kingnovel Chapter 370: Concubine Sun asks for forgiveness
Chapter 370: Concubine Sun asks for forgiveness
Chapter 370: Concubine Sun asks for forgiveness
"Princess Sun went to the Imperial Study today, took off her hairpin, and waited for her punishment. She recounted her sins over the years and even handed over several volumes of Buddhist scriptures written in blood to express her sincere repentance."
"I was drinking tea at Concubine Fang's place, and when I came out I heard the palace people talking, so I hurried over to tell my sister."
After Concubine Fang was promoted to the rank of concubine, the empress took into consideration that she was raising the eldest princess and moved her to a larger courtyard, which happened to be the courtyard closest to the emperor's study among the six palaces.
Because of this matter, Hua Zhaorong became jealous for a while.
Xie Run was surprised for a moment, and asked someone to bring him tea. "You ran so fast and you're still panting. Have a couple of sips of tea."
"I'm afraid no one in the palace knows about this yet."
Otherwise there will be chaos.
Concubine Sun, who had once offended everyone in the six palaces, actually took the initiative to run to the imperial study to confess her guilt.
"Her move was sudden, and I don't know what she's planning behind the scenes." Lady Lu smiled and said, "It's easy to change a country, but it's hard to change one's nature. I don't believe she truly repents."
Xie Run smiled and said, "The Empress had already released her from house arrest, but she hasn't left Yongning Palace in all these days. This is quite strange."
"Now that she's taking action, it's actually a good thing. At least we know what she wants."
Lady Lu opened her eyes and asked, "What does she want?"
Seeing her eager to eat the melon, Xie Run helplessly spread his hands calmly, "I don't know about this."
"When things are out of the ordinary, there must be something fishy going on. Her sudden repentance must be paving the way for what she's going to do in the future. We'll know as we watch."
Lady Lu was a little disappointed that she didn't hear what she wanted to hear.
Xie Run smiled and said, "You are so well-informed. Did you hear that the Emperor is planning to promote the rank of concubines during this New Year?"
There was a hint of bitterness in Lady Lu's smile: "Sister Xie also knows me. The Emperor has never taken me seriously. Even if he bestows titles on the six harems, I'm afraid he won't even think of me."
She came to power in an illegitimate way, which made the emperor dislike her.
After entering the palace for so long, the emperor had never even seen her once and had completely forgotten about her.
"That's not necessarily true." Xie Runwen smiled gently, "Since I help the Empress manage the six palaces, I naturally know some news."
Lady Lu was so excited that she couldn't sit still. Her hands unconsciously clenched her skirt, "Really, really, I'm here?"
Xie Run: "I'm not sure if you are included. I only know that the emperor is preparing to promote a concubine in the harem for the selection next year."
"When the newcomers enter the palace, it would be bad to ask the old people from the palace to stay down there. They are not even as good as the newcomers. If the old people are bullied by the newcomers, it will not look good for the emperor and empress."
In order to maintain stability in the harem, the emperor and empress would control the degree of promotion.
If the emperor emeritus unscrupulously promoted anyone who was in favor, that would be the beginning of chaos in the harem.
But if the rules were set, and people in the six palaces were allowed to advance slowly according to their seniority, and people could see it, everyone would stay put and just hope that each year would get better.
Although Xie Run didn't say it explicitly, Lady Lu knew that she was "on the list" this time, otherwise Sister Xie would not have revealed the news to her.
Needless to say, I was very excited.
After calming down, Lady Lu asked softly, "The Emperor has always doted on you. If he promotes the Six Concubines, can you also move up a position?"
If you move forward, the only position left is the imperial concubine.
Now the Queen's position is stable, and the Imperial Concubine is the highest position in the harem.
This position is also the direction that all women in the harem strive for.
In Lady Lu's opinion, with Sister Xie's favor and status, she would sooner or later become a noble concubine.
Although she is now the Defei, there is no difference between her and the Guifei.
But if she really became a noble concubine, it would naturally be different from being a virtuous concubine.
Xie Run only chuckled and shook his head: "I have neither the ability to produce offspring nor the ability to maintain order in the harem, so how can I be promoted to Imperial Concubine?"
Her promotion was really different from that of other concubines.
Lady Lu smiled and said, "With my sister's favor, even if it's not now, it will happen sooner or later."
"Now the Fifth Prince is also doing well and is becoming more and more favored by the Emperor. I only hope that my sister will conceive another heir. Then the Emperor will promote my sister to a higher position. It will be a double blessing!"
Xie Run smiled and said, "Then I'll borrow your good words."
In the past, Xie Run had no foundation and was afraid that if his position was too high, he would attract the wind.
But she had been in the position of Concubine De for so long and had assisted the Queen in managing the six palaces for a long time. She already had a certain amount of power in the palace and no longer had to fear the resentment of the people.
On the contrary, the higher her position is now, the more respected she will be and the more she will avoid many unnecessary calculations.
But she also knew that it was difficult to climb to the position of imperial concubine.
Unless the Xie family had made great contributions in the previous dynasty, or she was pregnant again.
Otherwise, I don’t know how many years I will have to endure.
After chatting with Lady Lu for a while, Xie Run went to the lakeside pavilion to enjoy the snow as usual.
After sitting for a while, someone from Showa Palace came to deliver a message.
"Your Majesty, Concubine Sun suddenly came to our palace and said she wanted to apologize."
"She knew that the Empress was coming to the Lakeside Pavilion to enjoy the snow, and she told me not to bring the news, fearing that it would disturb the Empress's interest."
When Xie Run heard this, he instantly lost all interest.
She looked at the clay stove and small pot that had just been placed on the table and couldn't help but smile. "If I really let her wait for me at the gate of Showa Palace for an hour or two, I'm afraid all the six palaces will be watching the show when I pay my respects tomorrow."
Xie Run was helped up by Dan Tao, "Let's go. Concubine Sun has come to apologize, and I can't bear it if everyone is away."
The road was slippery due to the snow, so Xie Run went back in a sedan chair.
Someone on the road had inquired about the news and told her, "Your Majesty, it seems that Concubine Sun came to our palace to apologize and asked for the Emperor's opinion."
Xie Run thought that as long as it did not affect the harmony among the six palaces, the emperor always loved to watch a good show.
Now Concubine Sun is still singing the play of carrying a thorny stick to apologize, which is beneficial to the reputation of the harem, so of course the emperor likes it.
When we arrived at the gate of Showa Palace, we saw Princess Sun from afar, who was dressed in simple clothes and without any makeup.
The other concubines were all pretty in appearance. They were not outstanding in the harem, but they were definitely not ugly.
In the past, her makeup would not stand out among a group of concubines.
Now that she has taken off her hairpins and rings and is standing in the snow in a plain dress, she has the scholarly and noble air of a lady from an aristocratic family and she does have a unique charm.
As soon as Xie Run's sedan chair landed, Concubine Sun came over with her attendants and saluted Xie Run: "Greetings, Concubine Zhaode."
Xie Run dared to say with confidence that since she had known Princess Sun, she had never given her such a respectful salute.
She subconsciously looked up at the sky above her head.
Is the world really changing?
Xie Run quickly helped Concubine Sun up, "Concubine Sun, what are you doing?"
Concubine Sun lowered her head, her eyes filled with guilt. "I have come here today to apologize for my crime. I beg Your Majesty, Concubine Zhaode, to forgive my past insolence."
Xie Run frowned slightly: "Princess Sun, what are you talking about?"
"What happened before is all in the past. The Emperor has already punished you. How could I not forgive you?"
Concubine Sun refused to get up. "Your Highness, Concubine Zhaode is kind-hearted, but I am narrow-minded. When the Emperor first confined me, I secretly complained to Your Highness, and I feel remorseful. I have come here today to repent."
"I beg Sister Zhao Defei to give me this opportunity to apologize, otherwise I will be worried about this matter in the future, and I will be troubled every day and unable to sleep every night."
"No matter how Sister scolds me, I am willing to endure it. I even hope that Sister scolds me a few more times, so that I can feel better."
Xie Run felt a little weird after hearing what Concubine Sun said.
A person's personality may change, but it is usually due to the subtle influence of their daily living environment.
Someone like Concubine Sun who suddenly changes her personality must have either suffered a huge blow or is pretending.
Two major events have occurred in the palace recently.
One was that Gong Cainu was sentenced to death, and the other was that her family members came to the palace to visit her.
Xie Run didn't think that Concubine Sun would be affected by Gong Cainu's death, but he suspected that someone from the Duke of Ying's Mansion might have said something to her, which caused her to suddenly change her gender.
Now it looks half true and half false, which makes people a little confused.
Xie Run smiled and said, "In that case, I accept your apology."
Xie Run held her hand and said, "It's freezing cold today. You're wearing so little and your hands are freezing. For your own health, you should go back to the palace and put on some more clothes."
Concubine Sun smiled and said, "To be honest, sister. I got stuck in a rut and got into arguments with many sisters in the palace, and I committed many verbal offenses."
"Now that I'm ready to admit my mistake, I naturally have to apologize to everyone one by one to show my sister's determination."
Xie Run was really surprised this time.
Concubine Sun was also very arrogant, which was why she could offend all the concubines in the palace with just one word.
Most of the people she had scolded in the past were of lower status than her and were looked down upon by her.
If she could really bend down and apologize to everyone one by one, not to mention others, at least Xie Run would look at her with admiration and believe that she was truly remorseful.
It is difficult to bend down, but since you have bent down once, there is no difference if you bend down a second or third time. On the contrary, it can bring you more benefits.
If she really went through all the six palaces to apologize, she would probably become the subject of discussion and greetings in the harem tomorrow.
After hearing this, Xie Run took a pink cloak embroidered with crabapples from Dan Tao's hand. She put it on Princess Sun herself and tied the belt gently.
Xie Run: "It's a good thing that my sister can turn back from her mistakes. I also feel sorry for her."
"Consider this cloak a gift from me to my younger sister. Firstly, it will allow the people of the six palaces to see that my younger sister and I have put aside our past grudges and made peace. Secondly, it will show my deep love for my younger sister."
"I only hope that when the sisters in the six palaces see this cloak on my sister, they will also remember the bond between sisters, forget the past conflicts, and get along well with each other in the harem."
Concubine Sun bowed with tears in her eyes: "Thank you for your guidance, sister."
"Before, I was blind and said a lot of inappropriate things. Fortunately, my sister didn't despise me and was willing to teach me."
Xie Run smiled and patted her hands.
"Once you enter the palace, you are all sisters. There is no need to talk about whether you dislike each other or not."
Princess Sun was moved to tears and said many touching words.
After Dan Tao sent Concubine Sun away, Xiao Shu asked in confusion, "Why did Your Majesty help Concubine Sun?"
"I don't know what she's up to today. If the Queen is soft-hearted towards her, I'm afraid she'll scheme against her."
Xie Run asked in return, "When did I help Concubine Sun?"
The two were stunned by the question.
Xie Run smiled and said, "I am just helping myself."
She raised her hand and gently touched the jade bracelet on her wrist, showing great patience.
Dan Tao smiled as she opened the curtain and walked in. "Now that Concubine Sun has received the Empress's cloak, I'm afraid everyone in the palace knows that the Empress is willing to play the role of 'reconciliation between the general and the minister' with her. Even if there are those who feel uncomfortable with Concubine Sun, they can put on a smile and accept Concubine Sun's apology."
Xiao Shu nodded: "Isn't it? Even the Emperor would probably change his mind about Concubine Sun after seeing this. I'm afraid then she'll get what she wants."
Xie Run smiled and said, "As she wishes? But what is her intention?"
Xiao Shu and Dan Tao were stunned and looked at each other.
Xiao Shu: "It's not a good intention anyway!"
Xiao Shu has no good feelings towards Concubine Sun.
Xie Run: "Then have you ever thought about the benefits this cloak will bring to me?"
Xiao Shu's eyes turned, and her eyes became brighter.
Xiao Shu: "Princess Sun carried the Empress's cloak around the six palaces, and everyone knew that the Empress had put aside her past grudges and no longer held a grudge against Concubine Sun."
"In the eyes of the Emperor, our Queen is also sensible, kind-hearted, and willing to endure some grievances for the sake of harmony in the six palaces."
As he spoke, Xiao Shu began to feel sorry for his own queen.
Xie Run raised his hand and gently stroked a peony in the vase on the table.
The petals are bright and delicate, and are the brightest color in this winter.
Xie Run: "I am the emperor's concubine. The emperor wants to see harmony among the six palaces, so I naturally have to cooperate."
"What's more, the Emperor has forgiven Concubine Sun's past insolence. How could I not know what's going on?"
"If you really keep making a fuss about this little grudge in the harem, it will only make people annoyed."
"Princess Sun wants to change her appearance, and she has already come this far. This cape from me is just the icing on the cake, a simple addition."
Xiao Shu was silent for a moment, "Princess Sun is still lucky!"
She was still brooding over the various ways that Concubine Sun had disrespected Xie Run in the past.
Xie Run smiled and said, "Don't get angry. You'll get wrinkles if you get angry too much."
Xiao Shu laughed helplessly, "Your Majesty is teasing this servant again!"
Xie Run: "Originally, I thought Concubine Sun was trying to use some excuse to plot against me, so I naturally didn't dare to take it lightly. But judging by her behavior today, it doesn't seem like she's targeting me, so why should I get involved?"
There was something else Xie Run didn't say.
She felt that Concubine Sun was not coming towards her, but rather towards the emperor.
Everything Concubine Sun did was to put herself in the dust, satisfy the emperor's wish for harmony and stability in the six palaces, and show goodwill to the emperor.
Xie Run didn't want to interfere in the affairs of these two people.
There are not many opportunities to watch the emperor's play, so Xie Run might as well have some fun.
Xiao Shu thought about it for a long time, but still couldn't figure it out: "Your Majesty, do you think Concubine Sun is truly repentant or just pretending to be repentant?"
Xie Run: "Shouldn't you already have the answer in your hearts?"
Anyone who truly believes that Concubine Sun sincerely repents and changes her ways is a complete fool.
Dan Tao pondered, feeling somewhat worried. "But she must have a reason for suddenly doing this. We are uneasy because we can't guess her purpose."
Xie Run: "If she is really pretending, sooner or later she will be unable to continue pretending, and I am waiting for her to show herself."
After a pause, Xie Run continued, "Of course, if she can pretend for her whole life, that would be truly impressive!"
The two of them were suddenly at a loss for words.