She was nothing like the courteous host she had been with the Empress. So, with that one sentence, the Empress's face changed color.
Noble Concubine Shih wore a rose-red palace dress embroidered with large peonies in green silk thread. The blooms spiraled upward like clouds and rosy mist.
It had been a long while since Xia Ruqing had seen Noble Concubine Shih. Almost nine months into her pregnancy, aside from her larger belly, she looked unchanged, her face well cared for. Her brows and eyes were delicately painted, and her phoenix eyes still shimmered brightly, full of spirit and grace. She was like the most radiant and luxurious peony in the garden, dazzling and devastatingly beautiful. She was exactly the same as when she had been the beloved of the entire harem!
