<h4>Chapter 409 He Yuxiu Saw Consort Zhao by Plot</h4>
When the carriage came to the gate of the pce, the little eunuch guarding at the gate trotted toward at the sight of the King Xuan’s Manor’s carriage, and led it into the pce fawningly. A long line of carriages moved backward to give way to the carriage. King Xuan was the Emperor’s favorite prince, and no one dared to offend him.
When the carriage stopped well, Mo Xuetong got off first and helped Feng Yuran to get off. And He Yuxiu behind had already came out of her carriage.
A little eunuch guarded there and hurried to kneel down when seeing Feng Yuran get off the carriage. “Your Highness, His Majesty asks you to go to the Qianqing Pce.”
Feng Yuran frowned and looked at Mo Xuetong.
Mo Xuetong knew that he was worried about her, so she squeezed his hand in the sleeves, took a sideways nce at He Yuxiu who wasing towards them, and suggested. “You just go. I will go to the Cining Pce first and pay my respects to Her Majesty.”
“Fine, you be more careful and don’t leave Mo Ye.” Feng Yuran nodded and said to her. Then, he entered an imperial coach that was prepared by the little eunuch especially. It was not the Emperor’s dragon coach, but a transporting tool sedan when the masters in the pce were unable to walk. Although it looked like a sedan, the coach was more gorgeous and spacious with a yellow umbre over it and silk yarn hanging beside.
Feng Yuran’s leg was still injured, so no one dared to let him walk. The little eunuch helped him into the coach, and it headed to the Qianqing Pce stably.
“Yuxiu, I will go to pay respects to Her Majesty first. You can enjoy the scenery in the garden with thedies and misses. I will find youter.” Mo Xuetong said apologetically to He Yuxiu who wasing to her.
As a member of the royal family, it was the rule to pay respects to Empress Dowager and Empress in the pce. However, He Yuxiu did not have this honor and had no right to seek an audience with the two Highness without imperial permission.
“Xuetong, just feel assured and go. I will walk around in the garden and won’t go anywhere else.” He Yuxiu was thinking about how to leave. Seeing Mo Xuetong about to leave, He Yuxiu was so pleased to take on an obedient look.
“The imperial garden is really beautiful! I will stay here and have a good look.”
In the spring, a variety of flowers were blossoming on the branches in bright red, light yellow and other colors, and dancing in the breeze with their diversified shapes. What a beautiful sight! So He Yuxiu’s remarks orded to her first experience to appreciate the fine view. If her eyes were not rolling so sneakily, her words would sound convincible.
“Then I’ll go first.” Mo Xuetong gave a gentle smile and held Mo Ye’s hand to leave.
As for the favorable ce and time, Mo Xuetong had created for He Yuxiu, while as for winning the support, it would depend on He Yuxiu herself!
He Yuxiu saw Mo Xuetong hold Mo Ye’s hand and disappear in her sight.
He Yuxiu also didn’t go in further. Her status was inferior to Mo Xuetong, so she could not take her own maidservant and nanny to the pce to serve her. But there were manydies with moderate statusing into the garden in small groups. Thesedies were born in the capital and all had their own friends aspany. So they were not lonely.
He Yuxiu strolled along with them in the garden!
The Imperial Garden was sorge, and youngdies and madams were admiring the beautiful scenery in the garden while talking about everything under the sun. It was rather pleasing.
“Have you heard that Her Highness, Consort Zhao, attends the banquet this time. I saw Her Highness 10 years ago. I haven’t thought that since a decade has passed, she is still so beautiful.” A madam of some ages said smilingly to other madams around.
Someone asked curiously. “Mrs. Han, have you ever seen Her Highness, Consort Zhao?”
“Of course. At that time, Her Highness, Consort Zhao, was just around Her Highness Consort Xian, and kept a low profile. Well, Her Highness Consort Xian was the most favored consort in the pce. But unfortunately, she had passed away. Then, His Majesty put all his heart on Her Highness, Consort Zhao. In this respect, Her Highness, Consort Zhao owes thanks to Her Highness, Consort Xian.” Obviously, the madam knew the story. Seeing all the people looking at herself admiringly, she was too dazzled to realize that some of the imperial secrets were not allowed to speak, and just spouted out feverishly.
“Her Highness, Consort Zhao was rted to Her Highness, Consort Xian? What’s the rtionship between them?” Consort Xian had passed away for years. If she could be remembered, it was only because she gave birth to King Xuan, Feng Yuran, a licentious prince, who was too impressive for the public. So all the people present fixed their eyes on Mrs. Han.
Everyone’s stunned eyes flustered Mrs. Han, and then she realized that those people were unknown of it, but she just spoke it out openly. It did vite the royal taboo. Cold sweat ran from her forehead, and she did not dare to say more about it. “Ah, Her Highness, Consort Zhao was not beside Her Highness, Consort Xian? Well, I... I made a mistake.”
She stuttered and imed that she was dizzy and had to rest, so she pushed the crowd away and walked to the direction of flowering shrubs. She did not dare to stay there any longer, afraid of being imprisoned for her carelessness.
Mrs. Han left, but the chat did not stop, and the topic shifted from what Consort Zhao used to be to what she was now.
“Have you met Her Highness, Consort Zhao, just now?” Ady asked anotherdy. With a mere nce from afar, she did not see Her Highness clearly. And with the second sight, she could only see a slender and beautiful figure surrounded by pce servants, but the face was still invisible.
“I stood there and only took a nce. Her Highness is really beautiful. No wonder she is able to enjoy the favor for years.” Thedy who asked praised with an envious look.
“She is really beautiful. If anydy can win Her Highness’ support, she will definitely do as she pleases in the pce.”
“It has been for years since someone talked about Her Highness’ paternal family. I am afraid there is no one else in that family. What a pity! Her Highness wins His Majesty’s favor, and her paternal family members could live in ease andfort...”
He Yuxiu’s eyes flickered, and she came up to ask with a smile, “Are you talking about Her Highness, Consort Zhao? Where can I seek an audience with her?”
“Just in the pavilion in front, but there are eunuchs and guards outside. No one is permitted toe in. It is a pity to let the pool of lotus go to waste. It is impossible to see the early lotus in this season outside the pce.”
Seeing He Yuxiu was strange but kind, the twodies answered regretfully, because they had enjoyed the scenery there, but all the people were driven out there at the Consort Zhao’s arrival. It was a waterside pavilion with a pool of locus beside. In this season, a few flowers had bloomed pleasantly above the water.
He Yuxiu didn’te to appreciate the lotus with them, so she just exchanged some greetings and then deliberately shifted the topic about the routes to the pavilion. After getting precise information, He Yuxiu hurried to the road that thedies pointed to her. At the same time, behind her near the flowers, a woman wearing the pce dress held the fruit tray in her hands and traced back He Yuxiu slowly.
“How dare you! Her Highness is resting in the pavilion in front. Retreat now!” Two guards stretched out the swords and blocked He Yuxiu with stern faces. Viewed afar, a pavilion was exactly there where Consort Zhao was surrounded by a group of pce maidservants. With the breeze passing by, the ornament and jewelry jingled. Consort Zhao did look strikingly opulent.
Imagining that she would live such an opulent life, He Yuxiu was too agitated to be scared, so she said to the guards peevishly, “Elder Brother, would you kindly make an exception for me this time and go to report that I am Her Highness’ niece from her paternal family? And Ie here to beg for an audience especially.”
Her Highness’ niece?
The two guards looked at each other and saw the doubt in each other’s eyes. For so many years in the pce, they had never heard that Consort Zhao had any family members.
“How dare you! Where are you from? Dare to pass yourself off as Her Highness’ niece?” A harsher guard scolded coldly and pointed his sword at He Yuxiu, showing no intention to let her in.
“Get away!”
“My dear guard, I am really the niece of Her Highness. Please help me to report to Her Highness. I will be at your disposal if I am fake.” He Yuxiu was reluctant to drop the idea, but did not dare toe forward. Seeing it was not far from the pavilion, she yelled suddenly, “Her Highness, I am your niece from your paternal family. Please grant an audience to me!”
When the two guards saw He Yuxiu did not leave but made a loud noise instead, they got angry, and one of them came up to directly drag He Yuxiu’s clothes to pull her out. It was in the pce where no one was allowed to create a disturbance, let alone a moderate woman. If it disturbed His Majesty and he looked into it, the two guards would be killed without a doubt.
“Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Her Highness gives an order to allow the woman’s audience.” A eunuch ran over and wheezed.
The two guards released her, looked at each other, and retreated.
On the ground, He Yuxiu was almost scared to death, just staring nkly at the eunuch running to her and unable to react. Just now, when she was dragged by the guards, she thought she was going to die.
“You are Her Highness’ niece?” The eunuch came over to stand beside and looked disdainfully at the embarrassed woman on the ground. The eunuch thought that the woman looked pretty at the age of 15 or 16, but the pce was full of beautiful women, so her appearance was just ssed as amon one in the pce.
Although she had many ornaments on her hands and head, none of them were precious. She seemed not to be ady from a high, noble family.
Given her coward appearance, shecked the air that a girl from an eminent family should have, and looked too frumpy to be presented. And now she fell on the ground with a disheveled look, which was rather unsightly.
Being in a state of shock, He Yuxiu raised her head and answered pitifully. “I, I am.”
The eunuch threw a nce at her and said indifferently, “Come with me.” Then, the eunuch simply turned around and led the way even without paying a salute to He Yuxiu. Obviously, the eunuch did not take her seriously. He Yuxiu who hade to herself gritted her teeth secretly with anger, but she also knew that it was not the time to get cross and that all the things should be left till she met Her Highness, Consort Zhao. He Yuxiu’s senior uncle and second young uncle had said that Consort Zhao was so conscientious that she would not act like Consort Xian who had forgotten her origin and driven her paternal family members to a remote ce and let them live and die there, and enjoyed a luxurious life in the pce herself.
In the pavilion, Consort Zhao sat there, wearing a gorgeous pce suit, like a beautiful woman about 20 years old. She was looking mildly at the awkward He Yuxiu.
He Yuxiu did not dare to take more looks at Consort Zhao, but took two steps forward, knelt down respectfully, kowtowed and said, “He Yuxiu pays respects to Your Highness, and wish Your Highness a long life and good health.” She had not expected that things would go on so smoothly and that she could see Consort Zhao so easily. She was in such an excited mood that her voice began trembling slightly.
He Yuxiu thought, “My elder uncle and father racked their brains to see Her Highness, but both failed. But I could aplish it today after I entered the pce just for a while. In this regard, I should take a big share in the glory and wealth in the future.”
“You are He Yuxiu?” Consort Zhao did not let her stand up but looked at her carefully. “Raise your head.”
“I am He Yuxiu.” He Yuxiu raised her head slowly and looked up at Consort Zhao. Just now, she did not dare to move. But now she felt a bit relieved inwardly and dared to looked at Consort Zhao carefully.
Although the woman sitting above was not young, she was still exceedingly fascinating and charming and wore luxurious clothes. Looking at the glittering clothes, He Yuxiu could not help but swallow and tried hard to shift her eyes from them, thinking that judging from the treasures on Her Highness, Her Highness did gain great grace in the pce.
At the thought that Her Highness would probably grant some of the treasure to her, He Yuxiu felt a surge of excitement run through her.