaoyi thought carefully and realized that it was indeed true.

Originally, they had not seen things clearly enough.

Looking at Concubine Chun again, she was indeed favored by the emperor, always thinking a step ahead of them.

“Sister’s words make sense. Originally, we were just worrying unnecessarily.”

Who wouldn’t worry unnecessarily? Layue laughed.

“How do you know I haven’t worried myself?”

Xu Xiaoyi was startled for a moment, then nodded.

Yes, they were all imperial concubines of the emperor. How could anyone truly be so clear-sighted?

“Concubine Chun, Concubine Chun, we’ve come to see you…” A childish voice came.

Layue smiled slightly and told Apricot beside her, “Quickly go to meet them. The two young princes are coming.”

In the palace, such a childish and carefree voice could only belong to Yan Yu and Yan Jia.

They didn’t have lessons today and were running around freely, not fearing the cold weather at all.

It was indeed strange. Since he had become closer to Shen Layue, Yan Yu’s health had improved significantly, and he no longer suffered from frequent headaches and colds.

This made people marvel even more.

Actually, only Layue herself knew the truth. It was likely that those headaches and colds were just feigned by the little boy himself. Otherwise, how could the emperor have paid attention to him? How could the empress dowager have loved him even more?

Now, the emperor visited him much more frequently, occasionally asking about his studies. How could he have time to pretend to be sick anymore? He was a clever child. Since he realized that his father would often look at him and praise him when he behaved well, it was far more effective than making himself ill.

Moreover, that bitter medicinal broth was not something pleasant to take.

As for Yan Jia, it had only been about three months, and he had already accepted the reality.

If there was one good thing about Consort De being sent to the cold palace, it was the improvement in the relationship between the two children.

Before, because of Consort De’s influence, the two children did not get along well. But since Consort De was gone and Yan Jia moved to Huici Palace, for some unknown reason, Yan Yu had become somewhat kinder and more affectionate towards him.

Yan Jia was also in a fragile state at that time, and the two children ended up playing together. Occasionally, they even got into mischief together.

Although the empress dowager often scolded them for their mischief, she was actually quite pleased in her heart.

The increasingly radiant smile on her face showed that.

It was naturally a good thing for the princes to get along well.