blenderwars Chapter 132 Encounter
Chapter 132 Encounter
After the meeting, Shen Shixi returned to Zhaoyang Palace. The Palace Supervisor of the Imperial Household Department personally led a group of eunuchs carrying more than a dozen large boxes to greet Shen Shixi.
"Your Majesty, this year the Imperial Household Department will distribute the annual allowances to each palace. I have selected the best ones to send to you. Apart from Cining Palace and Fengyi Palace, the ones you received are all the best."
Shen Shixi lived a carefree life, but apart from the high-ranking concubines, who in the palace didn't rely on these things to get through the New Year?
I've been looking forward to it for a long time.
"Thank you for your trouble, Lan Ying. You can put everything in the storeroom!" Shen Shixi said.
After everyone left, Huang Zhengshi said, "Your Majesty, I am old and may sometimes miss things. If the children below are not well-behaved and do not show proper respect, please forgive them."
If anyone displeases Her Majesty, and Her Majesty sends someone to inform her, this servant will certainly punish them severely.
Now that Shen Shixi has risen in rank, the winds of change over the past six months have been enough for people in the palace to see that Zhaoyang Palace is a hot spot, and it's perfectly normal for everyone to rush to add fuel to the fire.
"You're too kind! If I had any needs, I would have just asked. I wouldn't have given you the chance to neglect me."
Huang Zhengshi hurriedly replied, "If Your Majesty can do this, it would be a great blessing for us servants."
I'm afraid you might file a complaint all the way to the Emperor.
Nowadays, in the palace, every department of the Imperial Household Department treats Zhaoyang Palace as the most important place to serve. All the things sent are given to Cining Palace first, and even Zhaoyang Palace and Fengyi Palace are left behind.
Although the Empress was in charge of the harem, in the end everyone still had to listen to the Emperor.
Whoever the emperor values most, that's naturally whoever the people below will value most.
Rank is never the most important thing; favor is the indicator of who is currying favor.
Bai Ping then took the opportunity to give Shen Shixi a lesson and conduct ideological education.
"Didn't you say you were going to live in the Cold Palace? If you go there, where will you get hot spring water and a heating pad in the dead of winter? Not to mention others, just look at Consort Yuan, she clearly doesn't have many days left to live;
A few days ago I saw Xiangrui; her hands were frozen stiff, covered in chilblains. When I asked, I learned they didn't have enough charcoal to burn each day.
The rations given by the palace are naturally just enough to meet the needs of the people. However, in some palaces, those who want to curry favor will naturally receive more, and those who are not valued will inevitably have their rations taken away.
In the imperial harem, only Cining Palace, Qianyuan Palace, Fengyi Palace, and Zhaoyang Palace were allowed to use earthen dragons for heating. Zhaoyang Palace was only allowed to use them after it was renovated last year; it wasn't allowed before.
The rest only have heated rooms in the main hall; if you're cold, you can go inside and stay warm.
For those not staying in the main hall, I'm sorry, but you'll only have charcoal braziers for warmth.
So why compete for favor? Can you live well without competing?
Once you're not valued, even the eunuchs and maids in the palace can bully you. This is the cruelest arena of fame and fortune!
Bai Kui chimed in, her tone sarcastic, "Don't try to persuade him. It's like you think he'd listen. He'll still act the same way. Sooner or later, he'll drive the Emperor crazy and be sent to the Cold Palace. Only then will he realize his mistake. By then, it'll be too late to regret it!"
Shen Shixi was furious. "Hmph, stop insulting me! Are you all my people or the Emperor's? As if I can't live without him. Sooner or later, I'll show you that even in the Cold Palace, I'll still be the most favored one in the harem!"
The two scoffed at it, not believing it at all.
They grew up together since childhood. Even though they were mistress and servant, they weren't as close as sisters. The two of them knew Shen Shixi's temperament very well and were also very worried about her, which is why they dared to speak.
Shen Shixi was furious at being looked down upon. She angrily ordered someone to put the thickest cloak on her. She wanted to go out and didn't want to stay in the palace and have to endure their attitudes.
"Lan Ying, Chao En, you two come with me!"
Seeing that her mistress was in a bad mood, Bai Ping suppressed a laugh, pulled Lan Ying back, and followed her, saying, "Mistress, let me go with you. Sister Lan Ying has something to do!"
Shen Shixi never ignored the loyalty and good intentions of his subordinates, let alone Bai Ping and the other two.
She grumbled, "You all dislike me, so why are you following me?"
Bai Kui smiled and adjusted her cloak, coaxing, "My lady, really! Who's complaining about you? We're just worried you'll suffer in the future. It's not complaining at all!"
"Why worry about the future? Don't dwell on the past, don't fear the future. Isn't it better to just live each day to the fullest? Don't be a worrier!"
Shen Shixi didn't ride in the carriage. It was cold, the snow was thick, and the road was slippery. She was afraid of falling. Besides, the sun was shining brightly today, so walking around and getting some exercise felt very comfortable.
She went to check on the glass house that Li Yuanyin had built.
The Imperial Garden is very quiet today.
For the past month or so, Li Yuanke has only visited Qianyuan Palace and Zhaoyang Palace, and has even visited Cining Palace less often. In addition, there are people who want to "accidentally" meet the emperor to curry favor, but none of them have succeeded, so no one is willing to brave the cold wind to wait in the Imperial Garden.
As Shen Shixi strolled over and passed by Duixiu Mountain, she heard voices coming from the pavilion on the mountain.
"Your Highness, let's not dwell on the past. Things are different now. I am no longer the person I was back then. Now that I've entered the palace, I am just a concubine, and I belong to the Emperor."
It was Xie Tingwan's voice, trembling with sobs.
"I'm sorry, it's my fault. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have to..." Li Yuanyin seemed to be crying.
Xie Tingwan stopped him, saying, "Your Highness, please don't say such things. Now that I have entered the palace, I can only serve the Emperor wholeheartedly. Please don't come looking for me, Your Highness. We have never met before."
It was clearly an old flame meeting. Shen Shixi didn't think anything of it, but it was a major taboo in the palace.
Seeing a group of people approaching, Shen Shixi, an outsider, was even more nervous than the adulterers. She felt her scalp tingling and went to meet them without thinking.
Leading the group was Yang Tingyue, followed by Zheng Ruojin, Xu Murong, Su Fuying, and the palace servants.
Shen Shixi came towards them, and these people had no choice but to stop and greet her.
Greetings to Consort Yuan Zhaoyi! May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace!
With more people, the noise level naturally increases.
As Zheng Ruojin bowed, she glanced at the pavilion. It was a casual glance, but Shen Shixi, who was observing everyone, naturally noticed it.
Li Yuanyin is such an idiot!
"No need for formalities!" Shen Shixi's voice was equally loud. "What are you all doing here in such a grand procession? What's so special about the Imperial Garden that's worth seeing?"
"Well... the snow finally stopped, and the sun is shining today, so we thought we'd go for a stroll," said Zheng Ruojin, the initiator. "Where did Your Highness go for a stroll?"
Shen Shixi pointed to Duixiu Mountain behind him, "I stood up there for a while, but the wind was too strong, so I came down."
Yang Tingyue glanced at Zheng Ruojin and said with dissatisfaction, "You said you wouldn't come, but you insisted on coming. Are you going up? If you want to go, you go. I'm not going."
Seeing Shen Shixi brings bad luck!
She took the hand of the palace maid Qiaoling, "Let's go back, it's getting late. We still need to go back and prepare. If the Emperor summons me and I ruin my good time, you'll all be in trouble!"
These words were also a threat to Zheng Ruojin and the others.
Shen Shixi scoffed, "You guys shouldn't go wandering around there either, there's nothing worth seeing."
As she spoke, she headed towards the glass room, where Li Yuanyin was already waiting.
The glass houses are all built, and vegetables are planted inside. The temperature is very high, and the vegetables are growing very well.
He stared blankly at the glass room.
"What are you doing, just standing here in a daze?"
Shen Shixi's words startled him. He said irritably, "You walk without making a sound? You're scaring me to death, do you know that?"
Shen Shixi ignored him and entered the glass room. It was warm and cozy, and the ground was lush and green. The vegetables had grown to the length of chopsticks and were ready to be picked and eaten.
Several eunuchs were in charge of managing the place. Shen Shixi asked around and learned that if the temperature dropped at night, straw mats and quilts with cattail fluff would be placed outside the house for warmth. They would be removed during the day when the sun was out. A few days ago, when it snowed, a brazier was lit inside.
Shen Shixi had someone pick a basket of small green vegetables, and turned to leave, but was stopped by Li Yuanyin.
"Shi Xi, did you just hear something?" Li Yuanyin asked, feeling very uncomfortable.