“But…” Tang Guo smiled at them, “There are two people you must not teach, and you must also tell others not to teach these two. In fact, from now on, as long as these two are present, you must not play.”
The four of them felt a chill in their hearts. No wonder the imperial concubine had called them to play games. It was because she had a plan.
“May I ask the Imperial Concubine, who are these two people?” Meng Shuyi couldn’t help but ask.
Tang Guo smiled, “Lan Jieyu and An Meiren.”
The four were surprised. One was straightforward, the other low-key. When did they offend the imperial concubine?
In one afternoon, the four of them went from curiosity to obsession, completely captivated by the game of mahjong.
“Ah—” He Fangyi exclaimed and then said dejectedly, “I made a mistake. Can I take it back, Imperial Concubine?”
Tang Guo shook her head, “No, you can’t.”
Yu Shunyi covered her mouth and laughed, “Sister He, you’re being a bit shameless. In chess, once a move is made, it can’t be undone. The Imperial Concubine is right, how you play reflects your character.”
“No, I…” He Fangyi quickly shook her head, pitifully, “I’ve lost everything!”
Meng Shuyi looked at the treasures in the basket beside her, feeling very pleased, “Thank you, two sisters.”
Yin Xiuyi couldn’t hold back, “Sister He, it’s just right that you lost everything, it’s my turn now.” Her eyes were fixed on the table, thinking how fun mahjong was.
They all admired the imperial concubine, who neither won nor lost, a feat not everyone could achieve. They understood that the imperial concubine was certainly capable of winning but chose not to.
The entire afternoon, only He Fangyi lost. Fortunately, before leaving, Tang Guo rewarded her with many items, which comforted her fragile heart.
For several days in a row, Tang Guo invited them over during the day to play mahjong.
During meal times, Xuanyuan Mo would come.
At night, Xuanyuan Mie would come, always doing something outrageous while she slept.
She was really busy but had a lot of fun.
For half a month, she brought out many small trinkets to share with the four. After they played with them, they would pass them to the concubines they were close to.
No one was foolish, they were very careful while playing. In front of others, they maintained the dignity of concubines, but only at the table did they let their guard down a bit.
[What to do when concubines become addicted to mahjong and lose interest in vying for favor?]
One day, the four of them secretly came to Tang Guo again. Recently, they were particularly fond of the beauty tips shared by the imperial concubine.
As they were flipping through, they heard Tang Guo speak, “Would you like to get a promotion?”
A few of them looked up simultaneously, somewhat confused. A promotion? Oh… they quickly realized, do you mean a rank upgrade?
Seeing their reactions, Tang Guo found it amusing, “When the Emperor comes, I’ll ask him to promote you.”
“Whatever,” Meng Shuyi pouted, “The Emperor never notices us anyway.”
It turned out they were dissatisfied, but now they found something more fun than vying for favor. The treasures in the imperial concubine’s hands were far more interesting than the Emperor.
If the imperial concubine were a man, they might consider vying for favor.
In fact, they aren’t fools. How could they not understand that the emperor simply cannot tolerate anyone else?
The imperial concubine was indeed resourceful. Although they don’t know where the things she produced came from, it surely required some skill.
Competing with the mysterious imperial concubine? That would be seeking death.
Hugging her thigh was more important, and now they were focused on figuring out the beauty secrets.
“Oh… I just think it would sound nicer to call you by upgraded titles.”
What?
The four stared at Tang Guo with widened eyes.
Was she suggesting promoting them just because it sounded nicer?
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