That Imperial Concubine is both wicked and cunning! Your Majesty, wake up!

According to palace rules, newly arrived concubines could only pay their respects to the Empress three days after entering the palace.

During these three days, Song Shuangning was not idle; she learned about the general situation in the palace.

There were four princes and two princesses in the palace.

Empress Shen, born into a family of scholar-officials, was well-versed in literature and possessed a gentle and refined nature. Those in the palace said that the Empress was dignified, composed, and knew how to conduct herself with propriety. She had only one daughter, a little princess who had just turned four, whom both the Emperor and Empress adored.

The other princess was born to Consort Rong. Consort Rong's father was the emperor's tutor, so the two became childhood sweethearts. Consort Rong was deeply favored by the emperor, and her favor remained undiminished over the years.

It is worth mentioning that Consort Rong had a fierce rival—Consort Shu.

Consort Shu was the daughter of a local governor. When the emperor was still the crown prince, he met her by chance during an inspection tour. Her charming face quickly attracted the emperor's attention. Although Consort Shu lacked the talent and refinement of noble ladies in the capital, she gained favor with the emperor because of her excellent pipa playing. Because of this, she and Consort Rongxian had always been at odds, and for many years they were at odds with each other, neither willing to give in.

Consort De was the first concubine to bear the emperor's heir; her son was the eldest prince. Consort De's conduct was reminiscent of the empress—dignified, measured, and kind. On her birthday last year, the emperor bestowed upon her the title of Consort De.

The second prince's birth mother was Consort Yun, who also received the emperor's favor, but she could never surpass Consort Rong and Consort Shu.

The third prince and the fourth prince were born to Consort Xu and her elder sister Song Luowei, respectively. The fourth prince died young shortly after birth.

Consort Xu was born into a family of officials. After giving birth to the third prince, she was promoted to the rank of Consort of the third rank. However, she was still unable to raise the third prince herself, and he is currently being raised by Consort Shao.

The Emperor was not a lustful ruler and always exercised moderation. He only spent ten days a month in the inner palace, and of those ten days, he had to spend two days in the Empress's palace. On the remaining days, Consort Rong and Consort Shu received the most favor.

The six new women who entered the palace this time were Qiao Meiren, Song Shuangning, Zhang Wanxuan (Zhang Cairen), Qiu Baolin, and Gu Yunu.

Among them, the one with the highest background and starting point is Consort Qiao. Her grandfather was a minister who helped the emperor ascend the throne, and her father is currently the Minister of Rites.

Besides Zhang Wanxuan, Song Shuangning also met Qiu Baolin. Qiu Baolin was a genuine "naive and innocent girl," without any guile, straightforwardly naive, and adorably simple.

With a new concubine entering the palace, things will likely never be as peaceful as they once were.

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.

Three days later, the newlyweds paid their first respects.

Song Shuangning woke up early, and as usual, she dressed simply. It was better to keep her attire inconspicuous for her first greeting today. She wore a light blue long dress with cloud patterns embroidered on the cuffs, and a hollowed-out pearl hairpin was inserted into her bun, with a small jade hairpin on each side, adding a touch of liveliness.

As is customary, she first went to pay her respects to Consort Song, and then went with Consort Song to the Phoenix Palace to pay her respects to the Empress.

When Consort Song saw her attire, she frowned: "Didn't I give you quite a few pieces of jewelry? Why are you still dressed so plainly?"

Then, as if remembering something, she said, "Never mind. Do as you please."

For your first visit to the palace, it's best to keep things simple and unassuming. The people in the palace are not easy to deal with.

Consort Song had a sedan chair, while she could only walk.

Song Shuangning thought dejectedly: I thought I wouldn't have to clock in at work in ancient times. But I still can't escape "clocking in at work". If you're a beast of burden, you have to work from nine to five. If you're a concubine, you have to get up at six in the morning. And if you're serving the emperor, I don't know when you can go to sleep.

Haha, there's no escaping the daily grind, no escaping this inescapable fate!

Fortunately, the Summer Palace is not far from the Phoenix Palace.

Upon arriving at the gate of Fengyi Palace, Consort Song alighted from her sedan chair. They happened to encounter a woman dressed in a long pink silk dress adorned with begonias and peonies, with her hair styled in a high, elegant bun embroidered with red gold hairpins and jade hair ornaments on either side, exuding a glamorous and flamboyant air.

Consort Song slightly curtsied: "Consort Shu."

It turned out to be Consort Shu. Song Shuangning respectfully bowed and said, "This concubine greets Consort Shu."

Get up.

Consort Shu glanced at Song Shuangning, then turned to Consort Song and smiled, "Your younger sister is quite beautiful, even more so than you. She has a gentle and pleasing nature. Consort Song is truly blessed to have her sister in the palace as a companion. She can not only keep you company and relieve your grief, but also perhaps have another child in the future."

"Consort Shu is truly disgusting; she deliberately speaks words that pierce people's hearts," Song Shuangning thought silently.

Consort Song smiled slowly and said, "If Consort Shu feels bored, why don't you find someone close to you by your side?"

Consort Shu smiled and gently touched the hair ornament by her temple. "I am not as fortunate as you."

Having said that, he went into the Phoenix Palace on his own.

Song Shuangning cautiously glanced at Consort Song's face, her beautiful eyes suppressing her anger. Consort Song took a deep breath, composed herself, and followed behind Consort Shu with a smile.

In the main hall, the concubines who had arrived early rose to pay their respects to Consort Shu and Consort Song, while Song Shuangning bowed to the concubines of higher rank than her.

About fifteen minutes later, the concubines arrived one after another.

Only the huanghuali wood chair in the upper right corner is still empty; without even thinking, it's obvious that it's Consort Rongxian's seat.

"Consort Rongxian has arrived!"

A woman dressed in a pale yellow brocade dress with gold trim entered slowly, exuding an air of composure and extraordinary elegance. It was likely that her childhood friendship with the Emperor gave her this confidence.

Everyone in the hall rose and bowed: "Your humble servants/concubines greet Consort Rongxian, may Your Highness enjoy boundless blessings and peace."

Consort Rong walked straight to the upper right seat and sat down, slightly raising her chin: "Everyone, please get up."

Consort Rong Xian lowered her gaze, taking in the six newly arrived concubines. Her eyes lingered on Song Shuangning for a long time. Of the six newcomers, she was dressed the most simply, yet she stood out the most; her face was truly hard to ignore.

Ye Jieyu said, "That is Consort Song's younger sister—Consort Song."

"Oh?"

Consort Rongxian said, "She's quite the beauty in the making."

Upon hearing this, Song Shuangning quickly lowered her head and bowed, saying shyly, "Thank you for your kind words, Your Majesty. How can my humble appearance compare to Your Majesty's grace and elegance?"

Consort Shu gave a disdainful "tsk," a sound that was neither too loud nor too soft, but reached the ears of everyone in the hall.

Consort Rong Xian shifted her gaze, looked up at Consort Shu, and asked in a neutral tone, "Consort Shu, is there something you're having trouble saying?"

Consort Shu's face was pale.

"What a lively scene today!" The curtain of the side hall was slightly lifted, and the Empress stepped out gracefully, her bright yellow phoenix robe trailing on the ground.

The Empress possessed an air of dignified composure, exuding an innate majesty befitting the Empress. She gracefully walked to the phoenix throne and sat down, while the concubines in the hall all bowed and greeted her in unison.

"Your humble servant/concubine greets Your Majesty the Empress. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace."

The Empress raised her hand: "No need for formalities."

The newlyweds step out separately to perform the kneeling and bowing ceremony.

"Qingdai".

Qingdai, the head palace maid beside the Empress, stepped forward one by one to present brocade boxes to the six newlyweds.

"This is a gift from me to you. I hope you will be dutiful and live a peaceful and prosperous life in the palace."

The Empress sat regally on her phoenix throne, her gaze slowly sweeping over the newlyweds below. Her tone was calm yet carried an undeniable authority: "Now that you have entered this palace, you are no longer ordinary young ladies. From now on, you must strictly abide by the palace rules, be measured in your words and actions, and maintain proper order of rank. You must not act recklessly. The royal family values ​​the continuation of the imperial line. Since you have received the Emperor's favor, you must keep the continuation of your lineage in mind, be law-abiding, and maintain harmony within the palace. Only in this way can you live up to the expectations of your families and the imperial favor."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will follow your teachings."

The Empress held her teacup, her fingertips gently tracing the rim, her gaze falling lightly on Consort Rong. "Is the Second Princess's cold much better now?"

"Your Majesty, I still have a bit of a cough," Consort Rongxian said.

The Empress said slowly, "These minor illnesses are enough for the princess to be cared for by her stepmother. His Majesty is busy with state affairs every day, having to manage both national affairs and the trivial matters of the inner palace. It is not easy for him. In the future, there is no need to bother His Majesty with such trivial matters."

Before Consort Rongxian could speak further, the Empress slowly swept her gaze over all the concubines and continued, "The royal family values ​​the continuation of the imperial lineage, and is concerned with the expansion of the family and ensuring that everyone behaves themselves properly. These are the words I just spoke to the new concubines, and you should all take them to heart."

The second princess caught a cold, and Consort Rongxian used this as an excuse to repeatedly petition the emperor for help. Even worse, she used this incident to steal the favor of two other concubines. Consort Rongxian could easily see that this was a blatant warning.

It was both a reprimand for her for frequently disturbing the emperor by taking advantage of the princess's minor illness, and a warning that when a new concubine enters the palace, there must be no more instances of her trying to steal someone else's place.

Consort Rong's face remained expressionless. She lowered her eyes and bowed, her tone flat and even: "Your Majesty, I suddenly feel unwell, so I will take my leave now."

After saying that, he left Fengyi Palace without any regard for the Empress's feelings.

The Empress was not annoyed. "In that case, everyone may leave."