Chapter 460: Chapter 460
Reflecting on Yuan Yuan’s situation, she wasn’t too bothered. After all, the original owner of her body had lost face so many times growing up that she couldn’t even count them. What did one more time matter?
Since the Emperor asked her to attend, she would just go. It was a good excuse to get out as she had been cooped up for a while, and a breath of fresh air would do her some good.
The main reason was that, having been in ancient times for so long, she was still confined to the small Yikun Palace. Thinking about it was rather sad. Now that this opportunity had arisen, whether she lost face or not was secondary; sightseeing was the main event.
Ever since the poison in her body had been 70 to 80 percent eliminated, her craving for food had diminished. Controlling her diet, along with yoga, running, and farm work as exercise, it was only a matter of time before she lost weight. Slow and steady wins the race, after all. One cannot eat hot tofu in haste, and she had to give her skin time to adjust and tighten, right?
Ever since the Emperor had notified her of the National Day celebrations, she found herself eager to go out and explore.
Therefore, on a sunny and breezy morning, after finishing her morning exercises, running, and breakfast, she left Yikun Palace escorted by her four Senior Palace Maids and four eunuchs. It was the first time she had stepped out of Yikun Palace since she had arrived two months ago.
The weather was starting to get warm. Concerned that the bearers wouldn’t be able to cope with her weight and considering walking as exercise, she decided to walk out of Yikun Palace.
The harem of Dongru Country was not as vast as the Forbidden City of later eras. As someone who had wandered through twelve palaces, the harem of Dongru Country was, frankly, at least half the size. Even so, this did not affect their similar architectural style, like the golden-glazed tiles, vermillion archways, and the large red-lacquered gates. Everywhere were intricately carved beams and painted buildings with a resplendent gold finish, giving off an ancient and dignified ambiance.
Walking on the cobblestone road, palace maids and eunuchs would often stop to greet her. After she passed, however, they would all smother their laughter, clearly mocking her physique.
The walk from the Central Palace to the Imperial Garden was quite a distance, and during this time, the news that the Empress was leaving Yikun Palace spread like pigeon messages to every corner of the secretive court.
By the time she reached the Imperial Garden, the place was filled with beauties, their fragrance wafting through the air. So, they were all here to witness the precious national treasure panda that was her? Follow current novels on N()velFire.net
It was unexpected that the young Emperor had quite a number of concubines - over ten of them. But the only one who had been conferred the title of concubine was Li Suyun, the legitimate eldest daughter of the Master Mansion. The others were merely concubines and palace women. Considering the Emperor’s age, the chances for him to share a bed with them were slim.
The Empress was young among them because the selected women must be of age to qualify for the palace. Since the Emperor was young, the first batch of his concubines were chosen to be slightly older, but not by much. Take Consort De, who was only eighteen, that was about the limit, and anyone older would likely not be admitted to the palace.
The main reason for the appointment of a Consort De, who had yet to serve the Emperor, was mainly due to the ineffectiveness of the Empress and the Empress Dowager’s disinterest in harem matters. They turned to Li Suyun of the Master Mansion, known as the most talented woman in Beijing, to manage the harem and be more effective.
Yuan Yuan, of course, didn’t recognize any of these people. So when she appeared, the women in the Imperial Garden, dressed like colorful butterflies, approached her to introduce themselves. There were no more than fifteen, so Yuan Yuan managed to somewhat remember their names and ranks. Consort De, however, did not appear.