The Empress Arrives: Rebirth of Concubine Hua

Chapter 200 Beauty in the Painting
Nian Shilan walked to the outer room and looking at the dark circles under Yinzhen's eyes, she knew that he must have had a sleepless night. Fortunately, he had stopped writing on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, so he didn't have to go to court in the next few days and could just wait for the New Year with peace of mind.

"I just visited Concubine Duan and comforted her, but she has to slowly get over the pain of losing her child. Your Majesty didn't sleep well last night, did you? Why don't you go back and rest for a while? There are a lot of things going on in the palace these days, and your health is more important. Your Majesty is pregnant, so she needs more rest."

The atmosphere in Yanqing Palace was depressing. Ulanara looked at Yinzhen and swallowed her words. After a long time, Yinzhen spoke.

"Se-ran is so considerate. The Queen should go back and have some rest. These days, Se-ran has been taking care of the Queen."

In Jingren Palace, Jianqiu waited on Ulanara to drink the pregnancy-preserving medicine prescribed by Imperial Physician Zhang, and got some tea for Ulanara to rinse her mouth.

Xiuxia stood aside holding a spittoon and waited for Ulanara to rinse her mouth before taking it away. Huichun then served her a cup of Phoenix Narcissus tea, which was tea for drinking.

Ulanara took a look at the tea and did not take it. Jianqiu said to Huichun.

"Why did you make this tea today? Go and change it to Biluochun, the tea that the queen likes to drink."

Huichun didn't understand, but didn't dare to say anything, so she quickly went back to change the tea.

"Your Majesty, don't take such a small matter to heart. I think Huichun was just careless for a moment."

When Jianqiu saw the Phoenix Narcissus Tea, she remembered that this was the type of tea that Concubine Hua loved to drink. No wonder the Queen Mother refused it.

Ulanara stroked her belly and said lightly.

"I won't take these things to heart. I just find it strange that the emperor can drink quite well, so why did he... The emperor has never been a man who is impatient. The two times he visited Concubine Duan, she didn't seem to be ill, but something happened last night."

Jianqiu said uncertainly.

"Madam, do you mean that there might be something fishy going on?"

Ulanara stared at her armor. The enamel and gold-wire armor was very beautiful.

"It's not that there might be something fishy, ​​it must be. But I haven't figured it out yet. By the way, I heard that Concubine Hua was drunk last night, and the Emperor summoned Concubine Wan to look after Concubine Duan? Concubine Wan is of a low rank, so it shouldn't be her turn. I've been thinking about it all morning, and it's because there are not many concubines in the harem now."

Jianqiu agreed with Ulanara.

"I also heard that it was Concubine Duan that was taken care of by Concubine Wan last night. Your Majesty said that there are not many concubines in the palace now, but I have taken care of quite a few. Your Majesty is worried that when you are pregnant, Concubine Hua will be the only one in power?"

"Looking at the number alone, there are quite a few concubines, but if you count them carefully, the only ones who can share the emperor's favor are Concubine Hua and Concubine Wan. I don't care how many women are around the emperor. I just care that there must not be another person who enjoys the emperor's favor like my sister."

Jianqiu took the tea that Huichun had just offered, handed it to Ulanara, and said.

"Your Highness is the Empress, and you are pregnant with the legitimate son of the Qing Dynasty. No matter how much the Emperor favors others, they cannot surpass you. Even if the Emperor favors someone, the ministers outside will not agree to a change of the Empress. Your Highness should just rest assured and take care of the baby. Your Highness has not gone to see the Third Prince today. Why don't I accompany your Highness to take a walk and see the Third Prince?"

Ulanara stretched out her hand and was supported by Jianqiu to go to the side hall to visit the third prince.

Nian Shilan sat in the Cining Palace, opposite the Empress Dowager, and personally brewed tea for her.

"I have no chance of having children in this life. I heard that Concubine Duan and the Queen got pregnant one after another, and I was happy for them. But who knew that Concubine Duan would suffer this misfortune? I heard that it was the Emperor's fault."

Nian Shilan poured the tea into the smelling cups, filled them 70% full, held them with both hands and presented them to the Empress Dowager, saying with a smile.

"The Empress Dowager is kindhearted. It was Concubine Duan herself who was unlucky and the child was weak in her womb. The Emperor never wanted this to happen."

The Empress Dowager smiled and served tea. "Ever since the death of the Empress' eldest son, the Empress has not been pregnant in the past few years. Now that she is finally pregnant, it is Uya who is so proud. When the late Emperor was alive, I was not blessed with a child. If I had not been under the pressure of my status as Empress, I don't know how I would have been ridiculed by Uya."

The water on the tea tray flowed down the groove. Nian Shilan took a small brush and guided the water that had not yet flowed down into the groove little by little, with her eyes lowered.

"The monkeys on both sides of the river are crying non-stop, and the boat has already passed through thousands of mountains. Since the Queen Mother can speak to me from the bottom of her heart, I am naturally someone the Queen Mother can trust."

The Empress Dowager looked at what Nian Shilan was doing, put the teacup in her hand back on the tea tray, and with a smile signaled Zhang Keying, the eunuch in charge of her palace, to hold up a scroll and show it to Nian Shilan.

"I just got this painting. The beauty in the painting has vivid eyebrows and eyes, and a beautiful body. Shilan, please open it and take a look."

Nian Shilan unfolded the scroll, and it was just as the Empress Dowager had said, "Only the lotus is not as beautiful as the beauty's makeup; the poem "The wind blows over the water palace, and the fragrance of pearls and jade" can be compared to it."

"Your Majesty the Queen Mother has excellent taste. I wonder whose daughter this beauty is?"

Nian Shilan closed the scroll. The face in the painting was very familiar to her. It was the Concubine Li Fei Yunyan who had been with her every day together with Cao Qinmo in her previous life. However, she was a weak concubine who was frightened by Zhen Huan's trick and ended up being banished to the cold palace because of her insanity.

You should know that Fei Yunyan was given the title of Li because of her beautiful appearance. Yinzhen once favored her three times in one night, which made Nian Shilan in the previous life very jealous.

Such a person is just what is needed in the palace at this time. She doesn't need to be smart, as long as she is beautiful.

In her previous life, Fei Yunyan entered the palace at about the same time, but the difference was that in this life, Yinzhen was already the emperor.

The Queen Mother observed Nian Shilan's expression and was extremely satisfied when she saw that there was no trace of surprise or dissatisfaction on her face.

Only if she does not love the late emperor can she sit firmly on the throne of the empress, and finally sit on the position of the empress dowager. Nian Shilan is young, but she does not indulge in love affairs. Only in this way can she live a stable and long life.

"This is the legitimate daughter of the Minister of Public Administration, Fei Liliang, named Fei Yunyan. I thought that there are almost no available women in the harem right now, and the emperor has not planned to hold a beauty contest in the past two years. The election originally scheduled for this year was also cancelled due to the death of the previous emperor. So I chose a beautiful girl from the daughters of court officials, hoping to comfort the emperor. What do you think, Shilan?"

Nian Shilan smiled.

"Your Highness the Queen Mother will make the decision. I will obey your order."

During the New Year holidays, because the Empress was pregnant and Concubine Duan had a miscarriage, Yinzhen canceled several family banquets in succession. Concubine Jing brought Princess Kangle to pay respects to the Empress Dowager and Empress Dowager De, and received New Year's silver from the two Empress Dowagers.

Princess Kangle was already seven months old, at the age when she would giggle when teased. The Empress Dowager was so happy holding her that she didn't know what to do.

"This child is so well behaved, not afraid of strangers, and doesn't cry or make a fuss. This is exactly the demeanor that a princess of the Qing Dynasty should have!"

Concubine Jing looked at the Empress Dowager holding Princess Kangle's hand. The luxurious armor on the hand had been removed long ago. Concubine Jing knew in her heart that she truly loved her child.

"You are too kind, Empress Dowager. The Emperor is in his prime and will have many princes and princesses in the future. Kang Le is still young, how can he tell what is majestic or not? It is a blessing from the Empress Dowager and the Emperor that he does not cry or make a fuss."

Concubine Jing smiled gently, with a look of satisfaction on her face, and stared at the princess in the Empress Dowager's arms.

The Queen Mother gently touched the princess's tender little face with her cheek and handed the princess to Concubine Jing. Sumahra, who was standing beside her, took out the red seal and gold and jade necklace that had been prepared long ago, and Ruyi hurriedly took them with both hands.

"If you have nothing to do in the future, please bring the princess to my place more often, so that she can keep me company."

Lady Jing thanked on behalf of the princess and went to Yonghe Palace again.