Chapter 47 A Small Matter in the Imperial Harem A Small Matter in the Imperial Harem

Qin Qing slowly scooped the blood swallow’s nest into his mouth, the softened sweet texture sliding between his lips and teeth, making him feel nauseous.

Actually, he didn’t really like eating these slippery and greasy things. Everyone in the palace considered premium blood swallow’s nest a precious tonic, but this stuff was just bird saliva, he wouldn’t have even touched it before.

Especially when he was young, watching his father eat a bowl of bird’s nest every day in order to compete for favor and pull his mother’s heart away from the concubines, just because he heard that bird’s nest could delay aging and nourish qi.

The young him had sneered at this, but who would have thought that many years later, he would walk the same path.

A man adorns himself for the one who pleases him. Qin Qing gritted his teeth, enduring the nausea, and gulped it all down.

“Empress Dowager, if you don’t like it, don’t drink it. Why force yourself?” Yu Ye advised.

Qin Qing was about to take out his handkerchief to wipe the corners of his mouth, but when he felt his sleeve, it was empty. He suddenly remembered that he had secretly slipped his handkerchief to Qiu Shuzhi last night.

Recalling her surprised and shy expression at that time, he couldn’t help but lower his head and smile.

“What do you mean force? I like it very much.” If he could stay young and beautiful forever, letting Qiu Shuzhi look at him more, then this period of torment would be worth it.

“……” Yu Ye didn’t know what to say for a moment, so he simply changed the subject: “The Empress and consorts are already waiting in the hall to pay their respects to you. The others are fine, but Consort Rong is throwing a tantrum.”

Qin Qing sat in front of the mirror drawing his eyebrows, impatiently saying: “Then let him continue to wait. Coming from the frontier, he doesn’t understand etiquette. Does he really think he can flaunt his power in front of me with Yue Shen’s favor!”

Yu Ye hesitated and said: “The Crown Prince also came today.”

The jade hand holding the eyebrow pencil paused: “What is he here for?”

Yu Ye smiled and said: “Coming at this hour, naturally to pay respects to you.”

Qin Qing put down the pen and laughed coldly: “He would be so filial? I’m afraid he’s up to no good again.”

What Qin Shu said when scolding Yue Guanyi back then was not wrong, he did indeed rise up relying on the power of the Qin family. But as his power grew greater and greater, and his control grew deeper and deeper, relying on the ubiquitous Brocade Guards to gather many officials’ handles, he had already formed his own faction in the court, and隐隐 had a momentum that could compete with the Qin family in the court.

However, Yue Guanyi had always kept a low profile, never making a fuss, and was respectful to the Qin clan on the surface, showing no intention of tearing apart the facade. The Qin clan also went along with it, continuing to appear harmonious on the surface, while internally it was already daggers drawn, just waiting for a spark.

Qin Qing’s cold sarcastic laugh suddenly reminded Yu Ye of how the Crown Prince had ordered someone to smash a lake stone in the peony flower bed in the Imperial Garden this morning, but this matter seemed unrelated to court politics, so he didn’t mention it.

Having drawn his delicate eyebrows, Qin Qing put down the eyebrow pencil: “Let’s go.”

Since the consorts entered the palace, Qin Qing’s harem life was no longer as leisurely as before. The consorts came to the hall every day to pay their respects to him. Looking at those delicate and charming consorts, especially Lan Xuezhao and Qin Zhengya, one seductive to the bone with flirtatious glances, the other dignified and pure in behavior, one restrained and one unrestrained, one quiet and one active, suddenly made him feel a sense of crisis, especially Qin Zhengya.

When Qin Zhengya was born, Qin Qing had held him, a baby exuding the smell of milk, and now he was already the current Empress. Time passed so quickly, he had unknowingly become so old.

Because of this, he frantically ate bird’s nest and took medicinal baths, all in order to slow down the decay of his appearance. Otherwise, what capital would he have to compete for favor with those orioles and swallows around Qiu Shuzhi as he aged?

Arriving in the great hall, all kinds of civilian beauties, slender and plump, knelt on the ground and saluted: “This servant pays respects to the Empress Dowager.”

Only Yue Guanyi stood out like a crane among chickens among the crowd, wearing a black official robe that not only didn’t make him look old at all, but made his skin even whiter, his eyebrows and eyes even more cold and distant. Standing among that group of consorts wearing bright colors trying to compete in beauty with a hundred flowers, he seemed like an immortal who did not eat the food of this world.

Worthy of being the number one beauty in the capital, even without makeup and with a bare face, wearing the simplest and plainest clothes, he was still as bright and eye-catching as a beautiful jade.

This was not something that could be painted with makeup, Qin Qing narrowed his eyes.

Yue Guanyi stood in front of Qin Qing, only slightly bending his knees: “This son pays respects to Father Empress, and greets Father Empress.”

Qin Qing sat in the main seat, suppressing the jealousy in his heart, and said with feigned surprise: “How come Guanyi thought of paying respects to me today? You are indeed a rare guest.”

Yue Guanyi sat in the first row on the left, smiling faintly: “Official duties have been busy in recent days, this son couldn’t get away. Today, as soon as I had a moment free, I came to apologize to Father Empress.”

“You are now an important minister of the Great Qi nation, how could I punish you? All rise.” He casually waved his hand, signaling the consorts to stand up.

Empress Qin Zhengya sat in the first row on the right, wearing a light white robe with a sprig of green bamboo embroidered on the hem, both comfortable and dignified.

Sitting closely in the second row was Consort Rong Lan Xuezhao. He was still wearing all blue, which though the plainest color, looked like fox fur reincarnated on him. Even the patterns and designs exuded a flirtatious air, not to mention the traditional Miao silver ornaments he wore on his neck and wrists, which jingled like soul-stealing bells with his every movement.

He lazily sat in the chair, his tone coquettish: “Father Empress really kept this servant waiting.”

Qin Qing smiled gently: “Oh? Were you impatient? Do the other consorts feel the same?”

Lan Xuezhao played with his slender fingers, a ambiguous kiss mark still visible on his neck, evidence of his undiminished imperial favor: “Perhaps the other brothers don’t feel that way, after all, Her Majesty sleeps in my chambers every night. Every morning when I wake up, this servant’s body is sore all over.”