What do you mean?
Isn't the Imperial Noble Consort wearing Radiant Silk?
This is impossible; it's clearly the same.
Emperor Xuanwu also chuckled softly: "The Chief Clothing Officer Fang of the Clothing Department has indeed developed a fabric that is identical to Radiant Silk but even more dazzling, called Radiant Silk. This fabric, even in daylight without the need for candlelight, can emit a dazzling glow, and in sunlight, it will refract light like the clouds at sunset. I personally witnessed the creation of this fabric."
He was helping Jiang Xinyue explain.
"Consort Zhang, your knowledge is still limited," Jiang Xinyue said with a half-smile, looking at Consort Zhang, who was in shock. "I advise you, instead of constantly watching me and hoping for me to make a mistake, you should read more books so you won't mistake Radiant Silk for Radiant Silk."
Was she stupid?
How could she possibly use banned fabric for her clothes? That would be blatantly inviting criticism.
Suppressed laughter echoed around, and Consort Zhang's face turned red. She turned back but couldn't find the person who had whispered in her ear.
Jiang Xinyue was a clever woman. She would never directly ask the emperor for favors but instead said to the emperor, "Radiant Silk is dazzling and even more splendid than Radiant Silk. It seems that the ladies and noblewomen all like it very much. When Your Majesty rewards meritorious subjects in the future, Radiant Silk might become in high demand."
Who was the greatest contributor here?
Of course, it was Chief Clothing Officer Fang.
Emperor Xuanwu nodded, agreeing with her words: "Once we return to the palace, I will issue an edict to promote her to Chief Clothing Officer."
Chief Clothing Officer was already the highest position in the Clothing Department, but what Jiang Xinyue wanted was not just the Clothing Department. She wanted Fang Rumeng to oversee the entire Bureau of Palace Affairs with its twenty-four divisions.
But this matter couldn't be rushed.
Fang Rumeng had entered the palace at the same time as her, and in just over two years, she had already risen to the highest female official position in the Clothing Department, Chief Clothing Officer, showing great promise.
Not no one had investigated the relationship between Fang Rumeng and Jiang Xinyue, but by then, Jiang Xinyue was already the apple of the emperor's eye.
Even if Fang Rumeng was truly talented, even if she was a mere puppet, the emperor's beloved concubine merely wanted to keep her little sister in the palace to keep her company and relieve boredom. What harm was there in making her a female official?
Now that she had created Radiant Silk, which could rival Radiant Silk, who would dare to object to her being the Chief Clothing Officer?
If you don't like it, can you dye a more beautiful fabric than Radiant Silk?
"Your Majesty!"
As the banquet was drawing to a close, Minister Pei of the Privy Council and Jiang Yankun entered together from outside: "Your subjects have matters to report."
Minister Pei had a sour expression, while his father-in-law, Jiang Yankun, was all smiles.
Jiang Xinyue looked at Lady Ruan and, seeing that she seemed fine, relaxed.
Jiang Yankun's cheerful demeanor suggested that this battle had yielded significant gains.
Emperor Xuanwu cleared his throat: "What does Minister Pei of the Privy Council have to say?"
All eyes in the banquet hall were on Minister Pei. His chest heaved, struggling to contain the anger that was about to burst forth: "After much consideration, Your Majesty, I would like to recommend Chang Hu, the chief clerk of the Ministry of Punishment, and Jiao Wei, the vice minister of the Ministry of Punishment, to become the prefect of Guiyang and the governor of Qin Province. These two have shown exceptional abilities in the Ministry of Punishment and should have been promoted long ago. Jiang Yankun, don't you agree?"
The Ministry of Punishment had long since detached itself from the Six Ministries, not taking orders from the Privy Council. Its officials were all under Jiang Yankun's control, in other words, all under the emperor's command.
Minister Pei's teeth were gritted as he asked, clearly unwilling to let such an important place be taken over by two of the emperor's men.
It meant losing control over Qin Province, a crucial area.
The emperor raised an eyebrow, his gaze questioning Jiang Yankun.
So, because Lady Ruan was harassed by Pei Zhishuo, Minister Pei of the Privy Council, to appease the Jiang family, was willing to make a significant concession?
Was this the victory Jiang Yankun had won after countless rounds of battle with the opponent?
Jiang Yankun nodded slightly, and the emperor agreed to Minister Pei's "request."
But Lady Ruan had been wronged.
He had just promised Jiang Xinyue that he would not let Lady Ruan suffer.
Compared to this, of course, matters of the court were more important.
Emperor Xuanwu held Jiang Xinyue's hand and whispered, "I hear that Lady Zhou is critically ill and will likely pass away this year. When that happens, I will issue an edict to grant your mother the title of noble lady."
Since Jiang Yankun's legally married, eight-bridled sedan chair wife was still alive, there was no way to elevate Lady Ruan's status without inviting unnecessary controversy.
Jiang Xinyue, of course, would not refuse, lowering her head shyly and smiling.
The crescent moon gradually hid behind the clouds, and the banquet dispersed. Concubine Ye was nowhere to be seen, and Consort Zhang was puzzled: "Clearly, the emperor took Concubine Ye away, so why did the Imperial Noble Consort return with the emperor?"
Huan'er was even more confused: "The Ice Soul Butterfly has never failed before, and with the drug in the wine, the imperial physician should not be able to detect it."
"Meow~ Meow~"
A black cat jumped between the rockeries, meowing obediently at Consort Zhang.
Consort Zhang took out two dried fish from her wide sleeve and threw them over. The cat jumped up to catch them and happily ate.
"What can they find out?"
She chuckled softly: "The drug in the wine is colorless and odorless, and used alone, it is harmless. The powder from the butterfly's wings is also harmless. Even if they find both powders used together, they are still harmless. The only thing that is toxic... is the handkerchief that Concubine Ye used."
She held a snow-white handkerchief in her hand and casually tossed it into the artificial lake beside her.
The sweet scent that Concubine Ye smelled when she wiped her mouth was the catalyst for the wine and butterfly powder.
Only when these three things came into contact would they react.
But this scent would disappear within two hours.
That is to say, by the time the emperor finished and went to investigate, there would be nothing to find.
Because the wine was colorless and odorless, the powder had already been inhaled into his nose, and the scent that triggered the drug was long gone.
When the black cat jumped down from the roof, the tray held by the little eunuch had already been contaminated with the powder. Except for that little eunuch, no one else had touched the emperor's wine pot.
Even if they tortured the little eunuch, he would never be able to say anything was wrong.
As for Concubine Ye, she was even more clueless. She probably still didn't understand why she had become a suspect in drugging the emperor.
It's just that this Imperial Noble Consort...
She was too difficult to kill!
Seeing her enchanting appearance at the banquet earlier, it was probably because the emperor, despite being drugged, refused to touch Concubine Ye and instead had someone call the Imperial Noble Consort to "detoxify."
This meant that it was not yet time for her to make a move. She should let Concubine Cheng and Noble Lady Liu continue to act as scapegoats for a while longer. Maybe they would get lucky and succeed once?
The emperor was not some devoted romantic who would stay faithful to the Imperial Noble Consort for a lifetime.
There would always be a day when she would lose favor.
What she needed to do was to wait for the right moment.
