69novels Chapter 48 Your dad's here, he's next door.
Chapter 48 Your dad's here, he's next door.
Shen Shixi took a boat there and disembarked near Qinghui Pavilion. There she saw Xue Wanrong, who seemed to be waiting for her there on purpose.
"Greetings to Lady Zhao!"
"Tong'an!" Shen Shixi said, "Consort Xue, you've arrived very early. Did you also come by boat?"
"Not really. The weather was cool this morning, so I took a walk and found the scenery along the way quite beautiful. Before I knew it, I had arrived here."
"Consort Xue, you seem to be in high spirits. You may enjoy the scenery at your leisure. I'm heading to Qifeng Palace. It's so hot today; I can't stand the heat."
After Shen Shixi left, Magpie said, "Your Excellency, this Consort Zhao is becoming increasingly disrespectful."
"Look at her, relying on the Emperor's favor, she doesn't even care about those high-ranking concubines, so how could she care about me?" Xue Wanrong smiled bitterly. "I heard that there was a Consort Fan from the former Eastern Palace who has never served the Emperor."
She was very scared too!
She had seen Consort Fan from afar; she was an exceptionally beautiful woman, but she couldn't understand why she hadn't won the Emperor's favor.
How could she not be afraid!
Xue Wanrong arrived right behind Shen Shixi, which was quite puzzling, as Shen Shixi never interacted with anyone, yet he was accompanied by Xue Wanrong.
Xue Wanrong is one of the few new concubines who has not yet been summoned to the emperor's bedchamber. Could it be that she is trying to curry favor with Shen Shixi and gain his favor?
Before the Empress appeared, Shen Shixi greeted the high-ranking concubines, and the new concubines greeted her in return.
"Consort Zhao is now the top among the new consorts. How fast time flies! She has been promoted two ranks in just a few days!" Consort Qing said.
Shen Shixi said, "Your Highness, Consort Qing's words are too disrespectful to me. The one who truly rose through the ranks quickly is not me. The former Consort Jin was the first. What am I? If she hadn't been demoted so quickly, I would still be bowing to her today!"
Even though they were of the same rank, there was still a distinction based on who came first, just like in the imperial examinations.
Lin Cairen was furious. "Shen Shixi, don't be so smug!"
Lan Tan said, "Lady Lin, please be mindful of your status. My master's rank is higher than yours. How dare you speak so disrespectfully?"
Consort Lin retorted angrily, "Who do you think you are? How dare you interrupt when your master is speaking?"
Shen Shixi said, "Her words are my words, Consort Lin. This is the Empress's palace. I'll remember this for you and settle the score with you later!"
The Empress has appeared, and everyone pays their respects.
Afterwards, Shen Shixi came out to bow and express her gratitude, saying, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty the Empress!"
"You are now considered one of the most prominent new concubines. The Empress Dowager and the Emperor have elevated you, and they hope you will be careful in your words and actions, abide by the virtues of a concubine, keep to your duties, and conceive a royal heir as soon as possible to bear children for the Emperor!"
"Yes, thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty!"
"Although Consort Zhao is favored by the Emperor, she seems to be incompatible with Qingyi Garden. Since arriving here, she has suffered one disaster after another. It is pitiful that she has never been healthy."
"Your Majesty, have you considered having a high-ranking monk perform a ritual for my sister? It would be best to resolve this, lest further complications arise," said Consort Qing.
The Empress said, "Although Consort Qing meant well, His Majesty has never believed in ghosts and gods."
Song Jieyu said, "Confucius said, 'Respect the spirits and gods, but keep them at a distance.' Sometimes it's not about believing or not believing, but simply about seeking peace of mind."
Consort Qing said, "As expected, Consort Song is well-read and understands this principle better than we do. Your Majesty, I think so too. His Majesty has always favored Consort Zhao, so perhaps he will believe it for her sake. I heard that Consort Zhao almost didn't wake up. Not to mention His Majesty, even I am worried when I hear this."
The Empress nodded. "In that case, Consort Zhao, how about I have the monks of Yongyou Temple perform a Buddhist ritual for you?"
Did she have a group of monks surrounding her to perform a ritual?
Are they going to take this opportunity to cause trouble again?
Shen Shixi said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. In my opinion, simply performing a ritual would be useless. I am a nine-tailed fox reincarnated, so why not ask a virtuous monk to take me away?"
Consort Qing was furious upon hearing this. "Shen, Her Majesty the Empress is acting out of kindness for you, yet you utter such absurd words! You are clearly ungrateful and disrespectful to those in high positions!"
Shen Shixi said, "Consort Qing, if you want to compete for the Emperor's favor, go after the Emperor, not me. Whether you want to perform a ritual or kill me, go ask the Emperor for permission!"
I have a bad temper and I never like to give face to scoundrels. If I get impatient, I'll resort to violence. If I mess with you, you'll regret it!
After speaking, she bowed to the Empress and said, "If Your Majesty has nothing else to say, I will take my leave now!"
The Empress said, "I have no other instructions. Tomorrow, His Majesty will host a banquet for foreign envoys at Qingyan Hall. You should all behave yourselves and take care of yourselves, no matter how hot it is."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Consort Qing was so angry she gritted her teeth. "Shen is so sharp-tongued, it's simply outrageous! Does she even know she's a reincarnation of Daji?!"
"Shut up!" the Empress snapped. "Are you trying to say that the Emperor is the current King Zhou of Shang?"
Consort Qing knelt down with a thud. "Your Majesty, I dare not! But Your Majesty, look at Shen! She's utterly arrogant! Relying on the Emperor's favor, she dares to make threats!"
She was indeed afraid; if she were beaten by the Shen family, how could she save face?
Shen Shixi left Qifeng Palace without boarding the carriage. It wasn't too hot today, so she walked. "Let's go to Leshou Hall," she said. "It's been so many years since I've been here, and even now I haven't had a proper chance to explore. The scenery here is still so beautiful!"
Bai Ping was very worried. "Master, why did you say those things in Qifeng Palace just now?"
"What did I say? I was just trying to reason with them. If they really angered me, I really would resort to violence. Who has the patience to argue with them every day!"
Just then, Li Fude arrived, bowed to Shen Shixi, and said, "Consort Zhao..."
Hearing that name makes my teeth ache!
"Did your father-in-law come to see me?"
"Yes, Miss Shen, His Majesty is in Qingyan Hall. He just finished court and ordered me to invite Miss Shen to come and see him!" Li Fude was also a quick-witted person.
The state banquet was jointly hosted by the Ministry of Rites, the Court of State Ceremonies, and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. This was the first major event since Shen Xianzhang took office, and he was very careful about it.
After reporting to the emperor, Shen Xianzhang was about to leave when the emperor stopped him without saying why, and just asked him to wait aside.
Shen Shixi entered and saw Li Yuanke sitting behind his desk looking at folded paper. She rushed over to him, exclaiming, "Your Majesty, I've missed you so much! Last night, I couldn't sleep at all because I was thinking about you!"
Li Yuanke just looked at her, caught her, and said, "What were you thinking? Why didn't you send someone to tell me?"
He acted along with the actors.
"It's the middle of the night, and Your Majesty just left like that. I'm afraid you'll be angry, how could I dare?"
"You bastard, weren't you quite ruthless when you chased me away?"
Li Yuanke truly admired her; she spoke as if it were the truth. Last night, he held her as he slept, but it turned out to be a dream he had.
However, he breathed a sigh of relief when she stopped acting up and making a fuss.
Shen Shixi hugged Li Yuanke's neck and kissed him, "No way, I don't remember at all. Your Majesty must be mistaken."
Her hands were also unruly, and Li Yuanke was somewhat tempted. He took her hand and chuckled, "Your father is here, he's next door."
There were no doors on either side, and the display shelves separated the area, so any movement on this side could be heard clearly.
Shen Shixi's eyes widened immediately. Although she was somewhat lecherous and unruly, she absolutely did not want to perform anything forbidden in front of her parents!
She jumped down from Li Yuanke's arms, straightened her clothes and jewelry, and then hurriedly helped Li Yuanke straighten his clothes.
[That bastard Li Yuanke, he's definitely doing this on purpose! He's incredibly cunning and treacherous! Oh my god, my dad's going to tear me apart! Doesn't he have any shame?]
Meanwhile, Shen Xianzhang also wished he could die on the spot.