Chapter 1540 - 1538: Background
Chapter 1540: Chapter 1538: Background
Chapter 1538
"But..." Lin Siyin hesitated slightly.
Zhao Qichen said he had already arranged everything, so if she intervened, wouldn’t it be a bit redundant?
The main issue was that she had no experience and feared that messing things up would be a big problem.
"The Emperor said everything is arranged, no need for me... to worry!"
Sheng Chunhua quickly stepped forward with a smile.
"Oh, Empress, the Emperor cares for you, that’s why he doesn’t want you to get involved!"
"But the Emperor is so tired, you can’t just sit back and reap the benefits. You need to care for him too!"
This statement hit directly at Lin Siyin’s heart.
The image of Zhao Qichen’s endlessly weary and bloodshot eyes was vivid in her mind, and her heart wrenched.
After a moment of hesitance, she opened her mouth hesitantly.
"Then what should I do now?"
Seeing the fish take the bait, Sheng Chunhua’s eyes gleamed brighter.
"That’s easy to handle!"
"Though I don’t have much seniority, I have spent a few years in the palace! I’ve experienced several New Year’s banquets!"
"If the Empress needs, I am willing to offer my full support!"
"Good!"
Lin Siyin was delighted.
This palace maid usually seemed stern, but her heart was quite kind; at least she was willing to help.
She felt somewhat smug, thinking it wasn’t so difficult to navigate the harem! Zhao Qichen was being too cautious.
"Tell me about the procedure for the New Year’s banquet first!"
"And what I can do, explain everything to me!"
Lin Siyin decided to set aside her prejudices and listen carefully to the advice.
Seeing the opportunity arise, Sheng Chunhua’s eyes lit up as she respectfully knelt to the ground, reciting her carefully prepared script word by word.
This was the trap she had painstakingly woven.
As she spoke, a slight grin of satisfaction appeared on her face.
’Hmph! You despicable woman, just wait and see!’
...
The lights of Jiaofang Hall remained lit until late at night.
Lin Siyin lay in bed but was unable to fall asleep; at this moment, her mind was filled with the procedures for tomorrow’s New Year’s banquet.
When to serve the dishes, when to toast, when to present songs and dances.
Afraid that she might forget, she had to repeatedly recite it in her mind.
Before she knew it, the night had grown deep, and after tossing and turning with anxiety, she finally fell asleep.
The next morning.
As expected, she slept until the sun was already high in the sky.
"Oh no! Someone, someone!" she shouted frantically as she jumped out of bed.
Sheng Chunhua heard the call and rushed in to ask.
"Empress, what happened to you?"
"What time is it? Why did I sleep so soundly? How come you didn’t wake me?"
Normally, even if she slept in a little, she would grumble nonstop; how come she was suddenly missing now?
Sheng Chunhua quickly put on a look of concern.
"Empress, you slept too late last night; I was worried about you!"
"There’s still a lot to be busy with in the afternoon! I was afraid you’d be tired!"
Hearing her reasonable explanation, Lin Siyin said nothing more and waved her hand.
"Alright then!"
"Help me get dressed; I need to go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs later!"
Sheng Chunhua’s heart skipped a beat.
"Empress, what are you going to the Ministry of Internal Affairs for?"
"To confirm the procedures." Lin Siyin said casually as she dressed.
"The New Year’s banquet procedures are all the effort of the people in the Ministry of Internal Affairs; of course, I need to confirm them! What if I remember wrong?"
Sheng Chunhua felt a wave of panic.
If she went to confirm the procedures, wouldn’t her little tricks be exposed? No! Absolutely not!
She quickly moved forward to stop her.
"Oh, no need!"
"Such a trivial matter doesn’t require your personal attention!!"
"If you need anything, I can go ask for you, or better yet, I can invite them here to see you, can’t I?!"
"You don’t need to personally visit, it would overwhelm them!"
"You are the Empress! You must always remember your status!"
Lin Siyin: "..."
After a long while, she nodded half-doubtfully.
"Alright, I won’t go then!"
Sheng Chunhua breathed a sigh of relief.
...
In the morning, Lin Siyin tried to go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to confirm the procedures but was stopped by Sheng Chunhua.
At noon, Lin Siyin wanted to summon the Steward of the Ministry of Internal Affairs but was stopped again by Sheng Chunhua.
In the afternoon, she wanted to go check the venue but was again prevented by Sheng Chunhua.
In the end, she was thoroughly depressed.
"Am I not allowed to go out at all?"
Sheng Chunhua quickly smiled.
"It’s not that you can’t go out, it’s just that as the Empress, it’s unbecoming to be rushing around at this time!"
"Even at the banquet, when facing the royal family ladies, you must enter last!"
Lin Siyin: "..."
Alright, alright, she accepted all the royal rules!
At this moment, she still felt nothing wrong with the palace maid full of rules before her.
After all, it was her first time celebrating the New Year in the palace, and she knew absolutely nothing.
...
Evening finally came.
After being cooped up in Jiaofang Hall all day, Lin Siyin finally saw the even more exhausted Zhao Qichen.
As soon as he entered, he was drenched in snow and chilled to the bone; it was clear he had rushed back from outside the palace.
Her heart ached as she went forward to help him remove his outer garment.
"Why didn’t you travel slower?!"
"If necessary, I can share the burden with you!"
Zhao Qichen gave a slight smile.
"Better not, I’m afraid you’ll be used by others!"
Lin Siyin pouted.
"How could that be? Impossible, it won’t happen!"
"I’m not stupid!"
Zhao Qichen chuckled softly again.
"You’re not stupid, but even you can’t guard against others being too cunning!"
"Since it’s your first time celebrating New Year in the palace, I’m worried about everything!"
Lin Siyin lowered her head and said nothing more, but her heart was sweet as honey.
’Alright, then!’
’Luckily, I made an effort to memorize everything last night. Today I’m going to show you that I can be a good Empress and share your burdens!’
"Alright!"
Zhao Qichen, having changed his clothes, patted her on the shoulder.
"Don’t be in a daze; I’ll go to the Imperial Study Room first to handle some matters!"
"You change and come find me; we’ll go to the banquet together!"
"Oh!"
Lin Siyin nodded and saw him off.
...
As the harem was empty, with only the Empress, they couldn’t speak of a harem family banquet.
Zhao Qichen invited all the princes, princess consorts, uncles, and aunts from the royal clan, making it another form of family banquet.
The New Year’s banquet was set in Ninghe Hall in front of Ningshou Palace.
All the princes and princess consorts from each estate, even the Commandery Princes who traveled long distances from their fiefdoms with their families, had arrived, but the Emperor and Empress had not.
With nothing better to do, they gathered in threes and twos to chat.
"I heard this Empress was brought back by the Emperor from Guangnan?"
An old Princess Consort who had spent years at her fiefdom asked incredulously, and she meant no harm, just sheer surprise and curiosity.
"Yes! Her background isn’t great, and it’s hard to believe what kind of person she is to have moved the Emperor!" another old Princess Consort chimed in.