novelaction Chapter 120 Interesting Stories from the Imperial Palace
Chapter 120 Interesting Stories from the Imperial Palace
In a quiet corner of the palace, a group of palace maids were gathered together, some facing each other in pairs, others in small groups, all whispering with their heads down. Listening closely, it became clear that their conversation was focused on a major event that had recently become the talk of the palace—Crown Princess Gu Liuli was six months pregnant, and it was rumored that she was carrying twins.
"Have you heard? The Crown Princess is pregnant with twins! If she can give birth to a son and a daughter, that would be the legendary auspicious sign of dragon and phoenix, an absolutely wonderful omen!" A palace maid was beaming with excitement, her eyes sparkling with joy. She tried to lower her voice, but she couldn't hide her happiness.
Another palace maid beside her gently shook her head and interjected, "Wait a minute. If she gives birth to two boys, then the Crown Princess's position in the palace will be even more secure. After all, a mother's status rises with her sons; this has been an unchanging truth since ancient times." However, before she could finish speaking, another palace maid impatiently interrupted.
"Hey, don't rush to talk about whether her position is secure or not. You know, our Crown Princess is no ordinary person! It's said that she is actually the long-lost younger sister of the Emperor of Xijing Kingdom. She is a true princess, a golden branch and jade leaf! With such a noble and honorable status, why would she need to rely on having children to consolidate her position?" The palace maid said proudly, her words filled with admiration and envy for the Crown Princess.
Just then, several maids who had been quietly listening couldn't contain their curiosity and joined the discussion. One of them blinked her big eyes and asked with a puzzled look, "I heard that the Crown Princess is the daughter of Lord Gu? Some people even say that Lord Gu married into the Gu family." As soon as she finished speaking, a chattering sound arose around them, with the palace maids and servants expressing their opinions, making quite a lively scene.
The maid in the blue dress slightly raised her head, her willow-leaf eyebrows arching gracefully, her face full of smugness. She eagerly spoke, "I know this perfectly well! Back then, the Crown Princess's mother had such a tragic fate. Framed by a villain, her heart filled with sorrow and grief, she was ultimately forced to leave the magnificent yet treacherous palace. And it was during this turbulent journey that she suddenly..." The woman was about to give birth! She was truly in dire straits, desperate and helpless. Fortunately, fate intervened. At this critical moment, she happened to meet the highly respected Lord Gu. This poor mother was at her wit's end, with nowhere else to turn. Without hesitation, she entrusted all her gold and silver to the kind and upright Lord Gu, pleading with him to do his utmost to care for the infant crying for its mother.
However, before the maid in green could finish speaking, the maid in purple standing nearby rushed forward impatiently, waving her hands and shouting urgently, "Oh no, no! You're completely wrong! The story I heard isn't like that at all. It's said that when the Crown Princess's mother was in the midst of a difficult childbirth, she happened to encounter Lord Gu and the current Madam Yu. Who would have thought that those two would be so greedy, so greedy for money, and so cruelly murder the defenseless Crown Princess's mother! Not only that, but they also shamelessly lied to everyone, claiming that they had married into the Crown Princess's family, and brazenly seized the enormous wealth that should have belonged to the Crown Princess and her daughter!"
Before the words were even finished, another maid, unable to contain her excitement, quickly chimed in, "Oh dear, no, no, you two are both wrong! In my opinion, the truth is..." And so, the chattering maids, one after another, argued fiercely, pouring out all the different versions of the rumors they had heard, like beans spilling from a bamboo tube. For a time, the entire courtyard was filled with their lively, rhythmic debate!
Behind the towering, lush tree in the Imperial Garden, Consort Shen moved gracefully. She wore a flowing, pale purple gown, her robes billowing, making her appear like a fairy descending to earth. Beside her followed a group of clever and obedient maids, including Yuqing and Ruoxi, who surrounded their mistress, their faces beaming with curiosity and excitement.
At that moment, everyone was hiding behind the trees, listening intently to the sounds coming from not far away. Consort Shen tilted her head slightly, a gentle smile curving her lips into a beautiful arc. Her beautiful eyes sparkled with a lively light as she thought to herself, "Oh dear, I should have brought a handful of fragrant melon seeds! This kind of interesting scene is much more exciting than those dull and boring court banquets!"
"Ahem!" Yu Qing coughed twice on purpose. The sound wasn't loud, but it was like a heavy hammer blow to everyone's hearts.
The once lively crowd fell silent instantly. The gathered maids and eunuchs were all trembling with fear, and knelt down with a thud, not daring to breathe.
"Why did you stop talking? Weren't you having such a good time?" Shen Hui, dressed in noble attire, walked slowly out from behind the tree with elegant steps. Her voice was clear and crisp, yet carried an undeniable authority; every word seemed to carry a chill, making the people kneeling on the ground shudder.
The maids all knew that Consort Shen and the Empress were the closest of friends, and they were terrified if this got back to the Empress and the Emperor.
For a moment, the Imperial Garden was so quiet that only the tense breathing and slight sobs of the crowd could be heard.
Consort Shen glanced at the people kneeling on the ground, a faint smile playing on her lips, a smile that concealed a deep meaning that was hard to fathom.
After leaving the Imperial Garden, Consort Shen couldn't contain her excitement and eagerly headed towards the Empress's palace. Along the way, she kept planning how to embellish the rumors and tell them to the Empress.
Upon arriving at the palace, she had barely stepped inside when she saw the Empress accompanying the Empress Dowager, with Gu Liuli also present. The group was chatting and laughing about the Crown Princess's unborn child. Consort Shen's face instantly broke into a respectful smile as she bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to the Empress Dowager and the Empress, and to the Crown Princess."
The Empress Dowager raised her eyelids slightly and said kindly, "It's Consort Shen. Come, sit down quickly."
Consort Shen thanked the Empress and slowly sat down, but her eyes kept glancing at the Empress, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated. The Empress, being so astute, immediately noticed the unusual behavior and asked, "Consort Shen, you seem to be in a hurry. Is there something important?"
Consort Shen quickly stood up, her face filled with righteous indignation: "Your Majesty, I just heard some absurd rumors about the Crown Princess in the Imperial Garden. I was so angry that I thought I had to tell Your Majesty so that the Crown Princess wouldn't suffer injustice for no reason."
As she spoke, she recounted the gossip of the maids and eunuchs in detail, adding her own indignation to her words.
After listening, Gu Liuli remained calm, only slightly frowning.
The Empress's face gradually darkened, and she looked at the Empress Dowager and said, "Mother, it is truly outrageous that such rumors are circulating in the palace. If this is not rectified, who knows what even more outrageous things will be spread in the future."
The Empress Dowager nodded slightly, her expression serious: "What the Empress said is absolutely right. The rules of the inner palace must not be broken."
The Empress turned to look at Gu Liuli, her eyes full of concern: "Liuli, don't take it to heart. These rumors are just the nonsense of the servants."
Gu Liuli smiled gently and said softly, "Thank you for your concern, Mother and Empress Dowager. I will not take it to heart. I suppose these maids are just having a brief discussion about their daughter-in-law."