“To celebrate the Emperor's recovery, this Palace Mistress has a gift for him.” Returning from the Yanxin Palace, the Empress called Wei Yingluo and the other Great Mistresses to her and said, “Choose for this Palace Mistress, which painting do you think is the best?”
There were two paintings on display, one was a landscape painting, with a distant sail and a blue sky, only the Yangtze River flowing in the sky. The other is a painting of the Goddess of Love, “A gentle step in a wave” and the dusty socks.
Mingyu said first: “Naturally, this landscape is the best, the one sent by Fucha's guards, the best...”
This comment does not comment at all on the merits of the two paintings, the words are deliberately flattering.
The person to be flattered was not in sight, the Empress gave her a brief glance and turned her attention to Wei Yingluo: “And you?”
“Back to Niangniang.” Wei Yingluo thought for a moment and said, “If it was up to Yingluo to choose, I would definitely give you the Goddess of Love.”
“Why?” The Empress asked.
“Because the Goddess of Love looks a bit like the Empress.” Wei Yingluo laughed and said, “Whenever the Emperor saw this painting, he will think of the person who painted it, isn't that good?”
She is in fact trying to impress her, unlike Mingyu, she is sincere in her words and the person she is trying to impress is right in front of her.
In the end, the Empress decides to offer the “Goddess of Love”.
As a result of this, Mingyu and Wei Yingluo are at loggerheads again, only now, Wei Yingluo has replaced her as the most favoured lady of the Changchun Palace, the Empress even teaches Wei Yingluo how to read and write, the two of them were called master and servant but in fact they were teacher and student, their bond was so deep, so deep, it was difficult for Mingyu to get in her way, she could no longer even taunt her to her face.
And so the two Draft girls who had come to the Changchun Palace to see the Empress got the short end of Mingyu anger.
“The Empress Niangniang is resting, she's not available.” Mingyu said coldly to the two Young Masters in front of him, “Please go back.”
If Wei Yingluo had been here, she would have recognised that these two Masters were no other than the two most prominent the Draft girls at the Draft Selection, one was Duanxian, Nara Chunxue, who looks like the Empress and Lu Wanwan, who is timid and fearful but has the appearance of a woman with a heart of gold.
Never before had a servant treated her so badly, Nara Chunxue's face paled, she quietly slipped a silver ingot into her sleeve and said: “Miss Mingyu, I have asked someone to bring blood swallows from Fujian to present to the Empress Niangniang, please go in and tell her.”
Mingyu tipped the silver and threw it disdainfully back into Nara Chunxue's arms, with a contemptuous glance: “The Changchun Palace has received many favours, there is nothing precious and a mere blood swallow, who has not seen it before? Who hasn't seen it before I ask?”
“You...” Even Lu Wanwan, who was always so good natured, was a little angry.
Nara Chunxue took her arm and shook her head gently: “I see, we'll come back another day to pay our respects to the Empress Niangniang then.”
On the way back, Lu Wanwan couldn't help but complain: “I clearly heard voices in the main hall, Mingyu insists that the Empress is not here, how can she treat us so lightly and humiliate us?”
Nara Chunxue sneered and said: “The Changchun Palace will not allow us to pay respect, have we no other place to go? Go to the Chuxiu Palace!”
It was night, two figures flashed into the Chuxiu Palace, the lights were dim, the window reflected three figures sitting and talking, no one knew what the three had discussed except for the candlelight on the table.
Mingyu has no idea, what she has inadvertently done.
She was still feeling sorry for herself, at one time hating Wei Yingluo for taking her favour, at another time hating the Empress for her newness, always wondering how she could regain her favour, her position.
Never thought of a way, never found an opportunity, until a few days later and a banquet was held in the main hall of the Qianqing Palace and the Concubines and Consorts of the Harem offered gifts to celebrate the Emperor's health.
The banquet was a lively affair, the star of the show was always Noble Consort Hui, this one seemed to have been born for such occasions, she knew how to keep the attention on herself, she clapped her hands and the yellow curtains were drawn up from the sides to reveal a procession of eunuchs with Western instruments.
Cello, violin, clarinet, flute, organ and other exotic instruments are played at the same time, so loudly that they overshadow the Empress' painting of the God of Love.
Hongli looked at these instruments and listens to the tune they play and is lost in thought, as if he has fallen into a memory of the past.
These are the Western instruments collected by his father Yongzheng Emperor, when Hongli was a boy, the two of them learned from the missionaries for a while, the played sound of the violin and the flute these are still his fondest memories.
“Noble Consort has a heart.” Hongli sighed.
It was obvious to all, it was Noble Consort Hui who had come out on top at the banquet, the most popular with the Emperor, it was difficult for anyone to compete with her and to the surprise of everyone, she was uncharacteristically domineering, offering to recommend a woman to Hongli to share in his favour.
“Your Majesty, not only has this humble woman gone to great lengths for your birthday present, Noble Lady has also done her best.” Noble Consort Hui motioned to the woman behind her, “Would you like to see her gift?”
“Noble Lady Shu?” There were so many women in the harem, Hongli obviously did not know each one and only nodded in her honour.
Mingyu saw her but her heart thudded.
She recognises her, isn't it the Draft girl who was kicked out of the Changchun Palace the other day, by her cynicism? How did she end up with Noble Consort Hui?
Nara Chunxue offered a glazed pagoda, the pagoda was not unusual, what was unusual was the precious relic on it, said to be the most precious of the 700 or so precious relic that the Song monk Xiyuan passed away with, the precious relic were made from his heart, hence the name Buddha's Lotus.
“The Emperor.” Noble Consort Hui took the opportunity to say, “Hasn't the Empress Dowager been searching for the Lotus of Buddha?”
This object may not please Hongli but it will certainly please the Empress Dowager.
Mingyu felt even more anxious when she saw that the woman he had treated so badly was about to soar to great heights.
“You've got a heart, too.” Hongli nodded, turning to the Empress, “The Empress, apart from this glazed pagoda, you will choose a few new and interesting gifts for the Empress Dowager.”
“Yes.” The Empress said modestly, hiding her gloom in her heart.
Compared to the Western orchestra, compared to the pagoda precious relic, her picture of Goddess of Love looked so ordinary, Hongli just glanced at it and left it behind, not seeing the slightest resemblance to her, or perhaps he had looked at her too long and didn't care.
“Yingluo.” The Empress whispered, “Put away the Tower of Buddha.”
“Yes, Niangniang.” Yingluo gave her a pitying look, took the glazed pagoda and went out with the eunuchs who were in charge of the matter to the East Room where the gifts were kept.
Mingyu's eyes twinkled and she followed without a word.
There were many gifts, the first thing Wei Yingluo had to do, instead of choosing, was to make a register.
“A pair of lamps with a longevity pattern on a brocade floor.”
Wei Yingluo dips his brush into ink and puts it on paper.
“To celebrate the Emperor's recovery, this Palace Mistress has a gift for him.” Returning from the Yanxin Palace, the Empress called Wei Yingluo and the other Great Mistresses to her and said, “Choose for this Palace Mistress, which painting do you think is the best?”
There were two paintings on display, one was a landscape painting, with a distant sail and a blue sky, only the Yangtze River flowing in the sky. The other is a painting of the Goddess of Love, “A gentle step in a wave” and the dusty socks.
Mingyu said first: “Naturally, this landscape is the best, the one sent by Fucha's guards, the best...”
This comment does not comment at all on the merits of the two paintings, the words are deliberately flattering.
The person to be flattered was not in sight, the Empress gave her a brief glance and turned her attention to Wei Yingluo: “And you?”
“Back to Niangniang.” Wei Yingluo thought for a moment and said, “If it was up to Yingluo to choose, I would definitely give you the Goddess of Love.”
“Why?” The Empress asked.
“Because the Goddess of Love looks a bit like the Empress.” Wei Yingluo laughed and said, “Whenever the Emperor saw this painting, he will think of the person who painted it, isn't that good?”
She is in fact trying to impress her, unlike Mingyu, she is sincere in her words and the person she is trying to impress is right in front of her.
In the end, the Empress decides to offer the “Goddess of Love”.
As a result of this, Mingyu and Wei Yingluo are at loggerheads again, only now, Wei Yingluo has replaced her as the most favoured lady of the Changchun Palace, the Empress even teaches Wei Yingluo how to read and write, the two of them were called master and servant but in fact they were teacher and student, their bond was so deep, so deep, it was difficult for Mingyu to get in her way, she could no longer even taunt her to her face.
And so the two Draft girls who had come to the Changchun Palace to see the Empress got the short end of Mingyu anger.
“The Empress Niangniang is resting, she's not available.” Mingyu said coldly to the two Young Masters in front of him, “Please go back.”
If Wei Yingluo had been here, she would have recognised that these two Masters were no other than the two most prominent the Draft girls at the Draft Selection, one was Duanxian, Nara Chunxue, who looks like the Empress and Lu Wanwan, who is timid and fearful but has the appearance of a woman with a heart of gold.
Never before had a servant treated her so badly, Nara Chunxue's face paled, she quietly slipped a silver ingot into her sleeve and said: “Miss Mingyu, I have asked someone to bring blood swallows from Fujian to present to the Empress Niangniang, please go in and tell her.”
Mingyu tipped the silver and threw it disdainfully back into Nara Chunxue's arms, with a contemptuous glance: “The Changchun Palace has received many favours, there is nothing precious and a mere blood swallow, who has not seen it before? Who hasn't seen it before I ask?”
“You...” Even Lu Wanwan, who was always so good natured, was a little angry.
Nara Chunxue took her arm and shook her head gently: “I see, we'll come back another day to pay our respects to the Empress Niangniang then.”
On the way back, Lu Wanwan couldn't help but complain: “I clearly heard voices in the main hall, Mingyu insists that the Empress is not here, how can she treat us so lightly and humiliate us?”
Nara Chunxue sneered and said: “The Changchun Palace will not allow us to pay respect, have we no other place to go? Go to the Chuxiu Palace!”
It was night, two figures flashed into the Chuxiu Palace, the lights were dim, the window reflected three figures sitting and talking, no one knew what the three had discussed except for the candlelight on the table.
Mingyu has no idea, what she has inadvertently done.
She was still feeling sorry for herself, at one time hating Wei Yingluo for taking her favour, at another time hating the Empress for her newness, always wondering how she could regain her favour, her position.
Never thought of a way, never found an opportunity, until a few days later and a banquet was held in the main hall of the Qianqing Palace and the Concubines and Consorts of the Harem offered gifts to celebrate the Emperor's health.
The banquet was a lively affair, the star of the show was always Noble Consort Hui, this one seemed to have been born for such occasions, she knew how to keep the attention on herself, she clapped her hands and the yellow curtains were drawn up from the sides to reveal a procession of eunuchs with Western instruments.
Cello, violin, clarinet, flute, organ and other exotic instruments are played at the same time, so loudly that they overshadow the Empress' painting of the God of Love.
Hongli looked at these instruments and listens to the tune they play and is lost in thought, as if he has fallen into a memory of the past.
These are the Western instruments collected by his father Yongzheng Emperor, when Hongli was a boy, the two of them learned from the missionaries for a while, the played sound of the violin and the flute these are still his fondest memories.
“Noble Consort has a heart.” Hongli sighed.
It was obvious to all, it was Noble Consort Hui who had come out on top at the banquet, the most popular with the Emperor, it was difficult for anyone to compete with her and to the surprise of everyone, she was uncharacteristically domineering, offering to recommend a woman to Hongli to share in his favour.
“Your Majesty, not only has this humble woman gone to great lengths for your birthday present, Noble Lady has also done her best.” Noble Consort Hui motioned to the woman behind her, “Would you like to see her gift?”
“Noble Lady Shu?” There were so many women in the harem, Hongli obviously did not know each one and only nodded in her honour.
Mingyu saw her but her heart thudded.
She recognises her, isn't it the Draft girl who was kicked out of the Changchun Palace the other day, by her cynicism? How did she end up with Noble Consort Hui?
Nara Chunxue offered a glazed pagoda, the pagoda was not unusual, what was unusual was the precious relic on it, said to be the most precious of the 700 or so precious relic that the Song monk Xiyuan passed away with, the precious relic were made from his heart, hence the name Buddha's Lotus.
“The Emperor.” Noble Consort Hui took the opportunity to say, “Hasn't the Empress Dowager been searching for the Lotus of Buddha?”
This object may not please Hongli but it will certainly please the Empress Dowager.
Mingyu felt even more anxious when she saw that the woman he had treated so badly was about to soar to great heights.
“You've got a heart, too.” Hongli nodded, turning to the Empress, “The Empress, apart from this glazed pagoda, you will choose a few new and interesting gifts for the Empress Dowager.”
“Yes.” The Empress said modestly, hiding her gloom in her heart.
Compared to the Western orchestra, compared to the pagoda precious relic, her picture of Goddess of Love looked so ordinary, Hongli just glanced at it and left it behind, not seeing the slightest resemblance to her, or perhaps he had looked at her too long and didn't care.
“Yingluo.” The Empress whispered, “Put away the Tower of Buddha.”
“Yes, Niangniang.” Yingluo gave her a pitying look, took the glazed pagoda and went out with the eunuchs who were in charge of the matter to the East Room where the gifts were kept.
Mingyu's eyes twinkled and she followed without a word.
There were many gifts, the first thing Wei Yingluo had to do, instead of choosing, was to make a register.
“A pair of lamps with a longevity pattern on a brocade floor.”
Wei Yingluo dips his brush into ink and puts it on paper.
