As they were far away in Jiangnan, they didn't yet know that Jiang Xinyue had already given birth, and that the Emperor had even bestowed upon her the title of Senior Concubine Xian, the highest of the four consorts.
Even if Pei Wu entered the palace, she wouldn't be on the same starting line as Jiang Xinyue.
Above Senior Concubine Xian was the position of Noble Consort, and in the imperial harem, the gap between a consort and a Noble Consort was as vast as the distance between heaven and earth.
Almost everyone believed that if Jiang Xinyue's father and brothers hadn't performed great meritorious deeds for the country, or if the Sixth Prince hadn't ascended to the position of Crown Prince, she would have reached her peak at the rank of Senior Concubine Xian in this lifetime.
In fact, Concubine Zhenxian had only been in the palace for two years, yet she had successfully gained the Emperor's exclusive favor. Her first child was born healthy and safe, and she was even appointed as Senior Concubine Xian by the Emperor. This could truly be considered unprecedented and unparalleled.
She was formidable, incredibly so.
Even if Pei Wu caught the Emperor's eye, just based on her being the granddaughter of Minister Pei, she wouldn't be able to attain a very high rank.
There wouldn't be a second Concubine Li in the palace.
But who could say for certain?
Hadn't Concubine Zhenxian also started from humble beginnings, stepping on the faces of many higher-ranked consorts to become the envied Senior Concubine Xian that she is today?
Nothing in this world is certain; there are always exceptions.
The Xuanwu Emperor was overjoyed at the birth of his noble son, his heart already flying to Hexi Palace. When Wang Dequan went to Hexi Palace to deliver the evening meal, he was informed by a palace maid, "Eunuch Wang, our mistress is unwell today. She had her meal early and retired to her chambers. Nanny Xiang is helping her with breast massage."
"Breast massage?"
The Xuanwu Emperor was completely ignorant about this matter. Why did Yue'er need breast massage if she wasn't breastfeeding? What was breast massage?
He didn't know, but Wang Dequan, as a friend to the consorts, did. After all, many times, as the Emperor's personal attendant, the consorts didn't treat him as an outsider, using him almost as a half-maid.
Indeed, he wasn't a complete man, so the consorts naturally didn't need to be too cautious around him, daring to tell him anything.
"Your Majesty, since ancient times, women who give birth produce milk for the baby to suckle. If there's someone drinking from this jug of water and someone adding to it, it won't overflow. But if someone keeps adding and no one drinks, won't it overflow?"
Milk engorgement was even worse. If the child doesn't feed and the milk can't flow out, it would become blocked inside. Wang Dequan hadn't seen it himself, but he often heard the palace maids mention it, and it sounded quite frightening.
The Xuanwu Emperor put down his writing brush. "Go to the imperial kitchen and pass on the message. Have my evening meal sent to Hexi Palace. Yue'er is physically weak, I won't be at ease unless I see her with my own eyes."
In Shunan Palace—
Consort Yu was still crying incessantly, refusing to eat, shouting that she wanted to follow in the footsteps of Jiang Baolin from two years ago and hang herself with a white silk rope in Concubine Zhenxian's palace.
Wasn't that Jiang Baolin who hanged herself in Xihuo Palace Concubine Zhenxian's own sister?
Empress Zhu sighed in exasperation. Despite her usually excellent composure, she couldn't help but burst out in anger, "You fool! Jiang Xinyue was born into a family of diplomats, specializing in receiving foreign guests. She's fluent in foreign languages and can communicate with those golden-haired, blue-eyed people from overseas. Do you think she wouldn't know the age of the Fusang prince or whether he's married?"
Consort Yu sobbed, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, you believe me, don't you? Why... why doesn't the Emperor believe me?"
To ask such a question at a time like this, Empress Zhu truly didn't know if she was intentionally humiliating herself or what.
"What on earth is in your head?"
Empress Zhu glared at her, "If you don't have the brains for it, why must you provoke Jiang Xinyue? Today she can use the child in her belly to scheme against you, tomorrow she might dare to use her own life to plunge you into an irredeemable situation. Concubine Chu, Noble Consort Su, Consort Shu, Consort Ye, Concubine Li - haven't they made it clear enough that she's not a simple character?"
Consort Yu bit her lip, "I thought, with how the Emperor favors her now without limit, sooner or later she'd become even more arrogant and domineering than Concubine Li ever was. Even Consort Li didn't have a prince to rely on, but she already has the Sixth Prince. Your Majesty, I'm worried about you."
Empress Zhu gave a cold laugh, "Put away those petty thoughts of yours. I'm not a fool like you, I won't be flattered by a few words into causing trouble for Jiang Xinyue. From now on, when you see her, stay out of her way. Otherwise, you'll end up helping count money for the one who sold you."
Wasn't today's incident a result of Consort Yu fanning the flames, causing the Emperor's sympathy for Jiang Xinyue to reach its peak, disrupting all of her plans?
"What should I do?" Consort Yu wiped her tears. "The Emperor must thoroughly despise me now."
Empress Zhu paced back and forth in the room. "There's no hurry for that. You also need to lay low for a while, let people forget about the foolish things you've done, before I can make new arrangements."
As long as Consort Yu's father, the Governor-General of Liangguang, could step up a bit and do a few things to please the Emperor without causing trouble, Consort Yu would still have a chance to rise again.
"Ugh... it hurts, it hurts so much..."
The Xuanwu Emperor had just entered Hexi Palace and strode into Jiang Xinyue's chambers when he heard her cries of pain. He immediately lifted the curtain and walked in.
But the scene that greeted him left him shocked and... blushing with embarrassment.
He saw Jiang Xinyue's snow-white body covered only by a thin silk quilt, her upper body almost entirely exposed to his gaze.
Her two "peaks" were even more majestic and erect than before, with Nanny Xiang's large hands kneading them, causing milk to spray into a small basin below.
The beauty was drenched in sweat, her expression pained, occasionally crying out in agony. The scene was intensely sensual.
Seeing the Emperor standing stunned at the door, Jiang Xinyue let out a startled cry. Her face, as alluring as a ripe peach, turned crimson. She looked at him pleadingly, "Your Majesty... could you please wait outside?"
The Xuanwu Emperor didn't dare look again, afraid that if his nose started bleeding, the palace servants would mock him. He quickly turned around, almost as if fleeing in panic.
Jiang Xinyue curved her lips in a smile and said to Nanny Xiang, "Continue, I'm not in that much pain. Don't be afraid, Nanny."
Nanny Xiang looked at her admiringly and whispered, "How did you know the Emperor would come at this time, Your Highness?"
Jiang Xinyue secured her deliberately loosened hair on top of her head with a hairpin, relaxing a bit as she said, "Didn't he say he would come to keep me company for the evening meal? It's exactly dinner time now."
As a consort, one must follow the palace rules, but as an emperor, there were even more rules to follow.
Favored consorts had their own small kitchens. If they wanted to eat something, they could have the palace servants prepare it at any time. The Emperor, however, had to follow a strict schedule. When to have lunch? When to have dinner? Everything had a set time. He couldn't even eat more than five bites of a single dish, couldn't reveal his preferences, couldn't eat too early or too late - it had to be at the exact designated time.
All Jiang Xinyue had to do was set up an alluring pose at that time.
Nanny Xiang couldn't help but sigh in admiration. This Senior Concubine Xian was truly perfect material for being a favored consort, always in battle mode, never letting the Emperor see an unfavorable side of her.
Once again, she rejoiced at having followed the right mistress.
