"You..."
She could only come up with a random excuse: "When you were first sent to the Palace of Exile, it was the Empress who secretly protected you. I... I also took care of you in Hexi Palace, which saved you from Concubine Li's poisonous schemes. Now that the Empress has been falsely accused by that vile Consort De, won't you speak up for the Empress in front of the Emperor?"
"Consort Yu, your words are biased. I treated you and the Empress quite well back then too," Jiang Xinyue said with a smile. "You wanted to use me to bring down Concubine Li, and I did that. Why are you so greedy as to use that insignificant favor to morally blackmail me for life?"
"Insignificant?" Consort Yu was furious that her contribution was being dismissed. "If we hadn't protected you, do you think you would have survived Concubine Li's schemes? You call this insignificant?"
"You wanted to gain big by investing small. Isn't it natural to pay some costs?" The beautiful woman's face showed a hint of mockery. "Everyone wanted to use me, and now you act as if you've bestowed upon me some great kindness. Consort Yu, how can you be so thick-skinned?"
In a war of words, Consort Yu was no match for Jiang Xinyue.
She coldly said, "You're now the Emperor's most beloved consort. If you just plead for the Empress, the Emperor will surely believe her. It's just a small effort for you. Are you not willing to help even with that?"
"Well said," Jiang Xinyue applauded. "Consort Yu and the Empress have been like sisters for at least eight or nine years. Surely you have more say than me, who has been in the palace for less than two years. If you're so concerned about the Empress, why don't you go plead for her in front of the Emperor yourself?"
She questioned Consort Yu, "Or is it that... Consort Yu only pretends to care about the Empress with words? In reality, you don't want to do anything for her? You come here to instigate me to anger the Emperor, is it because you want me to fall out of favor?"
Consort Yu's eyes widened. This Jiang Xinyue must be a mind reader! How did she manage to voice all her inner thoughts?
But she couldn't show her panic. Instead, she stammered at Jiang Xinyue, "Noble Consort misunderstands me. I'm not favored, how would I dare..."
"Knowing you're not favored, yet you dare to come before me and act so presumptuously. Who gave you the audacity to be so shameless?"
These words were quite harsh.
Just as Consort Yu was about to retort, Jiang Xinyue immediately continued, "I have no interest in participating in the conflict between the Empress and Consort De. But if either side dares to smear me and tries to drag me into this mess, I'm sorry to say, whoever recklessly implicates me will become my enemy, and I will fight them... to the bitter end."
The coldness shooting from her eyes made even Consort Yu wary.
She swallowed hard, feeling somewhat guilty.
In other words, if she dared to spread rumors about this incident, she would push Jiang Xinyue to Consort De's side. She would form a united front with Consort De and fight against her and the Empress at all costs.
She really... had such intentions before coming here.
But now, she didn't dare!
Today's Jiang Xinyue was no longer the Consort Zhen or Concubine Zhen whom she could mock and ridicule at will.
Consort Yu came with her head held high, but left like a beaten dog, unable to even cast a small ripple on the surging lake before being intimidated back by Jiang Xinyue.
In the end, the Empress still took the blame for the Third Prince's poisoning and loss of voice. However, because the old lady of the Cheng Guogong Manor had injured the Empress, and the imperial physicians were still treating her, these two incidents were considered even.
Jiang Xinyue felt that this was just the beginning.
From the Empress's perspective, she had suffered an undeserved calamity for something she hadn't done.
As the Empress of the nation, she should have been second only to one and above all others in status. But now she had been accused of a crime she didn't commit. Her own husband didn't believe her and even allowed a subject's family member to beat her bloody.
Her father and brothers were thousands of miles away in Chang'an, and even riding day and night, it would take a month for them to arrive.
Consort De had utterly humiliated her, making her the laughingstock of the entire harem. In her desolation, she had no one to turn to.
How could she possibly accept this?
In Hexi Palace, Nanny Li came to bid farewell to Jiang Xinyue: "My Lady has now recovered from childbirth, and the Sixth Prince is strong and healthy. This old servant has fulfilled the Emperor's and your trust. Today, my son and daughter-in-law are coming to take me out of the palace. This old servant has come to say goodbye."
Nanny Li's departure from the palace had been agreed upon by the Emperor before she arrived.
Jiang Xinyue asked Jiang Chuan and Xiao Xuanzi to bring out the prepared gifts - a bank note for five hundred taels of silver and some jewelry, all packed in a small box.
As she handed it over, she added some words of advice: "Nanny Li, it's thanks to you and Nanny Xiang that our little darling was born healthy and safe, and it's your careful care that has protected him from many schemes. Now that you're leaving the palace, I can't help but say a few more words, even if they might seem annoying..."
She stood up, took Nanny Li's hand, and spoke from her heart: "Although they are your husband and son, you've been in the palace for forty years. Forty years is more than half a lifetime, and you haven't been out of the palace in all that time. Who knows what your home situation is like now? Is your husband still devoted to you? Will your son still side with you now that he's married? Of course, if they are wholeheartedly devoted to you, I would be very happy for you. But if they have other intentions, the money I've given you is for your own security. Don't give it all to them at once. Remember, a woman's own money is her backbone. Only then will they curry favor with you, flatter you, and treat you well. I'm not trying to think ill of them, I'm just trying to consider all possibilities for you."
The human heart is the most unpredictable thing.
Even if Nanny Li's family members were to serve her for the rest of her life just to get her money, at least they would know that the Noble Consort in the palace valued Nanny Li highly, and would treat her well out of self-interest.
At least Nanny Li wouldn't be at a disadvantage.
Nanny Li understood that Jiang Xinyue was looking out for her, and nodded with tears in her eyes.
Throughout this year, she had been eagerly waiting for the Noble Consort to give birth so that she could quickly leave the palace and reunite with her family.
But now that the moment of parting had arrived, Nanny Li suddenly felt melancholic.
This farewell would likely be for a lifetime.
Strangely enough, she had served the Empress Dowager for decades and the Emperor for over a decade, but her time with the Noble Consort, though just a short year, had given her more fond memories than all those previous years combined.
Perhaps it was because the Noble Consort never treated servants' lives as worthless. Her innate kindness made her genuinely approachable to every good-hearted person.
That's why Nanny Li felt that the Noble Consort wasn't just that high and mighty, unapproachable lady.
She was more like the sweet, obedient, and lovable girl next door, someone you couldn't help but be fond of.
