mtl008 Chapter 68 Consort Fucha's Beauty Pageant
Chapter 68 Consort Fucha's Beauty Pageant
Lingkun Palace's Nian Shilan threw another tantrum, and Songzhi hurriedly sent someone to Jingyang Palace to find Consort Cao, the firefighter.
The young eunuch trotted all the way to Jingyang Palace, where Consort Cao was teasing Princess Wenyi.
Upon hearing the purpose of their visit, she frowned slightly. Although she felt helpless, she still led Wen Yi to Lingkun Palace.
She now truly has two daughters.
Upon entering the palace gates, one sees a scene of utter chaos, with Nian Shilan sitting on a couch, her chest heaving with anger.
Upon seeing this, Cao Qinmo quickly bowed and said softly:
"Why is Your Highness angry again today? It's not good for your health to get sick from getting angry."
Nian Shilan snorted coldly and said, "Isn't it because there's no one capable in this palace? They're all just good for nothing?"
They can't even keep one person around, and Consort Shu is in confinement after giving birth.
That Consort Wan is useless; her child was murdered, and she's still wallowing in self-pity.
That old fellow comes to bother me every day.
I'm even afraid that one day I might accidentally strangle him to death.
Cao Qinmo was startled by these words, but maintained a faint smile on her face.
"Your Majesty, please don't say that. His Majesty only visits you more often because he cares about you."
Consort Wan is heartbroken over the loss of her child and will likely find it difficult to recover for a while. However, she is a clever woman and will probably regain favor soon.
"Then, naturally, we won't let the Emperor keep bothering the Empress anymore."
"By the time Consort Wan decides to vie for the Emperor's favor, who knows when that will be?"
I don't want to see that old man even for a day longer.
Cao Qinmo suggested, "Why don't you, Your Majesty, select a few beauties and have them serve the Emperor?"
Upon hearing Cao Qinmo's words, Nian Shilan's eyes lit up.
"That's one way, but it's not an election right now."
Cao Qinmo said, "If there's no grand election, we can have a smaller one. There are plenty of beauties among these palace maids."
Nian Shilan: "Hmm, then let's just pick a few palace maids to make do for now."
Choose all the pretty girls, and have them perform at the Sixth Prince's full moon celebration.
Consort Shu probably won't mind, so I'll leave this matter to you."
Cao Qinmo replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."
Only then did Nian Shilan notice Wen Yi in the wet nurse's arms, and she immediately smiled.
Since losing her memory, Nian Shilan has disliked wearing those nail guards; she never wore them in her palace.
She extended her slender, long fingers and gently teased Wen Yi's rosy cheeks, saying softly:
"Oh, our little Princess Wenyi is getting cuter and cuter!"
Look at that little face, so pink and tender, it makes you want to take a bite.
Seeing this, Cao Qinmo, who was standing to the side, smiled and chimed in:
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. If it weren't for your constant care, Your Majesty..."
"How could our Wenyi be so well-behaved and adorable?"
However, Nian Shilan suddenly rolled her eyes at her and said in a slightly sarcastic tone:
"Hmph, I take care of Wenyi because I genuinely like this child."
Unlike some people who can't even protect their own flesh and blood, blindly trusting that old woman.
That Consort Wan thinks she's incredibly clever, but in my eyes, she's clearly just a self-righteous fool!
"If you were any prettier, would Consort Wan ever have had a chance to rise to prominence?"
Cao Qinmo chuckled softly:
"Your Majesty flatters me. Consort Wan's disadvantage lies in her youth. If I weren't a few years older than her and didn't care about such superficial things..."
Even the concubines might not be able to compare to her.
"You're just being modest. You're incredibly shrewd; how could that Consort Wan compare to you?"
After saying that, he gently pinched Wen Yi's pink and cute cheek.
After Nian Shilan held Wenyi and affectionately played with her for a while, she felt a little tired.
She turned her gaze to Wen Yi's wet nurse standing to the side, her face instantly adopting a serious expression.
"Take good care of the little princess. If anything goes wrong, you'll all be in big trouble."
The wet nurse trembled at Nian Shilan's sharp gaze and quickly bowed her head in agreement.
They expressed their determination to take good care of Princess Wenyi.
Seeing the wet nurse agree with feigned fear and trepidation, Nian Shilan nodded in satisfaction.
Then, she carefully and gently placed Wenyi in the wet nurse's arms.
After settling Wenyi in, Nian Shilan turned to Cao Qinmo and said:
"Alright, you can leave now. Go and start preparing for the election."
Remember, you must carefully select some beautiful palace maids.
Don't you dare send in any shoddy or substandard items, or I won't let you off the hook!
That old man doesn't seem to favor women like Consort Wan, so this time you should pick a few more similar to her.
"That'll keep that old fellow from bothering me too much, so I won't have to endure so much peace and quiet every day!"
"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will certainly handle this matter well."
Cao Qinmo readily agreed; Nian Shilan was now worthy of her sincere devotion.
Cao Qinmo quickly left Yikun Palace with Wen Yi.
The next day, Yikun Palace became lively, with many ambitious palace maids coming to Yikun Palace during their off-duty hours.
Currently, the management of the harem is in the hands of Consort Hua, Nian Shilan.
No one dared to disrespect her.
Nian Shilan sat in Yikun Palace, looking at the many palace maids who had come, a faint smile playing on her lips.
These palace maids all lowered their heads and looked meek, but they couldn't hide the expectation in their eyes.
Cao Qinmo was also by her side, and the first thing she did was to look at her appearance.
Nian Shilan and Cao Qinmo together selected those with outstanding appearances.
Then it's about seeing if they have any special talents.
Nian Shilan leaned lazily against the couch, her gaze sweeping over the palace maids.
At this moment, Cao Qinmo spoke softly, whispering in Nian Shilan's ear:
"Your Majesty, look at these ladies. Not only are they beautiful, but they also each have their own unique talents."
Upon hearing this, Nian Shilan slightly raised her slender eyebrows, a hint of interest flashing in her eyes.
He then pointed to those people and ordered the palace maids to come forward.
But as these palace maids cautiously stepped forward, Nian Shilan couldn't help but roll her eyes.
I felt these palace maids were too petty.
Cao Qin, observing Nian Shilan's expression, noticed that she seemed somewhat displeased.
He quickly spoke to reassure the extremely nervous palace maids.
"You don't need to be so tense, just relax."
It is your good fortune to be able to stand here today.
As long as one performs well and wins the favor of the Imperial Concubine,
Then you'll have a chance to get to the Emperor's side!
They were unwilling to be mere palace maids, enduring until their beauty faded.
I want to try my luck and get ahead.
Cao Qinmo's words reassured them and made them relax a lot.
These palace maids each had their own unique beauty and strengths.
Piano players, singers, dancers
They knew this was a rare opportunity, so they all tried their best to win Nian Shilan's favor.
For a time, the sounds of silk and bamboo instruments filled the air at Yikun Palace, and the graceful dances were dazzling.
Nian Shilan leaned back in her chair, enjoying the captivating performance by the beautiful women before her.
This made Nian Shilan feel the joy of being surrounded and flattered by so many beauties; it was indeed a wonderful feeling.
This activity can be continued for a long time. After she has finished enjoying it, we can send these people to the old man.
Honestly, she thought sending these palace maids to the old man would be better.
It feels like putting a beautiful flower on cow dung.
Hey, are you a little reluctant to part with it?
The news of the bustling activity at Lingkun Palace quickly spread throughout the entire harem.
Upon hearing this, the women in the harem reacted in various ways, some feeling curious and surprised.
Consort Hua, Nian Shilan, was known for her jealousy and tendency to compete for favors.
In the past, whenever someone gained favor, she would always try to suppress them by any means necessary.
This time, she surprisingly deviated from her usual practice and took the initiative to select people for the emperor, which was truly unbelievable.
After losing her memory, Consort Hua seemed like a completely different person.
Some people are filled with worry, thinking that in the harem, only new concubines are seen laughing, while the old ones are never seen weeping.
With so many new faces appearing, they became even less noticeable in the harem.
The most vehement reaction came from the Empress at Jingren Palace.
According to custom, it was her duty and right as Empress to choose new concubines for the Emperor.
But now, Consort Hua is overstepping her bounds, which is clearly a provocation against Consort Hua!
Her schemes repeatedly failed, and she was imprisoned once more; her temper grew increasingly erratic.
After experiencing numerous setbacks and blows, the Queen's temper became increasingly strange and irritable, and she became terrifyingly gloomy.
Because of her frequent temper tantrums, her headaches also flared up frequently, causing her great suffering.
Over time, as the empress's mental state deteriorated, her appearance also subtly changed.
Now, her face is as withered as a dead tree, devoid of any of her former radiant beauty.
Few of the palace servants in Jingren Palace were unafraid of her.
All of these people had a chance to avoid the Empress's wrath, but Huichun, as her personal maid, did not.
When Huichun and the other women had calmed down enough, she mustered her courage and stepped forward to persuade them.
But he still couldn't escape the fate of being hit on the forehead by a cup.
Huichun covered her forehead, blood seeping from between her fingers.
But she endured the pain, kneeling on the ground, not daring to even breathe.
The Empress watched this scene with a cold eye, and a faint sense of guilt flashed through her heart.
However, this pang of guilt was fleeting.
She maintained a stern face and reprimanded sharply:
"What a useless thing! You can't share any of my worries at all, what use are you?"
Huichun's body trembled, and she repeatedly kowtowed:
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. It is all because this servant is incompetent and unable to share Your Majesty's burdens. Please punish me, Your Majesty."
The Empress snorted coldly, her face full of anger, and said:
"Punishment? What's the point of punishing you now?"
That Consort Hua is increasingly disregarding me!
You'd better think of a way quickly; I will definitely teach Nian Shilan a lesson.
As long as I am alive, she must behave herself and not provoke me again and again.
Ignoring the pain from the wound on her forehead, Huichun lowered her head and began to ponder deeply.
After a while, she gritted her teeth and said:
"Your Majesty, a message came from our undercover agents earlier. I wonder if it will be of any use to you..."
Upon hearing this, the Empress's expression changed slightly. She immediately suppressed her anger and asked urgently:
"Oh? What news is it? Tell me!"
The empress's schemes repeatedly failed, and she eventually began to suspect that there was a traitor within her palace.
After several unsuccessful attempts to eliminate the person, they became much more cautious.
When scheming against someone, one must always lower one's voice.
Huichun stood up, walked to the Empress's side, and whispered in her ear in a voice only the two of them could hear.
He told the Queen the news.