Harem Daily Life

Chapter 793 The Unwilling Shu Cairen

In Liufang Pavilion, Shu Cairen had been angry for a long time.

Upon learning that His Majesty had gone to Changle Palace and missed the morning court, Shu Cairen clenched her hands so tightly that her nails almost dug into her flesh. Her face was filled with resentment: "Why is the Empress the only one who enjoys His Majesty's favor? How am I any worse than her?"

The thought of how she had humbled herself to invite His Majesty last night, only for His Majesty to refuse to come to her Liufang Pavilion, made her even more furious. The servants dared not reply, each one standing cautiously at a distance.

"Are you all dumb? Don't you know how to give advice to your master?" Shu Cairen said angrily.

She now appreciates more and more the kindness of Fu Xin and Zi Ling. It's a pity that both of them died of their injuries after being punished.

The maid Xiaoxin stepped forward and advised: "Talented lady, the Empress has been the only one in the harem who favors you for many years. It is not easy to share her favor. Talented lady, you should think of more ways to advance in your rank."

Another maid, Xiaolan, also advised, "Yes, the Empress has three princes and three princesses under her name, and her position is unshakable. The concubines in other palaces have all acknowledged reality and only care about saving more money or holding on to their positions. Talented people should learn from the concubines in other palaces and get more tangible benefits."

It was all just these few words over and over again, and Shu Cairen really wanted to cover her ears and not listen.

"Promotion, promotion, promotion. Now you can't even see His Majesty, what's the point of promotion? Humph, if you can't come up with a good idea, just shut up and stop making noise."

After being scolded by Shu Cairen, the two had to lower their heads and dared not say much.

The palace maid Xiao Tang thought for a moment and said, "Talented Lady, you don't really need His Majesty's approval to advance in rank. You are the Empress Dowager's niece, so you can show your filial piety to her more often. She won't fail to notice."

Shu Cairen frowned. She had tried this path of courting the Empress Dowager before. She had painstakingly accompanied her in her quest for medicine, and upon returning, she had been promoted. Unfortunately, not long after her promotion, she was demoted by the Empress Dowager. If she tried to follow her example again, she feared the Empress Dowager might not give her another chance.

However, she is in a very awkward position in the palace now. Those who entered the palace at the same time as her are all concubines. The virtuous concubine also assists the queen in managing the six palaces. Xu Zhaoyi, who entered the palace two years later than her, now has a higher position than her.

She was once one of the four concubines, but now she is just a small talent. This gap is really hard to accept.

She couldn't rely on the Queen, and His Majesty refused to pay any attention to her. In the end, it seemed that she had no choice but to rely on the Queen Mother's relationship.

Shu Cairen rubbed his brows and reluctantly ordered, "Go and prepare, and go to Changchun Palace to pay your respects."

In Changchun Palace, Eunuch Qin frowned when he heard that Concubine Shu had arrived and was asking for an audience outside the palace. He knew that the Queen Mother might not be happy to see Concubine Shu. Every time she saw Concubine Shu, the Queen Mother was upset.

However, this Concubine Shu was a daughter of the Shu family. She was already outside the door, and it would not look good to send her away. Eunuch Qin had no choice but to go into the inner hall and report to the empress dowager.

The Queen Mother was pruning potted plants. When she heard that Concubine Shu had arrived, she raised an eyebrow and asked, "What are you doing here again? Aren't you still arguing with me after being demoted?"

Eunuch Qin chuckled twice and guessed, "Perhaps he has finally figured it out and has come all the way here to apologize to the Queen Mother?"

The Queen Mother waved her hand, indicating that the person should be brought in first.

"Your servant comes to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager. I haven't come to pay my respects to you for many days. Please forgive me." Shu Cairen's attitude was very respectful.

The Queen Mother glanced at her and said, "The Liufang Pavilion where you live is far from the Changchun Palace. If it's inconvenient, don't run back and forth. Please sit down first."

Shu Cairen sat down obediently and said, "I have been reflecting on myself recently and have come to realize that I made many mistakes in the past. Thanks to the timely guidance of the Queen Mother, I was able to avoid making mistakes. This demotion is entirely my fault. Please, Queen Mother, please don't be angry with me anymore, okay?"

The Queen Mother sneered in her heart, thinking that her niece was not someone who would give in, and her behavior today was really weird.

"It's good that you admit your mistake. In the future, you must be careful with your words and actions in this palace, especially you must not touch the queen and the children, okay?" the queen mother said in a deep voice.

Shu Cairen was furious, but she said respectfully, "Yes, I thank the Queen Mother for her teachings."

"Now that you have figured it out, go back. It's cold these days, so please keep warm." The empress dowager said this casually, wanting to send Shu Cairen away as soon as possible.

Just at this time, His Majesty sent someone to invite her, saying that the banquet to entertain the Island Master Mu was ready and invited the Queen Mother to go to the Qinzheng Hall for the banquet.

Upon hearing this, Shu Cairen immediately said, "Back on Penglai Island, I was treated so well by Island Master Mu. Now that Your Majesty is suffering from the poison, I have asked Island Master Mu to send medicinal herbs to the capital. I would like to meet Island Master Mu and thank him in person. I wonder if the Queen Mother would take me with you?"

The empress dowager glanced at Shu Cairen indifferently, her eyes dark and unclear.

"The Queen is here today, and she can represent the imperial concubines. As a talented person, you don't need to be present. Okay, go back first. I'll invite you over for a small gathering another day when I'm free."

The Empress Dowager's refusal was obvious, so Shu Cairen had no choice but to take her leave. After she left Changchun Palace, the smile on her face was replaced by anger, and she returned to Liufang Pavilion in a rage.

"I'm so angry, so angry. Why are you calling her Queen Tao all the time? It was me who accompanied the Queen Mother on tour for a year. It was me who lived on Penglai Island for several months. They were all people I knew. Why did you exclude me?" Shu Cairen didn't know the true relationship between Mu Yu and Tao Yanyan. She just thought that Tao Yanyan was always one step ahead of her because of her status as queen.

"No, I can't swallow this! Come, prepare a thank you gift, I want to go to the Qinzheng Palace."

The palace maid, Xiao Tang, hurriedly intervened, "Talented Lady, the Queen Mother has clearly stated that she doesn't want you to go. If you go against her wishes and go without permission, won't that make her angry again?"

Shu Cairen clenched her fists and said unwillingly, "Island Master Mu has come all the way here to deliver the medicine, which is a great feat. Your Majesty must certainly accept his kindness. Penglai Island's power should not be underestimated. If I can reach a cooperation with them, it may be beneficial to me in the future."

She looked at Xiao Tang and said, "Do you think I can really rely on the Queen Mother? She has long been estranged from me. I can't put all my hopes on her."

Shu Cairen, who was stubborn and determined, took a gamble and hurried to the Qinzheng Hall with gifts and people.

In the Qinzheng Hall, everyone was waiting respectfully for the Queen Mother, and Mu Yu was also in a good mood. When the Queen Mother arrived, everyone stood up to greet her, and Mu Yu's mood instantly brightened.

After everyone was seated, He Linzhang said, "Today is a family dinner. Island Master Mu, Marquis Ningyuan, and General Gu, you all don't need to be polite. The dishes are all prepared by the Queen herself. You can also try the Queen's cooking."

Mu Yu took a look at the dish in front of him and felt a little sad - this was the first time he had eaten a dish made by his beloved daughter...