By the time a group of people arrived at the Fengyi Palace, quite a few consorts had already arrived. In fact, it was not late yet since it was still a quarter past the time for paying respects.
Just that these consorts arrived earlier.
When Yu Yao entered the palace, besides the wonderful concubine who arrived early, she did not recognize anyone else.
She followed suit by bowing to whoever Zhuang Guipin bowed to.
And the same was true for Shu Meiren and others behind her.
The Empress had not yet emerged, and the first position on the left was vacant.
According to Yu Yao's understanding of the current situation in the rear palace, that should be the position of Princess Consort Yu.
On the second position from the side, sitting on it was Princess Consort Shu. The Princess Consort Shu had a gentle appearance, her eyebrows like distant mountains, eyes with autumn waters, her hair tied into a graceful hairstyle, decorated mainly with elegance, wearing a pale blue palace suit.
She is of a gentle nature and appears quite serene.
The first on the right is Princess Li, whose beauty is unparalleled. She has a phoenix-like eye that is alluring, her eyebrows slightly arched with a hint of seduction, and her lips are painted with bright red lipstick, making her stand out prominently among the crowd.
Her beauty is flashy and passionate.
The beauty of the treasure concubine was like a lotus flower, delicate and bright. Her eyebrows were like weak willow leaves, and her eyes seemed to be filled with deep affection. Her tenderness was as water, making people irresistibly attracted to her.
Consort Rong was dignified and noble, her beauty resembling a flower of earthly prosperity.
Princess Chun had clear eyes, and she was dressed in a moon-white palace suit, clean and pure, which indeed corresponded to her title as "Chun."
Yue Consort was enchanting like a fairy, with her arched eyebrows and an ethereal aura.
The other consorts were all beautiful in their own unique ways, each with a different grace and demeanor.
The attention of everyone was on Yu Yao, who was being consciously and unconsciously examined. When her appearance was clearly seen, their expressions were all shocked.
Though they had heard that Qin Guiren was beautiful, they had never imagined she could be this beautiful.
Even with extremely modest attire, the extraordinary beauty of Concubine Qin was difficult to conceal, surpassing all the consorts present.
Princess Li and Treasure Concubine had very unsettling expressions.
Just as Zhuang Guipin had just sat in her designated place, Princess Li could not help but start trouble first.
"This Concubine Qin's attire is truly unique. This hanging hairpin and this dark green dress, could it be that she still remembers the humble days of being a maid, and is deliberately dressed like this?"
"This Concubine Qin is absolutely unsuitable for public appearances. Even if she becomes a palace concubine, she can never change her petty habits, which I deeply disdain."
As soon as she spoke, a few snorts of derision rang out within the palace hall, and her expressions were all hidden on Yu Yao, waiting to see a good show.
Shu Meiren, Liu Bao Lin, Qian Chang and Zhou Ning, the few of them remained silent and quietly retreated to their own positions.
Just then, there were no seats available, so they had to stand. They were still at the very back, almost near the door.
Only Shu Meiren's position was slightly ahead.
Yu Yao had intentionally dressed like this, so she naturally wouldn't care about the mockery from others.
She looked at Princess Li and mockingly replied, "Your majesty, you're so concerned about the clothes of the concubines, I originally thought you were the supervisor of court clothing. It turns out it's not. Then please stop worrying about other people's things and take care of your own matters."
She has never been one to take a loss, and not even losing verbally is acceptable.
Princess Li was so angry that she trembled all over, and the alluring and beautiful face twisted with anger.
She pointed at Yu Yao angrily and said, "You really have no sense of heaven and earth. I'm only giving you a warning, not to lose your dignity in this palace. How dare you misunderstand me. Look at your poverty-stricken appearance, like a mountain chicken mixed into a group of phoenixes."
Just as Princess Li finished speaking, another snort of derision rang out within the palace hall.
Consort Liu, with her delicate steps, walked to Princess Li's side and said in a soft voice, "Princess Li says so correctly. Concubine Qin, look at all the sisters in this palace. Who isn't dressed beautifully? And you, with this look of yours, must be deliberately trying to stand out and attract the emperor's attention? But such methods are too degrading."
Yu Yao faintly squinted her eyes, her gaze was filled with some confusion and disdain, and she looked her up and down.
She spoke slowly, "Sister, I don't seem to know you. But you rush to blame me so eagerly. Is it your way to stand out here in the palace by randomly agreeing with others to slander others? Or do you want to use the influence of Princess Li's highness to show your presence?"
Consort Liu's face turned stiff with anger and resentment as she said, "You may not know me, but I know your uncouth Concubine Qin. I am helping Princess Li's highness advise you, yet you are so ungrateful."
She smiled gently, and her laughter was filled with mockery: "You keep saying that I'm uncouth, but you unconditionally help Princess Li to defamed me without distinguishing the facts. That's what you call propriety? I simply dress up according to my own taste, and that becomes a shady method? In my opinion, the more unacceptable is your attitude of having no opinions and only knowing how to depend on others."
Consort Liu was Speechless due to Yu Yao's words, and she had just wanted to counter when Yu Yao did not give her a chance to speak and continued:
"You say all the sisters in the palace are carefully dressed. Then what's wrong with my unique style? Or do you only accept a thousandfold repetition of luxury, and can't tolerate any other beauty?"
The consorts present were all shocked by the eloquence of Concubine Qin, who was so skillful in debate that she completely silenced Consort Liu.
Princess Li pointed at Yu Yao and was so angry that her lips were trembling. It took her a long time to stammer out a single sentence, "You... this little tongueless creature!"
The virtuous consort sighed softly, her gentle voice resounding in the palace: "Enough is enough. We are all sisters here. Let's not argue anymore. In the Fengyi Palace, we should get along harmoniously."
Yu Yao slightly bowed her body and said calmly, "Madam Virtuous Consort, I had no intention of starting a dispute. It's just that some people are very pushy, and I cannot just bear the injustice without a fight."
The virtuous consort nodded slightly and said, "I understand. But it's better to avoid disputes in the palace. Princess Li, Concubine Qin, please all back down a step."
Princess Li, though unwilling, did not dare to act up in front of the virtuous consort. She could only glare angrily at Yu Yao and then return to her seat.
Yu Yao, on the other hand, maintained a calm expression, as if the conflict had nothing to do with her. She chose a random position to stand.
At that moment, Princess Consort Yu, with her magnificent posture and grace, entered the hall.
She was dressed in a deep crimson palace suit, with the hem of her skirt embroidered with mysterious patterns in golden silk threads. She wore elaborate golden ornaments on her head, shimmering with dazzling light.
Her appearance was beautiful, but with a trace of coldness. Her eyebrows were high, and her eyes were sharp as eagles. Under her high nose, her thin lips were tightly pressed together. She exuded an atmosphere that was terrifying.
Seeing Princess Consort Yu arrived, everyone rose to their feet and bowed in respect.
Princess Li and Treasure Consort reluctantly rose to their feet as well.
"Been honored by Princess Consort Yu."
Princess Consort Yu scanned the crowd with her eyes. When she saw Princess Li and Treasure Consort, a trace of dislike flashed across her eyes.
She quickly shifted her gaze away from the two and frowned, saying, "I can smell a strong smell of gunpowder from a distance. What's going on?"
At this moment, Wen Zhao Yuan, who was always close to Princess Consort Yu, approached and whispered to her about the conflict that had just occurred.
After listening, Princess Consort Yu felt that both parties were like dogs fighting over a bone, neither being good for anything.
However, compared to Concubine Qin, she obviously disliked Princess Li more.
Her gaze fixed on Princess Li, she mockingly said, "Oh, so early in the morning, Princess Li is already so spirited, picking a fight with Concubine Qin. But that's also understandable. You've always been brazen and bullying, always looking for trouble with others. Today you must have couldn't contain yourself?"
Princess Li's face alternated between shades of blue and white. She bit her lip and said, "Your majesty, it is Concubine Qin who doesn't know the rules."
Princess Consort Yu snorted in derision, "Not know the rules? She just wears a more modest outfit. What has she done to offend you, Princess Li? That's not what not knowing the rules means. You cursed her, and now you're not allowing her to reply?"
She isn't helping Yu Yao; she simply dislikes Princess Li and hates her intensely.
She seized the opportunity and wouldn't let it go.
Princess Li was chastised by Princess Consort Yu, causing her face to turn red. She dared not retaliate, but could only bite her lip tightly and hold in all the anger she had in her stomach.
In her heart, she silently cursed Princess Consort Yu eight hundred times.
The Empress, who had watched the show in the inner room, saw that the time had come, and she finally walked out.
She was dressed in a phoenix robe, with a phoenix crown on her head. The jewels on the crown shone with kaleidoscopic colors under the sunlight.
The Empress had an elegant demeanor and a commanding gaze.
As soon as everyone saw the Empress, they all bent their knees and bowed, saying in unison: "Greetings to the Empress. Long live the Empress."
The Empress slightly raised her hand and said, "All rise."
Her gaze swept over everyone's faces, and when she saw Yu Yao, a trace of barely noticeable surprise flashed across her eyes. Clearly, she was also shocked by the other's beauty.
But she quickly regained her composure, turned to look at Princess Consort Yu, and asked, "Just now I heard some noise from inside the room. What's going on?"
Princess Consort Yu bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, it was only a minor dispute between Princess Li and Concubine Qin. I am dealing with it."
The Empress frowned slightly and looked at Princess Li, saying, "All of us are sisters. What can't we talk about properly? Why must we argue? Princess Li, as a consort, you should set a good example. How can you lead by starting trouble?"
Princess Li hurriedly knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I realize my mistake. It's just that Concubine Qin is dressed so shabbily, and I was afraid she might lose the dignity of the royal family, so I couldn't help but say a few words."
The Empress glanced at Yu Yao, her gaze filled with some approval, "I think Concubine Qin's dress is quite unique, with a touch of freshness and elegance. In this full of splendid attire in the harem, such an outfit is quite distinctive."
The Empress then gave a nod to a palace maid standing beside her. The maid understood and quickly brought over a piece of high-quality silks and brocades.
The Empress said, "Concubine Qin, your outfit suits my taste very well. I will give you this piece of fine fabric as a reward. You can use it to make some new clothes."
She hurriedly knelt down to express her gratitude: "Thank the Empress for her grace and generosity. Her Majesty is wise."
The Empress turned her gaze back to Princess Li, her tone serious, "Princess Li, do not create trouble for no reason and keep looking for trouble. Concubine Qin's attire is her personal preference, and you are being overly harsh by making an issue out of it."
Princess Li's heart was full of unwillingness, but she dared not argue in front of the Empress. She could only bite her lip quietly and say in a low voice, "Your servant... your servant knows she is wrong."
The old Empress was clearly trying to suppress her deliberately, which made her incredibly angry.
The Empress's eyes held an air of authority as she continued, "In the harem, it is supposed to be harmonious. You keep causing trouble. If there is another instance, I will not spare you."
Yu Yao looked at the scene in front of her and understood that the Empress was intentionally suppressing Princess Li's arrogant demeanor.
And she would probably be associated with the Empress's party, which would make Princess Li target her even more.
For her, that certainly wasn't a good thing.
