Zhaoyang Hall, the Palace of the Northern Yan
Zhao Chuyan stood outside Zhaoyang Hall, with her arms folded.
"Our queen has been mistreating the concubines in the harem. Today, let's stand united. We don't need to be afraid even if things get out of hand.
Anyway, His Majesty will be back tomorrow. If we state the facts, it's clearly the queen who is in the wrong."
The Virtuous Concubine, Wei Enxian, was an old-timer in the harem. She was the birth mother of the Third Prince, Murong Jue.
She was also His Majesty Murong Min's bosom friend, the one who could chat with the emperor the best and considered herself the emperor's red confidant.
Draped in a long, light-colored mink fur cloak, she looked elegant and noble, smiling faintly.
"The noble concubine just had half of the military power of the imperial guards taken away by the queen with just a few words. I'm sure she hates the queen to the core now. Is she deliberately trying to make things difficult for the queen today?"
Zhao Chuyan's elder brother was the commander of the imperial guards. She had secretly sent some guards over to surround Zhaoyang Hall. So tonight, she must get the monthly allowance and silver charcoal back for the concubines in the harem.
Inside and outside Zhaoyang Hall were all the people that Dugu Luanyue had brought from the Southern Chu. Naturally, they were willing to defend their mistress to the death. With their mistress not around, they fought desperately to stop anyone from entering, and thus the commotion started.
Dugu Luanyue got off the phoenix carriage, wearing an orange-red cloak made of red fox fur. She stood outside Zhaoyang Hall.
The wind and snow were like knives, cutting at her small face and making it tighten.
Dugu Luanyue's eyebrows straightened, and her long, curly phoenix eyelashes didn't even tremble. "You didn't come for the morning and evening greetings. What are you doing blocking the door of my Zhaoyang Hall at night?"
Led by the noble concubine, there were several concubines standing beside her. Judging from their attire, with high coiffures and luxurious robes, they must be the most prominent concubines in the harem.
There were also several more low-key concubines standing behind them. Presumably, they were close to these high-ranking concubines.
Zhao Chuyan always looked arrogant. If it weren't for those little words Dugu Luanyue had whispered to the emperor, how could the Prince of Yuzhang, who had no foundation in the court and had been idle after the war, have obtained the power of the deputy commander of the imperial guards?
She secretly hated this evil queen. Today, they, the old-timers in the palace, had joined forces to bring this evil queen down!
Zhao Chuyan said, "Your Majesty the Queen has been mistreating the concubines in the harem. Today, as the former mistress of the six palaces, I'm here to seek justice for my sisters in the harem. Open the palace door quickly and distribute the monthly allowance and charcoal properly!"
Dugu Luanyue curled her red lips. "You, Noble Concubine Zhao, said yourself that you are the former mistress of the six palaces. Then what right do you have to speak on behalf of the concubines in the harem?"
Aunt Meijiang scolded, "Bold! Why aren't you bowing when you see Her Majesty the Queen?"
The concubines at the back looked at each other, not knowing how to respond. But the high-ranking concubines at the front didn't even move a muscle.
Wei Enxian stood in front of the door of Zhaoyang Hall, looking as if she were the mistress of Zhaoyang Hall.
"Your Majesty the Queen has only been in the Northern Yan for a short time. Naturally, you don't understand the rules of the Northern Yan.
You are the step-queen, a second wife. Naturally, your status is different from that of the former legitimate queen."
What she meant was that as a newcomer, Dugu Luanyue would always be inferior.
Dugu Luanyue said, "Although I'm the step-queen, I'm still the main wife. As long as I'm here, you will always be concubines, of inferior status. There's a clear distinction between the legitimate and the illegitimate. Do I still need to teach you this?"
Wei Enxian used to be at odds with Zhao Chuyan because they had been fighting for the position of queen for many years.
Unexpectedly, in the end, neither of them won. The position of the Northern Yan queen went to this woman from the Southern Chu. They had long been gnashing their teeth in hatred.
Wei Enxian said, "Your Majesty the Queen must distribute the things today. Otherwise, we can only ask the imperial guards to go in and take them."
Dugu Luanyue's phoenix eyes were stern, and her voice was firm. "It's easy to get the monthly allowance and silver charcoal. Tomorrow, when the whole harem comes to pay their respects, I will distribute them according to the rules."
Some of the concubines at the back were getting impatient. They could wait for the monthly allowance, but in the cold winter of the Northern Yan, without silver charcoal, their hands and feet would freeze at night, which would be very uncomfortable.
They weren't like the queen, who could sleep with the emperor in her arms. These women, who were left alone in their empty rooms, were in urgent need of charcoal to keep them warm.
Zhao Chuyan raised her chin. "We noble women of the Northern Yan would never bow to a girl under twenty from the Southern Chu. It would be a laughingstock if word got out.
Your Southern Chu is just a small country. You were just lucky to get this marriage of alliance and marry our emperor of the Northern Yan, which is why you have the status of the Northern Yan queen today.
Otherwise, you would never have been able to live in this Zhaoyang Hall in your lifetime."
Wei Enxian glanced at Zhao Chuyan from the side. This woman had always been arrogant, but today she was even more so.
She held back and decided to watch the show first. Moreover, she still didn't know Dugu Luanyue well enough. She didn't know if she was just a vase or a capable woman.
The hostility in Dugu Luanyue's phoenix eyes gradually gathered. "Noble Concubine Zhao means that the Southern Chu is not worthy of your Northern Yan?"
Zhao Chuyan said coldly,
"Yes, you foxes from the Southern Chu are not worthy of our emperor of the Northern Yan!
Our Northern Yan is a powerful and iron-blooded country with a million brave soldiers. What do you have? Brothels and colorful decorations?"
Wei Enxian glanced at Zhao Chuyan again, a little surprised. This woman was really in a bad mood today. She dared to say anything.
Dugu Luanyue suddenly burst into laughter in the wind and snow. "Well said, very well said.
It seems that the Northern Yan really has no sincerity at all. This marriage of alliance was just to let me, a princess of the Southern Chu, come all the way here to be humiliated.
I just left to attend the birthday of the Prince of Yuzhang, and you were about to break into the queen's bedroom.
If you can do this today, I'm afraid you'll ask me, the main wife, to serve you tea and water tomorrow!"
Zhao Chuyan folded her arms and shouted, "I don't care about anything else. Someone, break open the door of Zhaoyang Hall. We'll take the things away!"
What was the status of the Zhao family in the Northern Yan? Even the emperor had to treat them gently. If there was a commotion today, she wasn't afraid at all.
All the Southern Chu palace servants in front of Zhaoyang Hall stood in a fighting stance, facing off against the imperial guards. These people all loved their country deeply.
Just now, they had heard Noble Concubine Zhao of the Northern Yan humiliating the Southern Chu. Far away from home, their hatred had been boiling over, and their eyes were filled with anger.
"Whoever dares to move in front of my Zhaoyang Hall, I guarantee that their blood will be spilled here!" Dugu Luanyue shouted angrily without showing any weakness, exuding the aura of a superior.
Aunt Meijiang had been standing beside Dugu Luanyue without taking a step back. Yu Zan was also following behind, her eyes flickering, and she unconsciously took half a step back.
The situation seemed to be getting more and more out of control. These high-ranking concubines of the Northern Yan seemed to really not put the people of the Southern Chu in their eyes at all.
Dugu Luanyue said, "Noble Concubine Zhao has been humiliating the Southern Chu everywhere. I wonder if it's the Zhao family of the Northern Yan that looks down on the Southern Chu, or His Majesty, or even the whole Northern Yan that looks down on this marriage of alliance.
When His Majesty returns tomorrow, I will definitely ask him personally if the Northern Yan wants to break the marriage contract. If so, I will never step into this Zhaoyang Hall again in my lifetime!"
Hearing this, Zhao Chuyan felt that something was wrong. It seemed to be going too far.
She swallowed hard. "I just want the queen to distribute the monthly allowance and silver charcoal according to the rules. Why are you bringing up the alliance between the two countries? You're so sharp-tongued."
Dugu Luanyue remained calm.
"Everyone here has heard what you said, Noble Concubine Zhao.
You, Noble Concubine Zhao, represent the Zhao family. You disagree with the alliance between the north and the south and interfere in the affairs of the previous dynasty;
You despise the Southern Chu and destroy the peace between the two countries; You lead the troops to force the queen in Zhaoyang Hall, intending to start a war in the harem.
Noble Concubine Zhao, do you admit to these three crimes or not?"