Crossing the Palace Fighting Fox Harem

Chapter 114: Fortunately or Unfortunately

When I returned to the right courtyard and just reached the door, I saw a little maid coming to greet me.

"Your Majesty, a guest is coming." The little maid said respectfully.

"Guest?" Ji Anni and Yizhen looked at each other, seeming a little uneasy. Could it be that Concubine An or the Queen Mother was looking for trouble again?

Ji Anni hurriedly said to Yizhen, "Yizhen, I'll go in first. If it's the Queen Mother or Concubine An, you should go back first. Otherwise, I'm afraid they will teach you a lesson too."

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard the sound of silver bells ringing from the front.

When she looked up, she saw Concubine Baogui walking towards them. As she walked, she smiled and said, "Sisters, look how scared you are. Don't worry, the Queen Mother is not here, it's me."

Concubine Baogui had a string of small bells tied around her waist, which made a jingling sound when she walked. The sound of the bells was as clear and moving as the song of an oriole, making the quiet evening particularly vivid. Today she wore a light purple floor-length dress, and a golden belt with pearls inlaid with a few pieces of glittering jade. The color combination was very cool, and on this sultry summer night, it made people feel an indescribable coolness.

This is probably what makes Concubine Baogui attractive. Her appearance always brings people a sense of comfort.

"Empress Bao?" Ji Anni and Yizhen exclaimed in unison, obviously not expecting Concubine Baogui to appear at this time.

"What's wrong? Did I come at the wrong time?" Guibao Fei asked jokingly, stroking her cheek with one hand, revealing a look of doubt, and sighed: "Well, since my sister doesn't welcome you, I will go back now."

As she was about to leave, Ji Anni hurriedly held her back and said, "Zhao Ji is so happy to see you, how can she bear to let you go? Madam, you've come just in time. Today is Xiao Mizao's birthday. We're going to have a barbecue party, why don't you come along?"

"It's Xiao Mizao's birthday?" Concubine Baogui's gaze shifted to Yizhen who was standing beside her.

Yizhen lowered her head and said, "Good luck to your Majesty. I have also prepared a few local dishes tonight. The maids have already taken them to the imperial kitchen to heat them up and they will be served soon. If your Majesty doesn't mind, why don't you stay and talk and have a meal together?"

Concubine Baogui said happily, "Nanhu County is famous for its delicious food. I didn't expect to be able to taste my sister's cooking today. By the way, Yizhen, don't blame me for being curious. How old are you today?"

Yizhen said, "Sixteen."

"Sixteen?" Guibao Concubine was slightly startled, with a trace of surprise in her eyes. But she quickly lowered her eyes to prevent others from seeing the surprise. Ji Anni and Yizhen did not notice the change in Guibao Concubine's eyes at that moment.

"So Yizhen is only sixteen?" Only then did Ji Anni know Yizhen's age.

No wonder she felt a sense of familiarity with Yizhen as a classmate the first time she saw her. It turned out that Yizhen was the same age as her.

Although Ji Anni was only sixteen years old, Zhao Ji was eighteen. The difference between the two ages was very obvious in appearance and personality. Zhao Ji was already an adult, but Ji Anni was still a girl. It was somewhat incongruous for a girl's soul to enter the body of an adult.

Fortunately, no one in the palace knew the former Zhao Ji, so Ji Anni has managed to stay in the palace without her true identity being revealed.

However, there are two people in the palace who have had contact with the former Zhao Ji. One is the maidservant beside the Queen Mother, and the aunt in charge of the thirty concubines of the East and West Concubine Palace - Yan Niang; the other is - the emperor. In addition to dealing with the occasional difficulties from the Queen Mother and Concubine An, Ji Anni is most worried that her secret will be discovered by Yan Niang and the emperor.

"By the way, Empress Bao, don't blame me for being curious. I also want to know how old you were when you entered the palace?" Ji Anni held Concubine Baogui's hand with one hand and Yizhen's with the other, and led them to the "Boxindang" pavilion in the yard.

Ji Anni had long regarded Concubine Baogui as her own sister, so she spoke very casually and asked whatever she wanted to ask.

Yizhen seemed to be a little afraid of violating some taboo of Concubine Baogui, and quickly gave Ji Anni a wink.

But Ji Anni, who was in high spirits, didn't notice it at all. It was Concubine Baogui who noticed Yizhen's expression, smiled at her and comforted her, "It's okay, sister, this is not a question that can't be asked. I entered the palace ten years ago, when I was only thirteen years old."

"Thirteen years old?" Ji Anni was shocked. She thought that the feudal system really destroyed young girls. Thirteen years old, just in the first grade of junior high school? She actually entered the palace to become the emperor's wife.

Concubine Baogui smiled and said, "The official's daughter has five opportunities to enter the palace for selection in her lifetime, at the ages of thirteen, sixteen, eighteen, twenty and twenty-two." Having said this, she suddenly looked up at Yizhen.

Yizhen seemed to suddenly realize something, her body stiffened for a moment, and then she lowered her head, looking a little uneasy.

"What's wrong?" Ji Anni looked at Concubine Baogui and then at Yizhen. She vaguely felt that some important information seemed to have been conveyed between Concubine Baogui and Yizhen just now, but she knew nothing.

"No, nothing?" Baogui Concubine smiled gently, and did not expose the secret. She continued to talk about the topic of entering the palace just now, "I knew nothing back then, but was unexpectedly appointed as a concubine. I don't know if this is the greatest luck or misfortune in Baoer's life..."

Having said this, Concubine Baogui's voice gradually became lower, and there was a hint of sadness in her smile.

Yizhen hurriedly comforted her, "Your Highness, don't be sad. Who in the harem doesn't envy your Highness for being so favored by the Emperor?"

"No." Concubine Baogui shook her head gently and said, "Bao'er is not favored by the emperor, but by the empress dowager. Ten years ago, the empress dowager, who was still Concubine Zhuang, recommended me to the palace. After entering the palace, I was under her protection and was granted the title of imperial concubine. Three months ago, the late emperor passed away. It was under the empress dowager's decree that I did not move to the Xian Palace, but stayed in the West Palace. I don't know why the empress dowager insisted on keeping me in the harem, but if it weren't for the empress dowager's interference, I would have shaved my head and become a nun three months ago."

The originally joyful atmosphere gradually became heavy after Concubine Baogui's words.

Although Concubine Baogui still tried hard to force a smile, Ji Anni and Yizhen could no longer smile.

"Why?" Ji Anni frowned and said, "This Queen Mother is so weird..."

Originally, she only knew that Concubine Baogui was retained as the new emperor's concubine because of the Queen Mother's words, but she didn't know that from the moment Concubine Baogui entered the palace ten years ago, the Queen Mother's shadow has always been over her. What kind of feelings does the Queen Mother have for Concubine Baogui? Is it love or hate? What is her purpose? No one knows, perhaps except the Queen Mother herself, no one in the harem knows.