The First Empress - Chapter 5

Chapter 5 Warm Spring Day
Before she could enter the Cloud Phoenix Main Hall, Bu Linglong was almost knocked into her arms by a small figure, “Sister Bu, you’re back!”

Bu Linglong was originally worried about where Princess Bao Luo had been wronged when she hurriedly came to look for her. However, after carefully examining Paulo from beginning to end, she did not notice anything unusual about her. Her large pitch black eyes were still pure and happy, looking at her with anticipation.

‘”Luo’er, shouldn’t you be studying with the other princesses at this hour? Why did you come to my place? But who has wronged you?” She asked worriedly.

Princess Baoluo stuck out her tongue and whispered embarrassedly, “Girl Red is too boring. The nanny of the Weaving Bureau has been talking nonstop. It’s not like I can embroider many beautiful designs like Sister Zhenxi, so I sneaked out to play with Sister Bu.”

Bu Linglong was angry and laughing, and could not help but shudder on Princess Baoluo’s head, “You girl, you made me worry about you all the way. So you came to my place to hide.” It’s precisely because I don’t know that I have to learn more, understand? Otherwise, if I marry a man from an aristocratic family in a few years’ time and can’t even do the most basic embroidery, wouldn’t I be laughed at by my husband-in-law? ”

Princess Baoluo’s face flushed red as her tender little fist lightly punched Bu Linglong’s body. “What nonsense is Sister Bu talking about? Luo’er is not even old enough to be a hairpin, so there’s no need to talk about her husband’s family.” She paused for a moment and continued, “Besides, Luo’er still wants to stay with Mother and Sister Bu for a few more years!”

Bu Linglong’s smile stiffened slightly. Although the daughters of the Tian Clan married early and were truly golden branches and leaves, when it came to marital autonomy, even the daughters of poor clans were inferior. This year, Baoluo would definitely marry off from thirteen to seventeen at the latest. But now that the Emperor has just ascended the throne, the borders of the four sides are not stable. According to the previous examples, it is likely that he will really have to walk a bitter path of marriage … Therefore, Chen Chongyi’s current anxiety is not unfounded.

Although she was secretly worried, Bu Linglong refused to show the slightest expression in front of Princess Baoluo. She only softened her tone and brought up an irrelevant topic, “Oh right, didn’t you tell Luo’er? The palace is different from the palace. I’m your father’s concubine. Luo’er can’t just call me’sister Bu ‘in the future. You have to call me’ Mother Bu ‘.”

Hearing this, Princess Bao Luo slowly restrained her overjoyed expression. She twisted her handkerchief and pouted for a while, “But Big Sister Bu is not a few years older than me. Luo’er is used to calling Big Sister Bu. She suddenly lets Luo’er call him ‘Big Sister Mother Concubine Bu’, just like ‘Imperial Concubine Rou’ and ‘Imperial Concubine Shun Mother’. ‘Luo’er feels very righteous.”

Bu Linglong felt compassion in her heart. She knew that Baoluo was sincere and never knew how to conceal her words. Because Chen Chongyi was not favored, people like Concubine Rou and Shunfei treated Baoluo indifferently. No wonder Baoluo insisted on not calling Bu Linglong “Bu Mother”.

“Then, in the future, Luo’er can only call me this way in front of Mother and me, okay?” Bu Linglong lowered her head and earnestly agreed with Princess Baoluo, “In front of everyone else, you must call me according to seniority.”

Seeing that Bao Luo nodded seriously, Bu Linglong revealed a relieved smile, “Luo’er, don’t stand in the courtyard with me. Let’s go into the inner hall. I thought it was your favorite crystal osmanthus cake that was delivered to you this morning by the Imperial Cuisine Room. I kept it for you untouched.”

While biting the sweet crystal osmanthus cake, Princess Baoluo said vaguely, “Sister Bu, do you think Father Emperor doesn’t like me anymore?”

Bu Linglong was stunned and subconsciously retorted, “How could this be? Luo’er is the Emperor’s biological daughter. How could a father not love his daughter?”

Princess Bao Luo swallowed an entire piece of osmanthus cake and complained somewhat wrongly, “But since Luo’er lived in this palace, she has never seen Father Emperor again.”

Bu Linglong’s heart ached. He hurriedly handed another piece of crystal osmanthus cake to Baoluo. “Your Majesty has just ascended to the throne, and everything is busy. Naturally, you can’t play with Luo’er as often as you did in the palace. Luo’er, please forgive Your Majesty. In a few days, Your Majesty will definitely go and see Luo’er.”

‘”But” Luo’er stared at the pastry in her hand, but refused to eat any more. A trace of doubt appeared between her eyebrows. “This morning, Sister Zhen Xi also said that Father Emperor had already visited her several times this month.”

In an instant, Bu Linglong experienced Qin’er’s feelings that day.

In the end, the consolation he desperately thought of was useless. Those excuses were too pale, and they were often unable to withstand a single blow in front of the truth.

Could it be that she could tell little Bao Luo that because Princess Zhenxi’s mother was Concubine De, the most respected woman in the entire harem besides the Empress, she was destined to receive more love than Bao Luo?

The Emperor’s heart was filled with too many things. Even the daughters of their closest relatives had such disparity in intimacy, let alone those concubines that bloomed like flowers in every corner of the harem, allowing a lord to freely climb up and down.

“Luo’er,” Bu Linglong gently called her, “after you finish eating the pastry, let’s call your mother and go to the Imperial Garden to admire the scenery, okay?”

Princess Baoluo nodded happily.

The Imperial Garden.

Baoluo was picking flowers in the flowers with great interest. Chen Chongyi and Bu Linglong followed behind and slowly walked side by side.

After Bu Linglong finished narrating what the Empress had said to her this morning, Chen Chongyi frowned. However, she was in agreement with Bu Linglong’s thinking, “Of course, this is a good thing, a great good thing. But the question is, why did the Empress try to rope you in?”

Bu Linglong shook her head and said, “I really don’t understand. In the past, the Empress never paid attention to me. I know that I can’t climb up to her level, but I just do my best to be a concubine. If she wants to groom a rookie, isn’t there a beloved Concubine Lan right now?”

Chen Chongyi smiled slightly, “What is Blue Beauty’s identity? The Empress is interested. She may not be grateful. The Emperor is just because she has just entered the palace, so it’s not good for her to be too high-ranked. If she can survive for a few years in the palace, or if she has a son and a half, she will definitely surpass me.”

“Even if Concubine Lan doesn’t succeed, there will always be a dozen or so new imperial daughters in the palace. Just pick a few good ones to nurture. Why would you come looking for an old man like me who isn’t favored?”

Chen Chongyi did not answer, clearly puzzled.

“Could it be,” Bu Linglong suddenly sneered, “that because of the humiliation she suffered in Zhaoyang Palace that day, the Empress felt that I and Concubine Rou had become strong enemies and could be used?”

Chen Chongyi pondered for a while and said hesitantly, “That’s not the case. Imperial Concubine Rou made so many enemies in the Prince’s Mansion back then. I’m afraid everyone would hate to find an opportunity to bring her down. If the Empress had such thoughts, many people would hate Imperial Concubine Rou more than you do. There’s really no need to bother with nurturing you.”

“In short,” Chen Chongyi finally concluded, “it’s better to agree to the Empress first. In the future, the soldiers will block and act according to the situation.”

Bu Linglong nodded, “Big sister is right, little sister thinks the same way.”

“Mother Concubine, Big Sister Bu, look, there seems to be someone over there.”

Chen Chongyi and Bu Linglong talked as they walked, but Princess Baoluo’s eyes weren’t as sharp as hers. At this moment, he looked over and saw a group of eunuchs and palace maids, surrounded by a woman dressed as imperial concubine, slowly walking towards them.

“So it’s Empress Chong Yi. Big sister Cai Ren, little sister is being polite.”

Chen Chongyi and Bu Linglong saw clearly that the woman dressed in luxurious clothes was Concubine Lan.

Lan Beauty bowed to Chen Chongyi and smiled to Bao Luo, “This is Princess Bao Luo, right? She is indeed intelligent, as the rumors say, with a city-toppling appearance.”

Chen Chongyi’s lips curled into a faint smile. “Luo’er was raised in the palace and rarely saw outsiders. Where did Lan Beauty hear the rumors?” She said calmly.

Concubine Lan covered his mouth with a silk handkerchief and smiled elegantly. A few years ago, my brother went to the palace to discuss national affairs with the emperor, and happened to meet Princess Baoluo playing in the backyard of the emperor’s study. My brother asked the emperor for a moment of curiosity, and after returning, he described Princess Baoluo’s adorable and beautiful appearance to us in detail, causing my concubines to still remember Princess Baoluo. ”

This compliment was like a pearl falling on a plate. It was extremely pleasant to hear, and the answer was perfect. It not only responded to Chen Chongyi’s slightly piercing question, but also intentionally or unintentionally brought out the intimate relationship between his family and the Emperor, making Chen Chongyi unable to refute it. Standing aside, Bu Linglong couldn’t help but be secretly shocked at the depth of Blue Beauty’s scheming-even if she looked only sixteen or seventeen years old.

As expected, Chen Chongyi could only smile and say, “Since our Emperor said it personally, how dare I blame my sister? My sister also came to the Imperial Garden to admire the flowers?”

‘”Yes,” Concubine Lan’s gaze stopped on a cluster of red peonies. “April is the season when all the flowers bloom. Concubines are bored in Changle Palace, so they come out for a walk.”

Chen Chongyi’s expression unconsciously changed when she saw that Concubine Lan’s gaze was only on the peony cluster. “Sister Beauty has good eyesight. This red peony is the king of flowers. I presume that sister also likes it very much,” Chen Chongyi said.

“Peony is graceful, concubine guessed privately. Most of the women in the palace like it. However, concubine palace is full of yu beauties, but there is no place to plant peony.”

Chen Chongyi paused and said meaningfully, “I heard that the Emperor personally rewarded all the yu beauties in my younger sister’s palace? The yu beauties have another nickname, Sai Mudan. It can be seen how much the Emperor dotes on my younger sister.”

Peony has always been used by women of the main family. When placed in the palace, it naturally became the symbol of the Empress of the Central Palace. A Peony Compet. I.tion was simply a disrespectful arrogance in the most stringent imperial palace!

However, those yu beauties planted in Changle Palace were rewarded by His Majesty.

Concubine Lan’s expression changed, and he immediately concealed it. His face returned to the humble smile of Eight Wind Style: “Concubine Chongyi is knowledgeable, concubine concubines are ashamed of being inferior to her.” “When the emperor rewarded the yu beauties, only the concubines were in the position of beauties. It was appropriate to plant some yu beauties in the palace. I think the emperor did not notice that the yu beauties actually had such nicknames. It was all because of the concubines’ lack of knowledge. If he had known about this matter at that time, he would never have dared to accept the emperor’s kindness.”

Have little talent and learning? Bu Linglong couldn’t help but smile faintly. With the Emperor and Blue Beauty’s experience, How could he not know that the Yu Beauty had the nickname “Peony Competition”? She was just an unintentional reward, a pretended collection, and on the surface, it seemed like an inconspicuous example of the Emperor’s kindness towards the Blue Beauty-but there must be some sort of deep meaning in it. Otherwise, why would he have to choose the Yu Beauty who was in full bloom in the Imperial Garden? However, Bu Linglong did not dare to continue to speculate on what the meaning of this was.

Just as he was secretly distracted, he heard Chen Chongyi’s “Ai” sound. He looked at a winding path in the northeast direction from afar and said, “Isn’t that Ruan Ding?”

As expected, it was Ruan Ding, dressed in the robes of the chief eunuch, holding a whisk in his right hand, and rushing over with a smile on his face.

“This servant greets Imperial Concubine Chong Yi, Little Master Beauty, Little Master Human.” Ruan Ding bowed politely at first, then reported to Lan Beauty with a smile, “Little Master Beauty is easy to find. The Emperor has announced that you will go to the Imperial Study to serve the ink. Please hurry up and follow this servant.”

Lan Beauty glanced at Chen Chongyi and her beautiful face revealed a hint of shyness, “Then … concubine concubine shall take her leave first.”

Chen Chongyi smiled warmly, “Sister, hurry up and go. Don’t keep the Emperor waiting for too long.”

Chen Chongyi’s gaze followed Concubine Lan and Ruan Ding who were gradually walking away, and her gaze couldn’t help but reveal a trace of loneliness and grief.

However, even that loneliness was quiet and restrained. But for a moment, her expression changed and she warmly invited Bu Linglong, “Is little sister alright? Why don’t you go to my palace and have lunch together?”

Bu Linglong smiled and replied, “Yes.” Then, she whispered, “Since Concubine and Concubine have the same thoughts, why don’t Concubine go to Kun De Palace and return to Queen Concubine after lunch?”

Chen Chongyi looked at her calmly. After a while, Fang You sighed, “This is a rare opportunity. Sister should accept it first. However …” Her eyebrows were filled with worry. “Sister must be careful. If Sister trusts Sister, you can discuss more with Sister if you encounter any problems.”

Bu Linglong held Chen Chongyi’s hand and sincerely said, “Sister treats Sister sincerely. Sister understands in her heart that Sister never dares to forget what Sister said about Sister that day at Qixia Palace. Even if there is a dragon pond and tiger’s den ahead, Sister’s humble body must be trespassed for no other reason than to live in this palace for nothing.”

Even if it was the most poisonous wine that pierced through her intestines and split her lungs, as long as it was filled with a luxurious golden bottle and jade goblet, she would rather drink it with a smile.

She had nothing, so she was never afraid of losing it.

Hongyan flicked her fingers, and in an instant, she looked beautiful. She had no other choice but to use all her strength to bloom while her face was still alive!