Jian Zhaoxing

Chapter 466 Imperial Concubines
The young eunuch leading the way walked briskly: "Ladies, when crossing the Golden Water Bridge, step with your left foot first, and don't step on the threshold."

"There are many rules in the palace, so the two young ladies must be careful not to offend the noble people."

This little eunuch is kind-hearted... Lin Zhiqing knew the rules of the palace, so she didn't look around aimlessly, but only observed him briefly.

After passing through three palace gates and around the Nine Dragon Wall, you arrive at the side hall of the Jade Palace where the banquet is being held.

More than twenty women from prominent families have gathered here, all of whom are relatives of meritorious officials or high-ranking ministers.

On a rosewood shelf in the corner of the warm pavilion, several bolts of Persian brocade were displayed. The sapphire blue background was woven with gold grape patterns, which drew whispers of discussion from the ladies.

As soon as Lin Zhiqing and Lin Yangyang sat down, a palace maid served fragrant tea. The teacups were made of delicate, white porcelain, as thin as cicada wings, with lotus scroll patterns subtly visible on the bottom.

Lu Nanyue, who came in later, quietly approached:
"I just saw the dancers that the envoy brought. They had paper-wrapped gold flowers in their hair, which looked very valuable."

“Golden Flower? That’s really extravagant,” Lin Yangyang said. “The people of Daliang are indeed high-profile.”

Just as Lin Zhiqing was about to speak, she heard footsteps outside, about ten people.

The footsteps attracted the attention of the people in the warm pavilion, and everyone turned around.

Two rows of palace maids stood at the entrance, and a beautiful woman in palace attire emerged from the middle.

She wore a smoky-colored silk dress with gold embroidery, the hem of which trailed on the ground, the lotus pattern embroidered in gold thread undulating gently.

Everyone around took a deep breath.

"Consort Rong has arrived!"

No one knows who shouted those words, but everyone knelt down.

"May Your Highness, Consort Rong, be well."

Surrounded by the crowd, Consort Rong walked slowly forward. When she passed Lin Zhiqing, she paused slightly, as if she was looking at something.

Lin Zhiqing remained calm and composed, displaying impeccable manners.

Consort Rong glanced at it and continued walking forward.

"Get up." Only after she sat down did she call everyone to their feet in a soft, charming voice.

Lin Zhiqing slowly stood up and stood at the back.

This Consort Rong is not someone to be trifled with; she is the daughter of Marquis Anping and the elder sister of Princess Pingning.

Princess Pingning and Lin Zhiqing were enemies, and Lin Zhiqing certainly didn't want to cause trouble for herself.

After all, Consort Rong was favored by the emperor and was the only one among the nine consorts with a title, so she was not someone to be trifled with.

Consort Rong sat at the head of the table, chatting casually with the others.

Princess Pingning leaned forward and said something to her that made her laugh uncontrollably.

Lin Zhiqing felt the ill-intentioned gaze of Princess Pingning and frowned slightly.

The next moment, Consort Rong raised her hand and adjusted the jade bracelet on her wrist, then spoke:

Where is the second young lady of the Marquis of Changning's mansion?

In an instant, everyone's eyes fell on Lin Zhiqing.

Lin Zhiqing smiled and stepped forward slowly: "This humble woman greets Consort Rong. May Consort Rong be blessed with longevity and good health."

"Oh, she really is a lovely person!" Consort Rong smiled radiantly.
“Pingning often mentions you to me. I wondered who could possibly win the Spring Banquet. But now that I’ve met Miss Lin, I know that you truly deserve the title.”

Her tone was gentle and charming, without a trace of hostility in her words, making it easy for people to feel favorably towards her—if Lin Zhiqing hadn't been kneeling.

"Thank you for your praise, Your Highness." Lin Zhiqing replied fluently, without the slightest hesitation.

She remembered that she had learned before that Consort Rong was chosen by the emperor to enter the palace through the Spring Banquet.

Consort Rong smiled and said a few more words to Lin Zhiqing, which amused the people around her who chimed in.

But she never let Lin Zhiqing get up.

At this moment, it was obvious to everyone that Lin Zhiqing was being targeted, but no one spoke up for her.

Since it's inside the palace, naturally the people inside the palace have the final say.

Lin Yangyang saw this scene from afar and gritted her teeth:

"This Consort Rong must have been instigated by Princess Pingning. No, I can't just stand by and watch my sister Qing suffer!" With that, she stepped forward.

"Are you crazy?" Lu Nanyue grabbed Lin Yangyang's hand.
“If you go up there, you will be considered to be ignorant of the rules. If you are caught doing something wrong, the two of you will definitely suffer tonight.”

"What should we do?" Lin Yangyang was so anxious that she paced back and forth. When had her younger sister ever suffered such an injustice?

Lu Nanyue pursed her lips, feeling anxious. She looked around and immediately spotted the old lady of the scholar's residence.

Her eyes lit up. Lin Zhiqing had business dealings with the scholar's family and had a good relationship with the old lady's granddaughter, Hua Jianyun. She figured he would be willing to help.

Thinking of this, Lu Nanyue pulled Lin Yangyang and quietly moved to the side of the old lady of the scholar's residence.

Before they could even open their mouths, the old lady began talking to the lady beside her, as if she hadn't seen them at all.

Lu Nanyue and Lin Yangyang's expressions instantly darkened.

They could all see that the old lady didn't want to talk to them, which meant she didn't want to help Lin Zhiqing out of her predicament.

Seeing that Lin Zhiqing had been kneeling for almost the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, Lu Nanyue and Lin Zhiqing exchanged a glance, both understanding each other's thoughts.

We can't let Lin Zhiqing keep kneeling like this.

The two men stepped forward side by side.

"This servant greets Consort Rong. Your Majesty, the Emperor and the envoy are already seated in the main hall."

A gentle yet authoritative voice rang out.

"Li, the Empress's maid, has arrived."

Lin Zhiqing heard someone say this.

Immediately, Consort Rong smiled, got up, and walked outside.

As she passed Lin Zhiqing, her eyes widened slightly:

"Miss Lin, I was talking with the other ladies and forgot about you for a moment. Please get up."

Lin Zhiqing smiled slightly: "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."

Consort Rong smiled gently and walked outside.

Lin Yangyang and Lu Nanyue quickly walked up to Lin Zhiqing and helped him up.

"Qing-mei, how is she?" Lin Yangyang asked.

Lu Nanyue was extremely anxious: "Xiao Qing'er, are you alright?"

The two had a lot to say, but knowing that the place was crowded and noisy, they had to keep it to themselves.

Lin Zhiqing shook her head: "It's nothing."

Consort Rong gave her a hard time as soon as she arrived, clearly having been instigated by Princess Pingning.

Fortunately, Lin Zhiqing was able to endure it.

If you lose your composure in this place, you'll inevitably be charged with insubordination.

However, kneeling is not something that can be done in vain.

Her eyes were sharp and her gaze was intense.

After rubbing their knees, the three followed the young eunuch who was leading the way to the main hall of Yu Chen Palace.

After everyone was seated, Lin Zhiqing finally had time to observe her surroundings properly.

The Jade Palace is very large; at first glance, it's about the size of a small garden, and there are many people inside.

Lin Zhiqing spotted Lu Huai and the others sitting opposite her at a glance. Their eyes met briefly before quickly looking away.

While eating, Lin Zhiqing raised her eyes and looked at the emperor and empress sitting on the high throne.

This was the first time Lin Zhiqing had met the emperor.

The emperor of the Great Sheng Dynasty was in poor health and had not attended court for a long time.

However, Lin Zhiqing observed that his complexion was normal today, with an imperial air and no signs of illness.

But on second thought, it makes sense.