novelraw Chapter 165 The Sharp-Tongued Consort
Chapter 165 The Sharp-Tongued Consort
After the greetings were finished, the sunlight slanted across the palace road, illuminating the bluestone path.
Song Shuangning's entourage had just begun.
A palace maid sweeping the steps was carrying a half-full bucket of water when she tripped over something and stumbled forward, falling hard onto the bluestone slab. The water in the bucket splashed out, splattering all over the ground.
The young palace maid's knees buckled and she knelt on the slippery bluestone slab, her voice trembling uncontrollably: "This servant deserves to die. I have offended the Empress's entourage. Please forgive me, Your Highness."
Song Shuangning leaned forward and looked over, her voice chillingly cold: "Why are you rushing down this palace road at this hour?"
The young palace maid replied in a low voice, "Your Majesty, the head maid said that the bronze crane in the corridor needed its water changed and urged me to fetch some. I was walking in a hurry and slipped, which is why I unintentionally bumped into Your Majesty's entourage."
"Leaving in a hurry?"
Song Shuangning's eyes, which were usually filled with a gentle smile, were now frozen as if by frost, filled only with a deep sternness.
She reprimanded her sternly: "If you walk in such a hurry, you can offend my entourage. If you offend my entourage today, will you dare to offend the Emperor's carriage or the Empress's carriage tomorrow? I think you did it on purpose."
Upon hearing this, the palace maids and concubines around them were all taken aback.
Is this still the gentle and kind Consort Yuan?
Consort Zhao, who always fawned over Consort Qing, glanced at the kneeling palace maid and said in a flippant tone, "Your Highness, Consort Yuanxian, she's just a little girl. You're not in any danger. Is it really necessary to get so angry and make such a big deal out of it?"
Song Shuangning slowly stepped down from the ceremonial guard and slapped her without any politeness.
Everyone was startled again.
Consort Zhao covered her face in grievance.
"Who gave you the right to speak? If anything happens to me, she wouldn't have enough heads to chop off."
Song Shuangning gave her a disgusted look: "If you can't speak properly, then shut your mouth, so as not to annoy me."
She suppressed her excitement, glanced at Consort Zhao with a serious expression, and secretly rejoiced.
So this is what it feels like to be sarcastic and mean.
No wonder everyone wants to live a life of sharp wit and bitterness.
"This little palace maid is disrespectful and has disrupted my ceremonial procession. She shall be fined three months' salary and given twenty strokes of the cane."
"Your Majesty, please forgive me, Your Majesty, please forgive me..."
Song Shuangning then swept her gaze over the concubines and palace servants who were watching. "In the inner palace, rules are paramount. Today's incident is also a reminder to you all to manage your own people and keep to your duties. Don't think that you can get away with it by being careless for a moment."
Everyone bowed their heads in agreement.
Song Shuangning sat back down on the ceremonial regalia, and the moment the curtain fell, the fierce look in her eyes faded slightly.
As Song Shuangning's entourage gradually disappeared into the distance, the clamor on the palace road subsided into silence.
Qing Xiuyi curled her lips into a smile.
The news reached the Empress's ears in no time.
After all, it happened outside the Fengyi Palace after the greetings.
The Empress paused slightly upon hearing Qingdai's reply. "When did Consort Xian become so sharp-tongued and make such a big deal out of nothing? It's just a small matter, why make such a fuss?"
Qingdai shook her head: "This servant thinks that Consort Yuan is really angry today. The surrounding concubines and palace servants are all too frightened to make a sound."
The Empress placed the teacup on the table with a crisp sound and said calmly, "She's just being arrogant because she's favored. Her temper has certainly grown quite a bit."
"Consort Yuan is now pregnant with the emperor's child, who dares to criticize her?"
The Emperor doted on Consort Yuan, so who in the palace would dare to say a harsh word to her?
Her position as empress was merely nominal.
After the Emperor publicly severed ties with his concubine, the Empress Dowager secluded herself at home and no longer concerned herself with matters of the inner palace.
In this way, who in the harem dares to say they can surpass Consort Xian?
It would be best if Consort Yuan continued to be so flamboyant and her temperament became more and more mean, until the Emperor could no longer tolerate her and could no longer stand her!
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
Nowadays, any flowers and plants sent to Yaohua Palace must undergo three layers of inspection. Any that have even the slightest trace of nutmeg juice are all moved to the backyard.
Nowadays, flowers and plants are perfectly normal.
Song Shuangning casually tended to the flowers and plants.
This deliberate display of irritability wasn't enough.
We still need to take some strong medicine.
*
Today it is today.
The rumors outside have already spread like wildfire.
Everyone said that Consort Yuan was arrogant because of the emperor's favor, and her temper became more and more eccentric every day.
The other day in front of the Phoenix Palace, she used the excuse of bumping into the imperial carriage to severely punish the eunuch and slap the concubine.
Today, during the morning greetings at Fengyi Palace, a concubine made a careless remark, and Consort Yuan Xian reprimanded her harshly in front of everyone for a full quarter of an hour.
The Empress's face darkened, and after much hesitation, she finally spoke, her words laced with sarcasm: "Consort Yuan, your temper is becoming increasingly impatient."
"I am still sitting here. When did it become your place to point fingers and give orders in this Phoenix Palace?"
Song Shuangning's eyes immediately reddened. Without arguing, she turned and left Fengyi Palace.
The Phoenix Palace was instantly thrown into chaos.
The concubines took turns fanning the flames:
"Your Majesty, look at Consort Yuan's arrogant behavior now; where is there even a trace of respect for you in her eyes?"
"Such an arrogant attitude clearly shows that she has forgotten her place because of the Emperor's favor. If Your Majesty does not reprimand her, I'm afraid that anyone in the harem will be able to climb over Your Majesty in the future."
The Empress felt a tightness in her chest, a sense of unease rising within her.
She slammed her hand heavily on the table, making the celadon teacup rattle loudly.
The concubines in the hall fell silent instantly.
"Since I've already shut you up, you should use this time to think of ways to please the Emperor."
Song Shuangning went to the Hall of Diligent Governance with red eyes. When Li Fuquan saw her like this, he hurriedly had the door opened.
Xiao Yan looked up when she heard footsteps, her eyes welling up with tears.
"What's wrong? Why are you crying?"
Song Shuangning silently approached, sat on his lap, and buried her face in his neck.
"Your Majesty, I have done something wrong. Your Majesty, I have come to apologize."
"I can't help but get angry, I'm always so agitated, I don't know why..."
The gossip in the harem was rampant, and Xiao Yan had heard about it beforehand. He calmly nipped the rumors in the bud.
He put his arm around Song Shuangning and gently patted her back with his palm, his movements steady and composed.
"The imperial physician said that it is normal for a pregnant woman to be easily agitated and experience mood swings."
He lowered his head and rubbed the top of her head, his voice softening: "You did nothing wrong, don't cry, and you don't need to admit your mistake."
Xiao Yan blamed himself for being useless and not careful enough, allowing these foul words to take hold and disturb Ning Ning's peace of mind, causing her emotions to fluctuate so much.