Staying overnight in Chengqian Palace was Concubine Zhenxian's privilege, so she naturally wouldn't spend the night there. She only needed to create the illusion that she had been intimate with the Emperor to gain the Empress Dowager's trust.
When she left, it wasn't too late. The Emperor should have heeded her words and gone to Hexi Palace to find Senior Concubine Xian. The longer the Emperor spent lovingly with Senior Concubine Xian, the safer she would be.
Having briefly formed an alliance with the Emperor, she wondered if he would keep his promise to send her out of the palace once the Empress Dowager lost her ability to cause trouble. And the Crown Prince... had he really refused to marry his sister for her sake?
"Miss Pei, the Empress Dowager requests your presence."
Granny Gui lowered her head, glancing at the red marks on her neck, her smile growing wider: "This old servant will help Miss Pei change her clothes!"
It wouldn't do to see the Empress Dowager like this. Pei Wu nodded, and Granny Gui led several palace maids in.
On the bed was a woman's handkerchief stained with blood, which Pei Wu had borrowed from the Emperor's bloodied hand. The snow-white handkerchief with bright red blood was proof to Granny Gui that Pei Wu was no longer a "virgin."
In Hexi Palace—
The Xuanwu Emperor had just managed to comfort Jiang Xinyue and ordered Granny Xiang to take the little one away when the wound on the back of his hand was exposed to Jiang Xinyue.
She sat up abruptly on the bed: "Your Majesty, you're hurt! How did this happen?"
The woman's soft hands cradled his, her eyes brimming with tears of concern. She blew gently on the broken skin: "Why didn't Wang Dequan bandage it for Your Majesty? What if it gets infected? Does it hurt a lot?"
Wang Dequan was waiting behind the screen, ready to attend to the Emperor's needs, but he didn't expect to hear Senior Concubine Xian's reproach.
Heaven knows, it wasn't that he didn't want to bandage the Emperor's wound. The Emperor insisted on keeping it exposed to gain Senior Concubine Xian's sympathy when he came to Hexi Palace!
He was truly in a predicament, unable to voice his grievances.
"It doesn't hurt. When you blow on it, Yue'er, it doesn't hurt at all."
Even at a time like this, he was still joking.
Jiang Xinyue glared at him and called for Shuang Jiang: "Go to the medicine box and bring some wound medicine and silk cloth."
After giving birth to the little one, she had the Internal Affairs Department make her a small box and asked Yan the Imperial Physician to put some medicines for bruises, falls, and burns in it, creating a simple first-aid kit similar to what the physicians at the Imperial Hospital carried around.
This way, they wouldn't have to wait for a physician to arrive for minor illnesses or injuries.
Shuang Jiang quickly brought the medical box and stood by to hand things to her mistress.
Jiang Xinyue gently applied medicine to the Xuanwu Emperor's wound. The moment the medicinal powder touched the wound, it stung a bit. The Emperor, being a grown man, could certainly endure it, but he still hissed, causing Jiang Xinyue to look alarmed.
When he was young, he always hoped that his mother would pick him up when he fell, blow on his little hand, and tell him, "I'll blow on it, and it won't hurt anymore."
But every time he deliberately fell, the Empress Dowager would just coldly look at him and criticize him for not even being able to walk properly, asking how he could ever be a good emperor in the future.
If possible, the Empress Dowager would probably have wanted to give the throne to someone from the Wu family. So no matter how well the Xuanwu Emperor did, he could never earn a word of praise from the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager's treatment of him was always suppression, blame, scolding...
When did he start to let go of his obsession and no longer feel the normal affection between mother and son towards the Empress Dowager?
Perhaps it was after countless disappointments, a long, long time ago. So long ago that every time Wu Chengyi bullied him, the Empress Dowager always stood on Wu Chengyi's side... So long ago that he himself couldn't remember how much time had passed, he forgot he even had a mother.
In those days of licking his wounds alone, he learned to heal himself. He no longer needed anyone to be kind to him because he was strong enough on his own.
However, today, as Jiang Xinyue bandaged his wound with such gentle and careful movements, his heart was inevitably touched.
As they looked into each other's eyes, there was infinite tenderness.
Seeing this, Shuang Jiang quickly tidied up and quietly withdrew, fearing that even a moment's delay would offend the Emperor.
The Emperor had been abstinent for more than half a year, and although he wanted to pounce on Jiang Xinyue, seeing the fear in her eyes, he suppressed his desires.
After washing up, he held Jiang Xinyue, feeling her stiffness in his arms. He kissed her forehead and said, "Sleep now! I'll stay with you."
He had actually considered her feelings and restrained his desires.
Jiang Xinyue's tense muscles finally relaxed. She nestled in the Xuanwu Emperor's arms, silently hugging him, appearing both moved and grateful.
She was indeed afraid of childbirth and intimacy now. Any object entering or exiting her birthing organ reminded her of the unbearable pain during labor.
But grateful to the Emperor? Not at all.
This was her body, and she had the right to refuse or accept anyone.
Jiang Xinyue slept well that night, but the Xuanwu Emperor suffered.
His beloved consort was in his arms, but he could only look and not touch. Especially when her sleeping posture was restless, rubbing against him, almost making him spill his seed on the bed.
He even got up in the middle of the night to take a cold shower to calm down.
This led to him sneezing constantly the next morning, and during court, officials even advised him to take care of his health.
After court, Minister Pei of the Privy Council was beaming with joy, probably having heard the news of his granddaughter being favored.
The officials of the Pei faction loved to challenge Jiang Yankun, and how could they miss such a great opportunity today?
The Minister of Works glanced at Jiang Yankun, deliberately bumping into his shoulder, then apologizing insincerely: "Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't see Minister Jiang there. How strange, when Senior Concubine Xian was the sole favorite in the harem, Minister Jiang used to walk with his nose in the air. Why so deflated today? I didn't even notice you!"
Jiang Yankun coldly snorted: "Blind lapdog."
"You..."
The Minister of War stepped forward: "Minister Jiang, your words are too harsh. You should know that the Emperor has started to favor other concubines, Senior Concubine Xian is no longer the only one. We are all of the same rank, if you continue to be so arrogant, we might have to report you to the Emperor."
Jiang Yankun snorted a second time: "Yapping watchdog."
The Ministers of Works and War looked back to see the Minister of Personnel, Jiang Hewei, who was once Jiang Yankun's ally in overthrowing the Song family, but ended up being the unfortunate target of historians' attacks in court.
Jiang Hewei didn't dare to participate in this war where he couldn't afford to offend either side and was about to quietly slip away when he heard Minister Jiang firmly spit out two words: "Cowardly dog."
It was an indiscriminate attack, lashing out even at his own people when enraged.
Jiang Yanxi watched from the side, dumbfounded, vowing to learn well from his clan brother.
Their Jiang family had Princess Zhenxian, allowing them to walk sideways like crabs.
