The Job Of An Imperial Concubine

102

The moment those words had left the emperor's lips, Zhuang Laoyan immediately turned her head toward the kneeling Wanyi Qian. Then she played with a walnut as a smile spread across her lips, one that did not quite meet her eyes.

She wasn't so stupid to talk at a time like this.

At this moment, Xiuyi Su could not hold back any longer. She stood and said, "Your Majesty, Wanyi Qian offended Her Highness Consort Rou and so was punished."

"Since this has nothing to do with you, sit down," said Feng Jin with indifference. Then he reached out for the walnut in Zhuang Laoyan's hand and cracked the shell open with force. When she extended a hand to take the walnut, he immediately threw it into his mouth. Zhuang Laoyan glanced at him in coquettish anger.

Consort Rou smiled at Xiuyi Su, who wore an awkward expression. She rose to her feet. Curtsied. "Reporting to Your Majesty, indeed Wanyi Qian is kneeling. Early this morning, this concubine happened to encounter her. Who would have known that she would gossip about other imperial concubines with the palace maids? Although this concubine is not virtuous, this concubine could not endure watching Wanyi Qian gossip about the other sisters like this. And thus, this concubine punished her to kneel here for four hours, so that she can understand her mistake."

Without asking Wanyi Qian what she had said, Feng Jin frowned a shade as he glanced at Consort Rou and Xiuyi Su. A bit impatient, he said, "We did not know Wanyi Qian had so many opinions on the other imperial concubines. What have they done that was so wrong?"

When Wanyi Qian had heard these words, she trembled slightly. She kowtowed. "This concubine does not have any comments. May Your Majesty see clearly."

"Then may I ask Wanyi Qian why the thoughts of the harem's women are so secretive?" Consort Rou wiped the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief, glancing at the emperor from the corners of her eyes. Noticing his expressionless face, she continued, "And why Consort Zhao monopolizes His Majesty's heart? Could it be that the harem requires a little wanyi such as yourself to criticize it?"

The emperor arched a brow. His expression changed a little. From high above, he looked at the women who knelt on the ground. This woman had a beautiful face, a face that held his interest. However, when he looked at it right now, he did not find her special among the other women. "Wanyi Qian, do you resent Us?"

"This concubine dares not!" said Wanyi Qian, deathly pale from those words. "Heaven and Earth knows how sincere this concubine's feelings are toward Your Majesty." She had entered the palace alone, waiting every day in that desolate place for a man to arrive. Was this the outcome she had been waiting for?

She thought the emperor would always have sincere feelings for her. But now, she knew that in his eyes, she wasn't any different from the other imperial concubines. His gaze when looking at her was like looking at an inanimate object. When he remembered her, he'd pamper her; when he forgot about her, he'd toss her aside.

Zhuang Laoyan noticed Wanyi Qian's absentminded expression, and could not refrain from thinking with surprise, Is it possible that this Wanyi Qian actually fell for the emperor? She recalled that when Wanyi Qian had just arrived at the imperial palace, she did not seem to have a good opinion on the harem. Since that was the case, why did she fall in love so easily?

There were so many women in the rear palace. Yet, there was only a single emperor. How was she so confident to think she could obtain the emperor's heart? Among those present, whether it was Noble Consort Shu or Consort Rou or herself, one would fear that none of them had that kind of confidence.

The emperor was flippant in his affections. Heartless. A transparent person like Wanyi Qian actually invested her emotions so easily on someone. Whether this was lamentable or pathetic was truly a mystery.