The Enchanting Imperial Concubine (Book 2)

Chapter 251 - Establishing Presence

The steward of the Jing Shi Room was replaced, and that evening, it was Ye Yun who served in bed.

Ning Chen's warning to the Empress was very clear.

The Empress felt somewhat embarrassed, but she couldn't hold a grudge against the Emperor, so her resentment was directed at Ye Yun instead.

However, regardless of the situation, after this incident, Ye Yun's status among the newcomers was firmly established.

Of course, even with Ning Chen's favor, she wouldn't monopolize it all; the next day, he went to stay the night with Yi Shunrong.

The two established favorites received equal attention.

This, of course, made many of the other concubines extremely jealous.

After spending a night at Yi Shunrong's, Ning Chen got busy and didn't return to the harem for over ten days.

It was only after the Empress sent someone to remind him not to neglect the newcomers that he had the first one to serve in bed.

As expected, it was Qi Cairen, the niece of the Grand Tutor.

Setting aside the relationship between Grand Tutor Qi and Ning Chen, the Grand Tutor had significant weight in the court as a veteran of two dynasties.

Had it not been for his own lack of a granddaughter, he wouldn't have sent his niece to the palace.

Though the Grand Tutor had retired from court service, his legitimate eldest son, Qi Yao, was still active.

He was recently appointed as the governor of Lanzhou, a second-rank official.

He had helped Ning Chen secure the first major province in the south, firmly aligning with the royalist faction.

As for Qi Cairen's own father, he was also a government official, holding a third-rank position.

Though not as powerful as her uncle Qi Yao, as long as she bore the title of a legitimate daughter of the Qi family, she wouldn't lack status.

After serving in bed, she could formally greet the Empress every day.

It soon became clear that she was an ice beauty.

She possessed the high-mindedness typical of cultured gentlewomen, but she was also somewhat pedantic and quite clever.

During her first visit to pay respect to the Empress, no concubines made it difficult for her on purpose; only Shu Fei said a couple of unkind words.

After all, her family background was significant; the Emperor wouldn't overlook it, and if she offended him now, it would be hard to meet again in the future.

After Qi Cairen, the second to serve in bed was the legitimate daughter of the governor of Shenzhou, Wan Shi, who was also a Cairen.

Compared to Qi Shi, Wan Shi seemed more down-to-earth.

She had the appearance of a delicate young lady, with a pair of beautiful peach blossom eyes and a lovely smile.

However, her behavior and attire leaned towards a more dignified style; although she was beautiful, it didn't quite match her overall appearance.

In Ye Yun's opinion, Wan Shi should have taken on a more alluring persona.

In contrast to Qi Shi's cool demeanor, Wan Shi was quite charming and articulate.

During her first visit to pay respect to the Empress, she even managed to make the slightly sour Shu Fei laugh.

So far, she appeared to be quite formidable.