kvmb Chapter 247: After this ordeal, you have changed your character
Chapter 247: After this ordeal, you have changed your character
Wu Xiangrong stood awkwardly in the courtyard of Qingliang Palace, not knowing whether to leave or not.
She really wanted to chase Zhishu and evacuate.
However, by the time they bowed and greeted the emperor according to etiquette, they had already wasted time and Zhishu had already disappeared.
At this time, Cao Bin, Ruo Chu and others were all kneeling, but she was still standing, which was too conspicuous.
The word "panic" is not enough to describe her mood at the moment.
After hearing Ruo Chu's report, the emperor looked at her.
Wu Xiangrong's body suddenly stiffened.
She quickly put on a smile that she thought was gentle and beautiful, but in fact it was just a grin, as if she was about to cry.
"What nonsense did the maid of Consort Xian say when she brought soup to Consort Ying?"
When Wu Xiangrong heard the emperor's question, her heart began to beat wildly.
Stammering and hesitating.
"No, nothing nonsense. I just told her to take good care of the baby, eat more nourishing food, move around more, and stop sitting or lying around in the house all the time..."
"Anymore?"
"And...what else is there?"
Wu Xiangrong looked uneasy as she tried hard to think, like a frightened little bird.
"Oh, right! And also, tell her to be at ease and not to bear grudge against Concubine Si, saying that Concubine Si has been punished... In short, advise her to put the heir to the throne first, all good words..."
"His Majesty."
Concubine Si tidied her clothes, walked out of the house and stood beside the emperor.
She wore a simple, smoky-colored dress, untied at the waist, yet soft and compliant. She wore pearl earrings, two rice-bead flowers in her hair, and a light touch of makeup, exuding a gentle and calm aura.
Compared with the original bright yellow clothes and the graceful and luxurious appearance of sitting high on the phoenix throne, it is even more lovely and amiable.
Wu Xiangrong was stunned for a moment when she saw how simple she was.
Later he realized that he had to salute, so he squatted down and bowed.
"Concubine, please pay your respects to the empress."
"No need to be polite, get up."
Concubine Si spoke in a gentle tone.
She naturally approached the emperor, took his arm, and leaned against him.
The emperor first raised his arm uncomfortably, but was pulled back by Concubine Si.
She then took his hand.
Although their wide sleeves blocked their view, one could still see that their hands were clenched tightly.
Wu Xiangrong quickly lowered her head, not daring to look directly at him and be rude.
I could hear Si Fei's faint sigh, as light as the gauze-like clouds in the sky.
"Put the heir first, don't hold a grudge. Yes, they are all good words. But after hearing these good words, Consort Ying couldn't help but come here to vent her anger."
Wu Xiangrong apologized in a low voice: "It is all my fault that I failed to persuade Sister Ying and disturbed His Majesty and the Empress."
Concubine Si smiled and said, "What does it have to do with you? Can you persuade Concubine Ying to change her temper? Everyone in the palace knows her. Concubine Xian deliberately instigated her to come here. Fortunately, His Majesty happened to come today and protected me."
This was the first time Wu Xiangrong heard her call herself "I".
I couldn't help but look up again and saw Si Fei's calm face.
The emperor said in a deep voice, "You are a concubine. No matter how impulsive and stubborn she is, she will not be too rude."
Concubine Si still smiled gently, her tone filled with loneliness and helplessness, "Although I am a concubine, in the eyes of those who don't know etiquette, I am just a deposed queen, a woman who has been despised by His Majesty. It doesn't matter whether I live or die."
"Nonsense!"
The emperor frowned and said, "Even if you were deposed, you were once an empress. Moreover, you still hold the position of concubine. Who would dare to kill you?"
His sudden outburst frightened Cao Bin and others so much that they lowered their heads and fell to the ground.
Wu Xiangrong also knelt down quickly.
Concubine Si was not afraid, she just lowered her eyes and said softly, "I'm sorry for what I said."
She sighed again, "Actually, I'm not afraid of death. Life is like a fleeting moment. The sage said, 'If I hear the truth in the morning, I can die in the evening.' I have now achieved the truth. Even if I die, I will die without regrets."
"Shut up and don't say the word death again!"
"Yes."
Concubine Si held the emperor's arm and gently advised: "Your Majesty is busy with government affairs and should not stay here for long. Please leave for the time being."
"You're driving me away?"
Concubine Si bowed and said, "This place is cool and shady. Your Majesty, please take care of yourself."
"You are blaming me for letting you live in such an uninhabitable place."
"Your Majesty, the quality of a residence depends on who lives there. A gloomy place is not suitable for Your Majesty, but it is suitable for me now. This place is quiet and peaceful, with bamboo and banana trees complementing each other, and the greenery is so calming that I like it very much."
"You used to love tending to flowers."
Concubine Si smiled calmly, "Flowers have their advantages. Clusters of flowers bring a lively atmosphere, which can make me, a concubine trapped on the Queen's throne, feel that life is still warm. But now, my heart is already full of flowers and fragrant, and I need a quieter place to live."
Her eloquent answers were like warm water that warms the air in all seasons, soothing the heart. Even Wu Xiangrong, who listened indifferently, felt that this woman was truly gentle and charming.
If she didn't know the queen's true identity, she would really want to make friends with her.
What about the emperor?
The harshness in his tone disappeared, and he smiled slightly with emotion.
"Yunyi, I never expected that after this ordeal, you'd changed so much. Your old-fashionedness and false dignity and calmness are gone, and you've become like a real, living person. You've been able to handle adversity with such composure, and you've truly become a role model for women."
Concubine Si said calmly, "From now on, I only want to live a simple life, a simple life, a simple heart, and a simple relationship with Your Majesty."
"But it can't be too simple. After all, you are still my concubine."
The emperor then ordered Cao Bin, "Go to the Imperial Household Department and personally select some suitable palace maids to serve Concubine Si. Instruct them to ensure that all the food and necessities of a concubine's position are not deprived of this place."
Cao Bin quickly agreed.
"...Your Majesty, I will go and do it right now and will be back with you in a moment."
"Go."
Cao Bin ran away quickly, temporarily leaving the place of trouble.
The emperor was in a much better mood and asked everyone kneeling on the ground to stand up.
After Wu Xiangrong stood up, she was still embarrassed.
It would be rude to leave rashly at this time, and it would be even more inappropriate to stay here and affect the conversation between the two people.
So he tried to save himself and flatter the other party.
"Your Majesty and the Empress are getting along like an ordinary couple right now. There's a sense of the common people's down-to-earth atmosphere, which makes me so envious."
So although she is not good at plotting and scheming, she is still very smart sometimes. She saw that Concubine Si was going for the route of a loving couple, so she tried to please her in this way.
Upon hearing this, Concubine Si smiled at her and asked softly, "Back then, before you entered the Qiandi Palace as a maid, what kind of family did you come from? How was your parents' relationship?"
"I entered the Qian Palace when I was seven or eight years old. I don't remember much about my childhood. I just remember that there were a lot of children in the house. My parents went out early and came back late to work, and I hardly saw them all day. I was raised by my brothers and sisters, but they were not very old at that time, so they were just children taking care of each other. In the blink of an eye, everyone was able to run around..."
At this point she suddenly realized she had spoken out of turn.
This……
The emperor has few children, and the empress was deposed for plotting to murder the emperor's heir. How could she say that he has a lot of children?
the fat is in the fire!