In Kunde Hall, Liang Zhaoyi and Beauty Yu were feeding silkworms while discussing the matter of Qin Xiulian soon moving into Changle Palace.
"The Emperor arranging for Miss Qin to live in Changle Palace suggests that she will be ennobled as soon as she enters the palace," Yu iren remarked, "Miss Qin isn’t from a high background, and as soon as she enters the palace she’s to be made a concubine. Truly a fortunate fate."
Pan Cairen nodded repeatedly, saying, "To live in the splendid Changle Palace as soon as she enters the palace, the Emperor’s fondness for Miss Qin is indeed extraordinary."
Liang Zhaoyi said nothing, only smiled.
"Changle Palace is no ordinary palace, not everyone can live there," Yu iren sighed, "I’ve heard that back in the day, when Noble Princess Consort Rong wanted to move into Changle Palace, the Empress Dowager disagreed."
"Didn’t the Empress Dowager arrange for the late Empress to live in Changle Palace?" asked Pan Cairen.
"That’s right, but before the Empress Dowager arranged for the late Empress to live there, Noble Princess Consort Rong had requested the Empress Dowager to live in Changle Palace, and she didn’t agree," Yu iren shared what she had heard during her ti in the palace selection showcase. "Later, after the late Empress passed away, Changle Palace was left vacant, and it seed Noble Princess Consort Rong ntioned to the Emperor about moving in, but the Emperor refused."
Pan Cairen asked in surprise, "Didn’t the Emperor favor Noble Princess Consort Rong greatly? Why didn’t he agree to her moving in, especially since the late Empress is no longer there?"
"Not sure," Yu iren replied, "Since the founding of Great Zhou, only the late Empress has lived in Changle Palace. Now that the Emperor has arranged for Miss Qin to move in, how could it not be surprising?"
"Miss Qin has already garnered such favor from the Emperor without entering the palace yet. Once she does, wouldn’t she...," Pan Cairen suddenly lowered her voice, "Could she possibly be more favored than Noble Princess Consort Rong?"
Yu iren whispered in response, "Everyone says that once Miss Qin enters the palace, she will inevitably compete with Noble Princess Consort Rong."
Pan Cairen’s eyes sparkled with anticipation as if watching a drama unfold, "Once Miss Qin is in the palace, there will be a good show to watch."
Yu iren was equally eager to see a face-off between Miss Qin and Noble Princess Consort Rong, "Once Miss Qin enters, the palace will be bustling with activity."
Liang Zhaoyi chuckled helplessly, "You two..."
"Sister, don’t you want to see Qin and Noble Princess Consort Rong vie for favor?" Yu iren said, "Everyone wants to see if Miss Qin can defeat Noble Princess Consort Rong."
Continuing from Yu iren’s remark, Pan Cairen said, "Noble Princess Consort Rong has enjoyed supre favor for so many years, and no one has ever surpassed her. Now that soone who can rival her has appeared, everyone is eagerly expecting Miss Qin to outshine Noble Princess Consort Rong."
Noble Princess Consort Rong’s long years of being the most favored among the six palaces naturally evoked jealousy from other concubines. Yu iren and Pan Cairen were not envious of Noble Princess Consort Rong but rather disliked her. Noble Princess Consort Rong was too proud, too arrogant, and unrestrained. All the concubines in the palace had been scolded by her, punished, and humiliated.
Liang Zhaoyi, Yu iren, and Pan Cairen had all been punished and humiliated by Noble Princess Consort Rong before.
When Liang Zhaoyi had just entered the palace, she was quite favored and often attended the Emperor’s sleeping quarters. At that ti, her visits surpassed those of Noble Princess Consort Rong.
Noble Princess Consort Rong had never suffered such indignity. When they t in the Imperial Garden, she deliberately found fault with Liang Zhaoyi and punished her to kneel in the Imperial Academy for two hours.
Of course, Liang Zhaoyi didn’t kneel for two hours. She knelt for about an hour, then was rescued by the Emperor.
Although the Emperor didn’t confront Noble Princess Consort Rong on Liang Zhaoyi’s behalf, nor did he say anything to her or punish her, he refrained from visiting the Yongxin Palace to see Noble Princess Consort Rong for quite so ti.
When Noble Princess Consort Rong learned days later that the Emperor was angry with her, she felt both angry and wronged because she had never been treated this way by the Emperor before.
She even went to argue with the Emperor, stating that it was because Liang Zhaoyi was disrespectful that she punished her. The Emperor didn’t say she was wrong, but he still didn’t go to Yongxin Palace.
Noble Princess Consort Rong harbored imnse resentnt towards Liang Zhaoyi and sought trouble with her several tis. She made Liang Zhaoyi copy nurous Buddhist scriptures for her, with an urgency that forced Liang Zhaoyi to work late into the night, burning the midnight oil. She also required Liang Zhaoyi to do needlework for her.
Although there were embroiderers in the palace, and their needlework was far superior to Liang Zhaoyi’s, she insisted that Liang Zhaoyi do the needlework for her. Liang Zhaoyi complied, but she was not satisfied, making Liang Zhaoyi redo it repeatedly. She even withheld Liang Zhaoyi’s allowances.
Seeing that the Emperor was aware yet did not stand up for Liang Zhaoyi emboldened her to go further. It was at this mont that the late Empress summoned her and gave her a severe reprimand.
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