frightfiction Chapter 1365 Concubine Kang goes to see Baharguli (194 million votes plus more)
Chapter 1365 Concubine Kang goes to see Baharguli (194 million votes plus more)
No matter how much the reward is, it will eventually slip through the master's fingers.
Today, I witnessed the Empress receiving the supreme honor of the six palaces. The bright yellow court robes, the golden book and seal, and all the concubines kneeling in worship...
Bingqiao's already restless heart became agitated again...
Naturally, she didn't dare to dream of the unattainable position of Imperial Noble Consort, but... even being a lowly concubine was much better than being a slave and dependent on others for her whole life.
Once this thought came to mind, it was no longer possible to suppress it...
No one knew what Bingqiao was thinking.
Although the core ceremony of the conferment ceremony has concluded today, according to the etiquette, several important ceremonies must be completed on the same day to consolidate the status of the Imperial Noble Consort and complete the ritual cycle.
In the afternoon, Yongshou Palace became busy again.
Shen Zhinian wore the Imperial Noble Consort's crown, adorned with fifteen glittering oriental pearls and depicted with seven golden phoenixes spreading their wings, ready to take flight. This crown, with two more oriental pearls and one more golden phoenix than the Imperial Noble Consort's, immediately revealed the difference in status.
She was wearing a bright yellow satin court robe with five-clawed dragon patterns embroidered on it, one more set than the imperial concubine's dress, which made her look very majestic!
After dressing neatly, Shen Zhinian was guided by a female official to the incense table that had been set up in the palace.
Incense was curling up on the table, where tablets of the royal ancestors were enshrined.
She looked solemn, held the incense stick in her hand, bowed slowly three times, and then inserted the incense into the censer.
This move symbolizes that the newly appointed Imperial Noble Consort Shen has been recognized by the ancestors of the Nangong family, and the legitimacy of her identity has been finally confirmed.
The green smoke curled up, reflecting Shen Zhinian's firm and charming profile.
At this moment, she truly stood at the pinnacle of power in the harem!
Now that there is no Empress Dowager living in the Cining Palace and the Phoenix Throne in the Kunning Palace is also vacant, the ceremonies of audience that were originally required were naturally dispensed with.
This saved a lot of red tape and made everyone in Yongshou Palace feel a lot more relaxed.
While the Imperial Noble Consort held the same rank as the Vice Empress, she was not the Empress. The enthronement ceremony, at its core, was still a grand ceremony within the harem. This was different from the national ceremony of enthroning the Empress, which required an imperial edict to be announced to the world and celebrated by the entire nation.
According to old practice, after the ceremony in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, officials from the Ministry of Rites would record all the details of the enthronement ceremony in the corresponding file of "The Ceremonies of the Great Zhou Dynasty".
At the same time, the clerks of the Ministry of Rites would also notify the princes, dukes' mansions, as well as governors, provincial governors and other high-ranking officials stationed in various places of the imperial concubine's enthronement in the form of official letters.
After receiving the news, those high-ranking officials were required to submit congratulatory messages according to the regulations to congratulate the royal family on this happy event and express their respect for the imperial power.
However...that's all.
The imperial court did not order any prefectures to hold ceremonies to commemorate the conferment of the title of Imperial Noble Consort. Ordinary people continued to live their lives as usual, unaware of the turmoil unfolding within the palace.
Shen Zhinian took off his heavy court crown and changed into relatively light casual clothes.
She listened to Yuanbao reporting the Ministry of Rites' subsequent arrangements in a low voice with a calm expression.
As expected... the vice queen is still the vice queen, not the queen.
But Shen Zhinian believed that the day when she ascended to the throne would not be too far away!
……
Cold palace.
The broken doors and windows could not block out the noise of music and ceremony that could be heard faintly in the distance.
Baharguli's eyes moved, and she listened for a moment, then asked in a hoarse voice, "Little Lei, what's going on outside?"
Little Leizi was the eunuch who had passed on the news to her. Upon hearing this, he said, "Today is the Imperial Noble Consort's enthronement ceremony! I heard it was very lively, and all the ladies and concubines in the harem went to kowtow."
"Imperial Concubine...Shen Zhinian..."
Baharguli murmured the name, and her cracked lips curled up into an arc of extreme bitterness.
At the beginning, King Jin sent her, the most beautiful woman in the Western Regions, into the palace. Wasn't it because he saw that both she and Shen Zhinian were charming, and hoped that she could take away the emperor's favor and compete with the other party?
But now?
After she entered the palace for more than a year, Shen Zhinian became the Imperial Noble Consort, with the same status as the Vice Queen. She enjoyed great glory and was worshipped by all the concubines!
But Baharguli, who was once a stunning beauty, fell into the dark and gloomy cold palace, full of sins. She even had to rely on a little eunuch to secretly help her with food and clothing.
The difference between cloud and mud!
This is truly a world of difference!
A huge amount of resentment and resentment surged in Baharguli's heart, making it almost impossible for her to breathe!
But even though she felt resentful and cursed, Baharguli knew that she could do nothing now...
She couldn't even get out of this world that trapped her.
Baharguli gasped for a few breaths, forcing herself to calm down. A calculating glint flashed in her eyes, and she said to Xiao Leizi, "Listen, tonight... Concubine Kang will definitely come to see me!"
Little Leizi was stunned and blinked: "Ah? Concubine Kang?"
"Your servant... Your servant has not received any news. How can you be so sure?"
Baharguli sneered, and the smile on her haggard face looked a little strange. "She wants to see this more than I do, but she just hasn't found the right opportunity."
"Today is the Imperial Noble Consort's canonization ceremony. The attention of the six palaces is focused on Yongshou Palace. It is the time to relax and take action."
"Concubine Kang will definitely come, just keep an eye out."
Little Leizi was skeptical. Seeing Baharguli's confident expression, his heart was pounding. However, he didn't dare to ask any more questions. He just replied vaguely, "Yes..."
"I understand and will keep an eye on it."
Baharguli stopped talking and buried her face in her arms.
The sound of ritual music outside seemed clearer, falling on her already broken heart.
She was waiting for night to fall, waiting for someone who might bring her a glimmer of hope.
……
The night is as dark as ink, completely swallowing up the hustle and bustle and glory of the day.
The lights inside Chuxiu Palace were dim, which was inconsistent with the festive atmosphere outside.
Concubine Kang had shed the formal palace attire she had worn during the daytime ceremony and donned a simple cloak that was nearly dark blue. She even removed the several jade hairpins she usually wore, leaving only a plain silver hairpin to hold her hair in place.
She adjusted the brim of her hat in front of the blurry bronze mirror, making sure it covered most of her face.
Caiju held a dim sheep-horn lantern and looked at Concubine Kang dressed like this, and her uneasiness grew stronger.
She tried to hold it back, but in the end she couldn't help it. She took a step forward and said in a voice filled with pleading and anxiety: "My Lady... do you really have to go?"
"What is the cold palace, and what is Baharguli's identity... What if someone sees us? What... What should I do..."
Concubine Kang glanced at Caiju through the mirror and said gently, "I know what's going on."
"If you are afraid, just stay in the bedroom."
Cai Ju's face turned pale when she heard this, and she immediately shook her head: "That's not what I meant! I'm just worried about Your Majesty..."
"My Lady, why on earth do you have to go see Baharguli at this time?"