jdhmnovel Chapter 189 Undercurrent
Chapter 189 Undercurrent
Time flies, and in a blink of an eye it is already the last day of An Lingrong's double confinement.
After nearly two months of rest, her body has recovered its former vitality.
After Wei Lin carefully diagnosed her pulse, Nanny Suo finally gave in and allowed her to wash up in advance.
After getting permission, An Lingrong quickly asked Baoge to prepare hot water.
Nanny Suo handled things efficiently and effectively, and this was the first time she disobeyed An Lingrong.
Later, she learned from the nanny of the Suo family, who was guarding Princess Zhaohua wholeheartedly, that during the years she disappeared, she received the emperor's grace and married her childhood sweetheart who had been waiting for her.
My daughter-in-law, who was in confinement after giving birth in hot weather, couldn't help but take a bath, and died in less than half a month.
When she saw that Concubine Shu was eager to take a bath before she was out of confinement, she was frightened and hurriedly stepped forward to stop her.
This was An Lingrong's first real bath in two months, and Baoque and the others did not dare to be careless at all.
The sunlight gently shines through the carved window lattice and falls into the small bathroom.
Red charcoal was burning in the four corners, adding a touch of warmth to the room.
In the middle of the bathhouse, a spacious wooden barrel was quietly emitting steam.
On the high stool next to the wooden barrel, soft towels and exquisite soap cream are ready.
The air was filled with a faint floral scent, which came from the petals floating in the wooden barrel.
An Lingrong had these petals picked when it was daylight.
Throwing two petals into the tea adds a unique flavor, and the emperor even praised her for her innovative idea.
Later, as I collected more and more petals, I picked out the petals that were not very outstanding in appearance to bathe in.
Wearing a gauze dress as thin as a cicada's wing, An Lingrong stepped lightly into the wooden barrel and sat on the small stool built into it.
Her whole body was wrapped in warm water, and she couldn't help but sigh with satisfaction.
There were special palace servants helping her take a bath. An Lingrong closed her eyes comfortably, letting the water flow through her hair and skin.
A quarter of an hour later, An Lingrong, dressed in new clothes, appeared in the hall she had not seen for a long time.
"This servant comes to see the Imperial Concubine, and thanks you for your generous reward."
She bestowed this reward during her confinement, and those who benefited from it came together to express their gratitude.
An Lingrong, who had stayed in the house for two months, looked at the pair of large geese sent by Concubine Hua and found them very pretty, not to mention the palace maids inside and outside the house who greeted them with smiles.
She spoke gently but forcefully.
"Please stand aside, all of you. You have done a great job these past two months, and I am deeply grateful."
"As long as you abide by the palace rules and do your part well, I am not a stingy person."
"But remember, I have always been clear about rewards and punishments. If you fail to fulfill your duties or act inappropriately, I will not show any mercy."
An Lingrong's words were mainly addressed to the later group of palace ladies.
This was her first time appearing in front of these people, so she had to use both kindness and force to keep the situation under control.
The emperor promoted her, so she had to show the demeanor of a royal concubine.
The next day, before dawn, An Lingrong got up early and dressed up.
The Queen failed to have sex with her during childbirth, and was even unable to penetrate the Yonghe Palace after the birth.
She had been jealous of An Lingrong for more than two months and would definitely not let her get through her first visit to pay her respects after the confinement period in peace.
The golden palace dress sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs was very close-fitting and was made entirely according to her body shape before she became pregnant.
If An Lingrong indulged in nourishing herself during the confinement period, the batch of spring clothes sent to her would be just decoration.
She has not officially met the Queen of Jingren Palace this year, but she already harbors ill will towards her.
Wear the auspicious cloud gown of the same color, and match it with accessories such as the collar and court beads.
Her fingers gently slid across the purple wooden box that held the jewelry, pointing to a golden phoenix pearl hairpin.
"Put this on me."
As the sky began to turn pale, she walked into the gate of Jingren Palace with the help of Baoque and Nanny Suo.
An Lingrong's golden palace dress dazzled Cao Qinmo and Huanbi, and ignited their desire to climb up.
Shu Guifei's family background is the lowest among the concubines in the harem, but she can't help but be pregnant.
Cao Qinmo knew that she might only have one child in her life, Princess Wen Yi. If she wanted to be promoted, she could only rely on the support of a favored queen of high rank.
Her eyes lingered between Concubine Hua, who held power in the palace, and Concubine Shu, who was blessed with good fortune.
Huanbi glared fiercely at Roudaying beside her, and looked at the empty seat at the top with anticipation.
An Lingrong, who was moving slowly forward, had no idea that her promotion had already aroused the ambitions of others.
She bowed gently to the bright and beautiful woman in the same-colored palace dress.
"Hello, Sister Hua Guifei."
"Hello, Sister Shu Guifei."
After the two of them greeted each other awkwardly, they sat silently on the chairs waiting for the arrival of the Queen.
There wasn't even eye contact between them.
In the eyes of everyone in the harem, An Lingrong at this moment was like a firefly in the dark night, and no matter what she did, she would attract attention.
In order to avoid suspicion, Concubine Hua on the opposite side could only secretly complain in her heart about the emperor who liked to play checks and balances and the vicious old queen.
She rushed to Jingren Palace early in the morning, but couldn't even say a single kind word.
When the queen came out, she happened to see Concubine Hua pouting impatiently.
she asked with a smile.
"Noble Concubine Hua, today is the first day that Noble Concubine Shu has returned from her confinement to pay her respects. I see that you don't seem to be very interested."
"Your Highness, I am here to assist the six palaces under the Emperor's orders, and I have been a little tired lately."
"But please rest assured, Your Majesty. The Emperor has asked me to assist in managing the six palaces. I will definitely not let the Emperor down."
Concubine Hua responded with a smile.
She was bored and in order not to disappoint the emperor, she went to the Yangxin Palace to ask a capable person to check the account books.
As time went by, the group of corrupt officials dealt with by the emperor included the queen's confidants.
The reason why the Queen had no time to cause trouble for An Lingrong was also because things were going on with Concubine Hua.
Concubine Hua also inadvertently intercepted a batch of problematic fabrics that were about to be sent to Yonghe Palace for An Lingrong.
Seeing that she acted so high-profile, An Lingrong had no choice but to remind her not to get rid of the Queen Mother's people.
The Queen's face darkened slightly. "Noble Concubine Hua is busy with palace affairs. Please take good care of yourself."
Without waiting for Concubine Hua to reply, she turned to the other side.
"Shu Guifei, you..."
The Queen looked at An Lingrong's fair and rosy skin, and she couldn't open her eyes and tell her to take good care of herself.
I could only stiffly change it to, "Thank you for your hard work in continuing the royal family."
"Thank you, Queen, for your concern."
An Lingrong keenly caught the cold light that flashed across the queen's eyes.
Now, no one knows which of the three, her, Concubine Hua and Zhen Huan, the Queen dislikes the most?
The Queen treated An Lingrong very kindly today, and almost every word she spoke was about the two children, Hongzhan and Hongyao.
When she had almost finished speaking, she changed the subject.
"This year is another election year. The Emperor intends to select four women of marriageable age from the families of meritorious officials to enter the palace as a reward."
"I have already started preparations. The girl from the Guarjia clan will be entering the palace soon."
"Princess Wan, I remember her father and Lord Zhen both served in the Inspectorate."
"When the new bride enters the palace, I'll have to ask you to take good care of her."
Zhen Huan agreed with a smile.
The Queen's move was to show everyone her unique status as the master of the imperial palace.
An Lingrong raised her eyelids slightly. It seemed that the Queen had turned the tables, but it actually showed that she was starting to panic.