Everyone moved to the dining room. The Queen Mother took Baili Xixi to sit next to her, and the Queen and others sat down one after another.
Li Shuxian stood next to the dining table. She took the chopsticks in the little eunuch's hand, picked up a delicate crystal bag and put it on the empress dowager's plate.
The Empress Dowager pointed to the bottom of the table, and said to Li Shuxian calmly: "You are also Princess Dongrong's aunt. There is no reason for you to stand and wait while she is not sitting."
Li Shuxian quickly thanked her and sat down on one third of the stool.
The queen had already eaten breakfast, but she still pretended to take a piece of hibiscus cake.
Baili Xixi drank less than half a bowl of porridge and asked, "I heard that my father has a concubine Li, why didn't I see her today?"
The Queen was overjoyed when Baili Xixi mentioned Concubine Li. She put down the half-bitten hibiscus cake and said a little aggrievedly, "The Emperor rested in Concubine Li's palace again yesterday."
The queen said and wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. The queen was really aggrieved. Yesterday was the first day of the lunar month. On the first and fifteenth day of every month, according to the rules, the emperor should sleep where she should.
Concubine De and Concubine Shu also disliked the favored Concubine Li very much. Concubine De said: "Today is the day of greetings. Concubine Li is so unruly. She is arrogant and arrogant based on your majesty's favor. She doesn't treat the Queen Mother as such.
The empress takes it seriously."
Concubine Shu also said: "Princess Dongrong entered the palace for the first time today, and Concubine Li didn't even come. Really, I don't know what happened to her noble feet?"
"What else can happen? Your Majesty!" the queen said sourly.
Concubine De and Concubine Shu were also jealous. The emperor rested in Concubine Li's palace nine out of ten days. Concubine Li was really doted on!
The queen sobbed and wiped her tears, "Empress, yesterday was the first day of the new year. The emperor stayed overnight in Concubine Li's palace. He really doesn't take me seriously."
"It turns out that Concubine Li is just like the legend. She is so favored by the Emperor!" Baili Xixi looked surprised and a little excited. But Li Shuxian put down her chopsticks and lowered her head. There were some things that she shouldn't hear.
.
Princess Xirong and Princess Nanrong also sat silently.
The Queen Mother looked at Princess Xirong, Princess Nanrong, and Li Shuxian, and finally she glanced at the Queen coldly.
How could anyone say anything bad about her father-in-law in front of her daughter-in-law? Moreover, this father-in-law was the emperor above all others. This queen was sometimes smart and sometimes confused. The Empress Dowager shook her head in her heart.
The Empress Dowager put down her chopsticks and said calmly to the Empress: "Empress, it's not that the Ai family is talking about you. The Emperor loves Concubine Li so much. You should reflect on it..."
"Should I reflect?" The queen was stunned, and then she stood up a little excitedly, "What did I do wrong? Huang'e Niang, yesterday was the first day of the new year. At noon, the concubine and the emperor went to Dongrong Prince's Mansion and returned in the afternoon.
After arriving at the palace, the emperor went straight to Concubine Li's palace. Not only did he sleep in Concubine Li's palace all night, he didn't even go to court in the morning..."
The queen said, her chest rising and falling with anger. The emperor's behavior yesterday really slapped her hard in the face.
The queen was so angry that she almost lost her mind. The queen mother sympathized with the queen, but she also resented her and didn't like her.
"Queen, have you ever thought about why the emperor likes Concubine Li so much?" The empress dowager interrupted. Her dagger-like eyes swept over Li Shuxian. Li Shuxian shrank her shoulders, immediately stood up from her seat, and retreated silently.