"Oh!"
As the Emperor was hurrying towards Jiang Xinyue, he passed by Ye Qiang'er, who let out a surprised cry and fell towards him. They were still on the wooden bridge between the boat and the dock, and if she fell, she would end up in the water, inevitably delaying their journey. The Xuanwu Emperor reached out to catch her but intended to pull away immediately. However, Concubine Ye clung to his arm with her entire body, saying, "Your Majesty, my foot is sprained."
In other words, she couldn't walk.
Ye Qiang'er's seductive eyes looked pitifully at the Emperor as she dared to wrap her arms around his shoulder, "Your Majesty, could you carry me over?"
She was charming and bold, quite different from the reserved concubines in the harem. However, her approach was off the mark.
The Emperor's face darkened, and he shouted at the maidservants who had accompanied Concubine Ye, "Are you all dead? Don't you know to help your mistress when she falls? Do you expect me to serve you?"
"We dare not!"
The two maidservants quickly went over and pulled Ye Qiang'er off the Emperor, who then left with an unpleasant expression.
Ye Qiang'er's face looked as if she had eaten something disgusting, causing the surrounding concubines to smirk.
"Look at her earlier display, asking the Emperor to carry her. Who does she think she is? It's laughable."
"Such low-level tactics to gain favor in front of the Emperor. Does she think he hasn't seen the world?"
"The Emperor likes women like the Imperial Noble Consort. She's no different from the girls in brothels, throwing herself at him, utterly vulgar."
If the Emperor were that easy to seduce, countless women in the harem would have tried.
He might not necessarily like Jiang Xinyue's personality, but he definitely dislikes women who openly seduce him in public.
After a considerable delay, the Internal Affairs Bureau finally escorted Jiang Xinyue to the ChuangChun Pavilion, where the Xuanwu Emperor caught up.
He patted the powder on his clothes, "Xinyue, this is the residence I specially arranged for you. Go in and see if you like it?"
Although the ChuangChun Pavilion was not the largest or best in the imperial palace, it was the closest to the Emperor's Jiuzhou Qingyan Hall. The scenery inside was like a fairyland, hence the name.
Xi Que and Shuang Jiang, who were visiting the imperial palace for the first time, were amazed by the beauty around them, their eyes struggling to take it all in.
Jiang Xinyue also felt that while ancient architects might not have the advanced machinery of modern builders, their wisdom was undeniable. The pavilions, water features, and lakes were ingeniously crafted, exquisitely beautiful.
The ChuangChun Pavilion was filled with vibrant flowers, and a series of artificial hills and flowing water designs ran through the entire courtyard. The sound of flowing water and mist created an ethereal atmosphere.
No wonder this garden is called the Pavilion of Immortals.
"I like it very much," Jiang Xinyue smiled. "Where will the Emperor be staying?"
The Xuanwu Emperor took her hand and led her to the pavilion. From the corridor connecting the pavilion to the front buildings, he pointed to a magnificent garden not far away, "That is where I will stay, the Jiuzhou Qingyan Hall."
From here, she could see the palace servants sweeping outside the Jiuzhou Qingyan Hall.
It was too close, really too close.
Jiang Xinyue suspected that if her little prince cried loudly, the Emperor could hear it from the Jiuzhou Qingyan Hall.
There were also various gardens around the ChuangChun Pavilion, all under its name. In the past, they were for the residence of the imperial concubines. However, this time the Emperor brought fewer concubines, and for the safety of the sixth prince, the surrounding areas were filled with Jiang Xinyue's own people.
The outermost areas were occupied by guards responsible for protecting the Imperial Noble Consort and the sixth prince.
In the Lan Yue Pavilion—
Noble Lady Liu Xiaoxiao covered her nose with a handkerchief, disdainfully looking around, "Even the servants of the Imperial Noble Consort can stay in the ChuangChun Pavilion, while we concubines are relegated to this remote place. Those Internal Affairs Bureau eunuchs, with their snobbish attitudes, will get their comeuppance sooner or later."
Concubine Ye immediately agreed, "Noble Lady Liu is right. It's true that different people have different fates. Concubine Cheng also lives in the Lan Yue Pavilion with us."
"How can she compare to the Imperial Noble Consort?"
"What kind of different fate is that?"
Noble Lady Liu snorted coldly, "Thinking that being favored by the Emperor for a couple of days makes her special. She looks down on everything with disdain, acting all high and mighty. Who is she trying to impress?"
Whenever she thought of Cheng Nianhe being noticed by the Emperor only because she was used as a foil, Liu Xiaoxiao wished she could strangle her.
"And you!"
Unable to find fault with Concubine Cheng, Noble Lady Liu vented her anger on Concubine Ye, "What were you doing just now? Spraining your foot? I see you're lively as ever. Which foot did you sprain?"
She didn't even pretend well; what a useless fool, always causing laughter.
Concubine Ye blushed, unable to utter a word.
Daring to take a chance might give her a slim opportunity. If she didn't take the initiative, when would she ever?
The women in the palace have only a few years of youth. They entered the palace for the selection two years ago at the age of fifteen, and now they are eighteen, virtually. If they don't gain favor next spring during the new selection, who will remember them?
Concubine Ye felt that even if she became the laughingstock of the harem, it was better than being forgotten.
The garden at the easternmost part of the Lan Yue Pavilion was ingeniously designed. The eunuch from the Internal Affairs Bureau escorted Concubine Cheng there and then left.
Her maidservant looked around and thought the same as Noble Lady Ye, "Your Highness, the Emperor is too biased. The lowest servants of the Imperial Noble Consort can stay in the ChuangChun Pavilion, while we have to squeeze into the Lan Yue Pavilion with so many people. Noble Lady Liu and Concubine Ye don't know how they will mock us."
Concubine Cheng smiled lightly, showing no sign of resentment, "Why do you care what they say? I can't stay in the ChuangChun Pavilion, nor can they. Look at the other concubines, they can't even stay in the Lan Yue Pavilion. We're already quite fortunate."
"That's true."
The maidservant was easily convinced, "Consort Zhang, Court Lady Zheng, and Consort Zhang, who came with us on the same boat, don't know where they've been arranged. Consort Jiang, who is close to the Imperial Noble Consort, has been placed in the Dong Zhao Garden, which is next to the ChuangChun Pavilion."
She looked curiously at her mistress, "Why don't we align ourselves with the Imperial Noble Consort? She already has absolute power in the harem, three princes under her care, and who can rival her?"
Concubine Cheng walked into the garden, unhurriedly, "Gaining some small benefits by currying favor with her is not what I want. It's better to start as adversaries. Using her former tactics to challenge her now, if I'm lucky enough to win, I will be more favored than her. Why lower myself to be her lapdog?"
The maidservant nodded, though not fully understanding, and suppressed her doubts, retreating.
How could her mistress think she could defeat the Imperial Noble Consort?
