Lan Miao took the initiative to lean forward, and embraced Jingxiang Emperor's neck along his arm.
Then, she kissed him lightly on the lips.
"It's only interesting when I'm by Your Majesty's side. Your Majesty, please stop sulking, okay? Concubine is back, and will never leave again."
Lan Miao stared at Jingxiang Emperor.
From the moment she entered the palace, His Majesty had been pretending. How could she not tell?
Jingxiang Emperor only felt the softness on his lips. His wife's taste was as sweet as ever. He could not help but take a few more mouthfuls. Yes, just as his wife had said, he had generously allowed his wife to go to the Marquis' Mansion. In fact, he had also wondered if she would see things and think of people when she arrived at the Marquis' Mansion, and her heart would waver.
He had been seen through by his wife.
It seemed that his wife and he were truly a couple.
"From now on, wife will always be by Zhen's side. Don't go anywhere else."
Jingxiang Emperor hugged Lan Miao. The last trace of doubt in his heart disappeared.
"Mm..."
Lan Miao responded softly.
Her red lips parted slightly, and her black hair cascaded down. She rested her head on Jingxiang Emperor's knee, and her gaze landed on the luxurious palace around her. She asked softly, "Your Majesty has given concubine too much. What if concubine cannot bear it?"
Jingxiang Emperor held her in his arms and could not help but laugh.
"Wife is so smart. You will find a way to handle it. Zhen believes in you."
These words gave Lan Miao a bit of confidence. Now that she had suddenly been conferred the rank of concubine, she would have to spend the rest of her life in the palace. She had seen the upheaval in the palace before. She believed in His Majesty, and even more so in herself.
After chatting for a while, the two of them lay on the couch again.
The palace was spacious and warm. The red candles dripped, like blood burning. The night slowly descended. The two of them breathed closely together. This was their first night in the Palace of Eternal Joy.
The sun rose in the east and set in the west. In the morning, they were sleepy.
Lan Miao weakly stretched out a jade hand from under the bed curtain, and lifted the curtain up. She supported her face with her hand, and squinted at Jingxiang Emperor, who had already put on his dragon robe and crown, and was shaking out his long sleeves with high spirits.
His Majesty had too much energy.
"Your Majesty is going to court? Concubine should get up too."
Lan Miao rubbed her eyes and yawned.
"Wife has worked hard. Wait for Zhen to come back from court to accompany you." Jingxiang Emperor leaned in front of Lan Miao, and helped her up. Lan Miao got out of bed wrapped in a moon-white single garment, her face flushed.
In fact, she did not need Jingxiang Emperor to accompany her every day.
Once she entered the palace, she was not the kind of woman who liked to monopolize the emperor every day. But if she said that she did not need it, His Majesty might think that she did not care about him.
Lan Miao nodded. "Your Majesty should focus on state affairs. Concubine will take good care of herself."
Jingxiang Emperor scraped her nose, and then called for the maid. He then left to go to court.
Han Bi and Yan Hong served Lan Miao as she washed and changed clothes.
When the warm water covered her eyelashes, Lan Miao's thoughts became a lot clearer. Xue Er should be going to school at this time. She had to understand the situation in the Palace of Eternal Joy clearly. After all, everything here had been arranged by His Majesty. She could not ask His Majesty about everything.
His Majesty could not possibly take care of everything.
Lan Miao sat in front of the mirror, and gently dotted the rouge on her lips.
Han Bi put on a pair of green jade earrings for her, making her facial features look even more exquisite. When Yan Hong was putting the jade hairpin on Lan Miao, she said softly, "Concubine Lan, the accounts of the Jade Workshop of Compassion have been sorted out clearly. All the affairs in the workshop have been handed over to Shuang Xi and Shuang Le. The jade workshop has nothing to do with the Marquis' Mansion anymore."
"Okay. This palace will take a look later."
Lan Miao said calmly.
She had always been cultivating jade carvers in the jade workshop. Now that she was no longer in the jade workshop, she believed that the jade workshop could continue to be maintained under the leadership of Mother Yue and the others.
A hesitant look appeared on Yan Hong's face, and she continued, "Your Highness, when this servant left the Marquis' Mansion last night, this servant heard that the Old Lady Wen of the Marquis' Mansion had been unconscious, and had not woken up yet."
Lan Miao frowned.
The old lady's body was much worse than before.
It was probably also because of the news of her being conferred the rank of concubine.
Lan Miao sighed softly. You Shi was also dead. Wen Hongxin should be waiting for a period of time for the upheaval to calm down, and then announce the news of You Shi's death. He was the Marquis. It was normal for him to remarry after his wife's death. It was estimated that there would be a new Lady Marquis in the Marquis' Mansion soon.
Fortunately, all these had nothing to do with her anymore.
"Okay. You worked hard last night. This palace has a pair of jade bracelets. They were carved by this palace personally a few years ago. They are for you and Han Bi."
Lan Miao took out a pair of green jade bracelets from under the mirror box with a smile, and placed them in Han Bi's and Yan Hong's hands respectively.
Han Bi and Yan Hong were shocked, and immediately knelt down.
"Your Highness is too kind. How can this servant accept something carved by Your Highness personally?"
"There is nothing to accept or not accept. You are the people given to this palace by His Majesty. Then you are this palace's people. You have done your job well. This palace will naturally reward you. Take them." Lan Miao said with a light smile.
Han Bi and Yan Hong looked at each other, and a grateful look appeared on their faces.
They also knew that Lan Miao had completely regarded them as her own people.
"Thank you, Your Highness. This servant will definitely serve Your Highness."
"Get up. Don't be so polite."
Lan Miao personally helped them up, and said with a smile, "Tell this palace about the situation in the Palace of Eternal Joy. From now on, this will be this palace's home."
They nodded, and then told Lan Miao in detail about the situation of all the people in the palace and the things that His Majesty had bestowed yesterday.
While Lan Miao was having breakfast, she looked at the account books they had recorded. She asked clearly about all the unreasonable or doubtful points.
Then, she summoned all the palace servants in the Palace of Eternal Joy, and only then did she realize that His Majesty had bestowed a lot of people to her.
A steward, Nanny Ping, two head aunts, four maids in the outer palace, four maids in the inner palace, two head eunuchs, four eunuchs in the outer palace and four eunuchs in the inner palace, not including the little eunuchs who did all kinds of odd jobs in the palace.
After these people had met one by one, Lan Miao recognized their faces, and rewarded them with a lot of things. An hour had passed.
Han Bi rubbed Lan Miao's shoulders, and said softly, "Your Highness, the situation in your palace is about the same as Concubine Jia's palace. The number of people is the same."
"But Concubine Jia's rank is higher than this palace's, right? In this case, isn't this an overstep?"
Lan Miao frowned. She was a cautious and calm person. Even if His Majesty doted on her, she did not think that she could overstep Concubine Jia, who had seniority much longer than hers.
Han Bi said with a light smile, "The title His Majesty gave you is the character 'Lan', so your rank is the same as Concubine Jia. Your Highness don't need to worry. This is a blessing that many people cannot even ask for."
So that was the case.
But after all, Concubine Jia was a concubine who had been in the palace for so many years, and had given birth to a prince. And Lan Miao had just arrived. Her treatment was actually the same as Concubine Jia's. This was really a bit too much.
She had also seen His Majesty's rewards. They were so many that she thought it was very exaggerated. She suspected if His Majesty had sent the wrong things.
"Your Highness, His Majesty dotes on you so much. He is really sincere to you. It will get better in the future. You have to adapt."
Seeing Lan Miao's slightly worried face, Yan Hong joked. Han Bi on the side also laughed.
The corner of Lan Miao's lips twitched, and she pulled out a faint smile.
It seemed that she really had to adapt to life in the palace well.
Then, she spent another hour, and carefully inventoried the situation in the Palace of Eternal Joy. Only after she had thoroughly memorized the things she had to handle daily did she have a chance to catch her breath and drink some tea.
She had experience in managing the jade workshop. Now that she used it to manage her own palace, it was just right.
It was just that not long after, Han Bi came to remind her that she should go to pay respects to the Empress Dowager and Princess Kaiyun with the other concubines.
"Your Highness, Princess Kaiyun is also in the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility with the Empress Dowager at this time. When you go over later, you can also catch up with Her Highness the Princess."
Yan Hong said with a smile as she tidied up the folds on Lan Miao's collar.
"Why is Princess Kaiyun in the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility today?"
Lan Miao asked in confusion.
"It is said that it was Concubine Gui who invited Her Highness the Princess. It seems that she wants to apologize to Her Highness the Princess. It should be because of the matter of the grassland catching fire that day." Han Bi thought seriously.
Everything was reasonable, but Lan Miao sensed something was wrong.