Chapter 150 Not to Be a Substitute

Consort Shu walked slowly. The distance from the Empress's palace to the Lanyu Pavilion was neither too long nor too short. For women who were confined in the harem all day long, they didn't like others to do things like walking, making dim sum, or doing needlework for them. There was no other reason; it was just that the days were too difficult to endure. Day after day passed silently and repetitively, and it was time for rest again.

Consort Shu took a round fan. The palace maid behind her was holding a pot of orchids that hadn't bloomed yet. Consort Shu smiled and said to Pan Yueqing, who was half a step behind her: "Did you see Que Nu?"

Pan Yueqing didn't raise her eyes and just smiled: "Aunt clearly said that you were going to see His Highness, the Prince of Xiangyang. Why didn't you go yourself?"

"You went in with me. Isn't it the same as me going to see him when you saw him?" Consort Shu had a faint smile on her lips. She turned her head and said to the silent palace maid behind her: "Dumb Slave, go to the Imperial Kitchen and ask for a fish. We'll make soup tonight."

Dumb Slave? Pan Yueqing turned her head to look. She saw the palace maid who had been silent behind her bow slightly and nod, then turn and go in the opposite direction. She had originally thought that the maid just didn't like to talk, but she didn't expect that she was actually a mute. But with the thought of not asking what shouldn't be asked, she just followed Consort Shu's footsteps forward.

"Dumb Slave has been with me for many years," Consort Shu had a good temper. It wasn't clear whether she was explaining to Pan Yueqing or reminiscing about the past. With a smile on her lips, she said: "I remember when I first entered the palace, I often asked her to sing for me. Speaking of which, Dumb Slave had a very nice voice."

Dumb Slave used to have a good voice.

Consort Shu looked at the sunset glow in the sky, but her smile gradually froze.

On the day she entered the palace, it was her 18th birthday. She had originally been engaged, but her father passed away early, and due to the three years of mourning, the man who was supposed to be her husband had disappeared without a trace. Then, on her birthday, an eunuch came. He looked at her carefully from head to toe three times, then nodded strangely and said: "It's her."

She entered the palace in a muddle and became the key to her family's prosperity and wealth.

At first, she received all of His Majesty's favor. At that time, she wasn't Consort Shu yet, just a noble lady. But His Majesty promoted her to Jieyu (a title of concubine) just after one look at her. No one had ever been promoted so quickly. So she heard the maids who came into the palace with her chattering and congratulating her: "My lady, from now on, your hardships are over. How many people are longing for this kind of favor!"

Concubine Su Jieyu looked at the plates of gold and silver jewelry brought by Eunuch Xu and smiled faintly. She stood up and curtsied politely: "Thank you, Eunuch." Remembering what her family had told her, she was about to stuff a bag of silver into Eunuch Xu's hand.

"I don't dare to accept it!" Eunuch Xu smiled happily: "His Majesty is happy, and my lady is happy. It's worth it for us servants." In the end, he accepted this small tip.

Concubine Su Jieyu nodded slightly: "Yanu, see Eunuch Xu out."

That night, His Majesty personally came to her residence, the Lanyu Pavilion. The young emperor had sword-shaped eyebrows and starry eyes. He was so fascinated by the beauty reading a book by the candlelight. She was so engrossed that she didn't notice the emperor's arrival. It was not until Eunuch Xu coughed softly that she was awakened from the book. She suddenly raised her head and met His Majesty's gaze.

He said: "You continue. I won't disturb you."

She nodded in a daze. When she came to her senses, the emperor had already stepped into her room and sat beside her. He carefully picked up the scissors and trimmed the candlewicks. His gaze was so gentle that it seemed to contain all the tenderness in the world. It was the first time she had seen His Majesty so close. Just like every girl with a secret in her heart, she couldn't help but smile.

This was her husband.

Although he was also the husband of many others, from the moment she stepped into this place, she should have known that when this man came into this room where there were only the two of them, he was her husband. When he stepped out of here, he was the emperor of the entire Northern Qi Dynasty.

She almost indulged in every tender look of the person in front of her.

"Don't smile," the Emperor of the Northern Qi Dynasty said indifferently, his tone soft as if he was discussing, but there was an undeniable tone in his words: "I like the way you frown when you think deeply."

She put down the book in her hand, feeling surprised and unexpected. But she would fulfill all the man's requests because she had already indulged in His Majesty's tenderness and was full of joy to offer herself to this man. But she never expected that those eyes were not looking at her, but through her appearance and expression at another woman.

At that time, she always thought she had married for love.

For a year, the emperor seemed to have forgotten that he had three thousand concubines in the harem. Every day, he would come to her Lanyu Pavilion and live like any ordinary couple. Soon after, she became pregnant, and step by step, she changed from Concubine Su Jieyu to Consort Shu. She had been full of anticipation to give birth to the child in her arms.

Everything changed drastically, like a frightened bird, starting from someone's death.

Su Lan died.

Her cousin, Su Lan, had a miscarriage after falling into the water, and then it caused a massive hemorrhage. In less than three months, she left behind a little daughter and passed away. She had originally felt sorry for her. When she was young, she had seen Su Lan from a distance. Su Lan was ostentatious and beautiful, with a face that could make men fall in love and a boldness that could make women envy. Living like Su Lan was a wish that every boudoir girl didn't dare to express.

But such a person died. However, she didn't expect that her situation would also change because of Su Lan's death. She would always remember that night when she listened to Yanu singing the tune of "Su San Going to Court". The drunk emperor stumbled into the Lanyu Pavilion, flew into a rage for no reason, and pulled out Yanu's tongue without listening to any explanation. From then on, Yanu became Dumb Slave.

She was greatly frightened. Looking at the drunk emperor holding her hand, his red eyes were filled with a mixture of love, hate, and helplessness. At that time, she was extremely scared. She forced a smile and said softly to the emperor: "Your Majesty is drunk. How about this concubine serving Your Majesty to bed?"

"I told you not to smile! You look good when you frown..."

For no reason, a loud slap landed on her face. She hit the railing of the pavilion, felt a sharp pain in her abdomen, and warm liquid mixed with the smell of blood flowed down below, as if announcing the passing of life. She stared in shock and covered her abdomen with her hands full of blood.

That's how she absurdly lost her first child.

The sunset glow still lingered on the roof beasts of the palace. She lay on the bed like a withered figure for more than a month. Every day, she held a rhombus-shaped mirror and frowned. She recalled the smiles and frowns of everyone in her life. Finally, she was shocked and afraid to find that the way she frowned was very similar to Su Lan's!

"Consort Shu, His Majesty has come to see you..." The voice of Eunuch Xu came from outside the Lanyu Pavilion.

Tears rolled down from her temples. She gritted her teeth: "I won't see him!"

She didn't want to be anyone's substitute!