PDLP Chapter 359 The concubine wants to report
Chapter 359 The concubine wants to report
Soon, the empress entered, accompanied by a procession of concubines. Each concubine wore plain white, no makeup, and no jewelry except for a small white flower pinned diagonally in their hair. With delicate lotus steps, they slowly approached the futon and knelt in unison.
"I bow, and may the Queen Mother's spirit rest in peace."
"Second bow, praying to the Queen Mother to bless the Qing Dynasty with peace and prosperity."
"Bow three times, and hope that the Empress Dowager will bless the harem and protect her descendants."
The queen's voice was low and solemn. The concubines leaned forward one after another, touching their foreheads lightly to the ground, their movements in unison.
After completing the ritual of three bows and nine kowtows, the concubines put their hands together and began to chant scriptures softly. Their voices were either clear or low, intertwining together.
An Lingrong knelt on the mat, looking back and forth constantly. Feng Ruozhao beside her thought she was tired, so he moved closer to her without making a sound, motioning her to lean on him.
The hall was solemn and dignified, with the sounds of chanting and wooden fish intertwined, making people feel a little annoyed for no reason.
An hour later, the Queen ordered everyone to rest for a quarter of an hour and have some snacks and tea.
Taking advantage of this gap, An Lingrong looked at the queue of nuns.
After looking for a while, I caught a glimpse of a familiar figure in the corner.
When she looked at Jingbai, Jingbai seemed to sense something as well. He looked up at An Lingrong, then quickly lowered his head.
The queen sat aside and drank a cup of tea quietly.
An Lingrong came to Zhen Huan and said, "Sister Zhen, it's too stuffy here. Let's go out and get some fresh air."
"it is good!"
Elsewhere, Jingbai's gaze was fixed on the direction An Lingrong had left, the hatred in his eyes like a poisoned arrow. Remembering the time when An Lingrong had plotted against him and the beating he had endured, the resentment in his heart surged like a surging tide, and his once calm face slowly became distorted.
On the other side, although Prince Guo was standing with Prince Shen, his eyes were fixed on the direction where Zhen Huan left.
Beile Shen called him several times before he came back to his senses and took the tea handed to him by the maid.
After a short rest, the prayer continued.
The blessing activity will not end until the beginning of the Wei hour.
An Lingrong pounded her waist and stood up with Feng Ruozhao's support, "Thank you, Sister Jingfei!"
Feng Ruozhao waved his hand and said with concern: "You're welcome. Are you tired? Come on, I'll take you back to Yonghe Palace!"
An Lingrong looked up and saw Concubine Qi talking to the Queen. "I'm afraid we can't leave now!"
As expected, the Queen stood up and said, "You have all worked hard today. The Queen Mother will surely feel our sincere gratitude in heaven. The wives and princes, please go back and rest. My sisters, please follow me to Jingren Palace. I have some matters to attend to."
"Yes!"
The concubines followed the queen to Jingren Palace with curious eyes. The palace maids served them tea and snacks, and everyone sat down.
The Queen changed her clothes and returned to the Phoenix Throne, her face showing her usual dignified elegance. "My sisters have worked hard today. I wanted to let you go back and rest early, but unexpectedly, Concubine Qi said she had something important to report. So I called you here to listen to her story. Concubine Qi, tell me!"
Noble Lady Qi stood up, raised her chin slightly, and uttered the classic line: "Your Majesty, I want to report Noble Concubine Xi for having an affair and defiling the harem. Her crime is unforgivable."
After saying this, he glanced at Zhen Huan smugly. Seeing her expression change slightly, he became even more certain that he had hit the nail on the head.
Upon hearing this, the Queen revealed a look of shock. Her hand, covered in exquisite armor, slammed heavily on the armrest of the Phoenix Throne and shouted sternly, "The palace rules are strict. Concubine Qi must not speak nonsense."
"If I say even a single word of falsehood, I will be struck by lightning and will never be able to escape rebirth."
As soon as these words came out, everyone in the hall focused their attention on her.
What should I say next?
Yes, the queen.
But there is no more concubine!
An Lingrong had no choice but to take the fight herself: "I thought it was some kind of oath. Who can know about matters of life and death? To swear on such a falsehood shows that Concubine Qi is not sincere!"
"What does this mean, Concubine Wen?"
"I mean, the sisters are all tired and don't have time to listen to your jokes!"
"You..." Concubine Qi glared at her fiercely and raised two fingers: "I swear on the Guarjia clan that if I tell even a single lie, our entire clan will be without descendants."
"That's cruel!" An Lingrong gave a thumbs-up. "What great merits did the Guarjia clan accumulate in their past lives to give birth to a daughter as good as you? Their ancestors' coffins would hardly be able to hold them down, right?"
As soon as these words were spoken, laughter broke out in the hall.
Seeing that the topic had strayed away, the Queen coughed lightly and said, "Since you said that Concubine Xi was having an affair, how did you know that?"
Lady Qi said proudly, "If you don't want others to know, then don't do it yourself. If you do too much, you will eventually be exposed. Master Jingbai of Ganlu Temple has seen this many times."
After saying this, he ignored the stunned crowd and continued, "Buddhist temples are pure places for people to purify their minds and cultivate themselves in peace. Zhen Huan is a lewd person by nature. She actually committed such obscene things while cultivating in Ganlu Temple."
"Snapped!"
This crisp sound suddenly rang out in the silent hall, startling everyone.
An Lingrong shook her aching hands, her brows furrowed slightly, but a subtle flicker of satisfaction flashed in her eyes. She shuffled gracefully back to her seat, sitting down elegantly, as if her previous action were nothing more than brushing dust off her sleeves.
Concubine Qi had never expected An Lingrong to be so bold as to hit someone in public. She was caught completely off guard by the slap. A red palm print instantly appeared on her fair cheek, with five fingers clearly visible.
She opened her eyes wide, covered her burning face, and screamed: "You hit me again? Everyone here is a witness, Your Majesty, you have to make the decision for me!" Her voice was filled with tears, sharp and piercing, and kept echoing in the hall.
The Queen's face was already gloomy, and when she heard Concubine Qi crying, her face became even colder, and she scolded her harshly, "Concubine Wen, you are too presumptuous!"
An Lingrong's lips curled slightly, a smile that seemed respectful but actually concealed a subtle wit. She bowed slightly, her manners impeccable. "Your Majesty, Concubine Qi's foul language has truly tainted your Jingren Palace. I couldn't bear to see it, so I stepped in to teach her a lesson. How can you blame me?"
Before she finished her words, she turned and took a step towards Concubine Qi, with a look of oppression and contempt in her eyes: "Concubine Qi, you are the emperor's concubine and you are taught by the empress. How can you speak like this? It is really insulting. This also makes me doubt the upbringing of your Guarjia clan."
This one sentence satirized the emperor, the empress and her parents, but people couldn't say anything!
Noble Lady Qi couldn't swallow this. Her fair face flushed red instantly. She pointed at An Lingrong and her lips trembled: "You, you..."
"Put your hands down!" An Lingrong suddenly shouted, her voice like a thunderclap, exploding in the hall.
This shout was extremely intimidating, like a tiger showing its might.
Concubine Qi was startled by the sudden momentum, her mind went blank, and she subconsciously retracted the finger that was pointing at An Lingrong.
"If you talk like this again, I don't mind teaching you a little more!" As An Lingrong spoke, she moved her arms, and the gleam in her eyes shot straight at Concubine Qi, as if to see through and crush her soul.
At that moment, An Lingrong exuded a powerful aura, strong and fierce. She stood straight, her face stern, completely devoid of her usual gentle demeanor.