Yikun Palace—
Some were giggling, covering their mouths: "How strange! Why is Concubine Zhen under house arrest along with Concubine Li? What business did she have provoking the Dowager Empress?"
Empress Zhu smoothed the stray hairs at her temple, examining herself in the bronze mirror: "It shows how power can cloud one's judgment. The once cautious and kind Concubine Zhen has learned to throw her weight around, relying on the Emperor's protection and becoming arrogant in her favored position."
The Emperor had once praised Concubine Zhen for her purity and admired her sincere heart.
Now that she had become the Emperor's favored concubine, how much of that purity and sincerity remained?
The Xuanwu Emperor felt that Concubine Zhen was increasingly meeting his expectations.
Empress Zhu still hadn't grasped the Emperor's nature. When he liked someone, that person could do no wrong in his eyes. Even their flaws became endearing qualities to him.
Before Jiang Xinyue returned to Hexi Palace for her confinement, the Xuanwu Emperor deliberately took her to the Imperial Study to meet Jiang Yankun. Her adoptive father was shocked to find himself discussing state affairs with the Emperor while his daughter, who had supposedly offended the Dowager Empress, appeared before them.
The Emperor patted Jiang Yankun's shoulder: "No need for formalities, Minister Jiang. We're alone here; there's nothing we can't discuss."
Jiang Xinyue's eyes sparkled with joy as she stepped forward to support her adoptive father's arm: "Father, I heard from His Majesty that my elder cousin is now staying at our residence. I haven't had the chance to meet him yet! He's so brave, standing up to authority and daring to expose corruption among his superiors. I truly admire him."
Jiang Yankun glanced at the smiling Emperor, then at his daughter's meaningful look, and hastily pleaded: "Your Majesty, my cousin Jiang Yanxi barely escaped with his life from Qinzhou. He has faced multiple assassination attempts at my residence. I... I wanted to send him to the palace for protection, but we've encountered one obstacle after another. I fear these aren't mere coincidences but deliberate interference. Your Majesty, I'm afraid that if my cousin continues to stay at my home, even my family and I might be in danger!"
Jiang Xinyue raised an eyebrow, impressed by her father's skillful manipulation of the situation.
The Xuanwu Emperor had expected the Song family to be brazen, but he hadn't anticipated they would go to such extremes.
They seemed willing to attack and kill even the father of his favored concubine, a fifth-rank official in the capital, showing complete disregard for the Emperor's authority.
Throughout history, there had always been powerful in-laws. The Wu family had just been removed, and now the Song family had taken their place.
The court indeed required a delicate balance of power. While Empress Zhu's family was content with their domain in Changan County, ruling like local kings, the Song and Pei families now faced no rivals in the capital. No wonder the Song family had become so lawless and arrogant.
The Xuanwu Emperor's gaze shifted to Jiang Yankun. Perhaps because he was Concubine Zhen's father, or because his features somewhat resembled hers, he was an exceptionally handsome official. Either way, the Emperor found himself increasingly fond of him.
For Jiang Yankun to have become the Minister of Rites without any help from the Jiang family's main branch, he must have considerable skills.
One only needed to look at Concubine Zhen to see this. She was well-read, talented in both appearance and ability, and fluent in foreign languages. When discussing world affairs, she could converse on any topic, impressing others with her knowledge and eloquence.
Minister Jiang must surely be as sincere and loyal as Concubine Zhen.
The subsequent "dirty" deal—no, discussion—between the Emperor and her adoptive father regarding the Song family's potential involvement in the Qinzhou corruption case involved many details that Jiang Xinyue was not privy to.
Having fulfilled her role as the Emperor's pawn, Jiang Xinyue tactfully excused herself and returned to Hexi Palace.
As soon as Jiang Chuan saw Jiang Xinyue, he bounded over, gently gripping her skirt with his teeth and rolling around playfully at her feet.
Jiang Xinyue initially wanted to pet him but remembered that pets could carry germs that might indirectly harm the baby in her womb. She stopped herself: "Jiang Chuan, take Guo Lai to the Imperial Hospital and have Doctor Yan examine him for any parasites."
Jiang Chuan felt that his mistress had become increasingly cautious since her pregnancy, insisting on having every cat and dog that crossed their path examined.
But such caution was good, after all. The mistress was carrying a royal child, and if she were to give birth to a little prince, their entire Hexi Palace would rise to glory.
Jiang Xinyue had barely entered the inner chamber, about to summon Shuang Jiang through Xique, when Jiang Chuan returned, his face filled with indignation: "My Lady, the Dowager Empress's guards have sealed our palace gates. They won't let us out."
Dowager Empress Wu was clearly determined to make things difficult for her, afraid she might be too comfortable like last time.
Jiang Xinyue rolled up her sleeves: "What, does she think only her Kunning Palace has people? That our Hexi Palace is easy to bully? Jiang Chuan, go fetch Xiao Xuanzi and gather our palace guards and eunuchs. Arm yourselves and drive those lapdogs out. His Majesty confined me to the palace, not the entire Hexi Palace. I won't stand for the Dowager Empress's two-faced behavior."
With her orders, the palace servants of Hexi Palace were emboldened. They had all had enough of the arrogant guards from Kunning Palace during their last month-long confinement. Now that Concubine Zhen had lost her patience, it was time for them to settle old scores.
The guards at the Hexi Palace gate, unaware of what was about to unfold, were still chatting amongst themselves: "Remember Shuang Jiang from last time? She was a real beauty. Didn't the Dowager Empress tell us to teach them a lesson? I copped a feel then. What do you think? If I put in some effort this time and get her for myself, leaving Concubine Zhen short-handed, do you think the Dowager Empress will reward me handsomely?"
"So you've got your eye on that little minx Shuang Jiang? Well, let's make a deal then. That spitfire Xique is mine. She'd make a perfect fifth concubine for me. My mother always said women with big bottoms are better for childbearing."
"Hahaha..."
"You know, Concubine Zhen is quite the looker herself. No wonder the Emperor is willing to defy the Dowager Empress to be with her. Tsk tsk... I bet she's quite something in bed... Hahaha..."
Having received their orders, the guards were freely insulting Jiang Xinyue, but as they got carried away, their words began to cross the line of palace taboos.
Jiang Xinyue wasn't particularly angry, just feeling somewhat offended.
It reminded her of a time in her past life when her car was restricted due to license plate regulations, forcing her to take the crowded subway. On the train, she encountered a few sleazy, creepy men who leered at her figure and, seeing her designer clothes, assumed she was in a disreputable profession, asking how much she charged for a night.
In later times, constrained by the law, she couldn't have beaten those few people to a pulp. But here, she was Concubine Zhen, supreme under imperial authority.
"Pearls don't come from a dog's mouth. You dare to fabricate stories about me and the Emperor? Beat them for me. Beat them to death if need be."
When she turned vicious, it wasn't just the minor scuffles of the Dowager Empress. She went straight for lives.
Once the shackles of law were cast aside, nothing could restrain Jiang Xinyue, the unhinged psychology professor.
The guards were skilled in martial arts, but they were outnumbered by the people of Hexi Palace.
With each person wielding a stick, the guards didn't even have a chance to draw their swords. They could only cover their heads and cry out in pain.
