The concubines of the first rank in the palace can live alone in the palace, but the preparations for the palace people are nearly twice as many as those of the concubines, and the daily food is even more luxurious.
Xi Qian secretly looked at the palace people greeting them on both sides of the road. She used to think that the palace people in Lanchi Palace were well dressed, but compared with those in Ganquan Palace, they were much worse.
The palace ladies of Ganquan Palace all wore the same brocade clothes, their buns and headdresses were exactly the same, and even the expressions on their faces were exactly the same.
Seeing that she seemed puzzled, Fan Tao whispered in her ear, "Although the imperial concubine looks kind, she has very strict control over the palace people. Everything must be done in order and the palace people cannot make any mistakes."
Xi Qian frowned slightly, "But if she is so strict, why doesn't she care about the harem? If she can manage her harem so neatly, it must be easy to organize the harem."
"I don't know about that slave. This noble concubine entered the palace earlier than the late empress. I heard that the queen mother intended to canonize her as queen. I don't know what happened after that. I just heard that the old palace people were vaguely aware of it.
Yue Yue mentioned that it seems that the emperor resisted the remonstrances of the Queen Mother and other ministers and insisted on canonizing the late empress as empress. On the day of the canonization ceremony, all the officials went on strike collectively, but that did not stop the emperor."
Xi Qian seemed to have found some reasons for the Queen Mother's execution of the Queen, but Yuwen Haoxuan was so determined to even confer the title, so how could the Queen Mother take such a big risk?
Seeing that she was deep in thought, Fantao tugged at her sleeves, and when she regained her concentration, she realized that she had arrived outside the main hall of Ganquan Palace. Several concubines dressed in the same gorgeous and complicated clothes as her were standing at the door, waiting.
Seeing her coming, everyone smiled slightly, and Xi Qian also returned the greeting, but two people kept staring at each other tit for tat. She glanced curiously, and it was Wang Baolu and Wang Baolu who were usually very discordant.
Zhao Shurong, every time the two of them meet, they are like firecrackers.
Xi Qian stood aside and kept a certain distance from the two of them to avoid getting angry, but a concubine standing on the other side walked towards her.
Although Xiqian didn't know the status of the concubine in front of her, she had the most noble status in the palace except for the two concubines, the Empress and Wang Baoluo, so she just nodded slightly in response.
Fan Tao whispered in her ear, "This is Liu Chongyi from Yinghan Palace."
Liu Chongyi walked up to her and said hello. Xi Xian quickly helped her up and said, "You and I are both concubines, why does my sister need to give such a big gift?"
Liu Chongyi replied humbly, "There are nine levels of concubines. The empress is above the concubines, so the concubines will naturally have to bow."
"We are all sisters. Wouldn't it be alienating to be so restrained? Sister, just treat me as my sister."
"Oh! My name, my name, is quite smooth. Is it already official just now that I was granted the title of Jin?" Wang Baoluo and Zhao Shurong stopped arguing and pointed the finger at Xi Qian again.
Xi Qian only bowed and did not answer, thinking that today was the first time she came to Ganquan Palace to pay her respects. If she had a dispute with her, the imperial concubine would be unhappy.
But when she wanted to settle the matter, someone got angry on the side. Zhao Shurong only heard a chuckle, "I am now Empress Zhaorong, and I am equal to you. How can I not be called 'my palace'? Is it possible that you are dissatisfied with the emperor's decree?"
Wang Baoluo turned blue with anger. Seeing that she was angry, Zhao Shurong looked even more proud. Seeing that a quarrel was about to break out again, the palace door in front of them opened with a creak, and everyone immediately calmed down and stepped back to the two people standing at the door.
Sideways, as if nothing just happened.
Although Xiqian was confused as to why everyone suddenly showed fear, she also stood back together with everyone.
After the door opened, a slightly wealthy palace maid walked out. She was about fifty years old. Although she was wearing the uniform of a palace maid, her accessories were not inferior to those of ordinary beauties in the palace, especially those
Standing in front of her with such a domineering aura, Xi Qian felt like a slave.
Taking a peek at this slightly luxurious palace maid, Fan Tao approached her and whispered, "This is Aunt Jingyan who is beside the imperial concubine. She used to be the personal maid serving the queen mother, and she has quite a status in the palace."
Xiqian lowered her eyes immediately after hearing this, but Zhao Shurong swayed her waist and walked up the steps, "Auntie, are you up? We have been waiting for a few sticks of incense."
Jingyan blessed himself hastily, "The noble concubine has already risen, let all the ladies go!" After saying that, he turned around and left without showing any courtesy to the concubines, but everyone was not surprised and followed her in.
Main hall.
The decoration in the main hall is the same glazed gold as the Orchid Pond Palace, but it is not as frivolous as the Orchid Pond Palace, but solemn and luxurious. The ornaments are mainly heavy and dignified open-faced plain flower porcelain, setting off the decoration.
The concubine sitting on the main seat is more dignified and graceful.
Seeing them come in, the imperial concubine smiled and said, "I've been having a bit of a sleep today. I've kept you sisters waiting for a long time. Please sit down quickly."
After everyone was seated, the imperial concubine looked over at the others and said, "Xi Zhaorong is here for the first time today. Are there many you don't know among the sisters? I'm here to introduce you."
Xi Qian nodded to the people in the room one by one. Logically speaking, the total number of concubines and concubines should be thirteen, but most of the concubines' positions were vacant, and the total number of concubines in the room was only a handful.
After the imperial concubine had finished the ceremony, she looked at all the concubines sitting there and asked, "Why hasn't Concubine Xian come yet? Can you take leave today?"
Jingyan bowed and replied, "I have already sent someone to invite you. It's snowy and the road is slippery. I might have been delayed on the way."
"Since you know the road is not good, you should go out early. There is no reason to let the empress wait for her." Zhao Shurong said dissatisfiedly on behalf of the imperial concubine.
The imperial concubine took a sip of the fragrant tea, with an indifferent expression on her face, "It doesn't matter whether she comes or not. She has worked hard serving the emperor recently, and I can understand her."
"No matter how hard I work, I will come to say hello to you." Concubine Xian walked lightly at the door, walked up to salute her, and said hello. Her expression was cold and serious, completely different from the flowery smile she saw in Yuanling Hall that day.
It seems that her smile can only be shown in front of Yu Wen Haoxuan.
Seeing her arrogant look, Wang Baolu curled his lips in disdain, while Zhao Shurong, who was full of complaints just now, quietly lowered his head and said nothing.
Feeling Wang Baoluo's unkind gaze, Concubine Xian also turned to stare back at her. The atmosphere between the two of them was instantly filled with the smell of gunpowder. Xi Qian knew that Wang Baolu disdained the princesses like them who were getting married the most, but she didn't expect that even Concubine Xian didn't.
Keep it in mind.
The imperial concubine interrupted the contest between their eyes and said to the concubine Xian, "Today we have a new sister among our sisters, it is Wanyun Gong Xi Zhaorong."
Xi Zhi stood up and saluted Concubine Xian with a smile, but Concubine Xian looked at her with no expression in her eyes and turned to the side without even bothering to nod her head. Xi Zhi knew that this was the greatest disregard for a person.