Selling wife for fame? Kick out the scumbag and marry the new emperor to enjoy the harem of favors

Chapter 232

Consort Guo turned around and calmly bowed to Consort Chen.

He then spoke calmly, "Consort Jiang is the Emperor's cousin, and her relationship with the Emperor is naturally beyond our reach."

“My sister is quite open-minded,” Chen Meiren said with a look of regret. “But as someone who has been through it, I have to remind you that sometimes, if you don’t fight for it this time, you’ll always be inferior to others in the future. With such a good family background and such good looks, are you willing to accept that?”

Upon hearing this, Consort Guo lowered her eyes and chuckled softly before replying.

"I would also like to remind you, my lady, that pregnant women should not overthink or strain their minds, as it is not good for the fetus."

After speaking, she curtsied and said, "This concubine will not disturb you any longer, my lady. I take my leave."

He then ignored Chen Meiren's expression and turned to leave.

Hu Baolin stood to the side, pursing his lips, somewhat embarrassed.

She thought to herself, "How dare Consort Guo give Consort Chen such a hard time?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at Chen Meiren and saw that her face looked rather somber.

"Sister Chen, shall we go back?" Hu Baolin said softly.

She was at a loss as to how to handle the situation.

Chen Meiren withdrew her gaze from Guo Cairen's departing figure, turned to look at Hu Baolin, and a hint of grievance appeared on her face.

"Look at her, relying on her family background, she dares to be so rude to me even before she has been favored by the emperor. I wonder how arrogant she will become in the future."

Hu Baolin pursed his lips and whispered, "Actually, what she said is not wrong. We certainly can't compare with Consort Jiang. Competing with Consort Jiang will only displease the Empress Dowager. It's better to settle for second best."

Upon hearing these words, Chen Meiren's expression immediately froze again.

However, he quickly returned to normal and then sighed.

"You silly girl, we're in the palace. The Emperor's favor and affection are the foundation of our position. The Empress Dowager comes second. We're not an ordinary family where you have to please your mother-in-law. Just look at Consort Jin. The Empress Dowager doesn't like her, but the Emperor does. She still lives a glamorous life. Consort Guo doesn't understand, and neither do you."

Hu Baolin was somewhat stunned, seemingly persuaded.

Seeing this, Chen Meiren took her hand and patted it lightly twice. "Would your sister harm you? You're about the same age as my younger sister. Seeing you reminds me of her. If it weren't for the misfortune that befell my family, she would have gotten married this year. But now..."

As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes.

"Sister Chen, I feel a sense of familiarity with you too. Sister, don't cry, it's not good for the baby in your womb," Hu Baolin quickly comforted her.

They seemed to believe Chen Meiren's words without a doubt.

That was inevitable, and he distanced himself considerably from Consort Guo.

However, Consort Guo didn't care.

"The Chen family has already been punished for accepting bribes. This Chen beauty doesn't know how to keep a low profile and take good care of her pregnancy. Instead, she's stirring up trouble everywhere while she's pregnant. Doesn't she ever get tired of it?" Consort Guo said sarcastically.

Lily held the umbrella over him and chuckled, "Does she think everyone else is a fool, that everyone is as easy to fool as Hu Baolin?"

"But she's had a tough time too," Consort Guo said calmly. "Without her family to rely on, and because of her family's crimes, the Emperor has distanced himself from her. Now, she can only rely on the Empress, so naturally she has to do things for the Empress."

"She brought this upon herself, and no one forced her family to accept bribes or abuse their power for personal gain." Baihe felt no sympathy for Chen Meiren.

Consort Guo felt the same way, saying, "I would like to get to know Consort Jin."

It's always beneficial to spend time with those who are favored. "Is the Lady going to pay her respects to Consort Jin?" Baihe asked.

Consort Guo's eyes flickered, then she shook her head. "There's no need to rush. I haven't been in the palace long enough. Let's observe the situation here first. Seeing is believing."

Lily nodded and said no more.

As for the matter of serving the emperor in bed, she was really not in a hurry.

She'll definitely be next; there's nothing to worry about.

That's how confident Guo Cairen was.

However, for two days after Consort Jiang's night with the emperor, Zhao Xingjin did not summon any more concubines.

Despite being busy, he found some free time that afternoon and went to Jingming Palace.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is on the 15th of August, and the palace will hold a banquet as usual. There are only a few days left, and Xie Jiu is currently very busy.

She was still in charge of the kitchen, and she had to arrange all the dishes, snacks, and drinks for the banquet. Although everything was set, she was still afraid of making mistakes, so she had to check it over and over again.

"Your Majesty," Xie Jiu bowed.

Looking at the seven or eight plates of pastries on the table, Zhao Xingjin couldn't help but joke, "You have more than I do in my Chengming Palace."

"It sounds like someone below you skimped on His Majesty's snacks." Xie Jiu glared at him, then pulled his hand towards the table. "Since His Majesty is here, please help me taste these snacks and fruits. My tongue is so tired of them!"

That's a bit of an exaggeration, but Xie Jiu really didn't want to eat these things anymore. No matter how delicious they were, they would get boring if you ate too much of them.

Zhao Xingjin was pushed to sit down at the table by her. Xie Jiu coaxed and pestered him until he ate four or five kinds of snacks before he pretended to beg for mercy.

"Enough, enough, I can't stand these sweet things. They taste good, but they get cloying if I eat too much."

"So I specially prepared some refreshing tea to cleanse your palate." Xie Jiu smiled as she poured a cup of tea and brought it over. "Your Majesty, please try it."

Zhao Xingjin took it, drank a few sips, and said, "It's really not bad. It's just right to eat with this."

Upon hearing this, Xie Jiu smiled slightly, appearing quite pleased with the praise.

Then he asked, "Your Majesty, what brings you here today? Didn't you say you were busy with state affairs lately?"

"I am busy, but there is some good news," Zhao Xingjin said. "I sent Du Qian to serve in the musket battalion before, and I did not expect that he would have some military talent. He worked with the craftsmen and made some improvements to the muskets. I went to the drill ground this morning to see them. Their firepower is even greater than before."

Xie Jiu listened with delight, "This is great news! Our soldiers in Dajing have more handy weapons, and their combat strength will surely far surpass that of other countries in the future."

The power of gunpowder, when put to use, would naturally play a significant role in warfare.

Zhao Xingjin nodded, then added, "Do you remember what happened in Dingzhou before? Those foreigners who were captured took our envoys to their country. Although the place is small, it is rich in gemstones and has several sizable gold and silver mines."

“Now they are willing to be a vassal state of Dajing, paying tribute to our dynasty every year. I noticed that this time the envoy brought back some novelties, such as perfumes and powders, as well as some jewelry. I brought you a few items, take a look and see if you like them.” Zhao Xingjin waved to the back.

Yang Zhian immediately came forward with a mahogany tray.

On top of it was a gemstone necklace, a feather fan, two boxes of perfume, and a gold mask that only covered the eyes and nose.

It is indeed very different from the craftsmanship of Dajing.

Xie Jiu naturally found it intriguing and got up to look through it.

"It is different from ours, but when it comes to the word 'exquisite,' I think ours is better. This perfume is a bit too strong."