EWRN - Chapter 29
Chapter 29: The Consort Selection Controversy (II)
Bai Qing had recently begun to show her pregnancy. Due to her condition, she no longer snuck out of the palace, but her exchange of letters certainly hadn't ceased. The head palace maid, Bi Luo, nearly ran her legs off as a result.
If Noble Consort Bai wasn't stirring up trouble, she wouldn't be Noble Consort Bai. She heard from her servants that the Emperor had brought two newcomers to Yuzhe Palace, next door to Jinxiang Palace. One was the nationally renowned head courtesan from the Jade Spring Pavilion in Jiang City, and the other was supposedly her maidservant. The gossip was that the Emperor had spent a fortune, first buying the courtesan's veil, then her first night. On the day he took her virginity, he supposedly slept with her maidservant as well. The Emperor's stamina was truly something else, they said.
It seemed the Emperor had a taste of the courtesan and couldn't get enough, for he spent a fortune to buy her freedom early the next morning. They also heard the courtesan had previously been an official prostitute... and so on and so forth.
After listening to a pile of half-true gossip, Bai Qing decided to pay a visit to this courtesan who had foolishly stumbled into the imperial palace, hoping to climb the social ladder. It was time to put her in her place!
So, Noble Consort Bai Qing, putting on an act, cradled her barely-showing belly and led a retinue of palace maids brazenly toward Yuzhe Palace.
At the entrance to Yuzhe Palace stood two matrons who had been in the palace for many years. From a great distance, they saw Noble Consort Bai approaching haughtily.
"This old servant greets Your Highness, the Noble Consort!" The two matrons bowed, but the Noble Consort ignored them and walked straight into Yuzhe Palace. She hadn't forgotten the frustration she'd endured at Jinxiang Palace. Since that one was not to be trifled with, she would pick the softest persimmon to squeeze. Today, she would crush this delicate little courtesan!
"This servant greets Your Highness, the Noble Consort!" The palace maids all knelt in greeting. Bai Qing walked all the way into the main hall, only to see a woman as beautiful as a flower seated in the main seat. It was a kind of beauty she had never seen before, a different sort of allure compared to that of Princess Yan, Yan Xi!
A jealousy unique to women surfaced within her. Bai Qing had always prided herself on being the foremost beauty of the imperial city, yet Huo Jinyu had brought two kingdom-toppling beauties into the palace one after another. In comparison, she actually felt a little inadequate!
This would not do. Didn't the Emperor just like them for their faces? If she were to scar their faces, to disfigure them, wouldn't this palace become her domain? The Emperor would then dote on her and her alone, right?
Tap, tap, tap. Noble Consort Bai Qing strode forward, swaying her hips as she slowly approached the courtesan, Di An. "You see this consort, yet you do not kneel?" Bai Qing's voice was harsh, her expression intimidating. But Di An happened to have a gentle temperament. Unhurriedly, Di An said, "This servant has only just entered the palace and does not yet understand its rules. I must be a laughingstock to you, miss."
Bai Qing's temper flared at her words. "Since you don't understand the palace rules, this consort will teach you. Everyone in this palace must kneel upon seeing me! Now, kneel!" Bai Qing's relentless demeanor was almost comical.
"Oh? So everyone in the imperial palace must kneel upon seeing you, miss? Does the Emperor also have to kneel when he sees you?" Di An raised an eyebrow, speaking in a soft, delicate voice. "Your status must be quite high, I imagine."
The moment she heard the word "Emperor," Noble Consort Bai felt a flicker of insecurity. "You insolent wench, what nonsense are you spouting? Is the Emperor someone you can speak of so casually? I am the first principal wife the Emperor married! No matter what, you must address me as 'Your Highness'! Now kneel!" The Noble Consort stood while Di An sat, allowing Bai Qing to look down on her as she commanded.
"I'm afraid that's rather unreasonable, isn't it? Even if I am a concubine, I am not required to kneel before the principal wife. Besides, you are not the Empress, miss, so where does this talk of a 'principal wife' come from? We are of equal standing. Why should I kneel?" Di An retorted gently.
Seeing that Di An was choosing the hard way, Bai Qing found her excuse. She raised her right hand to strike. These past few days, she had meticulously grown out her nails and had them decorated, filing them to be incredibly sharp. This one slap would not only be painful but would also leave an indelible scar on that beautiful face before her!
She put all her force into her right arm, but her hand never swung forward. Instead, she stumbled and nearly fell. "Who is it?" The Noble Consort turned her head. The scene felt strangely familiar...
Standing behind her was a woman dressed in blood-red, close-fitting attire. Her features were handsome, but her eyes were cold and sharp. She had a straight nose, thin lips pursed slightly, and a tall, straight posture that made her a full head taller than Bai Qing. She could truly be described as heroic and dashing. Even Bai Qing stared, a little stunned. "What are you staring at?!" the woman in red said, her vermilion lips barely parting, but her tone was severe.
Bai Qing finally snapped back to her senses and realized her hand was still being held. "Who are you? How dare you, an audacious slave, grab my hand! Do you know who I am?!" Bai Qing struggled, but her right hand wouldn't budge an inch. What a familiar scene!
"I don't care who you are. If you dare touch a single hair on her head, I'll make sure you die without a place for burial!" Hua Ying said viciously, gripping the Noble Consort's hand.
"I am a Noble Consort! Let go of my hand! I am with child! If anything happens to the imperial heir, a hundred of your heads wouldn't be enough to pay for it!" Bai Qing twisted with all her might but couldn't break free.
With child? Hua Ying looked with amusement at the woman before her who called herself a Noble Consort. Upon closer inspection, the belly beneath her palace dress was indeed showing a little.
The Emperor was a woman, so how could she possibly have gotten this Noble Consort pregnant? This imperial palace was truly fascinating. The Emperor actually indulged her own consort's promiscuity and allowed herself to be cuckolded. Impressive! Truly impressive!
"Noble Consort Bai! You will be still for Us!" a voice full of anger came from behind them. Upon hearing it, the Noble Consort's body went limp, and she tried to sink to the floor. But Hua Ying was simply too tall; she only got halfway down before she could go no further, as if she were being held up by the scruff of her neck. When one plan failed, Bai Qing devised another. Her lips twisted, and she was about to burst into tears. "You savage wench from who knows where, you're trying to knock me down! Your Majesty, you must seek justice for your consort!"
It turned out that when the two matrons at the entrance saw the Noble Consort arrive, they had immediately gone to report it to Huo Jinyu. Having served in Jinxiang Palace before, they were well aware of the Noble Consort's unreasonable troublemaking.
"Enough, Noble Consort Bai! We have no time to play these little games with you. Go back where you came from! And stop causing trouble for Us!" Huo Jinyu said, her hands clasped behind her back and her expression dark.
Seeing her little tricks were useless, the Noble Consort resentfully stood up. Hua Ying also released her hand and stepped aside.
The Noble Consort was furious. Angrily swinging her arms, she stormed out of the palace hall.
Once the unreasonable Noble Consort had left, the two of them breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing Huo Jinyu standing in the hall with a frown, they stepped forward to greet her with a bow.
Huo Jinyu nodded. "In the future, if you see Noble Consort Bai coming, just have someone stop her outside the hall. There's no need to let her in. She does nothing but stir up trouble. But don't worry, We will resolve this problem soon. You two should rest for now. If you need anything, just ask the matrons." After giving a few more instructions, Huo Jinyu turned and left.
It seemed the matter of dealing with Noble Consort Bai needed to be moved up on the agenda.
As soon as Huo Jinyu left, Hua Ying rushed forward to check Di An from head to toe. "An'er, are you all right? Did that shrew hurt you?"
Seeing Hua Ying's face full of worry and anxiety, a hint of a smile flashed in Di An's eyes. "Miss Hua Ying, stop looking. I'm fine. Don't worry, she can't hurt me."
"How can I not worry? If that slap had landed, wouldn't you have been disfigured, An'er? That's unacceptable! The next time I see her, I'll definitely teach her a lesson!" Hua Ying said resentfully. "And how many times have I told you? Don't call me Miss Hua Ying. Just call me Hua Ying!"
Looking at Hua Ying baring her fangs and brandishing her claws, Di An found her quite adorable. She stood up and gently patted Hua Ying's head. "Don't be angry. I'm fine, aren't I? There, there."
A tingling sensation traveled from the top of her head down through her entire body. Hua Ying's face instantly flushed red. Di An's eyes were filled with amusement.
Inside Jinxiang Palace.
Yan Xi listened to the palace maid's report with an expressionless face, unable to feel any happiness. That day, Jinyu had also rushed to her palace just like this to drive away Bai Qing. And today, she had rushed to Yuzhe Palace to drive away the troublemaking Bai Qing. Yan Xi had always thought Jinyu's feelings for her were special, unique. She never imagined she was just overthinking it. That Huo Jinyu showed such deep, indiscriminate affection for everyone!
Waving the palace maid away, Yan Xi drank her tea alone. The finest Longjing tea tasted unusually bitter at that moment, just like her heart.
Back in Biluo Palace, Noble Consort Bai Qing knew she had to tell her father about the courtesan's identity!
At morning court tomorrow, the Emperor would surely issue an edict to take consorts. She absolutely would not allow that low-status woman to be her equal!
Bai Qing sent the head palace maid, Bi Luo, to deliver a letter to the Bai residence. Being with child, it was inconvenient for her to move about.
Early the next morning.
Huo Jinyu rose bright and early, arriving at the court hall ahead of time. The civil and military officials filed into the Hall of Imperial Governance one after another. With the eunuch's cry to begin, the court session officially commenced.
The ministers were all on guard, fearing this Emperor would stir up trouble again. Their old bones couldn't withstand much more turmoil.
What they didn't know was that Huo Jinyu was, indeed, about to stir up trouble again.
Help! What's one to do when the Emperor is always looking to cause trouble?
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