mtl008 Chapter 50 Favor
Chapter 50 Favor
Everyone turned around at the same time and saw the young emperor walking briskly in from outside.
He was dressed in a black dragon robe embroidered with gold thread, and seemed to have rushed over. The usually dignified and solemn emperor's cold face showed a hint of urgency.
With a gust of wind, he strode up to Chu Qingyin, his long, strong arms gripping her slender waist like iron clamps.
Meeting Chu Qingyin's astonished gaze, he stared at her, his voice deep and slow: "Yinyin, you've just recovered and should be resting in bed. Why are you up?"
Chu Qingyin was slightly taken aback, feeling somewhat unaccustomed to such intimacy in front of everyone. She instinctively wanted to push him away, but forcibly restrained herself, only showing a shy and embarrassed expression, and said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am much better now. Besides, Her Majesty the Empress has come to visit me personally. If I were to remain bedridden, wouldn't that be disrespectful?"
Upon hearing this, Pei Yuanling turned to look at everyone present, his gaze finally settling on Empress Wang, his eyes cold and indifferent: "Why has the Empress come here?"
Empress Wang felt a chill run down her spine from that gaze. Her fingers clenched tightly beneath her phoenix robe as she forced a dignified smile: "I heard that Consort Qiao has suddenly fallen ill, so I have come to visit her."
"Yes, Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the Empress, Consort De, and all the other sisters are here to visit Sister Qiao because we care about her."
Consort Shu seized the opportunity to interject, then rose and walked to Pei Yuanling's side, raising her hand to take his arm: "Your Majesty, please sit here first, I will have something to say to you..."
"No need." Pei Yuanling said coldly, flicking his sleeve to avoid Consort Shu's touch.
Consort Shu's face suddenly stiffened: "Your Majesty..."
Pei Yuanling maintained his cold and stern expression, not even glancing at her, but only glancing at the Empress: "The imperial physician said that Consort Qiao needs to rest."
The implication of his/her request to leave is quite clear.
The emperor's attitude was so cold and hard that the concubines dared not stay any longer and took their leave.
"Consort Lu".
Lu Mingzhu had only taken two steps when she heard Pei Yuanling call her name. She immediately turned around in surprise and delight: "Your Majesty, you called me..."
Before she could finish speaking, she saw Pei Yuanling's eyes looking at her, cold, calm, and filled with disgust.
She suddenly felt a chill run down her spine, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on her forehead.
Sure enough, the next moment Pei Yuanling continued, "You have repeatedly disrespected the late Consort. I have spared you from severe punishment because you are the cousin of Grand Secretary Lu. I hope you will behave yourself. If there is a next time, you will bear the consequences."
After saying that, he didn't look at Lu Mingzhu again, and under the gaze of all the concubines, he took Chu Qingyin's arm and walked towards the inner room.
Lu Mingzhu's legs went weak, and she almost fell to the side, but fortunately Qiao Qingling caught her quickly: "Sister Lu, are you alright?"
Empress Wang glanced at Lu Mingzhu quietly, a hint of disdain flashing in her eyes, before turning and leaving.
Consort De and Consort Ning followed closely behind and left.
Only Consort Shu stepped forward and gently patted her shoulder with a smile: "Consort Lu should thank her cousin Lord Lu. After all, not everyone in the palace who mentions the name 'Consort Chu' is as lucky as you to be able to escape unscathed."
After saying this, seeing Lu Mingzhu's increasingly terrified expression, Consort Shu sneered and turned to leave.
Lu Mingzhu, who remained where she was, was filled with resentment and unwillingness. That Chu Qingyin was just a dead person, so what was there to hide?
Back in her hometown, her parents were afraid of Chu Qingyin's favor with the emperor and dared not send her to the palace. If she had entered the palace earlier, how could Chu Qingyin have had the opportunity to enjoy the emperor's exclusive favor?
"Sister Lu, let's go back first..." Qiao Qingling whispered from the side.
She had barely finished speaking when Lu Mingzhu shoved her away forcefully: "Hmph, don't think I don't know what you're up to. Seeing that Qiao Qingyin is favored now, you want to curry favor with her?"
“Let me tell you, as long as the Lu family still exists, I will be fine. As for you, Qiao Qingling, if it weren’t for the fact that you are Qiao Qingyin’s sister, would I have associated with you? You are a concubine’s daughter, not even worthy of carrying my shoes.”
After finishing her tirade, Lu Mingzhu stormed off in a huff.
Qiao Qingling collapsed to the ground, her hands clenched into fists, her eyes filled with hatred as she watched Lu Mingzhu's departing figure.
Lu Mingzhu, Qiao Qingyin, one day, I, Qiao Qingling, will crush you under my feet!
The inner room was quiet, with only the whisper of the breeze rustling the curtains outside the window.
Chu Qingyin sat leaning against the wall, her ears faintly catching the sounds of the commotion outside, and her delicate brows furrowed slightly.
The next moment, two slender fingers touched her brow. "Yinyin, don't frown."
Chu Qingyin was slightly taken aback. When she looked up and met the man's long, dark eyes, a strange emotion welled up in her heart.
"His Majesty……"
She called softly, her eyes holding a hint of scrutiny.
What exactly is wrong with Pei Yuanling?
In the past, even when she was framed by Consort Shu and lost her personal maid, he always respected Consort Shu's status and never embarrassed her in public. But just now, he embarrassed Consort Shu in public and was even disrespectful to the Empress.
Something's definitely fishy about this. What's wrong with him?
"Yinyin, why are you looking at me like that?"
Pei Yuanling met her gaze without flinching, his handsome eyes always carrying a gentle and tender smile: "Was the handling of the situation just now not satisfactory? Or did they disturb you? Don't worry, I will issue an edict later, that from now on, no one is allowed to disturb you without your permission."
Chu Qingyin was stunned for a moment, then her face showed fear: "Your Majesty, you are really too kind to this concubine. Such favor is too much for this concubine to bear..."
"What's this?"
Pei Yuanling held her hand, his dark eyes deep: "Yinyin, I will give you even more favor in the future. I want you to be the happiest woman in the harem."
Chu Qingyin's dark eyes flickered slightly.
Before she could speak, Pei Yuanling pulled her into his arms. "Yinyin, from now on you just need to eat, drink and enjoy yourself. I will take care of everything else. You don't need to worry about anything else."
Chu Qingyin leaned softly against the man's strong chest, her long eyelashes drooping slightly, feigning shyness: "Your Majesty is so good to me."
He was increasingly puzzled. Pei Yuanling, what exactly were you trying to achieve by putting on this show?
However, before she could figure out what was going on, the man's promised "more favors" arrived—
The next morning, Diecui Pavilion received another imperial edict.
"Now there is Qiao Qingyin, daughter of the Qiao family, who is virtuous and beautiful, and has won my heart. She is hereby granted residence in Feixue Palace, and is also bestowed with six palace maids, a thousand taels of gold and silver, fifty bolts of various silks, four sets of jewelry and headdresses, and four sets of antiques and paintings..."
After the head eunuch Chen Zhongliang finished reading the imperial edict in a high-pitched voice, he handed it to Chu Qingyin with a smile: "This servant congratulates Your Highness, the Noble Consort!"
"Thank you very much, Eunuch Chen. You've gone to so much trouble."
Chu Qingyin gave Xianglan a wink, and Xianglan immediately stepped forward, took out a heavy purse, and handed it to Chen Zhongliang.
"This, Your Majesty, you can't!" Chen Zhongliang said, looking at the item in his hand.
"Eunuch Chen, this is a token of my appreciation; please accept it as a token of my joy."
Seeing Chu Qingyin say this, Chen Zhongliang could no longer refuse: "In that case, this servant will accept it and thank Your Highness for the reward. Your Highness's favor is now unparalleled in the harem, and it will surely rise even higher in the future."
"You flatter me, Eunuch Chen. I am only focused on serving Your Majesty now and have no other concerns," Chu Qingyin said modestly.
Chen Zhongliang smiled faintly, said nothing, and took his leave.
After he left, Xianglan immediately looked at Chu Qingyin, her eyes full of joy: "Your Majesty, His Majesty truly loves you."
"You casually mentioned yesterday that Diecui Pavilion was too far from Zichen Palace, and His Majesty immediately bestowed Feixue Palace upon you."
Upon hearing this, Chu Qingyin frowned slightly and fell into deep thought.
Pei Yuanling is indeed granting her every request now, to an almost abnormal degree.
Even in the past, when she was a noble consort, it was still a long and complicated process for her to get closer to Pei Yuanling.
He had to give Empress Wang face, appease Consort Shu, and consider all aspects of the court and the harem...
But now he gives it to her so easily. She doesn't know whether to be pleasantly surprised by Pei Yuanling's current affection for her, or to sigh about the past when she endured things alongside Pei Yuanling.