Palace Fighting Naive Concubines’ Ascent to Power
Chapter 279: Nouveau Riche?

Chapter 279: Chapter 279: Nouveau Riche?

Zhang Sancai had long harbored resentment towards his Little Concubine, and when the remnants of his enemies sought revenge, he seized the opportunity to implicate her in the embezzlement case of the Harem, mixing the two groups together for mutual benefit. Today, he planned to take advantage of the chaos of the variety show to create trouble, aiming to settle everything at once, leaving no one behind.

It was a pity, though, that his Little Concubine didn’t get to see the variety show she was looking forward to; he would have to arrange for her to see it another day.

Upon arriving at the Taiji Hall, after another round of ceremonial rituals, the Emperor announced the start of the banquet and simultaneously sent someone to Qianqiu Hall to announce the commencement of the feast.

In Qianqiu Hall, the concubines who were due had all arrived; the Noble Consort raised her glass to drink together, giving a toast, while others in the hall followed suit.

Lian Hua also casually tapped her glass; she couldn’t drink her fruit wine, as Nanny Qi had advised her to partake lightly.

Under the Noble Consort’s lead, the guests intermingled their toasts, and jovial conversations began to flow.

The Noble Consort, while jesting with others, glanced over at Xu Zhaoyi and Lian Hua and saw that they were up to something, which made her feel increasingly uneasy.

Occasionally, Beauty Lian cast furtive glances at her, but the way she looked... was it like viewing a nouveau riche?

Nouveau riche? Last time wasn’t it more like looking at a poor household?

How had her gaze changed again?

The Noble Consort lowered her gaze and pondered to herself; was there something about her attire today that appeared vulgar like a nouveau riche?

It shouldn’t be!

Today she wore the Twelve Gold Hairpins; six on the left and six symmetrically on the right side of her hairdo.

This set of gold hairpins was no trivial matter; they were the Twelve Peony Hairpins, crafted by masters, each hairpin had its story, and behind each story, there was a famous woman; these were not ordinary hairpins. Could it be that Beauty Lian mistook them as regular hairpins?

Thinking to herself, the Noble Consort felt secure about her appearance and saw Lian Hua’s gaze again, which sparked an inexplicable irritation deep within her.

The Noble Consort was somewhat right; after the banquet began, Lian Hua had been whispering with Xu Zhaoyi, enquiring about the entertainment to come, and upon seeing something amusing, she couldn’t resist murmuring and critiquing with Xu Zhaoyi.

When Lian Hua looked again at the hairpin on the Noble Consort’s head, she felt she had made an important discovery that she had previously forgotten to tell Sister Zhaoyi.

She whispered to Xu Zhaoyi, "Sister, do you think the jewelry on Noble Consort’s head weighs five pounds?"

While speaking, she glanced up periodically, trying to estimate how heavy it really was.

Xu Zhaoyi burst into laughter, finding her sister absolutely adorable, "Those hairpins are solid gold; it might be even more."

"Oh... that heavy." Lian Hua remarked, looking up again, and then calculated, "Sister, doesn’t that mean she is carrying a lot of silver on her head?"

"Hahaha." Xu Zhaoyi couldn’t control her laughter. Her sister’s comments were spot-on, hilarious indeed.

She could imagine that if Noble Consort Xue knew her sister thought this way, she would definitely be furious to the point of spitting blood, hahaha. Her sister surely had a knack for running people down.

Lian Hua looked around anxiously, seeing that everyone was watching them, and nervously tugged at Xu Zhaoyi’s sleeve, whispering, "Sister, what are you laughing at..."

Why was she laughing suddenly? Talking about people behind their backs and being noticed by everyone was quite uncomfortable.

Her awkward and uneasy demeanor made Xu Zhaoyi laugh even more.

The Noble Consort saw the two of them pointing and gesturing at her without any care. A nameless anger had already risen in her heart. She originally didn’t want to deal with them, considering one a barbarian and the other feigning ignorance. Engaging with them would only upset herself.

But ignoring them only made them more bold, and they grew increasingly outrageous. At this point, Xu Rongying also burst into laughter, and she couldn’t bear it any longer.

These two people truly had no regard for others, treating her as if she were easy to bully!

Noble Consort Xue was enveloped in a cold demeanor, setting down her chopsticks and using a handkerchief to wipe her mouth; she wore a smile similar to usual days, yet the smile did not reach her eyes.

She looked towards Lian Hua and Xu Zhaoyi and said, "What is Sister Xu laughing about? Why not share the joke so we can all enjoy together?"

Xu Zhaoyi, with tears of laughter, looked up with a smile and raised her cup, saying, "If it’s funny, then I laugh. I toast to the Consort, how about gracing me with your approval?"

The Noble Consort, sitting upright, responded with a hollow smile, "There’s always a reason behind a toast; what does Sister Xu wish to toast to me for?"

Xu Zhaoyi glanced up and down, her face brimming with a smile as she said, "Hmm, since there’s nothing else to toast, I shall toast to the Consort’s splendid makeup today, truly exquisite, which I greatly admire."

With that, she downed her drink in one gulp.

Seeing this, the Noble Consort’s expression softened slightly, and, half-doubtfully, she also took a sip from her cup. Although the comment sounded odd, it was normal for Xu Rong Ying, the barbarian, not to be eloquent.

Lian Hua stood by with her head bowed, her guilty face slightly flushed. The key was in the word "heavy," and Sister Zhaoyi’s words were comprehensible to her.

She felt as if she had committed a misdeed, somewhat embarrassed. Sister Zhaoyi was too wicked, using her words to ironically toast on the spot, and except for her, none could understand.

The atmosphere in the hall was lively and bustling, and as the rounds of drinks continued, the Noble Consort laughed and said, "As the wine reaches its height, why not add some songs and dances to enhance the cheer? Come, summon the performers."

"Yes," a Palace Attendant obeyed and left.

Just then, a series of coughs came from outside the hall, making everyone look over in confusion.

Lian Hua also looked over; she was looking forward to the performance, but why did the noise seem mismatched with the expected dance and music, she wondered, stretching her neck to see.

She then saw several people slowly entering the hall, the woman at the front being supported by an old Nanny, holding a handkerchief to her lips, slowly making her way into the hall.

It was now Mid-Autumn, yet this woman was already draped in a winter white cloak, subtly embroidered with elegant magnolia flowers.

Her face was slightly furrowed with brow lines, as if she was enduring something strenuous, her lips pale, her gaze gentle like water, her demeanor calm as she slowly approached the center of everyone’s attention.

She was like a fresh camellia flower mistakenly blooming in the prosperity of the earthly realm, contrasting sharply with the peony-like, opulent blossom of the Noble Consort at the head of the room.

Someone exclaimed in surprise, "Consort Liu!"

It was Consort Liu, whom they hadn’t seen for a long time!

This exclamation made everyone snap back to reality, as they had been watching so intently that they had forgotten to react.

Everyone knew there was a Consort Liu in the palace, but some had only heard of her name and had never seen her in person.

It was said that Consort Liu was in very poor health and almost never left the gates of Huafu Hall, let alone attend such gatherings.

His Majesty had also tacitly agreed that she need not attend such gatherings.

Thus, some who had entered the palace later had never even seen her.

Lian Hua was also stunned, even though she had seen her once before, the aura of Consort Liu, like a valley orchid, still left her somewhat dazed upon seeing her again.

Xu Zhaoyi’s lips curled into a mysterious smile, noticing Lian Hua’s expression, she leaned over, wrapping an arm around Lian Hua’s shoulder, and whispered in her ear, "Sister, don’t be fooled by appearances, be wary of her."

Lian Hua snapped back to reality, staring at Xu Zhaoyi in surprise. Before she could say anything, she heard Consort Liu slowly addressing the Noble Consort:

"Sister, it’s been a long time, are you well?"