frightfiction Chapter 24, is it also something I need to stamp to confirm whether it's part of the official h
Chapter 24, is it also something I need to stamp to confirm whether it's part of the official h
After everyone was seated again, Bai Qiongzhu began to introduce the concubines to Lin Shiming.
"The lady on the lower right is Consort Shen, the birth mother of the Second Prince, Prince Ping, and the Second Princess and Princess Ran." Hmm, she's a well-maintained beauty.
"On the left, at the bottom, is Consort Dong, the adoptive mother of the Fourth Princess and Princess Rou. The Fourth Princess's birth mother is Consort Liu." Consort Dong looked bright and generous.
"This Consort Yue is the birth mother of the eldest princess and Princess You." She appears to be very gentle and refined.
…
"...She is Consort Yu, the birth mother of the Sixth Prince." She was young, beautiful, and somewhat alluring.
"Next is Consort Liang, the birth mother of the Fourth Prince, Prince An." Consort Liang, like Prince An, had a grumpy face that seemed ready to stir up trouble at any moment.
"Consort Sun, the birth mother of the Third Princess and the Southern Princess."
"And this Consort Qin is the birth mother of the Seventh Prince, Lu Yuyao."
…
Bai Qiongzhu carefully and meticulously introduced all the important concubines to Lin Shiming.
Unfortunately, apart from Consort Shen, whom he already knew, he didn't remember any of them.
Lin Shiming has always had a very poor ability to recognize and remember women, especially when they appear in large numbers together; he wishes he could forget all the women he already knows.
However, Lin Shiming did not show it. Whenever Bai Qiongzhu introduced someone to him, he would nod seriously, pretending that he had already memorized it.
"Alright, we can get to know each other another time." Bai Qiongzhu was tired of talking, so he picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then instructed the concubines, "That's all for this morning. If you have anything to say, you can discuss it when you pay your respects before dinner. You may all leave."
Here, the morning and evening greetings are performed once before breakfast and once before dinner.
The concubines obeyed and rose to leave.
*
After everyone left, Bai Qiongzhu finally relaxed. She took a few more sips of tea, caught her breath, and then smiled at Lin Shiming, "You probably didn't remember any of them, did you?"
Lin Shiming's eyes widened immediately. "I, your son..."
"Alright, don't be nervous. I guessed it because your eyes looked empty." Bai Qiongzhu reached out and tapped Lin Shiming's head. "You're just not very good at acting."
Lin Shiming gave an awkward laugh and sat there helplessly.
"Mother!" Lu Yuxi suddenly called out.
Bai Qiongzhu chuckled. "Alright, I won't tease your wife anymore."
Lin Shiming then realized what was happening, and his face turned even redder.
"Don't worry, introducing them is just a formality. If you have any contact in the future, you can get to know them gradually. Even if you meet on the road, they will greet you. It doesn't matter whether you know them or not. Besides, your attendant will remind you."
"My son, I know."
Bai Qiongzhu smiled again, "Let's go, breakfast has been prepared in the side hall, you can eat with the Empress Dowager today."
Lin Shiming and Lu Yuxi got up and followed Bai Qiongzhu to the side hall.
*
Following Bai Qiongzhu past the screen at the entrance of the side hall, Lin Shiming immediately saw a child sitting at the round table.
"This is..."
"This is the posthumous son of Crown Prince Hua Min, the eldest grandson whom His Majesty entrusted to you two to raise."
Bai Qiongzhu beckoned to the child, "Come, Tingsong, greet your royal uncle and royal father."
Lu Tingsong climbed down from the chair by himself and ran step by step to them with his short legs.
"Royal Uncle, Royal Uncle Father."
Lu Tingsong is only five years old (by the traditional Chinese age reckoning), but he's already as tall as Lin Shiming's thigh. Standing in front of Lin Shiming, he tilts his head back and smiles adorably, "Uncle, I really like the lion lantern you gave me for the Lantern Festival! Thank you, Uncle!"
So cute! Even Lin Shiming, who doesn't like human babies, was charmed by their cuteness.
"You're welcome. If you like it, your uncle will buy you more fun things in the future." My dear son, your uncle loves you!
Lu Tingsong's smile widened even more. "Thank you, Uncle!"
Lin Shiming squinted and rubbed Lu Tingsong's little head, while Bai Qiongzhu's eyes and brows were full of smiles.
“Originally, I planned to have you bring Tingsong to the East Palace as soon as possible, but then I thought that you had just gotten married and everything needed to be adjusted. So I discussed it with His Majesty and decided that Tingsong would stay with me for now, and you can come and pick him up after you have sorted things out.”
Lu Yuxi nodded, "I will listen to Mother."
After settling things with Lu Tingsong, the group sat down at the round table. Lin Shiming had originally planned to try out the dish-serving technique he'd learned from his sister-in-law, but Bai Qiongzhu stopped him before he could even begin.
“I don’t have those rules here. It’s not like we don’t have palace maids to serve us. Why would we need our daughter-in-law to serve us food?”
Since that was the case, Lin Shiming didn't refuse any longer, and the group enjoyed a cozy breakfast together.
*
When Lu Yuxi and Lin Shiming came out of Fengyi Palace, it was already past 9:00 AM.
"Let's come and have meals with Mother more often from now on."
"It is necessary to come often, but there are also unspoken rules in the royal family. Once a prince grows up, he cannot visit his mother in the harem too often. This is not only to prevent the prince from being influenced and controlled by his birth mother, but also because the harem is mostly composed of the emperor's young and beautiful concubines, so it is necessary to avoid suspicion."
The two boarded the imperial carriage, and the Crown Prince's entourage began their return to the Eastern Palace.
"How often should we come?"
“Those who have already left the palace to establish their own residences can come to the palace on the first and fifteenth of the month. We live in the palace and it is most appropriate for us to come about once every ten days.”
Lin Shiming nodded, having made up his mind.
Having just entered the palace, Lin Shiming still had a great interest in everything there. Especially when he was sitting in the imperial carriage in a high position, he loved to look around.
Then he noticed the eunuch beside him holding the phoenix seal and the Empress's letter.
Lin Shiming suddenly thought of a serious question.
"Yu Xi, the Empress Dowager has entrusted me with handling palace affairs, and she has also given me the Phoenix Seal, so does that mean...?"
Lu Yuxi looked puzzled and gestured for him to continue.
"...Does even the official history of the imperial court need my approval?"
How embarrassing and presumptuous! Asking him to manage the records of Emperor Longyun's monthly favoritism towards his concubines is unacceptable.
Lu Yuxi had obviously just realized this as well, and a hint of embarrassment appeared on her face.
"Logically speaking, this official document should be stamped with the phoenix seal, but you..."
Lin Shiming looked at him expectantly.
"I believe in you if you work hard."
Lin Shiming: "... ..."
Good, good, good, I am the dignified little general (a lot of words omitted here).
*
When the two returned to the East Palace, Chief Eunuch Zhao and the eunuchs had already cleaned up the hall.
"There's still a while before the banquet. Would you like to rest first, or would you like me to show you around the East Palace?"
Lin Shiming tilted his head. "Let's go to the East Palace. I miss my Lin Ha and Lin Qi."
Lu Yuxi readily agreed and led him to the courtyard where the two wolves were kept.
While they strolled through the Eastern Palace in a harmonious atmosphere, Consort Shen's Jade Hibiscus Palace was engulfed in a scene of gunfire and chaos.
"Clap-"
Another vase has been shattered to pieces.
"Mother, what are you angry about now?"
Prince Ping, who had entered the palace early hoping to see his mother, happened to be there with his wife. Upon seeing the somber atmosphere throughout the palace, he couldn't help but frown.
"Aren't you afraid that those people in the side hall will complain to Father Emperor?"
"Complain? They dare to do that! This is my Jade Hibiscus Palace, who dares to disobey me!" Consort Shen was furious and smashed another teacup in anger.
Prince Ping didn't mind and casually found a seat, leaving his somewhat embarrassed wife standing at the door.
Consort Shen was annoyed by her dull and taciturn appearance.
"Are you stupid? Can't you find a place to sit while you're pregnant? Do I have to personally invite you?"
Princess Ping was startled and immediately knelt down, saying, "Mother, please forgive me."
"Alright, why should Mother Consort argue with her?" Although Prince Ping didn't want to get involved in the affairs between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, Princess Ping was pregnant after all, and Emperor Longyun valued this pregnancy. "Yue Shi, why don't you come and sit down!"
Princess Ping gently raised her head and glanced at Consort Shen. Seeing that she didn't say anything, she slowly got up and sat down next to Prince Ping.
"So, Mother, what exactly are you angry about?"
Consort Shen patted her chest and took a deep breath.
"Today I went to pay my respects to the Empress. Not only did she entrust palace affairs to that male Crown Princess, but she also gave him the Phoenix Seal and the Empress's memorial!"
"what?"
Prince Ping immediately stood up. "Isn't she afraid of angering Father Emperor by doing this?"
"She gave it to His Majesty in front of him! Your father didn't object at all, saying that the Empress could give her things to whomever she wanted." Consort Shen sneered, "Don't you know our Emperor? He's most biased towards the Empress and her son. Let alone what happened today, I'm afraid that one day when Lu Yuxi gets tired of being the Crown Prince and wants to be the Emperor, your father will happily hand over the throne to him!"
"Mother concubine!"
King Ping sternly rebuked, "You can't just say things like that."
Consort Shen realized she had spoken out of turn, and her imposing aura immediately subsided.
"Don't worry, I was just angry today. I'll be more careful in the future."
King Ping then sat down.
"How could I swallow this insult? As a concubine, what I value most is offspring, favor, and power in the palace. In the past, all palace affairs were handled by the Empress, and we concubines couldn't get a single thing. There was nothing we could do about it. Later, her health deteriorated, and it was customary for the empress and concubines to share power. I thought His Majesty would at least let me assist in managing the six palaces out of consideration for you, but in order to protect the Empress, he would rather let a few maids manage the harem than give me any power."
"Now look what's happened! He's handed over the Phoenix Seal and the Empress's petition directly to the Crown Princess! Does he even respect me, the birth mother of a prince, a first-rank Consort? In the end, the Empress and the eldest son are the apple of his eye."
Prince Ping remained silent, but he knew in his heart just how biased Emperor Longyun was.
“Mother, I know you are unhappy, but we have always been waiting for the right moment to act. There is no benefit in directly confronting the Empress’s faction now. Especially since they have the powerful Duke Zhenguo’s mansion behind them.”
Consort Shen finally calmed down.
"I understand. So, in the court, we should still use Prince An as a weapon for now. You should try to sow discord between him and the Crown Prince, even if it causes some trouble for the Crown Prince. As for the harem, although I have never been involved in palace power, I have spent more than ten years in the deep palace. I refuse to believe that I can't deal with a Crown Princess who has never experienced anything!"
King Ping turned the teacup in his hand and pondered for a moment.
"There has indeed been a chance with Prince An recently. When I return, I'll find a way to use him to teach the Crown Prince a lesson. As for the Crown Princess—"
Prince Ping frowned. "After all, there is still an Empress in the palace. Even if the Crown Princess is not capable, the Empress will definitely protect him. I'm afraid it will be difficult for my mother to succeed."
"Whether it's difficult or not, we'll only know after trying. Don't worry, I won't take action myself. Consort Liang and her son are both excellent shields and sharp knives."