The Dowager Empress turned and swept the remnants of the Da Hong Pao tea that Jiang Xinyue had brought onto the floor. "You say I raised my hand against her? Your heart has strayed so far from the truth. Look at what your precious Concubine Zhen sent to me!"
On the crimson carpet of Kunning Palace, there were some fine debris, but more prominently, tea leaves exuding a rich aroma.
The sun-dried tea leaves were plump and full-bodied, worth a hundred gold pieces for just two ounces, yet the Dowager Empress had carelessly scattered them on the ground.
The Dowager Empress instantly understood. It was that scheming woman, Concubine Zhen, who had covered the good tea leaves with a thin layer of tea debris and stems. She had anticipated that the Dowager would knock over the box.
Vicious! How utterly vicious!
Jiang Xinyue twisted her body, putting on an act of great grievance, and tugged at the Xuanwu Emperor's sleeve, pouting, "Your Majesty~ I knew the Dowager Empress deeply misunderstood me, so I specially inquired about her preferences from the Empress. That's why I brought the finest Da Hong Pao tea from Nine Clouds Mountain, hoping to please her. I didn't expect... wuwuwu... It's my fault... It's all my fault. I'm so clumsy with words, I've upset the Dowager Empress again."
The Xuanwu Emperor thought to himself: Concubine Zhen truly can't act, nor can she lie. Look at her panicked gaze when she looks at me, her flushed cheeks, and her fingers nervously clutching my sleeve. She's like a frightened kitten, her whole body bristling.
If she stays any longer, she might faint from fear.
The Emperor, in his obliviousness, couldn't see through the act, but the Dowager Empress was shaking with rage at Concubine Zhen's masterful performance.
She also realized that the Emperor was indulging Concubine Zhen to run wild in her Kunning Palace.
If Concubine Zhen were to leave here unscathed, how would the other masters and servants of the harem mock her?
"Guards, seize Concubine Zhen and give her fifty lashes. Let her learn her lesson and stop treating others like fools."
Fifty lashes? That would be the death of Jiang Xinyue!
Her fingertips loosened, and she dove into the Emperor's embrace, seeking protection like a delicate bird.
The palace servants hesitated to approach. The Xuanwu Emperor, holding Jiang Xinyue, roared, "Who dares?"
With the Emperor protecting her so fiercely, indeed no one dared. The servants looked at the enraged Dowager Empress, then at the glaring Emperor...
They couldn't afford to offend either side. Better to kneel and beg for mercy!
The servants fell to their knees en masse. The Dowager Empress, one hand clutching her chest, the other trembling as she pointed at Jiang Xinyue, said, "Very well, very well. Emperor, you truly are my good son. Today you refuse to punish Concubine Zhen, is that right? Fine, I shall accompany Consort Shu to Dazhaosi Temple to beg forgiveness from the Shen family ancestors. Let them see how my good son forces his own birth mother."
These words were quite severe.
Moreover, Consort Shu's visit to Dazhaosi Temple was because she had been framed by Concubine Li. The common people believed Consort Shu had harmed the imperial heir, so her going to pray for Concubine Li's child was not inappropriate.
But the Dowager Empress was different!
If she went to Dazhaosi Temple, the subjects would think the Emperor couldn't tolerate his own mother from the Wu Family.
There was a moment of silence in the air. The Xuanwu Emperor, with a grim expression, held Jiang Xinyue tighter. "Mother, must you punish Concubine Zhen today?"
"I..."
"Mother, think carefully before you answer. Who do you care about most in this palace?"
Of course, it was herself, Consort Shu, and the child in Consort Shu's womb.
"Are you threatening me?"
"Your son is merely using your own tactics against you."
Hadn't the Dowager Empress just threatened the Emperor with public opinion?
The Dowager Empress didn't believe the Emperor would harm Consort Shu, but seeing how he protected Concubine Zhen, it seemed as if the woman in his arms was truly the Emperor's most beloved.
She dared not gamble, nor could she afford to.
Consort Shu was her last chip for restoring the Wu Family's glory.
The Dowager Empress, with a long face, reluctantly said, "The death penalty can be waived, but punishment cannot be avoided. Concubine Zhen has repeatedly disrespected and mocked me. Emperor, what do you think should be done? You must give me an explanation."
The initiative was once again returned to the Xuanwu Emperor and Jiang Xinyue. Both of them let out a sigh of relief.
The Emperor, feigning difficulty, exhaled heavily through his nose. "Then let her be confined!"
"Emperor, are you trying to fool me? Do you think I don't know what you did during her month of confinement?"
What did he do?
He had pampered her with the finest food and drink, sending all manner of delicacies and rarities to Hexi Palace, as if deliberately opposing the Dowager Empress. She had revoked Concubine Zhen's green token, yet the Emperor still visited Hexi Palace daily. Even without staying overnight, his daily visits were a slap in the Dowager Empress's face.
Most infuriatingly, the Emperor had allowed Concubine Zhen to overstep her bounds by building a small kitchen in Hexi Palace.
This small kitchen had always been a supreme favor bestowed by emperors to their consorts, not mere concubines.
A concubine of her rank had no right to a small kitchen. Even when she was the previous emperor's most favored in the harem, she didn't have this privilege as a concubine.
The Xuanwu Emperor pondered for a moment before saying, "Then I shall confine her for six months, until the end of the year. That should suffice, right?"
His face clearly said, "I advise you not to push your luck." The Dowager Empress, knowing when to stop, seized the opportunity to make a request, "Consort Shu cannot go to Dazhaosi Temple. Emperor, you must persuade Concubine Li to change it to Sheng'an Temple in the capital."
Dazhaosi Temple was far away in Jialuo, a half-year journey by carriage from the capital, or three to four months by swift horse. Located between Goguryeo and Fusang, with uncivilized and rude customs, how could Consort Shu endure such a journey?
At least in the capital, the Dowager Empress's words still carried weight. She could help to some extent, and the chances of returning to the palace were greater. Regaining favor wouldn't be difficult.
Jiang Xinyue carefully glanced at the Emperor. This man hated it when others tried to bargain with him. Would he compromise for her?
To Jiang Xinyue's surprise, the Xuanwu Emperor agreed without hesitation. But the coldness in his eyes was clear to her.
It seemed... he planned not to visit Sheng'an Temple at all. The Dowager Empress's clever plan might have backfired.
But...
As the saying goes, for every measure, there's a countermeasure. The future was long, and who could say who would be standing behind the Xuanwu Emperor, smiling, a year from now?
It was already the end of May. With six months of confinement, it would be around the Lunar New Year when her belly would be seven or eight months along, making it difficult to miscarry.
Moreover, Jiang Xinyue was confident that under the protection of the Xuanwu Emperor, she would be able to give birth to her child.
The one who was most delighted by Jiang Xinyue's confinement was none other than Noble Consort Ye. She believed that she had gained the Emperor's favor by imitating Jiang Xinyue, and now that the original was confined, she, the imitation, could take advantage of the situation.
