The Empress Arrives: Rebirth of Concubine Hua

Chapter 162: Phoenix Seeking Phoenix
When the news of Noble Lady Fu's promotion reached Changchun Palace, Noble Lady Li said a few sarcastic words behind closed doors, and her personal maid Cuiguo nervously pulled at the corner of her clothes to persuade Noble Lady Li.

"My lady, things are different now than they were in our Li Mansion. I am worried that there are ears behind the walls."

Concubine Li glanced at Cuiguo indifferently.

"It's just you and me here. If you don't tell anyone, who would know?"

Cuiguo wrung her handkerchief silently.

Concubine Shu was sitting in her room in a trance for a moment. She stood up and said to Zijing who was following her.

"I'm feeling depressed, so I'm going out for a walk by myself. No one of you is allowed to follow me."

Zijing nodded and turned around and quietly followed Shu Guiren.

At dinner time, Su Peisheng conveyed the emperor's order to the Chuxiu Palace, and the emperor summoned Concubine Fu to sleep with him.

Luo Yu wanted to dress up Fu Guiren carefully, but was stopped by her.

"No need, it's fine like this. The emperor has seen too many gorgeous beauties, and I am more unique by keeping my makeup simple like this."

Luo Yu put away the dressing box she had just opened. She went to serve Fu Guiren and always obeyed Fu Guiren's orders.

When Yinzhen saw Fuguiren in the Yangxin Palace, Fuguiren could clearly see the admiration in Yinzhen's eyes.

"Your Majesty, may your majesty be blessed."

Yinzhen smiled.

"Get up. My noble lady is dressed elegantly and is pleasing to the eye."

Fu Guiren stood up and saw a jiaowei harp in the hall. She walked to the harp and sat down, plucked the strings casually, and the notes flowed in the hall like spring water.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me for being so bold. This wonderful zither makes me feel itchy."

There was a bright look in Fuguiren's eyes, overflowing with love for the piano.

Yinzhen said casually.

"It's okay. Since you like it, I will give this zither to you. I will ask someone to move it to Chuxiu Palace. By the way, are you comfortable living in Chuxiu Palace?"

Lady Fu played the piano slowly, talking and laughing.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I am living very well in Chuxiu Palace. The Empress and Concubine Hua have bought me many things."

"I will use the zither to express my true feelings. When will I see Xu Xi again to comfort me? The song you played is "The Phoenix Seeks the Phoenix". It seems that women are very gentle and reserved, and will not take the initiative to show their affection to men."

Fu Guiren looked at Yinzhen, still smiling.

"Forgive me for speaking frankly. Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven. How can you be like those vulgar people? Do women have to be gentle and reserved? For me, I am lucky enough to meet a man as handsome and elegant as you in my life. What's wrong with taking the initiative to show my affection?"

Fu Guiren carefully studied the temperament of Empress Chunyuan, and she bet that Empress Chunyuan was definitely not as gentle and reserved as rumored. There were too many gentle women, and no woman could gain the emperor's favor and longing for many years just by being gentle.

Yinzhen's eyes were dark and unclear. This woman seemed different from other women in the palace. Other women tried their best to show their gentle side in front of him, but she said that when she met a man like him, there was nothing wrong with taking the initiative to show her kindness.

"You may be the only one in the world who dares to call me vulgar."

Fu Guiren stood up calmly, passed the zither, and knelt in front of Yinzhen. Her maid Luo Yu also knelt down quickly. "Your Majesty, please forgive me. In my heart, you are incomparable to any other man in the world. In my heart, before I met you in the palace, you were just the emperor. From the day when I saw you at the Mid-Autumn family banquet, to the night when I slept with you, I have always regarded you as my husband. I know that it is presumptuous to say this, but I don't want Your Majesty to misunderstand my feelings. I have no intention of status, I just want you to know that I boldly played the song "Phoenix Seeking the Phoenix" for you."

After saying this, Fu Guiren knelt quietly and looked up at Yinzhen.

Yinzhen was stunned. Except for Yunxi, no woman had ever dared to say that she regarded him as her husband in front of him. They were more likely to look up to him. When Yixiu first entered the palace, Yinzhen only favored her. She also took the initiative to put herself in the position of a servant, let alone say such words in front of him.

"You regard me as your husband, but I cannot allow you to be my principal wife. In addition to the late Queen Chunyuan, I also have the Queen as my wife. Aren't you afraid that I will think too much when you say this?"

There was a calm look on Fuguiren's face, and she sighed with relief.

"Your Majesty, I have never dared to dream of becoming your wife. For me, wealth and fame are all external things. If I can be with Your Majesty every day, what does it matter if I am just a concubine? All I want is for my beloved to have me in his heart. I dared to say this today because I secretly believe that Your Majesty is worth my all, and I don't want to deceive you."

Yinzhen himself did not notice that his brows softened unconsciously when he heard these words.

"Get up. Then play another song for me, for your 'husband'."

Luo Yu helped Fu Guiren to get up. Fu Guiren walked briskly to the zither, stroked the instrument with her hand, and her voice was as melodious as an oriole.

"Since you are my husband, can I call you Silang when we are alone in the future?"

Yinzhen looked at her smiling eyes, his heart trembled, and asked back.

"What did you call me?"

Fu Guiren was stunned and said cautiously.

"Silang. Doesn't the emperor like this title? Then I won't be so presumptuous."

Yinzhen calmed down for a while before speaking.

"I like you very much. From now on, I am your Silang. But I don't know your nickname yet."

Fu Guiren's smile suddenly disappeared, and after a while, she sighed.

"Although I am the legitimate daughter of the family, my mother died early. The mistress that my father married later did not like me, so I grew up in a farm in the suburbs. Even the name Sarina was given to me by my mother. I don't have a nickname."

Yinzhen said.

"Your father is a fifth-rank official, but his family cannot accommodate a girl like you. It's amazing that you can stand out so well in such an environment."

Lady Fu smiled.

"Don't be afraid of Silang laughing at me. My father and I used to have a very good relationship. But my stepmother was very powerful, so my father sent me away for my own good. It was to avoid disaster, but it's not a big deal. I've been doing well over the years. Silang hasn't told me yet, what song do you want to hear?"

Everything that Fuguiren did tonight was planted in Yinzhen's heart. No woman had ever been so frank in front of him.

No one mentioned the matter of the small characters again.

At the beginning of September, it was time for the royal hunting trip again. Nian Shilan thought that after avoiding favor for so long, it was time to step forward.

The Emperor has been doting on Concubine Fu these days, and Nian Shilan no longer stares at the favored concubine like she did in her previous life. Instead, she is happy and at ease.

On the eve of the Autumn Examination, Li Yibai, who was by Fu Guiren's side, took a small brocade box and respectfully handed it to Fu Guiren.

(End of this chapter)