Soon, the Old Madam enlightened Qi Zhenzhen. "The Grand Secretary Lu, the head of the Grand Secretariat, has only one granddaughter, Lu Linlang. She is both talented and beautiful, and was highly regarded among the noble ladies in the capital. Many young men from prominent families admired her, yet she inexplicably fell for Emperor Chongwen, who was then still a prince. Strictly speaking, Emperor Chongwen was not the most favored candidate to inherit the throne."
Qi Zhenzhen seemed to understand, "For the throne, so..."
The Old Madam shook her head. "What exactly happened, no one knows the twists and turns except for those involved. At that time, the Emperor was preparing to marry Consort An. Half of the six rites were completed when there was a sudden change. Everyone then speculated that the Duke of Protectorate's mansion would no longer be close to the Emperor. But to everyone's surprise, on the wedding day, the principal wife and the secondary consort entered the mansion simultaneously."
This move was somewhat perplexing. One was a mutual love, the other unrequited. In the end, the unrequited one gained the upper hand. Under normal circumstances, the one with mutual love should have been heartbroken, but...
Perhaps Consort An's feelings for Emperor Chongwen were so deep that she willingly became a secondary consort.
Later, Consort An gave birth to Emperor Chongwen's eldest son. From this, it could be inferred that Consort An held a more significant place in Emperor Chongwen's heart.
"In short, Consort An is an extraordinary woman," the Old Madam said.
Qi Zhenzhen nodded. Those who could survive in the bloodless battlefield of the imperial harem were not simple people.
The Marquis's carriage arrived at the palace gate, and the group disembarked.
Eunuchs were waiting at the palace gate. Upon seeing the Old Madam, they stepped forward. "Greetings to the Old Madam. This humble servant is sent by Her Ladyship, the Consort, to welcome the Old Madam and the Second Miss."
"Zhenzhen, Eunuch Laifu is the chief steward of Huaqing Palace and the most capable person by the Consort's side," the Old Madam introduced to Qi Zhenzhen.
Qi Zhenzhen gracefully bowed to Eunuch Laifu. Laifu, while saying "I dare not, I dare not," accepted Qi Zhenzhen's bow calmly, indicating his unusual status within the palace.
After entering the palace gate, a sedan chair awaited. Qi Zhenzhen recalled what Madam Gao had said: in the palace, not just anyone could ride in a sedan chair. It was still the same rule: only those with noble titles, and those of third rank or higher, were qualified.
Laifu personally helped the Old Madam into the sedan chair, while Qi Zhenzhen followed alongside.
After entering the palace, every move was observed. Qi Zhenzhen dared not be careless, strictly following Madam Gao's instructions.
Her steps should be neither too large nor too small, her posture steady, neither timid nor overly ostentatious; everything had to be just right.
As for the splendor within the palace and the sights to behold, no, that was impossible. In the palace, the first thing you must do is control your eyes and look straight ahead. Looking around was a disregard for palace rules.
Laifu had been observing Qi Zhenzhen's demeanor and could not help but nod slightly. Judging by her manners and behavior, the Second Miss of the Marquis's mansion was clearly qualified. She was neither servile nor overbearing, and the timidity often found in women of concubine birth was completely absent in her. As for her appearance, although not stunningly beautiful, she was certainly among the best. Moreover, what Eunuch Laifu was most pleased with was the look in Qi Zhenzhen's eyes when she bowed upon their first meeting; it was genuine respect, not reluctance or disdain. It was known that many wives and young ladies of official families held eunuchs in contempt.
Soon, they arrived at Huaqing Palace. Laifu led them directly to a side hall. "Please wait here for a moment, your ladyships. This humble servant will go and invite Her Ladyship."