Chapter 901: Chapter 901: Bla Falls from the Sky
Consort Ning quickly said with a smile.
"Noble Consort Xian, you are overthinking it!"
"Though the Empress is still here, isn’t the palace already your domain?"
"I an no harm!"
"If there’s nothing else, I will take my leave first!"
With that, Consort Ning turned around and left.
The Eldest Princess stood by, a bit at a loss.
She looked at her mother, then turned back to glance at her two younger brothers, her eyes filled with reluctance.
Her mother wouldn’t let her play with her younger siblings.
She only wanted her to study well.
But she... felt lonely all by herself!
She didn’t want to do embroidery; she wanted to play with her siblings.
She envied the second sister who could visit Duanning Palace with Consort Hui.
She liked the two younger brothers born to Noble Consort Xian.
She also liked her lively and adorable second sister.
But...
She looked down at herself.
A sense of inferiority rose up, making her feel unworthy!
They were good at everything.
But she, aside from being able to embroider, knew nothing else.
She wasn’t even as good as the second sister in reading, not to ntion other skills!
"Yiming, why haven’t you left yet!" Consort Ning’s tone carried a hint of reprimand.
The Eldest Princess bowed her head, her back slightly hunched, and quickly perford a salute toward Xia Ruqing before leaving.
Xia Ruqing stood in place, watching the mother and daughter as they left.
She felt quite astonished in her heart.
"What kind of matter is this!"
Zi Yue and Zi Su stood by, exchanging glances.
After hesitating for a long ti, they finally spoke.
"My lady... yesterday... was the fifteenth!"
Xia Ruqing was lost in thought, the fifteenth?!
Monts later, she finally ca to a sudden realization.
"The fifteenth!"
The first and fifteenth of the month were the days the Emperor always went to Jiaofang Hall!
Even later, when the Empress fell out of favor.
On that day, the Emperor would stay at Zhaochen Palace without going anywhere else.
But now...
Xia Ruqing started to panic a little.
"I actually forgot about this!"
"Why didn’t you remind
earlier!"
Xia Ruqing looked at Zi Su and Zi Yue.
Zi Su lowered her head, bit her lip, and suddenly looked up.
"My lady, you have nothing to fear!"
"This servant thinks... the Emperor is acknowledging you!"
Otherwise, why would the Emperor not visit before, and suddenly start visiting now!
Xia Ruqing smiled ruefully.
"Acknowledgnt? What acknowledgnt?"
She suddenly rembered sothing, nodded, and seed to understand.
"I finally understand!"
"Recently, the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ gifts, the Imperial Kitchen’s tributes, and even the palace maids and eunuchs of the Imperial Garden, all treat
with such respect when they see !"
"Before, I didn’t feel there was a reason, but now thinking back..."
"It’s likely because of this matter!"
Seeing her master like this, Zi Yue knew she could no longer hide it and nodded.
"Master!"
"After all..."
She struggled to say.
"After all, the Emperor now visits us the most, and you are the most favored!!"
"And... regarding the first and fifteenth, which the Emperor used to avoid, he no longer shuns!"
"So rumors are circulating..."
Xia Ruqing felt both amused and helpless.
"Saying what? That I want to climb to the position of Empress?!"
Heaven knows.
She swore she had never had thoughts about the Empress’s position!
But looking at Zi Yue’s expression, she knew she had guessed right.
She suddenly let out a cold laugh.
"So this is how it is!"
"I was wondering why those people had beco so attentive lately!"
"Just making a few winter clothes, and they even sent hand stoves with covers!"
Sothing that never happened before, now she’s experiencing it.
What’s the saying again?
There’s sothing odd about the abnormal!
Xia Ruqing’s complexion darkened a bit.
"Forget it! I don’t want to think too much!"
"Let’s go back to the palace!"
She commanded, ordering soone to carry her two little white bundles and returned to the residence.
Henger was sowhat dissatisfied, but upon seeing the displeased look on his mother consort’s face, he couldn’t act up.
Yeye remained indifferent.
The two behaved exceptionally well along the way.
After returning to Duanning Palace,
Xia Ruqing held her anger in check and smiled at her two sons.
"Mother now has sothing to attend to! Sister Jiang and Sister Liang will play with you, alright?!"
Henger nodded.
"Okay!"
Yeye copied him.
Xia Ruqing felt relieved and instructed them to take the children away.
And she herself...
Inside the inner chamber.
Her gaze was as sharp as a knife, sweeping over the large and small attendants kneeling beneath her.
Finally, she spoke coldly.
"Speak, what recent rumors have been circulating?"
"Xiao Xizi, you often run about outside, you go first!"
It truly had been a while since she left Duanning Palace.
She had no idea what was happening outside and felt deceived.
Judging by Consort Ning today, these rumors must have already been rampant.
Sure enough.
Xiao Xizi’s face turned pale.
"Noble Consort, you..."
"Speak!"
Xia Ruqing’s face was calm.
Xiao Xizi closed his eyes and gritted his teeth.
"My lady, the rumors say... you are seducing the Emperor, preventing him from going elsewhere!"
"Furthermore..."
"They say... you want to beco the Empress!"
Xia Ruqing had anticipated this answer.
She closed her eyes, slowly digesting the information.
Suppressing the anger in her heart, she let out a cold laugh again.
"Is there anything else?"
Xiao Xizi thought for a mont and shook his head.
"That’s mostly it!"
All those little bits and pieces, they’re just fabrications.
There’s all sorts of talk, but it’s unnecessary to detail them all!
Xia Ruqing lowered her head, composing her expression, then looked toward Zi Yue and Zi Su.
"What about you two?"
The two exchanged a glance.
What they eventually said was mostly the sa as Xiao Xizi.
Essentially that she wanted to be Empress, she was seducing the Emperor, those sorts of things!
Xia Ruqing stood up and walked around, took a long breath, and coldly laughed.
"Empress?!"
"What’s so good about being the Empress?!"
Every three years, she has to arrange a whole bunch of concubines for her imperial husband.
If her imperial husband doesn’t fancy them,
she also needs to persuade him:
’Your Majesty, you can’t be without concubines, it’s important to have many descendants, etc.!
Just the thought is enough to make her feel nauseated, isn’t it?
"These people, they really can think things up!"
Zi Yue tried to console her.
"My lady, we understand your thoughts!"
"These rumors shouldn’t bother you!"
"We can live our own lives in peace without paying attention to them!"
Xia Ruqing quickly interrupted.
"No!"
"How can I ignore it?"
"I’ve endured for so many years, this ti, I want to vent my anger!"
"Go!"
"Xiao Xizi, investigate where these rumors originated!"
Xiao Xizi imdiately agreed!
Zi Su also chid in.
"My lady is right!"
"Our lady has been favored for so many years, yet there have never been such rumors before!"
"Soone must be scheming in the shadows!"
Xia Ruqing glanced at her.
"Alright, all of you leave! I wish to be alone!"
Zi Su wanted to say sothing but was stopped by Zi Yue.
They all paid their respects and then withdrew.
Watching their retreating figures, Xia Ruqing felt a wave of emotion.
’This is... being caught in the crossfire without even leaving the house?!’
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