The morning light shone through the window lattice onto the white jade bricks on the floor. The curtains along the pear - wood bed hung loosely, and the hazy veils set off Lan Miao's sleeping face on the bed.
Another night had passed.
Lan Miao had been exhausted again.
"Concubine Lan, it's time for you to get up."
Vaguely hearing someone calling her, Lan Miao opened her eyes wearily and murmured a few assents. Han Bi beside the bed put down the washbasin, while Yan Hong stepped forward to gather up the curtains. Listening to the rustling sounds, Lan Miao gradually regained her consciousness.
Last night, she seemed to have stayed in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Lan Miao got up woodenly, allowing Han Bi and the others to dress her. She asked softly, "Where is the Emperor?"
"The Emperor has gone to court. He specifically told us to come and serve you at this time."
"Hmm...?"
Lan Miao nodded, suddenly sensing something was amiss.
Her beautiful eyes slowly widened as she stared in surprise at Han Bi's smiling face. "What did you call me?"
"Your Ladyship. You are now Concubine Lan, the mistress of the Hall of Everlasting Joy. From now on, you should refer to yourself as 'this palace'."
Yan Hong quipped from the side.
The meaningful smiles on their faces left Lan Miao at a loss.
"Concubine Lan, the Emperor issued an edict today, conferring the title of Concubine Lan upon you and assigning you to the Hall of Everlasting Joy. Now everyone in the palace knows about it." Seeing Lan Miao still looking puzzled, Han Bi, who was also surprised that Lan Miao herself was unaware of this great joy, happily explained it to her.
Yan Hong handed the damp handkerchief to Lan Miao and added,
"Not only in the palace, it is said that the Emperor has sent an imperial edict to the Lan Mansion and the Marquis of Yongyi's Mansion..."
Lan Miao was shocked.
An imperial edict sent to the Lan Mansion and the Marquis's Mansion?
She could understand the Lan Mansion.
But what was the meaning of sending an edict to the Marquis's Mansion?
She had already divorced the Marquis's Mansion. The Emperor's edict sent there was simply an insult to the people of the Marquis's Mansion. Moreover, today was the birthday of the venerable Lady Wen of the Marquis's Mansion. She could almost imagine the pale face of the old lady when she received the edict.
Lan Miao helplessly rubbed her forehead.
The Emperor had some rather petty thoughts.
She wondered why the Emperor had agreed so readily yesterday. It turned out that he had this in mind all along.
When the warm handkerchief caressed her cheeks and the clear water rinsed her eyes, her mind gradually cleared.
"The Hall of Everlasting Joy has been tidied up, and all your belongings have been moved there. There is also a side hall for Miss Xue'er in the hall. From now on, you can live with Miss Xue'er." Han Bi whispered.
Hearing this news, Lan Miao couldn't help but look delighted.
She could take care of her Xue'er openly.
"The Hall of Everlasting Joy is very close to the Hall of Mental Cultivation and also close to the Elegant Hall where Miss Xue'er is. The Emperor specially selected this palace for you." Yan Hong said with a smile as she helped Lan Miao put on her outer robe.
Lan Miao lowered her head and smiled faintly. The Emperor was really considerate.
During these days of serving the Emperor, she had never asked for any title on her own initiative, because she thought the Emperor was not a muddle - headed person. At most, she might be conferred the title of a noble or a noble consort. After all, she had the background of a widow.
But unexpectedly, the Emperor had silently granted her the rank of concubine.
Now her rank was even higher than that of her father, Lan Cengui. Such an unexpected surprise also made her feel a bit uneasy.
"Concubine Lan, look, you look so beautiful in this palace dress."
Han Bi placed a brass mirror in front of Lan Miao.
The mirror reflected Lan Miao's current appearance.
The woman in the mirror was extremely beautiful. Her light yellow palace dress set off her slender figure. Her face was as fair as powdered, with bright eyes like autumn waters, and her features were delicate and cold.
For five years, she had always dressed simply and rarely wore delicate clothes. Now she was like a fine porcelain vase slowly shedding the dust.
Lan Miao took a glance, sighed inwardly, and then shifted her gaze.
She looked at the sky outside the window. The sunlight was intense, and she knew it must be quite late. "Where is Xue'er? I'm going to return to the Marquis of Yongyi's Mansion with Xue'er to congratulate on the birthday. I still need to dress her up."
"Your Ladyship, don't worry. Miss Xue'er is on her way here from the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility. She has already dressed up in the palace. Now she is waiting for you in the carriage at the palace gate. The imperial sedan chair will take you directly to the palace gate to reunite with Miss Xue'er." Yan Hong replied.
Hearing that everything was well - arranged, Lan Miao finally breathed a sigh of relief.
After tidying up for a while, Lan Miao took the birthday gift for the venerable Lady Wen, followed by Han Bi and Yan Hong, and slowly got into the imperial sedan chair.
Now that she was sitting in the imperial sedan chair, the situation was different from before. The palace servants and guards she met on the palace road all bowed and saluted to her and stepped aside. The spectacle was quite grand.
She was a bit unaccustomed to such a scene all the way to the palace gate.
The carriage at the palace gate was also extremely luxurious.
A magnificent carriage drawn by fine horses, making quite a stir.
Such a grand display going to the Marquis's Mansion to congratulate on the birthday was like looking for trouble. Lan Miao rubbed her forehead, sighed, and said to Han Bi behind her with a bitter smile, "Can we change to a less ostentatious carriage?"
"Concubine Lan, this was specifically instructed by the Emperor. You can't change it."
Han Bi smiled apologetically.
There was nothing she could do then.
Yan Hong helped Lan Miao into the resplendent carriage, while she and Han Bi waited beside it. The inside of the carriage was extremely spacious, with a row of cushioned seats and all kinds of tables and desks. There was a plum blossom in a porcelain vase on the table, emitting a delicate fragrance.
Xue'er was sitting in the innermost part, wriggling her little body and looking around.
When she saw Lan Miao enter, her eyes widened in surprise, and she immediately rushed towards her. "Mother! Am I dreaming?"
Lan Miao couldn't help but be amused by Xue'er's words.
She pinched Xue'er's little cheek and hugged her in her arms. "How could it be a dream? Mother is here. We're going to celebrate grandmother's birthday today. Xue'er should be a good girl."
"Okay..."
Xue'er rubbed against Lan Miao's clothes. They smelled nice. Her eyes were full of smiles. "Mother looks so beautiful and smells so nice today."
"Xue'er is also very cute today."
Lan Miao looked at Xue'er carefully. Xue'er was wearing a light red dress with small diamond - shaped patterns today, making her face look as cute as a doll in a New - Year picture.
"Hehe, Sister Jiang He picked out this dress for me. Yu Jia and Leng Shuang both said it looked good, and the Empress Dowager also said it suited me very well."
Xue'er smiled brightly.
The smile on her face lasted for a moment. Her black eyes rolled, and she asked softly, "Mother, all the palace servants I saw in the palace today were smiling at me and congratulating me. They all said you've become the Emperor's concubine. Is it true?"
"Um..."
Lan Miao looked directly into Xue'er's eyes and cautiously but directly confirmed it.
"Xue'er, don't be sad. The Emperor is very kind to me, and he will be kind to you too in the future."
Lan Miao said carefully.
Now that she had become Concubine Lan, although she and Xue'er could live in the palace, even with the Emperor's protection, they were bound to attract gossips. And Xue'er was still nominally a young lady of the Marquis's Mansion. She didn't want Xue'er to be too sad.
"No, Mother, I'm very happy. Although the Emperor is a bit scary, he can definitely protect you well."
Xue'er's eyes sparkled with joy like a blooming flower.
Before Lan Miao could be surprised, she heard Xue'er mutter softly.
"Mother, now that you've become a noble lady, can I still call you Mother?"