NOVEL WEB
Chapter 21
Empress Zhu had never thought of hiding her inner thoughts from the Xuanwu Emperor, for she knew that in the harem, there were no secrets from the Emperor.
Her every action and deed were known to him.
But she was the Empress of the Central Palace, and if the concubines were disrespectful to her, she had the right to discipline them, regardless of whether her methods were proper or not. This was the dignity and respect that the Xuanwu Emperor had bestowed upon her as his principal wife.
He was well aware of her distaste for the likes of Concubine Li.
The Xuanwu Emperor looked at Jiang Xinyue with an unnoticed tenderness in his eyes: "Zhenji... is indeed wonderful."
She had never spoken ill of any concubine in front of him, nor had she tried to turn others against them.
Those she thought were good, she treated with sincere affection, like the Empress, Consort Liang, and Consort De.
Those she deemed unworthy, she didn't even bother to put on a pretense, maintaining a respectful distance from them.
For instance, at today's roast meat banquet, had it been for other concubines, even if she disliked Concubine Li, Consort Jiang, and others, she would have invited them since the Empress and others had already been invited, to maintain her image of benevolence and magnanimity.
But with Jiang Xinyue, she displayed her likes and dislikes openly.
The Xuanwu Emperor appreciated this fresh and unmasked honesty.
The sound of music and dance drifted from the Hexi Palace, filled with the aroma of roasting meat.
Concubine Li, who had come to the Chengqian Palace to deliver a nourishing soup to the Xuanwu Emperor, looked up at the swirling white smoke above the Hexi Palace, her eyes growing increasingly cold.
Layue cautiously glanced at her: "Your Ladyship, shall we..."
"Return to the palace."
Concubine Li took Layue's hand and stepped into the palanquin: "This consort does not eat leftovers."
If she had come to the Chengqian Palace and the Emperor had accompanied her, it would have been Zhenji's loss of face. But if she had forced her way into the Hexi Palace and caused such embarrassment, where would her own dignity lie?
Cries could occasionally be heard from the Yanqing Palace: "She did it deliberately to slight me. She knew I was residing in Consort De's Yanqing Palace, yet she invited Consort De but excluded me. She did it on purpose to humiliate me, trying to win over Consort De against me."
Shuhua, thinking her mistress's thoughts were too extreme, tried to reason with her: "My lady, you shouldn't overthink it. The Empress Zhu doesn't know you, so how could she slight you on purpose? This servant has heard that Zhenji is the Empress's woman, so it's only natural for her to have good relations with Consort De and Consort Liang."
"When she moved into her palace, the Emperor came to see me. Who knows, he might have been plotting his revenge against me!"
Lost in her thoughts, Concubine Su began to cry again.
Jiang Xinyue was unaware of the events unfolding outside the Hexi Palace. She didn't end the lively "family banquet" with the Eldest Princess, the second princess, and the third prince until late at night when the young masters were all exhausted.
Within the Hexi Palace, there was a room called the "Ear Room," which was a hot spring pool built by the Internal Affairs Department to curry favor with the Emperor when the palace was first constructed.
Jiang Xinyue and the Xuanwu Emperor emerged from the hot spring an hour later.
The splashing water at the edge of the hot spring had already informed the attending palace maids that their services were not needed inside.
Gazing at the candid and smiling Jiang Xinyue by his side, the Xuanwu Emperor nuzzled her neck and said: "My beloved consort, give this Emperor a son!"
The depths of the harem were lonely, and he could not always accompany her. Giving her a child would be a blessing.
Since he was destined to neglect her, he might as well indulge her with affection.
If he couldn't give her his true heart, he could at least dote on her.
Jiang Xinyue was startled. She was only fifteen years old and didn't want to have a child, at least not until she turned eighteen and became an adult.
So many women in ancient times had lost their lives due to difficult childbirth before their bodies were fully developed. She didn't want to take that risk.
Did this dog Emperor think that forcing her to have a child was a favor to her?
"Why a son? Can't it be a daughter? If a concubine gives birth to a princess, will the Emperor no longer favor her?"
"What nonsense are you talking?"
The Xuanwu Emperor flicked her forehead: "If we have a daughter as adorable as you, this Emperor will find her a husband as good as myself."
No way!
Jiang Xinyue didn't want her daughter to marry a philanderer like him.
She had transmigrated into the harem and become the Xuanwu Emperor's consort, competing for his favor with so many other women, because she had no choice.
Her daughter must not follow in her footsteps.
Her daughter's future husband must love her, respect her, and be devoted to her for life. If he couldn't commit to being her one and only, he would not be permitted to marry her daughter.
Fickle men need not apply.
On the following day's morning court, Concubine Li did not attend, citing illness.
Jiang Xinyue assumed that she was probably upset because the Emperor had spent the previous night dining, attending the bonfire party, and conversing with her, the Empress, and others, angering Concubine Li.
After the court session, Consort Jiang, along with Consort Wan and Consort Jin, waited for her on the path she would take back to her palace.
"Slap!"
Concubine Su knelt on the ground, her face stinging from Consort Jiang's slap, only daring to shed silent tears.
"Concubine Su has been favored by the Emperor for a couple of days, and she's already forgotten her place. How dare she block Consort Jiang's path? We veterans should advise you that the Emperor's heart belongs only to Concubine Li. The rest of you ignorant girls are merely the Emperor's playthings."
"As playthings, you should know your place and not put on airs or make a spectacle of yourselves trying to attract attention."
Jiang Xinyue walked past them, casually bowing: "This consort greets her sisters. What seems to be the matter?"
She stood up, not giving Consort Jiang an opportunity to deliberately embarrass her.
Consort Jiang wasn't as foolish as Concubine Su and wouldn't dare confront her directly.
"Sister Zhenji, you've arrived at the perfect time."
Consort Jiang narrowed her eyes: "I hear you and Concubine Su entered the palace together, so you must share a bond. As I was walking along, she blocked my path. Do you think she deserved to be slapped?"
This wasn't about slapping Concubine Su at all; it was clearly an attempt to slap Jiang Xinyue's face.
"Concubine Su was indeed careless."
Jiang Xinyue clicked her tongue: "On such a wide path, Concubine Su should have grown eyes on the back of her head. When she saw it was Consort Jiang, she should have immediately stepped aside. After all, you are the elder, and she is young. A few extra steps wouldn't have hurt her. Don't you know to respect your elders and be kind to the young?"
By saying "respect your elders," she was implying that Concubine Su should have deferred to Consort Jiang. But by adding "be kind to the young," she was suggesting that Consort Jiang, as an elder, should have been more gracious to the younger Concubine Su.
"This consort has matters to attend to in her palace, so I won't disturb Sister Jiang any further in her guidance of the newcomers."
She tilted her head and curtsied with a wave of her handkerchief, then took Xi Que's hand and leisurely made her way to the Hexi Palace.
Consort Jiang was so enraged that she slapped Concubine Su twice.
Jiang Xinyue had no inclination to play the role of a savior; she avoided meddling in others' affairs if she could help it, for that was her principle for surviving in the harem.
Since she had transmigrated into the body of a consort, she wasn't there to make friends. Her goal was clear: to become the favored concubine in the depths of the palace.