MM Racing Chapter 19 Consort Shen has fallen out of favor.
Chapter 19 Consort Shen has fallen out of favor.
By the time the Dragon Boat Festival arrived, Consort Xu, Consort Xie, and Consort Pan had all been summoned to the emperor's bedchamber and were all promoted to the rank of Baolin.
Xu Murong and Xie Tingwan were chosen by the emperor to have his way with him, while Pan Zhiheng was chosen because the eldest prince had a nosebleed and the imperial physician was summoned. The emperor went to Baoci Palace to visit him, and Consort De kept the emperor there and allowed Pan Zhiheng to serve him in bed.
When the Empress heard this, she was disgusted. "She's really going all out, using the eldest prince to compete for the Emperor's favor for her niece."
Pan Zhiheng was the daughter of Consort De's sister, and she entered the palace to help Consort De.
Consort De was the daughter of the Duke of Xin, from a prominent family. She appeared virtuous and kind, but in the harem, who didn't have ambition? Especially since she had an eldest son, while the Empress had no children.
Granny Qu always held Consort De in high regard. "The Emperor may not like Consort De in this state. She has the eldest prince by her side now, but it will take many more years for the child to grow up safely. Besides, Your Highness and the Emperor have already consummated their marriage. The Emperor has no intention of preventing you from having a legitimate son. What use will it be if she tries anything again when the Empress is born of the legitimate wife?"
"Yes! I never expected that His Majesty would allow me to give birth to a legitimate son!" The Empress smiled, she had previously thought that the Emperor would not touch her, or if he did, he would find a way to prevent pregnancy.
But the emperor didn't do that at all. She also asked the imperial physician to examine her pulse. She had some cold uterus, so she started taking medicine to regulate it. The emperor didn't come, but she wasn't in a hurry. Once she had regulated it and conceived a legitimate son, she would be satisfied.
On the fourth day of the fifth lunar month, one day before the Dragon Boat Festival, Shen Shixi decided to attend the morning meeting at Fengyi Palace.
She needed to know how the palace arranged the Dragon Boat Festival. Besides, she hadn't used the colorful banners to show off since they were bestowed upon her, which was a bit of a waste of Li Yuanke's favor.
Sitting on the colorful procession, she felt high above everyone else. As she was carried out of Zhaoyang Palace, she encountered several groups of people along the way who wished they could gouge her out with their eyes.
Shen Shixi leaned to one side, looking smug like a little devil.
She's not afraid of attracting hatred; no matter how low-key she tries to be, no one will let her off the hook.
The emperor's favor is limited. As someone with connections, before Li Yuanke banished her to the cold palace, she was always an obstacle in other people's path to advancement, and everyone wanted to kick her out of the game.
The confetti stopped, and Shen Shixi looked up and met Jin Meiren's gaze. She couldn't help but click her tongue in admiration. What a delicate beauty she was! Her face was fair and oval, her forehead smooth, her eyebrows like willow leaves, her almond eyes were red with hatred, her nose was delicate and her lips were pouting. She looked so pitiful.
"Beauty Jin, a good dog doesn't block the way. Why are you blocking my path?" Shen Shixi raised her sleeves, mimicking Consort Hua's demeanor.
As expected, Consort Jin trembled with rage, tears welling in her eyes. "Consort Shen, I am a Consort, and you are a Consort. My rank is higher than yours. Not only do you not bow to me, but you also refuse to dismount from your carriage. How outrageous!"
Bai Ping stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Please forgive me, Lady Jin. My mistress fell a few days ago and hasn't fully recovered yet. The imperial physician originally said she needed to rest, but my mistress was thinking of paying her respects to the Empress and insisted on coming. It's not that my mistress is being impolite, but her injury doesn't allow it. Once my mistress is better, she will definitely go to Wangxian Pavilion in person to apologize to you!"
Whether or not she goes in the future is a matter for the future. If we ignore Shen Cai Ren's arrogant and domineering demeanor, Bai Ping's behavior is actually quite outstanding.
"Since you came to pay your respects to the Empress, it means you are entitled to stand up. Your refusal to do so is disrespectful to your superior. Shen, I suspect your claim of injury is feigned; your true intention is to curry favor. You are clearly not injured; you have committed the crime of deceiving the Emperor!"
Shen Shixi waved her hand, and the palanquin was lowered. She helped Bai Ping out and bowed to the high-ranking concubines, saying, "This concubine greets Your Highnesses!"
Only the head of the palace is qualified to be called "Empress," so Consort Jin is naturally not included.
Shen Cairen didn't take her seriously.
Enraged, Jin Meiren rushed over, raising her hand to strike Shen Shixi's face, but Bai Ping grabbed her wrist. "Jin Meiren, please think twice!"
"You say that since I can pay my respects to the Empress, I should be able to pay my respects to you as well? What, when did you become the same rank as the Empress? Or do you think you have already replaced the Empress and become the matriarch of the Great Zhou Dynasty?"
"You're talking nonsense! I didn't mean that!" Jin Meiren exclaimed in surprise.
"You say I deceived the Emperor? Did the Emperor tell you that? Or did the Emperor convict me, and you and he knew it, but I didn't? Oh, it shouldn't be. As far as I know, the Emperor hasn't summoned you since you first served him. How would you know that?"
This was like a direct hit to Jin Meiren's lungs; she was so angry she was trembling all over.
Shen Shixi ignored her, "Could it be that being the Empress isn't enough to satisfy your ambition now? You've put yourself in the Emperor's shoes, and if I deceive you, it's like deceiving the Emperor?"
"Shen Shixi, you've gone too far! I didn't mean that! You're incredibly disrespectful! You...you...you..."
"I am being disrespectful, offending you is being disrespectful. Oh, should I kneel down and kowtow to you now? One minute I am not bowing to you, disrespecting my superior, the next I am arguing with the Empress in front of me, and then I am accusing you of deceiving the Emperor. Consort Jin, why don't you just go to heaven?"
She only served the emperor once. People who didn't know better would think she was pregnant with the emperor's child, and that she was made crown prince and reserved for the position of empress dowager before the child was even born!
These words are truly scathing!
Consort Jin swayed twice and collapsed onto her own palace maid.
She was dizzy and didn't know how to fight back.
Consort De's heart trembled upon hearing this, and she had no choice but to rebuke, "Consort Shen, you mustn't speak nonsense!"
"Yes, Your Majesty's teachings will be followed!" Shen Shixi gave a perfunctory bow.
Consort Jin was the last to enter, kneeling before and after the Empress to pay her respects. "I am late, Your Majesty, please forgive me!"
The Empress couldn't be unaware of what happened at the palace gate. She raised her hand and said, "Alright, you're not late."
Everyone bowed to the Empress, saying, "Greetings to Your Majesty the Empress!"
The Empress called for everyone to rise and, after they were all seated, said, "Tomorrow is the Dragon Boat Festival. The Empress Dowager and the Emperor intend to hold a grand celebration this year, just like in previous years. We will shoot willow branches by Jinming Pond and have a palace banquet in the evening. No one is restricted; anyone who wants to go can go, and anyone who wants to participate can participate. Everyone is just here for fun."
The palace banquet tonight will be held in Qian Yuan Palace. The Emperor will host a grand feast for his officials. Tomorrow, the wives of officials from outside the palace will also enter the palace. By the Empress Dowager's benevolence, concubines are permitted to meet with their relatives if any of their family members enter the palace.
This is undoubtedly a tremendous blessing.
However, not all concubines had this opportunity. Those who were qualified to attend palace banquets were generally high-ranking officials of the third rank or above, wives of officials from outside the capital, or those who were specially invited by imperial decree.
The Shen family now has three qualified members: the grandmother, the grandfather who was a first-rank Grand Tutor, and the grandmother who was also a first-rank Imperial Concubine.
Her father was the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, a rank of the third grade in the Great Zhou Dynasty, and her mother was also a Lady of the corresponding rank, just reaching the threshold.
Everyone was excited when they talked about this today, and no one attacked Consort Pan, who had served the emperor last night. This should have been a happy thing, but Consort Pan was very disappointed.
She dressed up specially today, looking weak and frail with sore legs and back, but no one paid any attention.
Even though Consort Shen is almost out of favor, she still manages to evoke envy, jealousy, and hatred because of that half of the colorful banner.