Pampered By All In Different Planes-Chapter 34 - Delicate Palace Maid VS Cold-hearted Emperor 34
Chapter 34: Chapter 34 Delicate Palace Maid VS Cold-hearted Emperor 34
There was one month left until the Empress Enthronement Ceremony.
Although the ceremony had not yet been held, the concubines and Palace Attendants in the harem had already started to refer to Su Zhiruan as the Empress.
Originally, she thought that, being in the Imperial Palace, it was inappropriate according to etiquette and seemed overstepping. If someone heard it, who knew what might be said, so she intended to correct them. However, the Empress Dowager heard about it.
The Empress Dowager teased Su Zhiruan cheerfully, also calling her the Empress, and kindly persuaded her to be at ease, so Su Zhiruan stopped paying too much attention to the issue.
In these days, many changes occurred in the palace. Some concubines, aware that they probably would not receive Shen Qi’s favor again, but having interacted with Su Zhiruan and finding her to be kind-hearted and righteous, liked her very much and did not harbor much jealousy.
Many concubines voluntarily requested to enter the Internal Affairs Office to learn to manage palace affairs.
It just happened that Shen Qi felt they had nothing to occupy them, so he decided to set ranks for the willing concubines to become female officials.
Becoming a female official in the palace meant that even after leaving the palace, if they wanted to find another means of livelihood, they were sought after by many people. Marriages would first consider female officials who could manage a household and keep accounts.
Su Zhiruan was about to be enthroned as Empress and needed to share Shen Qi’s concerns, assisting with the affairs of the Six Palace. Initially, the Empress Dowager and Shen Qi were worried she would be at a loss, not knowing what to do, but it turned out to be Su Zhiruan’s forte. She quickly took over the affairs and managed the harem orderly, earning praise from everyone.
Shen Qi was delighted and held Su Zhiruan, saying he had found a treasure.
Seeing this, the Empress Dowager was completely relieved and cheerfully delegated power to Su Zhiruan, while she spent her days happily watching her four children under her knees, and she saw Shen Qi and Su Zhiruan more often, the old lady was as cheerful as a child every day.
Another year passed, and it was August 15th again.
The Mid-Autumn family banquet, where the former court and the harem gathered together.
Different from the year before, this time Su Zhiruan, with her exquisite makeup, sat to the right of Shen Qi, receiving the courtiers’ salutation of ‘Long live the Emperor, long live the Empress’.
“Ruanruan, where has Xingzhi run off to?” Shen Qi slyly hooked Su Zhiruan’s finger, unknown to anyone but Little Fuzi, the dignified and prestigious Emperor hooked the future Empress’s finger like a child, whispering under the guise of drinking, “Apart from these three boys who stayed by the Empress Dowager, I didn’t see where Xingzhi went today!”
“The Empress Dowager said that Xingzhi saw the brightly decorated palace and had his favorite food, playing until he was tired, so she let the nanny take him back to sleep,” Su Zhiruan smiled helplessly. Little Xingzhi was usually calm, taking after his father, but after all, he was a child not yet two years old, naturally loving to play. Today the palace was different, and he played until he was worn out, mumbling “I want Mother to sleep with me” before falling asleep.
At that moment, Su Zhiruan’s heart softened, but there was a banquet, so she could only coax Little Xingzhi until he fell asleep before getting up to put on her formal dress for the banquet.
At this time, a courtier came up to offer Shen Qi a toast and gave a flattering compliment, “Your humble servant pays respect to the Emperor, the Empress, and the three Princes. May the Emperor and Empress have a deep and loving relationship and remain united in heart and soul, and may the three Princes be free from illness and calamity, and have a smooth and safe life.”
“What my subject has said resonates deeply with Us!” Shen Qi was in high spirits today and drank several more glasses.
After drinking the wine, the courtier still thought about the three Princes he had just seen with the Emperor. Those four father-and-sons were astonishing.
One wouldn’t know without seeing, but the three little Princes looked exactly like the Emperor—they were like triplets with identical faces. If they were put together, one would surely not be able to tell them apart.
For the Empress of their Wang Dynasty to give birth to three little Princes at once, she truly was an extraordinary woman.
The courtier’s respect for Su Zhiruan deepened.
After three rounds of drinks.
Su Zhiruan was still concerned about the Little Crown Prince, Shen Xingzhi, in her heart. Although she behaved impeccably during the banquet, gentle and graceful, the anxiety in her heart grew more intense.
It was as if she felt something was about to happen.
She suppressed the unease in her heart and whispered to Shen Qi, “Your Majesty, your concubine wishes to go to the side hall to see Xingzhi. I don’t know why, but I feel uneasy.”
“It’s getting late, Ruanruan, be careful on the way,” Shen Qi was worried but couldn’t leave the banquet at this moment, so he asked Little Fuzi to accompany her, “Little Fuzi, follow the Empress.”
The Empress Dowager heard their conversation and called over the nanny holding the three princes, then said to Shen Qi, “I will go back with Ruanruan. These three little ones should also be asleep by now.”
The Empress Dowager took Su Zhiruan’s hand and affectionately patted it before she and the group departed.
*
Kunning Palace.
The former Noble Consort, now known as Noble Mei, turned around with a cold laugh.
Behind her lay a group of Palace Maids and eunuchs, felled by a drugged incense.
At this moment, Noble Mei wore the goose yellow dress of a Palace Maid and carried a food box in her hand.
She continued inward. The first layer of drugged pastries had already been distributed to the Palace Maids and eunuchs outside; she then lifted the lid of the second layer of the food box and walked towards the side chamber.
Two nannies stood guarding the entrance to the side chamber. Noble Mei touched the fake scar painted on her face and put on a fawning expression before walking over.
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“What are you doing?” the two nannies asked upon seeing the food box in her hand, exchanging glances, “The Crown Prince is sleeping. If you disturb him, you won’t have enough heads to chop off.”
“This slave is here by… the Empress’s order,” Noble Mei bit her teeth in secret when mentioning the Empress, then lowered her head and offered the food box, “Her Majesty is concerned that the nannies are tired from looking after the Crown Prince and has specially sent this slave to bring some refreshments to you both.”
Since Su Zhiruan often rewarded her servants with pastries and considering they had been guarding the Crown Prince all day, the two nannies were indeed hungry and did not suspect anything, taking the box and beginning to eat.
Noble Mei stood quietly, her shadow stretching long in the warm light of the side chamber’s lamps.
“Bang—” followed by a scream, “You’re not—”
One after another, the nannies collapsed, still clutching the unfinished pastries, their eyes wide in shock but already overcome by the drug.
Noble Mei snorted coldly and took out a dagger gleaming with a cold light from the bottom of the food box.
This time, there were no more obstacles; she could kill the child with one strike.
Noble Mei stepped closer, her dagger raised high in her hand.
In the bedchamber, the steady breathing of Little Shen Xingzhi could be heard; he was still young, his small body smelling sweetly of milk.
At this moment, he was unaware of the imminent danger.
Noble Mei stood beside Little Shen Xingzhi’s bed, the tip of the dagger already aimed at the Little Crown Prince’s throat. With just one slice, she would succeed. As she envisioned the scene, Su Zhiruan would cry until she fainted, Shen Qi would lose his Crown Prince, and then Noble Mei would kill her other three children in the same way.
Then—Su Zhiruan’s expression would surely be a sight to behold!
Thinking this, the fire in her heart seemed to ignite suddenly; seeing them in despair, she wouldn’t mind dying!!
“Hahaha! Su Zhiruan! Your son!! Today he will die by my hands! A child born to a lowly slave! Is he fit to be the Crown Prince?! Only I—only I! I am the true Empress!” Noble Mei gripped the dagger with both hands, raised it high, and was about to bring it down heavily and kill the child!
But just at that moment—
