ebookland Chapter 23 She looks so much like the Imperial Concubine
Chapter 23 She looks so much like the Imperial Concubine
Inside the Zichen Palace, candlelight flickered.
Pei Yuanling stood by the window, gazing into the distance, his handsome, angular face revealing no emotion.
Chief eunuch Chen Zhongliang cautiously stepped forward, bowed, and asked, "Why did Your Majesty send Consort Qiao back? Is it not to your liking?"
Pei Yuanling did not answer immediately, but turned and walked towards a portrait hanging on the antique shelf.
It was a painting of a beautiful woman, her features exquisite and alluring, her dark eyebrows blushing with shyness, and she bore a striking resemblance to Chu Qingyin, who had just left.
Pei Yuanling reached out and gently stroked the portrait, his expression complex.
"She looks so much like her," Pei Yuanling said in a low voice, "so much so that it startles me."
Chen Zhongliang was slightly taken aback, then understood Pei Yuanling's meaning and couldn't help but sigh, "Your Majesty, the Empress has been gone for three months. The dead cannot be brought back to life. Please take care of your health and accept my deepest condolences."
Sorrow.
His wife died just three months ago; how could he possibly grieve?
His ministers all urged him to select concubines and have more children, while the concubines in the harem also harbored their own ulterior motives. They all longed for him, but only for the wealth and glory he would bring.
Only the Imperial Concubine, only his Yin Yin, truly loved him.
Sincerity is so rare.
But he lost the person who loved him most in the world.
The taste of regret was like poison, tormenting the young emperor's heart night after night. He took a deep breath, opened his eyes again, and a hint of madness and obsession appeared in his eyes: "Chen Zhongliang, tell me, who exactly is this Consort Qiao?"
Chen Zhongliang choked, thinking to himself, "Your Majesty, what kind of question is that? Isn't Consort Qiao just Consort Qiao? What else could it be?"
But he clearly saw the sinister intent and obsession in the emperor's eyes.
He knew what answer the emperor wanted, but... but the imperial concubine was indeed dead.
Chen Zhongliang dared not utter any supernatural or bizarre words, so he quickly lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me, this servant is foolish."
Ha, he's a slippery, shrewd person too.
Pei Yuanling chuckled inwardly, then raised his eyes again, his gaze sharp: "I don't know who she is, nor why she's here, but since she dared to enter the palace, I will find out whether she's a person or a ghost."
Having said that, he turned his hands behind his back towards the window, gazing at the distant outline of the palace, and said in a deep voice, "Issue my secret decree, ordering the Dragon Shadow Guard to investigate the background of this Qiao Qingyin. I need to know everything about her, from her birth to her time in the palace, in great detail, leaving no stone unturned."
Chen Zhongliang's heart skipped a beat, and he respectfully replied, "Yes, this servant will arrange it immediately."
Just as he was about to leave, the tall emperor standing by the window spoke again: "Also, keep a close eye on her every move in the palace. If there is any unusual behavior, report it to me immediately."
"Your servant obeys the decree," the chief eunuch replied, bowing respectfully.
Pei Yuanling waved his hand. "You may leave."
After the footsteps faded outside the palace, he walked to the portrait of the Imperial Concubine again, staring at the woman with cloud-like hair and a beautiful face in the painting, and murmured in a hoarse voice, "Yinyin, if only you had really returned..."
The portrait remained silent, leaving only the hall in complete stillness.
**
The next morning, as dawn broke and the warm spring sun of mid-February rose, it cast a pale golden glow on the high vermilion palace walls.
Today is an important day for the newly arrived concubines to pay their respects to the Empress and other high-ranking concubines.
Chu Qingyin had already gotten up and was sitting in front of the dressing table, carefully getting ready.
Qiu Zhu stood to one side, carefully combing her long, jet-black hair until it was styled into an elegant updo. Then she brought out a light blue palace dress embroidered with irises, which was neither ostentatious nor lacking in dignity.
After applying makeup, drawing eyebrows and lipstick, the woman in the mirror had an exquisite appearance, with eyebrows like distant mountains and eyes like autumn water. She was truly charming and beautiful.
"Master, it's getting late, we should set off." Qiu Zhu's gentle voice came from beside him.
"I understand." Chu Qingyin stood up, straightened her clothes, and slowly walked out of the palace.
Along the way, she could feel the curious gazes cast by other palace servants, but she maintained a dignified posture and walked towards Fengyi Palace without looking to the side.
About an incense stick's time later, she arrived at the Phoenix Palace—
This was the palace she had visited countless times.
In her previous life, as a concubine, she was incredibly powerful and influential thanks to Pei Yuanling's favor, to the point that she didn't even respect the Empress.
Empress Wang was a wise and magnanimous woman who treated all the concubines in the harem equally and was impeccable in managing palace affairs.
Aside from the fact that she had no children, she was a perfect and virtuous empress.
However, Empress Wang cannot be blamed for having no children, because as far as Chu Qingyin knew, Pei Yuanling had only ever been with her. Without her favor, how could he have any offspring?
It was precisely for this reason that she believed in her past life that Pei Yuanling truly loved her, after all, he had created an entire harem just to protect her alone.
But now that I think about it, if he really loved her, how could he have so easily listened to Lu Zhiheng's instigation and slander, causing her Chu State Duke's Mansion to be destroyed overnight?
"Master, it's time to go in," Qiu Zhu reminded him from the side.
Chu Qingyin also came to her senses and slowly walked into the magnificent Phoenix Palace.
As the Empress's residence, the walls of Fengyi Palace are carved with exquisite dragon and phoenix patterns, and golden bells hang from the eaves, tinkling gently in the wind. The sandalwood furniture inside the palace is decorated with mother-of-pearl, and famous paintings and calligraphy and crystal curtains are hung everywhere. Fine sandalwood burns in animal-shaped incense burners, and its fragrance wafts gently.
When Chu Qingyin arrived, many concubines were already waiting in the palace, whispering among themselves in small groups.
"Have you heard? That Consort Qiao, who was just selected yesterday, went to Zichen Palace last night."
"I heard about it. He came back without serving the emperor. I guess he didn't know the rules and displeased His Majesty."
"Who knows? Probably."
"Oh dear, stop talking, they're here..."
The discussion abruptly stopped, and the beautiful concubines all turned to look at Chu Qingyin, their gazes filled with envy, jealousy, mockery, hatred, and fear.
Chu Qingyin, however, remained unfazed.
After all, she was already used to being the target of everyone's criticism when she was a concubine in her previous life.
At times like this, she would recall Qu Yuan's "Li Sao" which she had read before: "The women are jealous of my beautiful eyebrows, and they spread rumors that I am promiscuous."
Women are jealous of my beautiful eyebrows, so they slander me, saying I am promiscuous.
Throughout history, no one has been able to escape this issue.
If she really takes it to heart, she'll be at a disadvantage.
Just as Chu Qingyin was idly scanning her surroundings, her gaze suddenly froze.
Among the sea of concubines, two faces stood out that were all too familiar. They were none other than Lu Mingzhu and Qiao Qingling!
These two were actually selected yesterday?
Was it chosen by Pei Yuanling, or left behind by the Empress Dowager, or the Empress?
After considering her options, Chu Qingyin leaned towards the latter and turned her gaze back to the two people in front of her.