GBP Chapter 453 Guidance
Chapter 453 Guidance
After a while, the maid brought tea and a few plates of snacks.
Qi Yuebin sat in the main seat, holding a cup of tea in his hand and handing it to Sun Heyin. He said in a friendly tone: "Sister, you have been in the palace for some time. Are you used to the life in the palace?"
Sun Heyin took the tea and opened the lid. The tea leaves were tight and thin, black and glossy in color, and the tea soup was bright red. It was a top-quality black tea.
But she didn't drink it, and put it on the small table: "Thank you for your concern, my concubine is doing well."
Watching her movements, Qi Yuebin knew she was being wary of him. He didn't get angry at the moment, but smiled and said, "There are many rules in the palace. My sister is new here, so it's inevitable that she might feel a little uncomfortable. If there's anything you need help with, just come and see me."
Sun Heyin raised her eyes and glanced at her, a trace of inquiry flashing in her eyes, her tone remained calm: "Your Majesty's kindness, I am ashamed to accept it."
After the polite words, Qi Yuebin got to the point:
"My sister's words in Yongshou Palace today surprised me a little. Although Concubine Zhen is a bit foolish and impatient, she is an old veteran of the palace after all. Why should my sister confront her?"
"Your Majesty, this is wrong. I was merely arguing with you, not provoking you. If Your Majesty feels that I have offended you, then I have nothing to say."
Qi Yuebin smiled slightly. "Sister, you have a straightforward personality, which I admire very much. However, in the harem, showing off too much is not necessarily a good thing. Sometimes, taking a step back can open up a wider world."
Sun Heyin raised her eyebrows slightly, her tone tinged with sarcasm, "Your Majesty, do you mean for me to swallow my anger and allow others to bully me?"
Qi Yuebin shook her head, her tone still gentle. "That's not what I meant. I just hope you understand that in the harem, it's easy to dodge an open attack, but it's hard to guard against an arrow from the dark. You're new here, and you have no foundation in the harem. Aren't you afraid that the Imperial Noble Consort and the Hui Noble Consort will target you?"
As she finished speaking, she looked directly at Sun Heyin, with a hint of inquiry and concern in her eyes, as if she was really worried about Sun Heyin's situation.
However, Sun Heyin was not moved by her words, and her expression remained unchanged: "The ladies are in high positions and are tolerant and generous. Naturally, they will not bother with a small matter like a concubine."
Upon hearing this, Qi Yuebin chuckled, her tone carrying a hint of meaning: "Once or twice is fine, but if it happens too many times, I'll have to be careful. People's hearts are unpredictable, so I'd better be cautious."
The two of them tested each other subtly.
Sun Heyin raised her eyes and looked directly at Qi Yuebin: "Then please give me some advice, Your Majesty. How should I deal with this?"
Qi Yuebin picked up the teacup, took a sip, and smiled gently: "Haha, sister is a smart person, I believe you have already made up your mind!"
"Your Majesty, this is wrong. I have just entered the palace and I am very nervous. I hope Your Majesty can give me some guidance."
"I can't say I can give you any advice, but I can still offer a few words of advice in the palace. If you need any help, please feel free to come to me. I will do my best to help you."
Seeing that she understood her intention, Sun Heyin stopped playing dumb and said with a smile, "Then I, your Majesty, would like to thank you in advance!"
Qi Yuebin smiled slightly: "You're welcome! My sister is young and lively, and I like her very much. Please come and visit us often in the future!"
"I obey your command!"
Since it was their first meeting, the two of them didn't say much and just smiled at each other.
After saying that, Sun Heyin pretended to ask casually, "When paying respects to you today, Concubine Wen seemed like a simple-minded person, yet she could even do something so rude. It's really surprising!"
"Sister, you are wrong." Qi Yuebin's eyes flashed with brilliance, and his voice was low: "Her mind is unfathomable, and she is an extremely difficult person to deal with. If you deal with her, you must be careful."
Sun Heyin became interested: "Your Majesty, why don't you talk to me in detail?"
Qi Yuebin didn't want to say more to her and waved his hand: "This is a long story. You will slowly discover that she is not as simple as you think. When it comes to palace affairs, listen more and talk less, observe more and ask less. This is the long-term solution."
Seeing her being so perfunctory, Sun Heyin rolled her eyes secretly, what an old fox, she's so tight-lipped.
Seeing that she couldn't get any useful information out of asking further questions, she said goodbye and left.
In the yard, Jixiang was busy with a few young eunuchs.
They bent over, holding small shovels, and carefully loosened the soil in the flower beds. There were no blooming flowers in the flower beds, only a few bare branches, about finger-high, standing alone in the cold wind, looking particularly bleak.
Seeing this, Sun Heyin felt a little confused. Jixiang was Qi Yuebin's personal maid and should be serving her master. Why was she doing such rough work?
She stopped, her eyes fell on the branches, and asked softly, "What kind of flowers are these?"
When Jixiang heard her question, he quickly put down his tools, bowed respectfully, and replied, "My lady, this is a peony flower."
Sun Heyin nodded slightly, "Does Concubine Duan like peonies?"
Jixiang lowered his head and stopped talking.
As expected, even though they are master and servant, they are so tight-lipped.
Sun Heyin's gaze lingered on the flower garden for a moment before she turned and left Yanqing Palace.
On the palace road, Bai Zhi supported Sun Heyin as they walked slowly. She looked up at her expression and said cautiously, "My lady, I'm listening. Concubine Duan seems to be trying to win you over!"
Sun Heyin nodded slightly, looking off into the distance thoughtfully as she whispered, "Concubine Duan has been in the palace for many years, yet she's still only a concubine. She's been completely suppressed by them. It wouldn't be surprising if she really had this intention."
Seeing her master's calm expression, Bai Zhi continued, "But in my opinion, Concubine Duan is not someone you can easily get along with."
"I understand. It's only since I entered the palace that I've discovered that the waters of this harem are deeper than I imagined. We are new here, so it's difficult to find a breakthrough. Concubine Duan wants us to be used by her. But from another perspective, isn't she also a chess piece in our hands? She has been in the harem for many years, has a wide network of contacts, and is well-informed. With her paving the way ahead, we can avoid some detours."
Bai Zhi nodded: "That's right, young lady!"
Back at the Yanxi Palace, Dingxiang saw the master and servant return and hurried to greet them, a look of joy on her face. "My young lady, you're back! Aunt Juqing just came and brought a lot of gifts, saying that Concubine Wen had specially ordered them."
Sun Heyin was slightly stunned when she heard this. She looked in the direction Dingxiang pointed and saw several piles of brand new bedding, several pieces of fine fabrics, a white fox fur coat, and several baskets of red charcoal neatly placed on the table. These were all essential items for winter.
Ding Xiang explained, "Empress Wen knew you were from the south of the Yangtze River and wouldn't be used to the cold weather of the capital, so she specially sent these over. She also specifically told you not to be frugal. She has already instructed the Imperial Household Department to send more at any time."
Red charcoal was reserved for high-ranking concubines, and it had a faint aroma when burned. Since she was only in the palace, she was only allowed black charcoal, which, according to convention, was not only less durable but also produced black smoke and occasional sparks. She had to be careful when using it at night, and the smoke woke her several times each night. Even so, her allotment of black charcoal was insufficient, forcing her to be frugal and save.
This was really a torment for her who grew up in Jiangnan.
Looking at these things, Sun Heyin sighed deeply. This reward really touched her heart and made her unable to refuse.
(Some book friends said that they couldn’t understand these chapters. Let me explain:
In the series, the character Sun Yingda never even shows her face, appearing only in dialogue. I've recreated her here because there's only one final incident left. The civet cat can't die, and there's no concubine, so I have to write from a different perspective. So, I brought up Sun Yingda. But it seems you didn't like her, so I'll refine her storyline later.
I set her up as a multifaceted character, so book lovers can wait and see.
If you have any comments, please raise them. Try not to post them in the chapter reviews. Sharp comments will be harmonized by the system and can only be viewed on the web version, but there is no way to reply. Therefore, it is best for you to post them in the last sentence at the end of each chapter.
grateful!)