dognovel Chapter 222 What should I send as a gift?
Chapter 222 What should I send as a gift?
The figure in bright yellow stepped straight into the bedchamber, and Hua Yan and the others immediately fell silent, rose, and bowed respectfully.
Consort Chun raised her eyes and met the Emperor's gaze. A look of surprise flashed in her eyes, along with a hint of joy.
The Emperor casually picked up a kite-shaped sachet from the kang table, a strange light flashing in his eyes. "Wan'er is indeed surrounded by many talented people. The black bird pattern on this sachet is exquisitely embroidered."
Consort Chun curtsied and said, "Your Majesty, may you be well. Hua Yan is very skillful; all the handkerchiefs and sachets I use are made by her."
The Emperor sat leisurely on the low table, staring at Hua Yan for a long while before saying:
“Such exquisite embroidery would be wasted if made of ordinary fabric. Jingming, tomorrow go to the private treasury and fetch a few bolts of tribute satin to send to Consort Chun’s palace.”
After saying this, he reached out and pulled Consort Chun into his arms. "In a few days it will be Wan'er's birthday. I had already ordered the Imperial Household Department to make palace clothes for Wan'er. Why don't we take advantage of this and have Consort Meng make them?"
Consort Chun's cheeks flushed crimson. "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. However, the palace servants in the Imperial Clothing Bureau are also very dedicated. It might be inappropriate to abruptly take away their duties."
"Your thoughts are always thoughtful; it's admirable that you can be so considerate of the palace servants below you." The Emperor's tone was slightly appreciative.
Mengzhu led Donggua and the others out of the bedroom with a bow, and soon presented them with two cups of milk tea and several plates of exquisite pastries.
Having mentioned the Imperial Clothing Bureau earlier, Consort Chun briefly discussed some trivial matters concerning the six bureaus of the inner palace with the Emperor, and then personally served him milk tea. "Later this afternoon, Imperial Physician Sun went to the Empress's palace to take her pulse. I wonder how the Empress is feeling?"
The Emperor frowned slightly and said calmly, "It's alright."
Just after leaving Renming Hall, the Emperor summoned Imperial Physician Sun for questioning and already knew the reason for the Empress's abnormal pulse.
"The Empress needs to rest and recuperate. If Wan'er has any questions about matters in the inner palace, she can go to Shou Kang Palace to discuss them with the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager has been frequently worshipping Buddha lately, and her health has become increasingly thin. I am truly worried about her."
Hua Yan sat quietly on an embroidered stool on one side of the bedchamber. She was not surprised to hear the emperor's words. The Great Zhou Dynasty had always valued filial piety, and the emperor had always respected the Empress Dowager Zhou.
With two empress dowagers coexisting, Empress Dowager Zhou, as the late emperor's empress, held the most prestigious position in the harem. However, she was not the emperor's biological mother, making her situation rather delicate. Therefore, she chose to keep a low profile and stay out of worldly affairs.
However, for Consort Chun, who was temporarily in charge of the affairs of the six palaces, it was quite a tricky situation. She had to be meticulous in every aspect and not allow anyone to find fault. In particular, she could not afford to be negligent in the Cining Palace.
Consort Chun replied softly, "Your Majesty, I understand. You can rest assured."
It was getting late, so Hua Yan took her leave first, while Meng Zhu and the others helped the Emperor and Consort Chun to rest.
......
The next day, at dawn, the Emperor left Huining Palace and went to Taiji Palace for the morning court session.
After the Emperor left, Hua Yan went to Consort Chun's palace to pay her respects. When she entered the inner room, she saw Aunt Mei tidying the bed. The jade cicada given to her by Madam Su was quietly placed on one side of the bed. Aunt Mei was cautious in her work, and so far only she and Hua Yan knew about the mystery of the jade cicada.
After finishing her makeup, Consort Chun pulled Hua Yan to have breakfast together.
During the banquet, seeing Hua Yan staring intently at her, Consort Chun asked curiously, "What's wrong with you today?"
Hua Yan feigned distress, "Last night I was thinking about what to give Your Highness on your birthday."
Consort Chun joked, "Just have Donggua pack you up and carry you to my palace under the moonlight. That would be the best birthday gift."
These words made Mengzhu and the others chuckle. Aunt Mei also laughed and said, "It's getting more and more outrageous. But on Her Majesty's birthday, I wonder if the old lady and the madam will be able to visit her in the palace."
Ruizhu said, "I think His Majesty will definitely not forget. He might even send palace servants to the Marquis's residence to fetch the old lady and the madam early on."
After breakfast, it was already 3:45 AM. Consort Chun took the tea that Mengzhu brought her to rinse her mouth. Looking at the dishes that were almost untouched, she said slowly, "Aunt Mei, take Mengzhu and the others downstairs for lunch."
Hua Yan gently helped Consort Chun out of the bedchamber and slowly walked along the covered corridor toward the main hall.
Along the way, Consort Chun gently patted Hua Yan's arm, "Don't worry, 'take care of yourself,' I always remember my mother's advice."
Hua Yan smiled, pursing her lips.
......
At 9:00 AM, Lady Chen, wife of the Duke of Qing, entered the palace with her daughter. To Hua Yan's surprise, the Empress Dowager sent someone to Huining Palace to summon Consort Chun to Cining Palace for an audience.
Since the imperial decree did not mention Hua Yan, Consort Chun took Meng Zhu and Aunt Mei to Cining Palace.
After Consort Chun left, Hua Yan's heart was in her throat.
Cining Palace.
Empress Dowager Jiang and Lady Chen had not seen each other for over ten years, and they got along very well. Qing Zhifei stood behind Lady Chen, quietly listening to her mother and the Empress Dowager reminisce...