bestfiction Chapter 195 Listening to the Opera
Chapter 195 Listening to the Opera
"I didn't know the Zhen and Wen families had such a connection."
The emperor frowned slightly and looked towards the main hall with an indecipherable expression.
It seems that the Zhen family is not as disciplined as Concubine Wan claims.
She had just passed the general election when Wen Shichu appeared in the Imperial Hospital.
The emperor doesn't believe that there is such a coincidence in the world.
Fubao said that only if the emperor became suspicious of his elder sister would she have the opportunity to sleep with him.
Huanbi's heart moved, she lowered her eyes and explained to the emperor in a low voice.
"Your Majesty, the people in the Zhen and Wen mansions are kind-hearted. The two families met in humble beginnings, and their friendship has naturally continued over the years."
"It's fate that the Concubine Wan can meet an acquaintance when she enters the palace."
"Then the Zhen and Wen families..."
The emperor originally wanted to ask whether the two families had any intention of marrying their children into families, but changed his mind before he even started.
"I'm tired, let's get settled early."
The people around her were still rolling around, but Huanbi didn't even dare to breathe and lay stiffly on the bed.
In a daze, she seemed to hear someone talking.
Awakened by the sound outside the curtain in the morning, Huanbi quickly got up to help the emperor wash and dress.
"Fubao, please help me wash up."
Although Huanbi didn't remember everything the emperor said last night, she remembered the word "Wanwan" clearly.
The emperor was calling her eldest sister's name in his sleep, and she couldn't stand it. I'm sure the queen of Jingren Palace would have some thoughts too.
When the master and servant arrived at Jingren Palace, the palace gate had not yet been opened.
Huanbi waited for about a quarter of an hour, and Jiang Fuhai personally led the person in.
"Concubine, please see the Queen."
The queen, who was not wearing any makeup, looked gently at the person who was bowing respectfully and spoke with concern.
"You just served the emperor last night, why don't you get some more sleep?"
"Your Majesty, I have something to report."
Huanbi glanced at Jianqiu who was combing the queen's hair, and said with a blushing face.
"The Emperor talked in his sleep last night, and I heard him call out my eldest sister's name."
"I called Concubine Wan by her name. How did you address her?"
The Queen unconsciously raised her voice.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor called my elder sister 'Wanwan' in his dream. I heard it clearly."
Jianqiu, who was busy working, suddenly changed her expression and said, "My Lady, perhaps He Changzai misheard something."
"Qiu agreed. The emperor mentioned in his dream that he wanted to transplant the red plum trees to Suiyuxuan."
Huanbi had no idea that her nonsense made the already tense queen's eyes hot and her defenses were instantly touched.
She would never allow Zhen Huan to become the next Rou Ze.
"I believe what you said. Please go outside and have some tea first."
Jianqiu politely sent Huanbi to the door, then turned and looked worriedly at the queen who was staring at the mirror in silence.
"Jianqiu, the emperor wants me to experience the same heart-wrenching pain as he did back then."
"I will never let what happened to that bitch happen again."
A sharp light flashed in Yixiu's red eyes.
Zhen Huan cannot stay!
"Jianqiu, quickly help me wash up!"
As soon as the queen came out, An Lingrong paid her respects along with everyone else.
"Your humble servant (concubine) pays homage to Her Majesty the Queen, and wishes Her Majesty long life and good health!"
"Be flat."
An Lingrong noticed that the Queen looked at Zhen Huan several more times today, and smiled and told her to take good care of her pregnancy.
"I thought it would be quiet after the New Year, so I invited a troupe of actors to liven things up."
"Tomorrow, you don't need to come early to pay your respects. Just arrive at the stage before 9:00 PM."
"Thank you, Queen, for your consideration."
The emperor advocates frugality, and the empress always follows suit.
This time he was kind enough to invite everyone to listen to a play, so how could they not be happy?
The Queen's move was clearly ill-intentioned.
An Lingrong just wanted to pull Concubine Hua aside and watch the show quietly.
"Sister Noble Concubine Shu, why would that person be so kind as to invite everyone to listen to the opera?"
"The Queen cares about the sisters in the harem and wants everyone to be happy."
"Sister Hua Guifei, let's go back and think about what show to order tomorrow."
The characters in the play are also people in the palace, so An Lingrong has to go back and think about it carefully.
The playbill was handed to the queen, and she looked at everyone with a smile.
"I think 'The Golden Code of Persuading Virtue' and 'The Jade Terrace' are quite good. Let's sing these two plays first."
Then she ordered someone to hand the play list to Concubine Hua.
Seeing that the Queen started by advising people to be good and compared herself to the loving mother of Yaotai, she was shamelessly flattering herself.
Concubine Hua pointed casually and said, "I'll order 'A Chinese Ghost Story'."
"Concubine Hua comes from a family of military commanders, so why doesn't she choose 'Xue Dingshan's Expedition to the West'?"
"General Nian's military achievements are illustrious, just like the great Tang Dynasty general Xue Dingshan, who successfully conquered the west and became famous throughout history."
The Queen's staff in the Imperial Household Department were killed one after another, and she hated Concubine Hua to the core.
Nian Gengyao died of injuries when the emperor was about to settle accounts. Whether there was any trick involved is still debatable.
Concubine Hua raised her head and met the Queen's sincere gaze.
"Since the Queen likes it, let's choose this one."
But she also had a temper. "Speaking of Xue Dingshan's expedition to the west, we have to mention Fan Lihua. You said Fan Lihua tried every possible way to please her husband, but her husband only truly loved someone else and divorced Fan Lihua three times."
"If I were Fan Lihua, I would rather leave the palace than watch my husband being absent-minded."
After she finished speaking, her gaze moved back and forth between Zhen Huan and Concubine Qi.
"I think the Concubine Qi that the Empress has chosen for the Emperor is quite good."
"Not only does it come from the Manchu military flag, it's also bright and beautiful."
"You are joking, Lady Hua. How dare a humble concubine like you..."
Concubine Qi felt that Concubine Hua could not say anything good, so she quickly stood up and refuted her.
"Lady Qi, I am not a suspicious person, just listen to the opera with peace of mind."
Then she smiled and looked towards the stage.
"As a wife, you must be magnanimous and tolerant. No matter how much your husband favors a concubine, a wife is still a wife. Even if Xue Dingshan divorced Fan Lihua three times, he still had to invite her back three times, didn't he?"
"After all, Fan Lihua is a wealthy and legitimate daughter of a Xiliang general. If it were a concubine's daughter, without the ability to move mountains and seas, she would be doomed."
"Isn't that right, Madam?"
Concubine Hua was not willing to be outdone.
But she knew that the emperor had never slept with the queen since her miscarriage.
If the Queen Mother passes away one day, it is hard to say whether someone else will take the Queen's position.
Concubine Hua knew very well that she didn't have this opportunity, but how could she let it go if it could cause trouble for the Queen?
"Noble Concubine Hua, Fan Lihua has given birth to four sons for Xue Dingshan. As the daughter of a military family, you must give birth to children for the Emperor as soon as possible."
The Queen's magnanimous persuasion.
"There are only three princes and two princesses in this harem, so there is still a lack of childishness. Sisters should fight for their place."
"I, your humble concubine, will faithfully follow the instructions of the Empress."
Among them, Concubine Qi, with a smile on her face, shouted the loudest.
"Everyone, please have some cakes and make yourself at ease."
"Empress, you are still caring."
Concubine Qi, who was determined to please the Queen, spoke well of her whenever she got the chance.
Concubine Jing smiled and said, "Lady Qi is really good at talking."
"I have two illegitimate sisters, but I can't talk to them. But when I saw the Empress, I couldn't stop the words from coming out."