novelcrest Chapter 26 Shen Shixi made it especially for him
Chapter 26 Shen Shixi made it especially for him
When Li Fude returned to the Emperor's presence, the Emperor smelled the scent on him and asked, "Did Consort Shen give you perfume too?"
Li Fude laughed, "I shamelessly asked for it!"
"Useless! You're my man, yet you go to her asking for things. I can't afford to reward you?" Li Yuanke was just joking.
Li Fude laughed and said, "Shen Cairen has given the recipe, but the Imperial Pharmacy may not be able to make it in one or two attempts. I've also heard that making perfume requires a good nose and skillful hands. The same method can produce different scents. I think this scent is nice."
Li Yuanke was moved and opened the bottle of perfume that Shen Shixi had given him. It was a cedarwood scent. The first whiff was fresh, with a hint of lemon. The next whiff had a captivating orange scent, and the final whiff revealed a calming cedarwood fragrance.
It tastes different from Li Fude's.
He knew from the smell that Shen Shixi had made it especially for him.
Everything sent to the Emperor had to be inspected by the Imperial Hospital. This perfume was naturally fine, so he put a drop on his wrist, which happened to be his left wrist where he wore the five-colored rope.
I also applied some to the sides of my ears.
Li Fude sniffed. "Your Majesty smells even better. Only Your Majesty deserves this scent. It smells like the scent of high mountain cedar."
Consort Shen's move was brilliant. How could the Emperor not think of Consort Shen when he smelled his own perfume every day?
Li Yuanke's lips curled up in a wide smile.
Shen Shixi had a pavilion built near the water, but she hadn't come to visit it yet. The weather was nice, so she took a fishing rod and went fishing.
With no one around, Bai Ping finally found an opportunity to advise her master, "Master, you should restrain yourself in the future. Look at the state you were in last night! Did you think this was outside? You even started hitting people. What kind of image is that?"
"What kind of talk is that? Didn't you get angry when you heard what she said? I didn't even slap her; I was already giving her face. Why should I put up with it? Is she closer to you or am I closer to you?"
Bai Ping stamped her foot in anger, "Is that what you meant? No wonder the Emperor always says you don't know what's good for you! What if the Emperor got angry yesterday?"
"What can I do? At worst, he'll banish me to the cold palace. As long as I don't kill anyone, he can't possibly take my position, can he? Whatever, being in the cold palace isn't so bad!"
"What's so good about it? Go and see how Consort Chen and Consort Jiang are living in the Cold Palace these days. This is considered good; it will be even worse when winter comes!"
The capital of the Great Zhou Kingdom is located in the northwest, and it gets incredibly cold in winter.
So every winter, Shen Shixi would head south, and when summer came, she would migrate north, just like a migratory bird.
It's not possible to move it in the future.
"Serves you right!" Shen Shixi couldn't muster any sympathy. "Oh, don't worry, I'm not stupid, I won't let you suffer with me!"
"Yes, you are! You're the kind of person who never suffers a loss, even if it means getting hurt!" Bai Ping said irritably. "Sooner or later you'll ruin any remaining goodwill you have with the Emperor!"
"We'll talk about it when that day comes!"
Shen Shixi didn't take it seriously. In the situation yesterday, if she didn't say anything, not only would anyone dare to step on her, but what would that bastard Li Yuanke think?
Men can be indifferent to you, but you can't be indifferent to them.
If you're jealous, he says you're being unreasonable; if you're not jealous, he says you don't care about him.
Occasionally making a fuss is also a way of expressing this attitude.
Not long after she finished fishing, Xue Wanrong arrived, and she greeted her.
Shen Shixi: "Greetings, Consort Xue!"
She didn't say anything about staying, but Xue Wanrong went into the pavilion and sat down on her own. "This pavilion doesn't seem out of place here. No wonder Consort Shen, who comes from a scholarly family with a long tradition of poetry and propriety, has such a unique perspective."
Actually, it was quite abrupt, but surprisingly no one said anything about her haphazard construction.
Shen Shixi glanced at her. "Yes, I think so too. What brings Consort Xue here today?"
Huaying Hall is quite far from here; one is to the due south, and the other is in the northeast corner. To get here, you have to walk diagonally through most of the inner palace.
"I also heard that the First Prince in Bao Ci Palace was poisoned. I don't know what kind of poison it is, but it was able to work silently. Bao Ci Palace has been searched thoroughly, but they can't find the poison anywhere. Consort De is almost frantic with worry."
"Yes, it's quite scary," Shen Shixi agreed.
Xue Wanrong asked, as if seeking advice, "Lady Shen, what kind of poison could be hidden so deeply?"
"I don't know about that!"
Shen Shixi stood up. "Bai Ping, pack up your line. You're not catching anything anyway. It's time to go back. We're going to watch the willow-shooting competition at Jinming Pond later. Consort Xue, please be seated!"
Anyone can sit here if they want; she has no reason to charge for the pavilion.
When I'm bored, I can come out and find a place to sit.
As Xue Wanrong watched Shen Shixi's retreating figure, Xique whispered, "My lady, this Consort Shen is so stubborn and arrogant. Sooner or later, the Emperor will get tired of her."
"Grand Tutor Shen was the late Emperor's teacher. When the late Emperor asked Grand Tutor Shen to teach the princes, Grand Tutor Shen took a special liking to the Emperor and accepted him as his last disciple. Grand Tutor Shen made a great contribution to the Emperor's being made Crown Prince."
Thus, Consort Shen became acquainted with the Emperor at a young age. It's said that when she was little, the Emperor took her everywhere he went, carrying her on his back when she refused to walk. He personally taught her horseback riding and playing the zither; such a bond was truly extraordinary!
The magpie got angry; who could possibly win this argument?
Xue Wanrong didn't take it seriously. "Before, we were like siblings, but now we're husband and concubines. It's a different story. Isn't that how men treat women? After a while, they get tired of the old and the new. You know I didn't enter the palace to curry favor."
"Yes, young master is still waiting for you!"
"Hmm! Let's not mention the young master again. There are too many people and too many eyes in the palace!" With that, Xue Wanrong stood up. "Let's go too, it won't be good if we're late."
It was very hot, but it was alright for Shen Shixi to go there in a palanquin.
She wore a pink-based, embroidered, cross-collar short blouse, with a wide, floor-length skirt woven with birds and flowers underneath, and a light pink, semi-transparent gauze blouse with wide sleeves. Her hair was styled in a high bun, and she wore the gold and ruby headdress she had just received that day.
The front features a gold filigree and jewel-inlaid butterfly and flower design, with phoenix patterns on both sides. Gold tassels spit out from the birds' beaks, not long, just touching the temples.
A begonia flower was made by attaching tiny beads between her eyebrows, her jade-like face was bright and beautiful, and her appearance was as radiant as the moon and the rosy clouds.
As soon as she entered the stands, everyone looked over. It was the first time they had seen her dressed up so elegantly that even the sunlight seemed to dim in comparison.
"Consort Shen is in a good mood today, and she's even bothered to dress herself up. I usually think you're just lazy and have no manners at all!" Consort Hui said.
Shen Shixi said, "Am I usually disheveled or poorly dressed? Do I have to wear all my belongings every day to be considered well-mannered? Although my family is poor, we don't have to look like a nouveau riche."
Conversely, it means Hui Xiurong is a nouveau riche.
Compared to the Shen family, Hui Xiurong's family background was much weaker. Her great-grandfather was a tofu maker, and her grandfather had some schooling and served as a clerk in the army, which was the lowest-ranking civil service position.
That's because there was a war going on at that time, and people were in short supply, which is why this opportunity came about.
Later, her grandfather married the daughter of a scholar, wanting to change his social standing. Her father had been educated since childhood and was quite intelligent, so he entered officialdom through the imperial examination.
There's a saying that goes, "The more someone lacks something, the more they want to show it off," and this applies especially to Hui Xiurong.
Rules are not meant to restrict people, but to maintain social order and prevent conflicts between people.
The Emperor and Empress arrived to attend to the Empress Dowager. Everyone bowed and paid their respects. The Emperor's gaze fell on Shen Shixi, and his eyes lit up instantly. "Consort Shen, you look beautiful today. I've never seen you so patient before!"