The First Empress - Chapter 17

Chapter 17 Bedroom Attendants
The next day, the sun shone brightly. Chen Chongyi brought Princess Bao Luo to the Cloud Phoenix Palace. Bao Luo searched for food and drinks as she went outside, leaving the two of them to start whispering.

Chen Chongyi smiled, the corners of his eyes and eyebrows were filled with joy. “I heard that my younger sister accidentally met the Emperor in the Upper Forest Garden yesterday. The Emperor praised my younger sister for her good rhythm. Perhaps it was due to the good luck of the Hong Yan guests.”

The cloud smoke shirt on Linglong’s sleeve swayed, winding like a charming cloud. “Big sister, are you here to tease little sister too? When it comes to the guests from Hong Yan, this” Bin “is naturally big sister, so who else is there?”

Today, Chen Chongyi was dressed in a very orthodox manner. It was as if something had happened. The Five Phoenix Chaoyang Hanging Bead Hairpin flashed above her head and looked into Linglong’s eyes. “What are you making fun of? What can’t we sisters say?” Her crescent-like face was still as quiet as ever, but her exquisite gaze looked around her. “It’s just that the Empress is in love with her. If it really is impossible to rely on her sister alone, I still have to thank the Empress for this matter.”

“Little sister’s natural talent and beauty are already enough to make people feel tempted. In addition, the Empress’s unmoving help to little sister is also beneficial. However, did little sister ask that question?” Chen Chongyi gracefully smiled and covered her lips, “I believe my sister has already asked about Lan Sou Yu …”

Linglong was still worried. Looking around, she smiled and said, “The Empress herself said something neither salty nor insipid. Lan Zhaoyuan is very likely to ignite a fire without knowing it. This is also the Empress’s foresight. It’s fine if you and I don’t provoke this lioness.”

Chen Chongyi smiled charmingly and said, “Big sister, I’ve long since given up trying to compete for favor. I just want to protect my Baoluo. The harem is no longer like before, and the daughters of nobles are in the majority. The Emperor must also want one side to kidnap the other.” Although Chen Chongyi was already thirty years old, her laughter was still so soul-stirring. No wonder the Emperor was always with her back then.

It was just that old age, decay, and love were destinies that the women in the palace could not change at all. Linglong looked at Chen Chongyi with a sad sigh.

Chen Chongyi smiled faintly, “Sister, what’s wrong? Why are you sighing?”

Linglong smiled angrily like an orchid, “Big sister and I are the same person. Does big sister think that little sister also wants to compete for favor?” “Sister is wrong. Sister has no intention of competing for favor. However, at the peak of this storm, it’s just that we sisters are not easy to live by ourselves. Maybe it’s not good for us to drag our family into trouble. Sister just wants to be a pet concubine, so being indifferent to the world can be considered to be saving her parents.”

Chen Chongyi’s eyes were gloomy, but she forced a smile. “Does little sister think it’s that easy to fight with the world? This palace also survived. Back then, in the hidden residence … Ah, it’s hard to say anything. In short, being favored means sitting on wax. It’s impossible to fight with the world. It’s good that little sister can protect herself. When necessary, she has to head on.”

Chen Chongyi’s eyes were filled with spring water as she looked at Linglong. “There are some things that elder sister shouldn’t have instructed younger sister logically. However, elder sister also has good intentions when it comes to this matter. The so-called unpleasant words of advice should also be paid attention to by younger sister.” Chen Chongyi and Qing Wuliu were looking forward to Linglong. Linglong thought to herself that once a certain time came, it would be impossible for them not to compete for favor.

Chen Chongyi had been indifferent for many years and did not want to compete for favor. Fortunately, with Princess Baoluo, she naturally wanted to protect Baoluo, and was even more reluctant to go into that troublesome place.

As the two of them were talking, Chen Chongyi suddenly frowned with an embarrassed expression, “Why is there such a strong fragrance of spices in my sister’s room?”

“It’s just a seasonal flower. Why is elder sister making such a fuss?” Seeing Chen Chongyi’s dragon-phoenix hairpin tremble slightly, she was also a little confused. It was just an ordinary flower. What was there?

Chen Chongyi looked at the surroundings and found that there were indeed many flowers of all colors. They were not beautiful or not. It was just an opportunity. Chen Chongyi smiled faintly, “Flowers are just decorations. To have so many flowers is to be subservient to elegance. It would be better to have three or five pots. Moreover, the best flowers are osmanthus flowers. My sister is simply too late.”

Linglong did not notice when there were so many flowers in the room. The smell of the past was not there, but now it seemed to be getting thicker and thicker.

Chen Chongyi pinched a pot of peony flowers that looked like watery rouge from her delicate and delicate palm. “Only the true national color of peony flowers can move the capital when they blossom. However, if there are too many of them, it will be a burden.”

Linglong looked at the peony and secretly besides Huizi Shen’er, she called for Qin’er to move away. Qin’er replied respectfully, “These flowers were recently sent over by the old concubine. This servant saw that the flowers were also fresh and the color was not bad, so she left them behind.” “Concubine Shao likes to plant these flowers and grass by herself every time. Every palace will give them to you. If Master Concubine feels that there are too many flowers and grass, then I will take half of them away from this servant,” said Concubine Shao.

“Go.” Linglong didn’t take it seriously. She waved her hand and a eunuch ran into the house hurriedly to remove the large pots.

Everyone in this room was busy like ants on a hot pot, but the Emperor had sent someone over.

It turned out that Eunuch Lu had come to reply, saying that the Emperor was going to give way to Linglong’s bedtime tonight and prepare for it earlier.

Linglong expressed her gratitude, and for a moment, she hurriedly found money to reward Eunuch Lu. Eunuch Lu also brought over another instructor aunt, who also rewarded him.

When Chen Chongyi saw that it was inconvenient to stay here, she naturally pulled Bao Luo’s hand over and said, “Congratulations to Imperial Concubine Bu, let’s come back tomorrow.”

Bao Luo’s beautiful face was like a flower as she congratulated Bu Linglong. The mother and daughter had already left.

Qin’er smiled and walked to Bu Linglong’s side when she saw the inmates hurrying in and out. “Is Little Master happy and stupid? The Emperor has finally summoned Little Master to bed. This servant will help Little Master bathe and change his clothes.”

Bu Linglong covered her lips and smiled, “You monkey are anxious. Remember to bathe and change your clothes whenever it’s time.” Bu Linglong’s beauty had two blushes on her face.

It turned out that the Dali Dynasty was different from other dynasties. There was no need for new concubines to flip through their signboards. They did not flip through their signboards until the second night after the bedtime. Therefore, they needed to prepare in advance.

Hui Qi hadn’t touched Bu Linglong when he was in the hidden residence. Now that he was in the palace, he was naturally uneasy. As Linglong walked, she asked, “Is the fragrant soup ready?”

“Is everything else ready?”

The teacher’s aunt knew that Linglong did not have any experience. She bowed and smiled while saying, “This servant is called Sheng. She served the Virgin Empress Dowager in the hands of the previous Emperor. Now that the Empress has arranged for her to serve the Empress, Lord, don’t be afraid.”

Hearing that gentle voice, she hurriedly turned her head. She had just looked at Li Sheng, but now she was so nervous that she almost forgot. Now that she was carefully looking at Li Sheng, she was only a woman in her thirties. Her tens of years of court life had given her a good eyesight, and her eyes were filled with the light of wisdom.

Seeing that calm face, Linglong smiled. “I will remember. What Auntie said was a golden rule. I don’t think it’s wrong.”

Old Sheng smiled solemnly. “Little Lord, do as this servant says. These are the rules of all dynasties. Little Lord, don’t be suspicious. This servant is doing everything for the good of this servant.”

Qin’er hurriedly came over and said, “The fragrant soup has been prepared. What kind of flavor does the bath bean need? This servant will go prepare it now.”

Li Sheng said the smell of the bath bean, and Qin’er went to prepare it. As a result, he accidentally brought down a pot of flowers on the wooden table. It was a pot of spring begonia. Generally speaking, spring begonia would only bloom in autumn, so there was no spring begonia at all.

This was also planted by Concubine Shao herself. Originally, it was very common for a pot of flowers to be shattered in the palace. It would be good if she didn’t mind it at all, but Bu Linglong could see the clues, and even Li Sheng could see it.

The soil inside the potted flower loosely landed on the ground. There was a small porcelain bottle in the soil. The porcelain bottle did not have a lid because it was buried diagonally in the soil of the flower. Ordinary people would not have been able to discover it. If the flower pot had not been broken, they would not have been able to discover it.

The junior inspector had already come to clean up, and Qin’er suddenly found the porcelain bottle.

‘”Wait–” Bu Linglong walked to the flower pot with a cold face. The black soil on the ground gave off a strong fragrance. The fragrance she smelled yesterday and the day before yesterday was not strong enough.

“Little Lord, this” Qin’er had already taken it out, sniffed it at the tip of her nose, and then shook the porcelain bottle in the sunlight. “It’s so pungent.”

After taking the porcelain bottle and sniffing it, his face immediately turned pale, “Impossible …”

Bu Linglong looked at Li Sheng, a little nervous. She didn’t dare to approach the porcelain bottle and asked, “Auntie, it’s impossible.”

Sheng Qiang left behind that horror and put away the porcelain bottle. “Perhaps this servant thought too much. She definitely won’t. After all, it’s impossible for Consort Shao to … she won’t.”

Bu Linglong secretly paid attention to the porcelain bottle. Qin’er thought that she still had something to do, so she hurriedly went outside to look for the bath bean. After a while, she also dispersed. Although she was dispersed, her heart was still as powerful as fifteen people drawing water.

After quietly soaking in the fragrant soup, Her body was as beautiful as a lotus flower, pure white without the slightest bit of dirt. As she was being served by Qin’er, she combed her long hair. Suddenly, she seemed to have thought of something. Chen Chongyi’s face and Li Sheng’s face flashed in her mind, and her soft and greasy face also turned pale.

“Don’t serve me for now. Go to each palace and see if there are any Spring Haitang in each of the palaces of the Little Lord and Empress. Ask about their origins.”

Qin’er agreed as she went,

The strands of hair on her cheeks were wet from the water, sticking to her cheeks. She reached out and took the clean clothes. She slowly looked at the gorgeous patterns on the clothes and began to think. The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. If this was a heaven-shaking conspiracy, then …

Her bright eyes and bright teeth in the water looked a little miserable. Her shining cheeks seemed to have a layer of enamel. Beautiful was a beautiful but soulless dress. She stretched out her slender fingers and wiped her body. Then, she slowly put on the clothes she had prepared. She stood up and walked out of the hall.

Not long after, Qin’er had already walked over. Not only did he walk over, he also held a few small porcelain bottles in his hand. “This servant went to take a look. Not only in our palace, but also in other people’s palaces. This servant dug up two porcelain bottles. Even Concubine Shun and Concubine De were panicked. Ning Yanliu also had them. As for Lan Zhaoyuan’s servant, she had already asked the eunuch.”

Qiushui’s eyes blinked. “Put the bottle away. Go and find the imperial physician. You must find someone who is old and virtuous. Don’t make up the numbers. If someone asks, it would be alarming. He just said that the imperial physician would come over to prepare some medicine. Remember?”

Qin’er naturally knew that the matter was of great importance. After putting away the porcelain bottle, she ran away without stopping.

‘”Is it really Consort Shao?” Linglong’s faint eyebrows slightly curled up, “Is it really Consort Shao?”