Quick Transmigration: Underdog Turns out to be Untouchable

Chapter 892: Chapter 803: Unwilling to Be a Slave 23

The Noble Consort, following Nangong Shuangshuang’s request, secluded herself in Yingyue Palace for self-cultivation. During this period, the Emperor visited once, but the Noble Consort didn’t show an urgent desire to share a bed with him; instead, she tried to be gentle, chatted with him, played chess, and engaged in the 解读 flower activity.

The Noble Consort excelled at the ancient zither, and the Emperor always enjoyed listening to her play. However, the Emperor had very discerning ears, having grown accustomed to the performances of skilled musicians, and he especially valued the emotional depth of a composition.

When the Noble Consort first joined the Emperor, her thoughts were pure, and her exceptional zither skills conveyed deep emotions, which the Emperor liked very much. However, as she spent more time in the harem, her thoughts became less pure, changing from what they once were.

On top of that, as the Noble Consort developed romantic feelings for the Emperor, she inevitably grew jealous of the beauties in his harem. Consequently, although her zither playing improved with practice over time, the emotions in her music faded, leading the Emperor to gradually stop listening to her play.

Nangong Shuangshuang worked closely with the Noble Consort for a long time, providing psychological counseling to help her redirect her focus away from the Emperor. She also taught the Noble Consort how to eliminate distractions while playing the zither, and to pour her entire heart into the music.

Now, when the Noble Consort plays the zither, both her technique and the emotional depth of her music have improved significantly. The Emperor, after hearing her play just once, fell in love with her zither music again and visited Yingyue Palace three days in a row, which was a rare favor in recent years.

During these few days, when the Noble Consort went out to greet the Empress, she heard many sarcastic remarks and saw envious glances, making her feel very proud and increasing her reliance on Nangong Shuangshuang’s advice. She conducted herself according to Nangong Shuangshuang’s guidance in every action.

After soaking in the Clothing Bureau for half a month, Nangong Shuangshuang finally completed several sets of specially designed clothes for the Noble Consort. These outfits had one characteristic: ethereal, like a fairy. Nangong Shuangshuang incorporated many modern elements into the design.

For instance, the clothing sashes were changed to beautifully styled flower-shaped clasps. The shoulder areas of the garments were reinforced with an inner layer to give the shoulders more shape. The flowers on the clothes were chosen to be hollowed designs, adding a three-dimensional effect.

A cluster of red plum blossoms bloomed on the moon-white bustier, simple and elegant, while the base of the moon-white skirt was dyed crimson with vibrant plum blossoms, with the flowers gradually thinning and spreading upwards until only scattered petals remained on the white fabric near the waist.

The white waistband was embroidered with plum blossom petals, and a red silk sash tied into a flower-like plum blossom adorned the fastening spot. The red plum blossoms and white silk created a pure and elegant appearance.

No concubine in the palace dared to wear white garments. Although it was often said to be stylish like mourning clothes, and known to make one look ethereal, white was also considered an inauspicious color, and no one dared to wear it for a touch of style.

However, the Noble Consort’s white attire was different because it was adorned with plenty of bold red, thus eliminating the taboo of wearing white while retaining its stylish and ethereal qualities without being too plain and cold.

In addition to this attire, the Noble Consort’s shoes were also specially made by Nangong Shuangshuang. The shoes were made of pale pink fabric, with a modern cutting technique eliminating unsightly folds, making them neat and stylish. The pointed front of the shoe was wrapped in a red plum blossom, with scattered petals extending backward to the heel.

Although these shoes weren’t adorned with gems like the shoes of other harem women, they were beautiful in their unique way. The Noble Consort had small feet, as graceful as a crescent moon, with ten toes as delicate as White Jade. Nangong Shuangshuang even painted a red plum blossom on the top of the Noble Consort’s foot.

The Noble Consort’s intricately styled hair was released, with the heavy hairpiece removed, and simply styled into an easy topknot, with two specially made red plum hairpins inserted. Simple plum blossom earrings dangled from her ears, devoid of other adornments, providing a refreshingly clean look.

The makeup on her face was completely removed. The ancients’ makeup was always too heavy, like a thick layer of paste—the thicker and whiter, the better—and they didn’t know how to define the eyes. The eyes are most important in a person’s appearance, and defining them can enhance beauty significantly.

Nangong Shuangshuang used a brush for small calligraphy, dipped in indigo brow gel, to draw beautiful eye makeup for the Noble Consort, making her already beautiful eyes appear more vibrant, attractive, and full of allure.

The Noble Consort’s skin was very well maintained, so delicate and smooth as if it would break under slight pressure. Nangong Shuangshuang did not apply any powder on her face, only simple skincare, a little balm, concluding with a touch of pink lip color for a natural look.

After this transformation, the Noble Consort appeared like a Fairy incarnate from plum blossoms; though she was still the same person with the same expressions, seeing the ethereal beauty in the copper mirror made it hard for her to believe it was indeed herself!

The Emperor’s mood had been good recently. The disaster relief was proceeding smoothly because this time, he sent out his trusted ministers, which proved highly effective. Several corrupt officials were also dealt with, curbing the influx of refugees into the Capital City, bringing everything under control.

So, the Emperor now had the leisure to turn his thoughts to the harem. Originally, he intended to visit Lianpin today, but Lianpin happened to catch a cold, so the Emperor went filled with expectations but returned disappointed, then decided to visit his currently most favored concubine, Lin Cairen.

This Lin Cairen was young and beautiful, skilled in singing and dancing, and very articulate, with a bright personality that delighted the Emperor. If it weren’t for the ancestral rule that irrespective of their background, all women entering the palace as concubines must start from the lowest Junior Eighth Rank and rise gradually, Lin Cairen would not have remained a Talented for long.

Even with this rule, her rise was rapid. In just a year, she had ascended from the Junior Eighth Rank Attendant to the current Seventh Rank Talented, a speed that rivaled early favored concubines like the Noble Consort and Lianpin. Nowadays, the harem people acknowledged that another future high-ranking favored concubine was emerging.

The Emperor personally chose Lin Cairen’s residence, Chunfeng Pavilion, a small palace but one with beautiful scenery. The most important aspect was that, because Chunfeng Pavilion was so small, it wasn’t assigned the position of Main Lady.

In other words, among the concubines residing in Chunfeng Pavilion, there was no overseeing Main Lady; whoever held the highest rank took charge.

Currently, among the concubines residing in Chunfeng Pavilion, Lin Cairen held the highest rank, with others being Junior Eighth Rank Attendants and Senior Eighth Rank concubines.