Concubine Cheng only made those provocative remarks after seeing the Imperial Noble Consort.
She knew full well that Noble Lady Liu was impulsive and hot-tempered, speaking without thinking, and she deliberately timed it so the Imperial Noble Consort would hear her treasonous words.
Consort Zhang and Court Lady Zheng looked at Concubine Cheng with surprise in their eyes, but their previous trust and closeness had been replaced with wariness.
As the Imperial Noble Consort had said, not a single slap given to Noble Lady Liu had been wasted.
She was teaching Noble Lady Liu a lesson!
Thirty slaps were worth it to see through a hypocrite's true nature - she wouldn't be fooled by her schemes again.
Just moments ago, Noble Lady Liu had insulted the Imperial Noble Consort's lowly origins, yet the Imperial Noble Consort still offered guidance despite the offense. The Imperial Noble Consort was truly kindhearted.
Noble Lady Liu's muddled mind had been somewhat cleared by the beating, and she glared at Concubine Cheng as if she wanted to devour her.
Jiang Xinyue withdrew her hand, and Xi Que immediately offered a handkerchief for her mistress to wipe her hands, complaining that Concubine Cheng's face powder had dirtied her mistress's hands.
"If you want to fight, then openly challenge me instead of always hiding behind Noble Lady Liu and using her to do your dirty work. She may be foolish, but I'm not. You act like an innocent rabbit while being a wolf in sheep's clothing. These tricks you're using are ones I've grown tired of long ago - don't play these games in front of me. If you behave yourself, we can each go our own way without interfering with each other. But if you insist on being despicable before me, I'll make you understand very clearly why I am the Imperial Noble Consort while you're merely a lowly concubine."
The crowd that had gathered departed as dramatically as they had arrived.
Jiang Xinyue wouldn't let this minor incident affect her enjoyment of the garden.
As women's screams and chaos erupted behind her, she quickly made her escape.
They were all troublemakers - let them fight amongst themselves like dogs.
"Cheng Nianhe, I'll tear your lying mouth apart, you black-hearted wretch! I took such good care of you back in Chuxiu Palace, and this is how you repay me? Don't hold me back - I'll tear apart anyone who tries to stop me!"
"Those thirty slaps - I'll return every single one! You owe me this!"
The crisp sound of slaps and Concubine Cheng's screams were exactly what Jiang Xinyue had anticipated.
If Concubine Cheng wanted to use Noble Lady Liu to harm her, why couldn't she use Noble Lady Liu to make Concubine Cheng suffer the consequences of her own actions?
Being the champion of palace intrigue wasn't just for show.
Walking to a secluded bamboo grove, where the wind made the leaves rustle with a peaceful sound, the vast expanse of deep green was a sight that brought peace to one's soul.
Suddenly, the sound of a flute drifted from within the bamboo grove, its melody flowing and graceful, indicating the player's good mood.
As a modern person, Jiang Xinyue hadn't undergone the strict training of ancient noble ladies in poetry, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting - she knew a little of each but wasn't particularly skilled in any.
All she could think was: "Wow! That sounds amazing!"
Light footsteps approached, and Xie Chenghui opened his eyes, causing his flute melody to falter.
He immediately stopped playing and bowed with a reddened face: "This humble servant greets the Imperial Noble Consort."
Jiang Xinyue smiled, her earlier bad mood from being insulted completely dissipating at the sight of the handsome young man: "So it's Artist Xie. I thought it might have been one of the consorts playing! I hope I haven't disturbed you?"
Had she known Artist Xie was here, she would have come anyway - who doesn't enjoy looking at a cute puppy-like young man?
Looking was fine - it was just her feminine nature, and she wouldn't harbor any inappropriate thoughts.
Although she often joked internally about keeping the son and discarding the father, fantasizing about being surrounded by handsome men, she still felt grateful to the Xuanwu Emperor, who doted on her and gave her everything she wanted, even if there wasn't love.
If he didn't favor and dote on her, she would have been a nobody today, struggling and scheming at the bottom like Concubine Cheng and the others.
"How could the Imperial Noble Consort's presence be a disturbance? Your arrival has brought radiance to this quiet place."
Even this honest man's compliments were pleasant to hear.
Jiang Xinyue looked at the flute in his hands, noticing it was made of jade - something quite rare, as she had never seen anyone play a jade flute before.
Seeing her curious gaze on his flute, Xie Chenghui hurriedly offered it to her.
"No need, I was just..."
"What are you doing?"
Earlier at Jiuzhou Qingyan, the Xuanwu Emperor had received a secret letter claiming the Imperial Noble Consort was having an affair with Xie Chenghui. He hadn't believed it at first.
But the letter was insistent and mentioned that Xie Chenghui had secretly kept a portrait of Jiang Xinyue. He had sent people to search Xie Chenghui's residence and indeed found a portrait of a woman. Though the face wasn't painted, the figure and clothing resembled Jiang Xinyue.
Now, seeing the two standing together in such harmony, the Xuanwu Emperor felt a surge of anger and inexplicable jealousy.
It felt as if his internal organs were being consumed by flames, wanting to burn everything he saw to ashes.
"This humble servant..."
"Silence!"
The Xuanwu Emperor roared, striding forward with an intimidating gaze fixed on Jiang Xinyue: "I was asking you - what are you doing here?"
Jiang Xinyue was startled by his shout. Looking behind him, she saw her palace servants who she had left outside had now followed him in, heads bowed, afraid to face the emperor's wrath.
She studied the emperor's expression with slight annoyance: "You don't think..."
"Think what?"
Consort Yu, who shouldn't have been there, arrived with a group of concubines: "Think that you're having an affair with Artist Xie?"
She sneered, throwing the faceless beauty portrait confiscated from Xie Chenghui's residence at Jiang Xinyue's feet: "See for yourself. If there wasn't an affair, why would Artist Xie paint you? Your Majesty, when I asked Artist Xie to paint my portrait before, he clearly said he doesn't paint portraits of people. Yet now we find the Imperial Noble Consort's portrait in his possession - how do you explain this?"
Consort Yu, seemingly excited to finally have caught Jiang Xinyue in wrongdoing, continued eagerly: "The two of you, alone together in this dark place, with your servants left outside - if this isn't a secret rendezvous, what is it? Your Majesty, please severely punish the Imperial Noble Consort. Don't let such improper behavior taint the imperial harem."
"Please punish the Imperial Noble Consort severely and cleanse the palace of such misconduct!"
"Consort Yu speaks as if she was hiding under my bed watching everything."
"With so many witnesses, are you still trying to deny it?"
"Deny what?"
Jiang Xinyue's anger flared up, her eyes blazing as she stared directly at the Xuanwu Emperor: "Did you see us embracing? Or kissing? Or lying naked together in bed? Your Majesty, please tell your consort what exactly you saw?"
Indeed!
When they had entered, the Imperial Noble Consort and Artist Xie were standing two people's width apart, appearing to be having a normal conversation.
