The Mid - Autumn Imperial Banquet arrived as scheduled.
It had drizzled a bit in the early morning, but the rain stopped just in time at noon. After the sun came out, the air became even fresher.
In the Queen's Palace.
"Your Majesty, I think this bright red dress is the most beautiful. It really suits your temperament!" Donghua held up a long, bright red dress with gilded patterns and said to the woman in front of her.
"No, no, no. I think this purple one makes you look more elegant and noble!" On the other side, Concubine Shu held up a long purple dress with printed patterns and retorted to Donghua.
Caught in the middle, Dongfang Yi had a splitting headache. Bombarded by the double - barreled words from both sides, she felt a bit helpless for a moment and could only silently lower her head.
"Your Majesty! Please make a choice quickly!" The two women beside her shouted in unison.
Unable to bear their nagging, Dongfang Yi had to raise her hand and randomly point at one. After all, she thought the two dresses were not much different.
She pointed at the red dress. Seeing her choice, Donghua raised her head like a proud peacock and looked at Concubine Shu beside her.
Concubine Shu threw the dress in her hand aside angrily and stomped over to the dressing table. "Let's choose hairpins now!"
"Choose then!" Donghua responded without showing any weakness.
Sitting on one side, Dongfang Yi sighed even more helplessly. She couldn't help but think that women from ancient times to the present were all the same. They all liked to choose clothes and accessories, and what's more, dress up others!
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but mutter softly, "Does it really matter what to wear and what to wear..."
Hearing her words, Donghua and Concubine Shu both stopped their searching. They turned around in unison and said to her, "Of course it matters!"
After saying that, they didn't care about Dongfang Yi's surprised look and turned back to continue their selection.
Dongfang Yi didn't dare to say anything more. She was afraid that the two women in front of her would dress her up like a social butterfly if they got angry.
In Concubine Shun's Palace on the other side.
Compared with other palaces, her palace was extremely quiet. Concubines in other palaces were all busy dressing up to shine at the banquet.
But Concubine Shun was sitting in front of the dressing table blank - faced, not making any move or saying a word.
"Your Majesty... it's time for us to change clothes and do your hair..." The little maid beside her said tremblingly.
She had never seen her mistress so absent - minded. Her mistress had always been gentle and smiling, but now she was as still as a pool of stagnant water, having lost all her former vitality.
But Concubine Shun didn't say anything. She just picked up the comb beside her and started combing her own hair, her eyes still dull.
Normally, when there was something to do, Nanny Dong would do her hair. Nanny Dong was very skillful and could always do many beautiful hair buns.
Thinking of this, her hand paused for a moment. A sense of desolation welled up in her heart, which was soon replaced by anger.
Finally, unable to contain her anger, she swept all the things on the dressing table to the ground. Tears streamed down her face one by one.
Seeing her mistress suddenly get angry, the little maid beside her seemed to be frightened and knelt on the ground. She quickly said, "Your Majesty, please calm down."
But in fact, she had no idea what the woman in front of her was angry about. She only knew that since Nanny Dong was executed, her mistress often sat in front of the dressing table in silence for an entire afternoon.
After calming her emotions for a while, Concubine Shun raised her hand to wipe away her tears. She stabilized her emotions and said to the little maid kneeling on the ground, "Come and do my hair."
Hearing the order, the little maid who had been kneeling at her feet quickly got up to do her hair.
She knew she had no reason to be so decadent. After the incident of Nanny Dong, which had spread throughout the palace, Helian Qi must have known about it. But he didn't even come to see her once, not even sending a single word of comfort.
Thinking of this, a bitter smile tugged at her lips. Sure enough, as long as it was something related to the Queen, the Emperor's attention would only be on her. What was she? Just a plaything.
The hand on the table tightened unconsciously. She didn't even notice that her fingernails had dug into her palm and drawn blood until the maid doing her hair behind her exclaimed, "Your Majesty, your hand is bleeding!"
Only then did she feel a sharp pain in her palm. People rushed in from outside the palace to bandage her wound.
Looking at the noisy crowd in front of her dealing with such a small wound, she couldn't help but think in her heart: Who says only the Queen is the most noble? In terms of family background, she was no worse than the Queen.
She would strive to take back all the imperial favor, including all the Emperor's attention and love.
In Concubine Chu's Palace on the other side.
Concubine Chu was also dressing up. Looking at herself in the mirror, she increasingly thought she was so beautiful.
But then she thought of Dongfang Yi, who had monopolized everyone's favor since childhood, while she had always been like an accessory.
"Your Majesty, please choose a dress."
The maid beside her picked out two long silk dresses from the wardrobe. One was in the style of green water ripples, and the other was in the style of peach blossoms.
Concubine Chu looked at the two dresses coldly and said unhappily, "Take them all away. Take out the red dress with poppy patterns that has been stored at the bottom of the trunk."
After saying that, it was obvious that the little maid showed a bit of hesitation on her face. She still remembered how eye - catching that dress was. If she wore it to the banquet, wouldn't it be like stealing the limelight?
"But Your Majesty..." The little maid wanted to say something more, but was interrupted by Concubine Chu in a sharp voice.
"Go and get it!" Her voice was so harsh that the little maid didn't dare to refute anymore. She had to obediently go to the bottom of the trunk to take out the dress.
After being helped into the dress by the maid, Concubine Chu looked at her gorgeous self in the mirror and couldn't help but smile happily. She thought to herself that she would definitely be the most eye - catching concubine at the banquet.
After thinking this, she laughed out loudly and arrogantly. The maid beside her still kept her head down and didn't dare to say a word.
As night fell, perhaps because of the rain in the early morning, the weather tonight was extremely clear. The moon was bright and the stars were sparse. A full moon hung brightly on the edge of the starry sky, arousing endless reverie.
The concubines in the palace were all helped by their maids and eunuchs into the carriages going to the city tower. A group of people were chatting and laughing, looking extremely lively. Especially Concubine Shu, Concubine Jia and their group were extremely noisy.
As the Queen, Dongfang Yi must appear in front of the people with the Emperor on such an important festival. So she was helped by Donghua to the Qianqing Palace early.