Ch 290: Imperial Concubine in the Cold Palace 4
Consort Hua naturally understood this principle, but she was unwilling in her heart. Clearly, the person The Emperor loved the most was herself, but these lowly women in the Imperial Harem were all rushing to seek The Emperor’s favor one after another. These damned bitches should all be thrown into the Cold Palace, and it would be best if they were never reincarnated.
The Wet Nurse earnestly persuaded her for a long time, and finally said, “Speaking of which, this Imperial Concubine Candidate being pregnant is also a good thing. Whether it’s a boy or a girl, Imperial Concubine can rely on The Emperor’s favor to take the child to her care and raise them.”
Consort Hua’s face changed drastically. Although she had this intention, the thought of raising a child born to The Emperor and another woman made her feel disgusted all over.
The Wet Nurse also saw what Consort Hua was thinking and kindly advised, “Imperial Concubine, this servant knows that you don’t want to raise the children of other Imperial Concubines, but this servant has heard that women who have not had children for a long time, if they raise other people’s children, that child will bring her ‘child luck’, and in the future, this child will also bring you luck in having children.”
Consort Hua’s expression softened a little, “You’re right, this Imperial Concubine is, after all, The Emperor’s personally appointed Noble Consort, and I really shouldn’t be so petty about such a small matter. It’s a great joy for the Imperial Harem to have an Imperial Concubine pregnant. You can ask someone to send some tonic medicinal herbs over later, which can be considered as fulfilling this Imperial Concubine’s good intentions.”
The Wet Nurse breathed a sigh of relief in her heart. It was good that Consort Hua didn’t do anything foolish, but the pregnancy of an Imperial Concubine in the Imperial Harem was, after all, a beginning. No matter how favored Consort Hua was, The Emperor also had other Imperial Concubines, and it was impossible for him to favor Consort Hua alone forever.
Consort Hua always felt that she was The Emperor’s wife. If Empress hadn’t relied on her identity as Empress Dowager’s niece in the first place, it was estimated that the position of Empress would have to be changed as well.
Ling Long also carried a small stool, preparing to watch the excitement. However, recently, the weather was getting hotter and hotter, and Lin Lang also didn’t. She was free to go to the back mountain to dig a lot of bamboo shoots. These were all abandoned bamboo forest bamboo shoots, and it was also abandoned there. No one was robbing them at all.
After she broke them back, she peeled off the outer skin and then made them into pickled bamboo shoots. The remaining older ones were made into dried bamboo shoots.
The soup made with bones and dried bamboo shoots in winter was extremely delicious. Whether it was used for hot pot or drinking soup, it was excellent.
In addition to bamboo shoots, there were actually many fruit trees in many abandoned palaces. The Maidservant had nothing to do and would not run to that kind of place, so it was cheaper for Lin Lang.
Recently, it was a good time to eat apricots. There were several apricot trees in the corners of the palace, and now the yellow apricots on them were just ripe.
Lin Lang carried a small basket to pick yellow apricots. In a short while, she picked a full basket, but Lin Lang was still reluctant to leave, because if these apricots were not eaten, they would rot. So, she prepared to pick them back and make them into dried apricots, and then keep them for snacks in winter.
Just as Lin Lang was climbing up and down, she suddenly heard a voice under the tree, which scared her so much that her feet slipped, and she almost didn’t fall to the bottom of the tree. Fortunately, she was quick-witted and grabbed the tree trunk tightly, and then slowly moved down.
“Which family’s Maidservant are you? What are you doing picking so many yellow apricots?”
Lin Lang raised her head, looked at the man who was speaking, blinked her eyes, and then glanced at the other person’s very ordinary silk clothes. There were no other decorations on his body, so she couldn’t guess the other person’s identity at all.
“I’m not a Maidservant. I’m an Imperial Concubine Candidate who just entered the palace for the Imperial Selection the year before last. I’m picking yellow apricots for myself to eat.” Lin Lang held the basket in her arms, as if she was holding the best treasure in the world, and looked at the man opposite her warily.
“These were all painstakingly picked by me. If you want to eat… I can give you two, but I can’t give you the rest. I have to keep them to make dried apricots…”
The man seemed to have heard something funny. His eyebrows curved slightly, and his eyes sparkled, as if everything had come alive.
“Didn’t the Maidservant give you food? Why would an Imperial Concubine Candidate like you come to pick apricots?” As the man spoke, he stretched out his slender fingers, which also had a white jade thumb ring on them, making the entire finger look slender and jade-like.
Lin Lang watched helplessly as the other party picked and chose in her basket, and then took out two apricots. These two apricots were already ripe and exuded an enticing sweet aroma.
Lin Lang lowered her head, “It’s also my bad luck. I had only just entered the palace when I offended Consort Hua, so I was moved to a remote Side Hall.
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It’s already very good that Imperial Concubine Candidates like us without any status can survive. We can’t expect the service of Maidservant and Eunuch.”
“May I ask which palace this Young Master works in? I see that your clothes are not something that ordinary people can wear…”
The man smiled slightly, “Zhao Yan.”
Lin Lang was not a three-year-old child. When she heard this name, it was as if a flash of lightning appeared in her mind. In a panic, she knelt on the ground, and even the apricots in the basket fell to the ground.
“This commoner greets The Emperor, may The Emperor be blessed.” Lin Lang was so anxious that she was sweating on her head. She didn’t expect to meet The Emperor in this remote place. Shouldn’t The Emperor be followed by a large group of Maidservant and Eunuch wherever he went? Why was he alone today? Wasn’t he afraid of being assassinated by others?
Zhao Yan didn’t let her get up, but squatted down himself, looking at the woman in front of him who didn’t dare to look him in the eye, as if he had found a fun toy.
“You… are very interesting. Zhen is looking forward to your dried apricots, but Zhen is not someone who takes other people’s things for nothing. Since Zhen has eaten your things, then… Zhen will bestow you the title of Imperial Attendant!”
Lin Lang suddenly raised her head and could see the other person’s deep, sea-like eyes. She immediately lowered her head again.
Although Imperial Attendant was only the seventh rank, and also the lowest Imperial Concubine in the palace, once you had a title, it meant that you were The Emperor’s woman, and at least you had the lowest level of protection.
“Thank you, The Emperor. This Imperial Concubine kowtows to thank you for your grace.” Lin Lang sincerely thanked God in her heart for giving her such an opportunity. Although she didn’t understand why The Emperor would appear in this small palace, it was a great joy for her. God, you finally opened your eyes once. She was finally able to get out of the Cold Palace.
Zhao Yan left with two apricots, smiling. After leaving the palace, he looked at the Chief Eunuch waiting beside him and immediately changed his expression.
“Find someone to investigate whether it was a coincidence or a deliberate appearance…”
After Zhao Yan finished speaking, his eyes were cold and stern, like ice that would never melt for thousands of years. He hated people scheming against him the most.
Speaking of Zhao Yan appearing in this palace, it was indeed a coincidence. Back then, when Zhao Yan was still a Little Prince, he lived in this small palace with his Imperial Concubine Mother. In his limited memory, the days were never good, but his Imperial Concubine Mother was very gentle and would also pick sweet apricots for him to eat when the apricots were ripe, until…
Until the current Empress Dowager took a fancy to him and forcibly took him to her care and raised him. His Imperial Concubine Mother died of illness, and he never came here again. The main reason for coming here today was that he accidentally thought of the fact that it was now the season when apricots were ripe.
Although Zhao Yan thought that this Imperial Concubine was quite cute, he always felt that there were no such coincidences in this world, but on the contrary, it was such a coincidence. He had suddenly come to this remote palace and then met Lin Lang, who was picking apricots.
“It seems that it’s really fate.” Zhao Yan touched his chin, “You said that Little Imperial Concubine planted a vegetable garden in the Cold Palace and also raised chickens and ducks?
Interesting, interesting, really interesting…”
Ordinary women would cry and shout after entering the Cold Palace, but he didn’t expect her to live such a comfortable life. There were really too few interesting people in this world.
“Someone, Zhen is going to her palace for dinner tonight. Let the Head of the Imperial Household Department prepare.”
