svetikya Chapter 117 Consort Yuan
Chapter 117 Consort Yuan
The emperor also looked over, full of anticipation.
The Empress Dowager said, "I have also heard about it. I wonder what birthday gift Consort Yuan has prepared for His Majesty?"
Shen Shixi said, "Please allow me to whet the Empress Dowager's appetite for a moment. The main issue is whether the birthday gifts should be presented in the correct order. The Empress and the other ladies have already prepared their gifts, all hoping to please the Emperor. I shouldn't preemptively make my own."
"This is the proper etiquette!" said the Empress Dowager. "Let's proceed according to the order!"
The Empress made a set of nightgowns by hand, Consort De made a pair of boots by hand, Consort Rong painted a picture, Consort Qiong copied a recipe, and Consort Qing made a set of everyday clothes with excellent embroidery...
When it was Shen Shixi's turn, she raised her hand, and two people from the palace carried in something covered with red silk.
Qing Zhaoyuan laughed and said, "Yuan Jieyu, you didn't embroider a screen by hand, did you? There are two today."
Shen Shixi said, "Your Highness Qing Zhaoyuan is too kind to me. Everyone knows that I am a lazy person who can't even lift a needle. Your Highness Qing Zhaoyuan's needlework is truly excellent. I am ashamed to admit that I am not as good as you."
She walked over, and the emperor walked over too.
The emperor himself pulled off the red cloth, and he found himself face to face with himself!
It's incredibly detailed!
The emperor was almost frightened.
Shen Shixi grasped his hand and leaned closer to him. "Your Majesty, are you surprised? Are you not? Look at you, you're truly a celestial being!"
Shen Shixi adjusted the angle of the mirror, and the emperor saw his most authentic self.
Everyone else was utterly shocked.
The Empress Dowager approached as if mesmerized. The Emperor made way for her, offering her the best spot in the mirror. Somewhat flustered, she touched the jewels in her hair, straightened her clothes, and laughed, "Is this really what I look like?"
She couldn't believe it at all.
Bronze mirrors are indeed very clear, but no matter how clear they are, they are not as good as glass mirrors. They also have a higher reflectivity, and they can't provide the same life-size effect.
The emperor couldn't believe it either. He looked at his mother, then at her reflection in the mirror. "Mother, the person in this is you, exactly the same!"
Consort Qing cried out, "Empress Dowager, you...you mustn't be fooled! This might be some kind of sorcery by Consort Yuan. Did she capture your soul here?"
[Is Kyung So-won an idiot? How did she come up with the idea of pinning such a crime on me?]
She said, "Qing Zhaoyuan, don't exaggerate! It seems that every morning, your soul leaves your body and stays in your bronze mirror for an hour?"
The Empress Dowager was also somewhat frightened by what she said.
Li Yuanyin circled the mirror and discovered the secret lay in the coating behind the glass. He said, "Mother, don't listen to such things. This glass was given to Consort Yuan by your son. She put something on the back of it, and that's how it turned out like this..."
Shen Shixi said, "I also call this a mirror. This is a full-length mirror that was given to the Emperor."
The Empress Dowager was delighted. "Xi'er, I want one too."
Shen Shixi said, "If the Empress Dowager likes it, I will naturally offer it to you as a token of my respect. It just so happens that I made an extra one this time, so I will have someone send it to your palace right away."
Everyone ran to the mirror and looked at themselves. Although everyone had seen themselves in the bronze mirror, those who had used a bronze mirror knew how different they looked.
Where can you find something so clear and straightforward?
Bronze mirrors are initially very clear, but they are prone to oxidation when exposed to air. They need to be polished every now and then. It is difficult to polish the mirror to a shine, not to mention that bronze mirrors are generally convex, making it difficult to polish them evenly and to avoid distortion and deformation in the details.
"Oh my, this is really good stuff!" Princess An also wanted some.
Shen Shixi smiled without saying a word; she was just a concubine in the harem, not a craftsman.
The emperor pretended not to hear. He was very pleased and issued an edict: "Consort Yuan, of the Shen family, is of noble birth, virtuous and prudent by nature, skilled in domestic duties, and commendable in loyalty and filial piety. Her merits are worthy of being recorded. She is hereby promoted to the rank of Zhaoyi."
He then instructed Li Fude, "Have the Ministry of Rites prepare the investiture ceremony properly, and order the Imperial Astronomical Bureau to select an auspicious day. At that time, please ask Prince An's uncle to serve as the investiture envoy and perform the investiture ceremony for Consort Yuan!"
For those below the rank of concubine, it was simply a matter of the emperor's verbal decree; there was no formal investiture ceremony. For those above the rank of concubine, whether or not an investiture ceremony was held depended on the emperor's decision.
The emperor said, "You have talent."
The Nine Concubines were divided into three ranks: Zhaoyi, Zhaoyuan, and Zhaorong were in the first rank; those whose names began with the character "Xiu" were in the next rank; and those whose names began with the character "Chong" were in the next rank.
Shen Shixi rose to the rank of Zhaoyi in one fell swoop.
Is there no justice in this world? She beat the Prince of Jin and his wife so badly that they were bleeding from their heads and had broken bones, yet she was still allowed to become a concubine.
But at this moment, who wouldn't want a mirror? Shen Shixi's ability to create such a rare item is truly commendable.
No one dared to say that the reward was too generous, after all, what if they offended her and couldn't get the mirror?
Prince An received the imperial edict, "Your subject obeys!"
Shen Shixi didn't stand on ceremony and knelt down to express her gratitude. As soon as her knees touched the ground and she finished saying "Thank you for your great kindness," the emperor pulled her up.
Qing Zhaoyuan is really confused. She only got her position as Zhaoyuan because she gave birth to a son, and now Shen Shixi is even a little higher in rank than her.
"Consort Yuan is truly blessed! She's only been in the palace for a few days, and she's already become a princess. The Emperor even held such a grand investiture ceremony for her. It's truly enviable!"
"Then Sister Qing Zhaoyuan can only be envious. Who told her she wasn't lucky enough to have such good fortune!" Shen Shixi said with a smile.
Consort Qing was furious. "How can you say that, sister? I am the birth mother of the Second Prince, and you dare to say that I am not blessed?"
"So what if she gave birth to a prince? Like anyone can have children. Consort Qing has been with the Emperor for at least seven or eight years, if not ten, and only now has this one prince. Is that something to be proud of?"
Shen Shixi is really talking without any sense of the situation; she herself hasn't even given birth to a prince yet.
Consort Qing was nearly driven mad with anger by her. "My sister is also one of the Emperor's favorites, and she's been in the palace for half a year now, but we haven't seen any progress from her!"
"What's the rush? You'll give birth when it's time," Shen Shixi said casually, leaving people unable to guess her thoughts.
Before Consort Qing could continue, the Emperor grew impatient. "It seems Lady Xu is full. If you're full, take the Second Prince and go back first!"
Madam Xu was furious, but dared not disobey the imperial decree, and slunk away first.
Prince An wanted a mirror for his princess, but how could Shen Shixi do it herself? Out of respect for him as the envoy for the investiture, she said, "I have a few small mirrors left. I can give one to Princess An later."
As for something as life-size as this, Your Highness should ask the Emperor for it.
The emperor said, "I will discuss it with Consort Yuan later."
He doesn't even know how to make this thing.
When Shen Shixi made the mirrors, she made several extra: one for the emperor, one for the empress dowager, two for herself, and some smaller mirrors. She made quite a few in total, which would be nice gifts or presents.
After the event, the Empress Dowager couldn't wait to return to her palace to look in the mirror, and didn't let the Emperor escort her.
The emperor only ordered that the Prince of Jin and his wife be sent back and that the empress be taken good care of. He did not even mention going to see her, and then followed Shen Shixi back to Zhaoyang Palace.
The Empress was still trying her best to protect her pregnancy. She had been waiting in Qian Yuan Palace for so long, but the Emperor hadn't come to see her once. Instead, he went to Zhao Yang Palace. No matter how strong her will was, she was starting to lose her composure.
Tears streamed down my face.
"His Majesty is blaming me! He blames me for siding with my sister and brother-in-law, but what can I do? My sister is my family, and my mother has repeatedly told me to protect her. How can I stand by and watch my sister be humiliated?"
"I, too, wholeheartedly protect the Emperor, just like Lady Shen, but I am torn between the two!"
Granny Qu sighed, "Your Highness, you should really think about who has repeatedly tried to harm you!"
What time is it? You still have the mind to think about these things.