Concubine Zhen, Concubine Zhen... it's always about Concubine Zhen!
It seemed as if all the concubines in the palace were making way for this insignificant Concubine Zhen.
Empress Zhu could no longer hide her displeasure. She had invited the Emperor to join her in drinking wine and admiring the snow, but he claimed to be too busy with state affairs. Now, he had taken the plum blossoms they were admiring and sent them to Concubine Zhen.
What was this about?
Did he think Concubine Zhen was unwilling to leave her chambers, so he wanted her to see these vibrant plum blossoms without even stepping outside?
Empress Zhu could no longer maintain even the most basic, graceful smile. With a darkened face, she said, "Since the most beautiful flowers have gone to Concubine Zhen's Hexi Palace, why don't we go there and see if there's anything extraordinary to look at!"
The Empress had finally decided to teach Concubine Zhen a lesson, and which of the palace concubines wouldn't want to see that?
Only Consort Jin, covering her forehead and leaning on her maid, said weakly, "Empress, I've had a few too many drinks earlier, and now my head is pounding. Please allow me to return to my chambers to rest. My head really hurts terribly."
Given her condition, Empress Zhu, who always presented herself as "kind and merciful," couldn't force her to come along and had to let her withdraw.
The Jin family had produced Jin Wuyong, who had an affair with a royal concubine and cuckolded the Emperor. The entire clan had been punished and was now imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice's jail. They would likely only be released when the Emperor granted a general amnesty.
The Jin family had fallen from grace, and even Consort Jin's life had been saved by Jiang Xinyue. She was truly unwilling to be forced into opposition against Jiang Xinyue.
Moreover, after what happened with Consort Shu, she saw things very clearly now.
Consort Shu, as the Emperor's first love, had maintained a high position in the harem for many years, standing firm. Even if Concubine Li and Empress Zhu hadn't noticed her special status at first, they should have realized it later.
Consort Liang and Consort De held their positions because they had given birth to princes and princesses for the Emperor. Elevating their status also made their children's status relatively more noble.
Consort Shu appeared to be out of favor and had no children, so how did she manage to become one of the four highest-ranking consorts?
Not to mention that the Emperor extremely disliked the Wu Family and anyone associated with the Empress Dowager.
Noble Consort Rong had been in the palace for so many years and had only risen from Concubine to Noble Concubine. So why did Consort Shu receive special treatment?
It could only mean one thing: Consort Shu was truly loved by the Emperor, the one he truly held in his heart.
He didn't want her to be envied or face danger, nor did he want her rank to be too low, leaving her vulnerable to bullying.
Empress Zhu and Concubine Li had long since figured this out, but they had never been able to defeat Consort Shu. For so many years, they had allowed her to carry on a secret relationship with the Emperor right under their noses, which showed just how capable Consort Shu was.
But such a capable first love, whom even Empress Zhu and Concubine Li couldn't defeat, had finally been brought down by Concubine Zhen, who had been in the palace for less than two years.
The scary part was that she had figured out how Consort Shu and her brother were conspiring against her based on mere speculation.
She had deduced that they planned to ruin her reputation, targeting the child in her womb to drive a wedge between her and the Emperor.
But that wasn't the scariest part. The most terrifying thing was that she had managed to find her beforehand and teach her how to save herself.
Although Consort Jin was well aware that Concubine Zhen was merely using her to clear her own name, she had no choice but to do as Concubine Zhen said.
Because if she didn't report it, she would die too.
If she died, who would remember her family members imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice?
So she couldn't get involved in the conflict between Empress Zhu and Concubine Zhen. She was still hoping that when Concubine Zhen rose to power in the future, she might help her plead with the Emperor to release the Jin family members.
She might as well pretend that she hadn't told the Emperor it was Concubine Zhen who had instructed her to report her own brother.
"Oh?" Consort De, looking at the wide-open gates of Hexi Palace, said, "Concubine Zhen has opened her doors?"
Looking more closely, an ice bridge gleamed in the sunlight, nearly blinding in its brilliance.
"What is that?"
Someone exclaimed, "Ah! It's an ice bridge carved from snow and ice. How beautiful!"
Everyone couldn't help but quicken their pace, eager to investigate.
"What on earth is this Concubine Zhen up to?" Consort Liang complained dissatisfied, "What does she think the palace craftsmen are for? These are the most skilled carving masters recruited from among the common people, specially brought in to build and renovate palaces for the Emperor. She's being far too willful. Empress, you absolutely cannot let her off this time."
Empress Zhu, who had been holding back her anger all the way from the warm pavilion, snapped, "I know what I'm doing."
If Concubine Zhen was truly acting arbitrarily, opening and closing her palace gates at will, disregarding palace rules and etiquette, she wouldn't mind exercising her authority as the Empress of the Eastern Palace to give Concubine Zhen a small lesson.
As they approached, the eunuchs and guards at the entrance of Hexi Palace hurriedly paid their respects to the Empress but did not make way.
Empress Zhu frowned severely, "What's this? Am I not allowed to visit Concubine Zhen now?"
Did they really think this palace was the Jiang family's backyard, daring to block her, the mistress of the harem?
Jiang Chuan knelt on the ground, "In response to Her Majesty the Empress, His Majesty the Emperor is inside accompanying Concubine Zhen. Please allow this slave to go in and announce your arrival."
It was bad enough that the Emperor wouldn't accompany them to view the snow, and that he had sent flowers to Concubine Zhen, but now he was personally in Hexi Palace?
It seemed that the ice-carved arched bridge outside was also built by craftsmen at the Emperor's command.
He certainly knew how to be romantic, but where did that leave her face as his official wife?
No matter how angry she was, Empress Zhu had to contain herself.
Usually, she wouldn't make herself disagreeable, but today she was determined to confront the Emperor: "Then go and announce us."
Jiang Chuan glanced at Empress Zhu, then quickly bowed and ran inside. After Shuang Jiang went in to explain the situation and the Emperor agreed, he entered the inner hall to report: "Empress Zhu has brought Consort Liang, Consort De, Zhang Ronghua, and many other palace concubines. They appear to be in a rather aggressive mood, and this slave observed that the Empress seemed quite angry. Your Majesty, what should we do..."
Wang Dequan quickly added, "The guards who went to pick the plum blossoms earlier mentioned that the Empress and the others were admiring flowers."
It must be because of the picked flowers that they were unhappy.
The Xuanwu Emperor had just reconciled with his beloved Yue and hadn't had much time to cherish her before the Empress and the others ruined the mood. He was very displeased and said, "It's just a few flowers, isn't it? They view them year after year, haven't they seen enough? Does the Emperor need her permission to pick a few flowers now?"
Jiang Xinyue blew on the hot milk tea at her lips, lounging lazily on the soft couch, and said, "There might be some misunderstanding. Why don't Your Majesty go out and take a look?"
Why was he losing his temper in front of her?
He might frighten her little Six.
The Xuanwu Emperor didn't dare to anger Jiang Xinyue again. He kissed her cheek and then left with Wang Dequan.
Xi Que asked, "My Lady, aren't you going?"
Jiang Xinyue chuckled, "Why should I go? To hand over a knife while the Emperor and Empress argue? Or to let those women's jealous faces pollute my eyes?"
If the Xuanwu Emperor couldn't resolve this small matter for her, he might as well get out quickly and stop wasting her air.
