The most beautiful lady in the harem

Qin Liuse couldn't figure out for a moment who took down the green sign. She thought about it over and over again but had no clue. Logically speaking, she had never shown up, so how could she have offended anyone?

In her previous life, her fate in the palace ended just a month ago.

I really can't think of who would target her, but it seems like it could be anyone.

All stones blocking the road will be cleared away.

This harem is not like the royal palace. It is even more unfathomable than she thought. She can only take one step at a time.

But the person who took away her green card had made the right calculation.

Xiao Yan almost forgot her existence, and it was not until the Mid-Autumn Festival on August 15th that Qin Liuse saw Emperor Yongjia again after a long time.

The last time I saw him was at the coronation ceremony.

The supreme emperor was seated surrounded by people. The sound of music in the palace and the kneeling of his subjects seemed to still echo in her ears.

Wherever the emperor went, even the air seemed different.

Chuseok is a major festival, second only to New Year's Eve in this dynasty.

On the 15th day of August, the palace was decorated with lights and colorful lanterns everywhere. The corners of the buildings and the pillars were hung with colorful satin, and fresh flowers just sent from Luoyang were placed everywhere.

Although it was going to be a grand palace banquet, and it was also the first family banquet in the harem after Emperor Yongjia ascended the throne, but Xiao Yan was not keen on being extravagant, so Concubine Dong Xian had to worry a lot.

The Queen had been in poor health, but had been bedridden since her coronation ceremony, and could not even attend the palace banquet on Mid-Autumn Festival.

The princess at that time had been terminally ill since she had been in the palace, and now she was just hanging on by the help of the finest medicines.

At that time, Xiao Yan's household affairs had always been managed by Concubine Dong. After moving into the imperial city, the power of the six palaces naturally fell into the hands of Concubine Dong.

She entered the palace at the same time as the empress and had been with Xiao Yan for more than ten years. Compared with the other concubines, she was older and more senior and could be considered an old friend.

Qualified to manage the six palaces.

The Autumn Eve Palace Banquet was held in the Round Moon Pavilion near the water in the Hundred Flowers Garden.

People walked slowly from the corridor into the center of the lake, where they could enjoy the moon and the water. There were lights on both sides, which made the lake transparent and bright, creating a unique artistic conception.

It is said that Concubine Dong also arranged for fireworks. Wouldn’t it be more beautiful to see the fireworks reflected in the lake?

It is really a clever idea. I have to say that Concubine Dong is truly virtuous.

The concubines in the harem are like flowers, blooming one after another, each one more beautiful than the other.

Qin Liuse hadn't seen so many people for a long time and was a little uncomfortable for a moment.

The chattering of girls is a bit dizzying.

But there is also an advantage to having more people, which is that you can fish in troubled waters.

In addition, her seat was a little off, next to the door leading into the corridor, so she sat there in a daze, occasionally saying a few words to the person next to her, and no one noticed.

The busiest person in the whole place must be Concubine Dong.

Although she took the position of empress, her status was not as high as that of the queen. She could not sit high up and wait for people to pay homage to her like the queen. She also had to greet and take care of things everywhere, which was naturally more difficult.

The emperor was busy with many affairs and did not come so early. After all the concubines arrived, someone asked why the empress dowager did not come.

Concubine Dong smiled and said that the Empress Dowager Dong did not like crowds, and the Empress Dowager Xi was not feeling well, so they were afraid that their presence would constrain everyone, so neither of them came, allowing the young ones to have a good time.

Qin Liuse couldn't help but feel relieved. It would be a big deal if the two queens didn't come.

With two mountains sitting there, plus the emperor, how could people not feel scared and restrained?

There are two queen dowagers in the harem now.

The Empress Dowager Dong was the empress of the previous emperor. She had no children and lived in the Cining Palace on the east side of the imperial city.

The Empress Dowager Cixi was Xiao Yan's biological mother. She was only the imperial concubine of the previous emperor. She had no family background and was not favored by the previous emperor. Now she lived in the Yongshou Palace on the west side, so she was called the Empress Dowager Cixi.

Although the Empress Dowager Cixi had no family background, her son was very capable!

As soon as Xiao Yan ascended the throne, she suddenly became the noble empress dowager, his biological mother who was second only to the emperor and above everyone else.

Qin Liuse held a snack in her hand and put it into her mouth from time to time.

Looking left and right, I don’t know when the emperor will come. I have to fill my stomach first, otherwise I don’t know when I can eat.

Sitting next to Qin Liuse were Qin Huaijin on one side and Zhong Cairen on the other.

Like Qin Liuse, Zhong Cairen entered the palace from the prince's mansion and they had a good relationship. Zhong Cairen really loved talking to her.

Just as I was daydreaming, a eunuch came running over and said that Emperor Yongjia was coming this way.

When the emperor arrived, the scene in the waterside pavilion immediately changed. Everyone tidied up their appearance and returned to their seats.

Qin Liuse put the last melon seed in his hand into his mouth, clapped his hands, and stood up with everyone else and lined up at the door.

When Emperor Yongjia walked in, Qin Liuse bowed along with the other concubines, lowering her head and eyes.

It is against the rules to look directly at the emperor.

Qin Liuse's seat was right next to the door. He watched the pair of shoes with dragon pattern and gold thread walking into the water pavilion. Even the emperor's footsteps were different from the hurried steps of his servants, and he went straight to the dragon throne.

Only after Emperor Yongjia sat down did the eunuch call everyone to stand up.

The voice came from above. Qin Liuse lowered her eyes and returned to her seat, not daring to look around.

These are all rules.

"let's start."

The deep voice of Emperor Yongjia was heard, much more pleasant than expected, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, and the hearts of countless people present were moved.

However, he was only instructing Concubine Dong to start the banquet, and was not speaking to everyone.

At Concubine Dong's command, dancers and musicians came in one after another and began to perform in the open space directly in front of Emperor Yongjia.

Concubine Dong first toasted Emperor Yongjia with a glass of wine, and Emperor Yongjia returned the toast and said a few words, the gist of which was that she was thankful for the hard work she put in organizing the family banquet on behalf of the empress.

To Qin Liuse's ears, it didn't sound like they were a couple, but more like a king and his subject.

Qin Liuse was watching the dance and eating by herself. It turned out that the food at this palace banquet was much more delicious than what she usually got from the Imperial Food Bureau!

So you should seize the time to eat more.

She was busy eating, while others were busy flattering her.

Qin Huaijin, who was sitting next to her, had barely moved his chopsticks for half an hour, and was only focused on looking at Emperor Yongjia.

From this angle, looking up from below, Emperor Yongjia is indeed more majestic and handsome than usual.

But, Qin Liuse just wanted to say that there are so many people like this, even if you look forward to it, Emperor Yongjia will not notice you.

So today, Qin Liuse is not going to join them in the fun.

Even if she didn't look at him, Qin Liuse seemed to be able to see a faint smile on Emperor Yongjia's lips. It seemed like it was there, but also like it wasn't. In the end, you just couldn't tell whether he was happy or sad.

In fact, not only could she not see it, even Emperor Yongjia's biological mother, the Empress Dowager Cixi, was not sure what her son was thinking.

Qin Liuse picked up the wine glass and took a sip. It was normal that Emperor Yongjia couldn't see through him, otherwise how could he become a dark horse and ascend to the throne? If he could be seen through, he would have died long ago.

Halfway through the banquet, concubines began to come out and perform.

First, several Baolins and imperial ladies performed a dance together.

Next, it was the talented Meng, who had been in favor recently and had outstanding musical skills. She presented a poem "Chang Xiangsi" to Emperor Yongjia.

Meng Cairen and Qin Huaijin entered the palace together. Now, these two are the most favored new ladies in front of the emperor, and they are always competing with each other.

When Qin Huaijin saw Meng Cairen's performance, he could no longer sit still and played a song "Water Melody" for Emperor Yongjia, but he did not play the qin, but the pipa.

But Emperor Yongjia still had the same face. Qin Huaijin looked at Emperor Yongjia with some hurt.

Xiao Yan seemed to notice her gaze and looked back.

Although it was calm, Qin Huaijin already felt like a girl. Her heart was pounding and her face started to turn red.

There were many concubines performing, and many of them sat upright like Qin Liuse. Either they had no talent and knew their limitations, or they were too lazy to move and did not want to lower their status to compete with each other.

During the banquet, there were sounds of drums and music. Qin Liuse thought that although Emperor Yongjia did not show any interest in any of the performances, he was actually very generous and gave rewards to all the concubines who performed.

This was enough to keep them happy for a long time.

There are some people here who are of lower status but can be very open-minded, and the dance they perform is very bold and explicit.

The clothes worn in this weather are close-fitting and made of less cloth, mostly gauze. When dancing, you can see the plumpness of the beautiful face.

Concubine Dong had the same open-minded attitude as the emperor, but many of the other concubines, although smiling, probably wanted to tear those people down in their hearts.

For example, Qin Huaijin, who was sitting next to her, was about to break his chopsticks and kept cursing her, calling her a "bitch" and a "fox spirit".

Qin Liuse really wanted to remind her that although the emperor seemed to be looking at them, his eyes were clearly not on them, so he shouldn't be so angry.

But after thinking about it, I decided to give up. After all, I was also the "foxy woman" she called me.

After the dance, many people were jealous. Concubine Wen brought a glass of wine and toasted Emperor Yongjia to show her presence.

Wen Zhaoyi came from a wealthy family. Her father was a master in the palace and had served as a teacher to Emperor Yongjia.

In fact, he was Xiao Yan's childhood enlightenment teacher, but Concubine Wen cut out the details and spread the story out, so that people who didn't know the truth thought that Emperor Yongjia was her father's apprentice.

Also because of her good family background, Wen Zhaoyi had a high spirit. Although she was unhappy, she disdained to compete with those mediocre women for beauty. She felt that they were really not worthy of being on the stage and were only good at flattering and vying for favor.

With someone taking the lead, a group of concubines began to toast Xiao Yan.

Emperor Yongjia accepted all the drinks, and at the end, Concubine Dong couldn't help but say, "Although today is Mid-Autumn Festival, we should celebrate together, but the emperor has to attend the court early tomorrow, so it's not appropriate to drink too much."

Qin Liuse must love Concubine Dong to death in her heart. She is so virtuous. Now she doesn't have to join in the toast!

Emperor Yongjia did not show any sign of surprise on his face, but instead signaled to the eunuch beside him. Immediately, a maid held a jug and filled a cup, which she respectfully presented to Emperor Yongjia with both hands.

Emperor Yongjia said: "Then let's drink this last cup."

For a moment, all the concubines at the banquet held up their glasses filled with wine and toasted to Emperor Yongjia, which was considered a toast.

At this time, it was time to set off the fireworks. Everyone in the waterside pavilion rushed to the water's edge, looking at the colorful fireworks in the sky and exclaiming in admiration.

Fireworks are fleeting, and Qin Liuse looked at the fireworks in the sky with emotion and melancholy.

Because I thought that the trajectory of this life would be different from the previous one, but I didn’t know what the ending would be.

Although she was very confident, she had only regained her life and stolen another life, and she had no ability to predict the future.

In this situation, I couldn't help feeling anxious and uneasy, and suddenly tears welled up in my heart. I quickly sniffed to prevent the tears from falling.

The fireworks in the sky were bright, and the lights inside and outside the house were shining, making the beauty under the lights look so broken and dazzling.

Not far away, Qin Huaijin noticed Qin Liuse's tearful eyes and was stunned for a moment.

Then he glimpsed in the waterside pavilion that Concubine Dong was quietly walking towards this side with Emperor Yongjia. They did not bring any eunuchs with them, probably because they were afraid that too many people would spoil the interest of the concubines.

Qin Huaijin didn't want Qin Liuse's coquettish look to be seen by Emperor Yongjia, so he immediately came up with a plan.

Qin Liuse didn't shed tears, but she heard sobbing sounds nearby. When she looked to the side, she saw that it was Qin Huaijin who was crying.

Qin Liuse was just taking out a handkerchief and handing it to her when she heard someone ask from behind, "What happened to Qin Cairen?"

It was Concubine Dong's voice.

When Emperor Yongjia came over, the concubines beside him bowed quickly.

Qin Huaijin looks pretty when she sheds tears. She already has a pitiful appearance, and now she is crying, which makes people feel even more pitiful.

Qin Huaijin sobbed and said, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I was watching the fireworks just now, and I thought of my ancestor who brought me up when I was a child. I also thought that she is no longer in this world. I was overwhelmed with emotion and felt lost. I am sorry for disturbing your majesty. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

Qin Liuse lowered his head and called him a capable person in his heart.

This not only shows her kindness, filial piety and gentleness, but how could the emperor be angry?

As expected, Emperor Yongjia said, "You are also filial, it's okay."

Concubine Dong Xian said, "Hurry up and wipe your tears. If you miss these fireworks, they will be gone."

Qin Huaijin sobbed like a little rabbit, with a red nose, which looked pitiful. He nodded and respectfully saw the emperor and the virtuous concubine off.

When Emperor Yongjia walked by, Qin Liuse secretly glanced at him, and sure enough, the emperor had a smile on his face. He liked people who were filial.

After Emperor Yongjia and Concubine Dong left, Concubine Meng glanced at Qin Huaijin with contempt, because she saw through her trick of suddenly crying and suddenly walking out to wait for the emperor at the path.

Qin Liuse suddenly understood what was going on and guessed that he saw her crying.

He couldn't help but glance at Qin Huaijin lightly, and was met with Qin Huaijin's smug expression.

Meng Cairen and Qin Huaijin disliked each other, but it was not a good idea to make a scene in this situation.

In the previous performance, it was Concubine Meng who played the piano better, but in this performance, it was Qin Huaijin who caught the eye of Emperor Yongjia again.

I was thinking about it for a while, and I didn't know whose card would be turned over tonight.

But even after the banquet was over, there was no news from the eunuch beside Emperor Yongjia about recruiting someone to sleep with him tonight.

Emperor Yongjia did not return to the palace in a grand ceremony, but chose to walk back. Perhaps it was because of the beautiful scenery and walking could help him appreciate the poetic and picturesque night.

Only after the emperor's carriage was no longer visible did the concubines in the Hundred Flowers Garden leave one after another.

Shu Yuexuan was far away from the Hundred Flowers Garden, so Qin Liuse didn't delay any longer and led Mingyue back on foot.

It’s not that she likes walking, but because of her position, she doesn’t have her own carriage, so she has to walk.

It's so pitiful!

However, on the Mid-Autumn Festival, taking a walk to get rid of the alcohol is also very pleasant.

The breeze blew across her face, sweeping away the restlessness of the crowd and allowing her to be herself again.

Shu Yuexuan is a remote place with fewer and fewer people around as you walk away. Qin Liuse feels a little uneasy.

People say Shu Yuexuan is rarely visited, but that is not true.

The reason why this place is called Shuyuexuan is because of the small bamboo forest in the backyard of Shuyuexuan. It is the best place in the palace to look at the moon.

But few people know that everyone thinks that the Round Moon Pavilion in the Hundred Flowers Garden is the best place to view the moon, but this is not the case.

The small garden near Shuyuexuan is full of bamboo trees and winding paths, making it the best place to enjoy the moon.

And judging from the testimony of the previous life, Emperor Yongjia did not favor his concubines on this night every year, but would come here to admire the moon by himself.

Qin Liuse did not go back to Shu Yuexuan directly, but turned and went behind Shu Yuexuan.

As soon as she stepped onto the stone path and flower path, a voice called her, "Qin Liuse!"

It was Qin Huaijin's voice. Sure enough, she would come over to pick a fight. Qin Liuse's lips curled up slightly.

When I turned around, I was already surprised, "Sister, why are you here too? Are you here to enjoy the moon too?"